Saturday 10TH June 2017

Obaseki: The Truth Never Changes, I Won the Election As Appeal Court affirms his mandate

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The Court of Appeal in Benin City, Edo State yesterday affirmed Godwin Obaseki of the All progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the September 28,

2016 governorship election in the state and dismissed the appeal by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as lacking in merit.

In a swift reaction, Obaseki

commended the judgement and declared that he knew that the truth would never change.

Striking out the appeal, the court, led by Hon. Justice Dongban-Mensen ruled that the Justice Ahmed Badamasi-led

Tribunal did a pain-staking job and so deserved commendation, adding that the tribunal should be commended for properly evaluating all the witnesses’ evidence and ascribing “probative value” to it.

The Appeal Court judgment read by Justice M. O. Bolaji Yusuf also held that the PDP, from the evidence-led, did not prove their case to warrant the nullification of the election or a declaration of Pastor Ize-Iyamu

as the winner.

Justice Yusuf said: "In considering all issues formulated by lead counsels, we found that the nine issues formulated by Continued on page 8

Soldier Sentenced to Death for Killing Boko Haram Suspect ... Page 46 Saturday 10 June, 2017 Vol 22. No 8087. Price: N250

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We Can Restructure, Still Remain One United Country, Says Nnamani Northern youths can’t speak for us, says Southern Kaduna group

Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu, John Shiklam in Kaduna, Okon Bassey in Uyo, Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia and Ugo Aliogo Former President of the Senate, Ken Nnamani yesterday in Enugu called for the restructur-

ing of the country in view of the myriad of problems facing it, adding that Nigeria will still remain united if restructured.

Nnamani however insisted that much as restructuring was important, it would not be a magic bullet as it would not

solve the economic and political problems of the country unless "we redesign our constitution and our constitutional practice towards productivity and accountability".

His position is coming on the heels of the Southern Kaduna

Peoples Union (SOKAPU), an umbrella body of ethnic nationalities in the Southern part of Kaduna State, distancing themselves from the coalition of Northern youth groups which ordered Igbo to leave the north.

SOKAPU said the youth

coalition had no mandate to speak for the entire region.

In a lecture titled, “Restructuring: The Search for Political Stability and Economic Development in Nigeria” which he delivered as part of the Transformal Leadership Forum

Lecture series organised by the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, the former senate president said the nation could still restructure and remain one united country.

Continued on page 8

Saraki: Nigeria's Unity Not Negotiable Presidency to sign budget next week, says Dogara Damilola Oyedele and James Emejo in Abuja The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki at a special session to mark the second anniversary of the eighth Senate yesterday declared that the unity of Nigeria was not negotiable and “must be defended by all, in spite of numerous agitations.”

Also yesterday, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara hinted that the 2017 budget which had been transmitted to the Executive by National Assembly may finally be signed into law early next week.

"This Senate must stand clearly and act clearly to defend the country. The unity of this country is not negotiable. We must defend the unity of this country. It must act clearly on the fact that there is only one Nigeria which is not negotiable, and against division of this country.

We must live by example and I want to commend all of us for the roles we have played in this area," Saraki said.

The Senate President added that the next two years would

be more challenging and called on the lawmakers to show leadership to every part of the country.

"Anybody that toys with that is somebody that we will fight to defend the unity of this country. We must eschew bigotry, tribalism and see each other as one and together build a new Nigeria of our dreams," Saraki added.

The Senate President further urged Nigerians to be patient with President Muhammadu Buhari adding that the government is sincerely disposed to turning things around in a much more enduring manner.

He also expressed appreciation to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo for providing leadership and character and leading with conviction.

Speaking in the performance of the Senate in the last two years, Saraki said the eighth Senate has passed 96 bills and 72 petitions in just two years, eclipsing the highest ever in the history of the National Assembly, a record held by the 5th Senate Continued on page 8

OLOWO VISITS OSINBAJO...

The Olowo of Owo, Oba Olateru Olagbegi presenting a royal gift to the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo during his courtesy visit to the State House, Abuja ...yesterday

Customs Uncovers Substance Used by Terrorists to Manufacture IEDs ...Page 41

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Weekend Photo

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (middle), Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Afam Power Plc, Engr. Olumide Noah Obademi (right) and a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Promise Chisom Dike (left) during the inspection tour of the Afam Power Plant in Portharcourt, Rivers State ...recently

SARAKI: NIGERIA'S UNITY NOT NEGOTIABLE after passing about 65 bills and 6 petitions respectively within the same time period.

"Though we inherited a legacy that created in some minds cynicism and despondency, we were undeterred irrespective of an unending barrage of virulent attacks and unprovoked aggression, the 8th Senate matched on, together erasing records and setting new ones," Saraki said.

He added that the Senate would remain steadfast in exposing corrupt practices and plugging leakages in ministries, departments and agencies of government.

"We need to be bold and stand for the rule of law," he

said.

Other lawmakers harped on the unity of Nigeria.

Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) noted that there was a pressing need for the Senate to make a statement on the agitations and calls for secession.

“I believe we have been able to work together over these two years despite the turbulent start. The challenge before us is what we can do to address the political, social and economic issues before us. The next two years will be tougher because of moves for secession,’’ Sani added.

In his speech to mark the second anniversary, the Deputy

Senate President lauded the leadership qualities of Saraki, which he noted, had steered the Senate right despite the trials he had faced.

Ekweremadu expressed appreciation for the support he has received from all the lawmakers.

Dogara: Presidency to Sign Budget Next Week Dogara, who also spoke during a special session to mark the second year anniversary of the 8th House of Representatives said the House had kept to its promise made to Nigerians at the beginning of the legislative session to ensure transparent deliberation and passage of the

2017 Appropriations Bill.

In his appraisal of the House within the period, the Speaker noted that the cohesion within the lower chamber constituted a major achievement of the 8th House.

He said: "Without this, all else would have fallen apart as valuable hours of legislative business would have been dissipated on the management of internal squabbles.

"This we achieved, by always placing patriotism above partisanship which is key to the unremitting exemplary maturity that is seen on the floor, week in week out."

He said a total of 1,064 bills

WE CAN RESTRUCTURE, STILL REMAIN ONE UNITED COUNTRY, SAYS NNAMANI He said the issue had become a national obsession with notable Nigerians adding their voices, “basically because of the prevailing democratic governance in the country which obviously had availed the populace the opportunity to make further demands from the system.”

Among the issues that fuel the clamour for restructuring according to him include the peaceful transfer of power from the ruling party to an opposition party in 2015 which improved the quality and rating of the nation's democracy, the absence of normative democracy in the country where there was no place for the loser and economic decline arising in part from economic mismanagement of the nation's resources.

The other context for the clamour for restructuring of the country, he said was the continuing failure to abide by the rule of law and principles of federalism in political leadership noting that "we are lawless and that shows on how we manage political power.”

Nnamani said: "We violate the constitution at will and it is that gross violation that has made many people argue as if the constitution is thoroughly without merit. It is true the constitution is bad in many ways but the larger

blame for maladministration in Nigeria especially as it relates to constitutional democracy goes to consistent and concerted efforts by elected officials to violate the constitution."

He also noted that those agitating for the nation's restructuring attack the constitution itself, as the basis for constitutional governance in the country, alleging that the document was fraudulent by claiming in the first place that it was produced by Nigerians instead of the military hegemony that produced it.

As a result of that, he said most people had insisted that only a constituent assembly convoked to prepare a fresh constitution would produce a legitimate constitution for the people and not mere amendments by the National Assembly.

"A constitution drafted by elected delegates of Nigerian ethnic, religious, and political groups and approved through a referendum will be wonderful thing but in its absence, we can still produce a constitutional order that guarantees political stability and economic development," he said.

He therefore urged the federal government to revisit the report of the 2014 constitutional conference and implement the good proposals therein.

In a related development,

SOKAPU in a statement by its Public Relation Officer, Yakubu Kuzamani in Kaduna on Friday said the position of the coalition should not be taken as the position of the entire north, stressing that the groups were merely playing the script written by their sponsors.

They declared that Arewa youths could neither speak for the Southern Kaduna people nor the entire north.

The Union condemned the threat by the coalition of youth groups, saying that all Nigerians had the right to live and carry out legitimate affairs in all parts of the country.

"We unequivocally disassociate ourselves from the toxic fumes of hate and bigotry belched out against the Igbo by the so-called Arewa youths because the lgbo did not in any way offend Southern Kaduna People.

"We are a hospitable and accommodating people. We assure the Igbo that their property and assets (movable or immovable) in Southern Kaduna are secured, assured and guaranteed.

"The security of all Igbo in Southern Kaduna is guaranteed.

We will continue to accommodate the Igbo and all persons of goodwill towards us irrespective of their primordial, ethnic or religious cleavages.

The expressed desire of the

Igbo to have a separate country of their own is an inalienable right which has not in any way, in our opinion, translated into a crime or provocation to us in Southern Kaduna, the North or the Nigerian state. "lgbo have so far in our estimation merely exercised their rights to gather and to protest peacefully. They exercised their constitutional rights to acquire property in the nooks and crannies of this country. These are not criminal actions.

We were not consulted by the so-called Arewa groups before issuing the Kaduna Declaration despite the fact that Southern Kaduna is in the North West.

The declarants, it appears clearly, do not see us as part of the North.

We condemn the declaration without reservations. We ask the “Northern Youths” to look carefully inward into the north and they would find that other bigger problems facing the region's existence."

The statement called on the group to work towards strengthening the fragile trust that exists amongst northerners with other ethnic groups rather than resorting to hate statements and incendiary ultimatum to bonafide Nigerians.

Continued on page 46

had so far been introduced out of which executive bills accounted for 50 bills; while Senate bills transmitted to the House were 21 as well as 993 bills from private members.

However, Chairman of the Editorial Board of THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi while commending the National Assembly for finally opening up its finances said some of the actions of the lawmakers dent the image of both the House and the Senate.

He said most of the perception problems currently confronting the House were largely selfinflicted and originated from the lower chamber.

He said a situation where members fought and threw irresponsible tantrums on social media was damaging

to the House reputation.

Speaking on "Image Perception of the Legislature: Causes and Possible Solutions", Adeniyi, who was the guest speaker of the august occasion, among other things, criticised lawmakers for voting billions of Naira for new cars at a period when the economy is undergoing a recession and majority of Nigerians experience difficult times.

He further cited a general perception that many of the House members are idle and hardly in Abuja to make contributions to bills.

As a way out, he recommended that members' attendance list be published henceforth while instituting and enforcing sanctions for non-attendance.

A'COURT AFFIRMS OBASEKI AS EDO GOVERNOR

the appellant counsel were subsummed into two (2) issues: One, whether the tribunal properly evaluated the evidence and gave correct collative value to it; two, whether in considering the entire evidence before the tribunal, the tribunal was right in holding that the appellant failed to prove his petition.

"We considered all the issues and at the end, we found that the decision of tribunal as shown was unassailable. The tribunal carried out a painstaking detail and thorough dissipation of all aspect in the appellant's case.

Having resolved all the two issues, we found that the appeal was rhetoric and the appeal is hereby dismissed."

Obaseki who was highly elated by the appeal court judgement, said: "One thing you must always know is that the truth never changes. I won the election. God has affirmed that I won the election; the court has now affirmed that I won the election.

"No matter how hard they (opposition) try, they cannot change the truth. I am sure they will appeal, we will meet at the Supreme Court and it will be the same verdict.

"I thank the people for their patience with us. We want to

assure them that we are not distracted and we will continue on our path to recovery, on our path to progress. We have done a little bit of work. I know that people are pleased with what we have done. But I want to assure them that it is only the beginning. I want to assure them that with the continued support we are receiving from Edo people, we will put in everything we have to make sure that Edo State becomes the state that it should be."

Immediate past governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, said: "When I said the petition was like one filed by ‘Mama Alakara’, they tried to twist it.

You can see that even at the level of the Court of Appeal, they used more harsh words than the Tribunal.

"I just hope that the PDP will understand that their rigging machine has been dismantled since 2007. They can return it; they can't succeed and our people will not welcome them back.

"It is now that Godwin will concentrate on his mandate and am happy he is doing well. Now, we know that with the clarity of the position, even if they go to the Supreme Court or World Court, we will defeat them."

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JUNE 10, 2017 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

RingTrue

Yemi

Adebowale

07013940521 yemi.adebowale@thisdaylive.com

Squandering Governors Rolling Out the Drums

I

am still struggling to recover from the shock of seeing many governors rolling out the drums to celebrate two years in office and 18 years of democracy on May 29. Some added 50 years of creation, while others celebrated six years in power by inaugurating routine projects. One of them even inaugurated a bus terminal with fanfare. There is no basis for these celebrations. These are governors that have failed to meet the rudimentary responsibilities of paying civil servants as and when due, and providing basic infrastructure in their states. They have, by their actions and inactions, turned these hapless entities into failed states. Many are so incompetent and lazy to think of creative ways of motivating economic activities in their states and generating funds. They are so happy going to Abuja monthly to collect handouts, which they eventually squander. They are too lazy to sit down with forward-looking Nigerians to fashion out how to make these states viable. Industries and industrial estates are dead in many states. Our states have great untapped agricultural potential that can make them viable, yet, struggle to survive.

Most of these governors celebrating can’t point to a single industry whose emergence they have motivated since assuming office. So, the industries are not there and commercial agriculture is in comatose. How then do they intend to make their states viable? Allocations are dwindling with huge unpaid bills; yet, our governors live big and operate with a retinue of aides. For example, what is Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State doing with 192 special assistants?

Irregular payments of salaries by these governors have impoverished civil servants, forcing some of them to resort to begging in order to survive the hardship foisted on them, while the governors and their cronies live big. You will find them travelling around the world with a large entourage in the name of looking for foreign investors. Many will still remember Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State travelling to Turkey with about 100 people “to study Turkey’s industrial

Yari

prowess”. Governor Ahmed Abdulfatah of Kwara State has also been involved in these dubious trips abroad in search of investors.

Many governors have taken huge loans beyond their repayment capacity.

The monthly deductions from their share of federally-collected revenue to service the loans are now impacting negatively on their finances. A critical analysis of the contractual obligations/other deductions from the allocations of the 36 states showed that virtually all of them are deep in debt with very little to show for it. Imagine a state like Osun with a domestic debt portfolio of N147 billion within seven years of Rauf Aregbesola as governor. So, what did he use the money for?

The level of debauchery and ineptitude this country has witnessed in most of these federating units in the last two years is unprecedented in the history of this country. How can a man be happy to identify himself as the governor of a state that has failed to pay salaries to civil servants for over a year? Many of them, even after collecting bailout funds from the federal government, loans and Paris

Club refunds, still failed to pay these hapless civil servants. I can clearly remember that the anti-graft agency which monitored how states spent the N338 billion bailout funds in 2016 reported that 16 of these governors stole or diverted a substantial part of the funds.

The situation in Osun State is most pathetic. Here, civil servants are pummeled with impunity. Salaries are hardly paid, and when Aregbesola does, sporadically, it is usually half salary. The backlog is frightening.

Few days back, medical doctors protested in Osogbo against payment of “amputated salaries” by the state government. Dr. Tokunbo Olajumoke, the leader of the doctors further raised the alarm that there was no drug/ equipment in any of Osun government-owned hospitals. Olajumoke said this was contrary to Aregbesola’s claims that he had spent N10 billion to improve the sector.

Let’s flip over to Benue State where Governor Samuel Ortom has failed to tackle decaying infrastructure and huge unpaid salaries, yet, he is able to allocate an outrageous N4.5 billion for “Government House Administration” in this year’s budget. This is a state where health, education, water, roads and other key sectors are in shambles.

The last six years have been harrowing for the people of Oyo State under Ajimobi. There is a huge backlog of unpaid salaries. This state has never had it so bad. Virtually all the gains of the state since creation have been wiped out by Ajimobi. This once peaceful and lovely state has degenerated significantly, with putrefying infrastructure. Public utilities are in a mess. Just visit any of the state’s public hospitals/schools and you will be shocked at the state of the facilities.

The young man in Kogi State, Yahaya Bello has not fared well. Aside from backlog of unpaid salaries and moldy infrastructure in the state, there are also numerous corruption allegations against him. Governor Bello was accused of mismanaging the N48

Boko Haram Attacks and the Unanswered Questions Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State recently admitted that the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists had not been fully defeated, but degraded, contrary to the usual statements credited to government officials. It was a high profile partial confirmation of my regular expose on the quagmire. Shettima spoke in Abuja during the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Profoturo, a global charity organisation based in Spain. The governor said: “Even though the country has made a lot of gains against insurgency, a lot still needs to be done. While Boko Haram had largely been degraded and posed no existential threat, it would however amount to dishonesty to claim that they have been defeated. We have to give it to this government that they have done marvelously well in containing insurgency, but they have not been totally defeated; anybody who told you so is economical with truth. But they have been degraded to such a level that they are no longer a threat to the corporate existence of this country.”

My message to Shettima this morning is this: To say that Boko Haram has been degraded is pure sarcasm as seen from the group’s invasion of Maiduguri this week, leading to two hours of battle with our brave soldiers. Just on Wednesday, 18 people (three suicide bombers inclusive)

were killed during multiple attacks in and around Maiduguri. Only recently, this government went to swap two terrorists with 82 Chibok girls kept in Boko Haram-held territory for over three years.

They obviously still control territories; otherwise, where were the girls kept? A degraded group can’t conveniently keep about 200 girls for over three years. A degraded group can’t be controlling territories. A degraded group can’t be attacking and dismantling military formations. A degrade group can’t be deploying suicide bombers repeatedly. The suicide bombers must have been trained and deployed from a base. IDPs still can’t return home, because their villages, towns and cities are still not safe.

The truth is that our gallant soldiers are still ill-equipped and ill-motivated, notwithstanding the billions of Naira budgeted for defence annually. Last year, it got N428 billion, and N465 billion is set aside for defence in this year’s budget.

Nevertheless, our soldiers still struggle with mundane things like operational vehicles and attack helicopters. When it comes to field allowances, they are also underpaid. It seems some people want this vicious circle to continue. How long must we allow this rag tag group to continue to kill our people? This anguish in Borno must come to an end, and quickly too. We

Shettima

have had enough of propaganda. We must all put pressure on the APC-led federal government to deliver on its promise to truly degrade and defeat Boko Haram. This government must, as a matter of urgency, bring back the South African mercenaries to help with precision bombing. Our gallant soldiers, with the right equipment and motivation, can then go in and mop up. This is the only way forward.

billion he obtained as bailout from the federal government. One of such opponents called Egalitarian Mission for Africa wants anti-graft agencies to probe Bello. The group further alleged that N912 million was paid from Kogi State’s infrastructural account number 1010756707 at Zenith Bank to AG Vision Construction Nigeria Limited Account Number 1920001651 at Skye Bank “as part payment for the construction of Agasa-Ukpogoro Road, “a fictitious no-existing project as at today.”

Let’s switch to globetrotting Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State who viciously killed moves by legislators to impeach him last year. This was after he got operatives of the Department of State Service to harass the leaders of the state’s House of Assembly. Wonders will never end. This brutal governor got the DSS in Abuja to detain the Speaker, Sanusi Garba Rikiji, his deputy, Muhammad Abubakar Gumi, the Majority Leader, Isah Abdulmumini and the Chief Whip, Abdullahi Dansadau. The remaining 20 members of the Assembly fled to Kaduna to avoid arrest. Prior to this, Yari used miscreants to attack the Speaker. The intimidation worked, with the lawmakers withdrawing their impeachment notice.

Notwithstanding, Zamfara legislators have made their point about Yari’s alleged ineptitude, misappropriating allocations to the state, corrupt usage of local government funds, failing to implement the budgets and non-remittance of pension funds to pension administrators.

These are hefty allegations. Rather than addressing the issues, Yari, who is constantly abroad, resorted to political intimidation, arrest and detention of principal officers of the House and other support staff. Again, Yari’s frequent trips abroad are evidently impacting negatively on the day-to-day running of government, apart from imposing financial burden on the state. This state remains one of the most backward in Nigeria. That was why elder statesman, Saidu Dansadau, petitioned Buhari last year, asking him to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State.

Dansadua said: “The governor hardly stays in the state as he prefers to travel all over the world at the expense of the state resources and safety of the people. He has spent only about 20 per cent of that whole period (five years) in Zamfara State. He had utilised the other 80 per cent junketing from one part of the country to the other and shuttling around the globe. All matters of state that require action are kept waiting until he returns to the state. Consequently, intelligence and security reports are kept in abeyance. For instance, at a period, out of 60 straight days, the governor spent only two days in Zamfara State.”

The way Okorocha goes about presenting himself as an honest politician leaves me bewildered. This is particularly so, in the face of glaring evidence that he is owing civil servants, contrary to what he claims to stand for. According to Comrade Austin Chilakpu, Chairman, Imo State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress, workers in many of the state’s parastatals have not been paid for several months. I have been reliable informed that some of the affected parastatals are Imo Newspapers, Adapalm Nigeria (Imo Palm Plantation), and Imo Specialist Hospital. Imo pensioners are also owed several months.

Clearly, most of these governors have shown that they are incapable of doing their jobs. How I wish they will resign and allow people with good ideas and political will to take over. We need governors with energy and common sense that can channel resources towards poverty alleviation. We need people capable of fiercely tackling hunger, disease and unemployment. This is the only way forward for our nation.

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NEWS

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER •JUNE 10, 2017

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

PARTNERSHIP THAT WORKS...

L-R: Head, Strategic Planning and Research of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) , Osauzo Obaro; Lead Private Sector Specialist of World Bank, Guillemette Jaffrin; DG, BPE, Alex A. Okoh; World Bank's Country Director, Rachid Benmessaoud; and Fidelis Kur of the BPE during a courtesy visit by the World Bank team to the BPE Director-General.

Quit Notice: Ijaw Youths Seek Alliance with Middle Belt on Restructuring Emmanuel Addeh inYenagoa

Youths of Ijaw descent said yesterday that they were willing to work with their counterparts from the middle belt to ensure that Nigeria was truly restructured.

While lauding the reaction of the Middle Belt Youth Council (MBYC) to the threat by some northern youths to evict Igbo people from their land, the IYC said no amount of intimidation

would dim the struggle to ensure equity in the country.

“The Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta people express solidarity and extend hands of friendship to the Middle Belt Youth Council and the people of the Middle Belt for being their brothers keepers and for their support for self-determination”, a statement by Eric Omare , factional President of IYC said.

Omare, a lawyer, maintained that many of the problems

besetting the nation were a direct consequence of the bad structure of the Nigerian Federation, insisting that the current system was not sustainable.

“In the days ahead, there shall be robust engagement in coordinating our respective independent struggles towards achieving peaceful self-determination for the people of the Niger Delta, Middle Belt, South East and any other part of Nigeria desirous

of self-determination.

“The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide commends the Middle Belt Youth Council for disassociating themselves from the quit notice issued to Igbo to quit the northern part of the country by some northern youth organisations.

“The position of the Middle Belt Youth Council as contained in the statement issued by Emma Zopmal demonstrates maturity and respect for

Nigerians from different parts of the country to express their opinion as to the structure of Nigeria”, the IYC added.

The youth group noted that it was gladdened by the show of support given the Igbo people by the people of the middle belt, stressing that Nigeria needed to be renegotiated.

“We state for the umpteenth time that Nigeria as presently structured is suffocating and is in dire need of urgent surgery

to reconstruct it so as to achieve unity, peace and progress.

“It is in this light that we are gladdened by the expression of support for self-determination by the Middle Belt Youth Council. “This is a clear message to the caliphate north and the Hausa/Fulani oligarchy that no amount of intimidation and threat would stop the movement for the reconstruction of Nigeria for it to work”, the statement said.

FAAN Disrupts Air Peace Flight Ghanaian President, Akufo-Addo, Abubakar in Enugu over Defrayed Debt to Speak at Defence College Silver Jubilee Chinedu Eze

Workers of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) yesterday blocked Air Peace 7:30 am flight from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos over alleged N7 million debt, which was later confirmed to have been paid by the airline.

According to the Chairman and CEO of the airline, Chief Allen Onyema, even when it was confirmed that the alleged debt had been paid, the FAAN workers still said that there was another outstanding N1.8 million yet to be paid by the airline, even though debts to aviation agencies accrue as long as the airlines were operating flights.

Acting General Manager, Public ‘Affairs, FAAN, Henrietta Yakubu confirmed that Air Peace had paid the alleged N7 million debt and also confirmed that the management of

FAAN apologised to the airline, noting that Air Peace had been a responsible customer, that had been supportive in providing facilities at the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport, Owerri.

Onyema said he was peeved by the way the Enugu Airport Manager, Mr. Mgbemena Orjiako spoke to him, allegedly calling him a riff-raff when he protested the disruption of the airline’s flight, noting that it was irresponsible for an airport manager to speak that way to a customer.

THISDAY contacted Orjiakor who allegedly said Chief Onyema spoke harshly to him at the beginning and he asked him to stop speaking like a riff-raff, but informed source from Enugu alleged that the airport manager was often unruly to airline operators.

“I got a call this morning that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) stopped our operations in Enugu over N7 million debt, which we have already paid. The airport

manager did not go back to check his books to know if we actually paid or not but hurriedly stopped our operations, a situation that is costing us millions of naira.

“We do not know if the airport manager is sponsored by someone to bring down Air Peace because even after Lagos sent evidence of the payment, rather than own up to the fact that the agency lacked proper accounting, the agency said the airline is owing an outstanding N1.8million. This is why I said this act is sabotage”, Onyema said.

He lamented that an airline that owed the government over N11billion was allowed to operate that morning but Air Peace was temporary shut down over N7million naira it already paid.

“When I called the Enugu airport manager to complain to him about the situation, he answered me rudely by saying I was talking like a riffraff.

This man is not fit to be in that position.

Paul Obi in Abuja

The Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo and former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd) are to speak as Guest of Honour at the National Defence College (NDC) Abuja silver Jubillee anniversary and the graduation ceremony of Course 25.

The Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Samuel Alade told journalist yesterday that "the 25th anniversary lecture would be delivered on 16 June by Former Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, while the President of Ghana, Mr. Nana Akufo-Addo would deliver the graduation lecture on August 2".

Admiral Alade explained that Gen Abubakar would speak on the topic: 'Capacity Building for Defence Management: The Role of the National Defence College' while the President of Ghana would speak on the topic: 'Africa’s Economic Integration and Regional Security: An Assessment.'

He stated that arrangements have been concluded by the institution to graduate 133 participants of Course 25 and mark the Silver Jubilee Anniversary of the College.

The NDC Course 25 Graduation Ceremony slated for the 4th of August is expected to be reviewed

by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Commandant stressed that the graduation ceremony would bring to 2001 the number of participants so far trained by the College since its establishment in 1992.

Rear Admiral Alade said : “The current NDC Course 25 comprising 133 participants drawn from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Police , the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Department of State Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Customs Service, Nigerian Immigration Service, Ministry of Defence as well as allied countries of India, Brazil, Ghana, Tanzania, Mali, Togo, Congo, Cote D'Ivoire and

Zimbabwe which was inaugurated in September 2016 is scheduled to graduate on 4 August 2017.”

He observed that the Silver Jubillee Course 25 "remains unique given that participants undertook geo-strategic study tour of the 36 states and FCT and embarked on tour of military installations of some units and formations of the Armed Forces of Nigeria as well as a geo-strategic World Study Tour of 20 selected countries across the globe."

Alade added that "the curriculum of the college has been reviewed to make participation more attractive in line with changing international security dynamics, noting that this has made requests for slots from many organisations within and outside the country more competitive."

He said the "college has produced strategic leaders and thinkers to handle issues of national security and national development in today's modern world, as development cannot be achieved without peace and security.

T H I S D AY SATURDAY JUNE 10, 2017

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JUNE 10, 2017• THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

COMMENTARY

WITHER THE NIGERIAN DREAM? Chris Ngige, Labour Minister, is a pragmatic politician, argues Emma Agu

S

ometime in 2015, I had written that the Igbo should avoid decamping en masse into the victorious All Peoples Congress (APC) party. I had good reasons for my position at the time, reasons that have not changed. Primarily, my contention was that of greater importance was for the Igbo to have a clear vision of what they expected from Nigeria; that rather than the makeshift and predictable hobnobbing with the centres of political power and patronage, the Igbo should show character by sacrificing short term material gains by individuals for long term social or group benefits.

Nothing in that proposal could translate to isolationism or putting all our eggs in one basket.

I make the point against the raging controversy over recent comments by the Labour Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige. The minister had admonished his Igbo brothers for putting all their eggs in one basket during the 2015 elections. The minister’s position has drawn the ire of many Igbo individuals and groups. Some of his critics have gone as far as suggesting that he has betrayed the late Igbo leader Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, by joining the APC, conveniently ignoring that his membership of the party predated the current herd mentality that questions, to some extent, the motives of the ‘born again’ joiners.

But was Ngige wrong in identifying the political miscalculation of the Igbo in 2015? Even if we do not admit it publicly, upon reflection, do the Igbo not admit that they could have been more pragmatic in their electoral behaviour even against the background of the political currents of the time? The point is that, in trying to be politically correct, many Igbo political elite can say one thing in the day time and act another in the night. In the end, the poor masses are taken for a ride.

Let us examine the Ngige matter further. To the best of my knowledge, the saying that one should not put all of one’s eggs in one basket is yet to become obsolete. In fact, contemporary practice is for various ethnic groups to distribute their political risks and fortunes among various parties while aligning electoral behaviour and party support between party and candidate. That is how the Yoruba ethnic group has successfully navigated its way through the vagaries of Nigeria’s unpredictable political climate. Let’s not crucify Ngige for telling us the truth unless, perhaps, the Igbo are saying that they intend to repeat the mistake of 2015 at 2019 general elections. That will be inexcusable.

Commonsense and political reality dictate that the Igbo should be a lot more rigorous in reading the nation’s political barometer, in going into alliances and coalitions, in staking their bet publicly. This is not about soured grapes. No matter how aggrieved we may be, no matter how emotional we want to be, politics will remain what it has always been: the art of the possible. I want to believe that that is what Ngige has advocated.

Besides, as the minister himself has argued, nothing that he has done can be said to amount to a betrayal of Ojukwu, considered by many as the foremost Igbo leader of all times. After all, was it not the general himself who once thundered that he was ready to go to war again, but only to defend the corporate existence of Nigeria?

Didn’t he give practical effect to his declaration by contesting the presidency of Nigeria on at least two occasions? I do not want to get into the argument of whether he won or not or whether he was not rigged out. What is certain is that he believed that reintegrating the Igbo into the mainstream of Nigeria’s political process would take some deliberate effort.

One can understand the impatience of young school leavers of Igbo extraction who cannot understand why, in spite of very high

LET’S NOT CRUCIFY NGIGE FOR TELLING US THE TRUTH UNLESS, PERHAPS, THE IGBO ARE SAYING THAT THEY INTEND TO REPEAT THE MISTAKE OF 2015 AT 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS. THAT WILL BE INEXCUSABLE

JAMB scores, they are denied admission so that their counterparts who scored less can read medicine while they wait at home.

There is no denying the anguish of the graduate who watches in despair as he is denied a job so that his counterpart from another geo-political zone can be offered the job even when he has a better university degree and interview report. Just as the itinerant Igbo traveller would be hard pressed to understand the explanation as to why the rail lines are not slicing through Igbo heartland that witnesses the highest human traffic in the country. Yes: these are ponderous vicissitudes; in spite of them, we should guard against certain political miscalculations or rushing to crucify those political actors who have the courage and patriotism to say the truth.

Nigige is one of such people. Senator Ken Nnamani is another.

The way I see it, the trend is for many politicians to jump into the Biafra bandwagon just because some political capital can be made from it now. Had President Muhammadu Buhari not made the mistake of arresting Nnamdi Kanu, had he allowed him freedom to operate on the streets without guns, had he not turned a relatively unknown activist, who was legitimately bemoaning the plight of his people, into a celeb overnight, who would have been struggling to take photographs with him, including lavishing dollars and SUVs on him? Let Buhari take stock of Kanu’s fans: how many of them were there for Ralph Uwazurike who, more than anyone else, single-handedly carried the banner of his people and, for many years and has been catering for the welfare of civil war veterans from the side of Biafra?

Nigeria is in a state of flux. The forces of destabilisation are pushing the nation to the brink. Yet, this is one moment that grandstanding will take us nowhere. Brinksmanship will only lead us to certain perdition. Nor would we survive another civil war; at least, civil war veteran General T.Y. Danjuma told us that many years ago. Beyond emotions, we need to reflect soberly on the crisis of survival that is buffeting the nation on all sides.

Patriots like Ngige are being misunderstood because those in power are not listening to elder statesmen like General Yakubu Gowon who, in a recent statement, has counselled on the need to implement the 2014 Constitutional Conference to douse the tension in the land or former Vice -President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (all hail the Waziri!) and serial minister emeritus, Professor Jerry Gana who have called for the restructuring of the country. If that is done, we would have travelled a productive distance from where Ojukwu started when he joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1982 to Ngige’s impassioned membership of the APC in 2017. That is a quarter of a century. See how we have wasted precious time driven by unproductive parochialism while other nations developed.

My final take is that as the political gladiators of the Igbo ethnic stock trade tackles over the strategy for creating an inclusive political environment, it should not be forgotten that there is neither wisdom nor strength in casting all one’s eggs in one political basket or throwing the baby away with the bath water. Ngige should be given a hearing. He is a Nigerian patriot whose DNA is unimpeachably Igbo; he demonstrated it as president of Aka Ikenga; he took it a notch higher as governor of Anambra State where his legacy has become a benchmark for service delivery among the states. I have a strong feeling that given a chance, he has the capacity and political experience to pursue to its logical conclusion Ojukwu’s peaceful quest for a paradigm shift in inter-ethnic and inter-governmental relations in Nigeria.

Agu is publisher of 3G Media Network Ltd.

WHO KILLED BENSON OGEDEGBE?

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uman rights are fundamental and inalienable, and they are the basis for development. Let’s face it, if there is no right to life, and if we cannot freely associate and be associated with, and if we do not have access to information, how can development of any type take place?

It is in the light of this that I want to discuss two key incidents which substantiate the need for the wheels of justice to roll a little faster than they do. In June 2015, a man from the 19 Battalion of the Nigerian military allegedly shot and killed a certain vigilante, Benson Ogedegbe in cold blood. The gist around town was that the men in uniform were using their uniforms to aid and abet illegal oil bunkering activities, and late Benson was a thorn in their flesh. The commanding officer in that town was also alleged to have made overtures to late Ogedegbe, overtures which Ogedegbe was said to have spurned. There were other stories which flew here and there after the summary execution of Ogedegbe, and in an apparent attempt to put the cart before the horse, the military high command via the commanding officer decided to give the dog a bad name after it had killed it. There were other stories about Ogedegbe and one of them was that he was the

MajiriOghene Etemiku writes that the killers be brought to book leader of a gang which unleashed mayhem on the inhabitants of Koko town. I have decided to focus on these preceding sentences about the justification for the cold-blooded murder of late Ogedegbe for a number of reasons. One, even though the late man was a cold-blooded guntoting criminal as the military rhetoricians put it, what business did they have with a matter that the police could easily or uneasily handle? The place of the military is with the maintenance and protection of our territorial integrity we are told. What was the interest of the commanding officer of the 19 Battalion in Koko in civil affairs in 2015?

But we might even add that even if the late Ogedegbe was the hardened criminal that the commanding officer made him to be, that cannot justify killing him in cold blood. If we begin to kill every hardened criminal the way Ogedegbe’s life was snuffed out, then we would have veritable returned to the Hobbesian state of nature, and may have rescinded on our collective decisions to submit our individual liberties and privileges in the hands of one man who guarantees our freedoms and privileges.

In submitting our rights and liberties in the state, we were supposed to have come under the institutions of state like the criminal justice

system, which administration has been the template for the dispensation of justice against all perceptions of injustice.

It is against the background that we should not slide back into the anarchy and chaos of the Hobbesian times that we have maintained a call for late Ogedegbe. In a letter dated May 31, 2017, and directed to the offices of the Commander, Special Investigations Bureau of the Nigerian Army Corps of military police in Abuja, the law offices of Festus Keyamo has asked the Chief of Army Staff to investigate the activities of the 19 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Koko, Delta State. The said letter comes after several petitions written on the subject of the summary execution of Ogedegbe, for which the military high command has been somewhat mum, and which now seeks ‘an expedited conclusion of the investigation as well as prosecution of all those found culpable’.

In calling for justice for the dead, we are mindful that justice may not bring back Ogedegbe or assuage the deep pain which his assassination may have caused his widow and children. Yet we do this from a consideration of the looming disaster which acts of impunity like the one meted to Ogedegbe, and the injustice which it generated may engender. Just a few

days ago, a prominent paramount chief in Ologbo, Delta State, ordered his boys to strip naked and beat up Esther Temile, 52, and mother of three children. We have the details, pictures and a video recording of this incident, and to describe what I saw of this woman and her bruises, I can well attest to a similar beating of Jim Caviesel of Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ. We are not giving out further details until we get the side of the paramount chief in Ologbo who confirmed to police that he ordered his boys to strip naked and flog Esther Temile until she nearly bled to death over a quarrel which the police may easily or uneasily handle.

The message we ordinarily deduct from these incidents is that justice on behalf of oppressed Nigerians, and which would serve as strong deterrent has never really been served. If the military high command cannot deal with a case of cold-blooded murder which one of theirs meted on a civilian, and in peace times, shouldn’t that be an incentive for civilians to seek to strip peoples’ wives naked and flog them in public? Who is out there who will return from work only to find his wife had been stripped naked and flogged publicly that would recite a Hail Mary and go to bed thereafter? @DsighRobert

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JUNE 10, 2017 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

INSIGHT

Where are our children?

A

INEC and Gov. Bello’s Alleged Double Registration

The Recklessness of Arewa Youths

group that called itself Arewa Northern Youth Forum recently exhibited an unusual display of irresponsibility when it rose from a joint meeting in Kaduna to give Igbo residing in their states up to October 1, 2017 to vacate the North.

Claiming the Igbo are a risk to national integration, the northern youth said they had met with several other people in their region, evaluated the present situation of the North and mutually came up with the position. The statement further reads: “From today, June 6, 2017, when this proclamation is signed, the North, a critical player in the Nigerian project, hereby declares that it will no longer be disposed to coexisting with the Igbo and shall take definite steps to end the partnership by pulling out of the current federal arrangement…

“Rather than certain sections holding the whole country to ransom at every stage, each should be allowed to go its own way as we categorically proclaim today that the North is fed up with being in the same country with this pack of acrimonious Igbo partners”.

As preposterous as the unfortunate action of the Northern Youths is, it is a sad pointer to the fragile unity of the country and a poignant reminder of the truism in the proclamation that Nigeria is nothing but “a mere geographical expression”.

After 57 years of nation-building, that some youths who are supposed to be future leaders of the country could ever contemplate such sacrilegious outburst is, to say the least, nauseating.

In coming up with its discourteous position, the Northern youths erred in many ways, while also displaying naivety with regard to their understanding of constitutional federalism. Let us, for instance, consider the following: “As a first step, since the Igbo have clearly abused the unreciprocated hospitality that gave them unrestricted access to, and ownership of landed properties all over the North, our first major move shall be to reclaim, assume and assert sole ownership and control of these landed resources currently owned, rented or in any way enjoyed by the ingrate Igbo in any part of Northern Nigeria”. The point the youths missed in making the above declaration is that the Igbo owed them no apology for living and flourishing in the north. As a matter of fact, every Nigerian has the constitutional right to live and do business in any part of the country he/she so desires. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section 41 subsection 1, is very explicit on allowing Nigerians to reside in any part of the country without any hindrance whatsoever. So, what the Northern youths need to clearly understand is that they are not in any way

doing the Igbo, or any other tribe for that matter, living in the north any favour. It is their choice. It is their right. Just like the Northern youths could decide to reside and work in any part of the country.

As distasteful as the action of the Northern youths was, one would like to call for caution in terms of reactions towards it, especially from the Igbos. For one, till date there isn’t any evidence to demonstrate that the Northern youths’ provocative stance represents the sentiment of the entire north. Indeed, it is gratifying to note that respected voices from the north have risen in unison to condemn the Northern youths’ repugnant demand.

Chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum, Kashim Shettima of Borno State, described the comments as unfortunate and irresponsible. “On behalf of the governor of the 19 northern states, we totally condemn such irresponsible pronouncements by those groups and we condemn, we disown and we are totally distancing ourselves from the pronouncements of those faceless groups who do not have the mandate of the people of northern Nigeria to make such loud pronouncements,” Shettima stated.

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

T

he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) penultimate week released a statement accusing the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello of registering a second time in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, an action that violates the provisions of Nigeria’s electoral law.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Voters Education Committee, Solomon Soyebi, in the statement he issued, said: “It has come to the attention of INEC that Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello registered as a voter for the second time on Tuesday, May 23, at Government House in Lokoja. His first registration was on January 30, 2011, in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja. The governor’s double registration, and doing so outside lNEC’s designated centres, are both illegal.” Soyebi stated that the electoral body cannot prosecute Bello while in office due to the immunity granted him by the constitution. He added that disciplinary action would be taken against the INEC staff involved in the perpetration of the illegal registration.

The governor, however, denied INEC’s claim saying “I travelled on the 19th (May) to Dubai for a brief break and I saw the press release and I was taken aback that I did double registration on 23rd

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(May). Probably it is my ghost that has done the double registration. I think INEC has earned itself a very high reputation and I think and I am very confident that the leadership of INEC will not allow some elements in the commission to drag its name through the mud. Surely that allegation was false. I did not do double registration of permanent voters card.” Between Governor Bello and INEC, who do we believe? Was the governor truly out of the country at the time the electoral body claimed he did double registration? If indeed he was in Dubai at the time the said second registration was done, then the governor may not be wrong to say probably his ghost did it. Because it is not possible for him to be in Dubai and at the same time carry out voter registration in Government House Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria.

What about the picture showing the governor registering in his office with the INEC official? Are there certain elements in INEC being used by the political opponents of the governor to knock him off his pedestal as insinuated by some of his allies?

Or could it be that INEC quoted a wrong date on which the purported act of double registration was committed?

How does one explain the fact that the governor’s rebuttal did not agree with the earlier defence shamelessly put up by some of his political appointees to justify the obviously indefensible act of illegality? Not even his media spokesman, Kingsley Fanwo mentioned that the governor was not in town on the day INEC claimed he did a second registration in his reactions. Were they not aware that their boss was not in the country on the said date? Because I think their defence for the governor should have been anchored on his absence in the country, as against the baseless and untenable argument that what their principal did was not wrong, because INEC was yet to effect the transfer of his voter’s card which he had since applied for.

In his immediate reaction to INEC’s allegation, for instance, Fanwo, the Director General of Media and Publicity to the governor had said: “As a star witness during the tribunals, the Chief of Staff to the governor, Hon. Edward David Onoja told the panel of judges that the governor was a registered voter, but not in Kogi State. The governor’s efforts to transfer the card from Abuja to Kogi State has not been successful, hence the need to seize this golden opportunity to get registered in Kogi State.

There was nothing wrong with registering in the governor’s office because it belongs to all Kogites.

Government House is People’s House.”

Michael Jegede, Abuja

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • JUNE 10, 2017

SUPER SATURDAY Restarting an Era of Home-grown Biopic with ‘Badamasi’

OBI EMELONYE

Debonair and dedicated to a mission, Obi Emelonye represents a new hue on the canvas of Nigerian moviemakers. His focus is deep, enthralling and refreshing; so are his techniques and storylines. A man of few words but many parts, who shuttles between Lagos and London, Emelonye’s making as a moviemaker is enchanting as the movies he has worked on over the years. Ingenious with his indigenous film projects, he excites film lovers both home and abroad, Ferdinand Ekechukwu writes The Making of a Moviemaker

B

Emelonye

y virtue of his dual citizenship and devotion to Nigeria’s thriving movie industry and love for country, Obi Emelonye shuttles between Lagos and London almost with certainty.

A man now in his golden age, relocated to the United Kingdom, a few years after graduating from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. As a multiple award-winning director he has cautiously connected with his root and proudly maintained his Igbo Nigerian identity, occasionally speaking the language – without going unnoticed.

This reputation he acquired in 2014 following his exclusive acceptance speech in Igbo dialect when his film ‘Onye Ozi’ (The Messenger) won the category for Best Indigenous Film- Igbo at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. With that audacious move, Obi made a few friends and even received commendation from his non-Igbo-speaking friends.

His patriotic zest is such that he proclaims himself as a Nollywood filmmaker, even to the extent that he coined his production outfit by incorporating it The Nollywood Factory – considered the first to release a Nollywood film theatrically on UK screens in 2004, according to an online medium. Titled Echoes of War, the film became the springboard that launched the idea of premiering Nollywood films at UK cinemas.

Although mostly known for remarkable cinematic works including Last Flight to Abuja, his recent films have had commercial successes, as well as critical acclaim. Of recent, his latest film Oxford Gardens won the highly coveted Screen Nation awards in London.

To that also are the two African film awards it won last October in London and the highly respected Nollywood and African Film Critics’ Awards – NAFCA – in California where it won two awards, including best director, a tally that possibly impressed the most fastidious filmmaker.

Between 2011 and 2015, Obi enjoyed an incredibly tremendous success which saw him feature on CNN as the ‘Future of Nollywood’ in a series of interviews, and African Voices programme, though the last couple of years have seen his name off the lists of awards categories in Nigeria.

Obi alludes that in an industry with thousands of practitioners striving to improve their craft, it is unlikely that other practitioners sit quietly and watch only a few others cart away all the honours. He did acknowledge that the industry has become more competitive such that one needs to take a deep breath before hitting the scene.

Such breath it would seem Obi has taken just so to renew his vigour working on a biopic about IBB – the man that ruled Nigeria for eight years between 1985 and 1993. The work has taken seven years in the making. He believes that with what he has done in the last few years in the industry, a project of that magnitude and importance is not beyond him.

He had started writing the script based on information available in the public domain.

But needed to have a personal perspective from the man himself about his own life and significantly, about his time in office. Quite challenging as the General maintained a regal

silence since leaving office.

But he managed to get through to him after persistent inquiries and Obi was surprised that, for the first time since leaving office 24 years ago, ‘Maradona’ was willing to get into a detailed conversation about what happened in those many dramatic episodes in his public life involving Africa’s most populous black nation.

As Obi notes, the film has shaped up to be an intense and intimate portrait of the man and an unprecedented access to the corridors of power as the political pendulum swung one way to another in Nigeria, leading up to his controversial gesture of stepping aside.

In Obi’s view, every Nigerian and indeed every African should see the movie when it is finally released. He is really humbled and excited to be bestowed with the enviable honour of telling this important story. He hopes it restarts an era of home-grown biopics to immortalise memorable African leaders.

Renowned for the outstanding movies he has made, Obi is not restricted to any particular kind of genres. A look at his catalogue reveals a very broad range of themes: from the African spirituality of The Mirror Boy, to the brazen glamour and ambitious effort in Last Flight to Abuja, to the intelligent humour of ‘Onye Ozi’, and to the boxing theme of Oxford Gardens, lies a broad range of mixed genres.

What he considers first in any project is the nature of the story. Reason he chose IBB from all of the previous Nigerian rulers. IBB is perceived the most controversial Nigerian leader and was allegedly involved in a civil war, several coups, for and against, and topped it up with an intriguing and fascinating political drama of June 12.

Another factor Obi considers, aside from dramatic stories is how the story would blend with his production style which is often visually enthralling. Projects like ‘Badamasi’ and the Last Flight to Abuja, for instance, tick the boxes amply for him in this regard and such would get his interest any day. More so is budget consideration, the message and how the project will fit into the industry as it is right now.

As with most successful ventures that suffered initial setbacks, his was not different.

Sometime in the year 2000, years after trying out his chance with top UK football clubs like Carlton Athletics and West Ham United, Obi returned home to invest in the Nigerian industry, with the hope of never going back.

But that was not to be. He would struggle to make an impact on the movie entertainment scene. His unsavoury encounter with the then clannish marketers in Nollywood forced him back just one year after.

However, Obi gradually but strategically worked his way back home and into the Nigerian movie industry and ever since has remained a force to reckon with as a director, producer and screenwriter.

“I believe that there’s a season for everything,” he said as he narrated his experience.

“When I returned in 2000, the Nollywood industry was still finding its feet, evolving from an entrepreneurial template. At that time, there was no artistic value in our films. It was bare narrative, one-dimensional and predictable stories that seldom veered from one or two themes- blood money and village stories. Coming from the UK with a taste for global cinema, I

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • JUNE 10, 2017

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SATURDAY ‘UNSAVOURY EXPERIENCE WITH MOVIE MARKETERS’

In his honour is The Obi Emelonye Foundation, a self-sustaining initiative set up to mark his 50th birthday this year.

Described as the 5050 Legacy (with that of his twin brother who worked in Uganda as a human rights director for UN), the foundation is established to empowering young creative minds in the entertainment industry through mentorship, sponsorship, provision of access and support to fulfill their potential

Emelonye’s... wife, and children attempted to tell a different kind of story and tell it in a more artistic manner.

“I knew it was going to be hard to win over our impressionable audience that was used to the status quo and I was willing to be patient.

But what became my most difficult challenge was the heartless insincerity among the marketers, who had the industry in a choke-hold at the time. Everyone I dealt with defrauded me and after several attempts of locking people’s shops in Idumota and arresting fraudulent people, I decided to retreat back to England in 2001. But with a pledge to return when the circumstances were different. It would take me nearly 10 years and The Mirror Boy became my comeback film in 2011.”

First and foremost a director, he has had the privilege of writing and producing most of his successful movies without any major external support or intervention fund of some sorts from other sources. He started with small, cheap films and used them to state his artistic case. He would later be supported by family and friends.

The next stage was attracting the interest of corporate organisations like Trace TV, Africa Magic, Iroko TV and the likes in the form of sponsorship and co-productions. Now at this stage he has been nominated for the Bank of Industry (BOI) intervention fund.

Obi, having studied Theatre Arts knew so much about the stage craft but little about the screen. So, when he quit professional football and was studying law in the UK, he had already set up a theatre company and staged a few plays in London theatres.

The back-breaking work and the discouraging returns on investment forced him to see the screen, large or small as the future. He started working his way, formal and informal, into training for this new field.

The industries in Nigeria and in the UK are two worlds apart. On a comparative outlook with his understanding of both environments in terms of structures of chances and all, the UK film industry offers advances in both production and distribution of films. But the kind he describes as exclusive club that has near impossible entry points.

Conscientiously so at the initial stage of his

Emelonye on location career, the question arose for the filmmaker whether to either strive to break through the concrete ceiling of the UK film industry and waste the most productive part of his years or join a growing Nollywood phenomenon, with mind-boggling potential and help it find its way to global recognition.

He chose the latter and by so doing, opened up a window of fascinating opportunities for himself.

His tremendous run on the Nollywood scene stands Obi out as a filmmaker in a crowded film industry. But he would humbly admit of not being exceptionally different from the average Nigerian filmmaker. That what he has going for him is a slightly rounded worldview on account of his multidisciplinary education in the arts, law and humanities, plus his frequent travels and eclectic training. Add to that is his knack for choosing topical subject

Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd.) matter, an insatiable quest for perfection, a boldly optimistic ambition and uncommon appreciation of the power of promotion.

About the industry at the moment, the dotting father of three beautiful children acknowledged the gradual rise in the artistic merit and production value of Nollywood projects. He believes the scripts have risen from the predictable unilateral narratives to complex and engaging dramas with impeccable dialogue.

Adding that the quality of equipment used and technical advancements have seen the end of bad sound and ropy camera work and sound effects.

“The only thing that is missing to make the transformation complete is improving and consolidating distribution processes that would take advantage of the 180 million Nigerians to provide returns on film invest-

ment,” he pointed out.

In his honour is The Obi Emelonye Foundation, a self-sustaining initiative set up to mark his 50th birthday this year. Described as the 50-50 Legacy (with that of his twin brother who worked in Uganda as a human rights director for UN), the foundation is established to empowering young creative minds in the entertainment industry through mentorship, sponsorship, provision of access and support to fulfill their potential.

“I think there comes a time in a man’s life when his success is no longer measured in the number of zeros in his bank account, or even the number of cars he drives,” he stated.

“Instead success is defined by the number of lives that one is able to touch. The aim is to grant young people access to the very top of the industry by supporting 50 projects over a five year period.”

Empowering Young Creative MindsinEntertainmentIndustry…

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • JUNE 10, 2017

THE ALTERNATIVE with Reno Omokri

Igbo Quit Notice: The Voice of Yerima Shettima, The Hand Of.....

B

y now you must have heard that a group of Northern Nigerian youths have issued an ultimatum to Ndi’Igbo resident in the North of Nigeria to quit the region in three months or face dire consequences.

The President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, handed down the ultimatum in company of his cohorts at a well attended conference the Arewa House, in Kaduna, on Tuesday June 6th, 2017.

This same Alhaji Yerima Shettima is also one of the mischievous individuals who, in an interview with the Sun Newspapers on Saturday June 3rd, 2017, falsely accused the acting President of appointing mostly his Yoruba kith and kin as well as members of his Redeemed Christian Church of God Family.

Said Yerima in that interview, “why should somebody, a professor of law, former commissioner, a pastor of a highly reputed church like the Redeemed Christian Church of God, will descend this low to appoint people from one side in a multi ethnic society?”

After the the acting President published his staff list to prove that Yerima’s allegations were false, Yerima and his band of fallacious rumour mangers did not think it wise to apologize.

And this is the character that has given what in essence is a quit notice to people who have only added value to the economy of the North in the decades that they have lived there.

What many Nigerians have not noticed in the whole melee is that the press conference where Igbos were asked to quit the North was held at Arewa House.

If Nigeria had a perspicacious press (thank God for THISDAY that tries) the media would have dug into how the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum was able to secure such a venue with its strong ties to the Kaduna State Government in particular and the nineteen Northern States in general.

To those who do not know what Arewa House is, go and research it. It is almost impossible to hold a press conference at Arewa House without the knowledge of the Kaduna State Government. Is someone flying a kite?

Could Alhaji Yerima Shettima have been flying a kite to gauge the response of the Nigerian public to the inner intents of the hearts of his sponsors?

This antic, coming so soon after the very successful sit at home order by Nnamdi Kanu which paralyzed economic activities in the Southeast on the 30th of May, 2017, cannot be a coincidence!

Could it be that someone somewhere is rattled by the feat Nnamdi Kanu pulled off and wants to counter with their own response?

Yes, many leading lights of the North including the Kaduna state Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, have ‘condemned’ Yerima and even called for his arrest, but talk is cheap and getting cheaper by the day in Nigeria.

How Alhaji Yerima Shettima and his cohorts are treated following their misadventure will determine to a large extent whether what we have just witnessed from him is a case of the voice of Jacob and the hand of Esau!

That being said, In 2015, Nnamdi Kanu was jailed by the Buhari administration for two years and charged with treason because he called for an independent state of Biafra. In 2005, Asari Dokubo was jailed for two years by the Obasanjo administration and charged with treason because he called for self determination of the Niger-Delta.

In 1993 and 1996 the Abacha administration jailed Gani Fawehinmi for months and charged him with treasonable offenses (holding a political rally against the government).

Nigerians are waiting to see if the same treatment will be meted out to Alhaji Yerima Shettima, President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, who has also committed an act of treason by declaring war on Nigerian citizens of Southeast origin when he and his group ordered them to leave Northern Nigeria. If he is treated with kid gloves then we will know that President Buhari meant what he said about treating 97 percenters differently from 5 percenters.

How South Africa must be laughing at us for condemning their xenophobia when we practice an even worse xenophobia Internally in Nigeria!

If you want to show you have influence, do not give ultimatums. Simply declare your own sit at home and see if people obey you like Kanu was obeyed. Leadership is influence. If you have to threaten people to show your influence, then you have no influence. Those with influence do not threaten. Influence is when people willingly obey you even when you have no position, no money and no army.

Influence is when people obey you because they believe in you.

Anybody that denies the fact that Nigeria needs restructuring is living in a fools paradise. Open your eyes! A young Igbo man without any formal authority gave a directive and the entire Southeast of Nigeria was shut down!

Last Independence Day, according to Google analytics, more Nigerians followed the Platform Speech of Peter Obi than the Independence Day broadcast by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Nationwide, Fulani herdsmen are killing mostly Christians with impunity yet it is IPOB members who are not

Shettima

killing anyone that our military are sent after. And Nigeria, the leading nation in West Africa, boycotted an ECOWAS meeting just because Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu was there! Can’t you see what is happening here? If we do not reform Nigeria, Nigeria will keep getting deformed.

And our system has gotten so deformed to the extent that the Buhari administration no longer feels ashamed to lie!

The other day, on Tuesday the 6th of June, 2017, Presidential spokesman (spooksman?), Femi Adesina had the guts to say that President Muhammadu Buhari only Kade three promises to Nigerians during the 2015 Presidential campaigns.

His exact words were “what are the promises the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari made before they came into power? Of course, they were three. The campaign was on three major planks: secure the country, fight corruption and restore the economy. And two years down the line, I can confidently say that those promises are being fulfilled.”

What a big lie!

The ironic thing is that on the same day Femi was lying to the Sun, Boko Haram was carrying out a daring raid on, wait for it, Maiduguri!

They were not raiding some backwater village, they were raiding the Borno state capital! After shooting at citizens and entering the city, they boldly went to Giwa barracks and engaged the army in a shoot out!

Femi Adesina and his master have just proven one thing to be true which is this: When a man is desperate for sex or for votes, do not trust what he says because he will say anything to get both of them. Instead of trusting what he says, look at his past.

Take Donald J. Trump for example. He has spent his life creating jobs. Is it any surprise then that four months after he was sworn in the US has its lowest unemployment since 2001? Take Muhammadu Buhari for example. He has never succeeded in any of his private businesses. Is it a coincidence then that Nigeria went into recession just months after he was sworn in? Can you give what you do not have?

Focus on what cannot lie. This is the lesson that Nigeria has to learn ahead of 2019.

But back to the issue. That Nigeria badly needs reform is obvious. Even President Muhammadu Buhari’s morganatic wife has said as much in public much to the dismay of her achievements challenged consort who has announced to all who care to follow that her audacity has earned her “other room” arrest!

The question is no longer whether we will reform Nigeria.

The question is who will reform Nigeria? For sure, President Buhari will not do it. He has already indicated that his future ambition is to consign the report of the 2014 National Conference to the dustbin!

You see, Nigeria needs reform and only one person has been consistent in advocating and promoting the type of reform Nigeria needs to get out of the cesspit that Muhammadu Buhari has put her in.

Bola Tinubu had been championing structural reform and preaching true federalism for decades, but when he finally saw an avenue to power through Muhammadu Buhari, he jettisoned his almost life long principles and fought against the 2014 National Conference, the very thing he had been calling for, dismissing it with the question “National confer-

ence is by whom, for whom, and at what stage? How many level of deception?”

Only former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been consistently supporting these ideas. He has pushed for true federalism, arguing that that is the only way Nigeria can thrive. And I must say that his prompt response in condemning the Igbo quit notice by Yerima and his band of sectionalists has endeared me to Atiku.

And he is living proof of the fallacy that true federalism will impoverish Northern Nigeria.

Atiku Abubakar is the largest employer of labour in Adamawa state, employing more people than the state government. However, not one of his multi faceted business interests depends on the state.

He is into agriculture all the way through the value chain.

He is into education, he is into port logistics and he is into manufacturing.

With or without the monthly federal allocation paid to Adamawa state, Atiku’s business will continue to thrive.

If one man, Atiku Abubakar can achieve this, why can’t a state, a region or a country?

The yearly budget for Atiku’s American University of Nigeria in Yola compares favorably with the budgets of many Nigerian states. And the beauty of this is that the student body cuts across Nigerians regions, religions abs ethnicities.

You see, in 2019, only a Northerner can convincingly make the argument that Nigeria needs to reform on the basis of true federalism and merit because the North will be suspicious of any such argument from a Southerner and it is certain that Muhammadu Buhari would never make that argument. He is as status quo as they come.

As 2019 approaches, the usual suspects who have fed on the status quo will begin to retool their arguments against Atiku in the media, but the man is the most investigated man in Nigeria alive today. Surely, if there was evidence to back up their claims, it would have come out by now!

And not only has Atiku demonstrated through his personal life that he has fidelity to the principles of reform which he preaches, he has actually enhanced the reform movement in government.

Almost all the people in Nigeria’s public life that we know to be reform minded were recruited by Atiku. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nasir El-Rufai (who betrayed him, but then, who has El-Rufai not betrayed?) and others I would not want to mention were recruited by Atiku into the Obasanjo administration.

And now let me talk about Onukaba Adinoyi Ojo, a man I personally knew during my first stint at Aso Rock Presidential Villa.

Onukaba died on the 6th of March, 2017 as he returned from Abeokuta after attending former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s 80th birthday party.

Onukaba Adinoyi Ojo did not go for and neither was he returning from an Atiku function when he had the encounter with robbers that led to his death. In fact, he had traveled for the 80th birthday of Atiku’s arch foe.

After his death, the person who he had gone to honor did not even pause from his celebrations to issue a statement after Ojo’s death and his world just moved on.

But Atiku did not move on. He mobilized mutual friends and held a memorial for Adinoyi at which he first eulogized him the best endowed an education fund for the late journalist’s children with a substantial sum of his own money.

Ironically, the man who most feeds this false narrative of Atiku as tainted was the person whom Ojo had just visited to celebrate with him on his birthday. It is this same man who carried on as if nothing happened after Ojo died on his return journey. It was the man who he regularly attacks that did the honorable thing.

President Obasanjo waited until he was attacked in the media for his callousness before issuing a grudging condolence nine days after Onukaba’s death!

So I ask you, who between the duo of Obasanjo and Atiku is really the villain?

If Ndi’Igbo and Omo Oduduwa are tired of being played against each other and want to chart a new and better course for their future and their children’s future, they should look no further than their in law (Atiku is in-law to both the Yoruba and Igbos).

Reno’s Nuggets: Don’t marry a slay queen, marry a pray queen because you can’t slay life’s challenges with beauty but you can with prayer. If the pray queen can slay, all the better for you, but the priority is pray not slay. And, marry someone that will compensate for your weaknesses instead of marrying someone that will complain about your weaknesses. And finally, look for happy, positive people and befriend them.

Attitudes are contagious. You will act like the people you hang out with #RenosNuggets Reno Omokri is a Christian TV talk show host and founder of the Mind of Christ Christian Center and the Helen and Bemigho Sanctuary for orphans. He is the author of three books, Shunpiking: No Shortcuts to God, Why Jesus Wept and Apples of Gold: A Book of Godly Wisdom. His upcoming fourth book, Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years: Chibok, 2015 and Other Conspiracies, is set for release in June.

Plus

LOUD WHISPERS TRAVEL TRIBUTE AUTO GLOBAL SOCCER FASHION FILE

Adenike Balogun

pg. 20 pg. 22 pg. 24 pg. 26 pg. 29 pg. 41

How I Made Aliko Dangote’s 60th Birthday Bash a Grand Occasion

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER JUNE 10, 2017

PLUS

I Love to Sleep Naked At 25, she explored the unknown path of entrepreneurship. Shortly after, fame shone on her as she added her signature to events, public relations briefs and activation. Through various odds, she stood still, strong, focused with eyes on the ball. It’s 2017, she is 32 and has become more successful and resilient. She enjoys good things of life – champagne, food, designer labels and deep conversations. Managing Director, Diamond Incorporated Events, Adenike Balogun, who plans top-notch events for prominent Nigerians, tells Adedayo Adejobi about the experience of planning Africa’s richest man – Aliko Dangote’s recent talkof-the-town 60th birthday gig, her ideal man and love for dogs

A

Travails of job loss and foray into my liberty t the beginning, it was Diamond Inc. It started with my cousin and a friend. My passion for parties was seed to the PR and events company.

With our successful launch came helping hands like J.J. Okocha and other good, willing people. We became famous and business soared till we broke even sometime in 2012.

Prior to that, I had lost my job at Quintessentially- a lifestyle management company as head of events (wines and gifts subsidiary) after working with them for about a year.

My first pay-cheque got me a brand new car and a fabulous holiday From the jobs we got, we raked in about N11million in 2011 December, and I personally bought myself a brand new car, and had a very fantastic holiday.

Six years down the line, it’s been a mixed grill 2012 was a new beginning when reality dawned on me. Making money came with lots of challenges.

By 2014, I went back to England to complete my final year in an online course at Middlestacks University.

My father was kind enough to help with my accommodation and ensure my settling back into the country was smooth sailing.

Jennifer Olize of Music Meets Runway - a part of my success story came along the line with her beautiful

light, approached me to change the look of the VIP sections to a lounge that will sit 400 guests. She gave me a picture of what she wanted and suggested making the furniture.

The event room gives me greater fulfilment With the event room, I am fulfilled.

When we started importing, space to showcase the kind of things we had became imperative. The event room was inspired as a result of trying to cater for small and intimate events.

There are big marques and events centres, but we don’t have the small intimate events centres. The hotels offer that, but the problem with them is that you pay corkage and there are so many restrictions. To bridge the gap, we opened the event centre and since then it’s been great.

I find strength in being a woman of many parts Although I studied IT, events are my passion. I have done events management design/floral design training and conferences around the world. I’m working on an application that’ll help event planners/decors/ florists design a space through augmented reality. It makes life easy for planners, especially when dealing with clients who want to see what their space would look like.

The Green-Diamond Project will grow the naira The green-diamond project is a floral –agricultural project, and idea is to grow flowers locally, thus avoiding import tariff, unstable forex rates, and

JUNE 10, 2017 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

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PLUS also saving the stress of importing, equally growing the naira. It helps our economy. The Ethiopian economy survives on the importation of fresh flowers. Lagos-based Nigerian florists spend over $8 million yearly importing flowers into Nigeria. The project is on going, and we are looking for investors.

As a single lady in business, I’ve never been in a state where I’ve had to compromise I recently planned the 60th birthday ceremony for Africa’s richest man in the world, Alhaji Aliko Dangote. I sat before a panel of men. I was actually asked the same question after my interview. I told them I’ve never been in that situation. Most times, I am either dealing with the boss, email my proposals. They are happy with it. I don’t even attend interviews. Corporate clients are quite easy to deal with, and they are the bulk of my clients.

I have never been put in a situation where I’ve had to compromise my virtue or standards to get a brief.

Thrills of planning Africa’s richest black man - Aliko Dangote’s 60th birthday I got the call to pitch the same day, for the richest man in Africa’s 60th birthday event. I wasn’t prepared.

I took my laptop and said to my mum, I wasn’t going to get this job.

My mum asked me to go and get the job. I got to the meeting, my internet failed, couldn’t retrieve my presentation. I felt disappointed.

I relaxed and told them I am not the best, nor the biggest, but there is nothing the biggest company can do for them, that I cannot do better. They wanted a classy party.

My can-do spirit came in full glare.

I retrieved some pictures, worked them through a presentation with my phone showing different aspects of the event. They were convinced and they contacted me two days later. I submitted my costing and got the job.

It was God because I have never met them in my life. I’ve done events for notable Nigerian citizens but because it was Alhaji Aliko Dangote, I just knew I was in for more a serious deal. So, I left no stone unturned. I met Aliko during the set-up, walked him through the venue and showed him everything. I asked if there was anything he did not like, and he said he liked everything. Coming from the celebrant, he was a satisfied customer, the committee of friends, the owner of the house where the party took place was happy.

My inspiration comes on the job My creativity comes out the most when on my job. When I start working, my creativity comes out, it becomes really wild. Most times my clients end up getting more than they even paid me.

I’m excited when my clients are happy When my clients tell me they are happy, for me that’s much more than anything in the world.

I’m single and ready to mingle I’ll love to be in a relationship, but then I am very emotional. When I break down emotionally, my business suffers. So I shy away from relationships, not because I don’t want to be in love, but I just don’t want heartbreaks. I am not going to keep away from it forever, but I think the right guy will come, and when he does, I don’t need to sweat it.

My idea of the right guy My friends think I am crazy. They call me vain sometimes because of the kinds of idea that I have and my fantasies. I like good-looking guys.

I’ve never had an ugly boyfriend; my boyfriends are always tall and drop-

dead gorgeous. He doesn’t have to be very rich, but comfortable. I work really hard, so I don’t need any man to give me money before I live my life. I travel on luxurious vacations, buy myself designers wears, and I don’t wait for anybody to do that for me.

My five most vain possessions I didn’t say I love vanity, but you can call me vain. I drive a luxury car, wear a very expensive wristwatch – Rolex. My shoe and bag collections are Channel, and Gucci. I wear a lot of designer’s accessories. I travel all over the world, so I shop in every country I visit.

My best vacation spots South of France and in fact France in general. I like South of Italy. I am a tourist. Unwinding away from work, I travel. People say I travel too much, but I don’t. I travel thrice a year. But when I do, I am very sure to visit a very lush location, and I take lots of pictures.

My aqua-shoes are my favourite item of clothing It’s very difficult for me to find shoes, so when I find shoes that I like, that fit comfortably, I don’t care the cost, I’ll get them. My Aqua-Zura sandals are like my best shoes ever. I have them in four colours and I want to buy them in all the colours. They are so comfortable, and look so pretty.

I can’t do without them My wristwatch, pair of sneakers, my make-up kit, underwear, few dresses wherever I am going.

Values important in life to me As a child, I’ve been taught to love God, depend on Him only and pay my tithes. I have a very deep and spiritual side of me no one knows about.

What scares me the most Sickness. My mum is a cancer survivor. She battled it for over 16 years, and she’s healed totally.

What I find romantic in a date I love champagne, good food and conversation. It doesn’t have to be a 7-star restaurant for me to find it romantic. It can be as modest as being on the beach, having dinner at your house. I appreciate very simple things. I like guys that buy me presents because I also give presents a lot. I like when people give me gifts unexpectedly. I just like it even if it’s a straw.

My favourite celebrity is Beyoncé. I go to all of her concerts.

She is a woman with absolutely no fault, no scandal. Even if there is a scandal, we don’t see it. She’s almost super-human. If not that she’s not God, God forgive me, I can almost worship her.

What I would do on a perfect day…

I have and love dogs. On a normal day, I’ll lay in bed. My family thinks I am crazy because I don’t watch TV. I isolate myself when I am at home.

I don’t sit in my living room. I am a phone addict. Always on the phone 24/7 working or online browsing and doing stuffs. I sleep naked, and so some of my friends call me a nudist. I just like to be comfortable.

My cherished secrets…

I like romance. I like to be in love.

It’s fun and interesting. If it’s love, I love too much and I forget about the business and follow the man. I am an extremist trying to find a balance.

As I grow older I am becoming more mature. Now, I am able to handle my business more maturely, and hopefully I’ll get the right guy soon.

I’ve Never Had to Compromise My Virtue to Get Briefs

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • JUNE 10, 2017 with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

LOUD WHISPERS

Gabriel Ogbechie Gabriel Ogbechie: Congratulations, My Brother Yes I can call Gabriel my friend after all who will not want to align with someone who would soon make the Forbes list. Last Friday, he celebrated the 20th anniversary of his mega oil and gas business, Rainoil, which he runs with his delectable wife, Godrey who owes me a lunch. The party held at the Eko Hotel and the invite was precise, ‘confirm you are attending so I can put you on the guest list’. I knew like everything Gabriel, that this would be a very powerful event so I had to look my best. I got myself sweet-looking Gucci half shoes which cost me an arm and a leg and which I had promised the seller to pay at the end of the month. I came out in a particularly luxurious dark caftan and with my Gucci half shoes you would think I was the Duke of Edinburgh instead of the Duke of Shomolu.

My people as I drove into the expansive compound, rain started falling heavily. At this point I was confused. How would I get the shoes I had not even paid for spoilt by rain, what kind devil work is this na? But trust my Shomolu sense, I quickly removed the shoes and put them in my pockets and dashed the 100 metres to the venue. Yes o, I never pay for the shoe so I would not take chances. The hall was magnificent and full. The stage was something else and could give the Kodak theatre in Los Angeles a run for its money.

Bovi the popular comedian was the compere and the event was elegant and splendid. The food was luxurious and Gabriel looked like a million dollars. But the star of the night was Godrey, when she was called up on stage with her sequined gown to present an award, she looked like the Mona Lisa. The woman still fine o, no wonder Gabriel put CCTV for her office to make sure no intruders go near his own jewel of inestimable value. Well, it was a wonderful celebration and ode to hardworking, diligence and passion. Well done, my brother and please do not rest until you get Rainoil listed on the Stock Exchange and that is where I come in, you know that is my work and the sole reason for all these hailings o. Well done and God bless. ....And Dapo Abiodun Too At the beginning of this year, I made a list of billionaires I had to make friends with. I drew up a small list of 10 and Mr. Abiodun was number five on that list. The reason for this is quite simple, I am just tired of poverty.

Enough of the hoping and crusading for a better Nigeria, it is time now to hobnob my way to fulfillment. So when my chairman and man of great style, Chike Ogeah mentioned the opening of Mr Abiodun’s latest initiative in Ikoyi, I jumped. He was opening a posh and extremely exclusive members’ only lounge tucked right in the middle of old Ikoyi. The lounge according to what I heard was meant to be a watering hole for the hard-working man of style further giving them a platform for networking while relaxing and a clear buffer from the hustle and bustle that is Lagos.

The night was exquisitely appointed and the ambience was simply not describable.

You can now begin to imagine what the food tasted like. I saw everybody o. People you see on the pages of the glamour magazines all hobnobbing and feeling relaxed. Mr Abiodun himself must have been styled by Tom Ford as I could not even begin to imagine how he came about the combination especially that white sneakers he was putting on. I felt like sucker-punching him and pulling the shoes right there and then, while making my escape to Shomolu. I was introduced to him and even as I shook his hands I could feel the energy and quickly muttered in my mind, ‘I claim it’ hoping that the wealth and good fortune would pass through by this mere handshake.

If wishes were horses... Well I had a nice time

Dapo Abiodun

Dogara

Lagos APC Primaries: I Warned Kayode Kayode is my friend and Neighbour.

One day, I saw his posters pasted on his cars seeking election into the chairmanship of Yaba Local Government or is it Development Area they call it these days? I immediately knew that this person had lost his way. I ran into his apartment and met him in a small meeting with his supporters and shook my head in pity. I excused him and gave him three hundred reasons why he should stop this joke. He looked at me with misplaced determination and stubbornness, stating that it was God that called him on this mission. I assured him, he did not hear the call well and that as the Duke of Shomolu with varied experience in the field - that this was dead on arrival. Well, my people, Kayode went on with his campaign, pasting his posters all over the nooks and crannies of Yaba and trying a bit to raise the much-needed funds. I once again, went back to him wondering what an oil and gas professional with no prior experience in politicking especially the brand being practiced in Lagos was doing in these murky waters. He opened his Facebook page and showed me the number of people that were following him. I almost fell down with laughter, this one wants to use Facebook to contest grassroots election. I wished him well but not before asking him if he had ever met the Lion at Bourdillon or even knew how to get to the street. He responded by saying he did not need to know anybody and that he was on a mission. Well my people, Kayode came back from the primaries

Henry Ajumale, APC Lagos Chairman

barely holding his liver on his hands.

The whole thing had been ‘scattered’.

His shirts were torn to pieces and he was half-naked as he ran into our estate, sweating and barely catching his breath. The whole thing according to him was disrupted as the people rebelled against the usual imposition of candidates. He did not even hear his name as the thugs ran riot and the returning officer, an ex-senator was manhandled. People scampered for their lives and he did not know how he got back home without his shoes. He quickly called his employers to beg for his job back and I had to intervene before his wife allowed him back into the house. She had warned him. Today once again, we have lost a good man who would have been the difference due to the penchant for the imposition of candidates who most times lack the capacity and integrity to hold power. It was clear the primaries were disrupted and was a sham from all reports but miraculously, candidates have been submitted to the INEC and once again, the party of Change has saddled us with their own homegrown politics of imposition.

I will not say much about this APC style because I know that as sure as the night will come, it will definitely explode in their faces and when that time comes, we will finally get the true democracy that we deserve and yearn for. As for Kayode, he luckily got his job back and has sworn to keep a long distance from this APC brand of Politics. Thank God he did not lose his life. Only in Nigeria. Na wa.

Osinbajo

and drove quietly back to Shomolu with a lot of things on my mind. But is it Dapo’s fault that I had to push my car down the Third Mainland bridge? No mind me jare my brother, you are a great guy, what do I have to do to get membership though?

Politicians and Boxers This is a season of politicians squaring to boxers in the ring. For whatever reasons, our politicians have decided to take their wahala to the boxing ring. First it was the Jagaban who took to the ring against the former world heavyweight champion, Evander Holyfield and now I am hearing that the Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Dogara is planning to square off against the money man himself, Floyd Mayweather. You see much as I do not have anything against these caricatures, my only wish was that I could turn into a spirit and enter the minds of these boxers while in the ring and really do what all Nigerians wish for our politicians. You can imagine the spirit of the man who has lost his job, cannot feed his family and has had his tiny kiosk demolished at Sabo market entering the body and mind of Evander while in the ring with the Jagaban. Na another thing we go dey talk today o. He no go be charity match again o. Or the spirit of that parent who just lost a child due to the rubbish we call our health system entering Floyd’s body and mind while Dogara with his tiny legs is prancing and jumping around the ring. I swear we will not recognise our speaker again o. While we are still at it, let me mention a few politicians we would not mind to have in the ring with their partners. Can you imagine a Fayose with Lai Mohammed? That would be a top draw or Dino Malaye versus the SaharaReporters’ publisher, Sowore? That would also be very exciting. However, the major crowd-puller will be Patience Jonathan versus Magu of EFCC. Me, I no dey there o. Kai. Osinbajo’s Appointments: A Journey Through Nepotism, Ethnicity and Religious Intolerance I snicker as I write this headline. I am sure as Osinbajo and his people are reading this headline, they would be preparing just how they will manhandle me. They should just calm down abeg, this is in their support. I have been reading all the hullabaloo about how the acting president’s appointments are reflecting a leaning towards his church and kinsmen. To further buttress this position, one ghost wrote a massively circulated piece hanging out the acting president to dry out. You see for me, I only wished the acting president was guilty of these accusations. You see I have never supported that Federal Character thing for it institutionalises incompetence and sectionalism while sacrificing merit. I have looked at some recent appointments and smiled with joy that finally we are looking towards merit in doing these things. The case of Funsho Doherty gladdens the heart. Funsho is a legend in the pensions industry and has much more to offer than the next person especially as we look towards the trillions stashed in that place to bail us out of this crippling recession. So where he comes from should never be the consideration but the capacity he would be bringing to bare on the job. This zoning thing or what Bode George was reported to have called turn by turn is what is killing us in this country. If the acting president can only find good hands in his church abeg, he should go ahead, it is the result that should matter and not where you come from. We need to move forward very quickly and away from all this shallow thinking. So my dear acting president, please pick your men not from the land of their birth but from the depth of their abilities and convictions. Meanwhile, kindly do not forget that we are of the same church, just mentioning sir.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • JUNE 10, 2017

INSIGHT Compromised Chaplain, Lordly First Lady and Media Mischief

N

Tobi Adekusibe

ow that the social media mob action, or shall we say mob reaction that followed the skewed story about Lagos State Government sacking the chaplain in its church has subsided, a cursory look at the fundamental issues that were somewhat overlooked or deliberately downplayed can be logically revisited.

The trumpeted narrative had read like a scripted first draft of a play that didn’t go through a review before the actors were ordered onto the stage. The wife of the Lagos State governor had attended an anointing service at the state-owned Chapel of Christ the Light.

She allegedly got angry for not being recognised and accorded due privilege after which she had either stormed out in anger or waited to be anointed anyway but left displeased and unplacated (the narrative didn’t seem to have a first-hand experience of how the episode actually ended. Nor did it seem to matter to those who hurried to let the concocted narrative out).

The next day, the chaplain was relieved of his duty with an alleged immediate eviction from his official residence. To add sweetner to the salted wound, the Chaplain got a deluge of free housing and furniture from well wishers written into characters as good Samaritans. What else, the script that has developed into a full-blown play had to be made plausible and draw public sympathy so that the toga of a villain could be pinned on the state government and a hero created out of a man whose cassock has become tainted.

And so the script writers encouraged and munched a deluge of reactions from the social media, cleverly ignoring opposing views or those that either pleaded caution or encouraged a deeper, balance appraisal of the issue. No! The writers of the one-way narrative wanted only one ending – the demonisation of government and a reinstatement of the man with soiled hands.

Nigerians were angry, they wrote; and they have shown their annoyance by staying away from the Chapel the following Sunday, in apparent sympathy for the man who had been fired on principle by the same structure that hired him. It would injure the script and expose the hatchet writers if they had accepted that the church service of that Sunday was moved to a bigger space in the governor’s backyard in anticipation of the large crowd expected for the state’s special anniversary service. Should it not have occurred to the writers of the hurried narrative that government could not have run away from its own little worship space just because a chaplain had been replaced?

In any case, the desperadoes of the lone-ranger media did not bother to test their assertion of a depleted chapel last Sunday when there was no need to hold another special service at the state house and normalcy had returned to the Chapel whose primary function is to cater to the worship needs of civil servants and those close to them. Once its untested narrative is defeated by common sense and superior logic, the mischievous media simply looks away.

But it is important to note that this whole narrative came from just one newspaper, the only one that found newsworthy and on its prime cover space, the sacking of a chaplain in a state-owned church. Eager to make a mince meat of the alternative fact, it found so appealing, it also chose, curiously, to make a daily glee of pinning the action on the wife of the Governor.

A careful examination of what informed this lone lost battle and why the First Lady of Lagos State was the convenient target of attack is necessary in order to appreciate why that castle of lies and subterfuge ultimately crumbled like expired cookies.

What is it in the story that other newspapers, especially those in Lagos, did not see or deemed newsworthy?

Could others have simply missed a juicy story and the hatchet follow-ups on it or they indeed saw but chose to ignore the mischief that only one of their own packaged as news?

It turns out that the sacked chaplain is an ex-staff of the only paper that peddled the half truth. If the exchaplain didn’t issue a press statement or register his angst on social media, that only one newspaper made a fetish of his ‘predicament’ could only have been so because the aggressor pretending to be the victim took the news there. He evidently sought the assistance of his former colleagues and got a willing ally in those probably and curiously so, seeking an opportunity to take a jab at Lagos State government. The one-sided account became undisguised and reckless not just because the only newspaper in that ill-fated campaign of calumny found a useful launch-pad in the ex-chaplain’s coated story but also in the deeper intent to hit at their main target – the Governor of Lagos State.

Probe deeply and dispassionately and it won’t be difficult to see that the blame on the First Lady was just

Mrs. Ambode

a convenient lie to throw dirt at the first family and the unprecedented, perhaps unexpected success in governance in their state. They probably must have reckoned that it would be foolhardy to pick a baseless battle with a man who has become a darling of Lagosians on account of his sterling performance. It’s simply impossible not to applaud his giant strides in many areas as a worthy example for the rest of Nigeria, let alone ignore them. The basis for an attack would therefore be hard and unsustainable. This is why the now mooted cam-

Nigerianswereangry,theywrote;and theyhaveshowntheirannoyance bystayingawayfromtheChapel thefollowingSunday,inapparent sympathyforthemanwhohadbeen firedonprinciplebythesamestructure thathiredhim.Itwouldinjurethescript andexposethehatchetwritersif theyhadacceptedthatthechurch serviceofthatSundaywasmoved toabiggerspaceinthegovernor’s backyardinanticipationofthelarge crowdexpectedforthestate’sspecial anniversaryservice.Shoulditnothave occurredtothewritersofthehurried narrativethatgovernmentcould nothaverunawayfromitsownlittle worshipspacejustbecauseachaplain hadbeenreplaced?

21

paign during its short run always removed the person of the Governor or pointedly acknowledged his remarkable performance but would then add a proviso.

The adversary needed a ‘weaker’ vessel through whom they could launch a preemptive strike in the hope of penetrating the man who has come to represent the yardstick for good governance in Nigeria. Or how would a woman who, like her hubby, has admirably courted publicity with measured steps and who in two years in office has never dabbled in overt social glamour or gotten involved in matters beyond her role as the wife of the Governor, would suddenly fit the description of a power-drunk? No one becomes arrogant for simply drawing attention of the Governing Council to whom the Chaplain is accountable to the excesses and unbecoming conduct of an appointed shepherd that craves control and ceaseless bazaar? The traducers know that no governor’s wife in Lagos has ever wielded the type of power they attempted to wickedly draped the First Lady with. But they needed to sell a lie in the desperate hope that the man who now typifies the resilient Lagos spirit would be rattled.

Truth be told, it is no longer journalism when a newspaper chooses to disregard both the government’s published reaction and the intervention of an independent arbiter - the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) but instead twists its reports just to maintain a sensational, albeit judgmental bent. What type of journalism would pronounce a sacked man not guilty without first investigating stated cases of abuse of office against him? How come it was other online platforms that were able to show, with evidence that the man this newspaper wants reinstated indeed has a long-standing issues bordering on discipline, propriety and integrity with his employers? Why should the public allow unchallenged the orchestrated drama of a so-called eviction in 24-hours when no government directive made such demands on the ex-chaplain or go mute on the lie that he was stranded after his ‘eviction’ when indeed he has been a long-standing landlord of a developed property in Lagos?

Could his former employers have been scandalized by that revelation because their man reportedly built a house he did not disclose while still a staff in the advert department of the paper? It should be asked, therefore, what is it that propels an otherwise respectable media organization to pick needless fights that are apparently informed by mischief, sheer sadism and delusional self-importance when the end of such battles is almost always predictable?

Granted, nobody should be denied an opportunity to test his popularity. But that cannot be what drives a newspaper – sheer populism- particularly at a time when the profession is plagued by numerous adversities that erode sales and credibility. But this same newspaper seems to delight in journalistic macabre dance once in a while. After testing its popularity with the Federal Government over the ban of its correspondent from the State House in Abuja for ceaseless negative coverage of the President’s health without being mindful of its security implications, it made impossible demands on Aso Rock, got snubbed and has since been left without a reporter in the Villa, leaving the poor young man to roam around Area 11 and Zone 4.

Yet, this same newspaper thought it could cow the Covenant University in Ota by opposing the institution’s right to discipline erring students. The university, a private concern committed to its avowed duty of graduating only students who have excelled in learning and character, simply ignored the meddlesomeness from Magboro. It did not look back in upholding its decision to rusticate erring students. How then could this same paper imagine that it could blackmail a state government like Lagos which, to be fair, has done better job of applying care and diligence than most of its peers?

How did this sort of judgmental journalism creep into the Nigerian media? How can a print organisation whose notoriety for going overboard in instilling discipline as the media house with the highest staff turnover rate could suddenly arrogate to itself the right to deny others the responsibility to apply sanction against wrongdoing? What kind of hypocrisy explains this malady?

And this is why pockets of hatchet opinion writers in other newspapers where the jaundiced news never featured should carry out or be subjected to a selfappraisal. How can a faulted news item that others avoided could serve as credible basis for a fair and informed opinion article? It would either amount to a spite on the good judgment that avoided a classic case of fake news or the motive that bred this ill-fated campaign is about to fester outside of the thorny garden where it was sown.

There can hardly be a better time than now for the fourth estate to interrogate its avowed commitment to good and responsible journalism.

––Dr. Tobi Adekusibe, a media analyst and tutor, lives in FCT, Abuja.

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T H I S D AY SATURDAY JUNE 10, 2017

T H I S D AY SATURDAY JUNE 10, 2017

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • JUNE 10, 2017

POLSCOPE

with Eddy Odivwri eddy.odivwri@thisdaylive.com 08053069356

Recall of Suspended Judges: Is NJC for The Kaduna Declaration, Restructuring and the Rest of Us or Against Anti-Corruption Fight?

N

ot a few Nigerians were sorely worried about the content of what the Arewa youths did early in the week. They called it the Kaduna Declaration.

They had risen from a so-called meeting last Tuesday in Kaduna ordering the Igbos of South East origin out of “their land” with effect from October 1. They claimed that the precursor was the May 30 sit-at-home order declared by Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the South East.

The Arewa youths explained that since the Igbos have been in the vanguard of breaking out of the Nigerian entity, they should be allowed to go, for once!

The youths had made many other scathing remarks that are indeed provocative to the rest of us. In no small measure, the Kaduna Declaration re-awakened the pre-1967 emotions among many Nigerians. Nobody wants to remember the events that led to the destructive Nigerian Civil war. It is pretty certain that the bunch of hot-blooded Arewa youths who made the said declaration were yet unborn at the time of the Nigerian civil war.

We don’t want a recrimination of the echoes of that war.

Yes, the Nigerian federation is cobbled together, not willfully by Nigerians themselves, but by the colonial fiat of 1914 almagamation. But since then, Nigerians have managed to live together, with occasional boil overs, even among kinsmen. The worth of Nigeria is hugely measured in terms of its size and population. Attempting to balkanize it in the name of self determination is therefore not acceptable. Even then, it is by no means in the power of the Arewa youths or any group for that matter to issue such a quit notice to a people.

Not only is it unconstitutional, it is also immoral.

Do the so-called Arewa youths know the number of Hausa/Fulani people dwelling in the southern part of the country, especially the South East untroubled? Or have the idle youths not heard of the huge menace caused by the Fulani herdsmen across the country?

Why do these youths want to stoke a fire they cannot put out?

It is consoling that the Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el Rufai has ordered the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the signatories to that incendiary statement, hoping it is no gimmick. Similarly, the northern governors and the Northern Elders have all disowned the reckless and irrational statement of the Arewa youths. At least, it weakens the suspicion that the Arewa youths were speaking the minds of their elders.

Even more reassuring is the statement by the Middle Belt youths who not only dissociated themselves from the wild statement of the Arewa youths, but also offered a soothing home to the Igbos if they get chased out of the north. The Middle Belters made it clear that they are not part of the north, as they have also been on the

receiving end of a fudged classification.

But to avoid these needless tension every now and then, Nigeria should be restructured.

The call for restructuring of the Nigerian state has been a dominant issue ever since I became a journalist, 26 years ago. I have covered over a dozen conferences—national and local, where the primary demand of the people is the restructuring of the Nigerian state. Talk about PRONACO, NADECO, AFENIFERE, OHANEZE, AREWA, MOSOP, KIAMA DECLARATION, SOUTH SOUTH ASSEMBLY, etc., etc., all of them harp on restructuring. So who is afraid of restructuring?

Why are the succeeding governments ever shying away from it?

It has become the fulcrum of campaign of Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President. He was in government for eight years. It did not cross his mind to pursue it at the time. But it seems politically right to demand it now because almost every part of the federation is feeling cheated in the sharing of the national cake.

I support restructuring, but not secession. It will forever douse the growing tension in the polity which the Nigerian government spends so much to manage.

No doubt, it is all about resource allocation and distribution. If and when we go back to fiscal federalism, every state/region will harness their God-given resources, assets and talents and pay royalty to the central government. Not only will that reduce the struggle for power at the centre, it will delete the language of marginalization from our political lexicon. Let each state manage its own resources. Why should Enugu State “eye” the returns from the sales of Onion or cashew nut in Kebbi State? Or why should Taraba State or even Katsina State plan their budget based on the expected returns from the oil sales from the Niger Delta? For God’s sake, let Gombe maximize its production of Gum Arabic, millet and wheat just as Ebonyi perfects its rice production even as Osun/Oyo States resume cocoa production.

Let them all strive and grow according to their strength and endowments. Let the famed untapped wealth of layers and sediments of solid minerals begin to be tapped. Nobody should be made to bear the burden of the other unduly, especially when it is neither appreciated, valued or reciprocated. Is it not a thing of joy that every part of the nation is endowed, perhaps in equal measure?

Did the regions not revel in healthy rivalry with the various produce in their regions, before the discovery of the black gold called crude oil?

The discovery of the latter has generated more troubles for the nation even as it has not reasonably developed the country. No oil bearing country is as wretched as Nigeria. Yet we are the sixth largest producer of oil in the world. Where are the benefits? It has promoted raw roguery among the weak and the mighty of the society.

The ease of making illicit money from oil sales is why the gospel of diversification is making little impact.

D

id you hear the news?

What news?

The recall of the indicted judges You mean the recall of the accused judges?

Whatever,Yes. Discerning Nigerians are peeved that such an important institution like the National Judicial Council (NJC) is failing, if not refusing to cooperate with the federal government on this onerous task of combating corruption in this country.

What do you mean by the NJC is refusing to cooperate with the federal government on the fight against corruption?

Need you ask? Is it not self evident? Are you not in this country? Did you not hear of the many atrocious allegations against the suspended judges? How they stocked large sums of foreign and local currencies in their homes? How some of them even have unlicensed arms in their homes , just as some have two passports among many other allegations? Didn’t you hear the story at the time?

I am happy you have described them as allegations? Have you not heard the legal maxim that he who alleges proves? Do you realise the homes of the judges were raided in October last year? Yes, the DSS claimed it recovered huge sums of money from the homes of the judges. But why has the DSS or the EFCC of the Police etc., not had the courage to charge all the judges to court, eight months after?

Are the accused judges supposed to remain in suspension forever while they are being paid their salaries for doing nothing? Do I need to remind you that all suspects or accused persons are presumed innocent until they are proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction? Or did you expect the NJC to stand aside and look while the career of the learned judges is being rubbished and ruined by an indecisive government?

You don’t understand.Two of the judges are already being tried. One of them, Justice Ademola was unduly discharged and acquitted.The other judge is yet facing trial. But the point we are making is that the allegations against the judges themselves are sufficiently indicting. It vitiates the honour and supposed impeccable integrity of the judges in such a way that the public confidence in them to dispense justice freely and fairly is greatly injured. Like Ceaser’s wife, they must be above board and come really clean on all matters. But you and I know that many of them are anything but impeccable.

What if it is proven that the allegations are frivolous and mischievous?

Let them explain how they got those huge sums of money. Don’t we know their salaries? Have we not had cases where judges hold secret meetings Justice Walter Onnoghen with representatives of people standing trial in their courts? Is it not public knowledge? How can these judges live as large and swim in wanton opulence as we have seen? Let me tell you.The NJC is not keen on dealing with the corrupt judges.They say dogs don’t eat dogs. I don’t see the NJC truly coming down hard on their colleagues.The council is seemingly protecting their own.

Agreed, let them be given the chance to explain their questionable wealth in a court of law. The federal Government cannot embark on an endless voyage of discovery in an attempt to prosecute accused persons. The fact that for eight months, the EFCC has not been able to arraign the recalled judges means that the prosecuting agencies are just not serious. No responsible professional council can tolerate that level of negligence And that explains why there is a huge investment in media trials, after which the EFCC goes to sleep. Little wonder that despite the hue and cry of the array of allegations against high profile persons, very few convictions have been achieved by the EFCC. That is not true. Did you not hear that the EFCC has secured 140 convictions in six months and has also recovered billions of dollars?

The NJC will deal with any judge found to have contravened the rules. But it has to be proven.

Nothing can be done whimsically. The NJC does not shield corrupt judges.

Where is the Report on Babachir Lawal?

O

n April 19, the presidency announced the suspension from office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr David Babachir Lawal, an engineer.

Also suspended is the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr Ayo Oke. The presidency had further constituted a three-man panel to investigate the allegations of a fraudulent grass-cutting scandal levelled against the former and the issues of huge sums of foreign currency found in a private apartment in Ikoyi, purportedly owned by the NIA, as the latter claimed. The panel was then given two weeks to submit its report.

On a number of occasions, the accused persons were invited by the panel, grilled and evidence taken.

Many Nigerians had expressed confidence that since the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, a pastor and professor of Law, was the head of the investigative panel, that the findings of the body will soon come to light, as it was billed to be

investigation and appointed his deputy to head it.

Shortly after, the president took ill, necessitating his travel to the United Kingdom for treatment for an undetermined period.

Prof Osinbajo carried out the investigation as Vice President. Now he is the Acting president. It is the same indivisible presidency. Is he dithering to release the report out of moral consideration or perceived lack of capacity? It is hardly the latter. Having been vested with the powers and privileges of the president in acting capacity, Professor Osinbajo can literally do all things as it concerns governance in Nigeria of today. After all, he is set to sign the 2017 Appropriation Bill into law. What power and capacity can be more than that? Now he has the yam and the knife. He should be able to cut as the law/constitution permits, failing which it will count against him as a sign of weakness and lack of courage to do the needful.

Osinbajo Nigerians therefore believe that in the spirit of justice and fairness, the report on Babachir Lawal presented to the president two weeks after. and Ayo Oke should be released forthwith. Even if But five weeks after, there is a disturbing silence the latter is not released for the so-called diplomatic on what the panel found out both of Lawal’s case reasons, it may be excused, but not the former. and that of Ayo Oke. The need to release the report without further President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the

delay has even become more imperative knowing that many had claimed that the said investigation was a mere ploy by the Buhari administration to pretend to be fighting corruption indiscriminately.

Those who so believe had sworn that the report on Lawal will never see the light of day. The acting president is perceived to be too altruistic to give verve to the allegation of a cover-up.

Indeed, the Senate had even threatened to publish the indicting criminal acts of Lawal if the presidency fails to make known its findings.

More importantly, the impression that certain persons are sacred cows and belong to the “untouchable class” must be debunked and discarded.

One sure way of reinforcing the public assurance that the fight against corruption knows neither class, creed nor party affinity is the immediate release of the report on Lawal and Oke. Any further delay fuels the narrative of the opposition. .

Justice delayed is justice denied. This silence has ceased to be golden, it smells of acquiescence and the onus is on the presidency headed by Osinbajo to prove the skeptics wrong. The time to act is now, except if there is something else the public does not know concerning the issue.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • JUNE 10, 2017

EXPRESSION

MEDIAGAFFES BY

Standard, not Flag, Bearer

T

HISDAY Front Page of June 3, 2017, welcomes us today: “In this regard, the governors, under the auspices of the Nigeria (sic) Governors (sic) Forum (NGF), said they have (had) resolved to offset the backlog of salaries….”

“A statement from the NGF statement reads….” This horrendous repetition of ‘statement’ is demonstrative of poverty of vocabulary! “…I managed to give a glass shattering (glass-shattering) performance.”

“Aniocha and Oshimili communities in Delta State are neighbours that have decided to reunite under (on) the Njiko Aniocha-Oshimili platform.” “…which in actually (sic) fact had neither the land nor the mineral resources of its own to justify its huge financial status.’ Just delete ‘actually’ on grounds of its redundancy.

“Unemployment and lack of electricity is (are) going worse.”

“We, the Governors and the people of the South East zone welcome the PDP flag (standard) bearer….” This is one of the lexical legacies of the late Bayo Oguntunase who will be interred next month. May his soul continue to rest in peace.

“Mr. President (sic), as you begin your Presidential (sic) campaign for (in) our zone….” “…let us joyfully embrace the only President who has shown love to Ndigbo in words and in deeds.” Get it right: in word and in deed.

“As a humatarian (humanitarian), philanthropist, God fearing and kind hearted (God-fearing and kind-hearted) brother….”

“APC raises fresh alarm, alleges rigging plot,

clampdown of (on) opposition leaders” “PDP, APC trade banters at NLC conference” ‘Banter’ is uncountable.

“Customers smile home with sports utility vehicles at (in) PZ promo in Benin” Niger Delta Chronicle: Sport-Utility Vehicles (SUVs)” “Customs FOU Zone C arrests 18 over (for) smuggling” “Group G4 calls for violence free (violencefree) election” “Vote for a Kind hearted (kind-hearted) Leader (sic)” (Powered by the 7 wise preachers) ‘Announcement’ in “Obituary Announcement” is redundant because ‘obituary’ is an announcement!

“MASSOB warns state govt over harrassment” Spell-check: harassment, but embarrassment “Our dreams must keep coming into (to) reality in Lagos…We endorse Akin Ambode— a public servant of 27 years (years’) standing” In case you did not know, “Its (It’s) either they are talking about GMB dying soon or….”

“I pray that you do not experience death of your child/children…talkless of (let alone) being taunted and mocked!”

“This is what Goodluck Jonathan and PDP has (have) turned to campaign theme!”

“The documentary mentioned how he divorced his late wife and some other beer parlour (pub) gist.”

“Again, Muhammad Buhari has never referred or attack (attacked) Goodluck Jonathan’s family.”

“He only concentrates (concentrates only) on issue based (sic) (issues-based) campaign.”

“Let’s keep going forwards (forward).”

“Niger (Nigerien) army repels insurgents’ attacks”

FEEDBACK

NEWSMEN are told to avoid stating the obvious, shun excess luggage and Keep It Short and Simple (KISS). Therefore, both “ghastly” and “fatal” were needless in “eighteen people were killed (18 fatalities) and two others seriously injured in a “ghastly” (already frightening) accident on...” See Wordsworth, Feb. 15. Second, the reported teenage mother was “delivered of....” It is not proper to state that “a teenage mother who just delivered”. Women do not deliver but are “delivered of” babies.

I join calls on you not to be discouraged by the annoying misuse of English by our local media. Some professionals are incorrigible and impervious to the weekly corrections which your column offers on the appropriate use of English. You may want to know that I have newspaper cuttings (musty) of such columns, including “Caught Out”

by Ladbone (Lade Bonuola) of the old Daily Times.

Please, keep educating us. Also X-ray the misuse of synonyms. For instance, on Xmas decorations, “prices (prizes) are now given...” Sunday Vanguard, January 25, Page 6. On Page 19 of the same title of February 1, Flavour Nabania is reported “to walk (work) out in the gym”. A piece on “Buhari’s presidential gamble” stated on Page 56, Sunday Vanguard, January 25 that “Aper Aku and Busari Adelakun both died in prison due to poor maltreatment.” What an over-kill! “Poor” is needless. We have civil society, not societies (Nigerian Tribune, Page 1, February 5) Homophones seem to confuse many writers.

For instance, The Nation, Page 67, February 15, reported Fashola as asking the service chiefs to toe (some writers would have used “tow”) the “part (occurred two times) of honour” by resigning but the writer/editor got it right just once. Also writing on Christmas decorations, “prices (prizes) are now

EBERE WABARA

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

given….” Sunday Vanguard, January 25, Page 6.

On Page 19 of the same title of February 1, Flavour Nabania is said “to walk (work) out in the gym”. A piece on “Buhari’s presidential gamble” stated on Page 56, Sunday Vanguard, January 25 that “Aper Aku and Busari Adelakun both died in prison due to poor maltreatment.” What an over-kill! “Poor” and “mal” from the Latin word “malus” mean the same thing -- bad.

By the way, there is a single “civil society” but many civil society groups and not “civil societies protest polls shift” (Nigerian Tribune, Front Page, February 5). KOLA DANISA, 07068074257 EBERE, I have to chip in again. “…the average journalist usually burns this professional flag, forgets their human past” is informal usage while “… the average journalist usually burns this professional flag, forgets his or her past” is formal usage.

Out of a lawyers’ population estimated “at about 20,000” (at 20,000 or to be about 20,000) only five females “have been opportune” (had have the opportunity) to adorn the silk. Special note on usage: “opportune” is an adjective, e.g. an opportune moment (not a verb – it is not verbalized). Rotimi Fasogbon thanks for your observation on this, too.

The preponderance of the views aired by the people centres on/upon (not around/round) issues like corruption and unemployment.”

Before embarking on the strike (or industrial action)….

Another Note: In Christendom and current usage, “cleric” has been classified very old-fashioned.

It is now restricted to Muslim Cleric/Clerics. Use Clergyman, Clergywoman, Pastor, Priest, Minister or Woman Minister, Reverend, Evangelist, etc.

“In fact” is preferred to “in actual fact”.

POLITY

On Biafra, I Tussle to Stand

Tony Monye

I

always refrain from debating tribal subjects, regardless of the allures of temptations. They can be quite distressing.

It’s been my experience for years. In this column, I am committed to canvassing leadership and human development, strategy and corporate policy-making, because that’s what Rham Durham Consulting Ltd - a firm that pays the bill on my behalf - specialises in, but then the enticements and concerns for the question at hand irresistibly grew in magnitude. Tribal concerns aren’t my strong points. I think of the whole all of the time; I think. I just seem incapable of grasping tribal matters – especially of the Big Three – Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. Ethnic wahala oftentimes is steeply laced in thickly coated and incomprehensible sentiments, which I am unable to decipher. Come to think of it, isn’t our tribal affiliations one of the chance events of our lives? I wonder if you chose yours. Well, I didn’t, in spite of a wish.

Just a few days ago, I was with a group of welllettered men – all less than 45 years (post-Civil War babies), most of whom have maintained friendship links in excess of a decade of years on the mean and the Biafra question reared its head.

When the question came, I heaved but there was no relief rather worries strolled in copiously worry for the group, upset by its composition and concerned for the anticipated sentimentalism. Just some short digression here… it doesn’t quite sit well with me each time the country’s 1967 – 1970 conflict is referred to as the Civil War. I’d suggest we call it the War of Unity.Although needless, it was one conflict that challenged, ‘confirmed’ and ‘strengthened’ our unity as a nation. Back again to my fellas. The group suffered some near unhealthy variegation, with membership from all the various major ethnic groups in the country. It however enjoyed a slight tilt in favour of the southern tribes. Igbo or Yoruba, your guess remains good. When it began, again, I felt deeply unsettled; abortively searching for an exit route for I had lost some comfort to it. I made myself clear from the outset, with some guts, opting to sit on the fence because it felt cool and preserving.

I understood quite brilliantly all the participants weren’t pleased but none openly admitted.And,

Kanu

they chose to ignore me. I was however hoping I wouldn’t be exposed to yet another scene of sentiments trouncing lettered-ness but, alas, in the end it traced the usual track.

As the discussion raged on, it was obvious massive raw emotions were being let out of their (excluding yours sincerely) kens given the topic. Enjoying the coolness of the fence, I gave the debate my two ears, one heart and my mind, not my tongue. I was honestly hopeful I would get some education. Regrettably, I heard some extremely harsh, irritable words that ought to have been left unsaid. The blame is on the system.

It still doesn’t help, for in Nigeria, quite unlike in the West, there are yet no red flag with regards to what can be said in public. So, the system expresses over-the-limit tolerance of blatant tribalistic words, insults and emotions. Sentiments from all the participants had more than a field day, with a few at varied time taking exception to the contributions of other individuals.

I spotted that two discernible trains of contextual fore-exposures predominated, shaping opinions and arguments. One was a

participant’s place of birth and, the other, tribal affiliation. Other viewpoints (economics, market opportunities, geopolitical relevance etc) certainly had been lifted up and pushed to the rear burners.

In the face and unbroken attack of intimidating emotions, these learned, time-tested and salient lookouts appeared stupid, of less worth and imprudent. Those with very early exposure and experience of multi-ethnicism tended to be broader in their outlooks and contributions whilst those with mono-ethnic, uttered narrower and more cloistered views. Generally, in my estimation, I thought their opinions and understandings were a bit too slight for comfort. What was stretching the most was their insistence on peering only through their particular windows and, having no desire to even steal a peek through someone’s opening, which could have presented a world of new thinking. Usually, it went like this - the Igbo bloke couldn’t reason through a Hausa chap’s argument and vice versa. The same outplay of obstinacy went for the Yoruba fella. There was something cagey about the three southern minorities in the mix.Anotch or two above the margin, they cautiously backed the arguments for Biafra. Several times, voices were raised, tempers caught fires but calm always, after a moment, triumphed and we went through this cycle twice or thrice.Afew times, I had the urge to throw in some bits and bobs, correct what I considered half-right suggestions, flame-clasping contributions and terrible accusations but somehow I was able to hold back.

They chattered about the IPOB protagonist and his ideas for the nation of Biafra.Almost everyone confessed, regardless of tribal origin, to feeling scratchy with his un-stylistic, uncouth and undiplomatic blabbing; they all acknowledged sighting exuberance. Some argued for his many flawed notions, questioned his suitability, and even his persona for cause-driving; many positioned his vision was broader than life, depriving meaning off his struggle. One of them accused him of being sociopathic, needing help.

Another raised fears he could be pawned by the many wily, behind-the-seen politicians around him. Only a few doubted the authenticity of his passion but most agreed such struggles needed more.ANortherner alleged the IPOB character was gleefully embracing easy-thinking, counsel-

ling it could be misleading.Another reminded Biafra was before him and the ‘ideals’ of Biafra would remain after him, even after all of us. Then came the Solomon in our midst. With a voice, slightly above a whisper, he only wanted to know who’s regarded as a Biafran. Loaded silence drooped on us for a moment.Appearing seemingly simple, that piece of question turned out the most difficult and about the most divisive request of that evening, as many doubted the willingness of some of the South-south states to romp along. I recalled he had earlier warned no side would win, presenting a lose/lose picture.Alarger arc of the crowd agreed. It was when someone suggested the country was sitting on a cask of gunpowder, fearing the Yugoslavian experience might come to pass that I spoke. Refuting it, I warned there wasn’t some legroom for an alarmist.Although I felt like registering my displeasure at the tone of the conversation, I fell short of it. Only a fool walks down a silly alley twice. This boulevard is, of course and off-thought, much sillier than silly.

Nigerians are wiser. Wait a second, are we truly!

At the end, I left pretty less informed, richly more confused and more concerned about our corporate existence as a nation called Nigeria than before. I had completely and irredeemably squandered two hours. Such is life, sometimes.

Summarising, I felt their contributions were too ethnically jaundiced and I could easily figure out the many holes in their submissions and ideas.As a Nigerian, I can, with smiles buried in my face, understand our propensity towards ethnic nationalism. It’s not puzzling and there are absolutely no issues with it. Ethnicity is an important part of our togetherness as Nigerians.

It is more or less like race relationship is to the Americans. I think denying it is simply denying what essentially makes us Nigerians in the first instance.

Today, contrary to my avowed decision, I am making my contributions, hoping my blokes are reading. But let’s get some basic facts of yours sincerely straight. One, like the others in the group, I am a post-civil war child. I neither heard the sound of the artillery nor the cries of victims of the conflict.

––Tony Monye, Managing Partner Rham Durham Consulting Ltd

26

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER •JUNE 10, 2017

aUto ESSENTIAL SKILLS with STEPHEN DIESERUVWE (Director General, Delta State Traffic Management Authority (DESTMA)

Moving Off and Stopping

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L-R: Trainer, Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) South Africa (Ford), Mr. Motebang Mokoena; General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications, at Ford’s distributor, Coscharis Motors, Mr. Abiona Babarinde; Trainer, DSFL, Mr. Derek Kiekby; and Brand Manager, Ford, Coscharis Motors, Mr. Felix Mahan, at the training of Nigeria auto journalists in Lagos, Thursday

Ford’s Driving Skills for Life Programme Returns to Nigeria Stories by Bennett Oghifo

F

ord Motor Company, in conjunction with its distributor Coscharis Motors, is bringing back the muchanticipated Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) programme to Nigeria.

This highly-acclaimed programme was implemented for the first time in Nigeria in 2016 in order to improve driving skills and road safety in Nigeria.

This year the focus will be on a special training session for members of the Nigeria Auto Journalists’ Association (NAJA) on June 8, 2017.

The DSFL programme will include driving on a 4x4 trail requiring the use of four-wheel drive, as well as a special presentation on child safety in the car.

Participants will get the opportunity to learn about the features that the Ford Ranger offers such as safety, departure angles, brake distance on gravel and anti-lock braking system (A.B.S) and how to use other four-wheel drive functions

such as traction control, locking differential and drive train.

Drinking and driving will be under the spotlight again, with the use of the drunk-driving goggles.

These goggles imitate a drunk driver and simulate how alcohol actually impairs driving skills.

NAJA, the umbrella body for all journalists in Nigeria covering the automobile and automotive industry, is already setting a good example by insisting that its members undergo annual training and Ford’s DSFL is part of this programme.

This initiative has already been highly praised by the Nigerian Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (NAMA).

“The members of NAJA are delighted that Ford has brought back road safety training in the form of its proven DSFL programme,” said Mike Ochonma, Vice President of NAJA. “We are focused on continually striving to improve the standard of driving by our members as we like to see them as influencers in the realm of safe, defensive driving and this latest opportunity for them to further hone their skills is greatly appreciated by our organisation.”

Earlier this year the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) said that 80% of road accidents in the country are due to human factors such as speeding, dangerous overtaking and overloading.

“Against this background, Ford is very pleased to be able to offer its proven road safety tool in the form of the Driving Skills for Life programme,” commentedAbiona Babarinde, General Manager - Marketing and Corporate Communications, at Ford’s distributor, Coscharis Motors.

“This time around we are concentrating in working with the local motoring journalists and we trust they will transfer all their learnings on the DSFL course to their readers and viewers to spread the importance of safe driving and road safety.”

Ford launched DSFLin the United States in 2003 and the programme has been improved and adapted to suit local conditions in many other global markets over the years. It was launched in South Africa in 2014, introduced into Angola in 2015 and last year it was rolled out in Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya.

NADDC to Strengthen Implementation of Auto Policy

N

ational Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has declared renewed commitment to strengthen the implementation of the Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) in order to make serve the best interest of all Nigerians.

In addition, the Council would team up with relevant stakeholders towards ensuring early enactment of the auto policy into law by the National Assembly.

NADDC Director General, Mr. Jelani Aliyu made these declarations in Abuja during the week, while receiving the national executive of the Nigerian Automobile Manufacturers Association (NAMA) led by its Chairman, Mr. TokunboAromolaran (MD VON) and Vice Chairman,Alhaji Ibrahim Dutsinma Boyi (MD PAN), who came on a courtesy visit.

Aliyu emphasised that the Council was also committed to putting in place an affordable vehicle financingschemewhichwouldenhancethecapacity of Nigerians across the country to buy new made in Nigeria vehicles instead of patronizing second hand vehicles.

He looked forward to working very closely with NAMA members and other stakeholders in the auto industry with a view to making Nigeria a major vehicle manufacturing hub; not just to meet national demand but also for exports.

Speaking earlier, NAMAChairman, Mr. Tokunbo Aromolaran described the recent appointment of Mr. JelaniAliyu as fixing a round peg in a round hole

L-R: Director, Industrial Infrastructure, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), W.K. Odetoro; General Manager, Sales and Marketing, PAN Nigeria, Bawo Omagbitse; Babatunde Kolade of ANAMMCO; Chairman, Nigerian Automobile Manufacturers Association (NAMA), Tokunbo Aromolaran, who led the delegation to NADDC; NADDC Director-General, Jelani Aliyu; PAN Nigeria MD, Ibrahim Boyi; and the Executive Director of NAMA, Remi Olaofe

and expressed the determination of the stakeholders to team up with him in moving the auto industry in Nigeria to an enviable height.

He said that the auto policy introduced about three years ago had succeeded in springing back to life active assembly operations and new investments in the auto industry. Mr. Aromolaran requested to

create a period of protection to enable the young industries grow to a stage where they could compete; and to also shield the auto industry from the menace of unrestricted dumping of second hand vehicles in the country. In his remarks, Mr. Ibrahim Boyi said, “Active government policy is what can make the auto industry succeed.

Moving Off here are simple routines to help you in every aspect of driving. Moving a vehicle from a stationary position demandscarefulco-ordinationofclutch and accelerator pedals. To move off safely, you must do so without creating a hazard to other road users, therefore when moving off you must avoid causing anyone to change their speed or direction because of your actions. To move off safely, follow the Prepare-Observe-Move routine (P.O.M routine). Each aspect of this routine is explained below and you will need to practice the routine for as long as necessary to ensure that each aspect becomes second nature.

Prepare (Preparing the car) 1. Take the safety precautions, checking handbrake is on and gear is in neutral.

2. Start the engine.

3. Press the clutch down to the floor, as far as it will go and keep it down.

4. Select first gear. To select first gear, palm the gear level towards you (driver), hold still and push up.

5. Set the gas. Press the accelerator or gas pedal slightly to increase the sound of the engine until you get a lively hum and then hold the pedal absolutely still. This will ensure that the vehicle has enough power to move without stalling once the handbrake is released and the clutch pedal comes up.

6. Slowly bring the clutch up until the sound of the engine drops slightly and then keep both feet absolutely still; this is called the ‘biting point’.

Observe (Mirrors and Signal) Before you move, make sure that it is absolutely safe to do so, by checking your interior mirror, door mirrors and looking around to check your blind spots.

1. Make all-round observation by completing a ‘six-point-check. The six point check is an easy way to remind yourself of the areas that you need to check to ensure that it is safe to move. The areas to check are: - Your right shoulder (right blind spot) - The right (nearside) door mirror - The interior or rear view mirror - The road ahead - The left (offside) door mirror - Your left shoulder (left blind spot) By checking the points above you will know what is happening all around your vehicle.

2. Signal, if anyone will benefit and return your hand to the handbrake.

Move (Manoeuvre) 1. When you are sure it is safe to move, look over your left shoulder again to check your left blind spot and release the handbrake and at the same time, let the clutch pedal come up a little more.

2. As you start to increase speed, turn the steering wheel slightly to the left to take up a safe driving position in the road, approximately one metre or one door length from the kerb (or side of the road). To achieve the safe driving position, turn the steering wheel from 12 o’clock to the left to 11 o’clock, when you are approximately a metre away from the kerb one car door length), turn the steering wheel to the right to 1 o’clock and then straighten the steering wheel to 12 o’clock.

3. Gently increase the pressure on the accelerator or gas pedal for more speed, then bring the clutch fully up gently and smoothly and rest your left foot on the floor 4. Cancel your signal, if you applied one.

5. Press the gas pedal to pick up speed and look well ahead as you change through your gears.

Stephen K. Dieseruvwe

Concluded

Director General, Delta State Traffic Management Authority (DESTMA) **Driver Trainer and Road Safety Consultant **Email: sdieseruvwe@gmail.com **Tel: +2348167814928

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER •JUNE 10, 2017

27

aUto Dust-free Sanding by Mirka GainsTraction in Nigeria Carol Oku

T

New MINI Countryman during crash test

New MINI Countryman Achieves 5-star Rating in CrashTest Stories by Bennett Oghifo

A

s the largest model in the history of the brand, the new MINI Countryman offers enthralling spaciousness and driving properties combined with maximum flexibility. Now it also stands out with regard to safety after receiving top marks in this area.

The premium compact model achieved the top 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash test. The

stringent testing procedure established that the spacious MINI all-rounder, also designed for being taken off the beaten track, provides an outstanding level of protection on all seats in every situation.

The crash tests conducted by the independent Euro NCAP safety testing institute (New CarAssessment Programme) are a benchmark with regard to accident safety, are recognised Europe-wide and are stepped up permanently. The testers analyse the car’s crash behaviour in different impact scenarios in order to assess how stable the passenger cell is, how effective the restraint systems are and what

forces are exerted on the occupants. In addition the Euro NCAP testing procedure also takes active safety technology and pedestrian protection into account.

The safety passenger cell of the new MINI Countryman proved to be a solid survival space in the front and side crash test as well as in the so-called lateral pole crash. The testers found that a permanently high level of protection from injury was ensured in the new MINI Countryman, regardless of the size and seat position of the occupants thereby also safeguarding top-level protection for children.

he Dust-free sanding solution introduced by Mirka is fast gaining acceptance in Nigeria.

Mirka is the pioneer in dust-free sanding solutions and has been for more than 15 years. Dust-free sanding saves time, money and the environment. The demand for more cost-effective methods and an increased awarenessofhealthandsafetyissueshascreatedan interest in Nigeria for the Mirka dust-free concept in the automotive refinishing sector. The range of Mirka products were recently introduced to captains of industry at the 5th Nigeria Transport Awards and Lecture held at Ikeja Sheraton hotel, Lagos. The President and CEO of Mirka, Mr. Stefan Sjöberg says that Mirka has a very strong presence in the automotive refinishing trade.

According to him, “we are a very strong supplier for collision repair. We offer different systems and application solutions.” One innovation by Mirka is the OSP (Optimised Surface Preparation) system, which focuses on speed, control, simplicity and repeatability, standardised, step-by-step processes means predictable, consistent quality on every repair.

The simple system is easy to train, easy to understand and easy to supervise. Net sanding technology virtually eliminates the damage caused by dust pills and produces a consistent, even scratch pattern. It also creates a healthier workshop environment and saves time when there’s no need to clean up dust.

It’s not just abrasives that Mirka is known for: “Dust-free properties are always taken into consideration also when it comes to developing new tools.

Kia Introduces Stonic: an Eye-catching, Confident Compact Crossover

K

ia’s new B-segment crossover will be named ‘Stonic’. An eye-catching and confident compact crossover with true European design flair, the Stonic is inspired by the form and function of larger Kia SUVs. The name ‘Stonic’ combines ‘Speedy’ and ‘Tonic’, which refers to the first and last note in the musical scale. Thus, ‘Stonic’ suggests that the vehicle is agile and offers something new and fresh in the compact SUV segment.

A sweeping roofline and uniquely designed roof rack add a sporty look to the vehicle. The unique tail lamp graphics amplify Stonic’s young and futuristic appearance.

The car blends sharp horizontal feature lines with softer sculpted surfaces, and brings compact dimensions and a low centre of gravity to the class.

The European-designed cabin echoes the appearance of the exterior, with straight lines, smooth surfaces and geometric design forms.

The Stonic’s interior places technology and ergonomics at its heart, with smart packaging maximising space for all occupants, and a ‘floating’ HMI (human-machine interface) seamlessly blending smartphone access with the car’s many functions.

On sale in the second half of 2017, the Stonic will be the most customisable Kia ever, inside and out.

DRIVING IN THE RAIN

A

sIpreparetobidPortHarcourt,the River State capital, farewell,for Jos,the Plateau state capital, the heavens reminded me of the season of rains. I know reports from other parts of the country is the same,As we enter another season of rainfall, we need to take necessary precautions to avoid road traffic crashes and possible deaths .Driving in the rain, is more difficult and hazardous. I once ran research findings on this page and because of its relevance I am doing a rerun as a guide. Research conducted in 1988 found out that the amount of light required to see at night doubles every thirteen years. That is, at 20years of age, you need 100% of light to see, while at 33years, you will require twice the amount of light used to see at 20.

The preponderant age of drivers on our roads would fall within the second category and most of these drivers within the context of our economy cannot rank among drivers on balanced diet. It therefore means that a good number of our drivers because of other factors peculiar to us would not even fit into the 1988 conclusions by Olson and Sivac.The vital lesson however is that we cannot play down the place of visibility which is why it is safe to drive with your light on when it is raining and at night. Anytime visibility is poor, endeavor to have your head lights on.

While we advise that we enhance our visibility, special care must be taken to avoid the typical

SAFE DRIVING with

JONAS AGWU

amnipr, mcipr,mprsa,arpa (Corps Commander) Corps Public Education Officer Federal Road Safety Corps. + 2348033026491

Lagos driving of, kiss me I kiss you or hanging on to someone’s rear light which has the potential of leading you off course; therefore you must defensively keep a safe distance. It is also advisable that you use clean cloth soaked in soap to clean the particles that may have accumulated over time on your wiper to make it more effective. You must also learn to control your speed. You are advised to adopt the common sense speed limit by adjusting your speed to suit the weather, your vehicle, your capability and competence and your age which we have said affects your sight or the amount of light required. Common sense therefore dictates that speed should be lower when weather is bad or roads defective.eg-on wet or slippery roads or when the view is unclear from smoky exhausts of other vehicles, harmattan dust or in foggy weather.

Critical to driving at any time is speed. It is identified as a critical factor and that is why good driving

Kia Stonic demands that we obey speed limits at all times especially during bad weather such as the raining season. When the road is wet, the chances of your vehicle gliding are very slim. Also vehicles in front of you, especially large or speeding vehicles may raise a film of dirty water to further reduce visibility.

Your wipers must always work. When it is raining or the road is wet, leave at least double the normal stopping distance. if you are following a vehicle at a safe distance and another vehicle pulls into the gap you have left, drop back to regain a safe distance.

If you are driving in a very wet weather, you may find that your vehicle begins to aquaplane; ie, slide.

This is because water builds up between the tyres and the road and makes the steering feel light Now let’s talk about steering handling at all times, including during the rains. The vogue on our major roads including the cities is to find a good number of drivers who hold the steering with one hand, eat, or phone, with the other. Some others would choose to rest their right arm on the front passengers head rest even under the rain. The correct posture is to hold your steering wheel with both hands except when shifting gear lever or giving signals.

The recommended way is to hold the steering on nearly opposite sides in a position termed “ten-totwo” derived from the clock hand positions at ten minutes to two o’clock, that is, 01.50 or 13.50 hours.

It is a traffic offence to drive with one hand only Driving we have noted is all about visibility. You must be particularly careful at dusk and in misty or dusty environment when it is more difficult to judge speed and distance. To overtake, never do so if you are in doubt. Overtaking is a dangerous

manoeuvre. Ask yourself if you really need to overtake. Learn to signal in good time; ensure it is clear and safe and that it is legal for you to overtake.

Avoid overtaking at the crest of a hill, slope, built up arrears, corner, bend, narrow bridge or a bus stop. Do not overtake where the road narrows, or where your action would force another vehicle to swerve or brake suddenly, or if you would have to cross double solid white lines, or if the solid line of the centre lines is nearer you.

Lastly, remember that your tyre connects the vehicle with the road; they are the part of the vehicle that has direct contact with the road. It is therefore important that you use good tyres and run a check on your tyre pressures with a quality tyre pressure gauge (not the abused/overused roadside vulcanizer’s gauge). Such a check may reveal that at least one of your tyres is incorrectly inflated. Very few vehicles, if any, will pass this test.

Incorrect tyre pressure is the major cause of tyre blowouts, sudden tyre failures and premature tyre wear. Incorrect tyre pressure is an invitation to disaster even if the tyres are brand new! It is a time bomb waiting for the right time to explode.

The implication is that each time such a vehicle is driven, the occupants are facing grave danger without being aware of it. There are two types of incorrect tyre pressure. These are over-inflation and under-inflation. Let’s take a look at how they can affect your tyres and cause disaster and what could be done to maintain a proper pressure for your tyres and so prevent or drastically minimize blowouts and other forms of tyre failures. Under-inflation is the major cause of tyre blowouts.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • June 10, 2017

FAMILY HEALTH with

The Importance of Sleep

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hen we sleep, we are doing our body a lot of good. It is a necessity to lie down, on your body mass, and close your eyes, oblivious to all going on around you. There is this inner peace, and cry for more of this state of rest, by your body.

If only our bodies could shout, it would say, please I need this more often.

Sleep, a state of switching of all your consciousness and reviving your body, replenishing it with all you have used up during your time of activity, is certainly a requirement, for you to maintain a healthy life.. so do not deprive yourself of much needed sleep.

Sleep plays an important role in your physical health.

For example, sleep is involved in healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels. Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.

Sleeping is a basic human need, like eating, drinking, and breathing. Like these other needs, sleeping is a vital part of the foundation for good health and well-being throughout your lifetime.

Sleep deficiency can lead to physical and mental health problems, injuries, loss of productivity, and even a greater risk of death.

So why is sleep important?

Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.

The way you feel while you’re awake depends in part on what happens while you’re sleeping. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health. In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development.

The damage from sleep deficiency can occur in an instant (such as a car crash), or it can harm you over time. For example, ongoing sleep deficiency can raise your risk for some chronic health problems. It also can affect how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others.

• Healthy Brain Function and Emotional Well-Being: Sleep helps your brain work properly. While you’re sleeping, your brain is preparing for the next day. It’s forming new pathways to help you learn and remember information.

Studies show that a good night’s sleep improves learning. Whether you’re learning math, how to play the piano, how to perfect your golf swing, or how to drive a car, sleep helps enhance your learning and problemsolving skills. Sleep also helps you pay attention, make decisions, and be creative. Children and teens who are sleep deficient may have problems getting along with others. They may feel angry and impulsive, have mood swings, feel sad or depressed, or lack motivation. They also may have problems paying attention, and they may get lower grades and feel stressed.

• Physical Health Sleep plays an important role in your physical health.

For example, sleep is involved in healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels. Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.

Sleep deficiency also increases the risk of obesity.

For example, one study of teenagers showed that with each hour of sleep lost, the odds of becoming obese went up. Sleep deficiency increases the risk of obesity in other age groups as well.

Sleep helps maintain a healthy balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry (ghrelin) or full (leptin). When you don’t get enough sleep, your level of ghrelin goes up and your level of leptin goes down. This makes you feel hungrier than when you’re well-rested.

Sleep also affects how your body reacts to insulin, the hormone that controls your blood glucose (sugar) level. Sleep deficiency results in a higher than normal blood sugar level, which may increase your risk for diabetes.

Sleep also supports healthy growth and development.

Deep sleep triggers the body to release the hormone that promotes normal growth in children and teens.

This hormone also boosts muscle mass and helps repair cells and tissues in children, teens, and adults. Sleep also plays a role in puberty and fertility.

Your immune system relies on sleep to stay healthy.

This system defends your body against foreign or harmful substances. Ongoing sleep deficiency can change the way in which your immune system responds. For example, if you’re sleep deficient, you may have trouble fighting common infections.

• Daytime Performance and Safety: Getting enough quality sleep at the right times helps you function well throughout the day. People who are sleep deficient are less productive at work and school. They take longer to finish tasks, have a slower reaction time, and make more mistakes.

After several nights of losing sleep—even a loss of just 1–2 hours per night—your ability to function

BOBO BODE -KAYODE

lifeissuesfromwithin@yahoo.com, .Cel, 08053372356

awake, abusing alcohol or drugs, or not leaving enough time for sleep • Have undiagnosed or untreated medical problems, such as stress, anxiety, or sleep disorders • Have medical conditions or take medicines that interfere with sleep.

Therefore you must do all you can to get enough sleep..

Healthy Brain Function and Emotional Well-Being: Sleep helps your brain work properly.

While you’re sleeping, your brain is preparing for the next day.

It’s forming new pathways to help you learn and remember information

suffers as if you haven’t slept at all for a day or two.

Lack of sleep also may lead to microsleep. Microsleep refers to brief moments of sleep that occur when you’re normally awake.

You can’t control microsleep, and you might not be aware of it. For example, have you ever driven somewhere and then not remembered part of the trip? If so, you may have experienced microsleep.

So how much do you need?

How Much Sleep is Enough?

The amount of sleep you need each day will change over the course of your life. Although sleep needs vary from person to person, the chart below shows general recommendations for different age groups.

Age Recommended Amount of Sleep Newborns 16–18 hours a day Preschool-aged children 11–12 hours a day School-aged children At least 10 hours a day Teens 9–10 hours a day Adults (including the elderly) 7–8 hours a day If you routinely lose sleep or choose to sleep less than needed, the sleep loss adds up. The total sleep lost is called your sleep debt. For example, if you lose 2 hours of sleep each night, you’ll have a sleep debt of 14 hours after a week.

Some people nap as a way to deal with sleepiness.

Naps may provide a short-term boost in alertness and performance. However, napping doesn’t provide all of the other benefits of night-time sleep. Thus, you can’t really make up for lost sleep.

Some people sleep more on their days off than on work days. They also may go to bed later and get up later on days off.

Sleeping more on days off might be a sign that you aren’t getting enough sleep. Although extra sleep on days off might help you feel better, it can upset your body’s sleep–wake rhythm.

Bad sleep habits and long-term sleep loss will affect your health. If you’re worried about whether you’re getting enough sleep, try using a sleep diary for a couple of weeks.

Write down how much you sleep each night, how alert and rested you feel in the morning, and how sleepy you feel during the day. Show the results to your doctor and talk about how you can improve your sleep.

Sleeping when your body is ready to sleep also is very important. Sleep deficiency can affect people even when they sleep the total number of hours recommended for their age group.

For example, people whose sleep is out of sync with their body clocks (such as shift workers) or routinely interrupted might need to pay special attention to their sleep needs.

If your job or daily routine limits your ability to get enough sleep or sleep at the right times, talk with your doctor. You also should talk with your doctor if you sleep more than 8 hours a night, but don’t feel well rested. You may have a sleep disorder or other health problem.

Who Is at Risk ?...

Sleep deficiency, which includes sleep deprivation, affects people of all ages, races, and ethnicities. Certain groups of people may be more likely to be sleep deficient.

Examples include people who: • Have limited time available for sleep, such as people working long hours or more than one job • Have schedules that conflict with their internal body clocks, such as shift workers, first responders, teens who have early school schedules, or people who must travel for work • Make lifestyle choices that prevent them from getting enough sleep, such as taking medicine to stay

Getting enough sleep You can take steps to improve your sleep habits.

1.

First, make sure that you allow yourself enough time to sleep. With enough sleep each night, you may find that you’re happier and more productive during the day.

Sleep often is the first thing that busy people squeeze out of their schedules. Making time to sleep will help you protect your health and well-being now and in the future.

To improve your sleep habits, it also may help to: 2. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. For children, have a set bedtime and a bedtime routine. Don’t use the child’s bedroom for timeouts or punishment.

3. Try to keep the same sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends. Limit the difference to no more than about an hour. Staying up late and sleeping in late on weekends can disrupt your body clock’s sleep–wake rhythm.

4. Use the hour before bed for quiet time. Avoid strenuous exercise and bright artificial light, such as from a TV or computer screen. The light may signal the brain that it’s time to be awake.

5. Avoid heavy and/or large meals within a couple hours of bedtime. (Having a light snack is okay.) Also, avoid alcoholic drinks before bed.

6. Avoid nicotine (for example, cigarettes) and caffeine (including caffeinated soda, coffee, tea, and chocolate). Nicotine and caffeine are stimulants, and both substances can interfere with sleep. The effects of caffeine can last as long as 8 hours. So, a cup of coffee in the late afternoon can make it hard for you to fall asleep at night.

7. Spend time outside every day (when possible) and be physically active.

8. Keep your bedroom quiet, cool, and dark (a dim night light is fine, if needed).

9. Take a hot bath or use relaxation techniques before bed.

10. Napping during the day may provide a boost in alertness and performance. However, if you have trouble falling asleep at night, limit naps or take them earlier in the afternoon. Adults should nap for no more than 20 minutes. Napping in preschool-aged children is normal and promotes healthy growth and development.

Foods that help Choose protein foods that are rich in an amino acid called tryptophan. This helps boost the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. Chicken and turkey, milk and dairy, nuts and seeds are all good choices. Combine these with rice, pasta or potatoes to help the body get the most benefits from tryptophan.

Fish Most fish—and especially salmon, halibut and tuna—boast vitamin B6, which is needed to make melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone triggered by darkness), Jasmine Rice When healthy sleepers ate carbohydrate-rich suppers of veggies and tomato sauce over rice, they fell asleep significantly faster at bedtime if the meal included high-glycemic-index (GI) jasmine rice rather than lower-GI long-grain rice, Tart Cherry Juice In a small study, melatonin-rich tart cherry juice was shown to aid sleep. When adults with chronic insomnia drank a cup of tart cherry juice twice a day they experienced some relief in the severity of their insomnia.

Yogurt Dairy products like yogurt and milk boast healthy doses of calcium—and there’s research that suggests being calcium-deficient may make it difficult to fall asleep.

Whole Grains Barley and other whole grains are rick in magnesium—and consuming too little magnesium may make it harder to stay asleep, Bananas Bananas, well-known for being rich in potassium, are also a good source of Vitamin B6, which is needed to make melatonin .

Fortified Cereals Fortified cereals also boast vitamin B6, which is needed to make melatonin.

Drinking a lot of water all day to stay hydrated cannot be over emphasised.

Therefore, eat well, excercise regularly, stay hydrated, and get enough sleep to achieve full capacity.

GLOBAL SOCCER

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • JUNE 16, 2011

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WEEKLY PULL-OUT

SUPER EAGLES ON THE MARCH AGAIN PAGE. 29

10.06.2017

Henry Onyekuru New Kid on the Emirates Block

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • june 10, 2017

GLOBAL SOCCeR

New Kid on the Emirates Block After failing to qualify for the ueFA Champions League for the first time in his 21 years in charge of Arsenal and the chances of losing high -profile players likely imminent, ArseneWenger’s first signing is surprisingly nigerian teenager, Henry Onyekuru. Is this young nigerian ripe for the robust english Premier League? Is Onyekuru the kind of playerWenger needs in his ‘z̄’ times? Kunle Adewale asks

W

ith £150 million to spend in the summer transfer, Arsenal fans are optimistic of the arrival of big-names at the Emirates Stadium, but, it was Nigerian and KAS Eupen of Belgium striker, Henry Onyekuru that was Arsene Wenger’s first summer signing.

The forward is a fan of Arsenal legend and record goalscorer, Thierry Henry, and is delighted joining the club of his dreams.

"Thierry Henry has always been my idol since I was a kid. I love watching him play, watching Arsenal and going to YouTube to watch most of his games. I remember saying if I had to move to the Premier League I want to be like Thierry Henry. So, it's like a dream come true," Onyekuru said.

In a chat with THISDAY, former Nigerian international, and footballer’s agent, Waidi Akani is of the opinion that for Arsenal to have signed Onyekuru, it means he has something up his sleeves.

“Arsenal is one of the top clubs in Europe with a very formidable scouting team. So, for them to have scouted him, it means he has a very great potential and future. However, that does not mean the club gets it right all the time.

“His move to Arsenal is a big benefit to Nigeria and the national team coaches should take advantage of it, but without relegating any of the players we have at our disposal simply because he had signed for a big team like Arsena.

“Really, we cannot count on him for now because he is yet to prove himself for the country at any level. Football is not a one-season game, so we should not get so excited thinking that we now have a good striker simply because he scored 24 goals last season for his Belgian club.

“He is still young, just 19 years old.

Maybe he should first be tried at the Under 20 or 23 level and see what he can offer. Football could be funny at times.

With all the noise about him, he might just not fit into our style of football", Akani noted.

The 19-year-old is the top scorer in the Belgian league with 24 goals and nine assists in all competitions last season, which has caught the eye of the Gunners as Wenger looks to build a squad to challenge for the title next season.

The north London club has already had a £87m bid rejected for Monaco forward, Kylian Mbappe, this summer and Wenger is desperate to get a few new faces to the squad in an attempt to add some verve after missing out on qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in over 20 years.

Onyekuru comes in handy with a price tag of £6.8million after he was initially linked with Celtic as a replacement for Moussa Dembele, but a rumoured £1million bid was laughed away as he is 'too good' for Scottish football.

However, there is enough there to make it a worthwhile investment. When one considers Real Madrid have just spent £38m on Vinicius Junior, a 16-yearold yet to play 90 minutes of senior football, it looks like a bargain.

Wenger has been criticised for not signing the star players Arsenal need to compete for the biggest prizes.

Even those who are glad he is staying at Arsenal want him to make more daring moves. Therefore, an unknown Onyekuru who Wenger seems to have signed with little opposition from rivals does not fit that bill.

At least, Arsenal fans can be assured they are getting a player who is delighted to be there. Onyekuru said, “I have had fun in Belgium, but I have always dreamed of the Premier League.”

Some analysts, however, are of the

opinion that Onyekuru’s invitation to the Super Eagles was long overdue, arguing that there had been some incredulity at his absence from the initial squad named by Gernot Rohr, and was only invited by virtue of the unavailability of striker Olarenwaju Kayode for the friendlies against Corsica and Togo.

Not that it matters how he got in, only that he had, and finally he had the chance to showcase his abilities to the coaching crew.

Onyekuru can play all across the front line; he favours the left as it gives him the space he needs to go through the gears, as well as come inside on his stronger right foot. His low centre of gravity, as he stands at about 5ft 9in, enables quick changes of direction, but his dribbling style really isn’t defined by it, unlike most players his size. He does have good close control, but relies more on his speed and trickery, often looking like he has shown too much to the opponent before snatching it away.

In front of goal, Onyekuru is an improviser. He possesses good movement, especially when he has to spin in behind a full-back; he is often up and away before they even know it. When through, he can finish in a number of ways; though, like most speedsters, he seems to enjoy going past the goalkeeper. That doesn’t preclude dinks, curled finishes in the manner of his idol and namesake, Thierry Henry.

There is a lot to admire about him, but he is still a teenager, so there are a lot of areas where he can improve. That is only natural. His aptitudes for the defensive side of the game, as well as his decisionmaking, are still undeveloped.

Name the attributes of a stereotypical Wenger signing in the last 10 years quick, small, skillful, an attacker who can play all across the front line but whose best position is not yet entirely clear - and you have a potted description of Onyekuru.

He is unashamedly direct - he will pick the ball up, accelerate quickly, and go towards goal. He also has shades of Arjen Robben - he plays mostly on the left for Eupen, so he can cut in and shoot on his stronger right foot.

Surprisingly for one blessed with such pace, Onyekuru likes to come deep for the ball, rather than playing on the shoulder of defenders.

He is small of stature - 5ft 9in - but uses this quick change of direction effectively, bamboozling defenders, using his change of pace to get past his man rather than a barrage of step overs.

Perhaps the biggest weakness in Onyekuru’s game is a streak of single-mindedness. It can manifest as overconfidence or as selfishness, but too often he wants to go alone. He will often get the better of his marker, and opt for a shot from an angle rather than lay in a teammate in a better position centrally.

This selfishness has also been apparent off the pitch when he went on strike in January after claiming that Eupen had broken promises to sell him in the transfer window that month.

If he is given time, Onyekuru has the makings of a Premier League star.

Whether he gets that time is another matter.

The prospect of a link up with Rohr’s attacking prodigies for Nigeria is also umber-appealing; one need only think what a front four including him, Isaac Success, Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho could get up to.

Onyekuru began his football career with the Aspire Academy in 2010, and graduated in 2015 joining their partner club, KAS Eupen and made his debut for Eupen in September of the same year in a 2-2 tie against Dessel Sport in the Belgian Second Division and helped the team get promoted to the Belgium First Division A in his debut season.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • june 10, 2017

GLOBAL SOCCeR 2 0 1 9 A f r i c a Cu p of Nation s Q u alifier… 2019 Afric a Cup of Nations Qualifie r… 2019 A f ri c a Cup o f N a t i o ns Q ua l i f i e r…

Super Eagles on the March Again

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fter missing out of the last two editions of Africa’s biggest soccer fiesta-Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria will today start another journey towards qualifying for the biennial competition slated for Cameroon in 2019, as the Super Eagles host the Bafana Bafana of South Africa at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo. Nigeria which won the 2013 edition of the AFCON, hosted in South Africa have struggled to stamp its authority on the continent in spite of the arrays of stars at its disposal.

As part of Nigeria’s preparations towards the encounter against South Africa, Eagles have camped in France and played two friendly matches-a three-nil bashing of Togo and a 1-1 draw against Corsica.

In a chat with THISDAY, for national team Captain, Segun Odegbami, said it was a shame that Nigeria in spite of its richness both natural and human could fail to qualify for an African competition when the country should actually be looking beyond the continent for successes.

“It is abnormal and totally unacceptable that one of the richest countries in terms of natural talent of football, a country with our resourcesboth natural and human, a country with our size in population, a country with deep rich history in football should not be at any Africa Cup of Nations.

“It is a totally unacceptable thing, so we should all cover our faces in shame that for the past two editions of AFCON, Nigeria was not there. We have absolutely no excuse,” Odegbami said.

Continuing, the “Mathematical” Odegbami as he was popularly called during his active

days said, “Saturday (today) is another opportunity, it is another time for us to remember who we really are. South Africa cannot stop us. No country in Africa should be able to stop us from going to the Nations Cup, particularly now that we have more countries participating in the competition. It’s not like when only eight countries were participating. We have developed a lot. We have the largest expatriate of players playing in Europe from Africa.

“I see this as a time of recollection, a time of regrouping, a time of rebuilding to see what Gernot Rohr has put together as a national team, which has been encouraging since he became the Super Eagles coach. We will all be witnesses to the march towards the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019”.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles coach, Rohr has set his sights on a win over South Africa, though he acknowledged that the clash with the 1996 AFCON champions will be tough but is hoping to mastermind a win for Nigerian over their bitter rivals. He also spoke about his delight at the choice of the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo venue of the game.

"Yes, we are happy to be here in Uyo. We like this place. We won our last two games here so I hope this will be a third victory. If Nigeria qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, It will be a fantastic adventure.

"We were only spectators at the last again in Gabon and now, we want to be there also. We will start on Saturday (today) against the best team in the group. They have not lost a game in the last two years, since 2015 and I hope we'll be able to do it”, Rohr said.

In a show of intent, Ogenyi Onazi also declared that featuring at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals

remained the major target of Nigeria.

The 24-year-old midfielder believes that the current crop of Super Eagles players can take Nigeria to the next AFCON in Cameroon and then to the World Cup in Russia based on the display of confidence and ambition in camp ahead of the game against South Africa today.

The Trabzonspor man has also made it clear that the Super Eagles were ready to face South Africa's Bafana Bafana today.

“It is a big game, and we are one for the big occasion. I have confidence in the group that we have now and the ambition oozing in the camp. We want to go to the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations. Starting well on Saturday (today) will be key to our aspiration”, Onazi said.

He also sees the opportunity to play South Africa in the Afcon qualification a chance to make amends for the past when they failed to qualify for the 2017 Afcon in Gabon.

Ahead of the match, a former Super Eagles midfielder, Friday Ekpo in a chat with THISDAY said he expected the Super Eagles to win well.

“I expect the Eagles to win well, so as to make the second leg in Johannesburg a formality. After missing out in two editions, we have no choice than to start very well”, Ekpo said.

Ekpo however said the 2-2 draw the Bafana Bafana recorded in Uyo the last time the team played against Nigeria would boost their morale.

“The last draw they got here would definitely boost their confidence”, he noted.

The Bafana Bafana landed in Uyo on Wednesday, boosted up by their new manager, Stuart Baxter, who once led the Bafana charge, and hoping to reproduce the magic of Novem-

ber 17, 2004 in Johannesburg. Two of his key players in achieving this will be Itumeleng Khune at goalkeeper and Dean Furman in midfield, both of whom he had already identified as the kind of battlers he needed for the big game.

While Khune’s experience and skill need no explanation, some may raise eyebrows at Furman, certainly not in Nigeria where the mercurial midfielder has always performed amazingly against them. Sure it may have been Rantie who circumvented Enyeama twice on the way to scoring a brace in November 2014, but it was captain Furman who sealed the Bafana middle and turned it into a sticky mouse-trap for the likes of Emenike, Musa, and Ikechukwu Uche, expelling them from the Equatorial Guinea AFCON. A year later it was Furman again at the Mbombela Stadium who spearheaded the South African defence against Nigeria by playing deeper than normal and again clawing out a 1-1 draw.

Furman is feisty and isn’t pushed off the ball. His tackles are mostly on point and at six feet he isn’t easily beaten with the lob unless it is weighted perfectly. With Mikel Obi out for Nigeria, it will be interesting to see how he fares against the talent-overloaded Nigerian midfield that Rohr is still tinkering with.

Considering that the Sparrow Hawks dominated the Eagles (despite losing 3-0) in their last friendly in ball possession (52 v 48 per cent ) the table is set for an exciting duel as Nigeria are still not playing coherently in this part of the field. Dial up the knob on drama since the Eagle’s Onazi - most likely replacement for Mikel as midfield General, plays with as much temperament as Furman.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • june 10, 2017

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GLOBAL SOCCeR\\OTHeR SPORTS

Jubilant Ibeju Lekki team celebrate their victory with the CCC League officials including the Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor, Mr. Deji Tinubu and Head Corporate Communications Notore Chemical Industries, Ngozi Mba (second right)

Ostapenko and Halep

French Open French Open... French Open French Open...

Ostapenko, Halep Seek First Grand Slam After a birthday win for Jelena Ostapenko and a victory against the world No. 3 for Simona Halep, the French Open 2017 women’s final has been set.

In an unlikely finale, world No. 47 Ostapenko, who had never won a match at Roland Garros prior to this year, has set up a meeting with a woman who almost missed the event with an ankle ligament problem.

Had Halep been fully fit, she would’ve been most people’s favourite but for her to make such a swift recovery has been remarkable.

But even with injury, people gave Halep a chance. No one would’ve had Ostapenko down to reach the final. we take a look at the unlikely meeting and offer a prediction as to who will come out on top.

What’s on the line?

So, so much!

Obviously, both are chasing their first Grand Slam titles but there are also significant rankings changes on offer.

Halep can become world No. 1 for the first time with a win – Angelique Kerber will remain top of the rankings if she loses – while Ostapenko will rise as high as 12th.

The 20-year-old can also become the first Grand Slam winner from Latvia, while Halep can become the third Romanian to win a major after Ilie Nastase and Virginia Ruzici.

Both Nastase and Ruzici were French Open champions but Halep would be the first Romanian Slam winner since 1978 – almost 40 years ago.

How did they reach this stage?

Halep cruised through her

opening matches but has faced an incredibly tough run from the quarter-finals onwards.

She took out second favourite Elina Svitolina, having been a set and 5-1 down, before knocking out second seed Karolina Pliskova.

Ostapenko has also enjoyed an impressive run herself, beating former US Open champion Sam Stosur, ex-World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and Timea Bacsinszky on her way to the final.

This will undoubtedly be her biggest test, though.

What’s their head-to-head like?

Incredibly, this will be the pair’s first meeting, which only adds to the intrigue surrounding the contest What we can compare, though is their career stats and it’s clear that Halep certainly has more experience of the big occasion.

The Romanian has won an impressive 15 WTA Tour titles and been to the last-eight of every Grand Slam.

Ostapenko is yet to win a singles title and this is her first time beyond the third round of a major.

What have they both said?

Ostapenko: When I came here, of course I didn’t expect I would be in the final.

But then, like, first match was a tough match, as well, and I won it. I think it kind of gave me confidence.

Then every match I was playing better and better and I got my confidence, and I think it works pretty well.

Halep: I never played against her, I think. I don’t know what to expect from her. I saw a little bit of her match today.

In my opinion is similar to what I had today, so maybe’s gonna be the same plan.

You never know with this kind of player, so I have just to stay there for every ball. Every ball is important against them. So I will be there and ready to fight.

Prediction?

This is certainly a tough one to call – Ostapenko has looked largely unfazed by the challenges lying ahead of her and appears to be able to hit through anybody with her powerful groundstrokes.

Halep, though, is a fighter and relentless on clay, although perhaps her near miss in 2014 could play on her mind.

Ostapenko may be blessed by youth in terms of the removal of nerves but it’s still difficult to bet against Halep at this stage.

It’ll be close but the Romanian is the more consistent player and should be able to grind her opponent down.

Grand Slam record: Halep Australian Open: Quarter-finals (2014, 2015) French Open: Final (2014, 2017) Wimbledon: Semi-finals (2014) US Open: Semi-finals (2014) Ostapenko Australian Open: Round three (2017) French Open: Final (2017) Wimbledon: Round two (2015) US Open: Round two (2015)

SuperSport Revamps Channel Offering Africa’s leading sports channels provider, SuperSport, has revamped its channels to make it easier for fans to find their favourite sports on DStv and GOtv. The new channels format will debut on July 4 and will offer viewers easier navigation and less duplications.

“We’re making these changes to give DStv and GOtv customers an even better viewing experience, making it easier to navigate our wide variety of sports in the back-to-back channels. As there will be less duplication and repeats of sports and no impact on live events,

the overall sport viewing will be enhanced, as will our overall HD offering,” said Gideon Khobane, SuperSport CEO. When the 2018 European football season kicks off in August, SuperSport 3 will be channel for the English Premier League for DStv Premium, Compact Plus and Compact customers, while SuperSport 7 will be the channel for Spanish La Liga matches.

SuperSport 11 and SuperSport 12 will remain on the platform as permanent event channels for overflow live sports, giving subscribers a wider choice of live sports.

SuperSport will also intro-

duce two new sports channels: SuperSport 8 which will treat DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact and Family customers to the Premier League and La Liga overflow matches as well as FIFA internationals and the IAAF Diamond League athletics in High Definition (HD) and; SuperSport 10, which in addition to one live English Premier League and La Liga match per week, will also include a UEFA Champions League and an Europa League match as well as athletics, Rugby 7’s and the newest sports genre growing in popularity – eSports, across all DStv packages.

Rivers State representative, Community Secondary School, Pabod, Port Harcourt at the Equatorial Conference of the Milo Secondary School Basketball in Enugu

Milo Secondary School Basketball

Extracted from the Dungeon of Garden City Nestle prides itself as an organisation that had been in the forefront of grassroots sports in the country with its yearly Milo Secondary Schools Basketball Championship. Beyond that, the competition has also helped keep kids in schools and out of streets writes Kunle Adewale Spectators at the Sports Hall of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, could not help but pitch their support for Rivers State representative, Community Secondary School, Pabod, Port Harcourt, at the Equatorial Conference of the 19th Milo Basketball Championship. This was not only because of the unique basketball artistry displayed by the kids but by virtue of their small size. The Rivers team was the youngest in age and smallest of stature, which made many to wonder how they would cope against the bigger boys some of whom were double their sizes.

Their coach and mentor, Fubara Onyenabo however said, “what they lack in size, they augment with team work and technical ability.”

In their quarter final encounter against Anambra State, the Rivers State team proved they not only had the brain to outwit bigger opponents but also the will, as they out-dunked their opponent.

However, in their semifinal match against the eventual winner and perhaps the biggest side, in terms of size, Ebonyi State representative, St. Augustine Seminary, Ezzamgbo, an encounter that was believed to be the game of the Equatorial Conference, it was a ding dong affair in which the ‘Rivers kids’ led up to the third quarter, but by the fourth quarter, the winner however proved that size and indeed height was a big factor in basketball and they used it to outwit their opponent.

It was not surprising when the kids from Rivers eventually caved in and the dream of visiting Lagos was in ruin, but they left Enugu with their shoulders high.

They did not leave empty handed though. They went home with the bronze medal and a footprint.

Speaking with THISDAY, Coach Onyenabo said it was the first time the school would be participating in the Milo Secondary School Basketball, adding that their aim was not really to win but to test-run his boys and have a feel of how the competition was but promised to be back bigger at the next edition.

“The ultimate aim is to expose them to the biggest stage as far as basketball is concerned. Most of them came from the volatile part of the state where cultism was the order of the day but I have been able to shield them away from trouble through the Da-F Basketball Academy, which sponsors most of them to school”, Onyenabo said.

Ebuka Okpara, who is the best player for the side said he was happy to have gone home with a bronze medal, but would have been happier to have made it to the national finals in Lagos as he was yet to travel to that part of the country.

“I have heard a lot of stories about Lagos and was hoping to be there one day, and I felt Milo Basketball would have provided the platform to achieve that objective,” Okpara said.

However, that is just half the story of the Community Secondary School, PABOD, Port Harcourt, boys.

The true story about these kids was that for basketball they would have added to the number of boys terrorising the streets of Port Harcourt and its environs as most of the came from the volatile part of the state-Niger Axis and Abuja, where cultism, drugs usage and guns firing are the order of the day.

For a member of the team, Yusuf Rasheed, he would never have thought of going to school as his parents could not afford his school fees and would probably have been in the streets.

“Playing basketball gave me the opportunity to be in school because my parents could not afford sending me to school. By playing basketball, it takes care of my school fees,” he said.

Ifeayni Anthony Koko had similar story to tell, as he also leverage on playing basketball to return to school, while some of his colleges that do not have such luxury are now roaming the streets and looking for ways to make ends meet.

Milo believes that children who are physically active in exercise and sports are less likely to be obese and most likely to do well all round. It is a brand that is known for building future champions. Having steered this cause for 19 consecutive years and still counting, milo uses sports as a metaphor to teach school children the important life skills such as determination, confidence, discipline, teamwork and respect.

Over 9,000 schools from the 36 states and the FTC jostled for the prestigious trophy of champions.

Winners in both male and female categories in the conference were rewarded with the championship trophies and various cash rewards for the development of sports facilities in their respective schools.

This year’s national finals is slated for Lagos from June 11-17, where each of the male and female winners from the four conferences would be contesting for the grand trophy.

T H I S D AY SATURDAY JUNE 10, 2017

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER •june 10, 2017

PERSPECTIVE./POLITY

Eighth Senate’s Legislative Reforms in the Transport Sector Mohammed Isa

the transport sector; provision of an alternative mode of transportation for the evacuation of goods and persons; and the implementation of the National Transport Policy asit concerned National Inland Waterways in Nigeria .

In his remarks after the passage of the Bill, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary, said the passage was a major feat and the 8th Senate’s fulfillment of its promise at inception.

According to Ekweremadu, the new law would create a new horizon in the inland waterways sub-sector and the transport sector at large. “I believe with the inclusion of the participation of the private sector and strengthening the regulatory provisions we are going to see an improved management of the waterways and further improvement of the transport sector.

E

ffective and efficient transportation provide economic benefits that produce multiplier effects such as better accessibility to markets, employment and additional investments. Consequently citizens who are deprived of transportation infrastructure miss out on several economic opportunities.

However, the long neglect of the sector, weak and obsolete legislations, lack of corresponding investment, population explosion and other hiccups combined to cripple the sector, to a point of losing billions of public funds in the name of maintaining the few existing infrastructure.

It was to reverse the negative trend, the 8th Senate under the leadership of Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, right from inception identified and marked the sector for comprehensive reform through enactment of relevant and effective legislations that will make it conform with the best international practices.

Giving an insight on how the Senate would face the challenge, Saraki, while addressing the National Executive Committee of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), pledged that the National Assembly, under his leadership, will spare no effort to ensure that the transport sector is working effectively.

Saraki said: “In the Senate already, our main focus is to see how we can encourage more private sector participation in the transport sector and that is why we have about six different bills that if passed into law will turn around the sector”.

He listed the bills to include the Ports and Harbour Bill, Nigeria Railway Authority Bill, National Inland Waterway Bill, Transport Commission Bill, Federal Roads Authority Bill, the Federal Roads Fund Bill.

Matching its words with action, the Senate without quickly committed the bills to legislative processes that led to the passage of four of the bills as of this week, while reports on Federal Roads Fund Bill is currently under consideration of the Senate preparatory to its eventual passage.

the appropriate legal framework for the implementation of Government’s reform programme on the railways system, while providing a platform for the introduction of Private Sector Investments and promote competition for the delivery of efficient rail services in Nigeria”.

Sen. Olugbenga Ashafa,Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, at that time, said the passage of the Bill will propel the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) in the transportation sub-sector.

Ashafa said the National Assembly had done what was not done in the last 55 years by considering and approving amendment to the NRC Bill, 2016. He said, “That means we have now open-up the rail sector for PPP and it translates to a lot of direct foreign investment into Nigeria”. The bill has been passed since last year.

ment and control of ports and harbours, in a bid to ensure the integrity, efficiency and safety of ports, based on the principles of accountability, competition, fairness and transparency.

The Bill essentially encourages greater private sector participation in the maritime industry, through avenues for private investment in port infrastructure, provision of port services and facilities.

Furthermore, it is to transform the sector, as well as promote internal and international trade, aimed at job creation, efficiency, productivity and improved service delivery.

Other benefits of the Bill are increased seaport capacity and productivity; reduced congestion at ship-to-shore interface; improved asset utilization for port, road and railway transport providers; improved transport productivity; intermodal capacity, and lower transport costs.

Nigeria Railway Commission Bill The Bill, titled; “a Bill for an Act to repeal the Nigerian Railway Corporation Act, Cap N129, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and to enact the Nigerian Railway Bill, 2015 to Provide for the regulation of the Railway Sector in Nigeria,” was sponsored by Senator Andy Uba, (Anambra State).

In his lead debate on the Bill, Senator Uba lamented the long years of neglect of the rail sector in Nigeria, noting that the consequences have manifested in the bad road network in Nigeria, worsened by the use of heavy duty trucks that ply them.

He said: “The new Bill seeks to provide for

Ports And Harbours Reform Bill The central theme of the Bill revolved around efficient and more profitable management of the Nigerian Maritime space.

The Bill, titled, “Nigerian Ports and Harbours Authority”, was also sponsored by Sen. Andy Uba. Presenting his lead debate, Senator Uba, said the bill seeks to repeal the Nigerian Ports Authority Act, Cap 126 LFN 2004 and would equally establish the Nigerian Ports and Harbours Authority.

On its passage, the Bill was to provide an appropriate institutional framework for the ownership, management, operation, develop-

National Inland Waterway Bill Titled, “National Inland Waterways Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill was also sponsored by Sen Andy Uba. Among other things, the Bill seeks to provide for the management, regulation and development of the National Inland Waterways for water transportation and navigation purposes. It also seeks to increase and promote private sector investment and participation in the management and operation of the assets of National Inland Water Authority (NIWA). It also provides for the technical and safety regulations of the National Inland Waterways; promote inter-modal operations in

Bukola Saraki

Federal Road Authority Bill The Bill seeks to repeal the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (Establishment) Act 2002 (as amended), thereby scrapping the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and replacing it with the Federal Road Authority.

It further seeks to promote the management of the federal roads network, to make them safe and efficient, with a view to meeting the socio-economic demands of the country.

Other benefits of the Bill include; promoting the sustainable development and operation of the road sector. Furthermore, the Bill seeks to facilitate the development of competitive markets and the promotion of enabling environment for private sector participation in the financing, maintenance and improvement of roads in Nigeria.

Chairman of the Senate committee on works, Sen Kabiru Gaya, who led the debate on the Bill, described the proposed road reforms as a means of overcoming Nigeria’s transport challenges by providing solutions to existing problems.

In his remarks, the Senate President lamented that, “It is an aberration that we have continued to rely on the ministry, whose main responsibility ought to be policy design, formulation, monitoring and evaluation, to be the client, landlord and managers of our federal roads network.

“It is this anomaly that the Federal Roads Authority Bill is designed to address. Countries all over the world are rethinking their framework and creating more dynamic governance framework for managing their roads and the time has come for Nigeria to do the same”, Gaya said.

The only remaining bill among those targeted for the reform of the transport sector; National Roads Funds Bill had already scaled through the second reading with reports on it presently under consideration of the Senate.

–Isa is Special Assistant to the Senate President on Public Affairs

Anambra 2017: Like Minds Applauds Obiogbolu Olaoluwakitan Babatunde

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t was an evening of eulogies, flowery language but not praise-singing; an evening of truth laid bare and solid support for a man who has shown that patience pays; proved that loyalty breeds trust, yet has suffered so much injustice in the murky waters of politics and still has shown that steadfastness and honesty are the hallmarks of integrity.

It was when a group known as Like Minds, led by Chief Felix Oli, Akulueuno Agu-ukwu Nri, and made up mainly of the class of politicians who graced the turf initially from the Third Republic era, came together in Awka, Anambra and overwhelmingly applauded Dr. Alex Obiogbolu’s declaration to run for the governorship election on the platform of PDP. The group was very clear in her message:

“That the time has come for a true politician to lead Anambrarians towards building a strong political structure; that though money is good, but human beings are better,” hence their commitment to see a true politician return to Awka and bring to bear the dividends of democracy and good governance, not propaganda.

In his declaration, Obiogbolu, who was so much at home with the Like Minds, by almost calling every one of them by first name, drove home the fact and said: “Money only works through the human person, but if only skills and talents are supremely applied. People build parties not money. And over the years, we built these parties through our sweats not the Abuja money. Yes, we spent our resources building people and political parties that some of us can be looked down upon by the present day moneybags. The truth of the matter

is that these American politicians do not understand what political structures mean.

But ask Senator Bola Tinubu, he will show you the human seeds he sowed. “It is true that people have disappointed us; friends we trusted betrayed our trust, but we must move on. Our expectations from our legislators are mere desires. The way to empower anybody and deliver excellent governance is through Local Government, State Government and Federal executive powers.

“The essence of political parties is to establish leadership and get people to work together for the good of all. And my message today is simple: we can take back the Government House in Awka. And the only way we can better our lives and improve our society is to put a proven politician in Awka.

“As the Executive Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, we created 3,616 jobs and still ensured that backlog

of salaries were cleared, and computerised the local government system. All I am saying is if given the opportunity, we will deliver on our promises and make life better for Ndi Anambra.”

Some of the members of Like Minds who addressed the audience included Honourable Mrs. Jessy Belonwu former member of House of Representatives, Chief Frank Igwe, Chief Mrs. Goodluck Ogbogu, former Board Member of National Centre for Technology Management, Engineer Joe Maduekwe, the former Managing Director, Nigerian Railways, from 1993 -1995, Princess Ebele Nwachukwu Anene and Chief Vincent Ilorah, Ogene Ukpo. Other notable politicians present were Dr. Fred Oduah, Right Honourable Barth Onugbolu, the former Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Honourables Boniface Orakwe and Sylvanus Iloanusi.

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WRITERS’ WORLD

Book Marketing Tips for Self-published Authors

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

Publishing veteran Carl Lennertz, on BlueInk Review’s blog, discusses the difference between book marketing and publicity and where self-published authors should spend their money

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arl has worked in the book and publishing industries his entire adult life; beginning in bookstores after college then becoming a sales rep for Random House. He spent 16 years working for Random House, mainly as the Marketing Director for Knopf, Vintage, and Pantheon. Lennertz went on to becomeAssociate Publisher of Little, Brown and Company and Vice President of Retail Marketing at HarperCollins.

Lennertz was the Director of Book Sense for four years, and was most recently the Executive Director of World Book Night in the U.S., a nonprofit program for those in need. In his many years in publishing, he worked with James Patterson,Anne Rice,Ann Patchett, and Michael Connelly, and published his own book with Harmony, a division of Random House.

What exactly is the difference between marketing and publicity?

In my opinion, publicity partners with marketing, but marketing sets the message and the budget.

When the head of marketing meets with the head of publicity, discussing the strategy for the book as colleagues, Publicity will say, “This is a very media-genic author, she has a great following around the country, she is great for radio, TV, etc.” Then the Marketing person might say, “Great, we will set aside money for the plane ticket to New York to be on a morning talk show,” or “We’ll set aside money for maybe a satellite radio tour…”

The marketing person then also has to set the agenda with the sales department and get books into stores. The marketing team allocates money for promotion, display, features on websites, and concurrently publicity gets the free media coverage.

Marketing and publicity have the same goals, but just use a different – yet parallel – process.

How do you set the message of your marketing campaign?

The short answer, which I start with on day one, is to be true to the book’s contents. Describe them honestly. Make appropriate comparisons.

Have the title, subtitle, and book copy reflect the book passionately but honestly. Little or no hype, be organic.All good marketing comes from the author’s own words. But yes, at a publishing house, spreadsheets rule.

If you are a self-published author and your budget is limited, where is it important to spend your money?

If you can’t afford much, do social media.

Facebook is free.And, think local. I am continually amazed by the number of self-published authors who do not even frequent their local bookstores. It’s amazing to me. My number one piece of advice, above everything: Visit your local bookstore. The independent bookstores are carrying self-published books of local interest. They are doing events. I spoke to a bookseller in New York a few months ago and he sells dozens of self-published books involving local history.

I am also amazed by how many self-published authors only listAmazon as the bookseller. List all the websites where your book can be found:Amazon, BN.com, Indie Bound, local bookstores, etc.An independent bookstore can sell hundreds of a selfpublished author’s book if the author understands the bookstore’s business model. The bookstore is not going to support that self-published author if that author only listsAmazon [as the place where the book can be purchased].

Some authors think marketing is some magic, expensive thing, but even dropping your book off at the local paper is marketing. Even the people in traditional publishing houses are spending time individually emailing media, calling bookstores and papers, writing a press release. It is not this machine that just cranks out stuff and things magically happen. It goes book by book, message by message.

How should a self-published author approach a bookstore? What does that relationship look like?

Just walk in and be a customer.As far as getting your book on the shelf, just walk in and ask, but it sure would help if (the author) made a purchase from the store at the same time. You support them; they support you. If the book has a very focused regional appeal, I can’t imagine it’s hard to drop your book off at the local bookstore.And, by the way, the number one way to get attention in your local newspaper is to do an event, reading, or signing at the local store. You get inches and inches of free coverage just by being in the calendar section.Any author can do that if they establish a relationship with the store.

Who do you talk to specifically?

Anybody. You begin a conversation. You could ask for the manager or the owner, but (if it’s the owner), know that they’re probably going to be busier. But engage any bookseller in the store and see what happens. In a high-tech world, people think everything is supposed to be sort of automatic and impersonal, but it’s still very personal. Make friends.

What do you think is more important: the quality of the book or the quality of the marketing?

The quality of the book.Agood book that isn’t

“…A good book that isn’t marketed won’t sell and a bad book that is marketed probably will sell at least some copies, but you can only market a bad book once.

People aren’t going to come back.”

marketed won’t sell and a bad book that is marketed probably will sell at least some copies, but you can only market a bad book once. People aren’t going to come back. There was a famous case study from the late ‘80s about a new, I think it was a South Korean, car that had a huge ad campaign and the car sold really well for a year, but the car sucked and now the company is gone, gone within five years. The ad campaign was brilliant, but the cars sucked.

What are your thoughts on reviews as tools in marketing?

Any review by an objective third party is good for the book. But think about the target market. I sent a novel to the nonfiction editor of The Washington Post once. I was in a rush. I wasn’t thinking. Of course it never got reviewed.

I am working with an author who does astrological mysteries, and he got 38 reviews for his first book because he and his publisher understood that they weren’t going to worry about The New York Times or The Washington Post, but they went after every mystery and astrological blogger that there was. Those 38 people all talked about it. One had (only) 500 followers and one had 1,500 followers, but it got noticed and it sold. He had 38 blurbs to put on his second book.

If you write a book about hunting, you’ve got to contact hunting magazines. I don’t mean to sound condescending, but I am amazed sometimes how authors are surprised when they send the book “everywhere” and they get nothing.

I work with a small press and anytime one of our books gets reviewed anywhere —AnnArbor, Boulder, etc. — the next week we’ll get three to five emails from other reviewers. Reviewers read reviews because there are so many books out.Areviewer has a stack of books in front of them, and they want to know which ones to take their time on. They are making decisions based on the cover and the back copy.

Also, as a side note, the number one marketing for a book is the flap or back copy. That is the book’s message.And, the number one mistake I see is going too long on the flap or back copy.Authors

over-describe their own book. Focus on your market.

Don’t be all things to all people.

What if a review comes back negative?

The author should shut up and move on. This one author I work with who is very sensitive, of the 32 reviews he received, two were negative, and he said, “I have to write them back and correct them.

They misunderstood the book.” I just said, “There is nothing good that is going to come from you doing that. You’re going to write them back and thank them for their honest and candid opinion and note that you will keep it in mind for the next book.” Sometimes you’re going to get a bad review. If the criticism is valid, then the author should incorporate it into his or her next work. There’s nothing else to be done.

Any last thoughts?

There has never been a better time to be selfpublished. There are lots of production platforms to produce the book. The POD (print on demand) books look great! Twice in the last year, I got a book from a bookstore and then one from Ingram POD and put them side by side. I honestly could not tell the difference. That was a problem 10 or 20 years ago.

The self-published books looked (terrible). Now, they look good.

There’s also a term I don’t use enough that I should use much more: niche-marketing. There is a blog and magazine for everything. If your book falls in that category, that’s where you want to be.

Go to a bookstore. Look at books similar to the book you are writing and decide whether you want to be like them or different. Either way though, know what they are and what they look like.

There’s a reader for every book, and it’s just a matter of finding that reader. It’s important to regulate your expectations; you’re not going to be a best seller right away. I see with all authors, traditionally published or self published, that they are impatient. I think some people look at a bestseller list and wonder how did that person get on the list. Well, that is their 15th book or their 10th book. In a famous example, James Patterson got 38 rejection letters. It tookAnne Tyler until her fifth book to have a best-seller. You look at all those names and have to realize it takes time.

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JUNE 10, 2017 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

FASHION FILE

Floberry Signature

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • JUNE 10, 2017

By Azuka Ogujiuba azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

FASHION FILE

Floberry Signature About the collection: loberry Signature is a Lagosbased fashion designing house specialising in male, female and children cloth designs.

The concept behind it collections is to design an outfit that can fit into everyday lifestyle. From a classy look to a casual appearance depending on how you wear it or and what you wear with it (vice versa). Another thing is the ability to blend foreign and local materials to make a single design,thereby adopting the local content policy of the

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federal government. This is one of the strong points Floberry Signature.

About the designer Florence Adeoya is the Creative Director behind Floberry Signature.

She obtained his first degree in Mass Communication at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta. Her second degree in Television Production from Middlesex University, London. She also attended Regi Fashion School, Lagos, where she studied fashion.

Adeoye is married with kids.

T H I S D AY SATURDAY JUNE 10, 2017

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER •JUNE 10, 2017

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SHOWBIZFLAIR

Tosin Clegg

07062816737 e-mail: tosinclegg@hotmail.com

NNENNA

I ‘II Like to Act Alongside Denzel Washington Olayinka Olukunga Ademo, popularly known as Nnenna, is a model, actress and singer. She has a passion for youths. In this interview with Tosin Clegg, she talks about her career, childhood and marriage People have come to know me as Nnenna y name is Olayinka Ademo. I got the name Nnenna, which fortunately or unfortunately has taken over my real name, from playing the role of Nnenna in one of the Super Story series titled Nnenna, Gift of Love and that’s how I got the name.

as support is one big problem and when there is no funds you can be incapacitated.

But, you can only do what you can do and leave the rest to God; but if we have more support from companies we would do more. We have discovered amazing talents from Nnenna and friends who are performing acts and now in the universities, but still come back to dance at our shows and build relationships with the children. We could also have done more for them and help build their talents; with support we would be able to do more for them.

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The brand has to do with children We have four major aspects under Nnenna and Friends. We have the live show on selected dates, twice or thrice, in the year when we celebrate children who come from all over to have fun with Nnenna and her friends- comedians, musicians and all of that. We have the Nnenna and friends educational tour where we take children on educational tours within and outside the country. We call it edutainment because the children have fun and learn from tour. We also have the Brain Power game that’s strictly devoted to academics and it airs on WapTv and other stations where you have two schools compete for a grand prize.

We ask them general questions and it’s basically to encourage the students to also learn and at the end of every episode both students walk away with amazing prizes.

On being with WapTv In the last one month, several people have been asking me ‘what’s up.’ And I guess they all have this notion that I can’t do any other thing outside wapTV and that’s the problem. I didn’t know that before until I spoke with some people.

Even when I was on set of Papa Ajasco, some people kept asking if I wasn’t tired of being here. And that’s when I realised people have this mindset that I can’t do anything outside WAP. But really, I can and if I get a fantastic script I would do it as I want to act and like to work with all the big names out there. I have seen their movies and their quality productions. But if it comes, then I’ll go for it.

I started off as a model I did a lot of modelling jobs with Dudu Osun, among others. Then acting came up and the Nnenna role became my major break. Surprisingly, people fell in love with that character, the face and everything, so that’s how it started for me.

Winning Best Child-Friendly AwardProgramme And that’s big for us. Also, as I said earlier, not having sponsorship is our major challenge in supporting the cost for children, but what keeps me going is that when parents see me they say ‘thank you very much for what you are doing, we love your programme.’ Well, that’s enough for me to continue. And when children see me, they say they love me and then I know I must be doing something good for them to look up to me, and I’m laying a good legacy for someone out there.

It’s been fun working with others For instance, recently, Papa Ajasco reloaded and I was on location for that and it’s coming up real soon. It’s amazing and very hilarious. Lots of stars were on set and it was fun for me as I got to meet new people. People you don’t get to see on a normal regular basis but now you get to see them and have fun with them. It’s been fun for me all the way and I don’t have a problem with anybody.

My career as of today I remember that when I was much younger, I used to stand in front of the mirror gesticulating and performing to myself. My mum kept wondering what was wrong with me but I knew I wanted to do something similar and work for children but didn’t know what form it would take. When God opened this door and made way here for Nnenna and friends, I knew it was what God wanted me to do, and I am living my dreams.

Nnenna is a simple young girl She is a wife and a mother of twins and a great lover of children outside Nnenna and friends. Nnenna loves to dance, especially salsa and I can dance anywhere. Also, I love to watch TV and disturb people.

Educational background

Nnenna

I went to Carol Nursery and Primary School, then I moved on to Abeokuta Girls Grammar School for my secondary school and then I attended Lagos State University where I studied Marketing.

For my love of children, I did a postgraduate course in Educational Administration at the University of Lagos.

My father was a disciplinarian My mum is a beautiful woman and my friend. And you could get to talk to her but dad, a disciplinarian. If he is coming you would be like ‘where is my book’ but it was fun all the way and he loved us nonetheless. So, growing up was fun and I’m the first of four children.

Also being the big sister, I had loads of responsibility on my shoulder and that

came with being the first born really. I think that has also helped me shape my life, knowing at an early stage that I had responsibilities, so I had to stay focused.

God brought us to where we are He started with us and took us here.

Then, I would say the Chairman of Wale Adenuga Productions, Mr. Wale Adenuga MFR. He believed in the brand and doing something for Children. That’s one of the reasons it’s still on. Also, I have a team that believes in it too- Faith and Rebecca.

I have lots of people working with me who love the brand and share the same love like I do towards children and somehow we have been working together and it’s amazing. And we know this is just the beginning and though it’s challenging,

Mentors and role models In production and all of its sides, I will pick Wale Adenuga. He has been able to build his business from nothing to something and I hope one day I’ll reach that height. My parents too, as regards relationship; and I have a god mother, Mrs Linda Etukudo, who talks to me a whole lot and in every area of my life. She is a great source of strength. Also, I have my friends, my husband, who understands me inside out and I can be very naughty but he still got my back.

I would love to work with Denzel Washington I would really love to work with him.

I recently listened to a speech he gave at a university and, I listen to it every day.

Nonetheless, what keeps me going is ‘do unto others as you want them to do to you”, and over the years that has helped me and if you want people to be nice to you, then you have to be nice to them.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER •JUNE 10, 2017

SHOWBIZFLAIR

MY STORY JIMMY JATT, DI’JA, DENRELE, OTHERS, VISIT #EKOTAGMONUMENT In the course of recent weeks, photos of a mainstream Lagos Street started showing up on social media with the hashtag, #EKOTAG. As it turns out, Lagos got a facelift and the brain behind this procedure is visual artist and graphics designer, OSA Seven.

Bystanders have been captivated by the art OSA has created at the EKO TAG monument situated at Law School bus stop on Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, Victoria Island, Lagos. They take to instagram to share photographs and footages when they spot the first graffiti monument, using the hashtag #EkoTagSpotted. Some of the famous faces include the likes of DJ Jimmy Jatt, Reminisce, Di’JA, Ice Prince, DJ Spinall, DJ Obi, Sound Sultan, Kay Switch, Lotanna Chukuwu, Jon Ogah, FALANA Music, DJ Lambo, Denrele Edun, Jane Michael-Ekanem, Aramide, DJ Lambo, Bassey Ekpeyong, Makida Moka, Vina Longpet, Chuey Chu, Ruby Gyang, EHIZ, Praiz, Sammy Naija, Hauwa Mukan, Wofai Fada, Tosin Ajibade - Olorisupergal, Ibrahim Salawu - Unilag Olodo among many others. Amid this makeover procedure,

GENIUZZ

I Am Working Hard to Do Solid Music Geniuzz is signed to Effyzzie Music Group which houses Africa’s top diva Yemi Alade. He started showing genuine interest in music at a tender age by penning rhymes, songs, and poems. In this chat withTosin Clegg, Geniuzz talks music, his new Project ‘A Slice of Geniuzz’ and more

OSA did not only inspire young visual artists and future fine artists, he serves as a beacon of hope to artists who feel their art is not valid or cannot make an outstanding career off art.

OSA Seven is utilizing EKO TAG to preserve the history of Lagos and communicate its stories. Also ways

Lagos has driven Nigerians to be clever, resourceful and aspiring. With this being the first of its kind in Nigeria, OSA Seven additionally enforces this historic moment with the support of Lagos State Government and FCMB by becoming the youngest artist in Nigeria to have an appointed landmark.

KAFFY, OSAKIODUWA, MAJA STAR IN NEWTV SHOW “NOWTHAT YOU’RE MARRIED” In our African society today, marriage is a constant hot topic, as many hold varying opinions influenced by their respective cultural norms. And this is why talk show, “Now That You’re Married” is a must-watch, as its subject matter most can relate to.

Hosted by Liz Osho, who is a noted journalist and publicist, the show is centered on marriage in capital cities. Liz discusses topics/issues with 36 guests on perception of marriage as singles,

and the reality “Now that You’re Married.”

Guests on the show include Kaffy, IK Osakioduwa, Lola Maja, and more.

Brought to you

by RedBoxAfrica Media Company, Yinka Obebe and Bola YinkaObebe are creative/media entrepreneurs, executive producers of the Show.

The Obebes are a married couple, and their passion for helping marriages be successful was their inspiration for creating the show.

PAPA AJASCO RELOADED SET TO HIT TV SCREEN SOON

As part of the on-going promotional activities surrounding the newlyrepackaged Papa Ajasco Reloaded TV Comedy, Wale Adenuga Productions has released some exclusive behind-

the-scenes pictures and videos to whet the audience’s appetite for the soon-to-be-released programme. Wale Adenuga Jnr., the Managing Director of WAP, said: “With Papa Ajasco

Reloaded, we have been able to make a good programme even better, while retaining the same essence which has made viewers of all ages fall in love with Papa Ajasco & Company for several decades. We’ve been getting very positive responses from test audiences and we really look forward to sharing the new Papa Ajasco Reloaded TV Comedy with current and new viewers across the globe.” The upcoming Season One of Papa Ajasco Reloaded, titled “Mr & Mrs Talented”, has several guest stars; including Frank Donga, Eniola Badmus, Ijebu, Ese Eriata, Akpan & Oduma, Ronke Oshodi-Oke, Moyo Lawal, Eric Obinna,Nnenna, Shedams, Veronica Effiong, Hadiza Abubakar, Omonla, Jide Awobona, Slimmy Tee, Mama Kwube, ChiefOlododo and other popular comedy artistes.

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ow did you come about the name, Geniuzz?

I was raised in Jos by my parents Zakka and Rahila Deyin Deshi. My stage name is Geniuzz and I’m a rap singer and an Afro pop artiste.

Back then in Jos, I used to play football, be in politics and a whole lot of things, and got my friends calling me Geniuzz, so I felt why not adopt the name.

Your career so far?

Over the years, I have been working with a lot of people and I maintain most of them on the EP from Jos, as I have been working with them over time.

What should we expect from you and the new EP?

My whole life is in the hands of God and I am planning for a legendary status, working hard to do solid music and improving myself. From the EP you should expect the Geniuzz vibe. You have to listen to it to know.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER •JUNE 10, 2017

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NEWSXTRA

In Brief

Amosun Declares Holiday for June 12

OgunStateGovernor,SenatorIbikunleAmosunhasdeclaredMondayaspublic holiday to mark the annual anniversary of late Moshood Kasimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola believed to have won the annulled June 12, 1993 Presidential election. In a statement by the Secretary to State Government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa,Amosun"consistentwiththepracticeofthepastsixyears,and,as awayofidentifyingwithandkeepingtheidealsofJune12alive,theOgun State Governor,SenatorIbikunleAmosunhasdeclaredMonday,June12,2017aswork free."HesaidtheannualholidayisinhonourofthelateAbiolawhichmarkeda uniquewatershedinNigeria’sdemocraticdevelopment.Hedisclosedthatthe June12celebrationwouldfeaturetheannual'DemocracyWalk',notingthatthe democracywalkwouldbeledbythegovernor,startingfromtheJune12Cultural Centre,Kuto,Abeokutainthemorning.Headdedthatthewalkwasexpectedto takeparticipantsthroughmajorroadsinthestatecapitaltotheAbiolafamily homestead, at Oke-Ido, Gbagura, Abeokuta North Local Government Area, wherespecialprayersandspeecheswillbemade.

FG Should ImplementTobacco Laws

TOUCHING LIVES...

L-R: President Rotary Club of Maryland Rotary International, Babatunde Ojo; District 9110 governor, Rotary International, Mr. Patrick Ijehon Ikheloa, Head of section, social mobilisation Oshodi-Isolo Area Education Authority, Mrs. Titilola Aderemi and the Founder out of school children foundation; Mr Akeeem Tolu Kelani at the donation and the commissioning of toilet facilities and borehole water to the state Primary School Ewu tuntun Oshodi by the Rotary Club of Maryland Ikeja, Lagos

Soldier Sentenced to Death for Killing Boko Haram Suspect Michael Olugbode, JohnShiklam and PaulObi The General Court Martial (GCM) sitting in Maiduguri condemned a soldier, Lance Corporal Hilary Joel to death for killing alleged Boko Haram suspect.

This is as one person was killed following fracas with soldiers at the Command Secondary School Kaduna yesterday.

Joel was arraigned before the Brigadier General Olusegun Adeniyi's General Court Martial sitting at 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, for setting ablaze an alleged Boko Haram suspect in Damboa, southern

part of Borno State.

Reading the judgment, General Adeniyi said Joel killed the unarmed alleged Boko Haram suspect with nickname Chemical without provocation.

Also found guilty of various offences bordering on violation of human rights and other operational breaches in the ongoing counterinsurgency operation in the North East are four other soldiers who committed the offences in the Operation LAFIYA DOLE. Two of soldiers were demoted as they lost a rank each.

The two, Corporal Aliu Audu who was charged for assault was reduced to the rank of Private and Sergeant Samuel Balanga who

was convicted for desertion and miscellaneous offences also had his rank reduced to Private.

The court sentenced Private Chima Samuel, who was convicted for aiding and abetting murder of a minor Yakubu Isah in Maiduguri to 15 years imprisonment.

Trooper Sunday Ogwuche who was convicted for stealing and unlawful possession of 641 rounds of 7.62mm Special was sentenced to five years imprisonment.

The representative of the National Human Rights Commission present in court, Mr. Jumai Usman Mshelia who is the Commission Acting Zonal Coordinator in Borno State commended the Nigerian Army for the transparency in

the trial of the accused soldiers.

Mshelia, addressing the court after the judgment was read out, expressed delight that the Nigerian Army has shown that it is a discipline organisation and that erring personnel are tried for wrong doing.

She said she was happy that justice has been served.

Eye witness account said the death of the civilian occurred was scooping sharp sand from a gully close to the fence separating the Military Secondary School and the Anguwan Romi .

It was learnt that soldiers had been having a running battle with youths from the community over excavation of sand in the area.

We Can Restructure, Still Remain One United Country, Says Nnamani In a similar development, the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly and Chairman, Conference of Speakers of South South Assemblies, Hon. Onofiok Luke has dismissed the quit order on Igbo as a “high level insult” just as the head of the Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi threw his weight behind the Northern youths coalition.

The Akwa Ibom Speaker said while receiving in audience in his office in Uyo a delegation from a socio-political group with membership across the major tribes in the country, the '1 for 8 Initiative', strongly condemned the ultimatum for Igbo.

Luke said Nigeria had passed the stage where people should be holding tenaciously to tribal differences.

Challenging leaders of thought from the North to rise and condemn the action of their youths, the Akwa Ibom Speaker stressed that Nigeria's unity should be encouraged rather than sabotaged by any group of persons.

Also, the Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA) yesterday intensified its call for restructuring of Nigeria, saying that it remained the only way to save the situation, while the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) condemned as provocative, the statement by the

coalition of the northern youths.

The ECA, an umbrella of civil society organisations including CAN, youth groups, students associations, traditional rulers, market unions, women groups, town unions, professional bodies, and nongovernmental-organisations made the call at its seventh plenary session held at Enugu.

CDHR in a statement made available to THISDAY by Director of Programme and Projects, Dr. Bode Fasade, noted that the action did not only threaten the peaceful coexistence of Nigeria as a single geo-political entity, but was treasonable in the circumstance that it was made.

It also stated that it negated the provision of the Nigerian constitution which stipulated that every Nigerian has the rights to live and do business in any part of the country without let or hindrance.

“Indeed Sections 40 and 41 of the Constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) guarantee the rights of Nigerians to freely assemble, associate and move in any part of this country,” it noted.

It further stated that it was unimaginable that a youth coalition which was supposed to be focused on raising the standards of leadership could make such a reckless statement.

The group added that it was the duty of the security agencies to fish

out those involved and sanction them appropriately before other youth groups issue reprisal statements.

However, a spokesman of the NEF and former Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Prof. Abdullahi Ango in a statement in Zaria, maintained that Igbo could not continue to live in other parts of the country and at the same time agitating for Biafra.

He said the forum was disappointed with the decision taken

by Northern Governors’ Forum, disowning and condemning the agitation.

“Let me ask these northern governors, who are they representing?

Are they representing spirits, ghost or people of the north?

“Recently, people from eastern part of this country, specifically Igbo, were busy calling for the sovereign state of Biafra and from all indication their leaders including governors are behind them.”

"Whoever feels Nigeria is not conducive for him let him quit, what the northern youth groups did was not a sin.

He alleged that when Nnamdi Kanu was released on bail recently, over 100 vehicles escorted him to his residence including big personalities from the south-west and south-east, noting that Kanu is the arrow head for the agitation for Biafra.

Cont’d from Pg.8

According to him, northern youths were being pushed to the wall by the activities of Biafra agitators “These people (Igbo) always pretend that the north is cheating them, not minding the fact that southern Nigeria was developed by resources from the north....

“Each year, up to the time Nigeria gained its independence, none of the two regions was able to provide for itself.

“I mean none of the western and eastern regions had the money to effectively run the affairs of its region until they get financial support from the Northern region.”

According to Abdullahi, the tradition had remained during the colonial masters and nothing changed after they left the country.

He maintained that the same money made from the north was used to construct Nigerian Railways, refineries and other facilities.

“First oil exploration was conducted using money from groundnut pyramid, cotton, hide and skin among other cash crops from northern Nigeria,” he said.

“However, these people tend to forget all these goodies provided by the North toward ensuring the unity and corporate existence of Nigeria.

“They always look down on us, feeling that Northerners are parasites in this country" he said

Following the challenges facing the implementation of anti-Tobacco laws in thecountry,theExecutiveDirector,InitiativeforPublicPolicyAnalysis(IPPA), ThompsonAyodeleyesterdaychargedthefederalgovernmentnottorelyon theprivatesectorbuttoimplementanti-Tobaccolawsitself.Speakingatthe 2017 World No Tobacco Day with the theme 'Tobacco-A Threat to Development'hestatedthatinAfrica,Nigeriahadmadeasubstantialprogresswiththe enactmentandpassageofNationalTobaccoControlAct,NTCA,(2015).TheAct, Ayodele explained was a customised version of the 2005 WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which was aimed at addressing the perceivedconcernsrelatingtoproductionandmarketingoftobaccoproducts.

Hearguedthat"thepassageandsigningoftheNTCApresentsafar-reaching steptoensureabalancedandfairwaytoaddresswhateverconcernsremain intheproductionandsalesoftobaccoproductsinNigeria.

Minimum Health Service Package

The UnitedNationChildren'sFund(UNICEF)ispartneringImoStateGovernment in developing the minimum service package for the Imo State Primary HealthCareDevelopmentAgency(ISPHCDA)toenableitfunctionoptimally.

Thefour-daytechnicalstakeholdersmeetingwhichalsoprogressedtoanother two-day working group held for the development of MSP atTrig Point hotel, Awka,capitalofAnambraState,UNICEFHealthSpecialist,Dr.IfeyinwaAnyanyo reaffirmedUNICEFcommitmentinsupportingstatesinthedevelopmentofthe minimumservicepackagetofacilitatetherevitalisationandeffectivedeliveryof PrimaryHealthCareservicesinthestate.Sheenjoinedthestategovernments toprioritiseandcontinuetoallocatemoreresourcestowardsrevitalisationof PHC services which is key towards achieving universal health care coverage.

Anyanyoinhercontributionsduringthemeetingnotedthateffortstostrengthen primary health care service delivery should be sustained towards reduction ofmaternalandunder-fivemortalityrateinthecountry,whileencouragingall participants toputintheirbesttoproduceaworkingdocumentforthestate.

Lagos Recruits of SanitationWorkers

ThousandsofLagosiansarealreadyapplyingtobeemployedasCommunity SanitationWorkers(CSW)undertheongoingrecruitmentexercisebytheLagos Stategovernment. ThethreedaysexercisebeingcarriedoutbytheCleaner LagosInitiativehadalreadyattractedthousandsofapplicationsfrominterested workers.SpeakingonbehalfoftheCleanerLagosInitiativeyesterdayatthe Agegevenueoftheongoingrecruitmentexercise,Mr.IbrahimFearonsaidthose being employed are not just street sweepers but an employee of the state government. "There is a career part to it.We want to put some dignity into it.

Theydon'tonlygettaxfreemonthlypay,theyarepensionable.Theyalsoget accidentinsuranceandtoavoidspendingmoneyontransportation",hesaid.

Explaining that the Cleaner Lagos Initiative is about improving the whole of Lagostomaketheenvironmentcleaner,Fearonaddedthatthoseemployed willalsoenjoylifeinsuranceandhealthinsurance.Oneoftheapplicants,Mary Emmanuel,aBScMathematicsgraduatefromEkitiStateUniversitywhosaid shefilledtheformonline,saidtheinitiative"Withtheinitiative,itisexpectedthat Lagoswillbecleanerbecauaseitwillbringeffectivenesstocleaning",shesaid.

Child Right Act in Bauchi

TheBauchiStategovernmenthasexplainedwhyithadnotdomesticatedthe ChildRightActinthestate,sayingthatthereweresomegreyareasofthelaw thatwerestillstirringsomecontroversies.TheStateCommissionerforWomen AffairandChildDevelopment,AsabeHammaMohammedstatedthisyesterday inBauchi,whilefieldingquestionsfromnewsmenontheachievementsofher ministry,atthestateSecretariat.Shesaidthattheministryhadalreadypassed thebilltoBauchiStateHouseofAssembly,buttherewerestillsomesensitive areas of the law such as the age for marriage for a girl. According to her, "The document contains a lot of controversies, more especially for us here in the northernpartofthiscountry.Therearethingsinthedocumentwearefinding difficult to accept for instance the age for marriage for a girl.The Child Right Act statesthat thestipulated agefor agirl to get married is18 years,but here inthenorth,wefindgirlswhoare15and16yearsgivenoutinmarriage.Secondly, achildwhocommitsacrimecannotberemandedinprison,hencethedifficulty indomesticatingthelaw."

Kwara Newspaper Distributors Elect Officers

TheMagazineandNewspapersDistributorsAssociationofNigeria(MANDAN), Kwarastatechapterhaselectednewexecutivestorunitsaffairsforthenext twoyears.TheChairmanoftheElectoralCommitteeAdeyemiAdeniyiassisted bythesecretary,KehindeMuhideeninthepresenceoftheteamingmembers toldjournalistsaftertheelectionthat SaaduAlobaEyitayo,hisdeputy,Isiaka Ibrahim,theSecretaryAliyuMashoodandtheFinancialSecretarySiyanbola Opeyemiemergedthroughaconsensusarrangement.ThepostofTreasurer waswonbyJimohLateefwhopolled20votesagainstAransiolaFemiwhopolled 19 votes, while the office of the PRO was won by Adegoke Segun who polled 27votesagainstKehindeFasanwhopolled10votes,whileIsiakaAdebayowas announcedasthe"Finer"(officerInchargeofdiscipline).Thenewchairmaninhis acceptancespeechpromisedtoworkasateamtoimproveonthewelfareof themembers.Saadualsoassuredthenewspapersproprietorsthathewould ensurethathismembersdonotowethemanylongerastheywouldbepaidthe proceedsofthenewspaperssoldasandatwhendue.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER •JUNE 10, 2017

47

NEwsXTRA

CBN, Banks to Disburse N100m Loans to NYSC Members Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto

The National Youths Service Corps( NYSC),Central Bank of Nigeria and other commercial banks have concluded plans to disburse N 100 million loans to corps members.

The other banks are Bank of Agriculture, Bank of Industry, Heritage Bank, as well as the NSYC Foundation.

Speaking at the NYSC permanent orientation camp in Wamakko local government area of Sokoto State yesterday, the NYSC Coordinator in the state, Mr. Musa Abubakar, said the management of the scheme also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs), in this direction.

He stated that the loans would be disbursed to the corps members under the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development unit of the scheme.

According to him, the interest-free loans were meant to help the corps members establish small-scale enterprises.

Abubakar further stated that each of the beneficiary L-R: Executive Director Corporate Services, NEXIM Bank, Bala Bello; Permanent Secretary Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Mohammed Abbas; Minister of Mines and Steel corps member would be given Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Managing Director NEXIM Bank, Abba Bello; and Executive Director, Business Development , Stella Okotete; during a meeting with the Minister in a minimum of N3 million and Abuja… on Friday a maximum of N10 million.

He stressed that the gesture would enable the employers of labour. youths graduate from the the job opportunities are '' This gesture will go a poverty, unemployment and corps members to become '' Every year, nearly 250,000 nation's universities and very scarce. long way in further reducing restiveness", Abubakar added.

WORKING FOR SOLUTIONS...

Anambra: Group Shops for CAN Kicks Against New Curriculum Consensus Candidate John Iwori

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja A group known as the Coalition of Political Parties (COPP) has

expressed its desire to rally likeminded political parties behind one of the governorship candidates in the forthcoming Anambra state governorship election.

At present, more than twenty political parties have expressed interest in fielding candidates for the November 28 governorship election in Anambra State.

In a statement signed by the by the promoter of the coalition, Chief Perry Opara, Anambra people should be focused and choose a

leader "who is less controversial, experienced and has the capacity to make Anambra State the destination point of the South-East states' Opara revealed that in a couple of weeks, the Coalition would adopt a consensus candidate who many political parties in the Coalitions would work for to actualise the mandate of Anambra people.

He went further to urge political parties of like minds to join the coalition to ensure that only the best candidate becomes the next Governor of Anambra State.

COPP also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for registering

five additional political parties and congratulated the new parties on their registration.

He said that INEC under Prof.

Mamoud had shown strong belief in the rule of law, equity and Justice.

"Prof. Mamoud restored 10 deregistered political parties

by Prof. Attahiru Jega and has registered five additional political party, thereby opening the political space for participatory democracy," he said.

The group also condemned people it described as mischievous persons and prophets of doom who wish to bring about outrage, defiance and tension in the polity.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the South South region has kicked against moves by the Federal Ministry of Education to put a new curriculum in place for post primary schools in the country.

Chairman of CAN, South South Zone, Archbishop Goddowell Avwomakpa in a statement at the weekend decried the recent move by the Federal Ministry of Education through the Nigerian Educational Research Development Council (NERDC) to merge Christian Religious Studies (CRK) with Islamic Studies, Civic Education, Social Studies and a newly introduced subject called National Security Education

into one compulsory subject.

Avwomakpa in the statement which was signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Ovie Edomi decried the decision of the ministry.

He argued that the new curriculum was a subtle way by a religious group to indoctrinate children with Islamic beliefs and strange religious tenets which Christians do not subscribe to.

According to him, the development was “another strategic systemic but wicked attempt to attack the foundation of the Christian faith. Besides it is an infringement on the human rights of Christian children for them to be forced to memorise and recite the Qur'an/Arabic language under any guise in a secular society”.

Avwomakpa who is equally the

Chairman of the Niger Delta forum noted that to bring five critical subjects into one compulsory subject for a nine years child negated human rights provisions.

The cleric maintained that the move was also a violation of the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Child Right Act of 2003.

He argued that in the civilised world, curriculum development was ordinarily meant to holistically enrich curriculum quality by taking into consideration new innovations and emerging issues that need to be fused into the subject in question and not to use the curriculum to change the philosophy or ideology of the child to becoming terror to the society.

Insecurity: Dickson Calls Customs Uncovers Explosives N’Delta Factual Travel Advisories Components for Making IEDS for and decried the ‘’negative narrative” to address issues of the economy.

Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa

John Iwori

The Western Marine Command (WMC) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has discovered a substance used by terrorist to produce improvised explosive devices (IED), prilled urea was on board a vessel, MV Team Tango said to be at the anchorage.

There were fears that but for the discovery of the substance; there would have been an upsurge in terrorist activities especially the bombing of strategic public places and infrastructures in Nigeria commercial nerve centre, Lagos

in the weeks ahead.

The discovery followed a joint inspection of the vessel by a combined team of government agencies, including the NCS and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

This was disclosed by the Customs Area Controller (CAC), WMC, Comptroller Mustspha M. Sarkin Kebbi in a chat with THISDAY at the command headquarters, Apapa, Lagos.

Apparently pleased with the strides he had made since he took the reins of administration from his predecessor, Comptroller Yusuf Umar who was retired from the

service last month, Kebbi said: “My first official assignment was on the 27th April, 2017 where I led a team of inspectors from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture delegated by the Office of the National Security Adviser to a vessel MV Team Tango on anchorage that was arrested and detained jointly by the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Navy.

“The visit was embarked upon to take samples of cargo on board, Prilled Urea presumed to be used by terrorists to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IED)”.

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has called on diplomats representing the European Union in Nigeria to ensure that travel advisories released to their home countries were factual and accurate.

The governor who made the remarks against the backdrop of reports of insecurity in the oil-rich region, which he said were capable of scaring away investors, spoke during a meeting with Mr. Michel Arrion, the EU ambassador to Nigeria in Yenagoa. He thanked the envoy for going round to see some projects his government was embarking upon

about Bayelsa.

He added that every society had security challenges, but noted that there had been a shift because of his government's effort in that area.

The governor appealed to the diplomat to work on travel advisories to attract more investors to the state since the wrong advisory could scare away investors.

He said, "Bayelsa State is peaceful and secure. We are doing our utmost best in the area of security.

Just because there are some incidents does not mean the entire location is a no-go area. People create a false alarm and that impedes our capacity

"If you scare investors from coming, we will not be able to create jobs that will employ these young people who are out there creating some of these concerns.

“So the solution, Ambassador, is not to scare people away but to get them involved. So as you return to your base, please help us tell the Bayelsa story that the narrative out there is not correct and it is unfair."

In his comments, Mr. Arrion and his team who are on a three-day visit to the state, promised to back the Bayelsa State Government in its bid to create employment for youths in the state.

48

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER •JUNE 10, 2017

NEwXTRA

Police Recover Stolen Old National ID Cards The Police have recovered the 4,555 old national identity cards allegedly stolen from a store house used by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in Calabar, Cross River State was recently.

At least four suspects who masterminded the burglary have been arrested by the police and are undergoing interrogation.

A statement by The store Spokesperson of the Commission, Mr. Loveday Chika Ogbonna a “facility where some materials

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as SULE HASSAN now wish to be known and addressed as SHALLANGWA SULE HASSAN. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as AMEACHI KUO NEO now wish to be known and addressed as OGUNNIYI DAMILOLA NEO. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as FEDEKE VICTORIA UFUOMA now wish to be known and addressed as ADEKANYE VICTORIA UFUOMA. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ZAINAB YUSUF now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ZAINAB YUSUF GWADABE. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS AZUBUIKE PHEOBIANA F. AKUBA now wish to be known and addressed asMRS AGHEDO PHEOBIANA FRANCA AKUBA. All former documents remain valid.

The general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as OGHOGHO EDNA OBASOHA now wish to be known and addressed asMRS OGHOGHO EDNA IJEWERE AJABOR. All former documents remain valid.

The general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as HOPE OSAGU now wish to be known and addressed asMRS HOPE ODEH. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. MOKWUGWO CHARITY OGOCHUKWUnow wish to be known and addressed asMRS MRS. OBOH CHARITY OGOCHUKWU. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note.

and items inherited by NIMC from the defunct Department of National Civic Registration (DNCR) were kept, was broken into and items, including about 4,555 pieces of the old National ID Cards leftover after distribution years ago were stolen. The DNCR and all its assets and liabilities were taken over by NIMC in 2007.

“However, the 4,555 stolen old ID cards have been recovered, and four suspected thieves who were found in possession of the cards, were arrested by the Police

in Cross River state at Eyo-Edem Street, Calabar. The suspects have also been charged to court by the police for the theft”.

Ogbonna assured the public that the recovered cards were not part of the new National e-ID Card currently being issued by NIMC. “The new National e-ID Card, which was launched in late 2014 is of higher technology, making it extremely difficult to be faked or used by anyone who is not the registered owner”, he clarified..

Workers Pass Vote of Confidence on Ugwuanyi Workers of Enugu State under the aegis of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) yesterday passed a vote of confidence in Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State for his administration’s giant strides in just two years in office.

Rising from a one-day symposium organised by the state chapter of the TUC to assess the two-year performance of Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration in the state, the workers after listening to speeches delivered by the guest speakers, such as the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo and Chairman of Enugu State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ESCCIMA), Rev. (Surv.)

Ugo Chime, unanimously proclaimed that the governor had performed well in office.

Presenting their speeches, the speakers highlighted the remarkable achievements of Governor Ugwuanyi with emphasis on peace initiatives, security, good governance, workers’

welfare and infrastructural development especially in the rural areas of the state. They noted that Enugu State had been enjoying peace and security of lives and property since the inception of Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration, saying that such feats have made it possible for the entrenchment of good governance in the state despite the current economic challenges in the country.

Chief Nwodo noted that he was delighted at the kind of peace, love and unity being enjoyed in the state today, telling the workers that it was as a result of the above that “none of you has been arrested or intimidated since the inauguration of this administartion”.

He noted that in spite of the fact that “Enugu State is third from the bottom in the federal allocation list”, the governor has been able to execute numerous road projects mostly in the rural areas and installed street lights to the excitement of dwellers, among others.

Emefiele Preaches Against Deforestation Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele has called on the bank’s personnel and other Nigerians to pay more attention in preserving their environment by imbibing the culture of tree-planting.

Emefiele said emphasis should be focused on afforestation rather than deforestation, since trees are inseparable part of human existence.

The CBN Governor, who spoke in Abuja while planting a tree at the bank's headquarters to commemorate this year’s World Environment Day, with the theme, “Connecting People to Nature”, said he was delighted to participate in the exercise, which is an attempt by the world to restore the environment.

He noted that he was particularly gratified by the seriousness

the management and staff of the apex bank associate with the event annually, assuring that the trend would be sustained.

According to him, planting of trees was desirable to encourage afforestation, noting that trees are crucial to human existence as they provide oxygen for breathing.

“Emefiele stated that even if there was the need to cut down trees because of their size and age, such trees should be replaced by planting new ones.

“We should do more of afforestation than deforestation.

If we do so, we would help our environment,” he said, adding that tree planting should be considered a priority by all.

"Everybody must contribute to protecting the environment through tree planting. I must say that the CBN takes this event very seriously, because on an annual basis, I join in this process.

Hollandia Yoghurt Introduces Gogurt

Chi Limited, manufacturer of Hollandia Yoghurt has introduced Gogurt, popularly known as The Ajala as which it described as nourishing drink for busy people.

A statement by the company said since it was introduced into the Nigerian market, Hollandia Yoghurt has strived to keep to its brand promise of Nourishing Goodness for Every Moment. It is a feat that has seen the brand become the most preferred and generic name for drinking yoghurt amongst consumers. Of the many pack sizes available to address varying consumer needs, one pack size that has become immensely popular is the 315ml Hollandia Gogurt pack.

“Gogurt is a special pack designed for on-the-go consumption. Nicknamed

‘Ajala’ because it goes with you everywhere you go, Hollandia Yoghurt Gogurt provides an easy and convenient way for lovers of the brand to enjoy its delicious goodness, while in transit. Offering the same nourishing goodness, Hollandia Yoghurt 315ml Gogurt pack is adequate for individual consumption and is the right drink to satisfy your hunger and thirst on the go”, the company said.

According to Jennifer Dike, a nurse, “Commuting daily from my house at Egbeda to my hospital at Victoria Island means I would be constantly stuck in traffic to and fro. Spending long hours in traffic can sometimes be frustrating and challenging and requires a daily beverage companion to keep me nourished and refreshed.

49

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • junue 10, 2017

MARITIME BITS with john Iwori.... 08057763164

L-R: Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Customs Area Controller, Tin Can Island Port Command, Apapa, Comptroller Bashir Yusuf; Chairman, Federated Maritime Media Chapel, Mr. George Umunakwe; and the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the command, Mr. Uche Ejesieme at a two-day sensitisation workshop for senior maritime journalists organised by FMMC in conjunction with the NCS in Lagos…recently

R-L: Chairman, House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, Hon. Umar Bago, a stakeholder, Mr. Victor Aji, Minister, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Rt. Honourable Rotimi Amaechi, Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Ahmed Ogembe and the Director, Maritime Services, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Danjuma Dauda at the Nor-Shipping 2017 at Lillstrome, Norway...recently

Maritime: Stakeholders Point the Way Forward Stakeholders in the maritime industry have articulated the ways and means that will move the industry forward for the benefit of the citizenry.

They called for improved relations between the legislature and the executive arms of government so that they will be on the same page on the issues that will take the industry to the next level.

In this vein, they called for all pending proposed maritime legislations to be promptly forwarded to the National Assembly for requisite parliamentary action.

They also stress the need for more beneficial synergy between agencies and parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Transportation.

According to them, there is a need for a commitment to National Maritime Technical Development Strategy by setting up a commit-

EMC Gets Facelift The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has started a facelift of its facilities in the Eastern Marine Command (EMC).

The EMC just as its counterpart in the West, the Western Marine Command (WMC) is saddled with the responsibility of anti-smuggling on the waterways, especially the creeks and rivers, revenue generation and trade facilitation.

Already, the EMC which has its operational headquarters in the Rivers State capital, Port Harcourt is wearing a new look.

The facelift of the EMC is coming on the heels of appointment of Comptroller Ajiya Masaya as the new Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command.

This was sequel to the retirement of its erstwhile CAC, Comptroller Usman Kankara Bello by the NCS Headquarters, Abuja.

The EMC in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Jatau B. Laraba said Masaya resumed at the command with a renewed vigor and spirited efforts aimed at boosting officers and men on duties and efficient service delivery.

According to the statement, the CAC has embarked on refurbishing all facilities in the command with a view to enhance effective and efficient service delivery.

In his charge, Masaya enjoined officers and men to double efforts in eradicating smuggling within the waterways of the command in line with the 3 point agenda of the Comptroller General of Customs Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retired).

The CAC called on officers and men to be punctual and committed to their duties aimed to achieve improved productivity and efficient Service delivery.

“An overview of the Eastern Marine Command reveals an on-going infrastructural face-lift of all facilities including marine logistics such as water bus, sea bus, flying boats and others to boast efficient service delivery”, the statement added.

tee to address the issues militating against the technical development of the maritime sector. This committee will come out with implementable solution and identify time frames and milestones.

The stakeholders positions were part of the communique issued at the end of a three days retreat in the Akwa Ibom State capital, Uyo. The retreat with the theme “Maritime Safety Administration: the Legislative Perspective” was organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Transportation.

No fewer than 12 papers were presented and discussed by panellists and participants.

The communique called for the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) for the provision of ships for Nigeria ship owners.

“It is imperative to review the issue of granting of waivers under the Cabotage Act 2003, by an amendment of the Act, to ensure active participation of Nigerians. There is a need to restore on board security and Tally Clerks at our seaports and resuscitate seafarers/docks workers pooling system. The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) should enforce compliance of maritime labour laws to allow stevedoring and dockworkers perform their statutory functions in the jetties, on and offshore, inland container depots (ICDs), terminals, bonded warehouses, and oil platforms.

“NIMASA and other bodies with duties for regulating maritime labour should address the neglect of dock labour employers (stevedoring companies) particularly as concerns the area of the standardization of employers’ contract.

Court Wades into De-categorisation of Port Terminals The court has waded into the lingering fight over terminals and cargo categorisation in the nation’s seaports.

To this end, Justice A.R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja has issued an interim order directing the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and four others to maintain the status quo in a suit filed by INTELS Nigeria Limited on the de-categorization of terminals at the nation’s seaports.

INTELS, which filed the suit number FHC/ ABJ/CS/417/2017 at the Federal High Court Abuja, is, among other reliefs, asking the court to issue an order stopping NPA and other defendants including their representatives, agents or privies from implementing a proposed policy review which purports to cancel the designation of ports and terminals in Nigeria having led it into committing huge human, financial and material resources into developing five port terminals located in Calabar Terminal A, Warri Old Terminal A, Warri New Port Terminal B, Onne Port Federal Ocean Terminal A and Onne Port Federal Lighter Terminal B. The defendants in the suit are the Federal Government of Nigeria, Attorney General of the Federation, NPA, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the Federal Ministry of Transportation.

INTELS also asked the court to make a declaration that the five lease agreements it

entered into and executed between the plaintiff and the third, fourth and fifth defendants (who executed same for and on behalf of the first and second defendants) in respect of Warri New Terminal, Warri Old Terminal, Federal Lighter Terminal B, Calabar Terminal A and Federal Ocean Terminal A, all dated 24th October 2005 for 25 years renewable leasehold are still subsisting.

Other reliefs sought by the company include a declaration that the defendants are duty-bound to honour, perform and fulfil their contractual obligations as stated in the five lease agreements all dated October 24, 2005 between the plaintiff and the third, fourth and fifth defendants acting for and on behalf of the first and second defendants; a declaration that the plaintiff has not in any way whatsoever and howsoever, breached, violated and or failed to perform any of its duties and obligations as stated in the five lease agreements entered into and executed between the plaintiff, and the third, fourth and fifth defendants acting for and on behalf of the first and second defendants; and an order of estoppel stopping the defendants, their representatives, agents or privies from implementing the proposed policy review, which purports to cancel the designation of ports and terminals in Nigeria having led the plaintiff into third party project financing agreements located at oil and gas designated terminals.

We are Working in Nigeria’s Best Interest, NPA Replies CMP The Nigerian Ports Authority has refuted claims by the Committee of Maritime Professionals (CMP) that its current management under Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman is hindering investment in the sector as a result of some of the its reform policies.

CMP’s allegation was published in the June 3, 3017 edition of THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper under the headline: “Stop Your Anti-Port Investors’ Campaign, CMP Counsels Usman In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday, the organisation explained that all policies and procedures introduced since the appointment of Bala-Usman “are borne out a firm commitment to actualising the change agenda of the Buhari administration.”

The statement, with the title: “We are

working in Nigeria’s best interest,” signed by. I. S. Nasiru, a Principal Manager, Public Affairs explained that initiatives taken by the NPA in the past couple of months had attracted investments worth US$86,810,000 from the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) at the Lekki Deep Sea Port.

It added: “In the same vein, the NPA is currently working with DP World to actualise the organisation’s determination to invest in Greenfield port opportunities in this country.

The plan is to develop a DP World Terminal in the Lagos area and a suitable site is currently being sought. Both the brownfield as evident in the agreement on the Bulk Terminal and the Greenfield are investments worth billions of United State Dollars.”

Training and re-training of seafarers and general capacity building in the maritime industry would be placed on the front burner. Cadet training should be on a globally competitive level to enable our seamen qualify for employment in international vessels”, the communique said.

Signed by the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago; Registrar of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Mr. Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok; the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside; and the Director of Maritime Safety in the FFederal Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Dauda Danjuma, the communique also called on NIMASA and MAN, Oron to collaborate to secure STCW required sea time for Nigerian Merchant Navy cadets as a matter of urgency.

NUJ to Partner NCS to Curtail Smuggling The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has concluded plans to partner with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to curtail smuggling activities in the country.

To this end, the union said it has stepped up its inter-agency cooperation and the need to inform and educate the public on the merits of anti-smuggling operations of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone C, Owerri, Imo State.

The need to partner with NCS was made public when the Chairman, NUJ, Imo State Council, Sir. Innocent Igwe led other executives of the union on a courtesy visit to the new Customs Area Controller of FOU, Zone C, Comptroller Amajam Bukar in Owerri. Imo State recently.

At the meeting, Bukar who has already embarked on building strong partnerships with key partners of the NCS in the zone said that collaboration between the service and the union cannot be underscored.

The CAC explained that the service is empowered to suppress smuggling through the enforcement of government policies and does not engage in arbitrary seizure of goods and commodities that have fulfilled all legal requirements.

He noted that the activities of the service in the zone C are geared towards empowering the local economy.

Speaking on the antics of unscrupulous agents and importers who engage in acts to defraud the nation through smuggling, Bukar explained that operatives of the NCS in the zone will not be blackmailed to stop doing their jobs but would rather do more to enlighten and educate the public on our activities so that every citizen plays their part in bringing smuggling to its barest minimum.

“We do not gain anything if a genuine importer suffers to import goods and it is impounded. It is not easy for an individual to raise resources, pay for visa, transport himself to buy goods and import them into the country and we just seize the goods. No! The service is not out to cause suffering. Rather we facilitate legitimate trade and alleviate any problems faced by compliant traders”, he said.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • June 10, 2017

PEOPLE Theodore Ahamefule Orji

We Should Adapt Rather than Discard Presidential System of Government Former governor of Abia State and Senator representing Abia Central Constituency, Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji talks straight from the heart unlike most politicians. In this encounter with Ahamefula Ogbu, he advocates for modification of presidential system of governance instead of jettisoning it. He also clarified that he, unlike some ex-governors alleged to be collecting pensions, knew it was against the law and has not collected any. He spoke on sundry issues on why there are agitations from the south east region, efforts to unify and galvanise the economy and why the people would still vote for PDP there

Y

ou were governor and now Senator, what is your assessment of the Nigerian democracy?

My assessment of Nigerian democracy is that we are trying because I cannot stay here and condemn that we have not tried since PDP was in charge for many years and in uninterrupted governance. Power was able to transit to another political party without any problem. In other climes especially in Africa, you see those incumbents who don’t want to relinquish power, the nearest of them was what happened in The Gambia the other time but for at least being able to move ahead from one government to the other without any bloodshed. It is a major mark in our democratic dispensation. So we are trying though still in the learning process and I believe that as we go ahead, we will continue improving. The judiciary is performing, the Legislature is performing and the executive is also performing.

So once each arm performs its job and conducts the constitutional oversight functions, then that is okay. Once the principle of separation of powers is maintained, it will grow our democracy.

There are allegations that the economy of the country is buckling under the presidential system which is too costly, would you recommend we change to another form to lighten the burden?

We were not dreaming when we chose the presidential system of government.

We all accepted it; we were doing parliamentary before we went for Presidential system, it is for us now to harness the advantages of the presidential system though seen as expensive. It is now for us to marry it to be in line with our economy by working hard to make the economy to be buoyant. I think the presidential system is good. I like the presidential system, let us not be running from parliamentary to presidential. Are you going to try autocracy? Let us stick to this presidential system of government and reform it to suit our own purpose. We copied it from America and America is different from Nigeria, so we have to reform it to suit our purpose bearing in mind our culture, our multiplicity in terms of ethnic grouping and our economy. So you marry these into this presidential system of government, it will be okay to suit us as Nigerians and Africans.

Do you consider coming to the Senate a political accomplishment?

First and foremost, I was able to come to the Senate after being a governor for eight years and still was voted for. To come here makes a statement which I am happy for. For the rest of my life, I will have Senator attached to my name. In the Senate we make laws, move motions and pass bills, go on oversight functions and

Orji

these are the major things in serving the people. We attract constituency projects, make available dividends of democracy and I don’t think I am doing badly, even as a new person in the Senate. I have a sense of fulfilment serving my people as a senator.

People are blaming South East region for voting PDP whereas APC has power at the center which accounts for lack of development projects being sited in that region, would you advocate that it should move over to APC in 2019?

Before you join any political party you must know why you are going to that party. What do you want in a political party? Is it to go and look for position? Is it to make sure you go there for the benefit of your people? Yes the South East has been behind PDP all along because of the agenda of the PDP government that was presented to us which gave us a sense of belonging as a group. You saw it also that PDP gave us a sense of belonging; that prominent, intelligent and resourceful Igbo sons and daughters were included in that government and given sensitive positions.

To a large extent also, PDP touched the lives of people in the South East even if

now people are querying what the party did in the region but they did. The South easterners were not as hungry as they are today. Their businesses moved on well and there weren’t clashes between herdsmen and farmers.

APC is a new party and most of the members were in PDP. What has APC got for the South Easterners? That is the main question. What is our stake in APC, will they accommodate the South East People? We want to be accommodated; we want where you will value the Igbo man and tap from his resources and his intellect. Once you do that, that is what drags the Igbo man to whatever he does or wherever he goes. Is APC ready to do that? Today you can see it, it is being discussed everywhere that Igbos are not well accommodated in the APC government. If you fail to treat the Igbo man well, he will find his way, he has the capacity to find his own way or even stay without politics. So this people have to change their attitude. PDP is still very strong in the south east because that is the party that most accommodated the Igbos, the south easterners, made promises to them and kept to most if not all of them. It was also the party that gave most

Yes the South East has been behind PDP all along because of the agenda of the PDP government that was presented to us which gave us a sense of belonging as a group.

You saw it also that PDP gave us a sense of belonging; that prominent, intelligent and resourceful Igbo sons and daughters were included in that government and given sensitive positions

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JUNE 10, 2017 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

PEOPLE benefited all of them. I pay the tuition fees of 10 undergraduates from each of the six local governments and that is 60 people and I will continue with it till the end of my tenure and by that time, I would have trained many graduates from my zone.

In the senate I have been sponsoring bills, and motions that would be favourable to the nation and my constituency. In terms of oversight functions we will continue with what we are doing. It has taken me to several places within and outside the country and we are garnering experience and we will so continue based on available funds, there is no going back, instead we will add more. When I was governor, within available resources, I put my signature all over the state in development and I will do the same here in the senate.

L Orji

of them the platform to be what they are today. Why then leave PDP? Despite what is happening in the PDP, a lot of people are still passionate about PDP in the south east.

So in spite of members of the parliament crossing over to the APC, you are not going to be one of them?

I have said it severally that I am not going to APC, what am I going to APC for? I am not going to APC. It is via PDP that I became a governor. It is via PDP that I became senator, so why abandon it?

The South East people have the impression that APC does not love them.

There is this notion that the South East region lacks cohesion, is there anything the political leaders are doing to galvanise and synchronise the economy of the region and together grow it like in the first republic?

There are. When I was a governor, we had South East Governors forum, that was a major discussion that we had when Peter Obi was our Chairman. We moved ahead on this issue until Peter Obi stepped aside and I became Chairman but then politics came in because we were from different political parties, people were not coming for meetings again, if you call for levies people were not paying and many of them started having their own intentions in terms of politics, some wanted to be president, some wanted to be vice president; some wanted to be this and some wanted to be that, so that brought about lack of cohesion among us which made the South East Governors Forum not to achieve this and that lasted for a very long time but now that they have started again, they have come together again to forge ahead and I know that the same issue is in their agenda, to make the South East to be one, how to forge ahead to improve the economy of the south east because every south east state has its potentials; just, improve on the potential and you will be self-sufficient.

Apart from the south east governors, there are also other organisations of prominent South Easterners who have been fighting for this like Engr. Chris Okoye who has pushed for South East Nigeria Economic Commission, SENEC and Mazi Sam Ohuabunnwa and others but I believe the governors have to drive this because it is the governors who are the political leaders. They have to galvanise resourceful South Easterners to buy into this project.

Can we look at the relationship between you and your successor

We moved ahead on this issue until Peter Obi stepped aside and I became Chairman but then politics came in because we were from different political parties, people were not coming for meetings again, if you call for levies people were not paying and many of them started having their own intentions in terms of politics, some wanted to be president, some wanted to be vice president; some wanted to be this and some wanted to be that, so that brought about lack of cohesion among us because in most states you see infighting between incumbents and their predecessors which affect development?

My relationship with him is cordial, relationship based on mutual respect. I respect him as a sitting governor that I handed over power to. I accord him all that respect, he respects me as a former governor, an elderly person to him and as elder statesman too. It is cordial. I will give him space as a governor to do his job. I don’t bother him, I am not overbearing on him and he takes his decisions and does governance the way he feels will benefit Abia people and we are moving on very fine, I don’t compete with him over anything, either on the pages of the newspaper or anywhere, I don’t. He is the governor, this is his time, I have done my own, I realise that I have left the stage which is occupied by another person; therefore he should go ahead.

As a political leader from the south east what do you think is the biggest problem of the region in finding its foot developmentally?

The greatest problem we are having is the issue of political structure and the infrastructure that will boost the economy and make the region to stand very well and strong. You know how Nigeria is structured and that is why we are asking for restructuring. If the south east is left alone, you will see people will bring in their ingenuity to help in developing the place, they will use their resources to develop the place. The governors must have the will. I continue calling on governors because they are political leaders coming together and showing the way. When we were in regions we were doing better because we had regional heads. M.I. Okpara and Zik but today we have states with different governors with their own ideas looking after their own people, so if they can come together on regional or similar basis, be united in purpose making sure the region develops we will make a headway.

In the Senate the South East is not yet completely represented, as one slot from Anambra is yet to be filled, what are the leaders from the region doing to bridge that gap and ensure adequate representation?

We are not happy about it because Anambra is not fully and adequately represented since Ekwunife lost out but the problem is with the court and INEC. We are lawmakers and we obey the law so you cannot go and jump the law, you cannot force INEC to conduct an election, when the court has not so ruled. We want someone whether from APC or PDP so he can raise a voice for his people here. We want the right things to be done.

You have another two years in the senate, what would you aim to achieve with it?

I don’t know whether you have an idea of what I have done in the first two of my four year tenure, I think I have represented my people very well and they have testified to that. If you go home, they say that they didn’t make a mistake to vote me to the senate. In terms of constituency projects, we have over 10, but I know that six local government areas that make up my zone have benefitted from my constituency projects that I attracted in terms of water, electricity, roads, erosion control. Six of them have benefitted but nothing can be adequate as far as dividends of democracy are concerned.

What I will do is to attract more to them.

I have a scholarship scheme that has

There are allegations that lawmakers collect money for constituency projects and pocket them, are you not part of those doing that?

I don’t know about that. I am a lawmaker and I have never collected a kobo for constituency project, if it is true we will all be collecting it and when you come I will tell you that yes this is what I collected and this is what I used it for.

The projects I mentioned to you are the ones you try and put into the budget and pursue it, you don’t even nominate contractors that do the jobs, the MDAs nominate contractors, but some can pass through you to them, if they succeed good enough. There is no lawmaker who is collecting constituency money. That is the propaganda they are telling people, there is nothing like that, I am in the Senate I have not seen it, it is not happening.

There is nothing like taking constituency money and putting it in your pocket, it is not happening. Even as a legislator you use your money. Like the scholarship scheme I run in my constituency where I dispense cash to the undergraduates, it is my money and not in the budget Where are you moving to from the senate since in nature there must be progression?

For me? Well I am a politician and my own is that whatever I have gotten in politics, I don’t fight for it but I work hard. Every person has a destiny. When you work hard, whatever destiny has for you will come and that is how God has piloted me till this stage where I am now.

I have never killed any person to get to a position; I have never done any evil, I have never committed any offence to come to where I am now but I am here as a senator and as an ex-governor so I leave myself open to God. It is God that charts your destiny; so if after my tenure here God says go and sit down, I will go and sit down. Right now I am just here as a senator, no other ambition on my part, it is only God that directs.

Some former Governors are allegedly collecting pensions while holding other political positions, are you a beneficiary of this?

No, I am not collecting any pension. I was a civil servant and I know the rules.

As far as I am in the senate drawing salaries, you cannot talk about pension until you go away from here because there is a pension scheme for politicians, ex-governors as contained in Abia law, and the constitution. That could be the one that people are talking about that the ex-governors are collecting a lot of money but as far as I am here, I will not even ask for it because I know the implications therefore I have never collected any money from Abia State. The treasury is there, you can find out. I have not been paid any pension and if they pay me I will return it as it is against the law until I leave here. When I leave as a senator I can write them as a free man to start paying me my pension.

Those making that allegation are mischievous, that is what you see in politics; you will be on your own and people will concoct something and hang on your head and you start struggling to extricate yourself.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • june 10, 2017

POLITY

Fani-Kayode: PDP Governors, Other Stakeholders Will Leave the Party if Sheriff Wins Bennett Oghifo

F

ormer Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would cease to exist if Ali Modu Sheriff, a leader of one of its factions wins at the Supreme Court.

“Let me make this abundantly clear. If Ali Modu Sheriff manages to win at the Supreme Court, that will be the end of the PDP as we know it,” Fani-Kayode, a member of PDP said in a statement yesterday. The former minister was reacting to statement by one of the PDP

governors, who spoke on condition of anonymity that governors elected on the platform of the party had resolved to respect the outcome of the Supreme Court verdict and remain in the party.

“The governor that told THISDAY on Thursday that all the other governors would stay in the party and that they would prevail on Fayose and Wike to stay as well.

“He is lying to you. I am in touch with every PDP Governor and I know their mind. I also know the minds of all the other key leaders in the party and the various blocks and forums.

We shall all stand together with all the

other major stakeholders in the party and leave the party for Sheriff, if push comes to shove.

“We will never and can never stay with Sheriff because there is no fellowship between light and darkness. We know who the Governor you spoke to is and he is the only one with Sheriff.

No-one else will have anything to do with that creature. We consider him to be a political leper and a serial traitor.

Ninety five per cent of the PDP is with Makarfi and that is where we shall remain.

“If, in the unlikely event, Ali Modu Sheriff and those in the APC Federal

Fani-Kayode

Government that sent him to destroy our party manage to win at the Supreme Court, we shall all leave the hollow carcass of the PDP for him and jointly and collectively go to another party in order to fight the APC. Politics is about people and not about destroying opposing platforms. If the Buhari administration manages to destroy the PDP with their mole Sheriff, we will resurrect the party in another name, stand together and fight them both.

“People are fed up with this government and despite their evil plans and desperate efforts to kill the opposition, steal our party platform and discredit, humiliate, harass and jail all our leaders we shall take them on in 2019 and send them packing. There can be no because he was wealthy but because of his love compromise with the power-drunk Ali for humanity and interest in assisting the less Modu Sheriff,” Fani-Kayode said. privileged.

Mbas Ekpe Donates House to Widow

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businessman and philanthropist, and Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International Ozonkpu Mbas Micah Ekpe, Omelora Enugwu Ukwu na Umunri in Anambra State has extended his acts of generosity to a widow in the community, Mrs. Ngozi Adi Ekenta.

He built and donated a storey building to her as well as financing her petty trading activities. Chief Ekpe who had awarded full secondary school scholarship to ten students at Ide Girls’ Secondary School Enugwu Ukwu in the past five years, pledged to actively assist the less privileged in the society as long as God gave him the capacity to do so.

Addressing members of the Rotary Club of Njikoka Chapter, the President, Chief Francis Nwabasili praised Chief Ekpe for his humanitarian services and requested wealthy

members of the community to emulate his good example. He observed that Chief Ekpe was not embarking on these laudable projects

Photo news

L-R: Associate Director, Head, People and Organisation, PWC, Mr. Olusola Adewole; Managing Director/CEO, Society for Human Resource Management, Middle East and Africa, Mr. Brad Boyson; Partner, KPMG Nigeria, Yetunde Kanu; Head, Human Resources and Business Services, South Atlantic Petroleum Limited., Mr. Dele Aloko; President, SHRM Nigeria, Mr. Oliver Nnonna and Conference Co-host, SHRM Arinola David during the 2017 Future-Ready Human Resource conference organised by SHRM Nigeria in Lagos ...recently

L-R: Non-Executive Director, Portland Paints and Products Nigeria Plc, Abdul Bello; Managing Director, Mr. Mukhtar Yakassai; and Chairman, Larry Ettah, during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the company in Lagos...recently PHOTO: YOMI AKINYELE

L-R: District Governor, 404B2 Nigeria, Lion Esv Taiwo Adewunmi; Multiple Council Chairperson elect 404 Nigeria, Lion Adebisi Gbolagade; Representative of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Bakare S. Adetunji; Second Vice District Governorelect 404B2 Nigeria, Lion Wesley O. Kafidiya and Past Council Chairperson, Lion Engr. Jaiye Balogun, during the commissioning ceremony of Traffic Booth to commemorate 100 Years Anniversary of Lions Clubs International in Lagos... recently PHOTO: KOLAWOLE ALLI

Cross section of job seekers, applying for the position of Community Sanitation Workers (CSW), during their preliminary screening and health check exercise, organised by the Cleaner Lagos Initiative, at Agege Stadium, Lagos…recently PHOTO: KOLA OLASUPO

53

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • june 10, 2017

POLITY

Why Africa Must Track and Recover Illicit Funds Stanley Nkwazema

I

t is no longer news that African and several developing countries are losing so much money via illicit financial flows. It is worrisome that our continent is losing about $50 to $80 billion annually through illicit financial outflows, and despite the inflow of development assistance, Africa still remains a net creditor. Interestingly, some according to Akere Tabang Muna, Chairperson, International Anti-Corruption Conference Council and Sanctions Commissioner, will zero in on the numbers, arguing that the magnitude has been skewed by one measure or another.

“This is a non-issue, as the magnitude of these outflows is undeniable. The exactitude of the figures is secondary. Global capital flows have grown much faster than GDP and trade since 1980 but the global financial system continues to look unprepared and, in some cases, simply reluctant to effectively regulate large volumes of crossborder flows.

Muna, is the first Black African born at the Park Lane Hospital Enugu, established by colonial masters exclusively for the whites only, when his father was a member of the government of the then Eastern Region, representing Southern Cameroons. He said: “To be able to track IFFs, it is important to understand the nature of the beast. Indeed, the Thabo Mbeki Panel made 15 basic findings among which are the fact that transparency is key across all aspects of illicit financial flows; new and innovative means of generating illicit financial flows are emerging; more effort is needed in asset recovery and repatriation; Weak national and regional capacities impede efforts to curb illicit financial flows and that financial secrecy jurisdictions must come under closer scrutiny.

Muna, who was the keynote speaker at the recent conference on “Combating Illicit Financial Flow and Enhancing Asset Recovery to Foster Sustainable Development” in Abuja explained that a key factor is being able to “track it” and identifying the actual owners of the assets you are tracking, an issue addressed by one of the findings of the panel, that of Financial Secrecy Jurisdictions.

In Africa however, a system that was put in place to ease business processes has been hijacked by greed and self-interests.

It is imperative that we make it a priority to double efforts to end the use of financial secrecy for corruption, drug smuggling, money laundering, terrorism, people trafficking and other illicit financial practices.

Also imperative, for the tracking illicit financial flows, is the implementation existing commitments. There is no shortage of these.

But according to Muna, “We have a bad habit, on our continent, of confusing the signature of agreements, the establishment of commissions and other such measures as being the solution to our problems. Wrong.

These agreements establish a roadmap. The solution comes from the effective follow up of these commitments” Again, when taken further on the commitments which never yielded positive dividends, Muna, the former President of Pan African Lawyers Union explains: “Multiple commitments have been made at the G20, G7, OECD and others. For example, at the London Anti-corruption summit in May 2016, 43 countries made 600 commitments to tackle corruption. The largest thematic area related to beneficial ownership information: thirty-six countries made a total of 100 commitments. Transparency International has tried to monitor the implementation of these commitments which are very crucial in ensuring any follow-up: TI chapters including in the UK, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya are tracking the implementation of beneficial ownership commitments made by their countries.”

More so, when viewed against the background that at the global level, progress has unfortunately been very slow. Difficulties, Muna said, could be noticed in many areas.

This includes beneficial ownership limiting the tracking of this ill-gotten money to legal ownership, which leaves a large loophole for those who seek to engage in illicit financial flows.

On a global perspective, the Transparency

Muna International’s “Just for Show” report in 2015 showed that 16/20 G20 members had weak or average beneficial ownership frameworks in place. These are countries’ own standards (G20 High Level principles).

The consequence therefore is that the tracking of stolen money is made difficult and directly affects the ability of countries to stop these flows, since we must know the real destination of the money in order to recover the stolen assets.

On the issue of foreign bribery, the 2015 report on Anti-Foreign Bribery Enforcement shows that most of the 41 OECD convention countries do not perform well and their responses are highly ineffective. On Antimoney laundering, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) anti-money laundering standards have been in place since 1990 but for the first

On the issue of foreign bribery, the 2015 report on Anti-Foreign Bribery Enforcement shows that most of the 41 OECD convention countries do not perform well and their responses are highly ineffective. On Antimoney laundering, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) anti-money laundering standards have been in place since 1990 but for the first time, in its current evaluation round (the 4th) FATF is also looking at the effectiveness of countries’ policies to stop money laundering

time, in its current evaluation round (the 4th) FATF is also looking at the effectiveness of countries’ policies to stop money laundering.

No country out of 30 assessed by FATF since 2014, a group which includes the U.S, Canada, Switzerland and Singapore, scores as “highly effective” in preventing the abuse of legal persons and arrangements (beneficial ownership). The majority of countries (86.7%) have either moderate or low effectiveness.

This goes to explain that access to data, beneficial ownership and country-by-country reporting public data are essential tools in order to track Illicit Financial Flows and access to records on beneficial ownership through country-by country reporting appears as the ultimate way to go.

Muna who took the awed the audience through the entire process stated: “EU member states have rejected calls for public access to beneficial ownership data (Parliament is in favour of making data public, debates ongoing). Even within countries that are committed to establishing public registers of beneficial owners, there is a huge cost involved. As TI EU found out, the price to get access to the full Dutch database when made available will be 75,000 Euros – how can you effect proper due diligence at that price?

“On public country-by-country reporting, a key measure to increase the accountability of multinationals, the European Parliament in late May 2017 postponed a vote due to disagreements over the extent of information to be made available. Business groups such as Business Europe have claimed that public CBCR would undermine tax administrations; however, tax inspectors have explicitly expressed their support for public CBCR. Interestingly, for illicit financial flows to be tracked, we need to know how they move.

“To get them, we need to know where these flows are parked. It is however understood that the final prong of the slogan, the ‘Get It’ phase is made difficult by many of the aforementioned hurdles since it is assumed that if we do not know who the beneficial owners are in business transactions, it is very difficult for the funds to be reclaimed. Exacerbating these problems in the ‘Get It’ phase is the use of real estate and luxury goods, and even large-scale farming to park illicit funds” In the TI research published March this year, 10 key anti-money laundering measures for the real estate sector in four key markets were obvious as it was found that Australia and the US had severe deficiencies across their entire real estate sector. (Canada 4/10 areas had severe deficiencies, UK had 1/10 severe deficiency). In December 2016, Transparency International Canada found that of the 100 priciest homes in Vancouver, 46 were owned through offshore shell companies, trusts and “nominees” It is also understood that Transparency

International UK looked at new developments in London worth 1.6 billion Pounds and found that 4 in 10 homes have been sold to investors from high corruption risk countries or those hiding behind anonymous companies. Two months ago, Transparency International Brazil found that in Sao Paulo, Brazil, US$2.7 billion in property has been linked to offshore companies. Another report on the luxury sector found that compliance by high-value good dealers with due diligence obligations is remarkably low.

Legislation and policy also have weaknesses in the largest consumer luxury markets including the US, UK, France, China, Italy and Germany. Time and again largescale corruption cases show that the proceeds are laundered through luxury assets from cars and super yachts to jewellery and art.

With the situation in Africa however, observers may have noticed the sudden upturn in large-scale farming by people with no affinity to the soil, whatsoever.

The reason for this is that it is a sector which is labour intensive and in which almost every transaction is done in cash.

What is exported or sold thereafter is from an identifiable source. This could be easily identified as one way to “harvest” the fruits of corruption and create a “green economy”!

Muna also said: “It is still a mystery, what happens to funds between the time when they are frozen and the time when they are repatriated. The World Bank does have an initiative known as StAR (Stolen Assets Recovery Initiative), which is supposed to deal with the theft of stolen assets from developing countries. If these assets are described as stolen, inevitably therefore those who are keeping those assets are handlers of stolen goods. There is therefore no moral basis for assets to be frozen and then left in the hands of those who were complicit and are otherwise called handlers of stolen goods!

Handlers of stolen goods are as punishable as the thieves themselves. In certain countries the handlers even get a more severe punishment than the thieves.”

The major speakers including the Acting President Yemi Osibanjo all harped on the importance and need for the meeting to consider what was recommended in the Thabo Mbeki Report: the creation of escrow accounts within the Development Banks.

Insisting that such frozen money should not stay with the complicit bank, but in an escrow account with a third party, pending the courts’ or competent authorities’ determination as to the rightful owners of the funds.

Muna after seeing the context document prepared for the meeting on the issue of the management of recovered funds, expressed resent on the fact that “people who were complicit in the theft should turn around and start laying down conditionalities for the recovery of the same assets.”

He added: “Funds, whether recovered or still in the government coffers should not be stolen, period. The fact, that for budgeting reasons, these may be earmarked for specific projects and under certain criteria, like the state or region from which the funds were stolen, is entirely a different matter for the countries themselves to decide in all sovereignty.”

The Cameroonian human rights lawyer underpins the fact that the fight is global and must necessarily be engaged by the originating countries and the destination countries with the same vigour.

He told Osinbanjo who represented the President: “As you know or must have found out by now, when you fight corruption, it fights back. The fight against corruption in our continent is indeed the fight for the soul of Africa.

How much longer will we watch our resources depleted and the future of our children mortgaged for the sake of a greedy few? The winds of change are blowing across our continent, and they are inevitable.

“Our young people know better, want better and deserve better. For those who feel that their own personal interest can always take precedence over that of their people, they should take a good look at history. We can certainly hide to do certain things, but it is certain that we will never be able to always hide the things we do.”

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • JUNE 10, 2017

54

INTERVIEW

Lack of High Profile Conviction Dent on Our Anti-Corruption War –Oyegun As the All Progressives Congress (APC) marks its two years in power, its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has said his party’s only regret is not recording major convictions in the anti-corruption war. Oyegun who spoke to some journalists in Abuja talked about others burning issues including the alleged frosty relations between him and President Muhammadu Buhari and the former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju BolaAhmed Tinubu”. Onyebuchi Ezigbo was there

A

PC is made up of different groups and you think there is no likelihood of any of these groups pulling out of the party?

There is no likelihood that it would happen, but if that happens, the damage it will do to the party will be very minimal.

Which part of the country, the South-west?

Who controls Ogun State, who controls Ondo State, Oyo State is on the fence, who will control Osun State, who is likely to control Ekiti State in terms of who will be the next governor? So the mainstream of the party is now well placed and the point has been proven clearly from Ondo State that in a free and fair election nobody’s word is certain.

What is important is that when he finally arrived he personally arranged that I was one of the very few people to come and welcome him. What more do you need?

You appear to have a major crisis on your hand regarding the 2019 presidential election with the uncertainty of Buhari contesting in 2019.

Why build bridges if there is no river to cross? Why don’t you wait until you come across a river then you build a bridge. With all due respect for what it stands for, what is critical today is that our good Lord will restore the president to good health; that is the first thing. Thinking that ‘will he be president in 2019’ is really not doing any good. His need today is good health when we get to 2019, is for him to decide if he wants to run or if he doesn’t want to run and to consult the party on his decision. If he wants to run, good and if he doesn’t want to run, the country is not bereft, the party is not bereft of capable hands. But the important thing is what will happen to him today, not 2019. But to have his health fully restored and I am sure he will give anything just to have his health restored.

Is it fair to add that APC has been completely democratised?

Totally! People don’t see it but there is a new party, totally new and stronger party.

Is it true that the Presidency and the party are working together to dislodge Tinubu in the South-west using the Ondo state elections as a template?

We are not working to dislodge anybody.

In Ondo, we worked to establish permanently that the party is supreme. There are two different things, one is negative, by working against an individual, why? But when any part of the party wants to prove they are larger than the party then the party has to stand and fight and of course the President has always said the party is supreme. When he came back from his first medical trip I welcomed him and in all his courtesies before his statement and when he mentioned our ‘oga kpata kpata’ he meant it. The supremacy of the party is one thing he has always hammered on. I heard the question one of you asked about the relationship between me and him; yes the publicity secretary went a little bit too far in some aspects but he was correct in others. You have to work with the nature of the man you have hired as President.

He is quiet and he is strict. I know what he likes and I know what he doesn’t like. He is the kind of man that doesn’t like crowd, he would prefer a one-on-one which we had, the moment he sees five people and he doesn’t know two out of them and he can’t trust them he cramps up and so you won’t get any value. So the publicity secretary was in his nature of description, totally the opposite. We have worked together from my civil service days so I know him better than a lot of people. So we get on very well. We complained about lack of funding in the party, again that is the nature of the man, he wouldn’t call the minister of petroleum to say make sure you give money to the party; he wouldn’t do it.

He doesn’t want to be involved in anything that has any possibility of being shady; that is our president. We elected a symbol, we elected someone whose personality we want to use as a light house for the rest of the country. That is his major contribution to the change agenda, his integrity, strength of character are the major things but it is now left for us politicians to tap from the strong point which I have pointed out; but you know in politics there are other things that need to be done.

Some have alleged that for sometime now you have not been able to meet with him one on one. Could that be true?

When he came back from his medical

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trip, the first time, we saw and he has gone back now and I know he wants to be left in peace. Again that is my nature. I am not someone that gives in to every photo opportunity and rush. Once everyone knows there is going to be a group photograph with the president everyone dives but I don’t do that. I have done a lot of things with the president in the past so for me it isn’t a big deal. I don’t need all those courtesy. I was next to the president, we talked, during campaigns we were together every day, we gist, we talked, we laughed and he would point and say ‘John how can we satisfy the yearnings and screaming of this massive crowd. So I have known him from my civil service days, I have known him from military head of state days. I was one of his close aides so let them enjoy themselves and pose for photographs that isn’t the issue, the issue is that we communicate and the relationship is cordial.

There seem to be one critical thing lacking in your party presently and that is a robust reward system which members are complaining bitterly about.

What do you say on that?

I think you have asked the most difficult question anybody has ever asked and I am not so sure from which angle to answer it.

But first I must be very honest and frank, the reward system and appointment hasn’t been as pleasant to the party as it ought to be. Part of the problem is things haven’t been well thought out as it ought to be. We have cases which wouldn’t have happened where individuals who are currently in court with our elected officials; one case which is right now at the Supreme Court is about a governor that has been given appointments. We have cases at least one or two known current appointees that are

There are 81 electoral promises made by your party but most of them seem to have been forgotten or abandoned. Is it that your party underrated the situation of things in the country before you took over power?

No we didn’t underrate it neither did you and anyone else unless you have this gift of prophesy you couldn’t have known what was coming. If I ask you to describe the situation in 2015, I am sure you won’t have added that the crude oil market was going to collapse. Did you foresee that? We knew we were going to take over a battered of the PDP and we have cases where in a particular state from the same local govern- economy, we were glad that oil was still ment, I think going to the same ward, three coming at 2.5 million barrels a day. We were people have been given appointments and glad that prices were still hovering around a $100 occasionally during the years of PDP, it many more have happened and the more important one is that we have a lot of cases was going between $100 – 120 a barrel and where faces not known to the party during we took over a totally ravaged economy and we were prepared for that because we the most difficult part of the struggle of also thought since we didn’t have the gift this party have got appointment. So it has of prophesy that Nigeria will continue to be caused a lot of disquiet within the party. blessed with oil resources, 2.5 million barrels I have been abused, I have been called sometimes 3 million at $80 a barrel, somenames, I have received text messages of all nastiness, I have got petition in writing and times $100 a barrel, we were ready to get the nation moving quick and we took over, there is a general sense in what is going as if that wasn’t enough with a battered on in the practice of the party all over economy. The very next week or so crude the country. We have brought this to the market collapsed at a stage that the price attention of government and we hope and of production of a barrel and the price we pray that what remains will be devoted to were getting it from the world market was rewarding those who, actually worked for almost the same; about $30 a barrel. You are the party during the long, difficult period a man; if today you get out of employment of the campaign. I think more than that, and you don’t have a job your wife has to I should say that one has to be brutally understand that things are different, that honest sometimes in matters like this. things are hard and that we will shoulder We are surprised to hear you say you through together. This is what happened in the country. It is always good to look at have a cordial relationship with the the background. If you don’t move from president because what we heard was that while he was in London he turned the background you will think that ‘oh we are so incompetent’ in fact it is the opposite down your request to see him praise that you should be singing. That this You are right and wrong! I was to go and he said ‘look there is no need’ because country didn’t collapse economically; that is the reality. I am a trained economist, I he knows the people he is dealing with. am a development economist. You should He too knows those that have to see him because they need to see him and he knows look at the reality; forget the hunger, there is between us there isn’t that kind of pressure hunger in the land but you should wonder why this country didn’t collapse with and necessity. I asked him, do you think virtually no income, no foreign exchange; I should come and he said don’t worry I would be coming back soon and to me that nothing! And we are still here today, that was good enough. I know maybe from the my brother, is the reality and it has nothing point of view of the public relations maybe to do with incompetence. We had no revenue, we had no foreign exchange, we were once you go there and sit there and get an economy that exists to function. When photographed maybe yes, if you look at it President Buhari managed and painfully, I from that point of view you have a point.

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JUNE 10, 2017 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

INTERVIEW APC Means Well for Nigerians know the pain we went through to allow the price of petrol to go up. For a long time when we came if you could remember the news were still on and off but there was no other solution than to let go. You can’t continue that regime of subsidy which was one of the things that almost bankrupted this nation. We had to bring in the Treasury Single Account, had to make sure every kobo was accounted for, had to go abroad and the press started telling everyone that he lives in an aircraft from one capital to another to draw up resources to keep the nation afloat. Then came the recession and in a situation like that was inevitable, we had to spend to get out of recession; we had no savings. Honestly if you people want to do this country a favour you should tell anybody who was a main person in PDP that they ought to hang their heads in shame and you should pray that we never have a government again.

The signs were there, they fought over oil blocks endlessly. Nobody ever thought that this resource is one that will finish one day. Nobody ever thought giving those 16 years of PDP rule that every day they were talking of renewable energy resources they were planning no longer to be dependent on this war ravaged areas for their own industrial fuelling. Our government for 16 years just kept importing petrol and exporting crude, sending away shiploads of crude that was not accounted for; individual appropriating the money that belonged to me and you; to the nation. So please be a little bit softer, kinder and look at the details of how we got to where we are today. I am not going to abuse PDP or anybody but this is the reality, this is the truth of how this country is where it is today and we are labouring, the President is labouring now to diversity the economy. It is a foundation that totally cracked and collapsed. Crude was no longer relevant as a propellant for growth in Nigeria, what other thing was available to diversify the country? What had our previous government put in place to propel the economy of this nation? You don’t know how close we were to collapse.

So please tell your colleagues because when I read some of these things I am pained to the marrow. This country was almost destroyed and I tell you whatever people are saying, it is good that president Buhari came at the time he did; that is the reality, is not that we weren’t prepared we were very prepared.

What of the cabal?

I am more interested in the economy of the country, we are still looking for the cabals and when we find them I will let you know.

The PDP has accussed the APC government of running the economy without a strategic plan. Isn’t that correct?

We all have this boreholes and tanks and if you tank up there are two or three leaks what do you do? Do you just let the water run up or do you say please try to block those holes? I said we had an economy in a state of collapse, will you then gather economists and say gentlemen you have one month to write a blueprint of how we will save the economy? You have to do things to ensure that we don’t get deeper in the mud and when you have stabilised which is what we have now and then the blueprint comes because now we are able to look a little bit further. It is a matter of everything has its time, the economy has levelled up, the indices are getting much better whether poverty level, inflation rate, prices have stabilised. They are still high and I am not saying they are low, but they have stabilised. They are calming down, they haven’t gone anywhere near what they used to be and eventually we have gone through that stage and we are now constructing; we have stabilised the economy and now we are constructing; we are building roads, we are trying to take care of this terrible electricity situation where again let’s go back, the past government signed out all the undertakings to the DISCOs all over to people who knew nothing about electricity. We have started the construction of a new railway system which has been on the drawing board. I am not saying we originated it but what I am saying is that in the time of plenty they couldn’t start, they couldn’t pay the counterpart fund. The Chinese loan has

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been available for years, they were so busy sharing national patrimonies which really didn’t mean anything to me but to put our own counterpart fund in place they did not. But just blocking all the leakages in our system alone was enough to generate resources for this government; the Buhari administration to pay all the counterpart funding that was needed to approve the new railway standard gauge system.

Agriculture is totally like a revolution, in two years we should be self sufficient in rice production. Just imagine if our military was going in the direction it. Was it going in the right direction when the military had become part of the sharing party? So he has not only succeed in taming Boko Haram, he also saved our military, there are so many things to be grateful to God for that we just ignore because the people are hungry. We see them and it is unfortunate, it is sad, it is bad but believe me we are building a better nation.

You demonise the PDP as being made up of people who are after the treasury but interestingly, the APC is largely made up former PDP stalwarts and some of them are being shielded by the party and the government.What is your take on this?

This is a question you people keep asking and we keep answering; there was no APC four years ago, there was no APC government. So it is only those that were in office and in power and dealt with our patrimonies as if it belonged to them. It is inevitable in any case.

Those join us thinking they would get cover are being affected, some of our own original members left, governors and public functionaries are being affected, there is no protection but of course that is the issue you are raising. Where there are 10 from the past administration, they may be one or two only and not as dramatic of the APC. So it is natural that it is those that commit the crime that have to face trial.

If this government wasn’t conscious of its image why would the APC go through the financial constrains that it went through?

We are the party in power. A minister can just be told to take care of the party but they are not doing that, the minister who is a politician who knows how these things were done in the past is even afraid to do it because he would account for it. So you should give us some credit and as I said in an interview, forget this politically based red herring. We are not getting the degree of convictions that we should have. I think as a national chairman and a citizen, what I think the problem is at the moment, is the procedures of the judicial system; that is the problem. It is simple; we found N200 million in your bedroom, you bought houses for even unborn children, you are a government official, oga tell us how? A very simple matter! So we start but we start quoting law, this and that, the man has headache so his passport must be returned and only in London his headache can be cured and all that. So from my point of view, the only way we can fight corruption

The signs were there, they fought over oil blocks endlessly. Nobody ever thought that this resource is one that will finish one day. Nobody ever thought giving those 16 years of PDP rule that every day they were talking of renewable energy resources they were planning no longer to be dependent on this war ravaged areas for their own industrial fuelling. Our government for 16 years just kept importing petrol and exporting crude, sending away ship load of crude that was not accounted for, individual appropriating the money that belonged to me and you; to the nation.

So please be a little bit softer, kinder and look at the details of how we got to where we are today is to take a more practical and simple approach. As far as I am concerned, first you strip the man of his possessions. Make an example of him and that is the only thing that can cure corruption. That is what I said you should be talking about; why are we not getting a lot more conviction at the speed we are seeing the evidence deserves?

What will the ruling party show to Nigerians that it has achieved?

We have had two difficult years; we have had two years of blocking all the loopholes, two years of rebuilding the fractured natural resources, two years of preparing bases for a new economic blueprint, of a new economic take off for the Nigerian nation. It has started to bear fruit already but until it trickles down to the ordinary man, he will not recognise that we have taken the turn for the home stretch. So our expectation is that a lot of things we have been doing will now start manifesting, will now start bearing fruits. In agriculture, production is being encouraged at such a rate that in one or two of the critical crops we expect to be self-sufficient in the next two years. In two years we expect massive implementation, accomplishment as far as the new railway system is concerned. I think they will finish the Lagos – Ibadan end by the end of next year and most importantly, people will see them generate income, generate employment. In the field of solid mineral, a lot of work has also been done and also a lot of interest is being generated by those who want to process locally. These are some of the things that are happening now; mineral resources were being shipped abroad in large lumps and blocks and a lot of these things are going to be processed locally with backward integration into the actual mining activities.

So the fruits are beginning to manifest but the critical area we still have to beat is power sector and once you can get power stable even at the low level, it is bound to increase generation and the problem today

is that we can’t distribute the little that is even produced and once that is sorted out then it is going to give a feeling to the medium and small scale businesses which are the real employers of labour. So once power is available as it would be in the next few months employment becomes real. All that we are doing today, social intervention programmes - how many people can government employ? But if you give the blacksmith, the shoemakers, the welders and all these little industries power then you have created massive employment within the economy. Even those coming out of university today that we are teaching various skills will then overcome one of the major hindrance by their being able to establish themselves. So things are beginning to be better. The rate will accelerate and people will begin to see that after all we suffered, we were in pains but we can now see where we were going all along. So I think that would reshape things and that we have finally delivered on our promises but while they are crying as it is today that people seem to think that the world is over; no it is not! There is progress going on all the time but you people must help us tell them why the country is where it is.

If you would be honest enough what is your most challenging period?

It is normal for people who face challenges occasionally to say ‘what is all this, is it worth it? What am I getting out of it?

But look again, from a very personal point of view, I will take it that I was born at a very wonderful period of the history of this country and I have seen the various phases of this country and I was lucky. I went to university on scholarship. I went to the place where you can virtually get anything even as a student and when you came out you had a job and a few weeks later you had a car. So it was built in me that this nation doesn’t have to be different. That this nation doesn’t have to be as bad as we have made it. I went to the civil service and I got to the top and left the civil service, went into the industry and became a national chairman of the Nigerian Trademark Owners Association, left and went into politics, my first trail became governor of Edo State and there is no pretence about this that I owe this country something; the country has been good to me and as long as I have breath I should try to give back what I got. A lot of things are wrong and as I told you I am a trained development economist and I spent most of my career at the ministry of economic development and the potential here is just tremendous and sometimes I think oil spoilt things for us because every other thing was thrown overboard because of oil. By the time I joined the civil service in the ministry of Economic Development, we were at the same level as Brazil in fact we had much greater potentials according to World Bank assessment at that time; Brazil, Taiwan, Malaysia, Korea all those countries we were better advantaged at time than those countries. There are times one feels like that but you don’t give up. I have a calling, I have a duty at 77, God has given me good health, strength, energy so why do I want to go and sleep on my bed and wait to be carried out in a stretcher?

I don’t have a house in Abuja, it is not as if I can’t own but I don’t want to start building and amassing wealth at 80. There are times you feel low because sometimes people are very unappreciative and not just that, so wickedly, unfair and petty and you then say to yourself ‘what is this? Why do I put up with all these idiots and all these insults and abuses’ people who when I was something you were not there... That fellow who you people are always putting on TV, he wasn’t wearing pants when I was permanent secretary, you just look and you say well that is the sacrifice.

When is the APC going to hold its mini convention?

I think it will hold, we are almost at that point now and we have to hold it. Let me be frank, the health of the president hasn’t helped, more so because there is a clear indication of the respect he has for the party; he wants to attend. He wants to be there. But perhaps he doesn’t have to be and I think at that point I will and I don’t want to give a date and say later that it has been postponed but we will have it once all the factors are in place.

TR

Saturday, June 10, 2017

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Price: N250

MISSILE Dr. Sampson Ayokunle to FG “No Nigerian deserves to die prematurely especially when they are in their backyards and they come to the backyards and continue to kill them. That is a crime anywhere in the world.”

– President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Dr. Sampson Ayokunle, lamenting continuous killing by Fulani herdsmen while donating relief materials to victims in Enugu State.

PENDULUM Dele Momodu

dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com

Before They Set Nigeria Ablaze Again

F

ellow Nigerians, let me confess my sadness over the unfortunate, illogical and irrational bickering and grandstanding going on all over our dear beloved country at the moment. At the outset of my epistle today, let me confess my exceptional love for this country named Nigeria. Say what you will, Nigeria was created great despite the amalgamation of birds of different feathers. It was not for fun that our country was made the biggest black nation on planet earth. We are better and stronger as a bigger country than as tiny fragments that some people want us to become in their pipe dreams. I disagree vehemently with anyone who insists that the only solution to our myriad of problems, and the only way out of our forests of a thousand daemons, is to break up this gigantic entity called Nigeria. I say without any equivocation that they are wrong, very wrong!

Our situation could be compared to the challenges of being in a marriage. There are moments you ask yourself what you’re doing in the same house in which arguments break out daily. You wonder what the attraction was that made you to voluntarily agree to be led to Golgotha instead of an altar. But somehow with a little bit of tolerance, patience, love and God in your affairs, your union survives, year after year. You begin to see the things that bind you together than those things that wish to push you asunder. Any man who wishes to stay married must be blind to so many things. Any woman who wants to keep her marriage must be deaf to too many things.

It is the same with a country with a cacophonous assemblage of hundreds of highly volatile ethnic groups with sharp tongues and short tempers.

Despite our sharp differences, we share a common greatness that actually comes from uncommon grace. Just imagine how many Nigerians are employed by Mike Adenuga, Aliko Dangote and Tony Elumelu. Adenuga’s influence is particularly humongous through telecoms because it means he has reached and touched lives in almost every township or village in Nigeria. That is how it should be and that is how it is. Thousands of those directly employed and those empowered to sell recharge cards speak one language at the end of the day. That language is called money.

The same goes for the many agents employed and self-employed who deal in the distribution of Dangote cement.

Opportunities that abound today would readily evaporate if, God forbid, we decide to fight another senseless war just because we feel uncomfortable living together like husband and wife. The task of breaking up Nigeria is not as simple as it seems and I’m sure that some, if not all, of the agitators are blinded by personal ambition that they can’t see what evil this portends for us all. Some of those beating the drums of war were probably too young, or not yet born, when Nigeria went through the Biafra war. No matter the reasons for calling for war again, any Nigerian can aspire to become whatever he desires except those who depend solely and endlessly on government patronage and largesse. That to me is the crux of the matter.

Those baying for blood are only doing so for their selfish reasons - personal aggrandisement and the allure of filthy lucre!

For me, the solution to our problems does not lie in the reports of the wasteful national conferences that we have had over the years. They have been just another avenue for draining our economy. If, we properly embrace our Constitution, implementing the Federalism that is enshrined in it, without seeking to make a mockery of the institutions therein, we shall have gone far in uniting our great country and not destroying it.

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The American, Canadian, Indian and Australian examples are models of what size can achieve despite major differences in tongue and even religion. The Soviet Union debacle typifies what can be lost if that size is dismantled!

True, we’ve face cases of oppression in our land. Yes, some animals are more equal than the others. Sure, monkey dey work while baboons dey chop. It would be tantamount to escapism to break up our amazing country because of a few irritants. I try to see more good in Nigeria than the bad. As a mere mortal, I suffer occasional frustrations like everyone else. But it is not enough for me to write off our country completely. The only time my faith was seriously tested and badly shaken was after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election. I watched incredulously as Nigeria floundered aimlessly.

I could not believe how the same people who queued up and conducted themselves sensibly and reasonably used their own hands to kill and try to obliterate the sweet memory of our best election ever. The military goons and their civilian allies skilfully used ethnicity to make the revalidation of that election impossible. Since then, Nigeria has known no peace.

We’ve faced other challenges but the good news is we’ve survived against all odds. The reasons for the renewed agitations are not far-fetched.

We’ve never been known to be competent crisis managers. Our present leaders believe too much in the use of brute force. I think this is what has been passed down from our military eras. I will give a few examples of how we walked ourselves like certified somnambulists into unnecessary and preventable fiascos. There would have been no Boko Haram if we had not killed their relatively anonymous, original leader in cold blood. There would have been no clear leader for the new Biafra if the virtually unknown Nnamdi Kanu had been allowed to return in peace to his foreign.

By detaining him indefinitely, government only succeeded in turning him into a super brand and a rallying force. I had pleaded at the beginning that he should be released but the obduracy of government prevailed. Today Kanu has become a superstar who must be respected by Igbo elites

even if not obeyed to the chagrin of many people.

I do not know the reasons why some Shiite leaders are still being detained but I know what the outcome is likely to be. We are setting our country up again for fire. I will never support an indefinite detention of any soul, saint or sinner. If these guys have cases to answer, please arraign them before a proper court of Law. It is wrong and callous to detain fellow Nigerians without trial. I expect some people to call them terrorists and argue that this is the practice even in advanced nations. The conditions are different and the cold truth is that this is also inaccurate.

I take exception to the continued detention of Sambo Dasuki without trial. He is not the only corrupt individual. And detaining him is not going to recover all the looted funds or end corruptive influence in government. Indeed, until he is found guilty and properly punished his detention sends the wrong signals because he remains an unconvicted felon who may even walk away whenever government eventually changes after its four or eight-year cycle! There must be another way forward no matter the complications that make it difficult to put him on trial. These are the situations that breed bitterness and dangerous avengers.

It should be noted that we lost a substantial chunk of our oil output because of our preference for a fight against the militants. Have we not gained more by embracing dialogue? Are we not pumping enough oil now instead of continuing haemorrhaging daily as we did by the stupendous volumes we lost in recent times?

It is not every war that must be fought because we never know which wars we can win. There is too much anger in the land and it is so unfortunate. The time we should spend on thinking through our challenges of nation building we are wasting on wars of attrition. I would have loved to let those in charge of the Judiciary do their jobs DESPITE their obvious imperfections. With time, they would improve and straighten themselves up. There is separation of powers in our Constitution. Any government that hopes and decide to control every institution and apparatus of power will definitely have its hands full. That is what has happened to the present Buhari/Osinbajo administration.

I am however, gratified and happy in the knowledge that our children are not easily susceptible to the foibles and weaknesses of their parents. They are cosmopolitan. They see no tribe or religion. They have a vison for a better, brighter and brilliant Nigeria emblazoned in glory and they realise that its size and population is one of its strength. In our country, we have a ready market for everything that we can produce. You should see the inventions and innovations being pursued by our youth. Not for them the old and useless rhetoric of tribalism, religion and so-called resource control. Indeed, our invaluable resources are in each individual element of our population and not just under the ground, in the various towns and cities of our disparate regions.

I suspect the APC government has now realised the futility of fighting on all fronts. The recent change of style is thus a welcome development.

The unification exercise embarked upon by the Acting President will pay off ultimately, and this is already palpable. Tension will go down ultimately.

Professor Yemi Osinbajo has demonstrated that a Nigerian leader should be able to visit any part of the country without any fear. Being a slave of security has never helped any leader. Nigerian leaders virtually abandoned the hapless people of the North East to the territorial control of Boko Haram leaders. If a Commander-in-Chief is afraid to travel and walk freely in any part of a country he leads, why should he expect his troops to risk their own lives?

The Acting President should be encouraged to speed up his activities. Nigerians from every part are happy and proud that his boss has given him this opportunity to reinvigorate and refresh their government and indeed President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is bouncing back to glory from the brink of monumental disgrace. Only a smart father would understand when it is time to cede some responsibilities to his children. We have seen the efficacy of such truism in the Buhari/Osinbajo union. It is indeed a marriage made in heaven.

Those fanning the embers of disunity would have no cause to pursue their agenda if the Buhari/Osinbajo magic endures. May God bless Nigeria.

Thanks, Senator Hadi Sirika My dear Brother, let me start by wishing you Ramadan Kareem.

I wish to commend your recent efforts. You have shown that you are a responsive leader as I have noticed some changes at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

I was happy to see the dismantling of the ugly desks erected at check-in points in the airport.

Walahi, that was one terrible way of advertising Nigeria to the world as a country living in antiquity. If truth must be told, it was more of collection points for, you know what!!! Thank you for enforcing the innovative and illuminating Executive Order from the Acting President. I must not fail to commend FAAN because I know how difficult it must have been to get the hordes of agencies to pack their stinking desks away and move to more unobtrusive locations that would in fact enhance the quality and professionalism of their work.

But, Sir, there is still so much to do. You should try to pay surprise visits to our airports, especially Lagos and Abuja. I noticed on my way out of Lagos, days ago, that officials of the displaced agencies were still milling around screening points and surreptitiously and stylishly harassing passengers. I’m sure they would soon find the courage to operate brazenly if there is no one to

check their excesses.

We must also reduce the amount of time passengers spend at Immigration by collapsing the two desks to one. This can be achieved by ending the punishment of carrying passports to two separate agents. I’m not sure I’ve seen this style anywhere before. Security should never be in people’s faces but should, in fact, be understated and underplayed. That is when it is most effective.

There is nothing simpler than to receive airline manifests before or after a flight departs or lands as appropriate and screen exiting or incoming passengers that way, long before they approach immigration!

New elevators and escalators should be fixed urgently. Nigeria is not so poor that these things cannot be purchased and installed in the next one month. That airport requires the services of very well trained and exposed cleaners. The odour that oozes out of the Arrival Halls can wake up the dead. It is that bad. The present contractor should be made to wake up to its responsibilities or disengaged. The airport is too important to be handed over to those who think it is their home to be messed at their whims.

I pray God will help you to succeed where too many others had failed woefully.

Stay strong sir.

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