Saturday 15th July 2017 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

Osinbajo: 2.3m Nigerians Scramble for 300,000 N-Power Jobs

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

As many as 2.3 million young Nigerians have applied for proposed federal government's 300,000 N-Power jobs under its Social Investment Programme (SIP), Acting President Yemi Osinbajo disclosed in Abuja

yesterday. The acting president made the disclosure when he visited one of the training centres to distribute tablets to those already engaged under the scheme in the nation's capital. According to him, whereas 500,000 jobs are the entire target

for the N-power scheme of which he said 200,000 had already been engaged, the government might be forced to increase the target if it had the resources to do so. However, he insisted that the target remained 500,000 for now. Observing that the government would be unable to do everything

needed to be done, Osinbajo who said he was impressed by what he saw, added that the programme was more than just providing jobs for young ones but also includes skill learning. He said prompt payment of monthly earnings was being made to beneficiaries of the

scheme except those whose bank verification numbers (BVN) were at variance with the information provided. "You will recall that the target was 500,000 but depending on our resources, we can always do more but the target for now is 500,000.

But, what I want to say to the young people working on this is that, if we take the opportunity for instance; if you look at the tablet given to them, the tablet contains so much information, so much learning materials that Continued on page 8

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UNHCR:150,000 Nigerian Refugees at Risk, Calls on Cameroon to Halt Repatriation Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has called on Nigerian and Cameroonian governments

to suspend the “ill-timed” repatriation of Nigerian refugees numbering about 150,000 at camps in Northern Cameroon. UNHCR warned that the execution of this plan spell doom

for about 26 million displaced persons on the Africa continent. The Cameroonian government after signing a tripartite agreement with Nigeria in March, 2017 had repatriated

about 15,000 Nigerian refugees who fled their homelands at the peak of the ongoing Boko Haram crisis. “The lives of this repatriated Nigerians are at risk as they

are presently accommodated at IDP camps in Banki and Gwoza towns in Borno State which are not totally free from Boko Haram attacks,” remarked UNHCR.

Speaking yesterday during a meeting to discuss the impending dangers the forced return of Nigerian refugees portends Continued on page 8

Soyinka: Nigeria’s Unity Negotiable Atiku: Blackmail Can't Stall Restructuring Ambode: With 1999 Constitution, Nigeria can’t function effectively

Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa, Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Gboyega Akinsanmi in Lagos Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka yesterday in Kaiama, Bayelsa State openly disagreed with the position of the federal government that the unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable, insisting that what was nonnegotiable was the right of the people to self-determination and to freely decide their future. On the same day, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar remarked that no amount of effort aimed at suppressing the agitation for restructuring of the federation would succeed. Just about two weeks ago, Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo reiterated the position of the Buhari administration, declaring that Nigeria remaining as one nation was a done deal, but speaking during the interactive session in Kaiama tagged “A Day with Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka” with students of the Ijaw National Academy, the literary icon said it was not only hypocritical, but dictatorial for the federal Continued on page 8

literary titans and the governor...

L-R: Prof. Ebiegberi Alagoa, Dr. Gabriel Okara, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson and Prof. John Pepper Clark, interacting with students of the Ijaw National Academy at Kaiama in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the State...recently Lucky Francis

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saturDAY, july 15, 2017 • T H ISDAY

page eight weekend photo

L-R: Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai; Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel during the State Banquet for Buratai at the Government House, Port Harcourt ...recently

Nigeria’s Unity Negotiable, Soyinka Tells Presidency

government to maintain the position on Nigeria’s unity. The professor of Comparative Literature noted that all countries the world over were products of negotiations, stressing that Nigerian leaders who hold a contrary view were missing the point. “We are mixing up the argument. When people say, especially former leaders and especially those who bear enormous responsibility for the question of breaking up or not breaking up, our roles in the first place, it always sounds hypocritical, dogmatic and dictatorial and that statement is that the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable. “Now, that for me is a falsity. Anything is negotiable. The right of people to determine their future is what is non-negotiable. Most nations came to be through negotiations”, he asserted. The 1987 Nobel prize winner who was on the podium with several other literary icons from Ijaw land, including Prof. John Pepper Clark; 96-year-old poet, Dr. Gabriel Okara and Prof Joe Alagoa, a popular historian, said it was wrong to assume that a country where a part bears the burden of taking care of a wieldy whole should not be negotiated. He continued: “Sometimes when people say negotiate, what they really mean is restructure. Should Nigeria break up? And my answer to that is no, but please don’t tell me that Nigeria as it stands is not negotiable. For me, it is a fallacy. The nation has got to be negotiated. Negotiation includes ensuring that there is no marginalisation. “Negotiation has to do with control of resources; negotiation has to do with structuring the nation in such a way that the components, constituents are not feeding an over-bloated centre to the detriment of their own development. “So, Nigeria is negotiable. What we should say is: what are you willing to sacrifice? What efforts are you willing to make to ensure that Nigeria remains intact? That is the citizen question. Soyinka was reacting to

remarks by Dr. Odia Ofeimun, who compeered the session, advising that Nigerians should continue to re-echo the indivisibility of the country, especially in these trying times. Dickson, who spoke thereafter, aligned with Soyinka, saying that for the benefit of the young people present at the occasion, everything must be questioned. “Let me for the benefit of our young people make this clear, God in his infinite wisdom has endowed mankind with several gifts and one of the most important is your ability to reason and use your mind. “I believe that there is every reason for us to say that we will not circumscribe our minds on any issues. In the course of our education, throughout your life, however illustrious, your education is meaningless unless you have the capacity to question any and every notion”, the governor said. While agreeing with Soyinka’s position, he noted that though it was desirable to have a united Nigeria, it was nevertheless important to renegotiate the terms. “I believe that the continued existence of our nation as an indivisible entity is desirable. There is a very strong case to be made for that. After all, our people have been funding the Nigerian experiment for the last 61 years. “From your backyards they carve out portions of land in Lagos and Abuja and other capitals of the world and call them oil blocks. And I have said that what they sit down in their cozy offices and call oil blocks and give to whoever they choose to give are actually your (Niger Delta communities) ancestral properties. “That is why we continue to raise issues about environmental justice. What is going on in all your communities I have described severally as environmental terrorism. Nobody should tell us that there is nothing to negotiate. “There are too many things to negotiate. In this state we have only eight local government areas as decreed by the powers that be. And yet there are states

that have forty. “So, we get less than one quarter of what others get. The local governments can no longer pay salaries because they have no control over what we produce. “The continued existence of Nigeria is desirable, but Nigerians, all of us have issues to bring to the table for amicable resolution so that we can make our union more enduring and sustainable. There is no shame; no crime in doing that.” Dr. Ofeimun had earlier held that the nation’s economy was crippled not only because the international prices of crude oil had fallen but because the states had been emasculated of the powers they used to possess. Atiku: Blackmail Can't Stall Clamour for Restructuring In a related development, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday said that no amount effort to suppress the agitation for restructuring of the federation was going to succeed. He said the biggest challenge facing realization of reforms in the country was allowing moderate voices on restructuring to be drowned by the reckless utterances of those who may not mean well for the nation. In a speech he delivered at the 3rd Policy Monitoring Dialogue Series on National Unity, Integration, and Devolution of Power/Restructuring in Abuja, Atiku insisted that every Nigerian has constitutional right to peacefully agitate for restructuring. He said rather than attempting to shove it aside, effort should focus on identifying the reasons for the agitations "We are now in a democracy and democratic freedoms allow people to express themselves freely, including questioning the political and economic structures of the country and their place in it. We should try to understand the basis for the agitations and call for a new compact rather than vilify the agitators. "It is disingenuous to accuse everyone who calls for restructuring as trying to break up the county. History

tells us that that kind of cheap blackmail will not work as long as the underlying reasons for the agitations persist," he said Atiku justified the clamour for restructuring, saying such a move would contribute to national cohesion and good governance. He also said that devolving more powers to the federating units and transferring more resources to them would help to decongest the centre and enhance greater manageability, efficiency and accountability. "I have no doubt that restructuring our federal system would contribute the following among other things: "There will be more clarity in the division of powers and responsibilities between the centre and the federating units, and there will be a reduction in the attention paid to the centre. In my view, there should be no federal roads, therefore states will be responsible for road construction and maintenance and people will know that. "The same would go for schools and hospitals. State police (for states that so desire) will help improve security. States that do not want their own police forces will work out arrangements with the federal authorities over cost-sharing for policing in their jurisdictions. "The key thing is that federating units will have greater resources, authority and capacity to tackle localised problems with national impact, including education, health care, roads and insecurity such as the herdsmen-farmers clashes, armed robbery," he added. He said the founding political leaders agreed on and erected a federal system of government because they believe that such a structure was the only guarantee for national cohesion, "in view of our diversity, varying resource endowments, varying levels of development". Atiku added: “Our diversity encouraged our founding leaders to opt for a federal system of the government which they hoped would allow the federating regions the space to control their resources and to develop at their own paces according to

their peculiar situations. "Yes restructuring may mean different things to different people. Like all things with political and economic implications, those calling for restructuring have varying positions, which is not a bad thing. "But we won’t really find out how close our positions are to those of others until we sit down with them and start to talk and negotiate. "The biggest challenge seems to be that we seem to

be allowing moderate voices on this issue to be drowned out by the reckless utterances of a few rabble rousers on all sides who may be tools in the hands of those who do not wish this country well. These are some of the people who arrogate to themselves the toga of spokespersons of our diverse groups." Ambode: With 1999 Constitution, Nigeria Can’t Function Effectively Continued on page 8

UNHCR:150,000 Nigerian Refugees at Risk, Calls on Cameroon to Halt Repatriation in Maiduguri, the UNHCR Regional representative, Liz Ahua urged all humanitarian bodies to be concerned about the emergencies which the return of the refugees may create. She said: “The return of the refugees is not actually the problem but our concern should be that we do not have another emergency in our hands where the refugees now become part of the huge number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)." Ahua said if Cameroon and Nigeria go ahead with the "forceful" repatriation of the Nigerian refugees, a dangerous precedent may be set where other African countries would ask refugees on their soil to leave. She said though the position of Cameroon may be understood

in the face of 14 attacks in the extreme parts of Northern Cameroon which has led to agitations that the Nigerian refugees should be exited, but Cameroon cannot be allowed to use security as an excuse to violent the Convention on asylum which stated that safety, voluntariness and dignity should be considered before refugees are returned to their homelands. Ahua said there are rules guiding repatriation of refugees and signing of tripartite agreement should not be used as an excuse to forcefully extradite them. She said the UNHCR is presently talking to the Cameroon government to rescind her decision, "but if this does not yield result, we are going to make public statements."

Osinbajo: 2.3m Nigerians Scramble for 300,000 FG's N-Power Jobs one can really develop his skills in a wide variety of ways and be able to give himself greater opportunity. "So it is much more than an employment programme. It is a learning programme. It is a skills' development programme and it's unprecedented. I haven't seen anything like this anywhere in the world. "I think it is excellent. I think they have done very well indeed. If you look at this centre here, those that are engaged here are answering questions from all the social media platforms

- Facebook, Instagram etc. They are also taking calls. So, the whole idea is that there must be constant engagement with young people on the Programme. "Some are saying, I have not been paid etc. There are very many implications. For example, if your BVN doesn't match the records with them and that happens a lot, a lot of them have to be worked out. "I just want to say I'm so impressed with the young people working here. We are training these young people," he said.

JULy 15, 2017 • THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper

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

NEWS

Towards the peoples constitution ...

L-R: Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; and Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yusuf during the opening of the joint working retreat of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees’ on Review of 1999 Constitution at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, yesterday

Jonathan Didn’t Order Electricity Tariff Reversal, Ex-NERC Chair Replies Fashola Chineme Okafor in Abuja The immediate past chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Sam Amadi, last night said that the Minister of Power, Works, and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, was economical with the truth when he claimed that former president Goodluck Jonathan, forced the regulatory agency to shelve an increment in electricity tariff so he could make political gains from it in the 2015 presidential election. Amadi, who ran the NERC with six other commissioners for five years, starting from 2010 to 2015, explained that there was never a time Jonathan or any of the power ministers under him attempted to influence the decision of the commission under their charge. He said in a statement to THISDAY in Abuja, that all the decisions of the regulator were taken by its commissioners on a democratic basis.

Fashola, had while delivering a lecture on Thursday in Lagos, claimed that the former president forced NERC to shelve a planned tariff increment to give him some advantage in the election. He also alleged that the decision resulted in huge revenue shortfalls in the sector, a development he said had become a huge problem for the government of President Muhammadu Buhari. Faulting Fashola’s claims, Amadi said: "I have read some piece of news suggesting that President Jonathan ordered the reversal of electricity tariff during his tenure as President. "Since I have left office I have avoided issues about electricity regulation in Nigeria to give our successors the best opportunity to do better than we did. My understanding of public office that the best a former public officer should do is to truly step aside and be willing to provide advice if and when it is needed. In the best tradition of public service you don't obstruct

the new administration. "But I am constrained to restate the truth of what happened for the purpose of ensuring proper information to enable the present administration do their best to fix the electricity crisis." He added that: "Throughout our five years as Commissioners of NERC there was no single day that President Jonathan ever dictated or instructed policy to the commission concerning any issue on electricity regulation. "I am bold to state that President Jonathan was a great president to the electricity sector for fully supporting the independence of the regulator. My colleagues and I were determined to maintain the independence of the regulator and we found a very understanding President in President Goodluck Jonathan." Amadi further explained: "On the matter of the tariff, the facts are straightforward and borne out by records. NERC as a regulator has

After Supreme Court Victory, PDP to Hold NEC Meeting Next Week, Says Makarfi Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja Smarting from the victory at the apex court of the country, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi has said the party would adopt the recommendations of the 220-member strategy committee led by Prof. Jerry Gana as a means chatting the way forward. Makarfi said the first leg of such measure would be to present the report to the National Executive Council (NEC) which hopefully would hold next week, Speaking in an interview on THISDAY sister Media network, Arise Television in Abuja, Makarfi said PDP planned take seriously, the efforts at rebuilding and rebranding the party so as to correct the bad image it erroneously had been labeled with. "About a year ago before the Court of Appeal judgement, we set up a wide powerful committee of over 220 led by Professor Jerry Gana to look at all aspects of PDP; the constitution, the manifesto, internal democracy; all issues and this report

is ready and by the first leg, the National Executive Council which we hope to hold by next week, some of the recommendation of this report will begin to be presented to NEC for approval so that we begin taking action," he said. Makarfi said that the committee which was set up in the wake of crisis in the party had covered ground, adding that it's report was going to assist the leadership is deciding on how best to drive the reform in the party. "I think what we are going to do is to take steps to make deep analysis of where we went wrong and how we should correct that and that report is ready for implementation," he said. On what the party intends to do to rebrand its battered image, especially as we gradually inch towards the 2019 elections, Makarfi said the party would be tactful in order not to fall prey in the hands of the ruling All Progressives Congress again. "First of all no decision has been taken on name change. The general argument that I have heard is that we must avoid taking any process that would require any institution

of government to give us approval because as an opposition party, you can if you play into the hands of those who want to pull you down therefore whatever we have to do; organisation, rebranding should be what is within our power so that we don’t need anybody sanctioning," he reasoned. Makarfi said that PDP was gradually but steadily warming up into the hearts of Nigerians who had comparatively seen that it was better than the APC in governance. "People now proudly walk with PDP flags in areas where if they see you before they chase you away. Now they see you with PDP flag they wave at you, they come and shake hands with you because they are not happy with the situation they have found themselves in; they were misled, PDP was given a bad name. "I am not giving excuse for our mistakes, I agree that people have now come to realise that our errors and mistakes were not as much as what they are seeing today,” Makarfi explained.

comprehensive methodology and business rules for regulating tariff. The Act, methodology and business rules put the responsibility on NERC commissioners who vote democratically for every such decisions, just like the Board of Governors of the CBN does for monetary policies. Every tariff we have issued from 2010 to 2015 did not receive or require the approval of the President. Only NERC Commissioners approved them." He provided detail of how the 2015 electricity tariff was calculated, adding that the processes were controversial and involved all stakeholders in the electricity value chain including consumer groups, but without any intrusion from the government. According to Amadi: "Before we issued MYTO 2.0 we debated on what to do with collection losses that discos collect from consumers. Two schools of thought emerged amongst the commissioners. One school, supported by most commissioners, wanted the collection losses to be reduced to zero or to the low level of pre-privatisation Discos. "The other school wanted us to keep it as contracted by Discos and BPE even as it skyrockets the tariffs. After much debate the overwhelming

position was to reduce the collection losses. When the draft of the tariff was issued, the discos protested and the commissioners had a rethink, revised the model and issued MYTO 2.0 that saw more than 180 per cent increase in some Discos for some customers. "The manufacturers and other customer groups protested this astronomical hike in tariff and sent formal petition. NERC business rules require NERC to reconsider the tariff at the petition of an aggrieved customer who petitions within 60 days of issuance of tariff order. Based on the petition, NERC held a public hearing at Sheraton with all Disco heads and some consumers groups where the details of the tariff were presented and criticised. After the public hearing NERC set up a technical committee to review the allegations and conduct jurisdictional research on how other electricity markets treat collection losses." Continuing, he stated: "The NERC technical team recommended that the collection losses should be set at zero and any Disco that wants to have collection losses above zero should apply with evidence of its diligent effort to control losses. This recommendation was presented to the

industry meeting where the Discos expectedly totally rejected it. The NERC Commissioners nevertheless approved it through the usual process of decision-making and consequently reduced the revenue requirement of the Discos, which then resulted in lower tariff for most customers. "This was a controversial but principled decision based on contestable evidence and value-based analysis. I am prepared to take slacks for any intended or unintended consequences of that decision as the Chairman and Chief Executive of NERC. I still strongly believe that my reading of effective regulation confirms that it was a good decision to internalise efficiency in the distribution segment of the electricity industry." "But President Jonathan played no role at all in that decision. His ministers did not play any role. It was a bona fide regulatory decision that may be termed wise or unwise, after the facts. But should not be used to denigrate President Jonathan or the ministers of power. "Take it from the horse’s mouth: Jonathan did not reverse any tariff. Sam Amadi and his colleagues changed the tariff through the normal due process and as part of effective regulation of the sector," he added.

Protesters Storm National Assembly Retreat in Lagos, Demand Local Government Autonomy Shola Oyeyipo Protesters drawn from the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) yesterday stormed the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island venue of a joint retreat of the Senate and House of Assembly Committee on review of 1999 constitution to press home their demand for local government autonomy and other sundry issues. The protesters led by the state and national leaderships of the various unions who were carrying placards with various inscriptions demanding among

other things that payment of primary school teachers’ salaries should be removed from the local governments, that primary school teachers’ salaries should be on first line charge in the federation and unfettered operation of primary healthcare institutions. The NULGE National President, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel Abdulkadir, said the demand for autonomy for local governments was part of ways to ensure that the resources for local governments hijacked by various state governments could go to them directly so as to enhance the welfare of their people. He commended the 36 states House of Assemblies for supporting workers’ demand and

also, the various unions that had come together to jointly pursue what they consider important to them and Nigeria at large. The duo of the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan and the leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila who addressed the protesters assured them that the National Assembly would look into their demands with the hope to make necessary amends. “We are working for you. Primary school education is very important. We understand your plight. We are looking at your demand. I advise that you should continue to engage us. This National Assembly is responsible and responsive,” he assured the people.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper •JULy 15, 2017

newS

In Brief

‘100m Nigerians Drink Killer Water’

AssociationofProfessionalRigOwnersandBoreholeDrillingPractitioners (AWDROP), hassaidthereasonwhymillionsofNigeriansaredyingofwater bornediseaseswasbecause about 100millionNigeriansdrinkwhatittermed ‘killerwater’.Theunionsaidthenumberaccountedforover65%ofthetotal population of 150 million Nigerian citizens, which it said accounted for why therewerepreponderancesofcholera,typhoid andotherlethaldiseases inthe country.Inamid-termassessmentofactivitiesmeetingheldinAiyegbaju-Ekiti, Oye LocalGovernmentAreaofEkitiStateattheweekendandattendedby allstates'executives,theAWDROPNationalPresident, Mr.OludareAlesaid thebodywillcontinuetobepassionateaboutpeople'saccesstosafe water topreventhealthhazards.Ale,whodonatedsomeboreholestothetownto givepeoplemeansofportablewater,blamedthefederalgovernmentforthe infiltrationofquacksintodrillingbusinessinthecountry,sayingthegovernment would prefer to patronise them (quacks) than the real professionals.

Sokoto Loses House of Reps Member

Ensuring new ways... L-R: Oyingbo Market General Secretary, Mr Mudashiru Adebiyi; Vice Iyaloja, Oyingbo, Mrs Olateju Mohammed; Associate, Postharvest Loss Alliance for Nutrition (PLAN)/Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Ayodele Telle; Babaloja, Oyingbo, Alhaji Jimoh Owoya; Iyaloja, Alhaja Sikirat Sulaimon and Iya Egbe Eleso, Alhaja Faosat Sogbamu during the Capacity building and public/market sensitisation on Produce vehicle and Crates project organised by Lagos State Government collaborations held at Oyingbo Market, Lagos, recently

EU Suspends Rivers from Water Programme over N100m Counterpart Funds Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt Six Rivers State communities covered in the European Unionfunded Niger Delta Support Programme (NDSP) for provision of water and sanitation have raised concern over the suspension of the state from the programme due to non-remittance of the state’s N100 million counterpart funding. The communities have therefore called Governor Nyesom Wike to intervene and cause the release of the N100 million already approved by the governor. The EU, under NDSP is executing Water and sanitation projects in communities that are worst hit from lack of potable water in five states of the Niger Delta, namely Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta and Edo states, with Rivers State as headquarters. The six affected communities in Rivers State are Abonnema,

Abisa and Kula in Akuku-Toru and Opobo, Nkoro and Kalaibiama in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, which are said to be suffering from lack of portable water. While the EU would provide £2.4 million for the project, Rivers State was expected to provide N200 million as its counterpart funding. The state has so far paid N100 million, leaving the state in a deficit of N100 million. Addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt yesterday, the Chairman, Federation of Akuku-Toru and Opobo/Nkoro Water Consumers Association (WCA), Mr. Iwarimie Diri, said the state was to flag off the works tender for the projects yesterday (Friday) but was stopped by the project managers because of the non-payment of the counterpart funds by the state. He however disclosed that the NDSP had given the state up to Tuesday next week to pay or forfeit

the project. “We came here to appeal to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Chief Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, who had earlier promised to be part of this project. His Excellency graciously approved the release of the fund needed for the project. We are very grateful to him. We also know that to approve and the release of money do not come the same time because of government procedure. “Yesterday, we were slammed with a mail from the EU and Niger Delta Support Programme (NDSP) because the tender for the project was to be launched today and we were expecting it yesterday. But instead of the launch of the tender, we got a mail from them suspending the launch of the tender. In fact, that sent shock on our spine and we have to start calling our members and asking of what to do and up till now, most of us have not slept

well because of the efforts we have put since 2014 when this project started and the commitment we are making even in our various communities to make the project come through. “The last time we came here, market women, those who sell periwinkle, those who sell firewood made contributions towards our own five per cent counterpart funding to see to the success of this project in our communities. We do not know how to get back to our communities to tell them this news,” he lamented. He appealed to Wike to facilitate the release of the N100 million which he had already approved so that efforts of the people since 2014 would not be a waste. He said the project which started in 2014 had already trained personnel to be involved in the execution of the project expected to employ over 1,000 persons.

Woman Sells Child for Half NDLEA, Interpol Others, Seize 881 Kg of Illicit Drugs in Sokoto Bag of Rice in Imo Amby Uneze in Owerri A mother, Chioma Fidelis, age 20, from Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, yesterday, said after selling her less than one year old baby, she was given a half bag of rice, chairs and provisions as well as bags of cement to build a house. Chioma made this confession, while being paraded alongside 40 suspects who allegedly committed other offences by the Imo State commissioner of police, Mr. Chris Ezike, at the police headquarters in Owerri. According to Ezike, the arrest of the child traffickers was made on the 10th of July, 2017 by the surveillance team of the command. He said that it was as a result of the whistle blowing policy of the command as well as community policing methods. In her confession, Chioma said: "I got pregnant by mistake. I did not know when the thing enter. When I born the baby I did not have money to take care of him. "So I decided to sell the child. They told me that they sold the child for N700,000. I did not collect any money from them. They gave me half bag of rice, chairs, provisions and bags

of cement which I used to repair my house." Mrs. Chidimma Unakalamba, age 34, from Mbomiri in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, who facilitated the sale of the baby, said that the mother of the child complained that she could no longer take care of the baby. "When the mother brought the baby to me and I took the baby to the hospital and the hospital confirmed that the baby was suffering from kwashiokor. "From there, I started taking him to various churches to get healing and I succeeded. I spent N137,000. I spent N200,000 on the mother," she stated. The alleged buyers of the child, a man and his wife, Mr. Jonas and Salomi Anyanwu are from Umunakanu in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo state. According to Salomi, "It is true that my husband brought the money that we use in buying the child. Let me tell you, because we need the child my husband had to borrow money, 700,000 and give it to Chidimma, and collect the child. "I wanted to reject the child but because of God I collected the child and started training him."

Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency( NDLEA) in conjunction with Interpol and other agencies, have seized 881 kilogrammes of illicit drugs as a result of a joint operation conducted in Sokoto State and the Nigeria-Niger border. The Chairman of the Agency, Col. Mustapha Abdallah (rtd), disclosed this in Sokoto on Friday at the closing ceremony of a five-day Joint Training and Operations Exercise organised by the ECOWAS, in conjunction with Interpol, in Sokoto. Abdallah stated that the seizures were made sequel to the joint operation code-named, '' Operation Ninibo, Nigeria-Niger border.'', adding that six suspects, including a 12- year old boy, were arrested during the operation. He gave the breakdown of the seizures as: Diazepam 67.10kgs, Tramadol 22.60kgs, cough syrup with codeine 794kgs and 30kgs of cannabis. According to him, there was robust existing Protocol between Nigeria and Niger republic, which

is the background of these efforts to rid the region of illicit drugs. ''It is against this background that the agency is currently working out modalities to engage member states of the sub-region on bilateral agreements. ''This will lead to the signing of Memoranda of Understanding that will strengthen cooperation, enhance intelligence sharing and mitigate constraints," he said. Also speaking, the Chairman of ECOWAS Commission, Marcel de Souza, represented by Col. Diange Abdulrahman, described West Africa as a regional hub for the production, trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs and other related crimes. Souza said lack of effective management and control of West Africa land, sea and air borders fostered the prevalence of illicit drug trafficking, as well as organised crimes. The Leader of the team from Niger Republic and Commissioner of Police, Salifou Assoumane, restated the commitment to rid the Nigerian-Niger borders of illicit drug trafficking, criminal networks and the sale of illicit drugs.

MemberrepresentingKware/WamakkofederalconstituencyintheHouse of Representatives, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad Wamakko has died. The lawmakerdiedonFridayatanAbujaHospitalafterabriefillnessattheageof 50.Astatementfromthefamilysaiduntilhisdeath,hewastheViceChairman oftheHouseCommitteeontheFederalRoadsMaintenanceAgency(FERMA), apart from membership of several House Committees. Also, Chairman of WamakkoLocalGovernment,AlhajiAhmedKalambaina,saidthattheremains ofthedeceasedwasburiedinhishometown,Wamakko,lateron Friday.The deceasedwasayoungerbrothertotheformerGovernorofthestate,Senator AliyuWamakko.The lateWamakko is survived by a wife and five children.

366 Drug Addicts Rehabilitated

More than 366 persons are currently undergoing rehabilitation over drugs and drug related issues at the Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse (CRISA)-Care in Akwa Ibom State.The Project Manager of the CRISA-Care, Mr. Edimo-ubong Nelson disclosed this when conductingmembersoftheSenateandHouseofRepresentativesCommitteeson DrugsandNarcoticSubstancesandtheUnitedNationsonDrugsandCrime (UNODC)aroundthedrop-incentreinUyo,AkwaIbomState.CRISA-Care,a non-profitorganisationdevotedtodrugandalcoholresearch,preventionand treatmentofsubstanceusedisordersisaddictiondrop-incentreproviding counsellingandotherinterventionstopeoplewithproblematicdruguseand theirfamilies.MembersoftheNationalAssemblyCommitteesonDrugsand NarcoticSubstanceswereinthestateona-threedayretreatorganisedfor them by the UNODC hence decided to inspect facilities at the CRISA-Care as part of their visit to the state.

Gks Ministers’ Conference, 2017

TheExecutiveBoardofGod’sKingdomSociety(GKS)–TheChurchoftheLiving God – has announced that the 2017 GKS Ministers’ Annual Conference will holdinSalemCity,Warri,DeltaState,Nigeria,fromThursday,June22-Sunday, June 25, 2017. TheTheme of this year’s Conference is: Members are called upontojointheLord’sMinistryinprayingforthesuccessoftheConference is“workinginunity”. Astatementbythechurchsaid“pressingorurgentmatters that may come up in course of the Conference deliberations should be directedtotheAdministrativeCommitteesofthevariousbranches. Thisis toenabletheMinistersdevotefullattentiontotheactivitiesofConference. We solicit the cooperation of members in this regard.

Okowa to Host 2017 Leadership Award

The Governor of Delta State, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa is to host 2017 'Arise O Nigeria'annualleadershipsymposiumaimedatpromotinggoodgovernance in the South South part of the country. In a statement signed yesterday in Abujabytheorganiserand President,Arise'O'Nigeria,AmbassadorJonathan Daniel,thesymposiumwouldalsofeaturehumanitarianambassadorpageants awardstocelebrateandhonourcrediblepersonalitieswhohadcontributed immensely to humanitarian services across world. According to him, "the event seeks to search for the 2017 Miss Arise 'O' Nigeria Ambassador for Humanity through a pageant tagged 'Beauty on a Mission' which aims to inspire young Nigerian to get fully involved in contributing to charity as well as the less privileged.

New AOC in Bauchi

AnewAirOfficerCommanding(AOC)oftheNigeriaAirforceSpecialOperations CommandBauchiassumesdutyyesterday.ThenewAOC,AirViceMarshal SaddiqIsma'ilaKaitatookoverfromAirViceMarshalSaniAhmedwhowas deployedtoNigeriaAirforceHeadquartersAbuja.HeattendedKingsCollege Lagos,GovernmentCollegeKatsinaandwaslateradmittedintotheNigeria Defence Academy (NDA) 34 Regular Course in June 1983 and passed out in December 1986 as a Pilot officer. AVM Kaita was before his deployment to Bauchi the DOM Nigeria Airforce headquarters. He also held several‎ administrative and command posts at various Airforce formations and was posted to the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) in 2004 after his stint as an InstructorandLonePilot.HewasStudentsAffairsOfficer301FlyingTraining School, Operations Officer A Squadron 301 Flying School, SO1Training andSO1Operations.Otherpostsheheldinclude;ClearanceOfficer,Project Coordinator,SecondinCommandOperationsWingPAF,FleetTrainingOfficer, Comd209EAG,FleetOperationsOfficerPAF,ComdPAFandDOMNigeria Airforce Headquarters from December 2016 to July 2017.

One Out ofThree Anambra Births Unintended

AsurveyconductedinAnambraStateontheuseoffamilyplanningmethods bycouplestospacetheirchildrenorpreventpregnancyhasshownthatone out of three births in the state is unintended. Principal Investigator for the PerformanceMonitoringandAccountability2020Nigeria(PMA2020),Dr. Elizabeth Omoluabi stated this yesterday at a workshop of the group for the dissemination of the result of the survey and presentation to the state government. Omoluabi stated that the reason was the lack of patronage from members of the public for family planning packages and kits at public health centres. She advised couples to make good use of the availability of the family planning packages provided by the state government for free of chargetomakelifemeaningfulforthemselvesbynothavingunwantedbabies or having more children than they could carter for..

T H I S D AY SATURDAY JULY 15, 2017

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JUNE 15, 2017• THISDAY, The SATURDAY Newspaper

commentary

Can West And Central Africa End Aids? Yes, but they have to do much more, writes Djibril Diallo

e are getting closer to four decades of AIDS epidemic as a serious challenge to global public health. Africa has particularly faced enormous health and development setbacks during this period, placing the lives of the continent’s most vulnerable people at greater risk of illness and death. In West and Central Africa, governments and their partners have succeeded to place 1.8 million of their people living with HIV on lifesaving antiretroviral therapy. But all is not yet well. As UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé reminded during the 29th African Union Conference: “Even if there are positive signs of new trajectory for treatment acceleration, there is still a long way to go.” In the 25 countries of West and Central Africa, 6.5 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2015 and 500, 000 of them were children. The epidemic is particularly acute on women, who account for 54 per cent of the adults living with HIV. Children are bearing the brunt of this crisis since 3.7 million of them are now orphaned by AIDS. Only 36 per cent of people living with HIV in our region know their HIV status compared to 62 per cent in East and Southern Africa. On July 3, under the leadership of President Alpha Condé, Chair of the African Union, the Aids Watch Africa, which gathered around 20 heads of state, and as many ministers representing their countries, endorsed The Western and

The epidemic is particularly acute on women, who account for 54 per cent of the adults living with HIV. Children are bearing the brunt of this crisis since 3.7 million of them are now orphaned by AIDS. Only 36 per cent of people living with HIV in our region know their HIV status compared to 62 per cent in East and Southern Africa

Central Africa Catch-Up Plan: Putting HIV Treatment on the Fast-Track by 2018. They all agreed to redouble their efforts to achieve the political declaration to end AIDS by 2030, as a key facilitator for the achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals. The endorsement symbolises a new and dynamic phase in the HIV response in West and Central Africa. It offers us all the opportunity to speed up the delivery of the commitments already made towards ensuring that by 2020, 90 per cent of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90 per cent of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 90 people of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will achieve viral suppression. West and Central Africa have paved their path to catch up with other regions in the race to end AIDS by 2030 and UNAIDS is in full support of their endeavours. More than ever before, speedy action by governments is of the essence. Support from the UN and important partners like PEPFAR, The Global Fund, Doctors Without Borders and faith-based organisations that work with communities across the region will be critical to our success. Together, we can make this plan workable. Together, we can end AIDS by 2030. Dr Diallo is the UNAIDS Director of the Regional Support Team for West and Central Africa

JAMB 2017: Examining Nigeria Hamidu Danbarewa argues that the examination body has done exceedingly well in this year’s exercise

ith the last batch of 85,000 candidates rescheduled for JAMB examination, this year’s exercise came to an eventful and highly impactful conclusion. The successful JAMB outing under a new helmsman and management is a pointer to the pivotal effect of strategic deployment of human resources on the performance level of institutions. For a change, we saw a JAMB that was more proactive and responsive. The familiar challenges were adequately anticipated and contained with pre-emptive measures while the random encounters with unforeseen circumstances got nipped in the bud effectively. To me, the most unique and profound impact of this year’s JAMB outing goes beyond the remarkable improvement in the management of the most crucial national examinations of candidates for our tertiary institutions already widely acclaimed. For the first time, JAMB was also able to conduct a forensic examination of the underlying factors responsible for turning the annual academic exercise into a seemingly unwinnable war against the hydra-headed malpractices of the candidates that eroded the credibility of the process and lowered the esteem of authenticity of our educational credentials. The regular references to some of the episodes as they were encountered during the exam period by its “street wise” academician-cleric-social scientist Chief Executive, Professor Ishaq Oloyede with his unsparing candour, spotlighted the bigger picture of parental, stakeholder and social dimen-

sions in what had been seen only as the result of dishonesty of candidates and incompetence of JAMB. However, this initiative was of secondary concern to the JAMB chief who never took his eyes off the exam ball. Even as it was dubiously dribbled round the axis of sabotage and criminality to counter his corrective crusade in an exercise that involved 140 examination towns, 642 Computer-Based Test Centres, 7,000 invigilators and monitors and 1,722,236 candidates, the professor persisted. The compilation of statistical data on a range of devious devices deployed but detected before they could hit JAMB speaks of effective defence measures: As many as 1,386 candidates all identified and documented were found guilty of impersonation, possession of prepared answer scripts, smuggling of foreign materials, possession of electronic gadgets including telephone, copying and spying from foreign materials, unruly behaviour, collusion and multiple registration and examinations. An incriminating cache of tools of exam cheats was also seized including shirts, slippers, belts, handkerchiefs, among others. The casualties included 57,646 centre-induced malpractice results cancelled, 72 centres in 18 states delisted or suspended, over 696 candidates engaged in double or triple registration and 666 cases of candidates sitting for examination more than once disqualified and a criminal gang involving persons who deceived candidates into believing that they had access to UTME examination questions. Among the deplorable tales of the unexpected activities reported include

Computer-Based Test Centres which collected gate fees as high as N20,000, recruited thugs, deliberately created technical problems to assist candidates to cheat such as disabling CCTVs installed by JAMB, ran secret rooms where ghost candidates wrote the examination and colluded with candidates and parents to compromise the examination. A mother made a murky mark by offering an examiner payment in kind to help her child to pass and an invigilator was caught in a pass-for-sex escapade. The report of the forensic examination was just as unsettling by closing –in on the contentious and confusing concept of Nigerian factor with conclusive authenticity. The significance of this year’s 1.7 million examined candidates –highest in 40 years- is reduced to a tragedy of numbers after JAMB declares deadpan that 1.7m is not news-though it hit the headlinesbut the fact that more than 50% of the candidates who presented did not even have the pre-requisite qualifications –which went unreported-! That must also be confirmation of an editorial strain of the Nigerian factor! But the leadership strain maintained its toxicity of ineptitude with JAMB finding that again, more than a decade after policy adjustment, over 70% of all candidates applied for courses in the Arts and Social Sciences, sharply deviating from national manpower development targets for 70 % priority to the Sciences. Not to be outdone, the generality of Nigerians defended their obnoxious titles to ownership of the notorious Nigerian factor with typical

geo-political attitudes on display. According to JAMB diagnosis of exam malpractices spread, Nigerian factor is no respecter of the essence of federal character. Most affected states are from the South East and South South : Abia (381 cases), Imo (193), Anambra (152), Enugu (114), Cross River (78), Ebonyi (48), Akwa Ibom (44) while North West, North Central and North East supplied symmetry with the lowest numbers: Kebbi (1), Kaduna (16), Kano (29), Katsina (2), Kogi (7) Sokoto (25), Taraba (4), Zamfara (1). The 2017 JAMB outing proves that candid exposure and critical analyses of the fundamental flaws of citizenship and leadership should be the firmest foundation to embark on any reform or apply deterrent in our quest for meaningful progress in critical spheres of nation-building. The existence of a transparent, credible and versatile institution devoted to promoting and maintaining high standards by dependable measurement and assessment mechanisms is a necessity to actualise a systematic overhaul and revitalisation of Nigeria’s critical manpower sector. These achievements have already earned JAMB the responsibility for conducting a selection examination for medical doctors to work during the Jerusalem pilgrimage of the National Christian Pilgrimage Commission, (NCPC). It will select 250 doctors from the 4,370 candidates to the meet NCPC’s desire for an improved selection system “based on merit, rather than bias.” If only our bureaucrats and political leaders can face JAMB. Danbarewa wrote from Kaduna

JUNE 15, 2017 • THISDAY, The SATURDAY Newspaper

insight

Victory at last...

Sule: The Man Who Saw It All

usuf Maitama Sule was fortunate to have been in active politics and subsequently in government at a youthful age and so was one of those Nigerians who have seen it all. He witnessed the struggles that saw Nigeria`s independence just as he saw the events that characterised Nigeria`s post-independence period and what followed thereafter. Thus Danmasani was an encyclopaedia of a sort who, to put it simply, knew Nigeria`s history in virtually every respect. At different fora and discussions, he told of how the late Awolowo, Balewa, Zik, Sardauna and several other pioneer nationalists struggled for independence. He also have mentioned of how, after attaining the independence, these gentlemen ran the affairs of government with distinct patriotism and unusual commitment. Danmasani was at several times a member of the legislative assembly in Lagos, twice a minister of the federal republic, Nigeria’s representative at the United Nations and Commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission. Few years ago, in a personality programme on Freedom Radio, Kano, Maitama Sule recalled how he defeated Malam Aminu Kano in a race to the legislative assembly. And that marked the beginning of a national career that was to catapult him to as far as international prominence. Thereafter, providence smiled on him and made him a minister in the Balewa administration. At virtually 29 years, he was the youngest minister in the Balewa administration. Danmasani acknowledged this in a foreword to the biography of the late Musa Daggash written by now Prof. Yakubu Mukhtar of the University of Maiduguri. “It pleased God to place me as the youngest minister in the Tafawa administration,” he began the foreword with humility. He was asked to write the foreword having worked with the late Musa Daggash when the latter was Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Mines and Power. Danmasani had been minister till the fall of the Balewa administration that saw the abrupt end of the first republic. He witnessed the bloody coup that saw the demise of the late Balewa, Sardauna and many others, which eventually led to the July 1966 counter coup and the Nigerian civil war. With the January 1966 military intervention, politicians disappeared only to resurface ahead of the 1979 return to civil rule. Within that period, General Murtala Ramat Mohammed, who usurped power from General Yakubu Gowon using the barrel of the gun in 1975, appointed Yusuf Maitama Sule as the commissioner of the newly constituted Public Complaints Commission in 1976. With that

Restructuring: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

appointment, Danmasani became the nation’s first ombudsman. And when the political drum of 1979 was beaten, Danmasani contested the presidential ticket of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) but lost to former President Shehu Shagari. By way of political consolation, Shagari sent Maitama to the United Nations as Nigeria’s permanent representative. And at the UN, he made the nation proud when Danmasani successfully led the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid to record tremendous success in South Africa. Danmasani’s last call to national duty was in 1983 when then President Shagari appointed him minister of National Guidance. After succeeding in a reelection bid, Shehu Shagari thought of the need to establish a ministry which would put in efforts at ethical reorientation of the Nigerian citizenry. He picked Danmasani to do the job. Perhaps the decision was partly because of the latter’s earlier experience at the Public Complaints Commission. However, because of another military intervention that eventually interrupted Nigeria’s second attempt at democracy, the import of such initiative couldn’t be realised. Mukhtar Jarmajo, Bauchi

hen dancers demand for a change of music, it is obvious that the old music is no longer satisfactory. Restructuring is the latest music and if you are just entering Nigerian shore for the first time, you don’t need a magician to tell you that Nigerian political atmosphere, religious houses, mechanic shops and even street corners are wearing a dolorous look. From the four cardinal points in the country, it is the same music and very loud indeed. Why have the agitators suddenly become louder? Could it be a conspiracy of the elite for 2019 election? We must sincerely answer these questions if the marriage called Nigeria must survive the testing moment. If the foundation of a building is faulty, it sinks and casualties become inevitable! October 1, 1960 as we all know is our independence year in Nigeria, but as things stand, Nigerians are singing a different song. It is no longer news that Arewa youths gave October 1 as quit notice to the Igbo; the South-East gave same October 1 to actualise their Biaxit; some Niger Delta militants set same October 1 to bomb oil states if their demands are not met; the South West is not left out of the wired atmosphere. Spearheaded by Afenifere and

TH E S AT U R DAY N E W S PA P E R

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OPC, they have asked for implementation of the Jonathan administration’s 2014 National conference report; the Middle Belters are also not comfortable with their senior brothers in the core north, and the murmuring is on. What a special October! What exactly are we restructuring? What is wrong with our system? Nigerians from all indications are calling for true federalism, where the federating states are allowed to compete favourably well with their individual resources and contribute to the government at the centre. But instead, we are operating a unitary system and that is why states have become parasitic on the federal government. If manner stopped falling from Abuja as it is today, some states would go into extinction. The burning issue is that: Nigeria remains an unanswered question, more than a century after the almagamation of 1914. Before and after independence, virtually every government has had to deal with same national issue. In 1977, Nigeria had a Constituent Assembly that gave birth to 1979 Constitution. It almost ended in kerfuffle. In 2005, national political reforms hit a brick wall when Niger Delta representatives staged a walk-out for not being carried along fairly. Same situation replicated in 2014 National Conference conducted by Jonathan. The government of the day says they were not carried along, therefore, resolutions should be dumped on them and President Muhammadu Buhari never opened the documents until his medical trip. Again, Nigerians are calling for the same conference or a referendum. Isn’t it glaring that Nigerian government can’t take decision? Should we wait until a second civil war is declared? So disturbing indeed! What experience and history teach is that people and government never learnt anything from history or acted on principles deduced from it- George Wilhem Hegel said. The war drums all over the country shouldn’t be taken for granted. Yes, the marriage called Nigeria is indissoluble, but we must prevent it by listening to the music of agitations and of course, the need to return Nigeria to the federating units as it was in the 60s before it was tinkered with by the military. So, the agitators shouldn’t be seen as opportunists or political gangstars as one governor from the north said. The debate about restructuring and renegotiation is important and urgent to hold the union of different tribes, ethnic groups and characters together in Nigeria

Alifia Sunday, Ilorin. Kwara State

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • JULY 15, 2017

interview Leo Stan Ekeh

Why I Don’t Want to Be Imo Governor

Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman, Zinox Group is unquestionably the biggest digital entrepreneur in Nigeria today, employing thousands and expanding rapidly. His multibillion Naira businesses have spread their tentacles to countries like the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Ghana. As a result, Ekeh’s beloved people in his native Imo State want him to become governor come 2019, so that he can translate his business success into good governance in the traumatized state. Pressure is mounting on this immensely talented man from all directions. Will the Zinox boss bow to this pressure? The signals from him are not too encouraging. Ekeh sure has the capacity to change the Imo State narrative, but he says he can’t be in politics and in business at the same time. He is not scared about leaving Zinox in the hands of some others, but he believes the time is not ripe else, it will crumble. He declares: “I have secured this business and if it was a part-time work, say part time governor, I can do part time.” In this exclusive interview with Yemi Adebowale and Ahamefula Ogbu, the Zinox boss shares his dream for his beloved Imo State and reservations about becoming governor

mo State is over 40 years old now. Looking back, would you say the dreams behind its creation have been realized? Well, let me put it this way, I was reasonably mature when Imo was created. In fact, I was in secondary school. Have we done badly? I won’t say yes; but have we excelled to expectations based on global standards? I would say no and there are many reasons for this. Even when we were created, I don’t think that Owerri as a capital had electricity in major places but some of those infrastructure have come in; they might not be the best but at least we have something. In recent times, during the military, you can’t question them because you didn’t understand their budgetary allocation system. Democracy, yes, we were blessed with a person like Achike Udenwa who you could say is a homeboy and naturally realistic. Subsequently, we have had other governors. Sometimes, it may sound easy for us to stay outside the net and blame the players but when you are inside, you understand better. Yes, I hear a lot of complaints, things are not working and all those but I have an attitude. I am very positive about my state and I just believe that like any other thing in Nigeria, God will intervene and correct them if the people are willing and ready to receive. We have knowledgeable people who can turn things around but things are not generally right in the country. So, it is really difficult to define and blame another person till they tell you their own story. My nature is that I don’t talk in the press to criticize my state government if I have access; so, when I have good ideas I send it to the government through text. Sometimes I call the governor. I am a subject of the governor; so it is his business if he

decides to take my advice or he trashes it. This is the little I can say about Imo State. It could be better. What has been responsible for Imo State’s inability to achieve its potential? I have always hammered on human capital. I have done a whole lot to raise human capital through education, sponsorship. I extend a lot of scholarships to people silently, to go to world class institutions. Even last week, there was a boy who made a First Class. I told the parents that he should go to Imperial College and I support them. Such kids are the ultimate leaders of tomorrow and must be well equipped to confront the erratic challenges of an emerging larger world. A lot of our people in Imo State have in recent times confronted quality education with the determination to win but there are gaps. The general Nigeria standard may not be world class but requires few months of going through a finishing school to become world class. The new educational standard defines and influences the mindset of a man to be positive and see the bigger picture in everything including in bad health. When you educate a people and they become global citizens you have successfully prepared an army of quality billionaires. So, I see quality local educational standard deficit as major issues to producing quality human capital for internal progress etc. I am not sure Imo can today boast of two industries that can contribute to the state’s IGR. The bigger headache is years of neglect of critical infrastructure that will encourage location of industries or even motivate indigenes to establish businesses and finally, sometimes unfriendly governments that avoid her established citizens. There is so much survival concentra-

Ekeh

Leadership is critical but the people led are in the majority, remember; it is the same people who put the leadership. He is a son of the soil and you chose him, it means you conceded to him, you selected him as somebody who should rule you. If you did your due diligence on the person very well, you will know the character of the candidate. It is important to note that people cannot change 360 degrees overnight. If you decided on the right person, he will serve you very well and uplift the profile of the state tion on the state while people from the West and the North head to Abuja to get the national cake. For you to get a share of the national cake, somebody of substance must facilitate it and who is more qualified than your state Governor? Your governor is the easiest person to secure higher access for you in Abuja but frankly I am not seeing excited young men and women in Imo state benefitting from national legacies. What I see are people waiting to make

money in the state from the little allocation to the state. The first line charge should be salaries. You can’t develop the infrastructure of a state with today’s meager government money. You look for credible investors; it is a business decision and the science of business should guide you. You invite investors who have capacity to come and develop and find a model without really killing the people to recover and make a little profit but these investors must have faith in the structure and the locals must not be hostile. My people need to move more to the center to take a percentage of the national wealth. They have the decency but need to manage their pride. You didn’t put leadership as number one issue because it is said that with good leadership, everything will fall in place… Leadership is critical but the people led are in the majority, remember; it is the same people who put the leadership. He is a son of the soil and you chose him, it means you conceded to him, you selected him as somebody who should rule you. If you did your due diligence on the person very well, you will know the character of the candidate. It is important to note that people cannot change 360 degrees overnight. If you decided on the right person, he will serve you very well and uplift the profile of the state. People say leadership but I rather think about the people led. If you think you have been rigged for whatever reason, you have a right to revolt and if you shut down the state for one month, the federal government will look into it; but you if you collected a kobo during election and voted for the wrong person and he emerges, you do not have an option but to carry the cross and its huge pain. But when you take a

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • JULY 15, 2017

INTERVIEW If God Wants Me to be Imo Governor, He Would Work It Out... business decision and support the right person, you feel spiritually fulfilled and shortly would start experiencing the positive impacts on yourself, your family and your future. In this 21st century, you don’t take extreme risk with people without certified profile in learning, character and spirituality. This is why due diligence is highest in valuing a man’s past, present and with data, you can anticipate his future leadership style. Today, when people complain, I remain dumb because in this century, many people are talking. So, the smartest thing to do is to pretend to be dumb. You can’t eat your cake and have it. So, why should you complain? This is why I believe it is not just leadership. But when good people run away from leadership positions, that system will continue to degenerate. Leo Stan Ekeh is a successful businessman; you can translate it into success in governance. Why are you not thinking of becoming governor of Imo State? This question continues to reoccur every four years; you know I come from reasonably a below average state compared with other states in the country. There are few reasons why I cannot go for governorship of Imo State. The reasons are simple. One, I am a thirdworld digital entrepreneur with all the difficulties with infrastructure and the people in terms of knowledge. So, I spend my time developing and incubating businesses and these create more excitement for me than power. Two, I don’t give my time and money to the same person. It does not make sense to me to spend money in campaigns to plead with same people that I want to disrupt my personal and corporate roadmap to offer world-class services to and change their story to the glory of God. I rather fix any campaign money, say N10 billion with the CBN and use it to deploy ICT infrastructure in the first six months to major cities in the state which will activate digital revolution that will enhance employment opportunities of the teeming unemployed citizens of the state not only in Nigeria but also overseas. Thirdly, it is not a business to me because I have enough material wealth to sustain my family and myself and as such, I will never steal a penny of the state which belongs to the people. My catholic belief is that the day I do that, my family and I will perish. My grandfather produced the first Catholic Reverend father in my region. Fourthly, I have the responsibility to mentor my kids at this incubation period in their business life until they mature and then I can take further risks outside the family. If Governorship of Imo state is by appointment, then I shall commit my time and use technology to enhance efficiency without running around 27 local government areas day and night campaigning because I know exactly the challenges and solutions for bringing peace and prosperity to Imo people without attending any seminar. Yes, I appreciate the clarion call from well-meaning people across my state every four years for me to come and serve but I also know that there are other qualified Imo men and women who could offer same quality services. One of the intending gubernatorial candidates called me to inform he was withdrawing in advance because he feels God want to use Leo Stan Ekeh to intervene in Imo state in 2019 and he feels I was created and helped by God to rise for this purpose this time. I only advised him not to withdraw as I have no interest and he concluded by saying I should not challenge God and at

Ekeh

There are few reasons why I cannot go for governorship of Imo State. The reasons are simple. One, I am a third-world digital entrepreneur with all the difficulties with infrastructure and the people in terms of knowledge. So, I spend my time developing and incubating businesses and these create more excitement for me than power. Two, I don’t give my time and money to the same person that pointed, I excused him to join my colleagues in a meeting. But if your supporters put money, you won’t spend money… I have received reasonable financial commitments and physical support from few Imo people who I can trust their words to fund my campaign only if I can do them the favor to agree to run in 2019, but they also know I am reasonably principled. Somehow, no one wants to listen to my reasons and I simply end by saying may the will of our Good Lord be done but same God knows in my heart of hearts that I don’t want to run as I am also doing my little bit in the technology sector. Sincerely, money to run election is not my challenge but why should I spend money to beg the people to serve them? It doesn’t add up because I may

get to the point where I would have to use family resources to pay workers’ salaries and pensions because as an entrepreneur, I may commit suicide if I get to that point where I cannot pay workers or pensioners. I cannot think of my family and I feeding well while those who worked for the money are dying of hunger. I see it as ungodly and that is why I never sacked any staff during this recession. I also told my staff that I will never sack because without them there is no way I could have been successful; therefore, I cannot abandon them at their point of need. So, we have been going through pains together and I shall sell the last property I have to pay salaries for performing staff if we get to that point. It is my commitment with God and he has intervened severally in my life and this is why all companies launched by me pay corporate tithe every month before we sign salaries. I tell them we can also support any responsible government of the state which sincerely wants us to add value without us really being in the driving seat. I believe at a point they will appreciate my position; that it is not just money but principle. Also mind you, I support my state remotely and in the last 18 years I have had an annual budget of N1 billion to support them without making it public. It is a spiritual responsibility and I believe God had a purpose for bringing me into this world from that remote part of Nigeria. Same way I see Lagos State because it is a classic example of what Nigeria should be in the 21st century. So, it will be wrong not to contribute to her development. I don’t make noise about this but the beneficiaries know and I intend to launch something soon that shall give more joy as I age. This has been delayed because of the current state of affairs not only in this country but globally and you know, when you become a global citizen, you also take global pains. I have taken a lot of global pains in the last two years. I think you are thinking more of what you will lose than what the people will gain. Why is it a big deal

to pack up Zinox for your beloved Imo State and become governor? Not exactly, but in my thoughts and my being, I always saw wealth as a right and when I launched out 1987, I wanted to be a disruptive digital entrepreneur but somehow, the country did not understand me. Only Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Alhaji Lateef Jakande who officially opened my first corporate office on Allen avenue, Ikeja somehow interpreted my script. I remember Alhaji Jakande telling the press then in an interview more than 25 years ago that if the country had five Leo Stans, Nigeria would be a better place. When I remember things like this, I find it difficult to disappoint and this is the reason I started my business life with a clear roadmap supported by my family so that I can continue to interprete the DNA of my group of which I am the founder, until such a time I retire which will not be too far from now. I consider it a privilege to lead the IT revolution in the continent starting with nothing. I have also grown with some colleagues who believe in me and cannot afford to betray them at this point. It is not very easy to pack up Zinox. If I did in 2006 when everyone wanted me to lead Imo state, maybe the nation would have been deficient with digital registration of voters that has created sanity in the electoral system. I have done more in Arab countries with technology because they gave me space on satellite technology. God has a clear purpose for everyone. Maybe because we are human, sometimes we cannot anticipate it. So, it doesn’t make sense to abandon a ship midway. I love my people and for this special love, I have a spiritual attachment to the three senatorial zones of the state. I am from Owerri Senatorial Zone. I was born in Okigwe Senatorial Zone and married from Orlu senatorial zone. So, this makes me a distinguished Imo indigene and I am not sure any other person has this lineage in Imo. So, I shall continue to be fair to all in my little contributions Cont’d on pg. 16

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • JULY 15, 2017

INTERVIEW Cont’d from pg. 15

for the good of the state and shall continue these till I die. All I need is their prayers to continue to add value and like I always told my friends, I cannot challenge God. May His will be done possibly outside politics. Between driving your dream and assisting someone to drive his dream which one do you think would work better for the state? The master approach in life is that no one can drive your dream better than you and this is true. When you drive your dream, you do so with your last blood; when you are driving another person’s dream, you don’t do it with hunger in the belly and whatever is the result you tolerate it. About three weeks ago, I told some entrepreneurs in Dubai that a lot of words in the dictionary shall be redefined before the end of the second quarter of this century based on emerging realities. As someone who read Risk Management at post-graduate level, I try to consider the faith of those with and around me when I take business decisions. So, in the business world, though I have brothers and sisters, I consider myself an only child. This means you know that if strategy and tact fails, you cry alone. Like I said, I do not need 96 hours to know how to turn around Imo state because I built possibly the single largest integrated ICT business on the continent with creative skill, common sense and God. You cannot achieve this with many godfathers. I can tell you with the combination of creative skill, common sense, quality time investment and God, this combination never fails but you have to do a little bit of planning before rolling out capacity for execution so that the sequence of development could be rated and certified. Without measureable milestones for achievement in governance by the people you shall continue to experience difficulties. It is not all about money but you must institute an auditable system that is an open book so that people who believe in rumours will be disappointed. You don’t need money to create wealth, instead you need a consciously instituted structure and people will invest in you. Less than 2 percent of successful entrepreneurs inherited wealth but I have not borrowed a kobo to run Zinox Group in the 30 years of my business life. From the start with all the difficulties, I upped my integrity and same partners I had 25 years ago after my incubation period still remain my partners because I meet my financial obligations most times with difficulties. So in three continents, though I am not God, I try my best to run my businesses with the highest level of integrity. This is why I give my time in serving God and my work. So there is always fear of failure not just for the money to sustain your family but to meet your obligations. With this sincerity of purpose, I can finance any genuine business with the support of my international partners but I must make sure I pay as at when due. With this support, my group has genuinely, intensely, directly and indirectly been funding the IT sector, leveraging on my integrity with my partners and that is why I lost huge weight when the Naira crashed as I had huge USD obligations to meet. This is why I continue to shout that an economy for rich start-ups is not an economy. A lot of governors can alter the destinies of their citizens by using some of their successful subjects to interface with the global community and leverage on developmental funds that are cheap

Ekeh

with long-term repayment period. So, I can sincerely stay by the side and support my governor to drive a genuine dream. If I use the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as an example, when he realized I could add value he technically included me in all Presidential committees and I worked quietly with him without being a Special Adviser or Minister. But the most touching strategic committee he formed that was dear to him was the “NIGERIAN THINKERS”. He avoided politicians and selected only seven of us nationwide and we spent quiet hours with him strategizing on which areas Nigeria could lead as number one, two or three in Africa and the entire world. These were very genuine Nigerians and it was not a television or newspaper showbiz of the rich and the mighty but men and women who could defend Nigeria with their life with quality inner content. This is my respect for Chief Obasanjo for his commitment to uplift this country and mind you, the nation did not know we were brainstorming on these. This is an example of helping a genuine leader drive his dream without sharing the front seat and I remain grateful to him for the privileges. In Nigeria, immediately you see those newspapers and television serialized committees, it means they have failed from the start date because it has become a show business. In a nutshell, I think of Imo State in the same way. I can quietly add great value by supporting my Governor like I do presently but quietly but the use of technology shall make it more cost effective and I can give more online. It is said that people like you avoid politics because of the fear of being rigged out. I don’t know how to comment on this but definitely I am not a coward. It is impossible for me to lose an election.

For me to go for an election it is only by divine call, so how can I lose? It is unthinkable. In my business history, I have never lost a single thing I showed interest in. I prepare very well for anything I want and seek God’s blessing and there is nothing more to add. Nothing is easy but at the end of it, it is victory. I am not new to politics and those I schooled with are in a better position to enlighten others. It is just unthinkable that I will lose an election in Imo state to be their Governor; it is unthinkable. My capacity is only with God’s blessing. What is your message to the masses of Imo State? It is very simple, to remain loyal to the present administration and be closest to God but they must not sell their soul in 2019. The current global challenge is enough lessons for all. We mean in terms of you becoming the governor? What can I say? The only thing I tell everybody is to continue to pray. Do I want to do it? The answer is capital no. I hate to put myself in a situation that appears like I am challenging God but He knows I am content with the current assignment he has given me. God has been very fair to me. I have worked for a minimum of 18 hours a day in the last 25 years or so and I have never been sick in the last six or seven years - no headache, fever, catarrh, malaria, runny stomach or cough and it is all by His grace. I plan to completely stay out of Imo state politics till after 2019 elections and may be in difficulty to support any candidate so that I can be at peace with my family and friends. Do you take African herbs to stay this strong? No I don’t take any African herbs. My mother was a dietician so we ate

Yes, the most respected men of God in my life have spoken to me not 20 times; but over 200 times to go and serve Imo state, extremely good wishes, but also what I tell everybody is to go and pray, while I handle the headache of this corporate body. I still have the future of a lot of people at stake. I don’t want to abandon them. I decided to accept this discussion just to clear the air so that all those candidates who put their intention to run for governorship of Imo state and are waiting for me could go ahead and declare and also know that I am not pretending because most of them are waiting for me to give the signal so that they can support me. And with this, I think I can now have peace because media houses in Imo state are awash with stories of my emergence quality food from childhood and with a tint of gym work. Also note that I have never taken alcohol or smoked in life and if I did, maybe I would have been a drug addict. God saved me from birth. Do you believe the maxim that the voice of man is the voice of God? Yes, I believe that to a large extent but remember it depends on the perspective you look at it from. I also mentioned too that many things shall change in the second quarter of this century. I study the future consciously in order not to be irrelevant. Yes, the most respected men of God in my life have spoken to me not 20 times; but over 200 times to go and serve Imo state, extremely good wishes, but also what I tell everybody is to go and pray, while I handle the headache of this corporate body. I still have the future of a lot of people at stake. I don’t want to abandon them. I decided to accept this discussion just to clear the air so that all those candidates who put their intention to run for governorship of Imo state and are waiting for me could go ahead and declare and also know that I am not pretending because most of them are waiting for me to give the signal so that they can support me. And with this, I think I can now have peace because media houses in Imo state are awash with stories of my emergence.

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Loud Whispers Travel Tribute Auto Global Soccer Fashion File

Nkeiruka Obi

Smile Train has Handled More than 25,000 Cases of Cleft Lip and Palate

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

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper July 15, 2017

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‘Smile Train Impact in West Africa Phenomenal, Revolutionary’ Smile Train is an international children’s charity with a sustainable approach to a single, solvable problem: cleft lip and palate. According to the organisation, millions of children in developing countries, including Nigeria, with untreated clefts live in isolation, but more important, have difficulty eating, breathing and speaking. Cleft repair surgery is simple, and the transformation is immediate. Its sustainable model provides training, funding, and resources to empower local doctors in developing countries to provide 100 per cent-free cleft repair surgery and comprehensive cleft care in their own communities. In this interview with Obioma Ogbonnaya, Mrs. Nkeiruka Obi, Smile Train, Programme Director West/Central Africa, throw more light on the activities of the organisation on the continent

ow will you assess the activities of the Smile Train in Nigeria and West Africa? I will begin by saying that Smile Train System architecture is anchored on four pillars: medical, technology, donors and programmes, which revolve around financial help to poor patients, who cannot afford the cost of surgery and training of medical professionals to upgrade their skills. What makes us unique is the fact that all of the surgeries we fund are performed by local doctors in local hospitals through free training, equipment and financial grants; we are helping communities to become self-sufficient. Small Train has been in Nigeria for 10 years. Since I joined in 2011, we have been able to grow the programme in scale and numbers by over 400 per cent by simply using the ‘teach a man to fish’ model which has enhanced the sustainability of the programme for longer term. We empower the local medical professionals to provide free, safe, and high quality comprehensive cleft care to as many patients in their own local communities all year round. We have created over 25,000 smiles (and still counting) in the region. And I can tell you that the impact has gone beyond creating simple smiles. It is phenomenal and revolutionary. What were some of the initial problems you encountered and how were you able to tackle them? The West and Central Africa region is a diverse multicultural territory with an estimated 390 million population, yearly cleft birth of 12,000 in 22 highly segmented countries of three different major international languages – English, French and Portuguese. Travelling is prohibitively expensive due to the poor transportation system. We’ve had to deal with insecurity, terrorism and unstable political climate with the attendant adverse effects on the people and governance. In Nigeria, we keep experiencing incessant strike actions by medical professionals. And as in several areas of healthcare, the human resources and facilities available for the provision of comprehensive multidisciplinary care of patients with cleft lip and palate deformity on the continent are very limited. Initially, it was insufficient cleft surgeons and cleft care practitioners in the Francophone, Central Africa and some English-speaking West African countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. So, my first task was to identify surgeons in these countries who are interested in cleft care and organise training for them so as to reinforce the scientific foundations of cleft surgery and provide them hands-on training in surgical techniques. There has been significant progress in this area. Then, the challenge of infrastructure and equipment; most hospitals have poorly equipped operating theatre. Our number one priority in cleft care is ensuring the safety of the patient. Smile Train has provided partners with equipment such as anaesthesia machines, pulse oximeters and cleft sets/ instruments. This in no small measure has helped in improving the quality and safety of surgeries and care of our cleft patients. Worthy of mention is the Smile Train Global Oximetry project which has been of tremen-

dous value. These pulse oximeters are what I simply call ‘Life Savers’. Not only are they crucial in monitoring the oxygen saturation of the patient who is under the administration of anaesthesia intra-operatively or post-op operatively, they are portals, durable and come with long-lasting battery life – which allows it to work without direct electricity. This is a plus considering the challenge of epileptic power supply in the region. We also have issues of malnutrition and underweight babies. Many of the children come from challenging environments including IDP camps and require nutritional rehab before surgery can be performed. Cleft deformity comes with a lot of psychosocial problems. Many children with cleft lips or palates suffer discrimination and their family is traumatised. Those who manage to reach adulthood are often banished to a life of isolation. We still have a huge backlog of adult cleft patients in the region. So, lack of awareness is another challenge. The need to educate our people that cleft has no spiritual connotation cannot be over-emphasised. As was the case with twins before the great Mary Slessor, our people regard children born with cleft lip or palate as evil occasioned by witchcraft or punishment from God. This is why the support of the media is very important to help us propagate the message of hope and the availability of this service to our people. No cleft child should be left to suffer any extra day. Smile Train is here to help. How would you compare the case of cleft lip deformity in children among West Africa, Latin America and Asia? Cleft deformity is a major problem in developing countries where there are millions of children suffering with unrepaired clefts. We know from reviewing the World Health Organisation data that every year more than 170,000 children are born with cleft lip or palate in the developing world. It’s a common birth defect. In fact, globally one in every 700 children is born with it. One in 1,200 children estimated cleft incidence is of Africa/Africa descent. 19,000 cleft children are born every year in Africa out of which 12,000 in West Africa and 6,000 in Nigeria alone. In my opinion, these figures could be underrepresented because they are based on registered hospital birth records. How about babies that were delivered at home or at the farm? Cleft babies are usually born to parents of low socio-economic status; many in the rural areas, with poor access to care. Sadly, the problem is enormous and not a priority of most governments. This is why the support of Smile Train is very commendable. Is there a way the deformity can be detected before birth? Yes, it is possible to detect cleft deformity in a child before birth through the use of ultrasound scan. A cleft is a harmful condition though not life-threatening in which the roof of the mouth and/or top lip does not close properly. It occurs due to errors in the growth process when the different parts of the face are formed in the womb. Normal lip development occurs between four and six weeks of gestation, while the palate develops between six and 12 weeks. The upper lip develops from the fusion of two different processes – failure of fusion results in cleft.

Nkeiruka Obi with some of the children

July 15, 2017 • THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper

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With Engineer (Dr.) Rabiu Kwankwaso, Former Executive Governor of Kano State

So, when the cleft is picked from the imaging, the family gets well informed and prepares ahead to what to expect and the available treatment services. Why does cleft occur? It is still a medical mystery. Research is ongoing to better understand the condition. No one knows exactly the cause, but most experts agree that there is an interplay between many genetic (internal) as well as environmental or nutritional (external) factors. Some cleft are isolated (sporadic) and others syndromic (associated with genetic mutations). Parents who have family history of cleft have a high risk of giving birth to cleft children. It could be environmental: poor nutrition, wrong use of drugs, folic acid deficiency, infection, habits – smoking and high alcohol in-take, exposure to ionizing radiations and even parental age. The only solution today is a simple life-transforming surgery that costs as little as $250 and takes as little as 45 minutes. What has been the success rate of cleft surgery in Nigeria and West Africa? Typical like any other surgery, there are risks involved. At Smile Train, we have had very good success rate and near-zero mortality rates. Our number one priority is to ensure the safety of the patient, and it is the guiding force behind every Smile Train programme and initiative, and our doctors and associated medical professionals abide by our strict standards to ensure patients receive the highest level of care possible. If a child has a cleft, he can live with that defect for the rest of his life. The only thing is that the child may not enjoy life to the fullest like a normal person. Thus, cleft, for us, is still an elective procedure not an emergency and the repair must be done under the safest condition. We subject our partner hospitals to a rigorous credentialing process to ensure that the safety and quality protocol are met. Then we sign a Treatment Partnership agreement that would factor in the anaesthesia and surgical guidelines, timelines, safety and quality assurance checklist among others. If the partner does not meet and adhere to these requirements, they obviously cannot be on board the Smile Train. Our partners have attested to the fact that meeting Smile Train standards has immensely helped them to improve on their overall healthcare service delivery systems even for non-cleft related cases and many have successfully got accreditation from through various bodies. Why do you choose to train your doctor-partners? Again, we provide training to everyone involved in cleft care – nurses, surgeons and anaesthetists, dentists and orthodontists, speech therapists, social workers, communitybased workers. This is primarily to build local capacity, improve skills and expertise in providing comprehensive cleft care and for long-term sustainability. We also want to position our surgeons in the global arena and network of world-class cleft surgeons. We sponsor and give scholarship for international conferences. It is important to note that since 1999, Smile Train has performed over one million (still counting) free, safe and high quality surgeries in more than 85 countries.

Before

NK with Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, First lady of Oyo State

A recent study of Global Economic Impact of Smile Train Cleft surgery published in the World Journal of Surgery shows that for every $250 committed for one cleft repair surgery, as much as $50,000 is put back into the local economy (as the recovered patient goes on to meaningfully contribute to their society and lead a full, productive life). The economic output of a single cleft surgery is as high as 200 times the input. In some West African countries, there are cases of unreported infanticide of cleft kids. How is Smile Train strengthening the advocacy? As typical of Africans, we have deeply entrenched cultural beliefs and superstitions. Recall the killing of twins or multiple births before the missionary, Mary Slessor, helped to de-mystify it. We can say it is almost similar with cleft. It varies from region to region. In Yoruba culture, a pregnant woman is advised not to go out at night so that evil spirit does not possess the unborn baby, or she should attach a safety pin to her dress. Some would say child is born with cleft because the mother sighted the moon or solar power at a wrong time. Some attribute it to ancestral curse to his or her family and the pressure on parents often leads to divorce or the banishment of the family from the village. Most often, these children are branded as witches, and often forced to live as outcast. They are labelled evil spirit, seen as product of infidelity or past wayward activities on the part of their mothers. Some believe it is a punishment from God, while others especially in northern Nigeria take it as a gift from God for alms begging on the streets to generate income to sustain the family. The list is endless but it doesn’t rule out that fact that if the cleft is unrepaired, these children will lead lives filled with shame and isolation, pain, and heartache. Those affected may not live past their first birthday, will have difficulty eating, speaking and breathing. Therefore, at Smile Train, we have strengthened our advocacy by initiating the Cleft Awareness Week. The aim is to have partners institutionalise a week in their calendar

annually dedicated to creating awareness about the programme in any targeted community. When I visited many communities with many cultural sensitive issues and social hierarchy, I discovered that some still stigmatise cleft families, reject and even kill cleft babies. Meanwhile, the solution is right at their door step. The cleft week affords the community to take total ownership of the programme – information is power. During the cleft week, there are public enlightenment activities aimed at educating the populace and correcting the wrong perception of cleft. Cleft is not a curse or a bad omen. Cleft patients are not witches or demons and should not be stigmatised. We have health talks on all available media platforms – radio, TV and of course, the social media. Handbills and posters of pre- and post-operation photos of patients are distributed. This is to show that cleft can be easily corrected and the person can live a meaningful life. This initiative has proven to be a catalyst for the programme’s growth in the region. We also have another advocacy initiative called ‘First Lady Initiative’. We try to put the face of the mother to the problem. Usually, when a woman gives birth to a cleft child, she is all alone and abandoned. We have engaged community leaders and influencers to support the programme and advocate for the care of the cleft child. They are very important to the success of our program. And we have received tremendous support thus far. About 70 per cent of our governors’ wives in Nigeria are Smile Train ambassadors. Recently, we’ve also signed on the MBGN Universe Nigeria – Debbie Collis, as one of our goodwill ambassadors. She has been active on a door-to-door advocacy and her One Smile Campaign. The message remains: No child should be killed because of cleft. Please when you come across any person with cleft, kindly refer them to any Smile Train local partner hospital. In Nigeria, we have partners and surgeons in all the 36 states and the FCT, Abuja. In West Africa and Central Africa, we have our programme running actively in these countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Cape Verde, Central

Now

Africa Republic (CAR), Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Where do you see cleft care in the near future? In addition to our dedication to safety and quality by offering a multitude of cleft education and training programmes and resources, Smile Train is also committed to ensuring that the care we are providing is comprehensive. Many may not realise this, but children born with clefts need more than just one surgery, and our local medical professionals evaluate whether or not additional nutritional, speech, dental, orthodontic, and therapeutic care is needed. Where these services are available, we do everything we can to provide our patients with access to them. Our vision of a cleft-free nation is to have a robust medical infrastructure and personnel easily and readily accessible to as many cleft patients especially young children who if early treated, can begin a great future without having to deal with all the stigma associated with cleft and live to contribute productively as members of their communities (and also to adults to give them a second chance to at life to smile. Together, we can make sure every child in our region born with cleft is given an opportunity to live productive life.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • July 15, 2017 with Joseph Edgar (09095325791)

Loud Whispers

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode

Lagos Floods and the Lone Boat Man Although we in Shomolu were not affected by the recent rains and flooding that took over most of the island, we still had our own small share of leaking roofs and overflowing drainages. What we saw and heard about the wreckage that happened on the island was no child’s play. We were inundated with pictures and clips of different flooding episodes. People’s living rooms totally taken over by flood, whole streets and neighbourhoods turned into lagoons and oceans with sea faring large cargo ships sailing through some neighbourhoods like VGC where a full US warship passed through on its way to the Korean peninsula. It was not funny my people o, the rich people on the island were suddenly turned into destitute watching their expensive furniture and cars floating away right before their very eyes. It was really sad. Some people woke up in other people’s bedrooms o, I tell you. Someone actually saw himself on his neighbour’s housemaid’s bed, the water had dragged him there without his knowledge. But in all these, my real anger was with that lone boat man rowing his boat on Ahmadu Bello way. This thing pain me no be small. At first I thought it was a clip of a beach resort in Mexico that I was looking at until I saw the Silverbird galleria and suddenly realised that it was our own Victoria Island turned into an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. This foreigner rowed his boat so casually down the length and breadth of the road even past the junction I usually buy suya with no care in the world. This person was basically laughing at us, at our ineptitude and our eagerness to allow our inefficient and corrupt ways get the better of us with such avoidable calamities. That man must be identified and arrested. He must be tried and convicted for laughing at us. Who gave him the permission to row that boat on our street or should I say newly formed temporary canals. I don’t even know who to blame for this flooding wahala. From Donald trump who does not believe in climate change, to the people who are sand filling everywhere to sell land that is in high demand, to those who have turned their drainage into dustbins. All have sinned and that is why water is taking up everywhere and rendering our people homeless and hapless. I think it is time for us to go back to our gods. Sacrifices will have to be made to appease the water gods or by this time next year, it may be a deluge. Aviation Safety: Ooni of Ife Style The internet is a lovely place. Another video which has caught my attention is the one showing the great Ooni of Ife carrying out his own safety measures. You know how it is when the flight is about to take off and the sweet young nubile flight attendants will stand in front of you asking you to fasten your seat belt and tell you where to jump to if the plane was dropping into the sea. The Ooni and his team did not really have time for that one o, they got a priest in full regalia complete with bald head to carry out safety precautions the traditional style. The man with the gourds in both hands

Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, Ooni of Ife

Matthew Willsher, etisalat Nigeria CEO

Ademola Adeleke: Owambe Goes to the Senate I am sure by now you guys would have seen the video which has gone viral. It was the video of the newly elected senator dancing to some strong Juju music. That he can dance was not in question o. The way he shook his waist, held his head and rocked his bottom to the music was very infectious. It is something like this that makes you start to understand why they call that brand of music – Juju. The way the thing used to catch them, you will think it is juju that the musician is using. In my time, I have gone to a lot of Owambe parties and what you would see in that Adeleke video is exactly what happened at those parties. Once the musician starts singing your praises, you will immediately go into a trance like the senator-elect, you will jump up and run to the bandstand; as they are singing your name, you will just be doing like this senator. With no control o, you will be shaking your head, your eyes will become glazed and you will empty your pocket of your hard-earned money and be throwing at the musician. I have

went up and down the aisle chanting incantations and checking all components of the plane traditionally to ensure a safe trip for the highly respected king. It was very hilarious and I wished I was on the flight, I would have also stripped to my boxer shorts, dabbed a little bit of palm oil on my forehead and moved from my economy seat into the business class with the hope that all the incantations and rituals would make me invisible as I sit and wallow in the luxury that is a

never been caught in that trance sha. You know my madam is an Owambe queen and I have followed her to many. They would just be calling my name… Edgar oooooo, Edgarooooo, I would sit down and be looking. They don’t know as Duke of Shomolu that kind thing cannot catch me. They would call me ‘’handsome bobo’’, ‘’omo Igbo’ all sorts, I would just be looking at them. I have never really understood the craze for this lifestyle until I saw Senator Adeleke. He jumped and screamed. He turned around and squatted. His eyes bulging like one in a haze and really enjoying himself. But the bobo can dance sha. I like him o, he followed the rhythm and in all these, his cap did not fall off his big head o, this was professionalism in full display. I am so excited that he won and would be heading to the Senate with this mind-set. We take ourselves too seriously in this country and it is time for us to relax and have fun and the senator is leading the way with this wonderful dance. Abeg carry go sir, let Owambe lead the way to a national rebirth.

business-class travel. Na wa. Etisalat Nigeria – A Bitter Lesson Let me tell you guys what I have learnt from the ongoing wahala with Etisalat. I have learnt that blood is thicker than water. All these our people who will just be running around to go get foreign partners to do things when they can do them reliably better with local investors always have themselves to blame. You see now, the Arabs who owned about 40% of the

Gabriel Ogbechie

company are withdrawing and not only that, have given them just three weeks to stop using their brand name. What is a partnership if it is not to withstand storms like this? Why would they jump out at the very first sign of trouble and this has led me to the question that apart from their names, what exactly did they really bring to the table from the outset? We have been taken for fools, they come with their highfalutin names which mean nothing but our bankers, the demagogues that they are will be falling over themselves to form empty consortiums to lend them money. Can you imagine the sheer quantum of funds involved, poor people’s money o and if you owe them N2,000 the kind of recovery agents they will unleash on you ehn, you will regret. So these vultures mobilise funds from our grassroots people, sell their services to the same grassroots people and take revenues generated from the grassroots people and pay back the same loans and keep a good spread for themselves. Making money out of nothing. What do we get in return, they employ some of us and we are dancing, their partners also get a small part of the cake and they too are happy. Now the bubble has burst they have run away leaving their big-headed partners alone with an empty sack to face creditors and regulators. This is what we used to call in the University of Ibadan mumu 101. We are just a country of n………. let me don’t talk. We are watching as the whole thing unfolds and will continue to comment and hope that our business leaders and indeed political leaders will learn from this saga. I have dumped my Etisalat line, the thing don kuku stop to work. How Not to be a Role Model In my life I have been influenced by some great people. People like Akin Kekere Ekun and much more recently Gabriel Ogbechie. These two people and a smattering of others have continued to show me that hard work and integrity remain the footstool of enduring success. In trying to build my career and my person, I strive to live by the ideals I have learnt from not only these two great men but others that I have passed through. However same cannot be said of some others who have shown a great sense of disloyalty and dishonesty not only to me but also to the society. My people, there is nothing better than being forthright, nothing better than being a man of your words and despite the challenges that are besetting us in life especially the harsh economic climate, one needs to continue to stand forth and be counted as a pillar in society. That is my plan and my pledge to my son who has been watching my every dealing and action with a keen eye. This advice I will like to give to others who we see as role models and father figures to always remember that their actions and indeed inactions impact and influence those of us who look up to them for leadership. Let me keep quiet at this point even as I restate my continued loyalty and love to all those who I consider my role models. Abeg, nobody should call and ask for explanations o, na just idle talk.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • july 15, 2017

Spy Glass

Ajudua Ajudua’s Home For Sale? When Fred Ajudua, an alleged serial fraudster, built his Victoria Garden City (VGC) home some years ago, not a few purposely took trips to the house styled after an Arabian palace. Everything about the architectural masterpiece then oozed taste and wealth. But today, investigations revealed that the story has changed tremendously, as the house is now a shadow of itself. No more the glowing coats of paint. In fact, it has lost its beauty, as weed has now covered almost the entire exterior. A source hinted that the palatial building might have been put up for sale. The reason, according to the source, is that the house was fast giving the residents in the neighbourhood sleepless nights. It is said to have become a haven of sorts for different species of snakes. Ajudua is allegedly involved in one of the celebrated cases of Advanced Fee Fraud, otherwise known as 419 in the Nigerian parlance. He has been facing trial alongside one Alex Okorie for defrauding two Dutch businessmen of $1.69 million since 2003. He is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly deceiving the victims by claiming that the money was for sundry payments to various government officials. Until his descent into infamy, the Delta State-born businessman was a top socialite and one of the biggest boys in town. He was also popular among some top musicians who constantly sang his praises and were handsomely rewarded. ADEMOLA ADELEKE’S DANCE OF JOY Anyone who has seen the trending video of Ademola Adeleke, the newly elected senator representing Osun West Senatorial district, dancing so heartily would have

with bayo adeoye .... 08054680651 been little surprised if he or she has read the words of Mark Twain: ‘’Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great. “ It was an impulsive dance of joy; a dance of victory in a moment of glory. In the thinking of some, the historic dance is understandable for one major reason: his dream to replace his late brother, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, at the Upper Chamber had been actualised, in spite of the alleged threat by the state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. The Lagos-based socialite and businessman had the dream, held on to it with the firm belief that he would surely be victorious. Until his emergence as senator in the last Saturday bye-election in the state on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, many had sneered and even called him unprintable names. With the victory, Ademola is now the third senator from the Adeleke family. His father, the late Chief Ayoola Adeleke who was Balogun of Ede was a senator under the Obafemi Awolowo- led Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN; his elder brother, the late Isiaka Adeleke otherwise known as Serubawon, was also a senator. He left the All Progressives Congress, APC, after a fierce battle with Governor Aregbesola whose preferred candidate was the more politically experienced Mudashiru Hussein of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. His defection to the PDP turned the fractured political platform into a formidable force for the July 8 senatorial contest. In the face of this, he pinned his hope on his family, who is a force to reckon with in politics in Ede, Osun State, his home town. OPEYEMI BAMIDELE RETURNS TO THE CENTRE STAGE Vibrant and brilliant Iyin Ekitiborn former Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social development in Lagos state, Opeyemi Michael Bamidele could be said to have adopted a low profile for several months as little or nothing has been heard from his ends. He was last heard about after his failed attempt to become the governor of his state, Ekiti, during the last governorship election in the state. It will be recalled, his ambition became a thing of interest to many even beyond the shores of Ekiti because he actually

contested the election against the wish of his mentor and godfather, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, that he decamped from APC to pursue his ambition on the platform of the Labour Party. However, he has since reconciled with Tinubu and returned to the APC fold. Meanwhile, the graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University and University of Benin, Bamidele may have concluded to return to center stage, if information reaching SPYGLASS is anything to go by. According to a source, the former member of House of Representatives will clock 54 on the 29th of this month and invites are said to have been sent to guests to join him in Ekiti State to mark the anniversary. The event, we learnt is expected to re-launch MOB, as Ope is fondly called to political limelight as it is said to have been designed to have political colouration, especially as it has been confirmed Ope still has his gaze on the governorship seat of Ekiti State even as the incumbent’s tenure is slated to come to an end next year. For a fact, the Ekiti State-born politician received his political tutelage under the APC national leader, having served as a commissioner under him while he was governor of Lagos. Much later, Tinubu ensured his victory in the race to the House of Representatives in 2011 under the Action Congress of Nigeria (A.C.N). To say that Opeyemi also enjoyed a robust relationship with Tinubu until 2013 is to say the obvious. But they fell apart before the Ekiti election that brought back the present governor, Ayo Fayose before they finally reconciled few months to the 2015 general election. OLORI WURAOLA’S ACTIVISM Again, Olori Wuraola Ogunwusi, wife of the Ooni of Ife, HRM Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has lent her voice to the fight against domestic violence in our society. Penultimate week, the woman of substance led a campaign tagged “Walk Against Domestic Violence” in the streets of Lagos. A number of female personalities, including star actresses in Nollywood, joined her in the walk, as they carried banners with screaming inscriptions against the condemnable act. Olori Wuraola is not new to being in the forefront of the struggles for the cause of the womenfolk in the country, particularly in the South-west. In the past years, she has been reaching out to her target audi-

Kay Ovia

Ademola

Opeyemi Bamidele

OloriWuraola ence through her non-governmental organisation, The House of Oduduwa Foundation. A few months ago, she donated relief materials to some IDPs in Ife, organised a ‘Give Back Concert’ in Lagos at the Convention Centre of the Eko Hotel, Lagos and also executed ‘The Orphan Aid Project’. It will be recalled that she was part of the United Nations delegates to a conference in New York, US a few months ago, where she was one of the six international panelists; she shared her views on ‘Safeguarding and protecting the endangered cultural heritage in time of conflict’. Her contributions as gathered, earned her a standing ovation from the audience. Kay Ovia’s Heart Of Gold When you think of women who are blessed with beauty and brains, Kay Ovia, wife of billionaire banker, Jim Ovia, Chairman, Zenith Bank Plc., comes to mind. By all standards, she could be said to be one of the few born under the proverbial lucky star. But unlike many in her shoes, she loves to identify with the hoi polloi. It is a fact that she loves kids and is doing everything humanly possible to give hopes and a bright future to disadvantaged ones through her talent hunt project. Spyglass gathered that the amiable woman, who is very motherly, loving and welcoming , embarked on the project to help Nigerian children who are creative and talented, but don’t know how to explore their God-given talents. Since the inception of the project, many have benefited immensely. She organises a party annually for orphanages at her house. In spite of her privileged position, her doors are always open to all.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • JULY 15, 2017

super saturday

CELINE DION

Gets Naked for Vogue C

Celine Dion

eline Dion is known for to have a penchant for haute couture, but her latest look is extremely stripped down. Included in series of Instagram posts by Vogue magazine is a photo of the singer baring it all. Dion is shown nude, sitting in a chair, arms folded as she holds a white garment. “Here’s a little naked fact to ponder while Celine Dion changes looks between shows: for the past five years she has worn haute couture near exclusively for her own performances (in Las Vegas and on her current ‘mini-tour’ of Europe),” the caption read. “She performs a minimum two hours a night, five or six nights a week, dancing and curtseying and generally gesticulating sans abandon, in handmade, hand-beaded delicacies designed solely to walk a catwalk or a carpet (and often with handlers).” For Celine’s orders, the houses send teams to Nevada for typically three fittings, before the garments are ultimately finished in her local, private atelier. Armani Prive, Schiaparelli, Giambattista Valli, Versace...only a partial list. In Vegas, Velcro panels are added to allow for her ribcage to expand or for a quick outfit change. Micro straps of elasticized chiffon prevent a slit from becoming a sloppy situation mid-squat. Shoes—always heels, never platforms—are ordered one size smaller (she is normally a 38) and refitted with metal shanks. Says Celine, “We have to make haute couture industrial.” And, more enigmatically: “The clothes follow me; I do not follow the clothes.” Which is to say: the haute couture, with all its fragility and handcraft, has to perform professionally for Ms. Dion. And privately as well. Years ago, Celine bought a classic little black dress from the Christian Dior atelier when the house was overseen by John Galliano. It is simple, falling to mid-calf, and narrow as can be with just a hint of stretch. It requires a minimum of jewellery, a statement bracelet or perhaps one of the major diamond rings she designed with her late husband Rene Angelil: two pear cuts set in a wide pave band, or two hearts of diamond and emerald abstractly interlocking, on a cushion of yet more diamonds. This LBD forces you to walk one foot in front of the other. This is a dress Celine knows well and clearly loves, the simplest evocation of the private luxury of couture and the total antithesis of the red carpet hoopla that attends the union of fashion and celebrity. It is also the dress she wore to Rene’s funeral. “What is making the people who are interested in fashion now interested in me when I have always been interested in fashion?” So asks Celine Dion en route to the Christian Dior haute couture show, security guards in tow. She wears a tunic and midcalf skirt, tucked and belted and elevated by thigh high black boots. She has done her own makeup—as is her way --but her precise and dramatic eye contouring is obscured by the massive Dior gold shades selected by her stylist Law Roach (@luxurylaw). (“Why did you make me wear makeup if I was going to wear glasses like this?”) Celine began working with Law a little over a year ago, after her husband Rene passed and she began the long road of living again with great loss of a partner (“an amazing man”) but also the incredible blessing of “the quality of the time we spent together.” More on that later. For now, it is enough to know that while Law may have contributed to the answer to Celine’s original question – why Dion mania now? – the answer clearly lies with the lady herself. She keeps a master file divided into mini files of pages torn from magazines. She circles looks from collections special issues, turns down pages, and despairs when a look or accessory is not produced and the sample unbuyable. Celine Dion knows clothes. (She is also at a point in her life where she can enjoy them. Going to a fashion show “gives me a bit of freedom when my life has been work, discipline, hard hard work”. Today at @dior there was a little work (celebrity gridlock in and out, intense heat which is never ideal with leather) and a lot of fun. Celine admires Ruth Bell’s gamine crop. “I really want a haircut like that”, the flatform boots (“the strength today!”), a wool coat dress for day with an open asymmetric neckline (“like a calla lily”), the mousseline peering out from the long belted coats. After she said, “I forgot the jungle, the theme, I don’t care. I am not

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • JULY 15, 2017

saturday Celine Dion gets naked for Vogue Here’s a little naked fact to ponder while Celine Dion changes looks between shows: for the past five years she has worn haute couture near exclusively for her own performances (in Las Vegas and on her current ‘mini-tour’ of Europe),” the caption read. “She performs a minimum two hours a night, five or six nights a week, dancing and curtseying and generally gesticulating sans abandon, in handmade, hand-beaded delicacies designed solely to walk a catwalk or a carpet (and often with handlers)

buying the animals, the trees. But the clothes,” she smiles. “I am already broke.” More on that later, and the significance of one legendary CD to another.... “They see me; I don’t see them,” is Celine Dion’s line on the great blob of paparazzi and fans that follow her everywhere. She gives them any picture they ask for, plus a great many more. Consider an appointment with her at the house of Schiaparelli, where she poses for the creative director Bertrand Guyon on a window sill overlooking the Place Vendome. She wears a tiny whimsical dress of Swarovski chainmail re-embroidered with yet more crystals and high sparkly Victorian boots – a little Twiggy, a little Tina Turner. Says her dancer, Pepe Munoz: “That’s a rockstar!” Says Libby Hahn, who handles public relations for the house: “I am fairly certain she was a rockstar before she put on the dress.” Says Celine’s own longtime photographer Denise Truscello (a Canadian cinephile with her own rockstar style), thinking of the long lenses poised on the place below: “Is the dress pulled down in the back?” Says Celine Dion: “They might see my butt, but I don’t think they mind.” Celine Dion is frustrated by fashion’s current revolving door policy, the relentless firings and hirings at the top (amen to that!). She is concerned that “the dream” of elegance is disappearing, for as much fun as she had in her beloved Vetements Titanic sweatshirt (and we have Law Roach for that brilliant post-ironic gesture!), she believes in the magic of hats, gloves and total looks of a world in which Lisa Fonssagrives could step from the pages of Vogue and through the doors of today’s Ritz. Mostly, she laments the red carpet hordes with the incessant questions about whose clothes and jewels one is wearing. “Mine” is her answer. Fashion is public for Celine; jewellery is personal. Sometimes, when she is at home in Las Vegas and missing her partner, Rene, she slips on a caftan and all her jewels, and quietly retreats to her bath, sans children, sans fans, sans circus. Culled from www.billboardmagazine.com

Celine Dion in performance

CelineDion’sFauxLeatherOveralls EnsembleCostOver$100,000

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • JULY 15, 2017

the alternative with Reno Omokri

What Senator Ndume Can Teach President Buhari and Tony Blair About Leadership

ecently, I had a conversation with Mohammed Ali Ndume, the senator representing Borno South senatorial zone and who was recently suspended by the Senate. Because of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume’s notorious history, I must confess that my mind was a bit biased against him and so when on Sunday the 8th of July 2017, he complained that Boko Haram had upped the ante of their attacks, I was a bit irritated by him because he was one of the many All Progressives Congress politicians who had praised President Muhammadu Buhari for ‘defeating’ Boko Haram. I was outraged enough to release the following statement on facebook: In today’s paper, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume who once praised President Muhammadu Buhari for ‘defeating’ Boko Haram now says he is worried about the ‘worrisome’ dimensions of Boko Haram attacks! In fact, Ndume says he is ‘disturbed’! I am also disturbed too. My disturbance is based on this: How can people who have been ‘defeated’ now increase the tempo of their attacks to ‘worrisome’ and ‘disturbing’ levels senator? You see sir, lies have an expiry date and the lies you told against Goodluck Jonathan will continue to ‘worry’ and ‘disturb’ you! Even though I tagged Senator Ndume in the post, I never expected that he would respond, but respond he did as follows: I really thought of not responding to your comments but the fact that you remain one of the few beneficiaries of GEJ admin that still stand by him. He was an innocent weak President that most of the people around him exploited for their personal interest. Even though the response above is not completely positive, it was however not the type of response I would have expected from Ndume. I have had a number of exchanges with many an APC politician and all too often these exchanges have been filled with vitriol coming from them and so this was a ‘breath of fresh air’ (if I may be excused that play on words). And so I responded to him as follows: Mohammed Ali Ndume, what you said about Goodluck Jonathan may or may not be true, but what I said about you IS true. You praised Muhammadu Buhari for defeating Boko Haram. I can give you the date when you said it. And in today’s papers you are lamenting about Boko Haram attacks. So senator, let us stick with these facts. If I have lied, please feel free to expose me. To which the suspended senator in turn responded as follows: What you said my brother Reno is true. I praised and still praise PMB for defeating BH and my concern for the recent development is not out of place. GEJ misused the opportunity given to Nigerian minorities which I am one. This is a fact that nobody can deny. I was so disarmed by the senator’s conviviality (to me, if not to former President Jonathan) even though I disagreed with his conclusions on my former boss that I went on to say the following: Mohammed Ali Ndume, I praise you for telling the truth. I respect you for that and there is no need for us to go at each

Ask yourself which state President Muhammadu Buhari has visited in the South-east and South-south since he assumed office as President on May 29, 2015. The answer is nought, nil, nada, nothing, zero, zilch and zip. The same President Muhammadu Buhari who has visited multiple foreign countries has not found it within himself to even visit these opposition states! In fact, those states could be forgiven if they thought they were the ‘Dogs and Baboons’ famously referenced by the President in 2012 because since Buhari rose to power, they have been soaked in blood by Fulani herdsmen with little or nothing done for them by the same President who once complained that the fight against Boko Haram was anti-North (his words not mine)

multiple foreign countries has not found it within himself to even visit these opposition states! In fact, those states could be forgiven if they thought they were the ‘Dogs and Baboons’ famously referenced by the President in 2012 because since Buhari rose to power, they have been soaked in blood by Fulani herdsmen with little or nothing done for them by the same President who once complained that the fight against Boko Haram was anti-North (his words not mine). The husband talks of Dog and Baboon, the wife talks of Hyenas and Jackals. Are we sure these people still see Nigerians as human beings? I have been praying for President Muhammadu Buhari. I have asked nothing from him, neither do I need anything from the First Family. What I do want from them is to address us as human beings not as sundry wild animals that rank low on the food chain! Nigeria is facing unprecedented floods with no solution, secession threats, quit notices, hyperinflation, Naira losing value and at this critical time the First Family chooses to reference us with Animal innuendo! How did we go from ‘my ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian’ to being called Dogs, Baboons, Hyenas and Jackals? How did this happen? It is now I believe that Fela Kuti was a prophet of sorts (God can speak through anybody). Twenty-eight years ago he warned us by singing, ‘Many leaders as you see them, na different disguise them dey o, animal in human skin!’ And what a damp squib acting President Yemi Osinbajo’s visit to London to see his boss turned out to be. We were expecting some direction from that visit, some inkling of a solution to the many pressing domestic problems that this administration has inflicted on us, but the long-suffering and well-meaning acting President could only mouth at the usual platitudes to us about the president ‘recovering fast’ and is expected to ‘return soon’! Can you blame the good man? Hedged in as he is by the ‘cabal’ and their lap dogs who have been flying a kite that ‘the next in line is not always the next king’! Senator Ndume

other. Obviously, Boko Haram was not defeated when President Muhammadu Buhari said it was. We pray that the deaths of your innocent constituents will end soon. Forgive me if I have wronged you. To which Senator Ndume responded thus: Reno Omokri, I respect you for standing by GEJ. So many beneficiaries have since abandoned him. I urge you to continue doing that. Because that is a rare quality of a good man. May Allah bring peace, equity, unity and good governance to our beloved country. At this point, all I could respond with was an ‘Amin’ (amen in Arabic)! I must say that my interaction with Senator Ndume so touched me and it made me go from dealing with him from a position of cynicism to developing almost a soft spot for him. a soft spot? Because most Nigerian politicians are not humble enough to admit when and where they are wrong and for the senator to do that shows a level of maturity that I find endearing. I daresay that others may also find it endearing as I did. There are many uses for politics, but to my mind, the very best use of the vocation is to turn one’s enemies into one’s friends and whatever may be said about Senator Ndume, he does have that ability. Now that we have identified one person who had this quality in the APC, I must appeal to him to teach it to President Muhammadu Buhari because the greatest threat to the continued existence of Nigeria as one united indivisible country is not Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB, rather it is the 97% versus 5% mentality of the President. Not only does that mentality prove that our President could never have passed mathematics (that is even if he truly has the certificate that we have only heard about but not seen), it only shows that the President is a ruler and not a leader. Let me explain the difference between a ruler and a leader. A ruler is a person in authority because of an office he/she holds and who maintains himself in that office by catering to the needs of his/her loyalists. A leader on the other hand is a person in authority because of his or her character traits which others find attractive and thus follow him as a result and who continues to expand his or her influence and authority by catering to the needs of everyone in his or her team or sphere of influence. President Buhari fits into the former which is why he would use a sectional language to address a national holiday. It is also the reason why he was not able to bring himself to pay a state visit to those states where he lost in the 2015 elections. Ask yourself which state President Muhammadu Buhari has visited in the South-east and South-south since he assumed office as President on May 29, 2015. The answer is nought, nil, nada, nothing, zero, zilch and zip. The same President Muhammadu Buhari who has visited

Meaningless platitudes!

If the President is indeed ‘recovering fast’ how come the acting President could not pose for pictures with his boss for the benefit of Nigerians? And how come the Presidency’s outlets released old pictures of the First Lady and Kayode Fayemi in winter wears with the President to try and fool the Nigerian public? I just came back from a two-week working visit to London and Aberdeen and the weather in the U.K. does not support the type of outfits we saw in those pictures! I pray for President Muhammadu Buhari, but do you know how many poor and sick Nigerians can be treated with the thousands of pounds it cost to keep his Presidential jet at London Stansted Airport in the U.K. daily? Today, hundreds of poor Nigerians will starve to death. They could have been rescued with a fraction of that money. Today hundreds of women will die in child birth. They could have gone to a clinic and their lives saved with a fraction of that money. Today, hundreds of infants will die of malnutrition. Only a percentage of that money could have saved them. My question to you is, who is praying for them? So in conclusion, my advice to the President is the same advice that former President Olusegun Obasanjo gave to the nation on Wednesday January 20, 2010. On that day, former President Obasanjo said: “If you take up an appointment, or a job, elected, appointed or whatever and then your health starts failing you, and you will not be able to satisfy yourself and the people you are supposed to serve, then, there is a part of honour and a part of morality and if you don’t do that, I do not need to say more than that.” What more can I add to that than to say who the cap fits, let him wear it! And let me end by saying that it is so disappointing that Tony Blair would agree to go to a Kaduna State where at least 347 Shiite men, women, children and infants were slaughtered without anyone being held liable! I know Tony Blair professes to be a Christian. How Christian is it to affirm a government in whose sphere this mass murder happened? This is not counting the killings that were ongoing in Southern Kaduna earlier this year. Apparently, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume has another pupil in Mr. Blair.

Reno’s Nuggets

You eat three times a day in order to be physically healthy. Won’t it make sense to also have three streams of income so you can be financially healthy? And if men who did not graduate university founded Apple, Microsoft and Facebook, you have no excuse for failure as a graduate. Finally, if you’re lazy and like to sleep a lot, then make sure you have a business that still makes you money even when you are sleeping. Between the time you slept and woke up, Mark Zuckerberg made over two million dollars #RenosNuggets.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • JULY 15, 2017

Expression

MEDIAGAFFES by

Senator Hope Uzodimma Goofs

Ebere Wabara

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

AILY SUN of July 10 welcomes us today with the first salvo from the full-page advertorial by Senator Hope Uzodimma: “Your esteemed presences (presence) made a world of difference at the

wedding.” “An attempt to list or acknowledge all of you who graced this memorable wedding ceremony (sic) with your warm presence (which one is cold presence, please?) on (in) this publication will be an uphill task because….” Finally from the senator: “All others who grazed (what?) this occasion are no less appreciated.” Wrong: well deserved honour; right: well-deserved honour “The former governor said urgent steps are (were) needed to save the country from….” “Singapore jails senior civil servants over (for) corruption” “ANA postponements (sic) (postpones) July reading” “Peugeot plans to inject $7.26b on (into) research, development” “South African Airways celebrates 80 years (years’ or 80th year) anniversary” “LASU Management re-opens (reopens) the university” (Half-page advertisement) “You lived well and you have gone to (preferably for) a well deserved (welldeserved) rest. Rest in perfect peace.” (Full-page obituary) Except for graveyard peace, ‘peace’ is an absolute and does not need inflection, intensification or adumbra-

tion. So, rest in peace (R.I.P—not R.I.P.P)! Finally from the Back Page of THE GUARDIAN under review: “One has witnessed at different occasions dissenting opinions of doctors as regards prescriptions for patient’s (a patient’s) ailment.” The Guardian youth speak: on different occasions. Next is DAILY TRUST of July 11: “Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar spoke at his palace in Sokoto….” Does the Sultan of Sokoto have another palace elsewhere? Let us think as we report. “Heritage Bank plans listing in (on) capital market” “Pact with China conducive for peace, says Taiwan (Taiwan’s or Taiwanese) president” “Otherwise, there is no point we engage in importing that much on yearly (a yearly) basis.” “…he said though the institute has (had) developed 62 rice varieties for farmers, five most prominent varieties are (were) in circulation and are (were) doing very good (well).” “NEMA, stakeholders meets over displaced persons” You can readily identify the boyish slip-up. “With the LG polls now fixed for next week Tuesday….” Either next Tuesday or Tuesday, next week Lastly from DAILY TRUST: “Replicate your performance to (in) your constituents (constituencies)” “Security at airports: Police deploys (sic) sniffer dogs at (in) Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, 5 others” (AIT News) From DAILY TRUST we move to THISDAY of July 12: “Absence of interpreter

stalls trial of Portuguese woman charged for (with) drug trafficking” “Thumb (Thumbs) up for Nigerian refs in Mali” “Obasanjo : Amaechi’s k-leg (knocked leg) has been straightened” The following five solecisms are from DAILY INDEPENDENT of July 12: “DHQ assures of continued offensive” Who did it assure? “Battle for soul of Ecobank intensifies” So the battle intensifies itself? “Harnessing potentials of local software industry in Nigeria” ‘Potential’ is uncountable, but we have ‘potentialities’, “Tackling voters apathy in Nigeria” This way: voter apathy SATURDAY INDEPENDENT of July 8 disseminated all manner of school-boy mistakes right from the front page: “Fear has grip (gripped) notable politicians in Ebonyi State following findings by….” Most of the ensuing blunders were caused by sheer carelessness and loose thinking as the computer system has an in-built mechanism that detects most of the spelling errors contained herein. “The discovery was made when the DSS arrested some kidnappers in the state alleged to be the brain (brains) behind high profile (high-profile) kidnapping in the state.” “The SSS in the state said on Friday that it has (had) arrested….” “…motorists were made to watch a bizzare (bizarre) spectacle, (needless comma) as four policemen beat a man gave (who gave) his name as…to a state of stupour (stupor).” “The policemen, who drove to the scene in a patrol van with registration number

KJA 284 AX, threw caution the winds (sic) (threw caution to the winds).” “Federal University Lafia, (otiose punctuation) matriculates 380 students” Would it have matriculated traders? Just yank off the last word in the extract! “Community sends SOS to Amosun, Ambode over harrassment” Spell-check: harassment, but embarrassment. “When Fayemi’s wife rescued woman abandoned with tripplet (triplet)” Still on SATURDAY INDEPENDENT under focus: “…Governor Obaseki has already served the people creditably well.…” This is an over-kill: use either ‘creditably’ or ‘well’. Both cannot co-function in the same environment. “Adewale Ayuba is one musician (music/ musical) act who has been around for years. “ “My husband usually ask (asks) me to abort my pregnancy, woman tells court” Finally from SATURDAY INDEPENDENT, a voice of your own: “Movie directors threaten sanction on (against) actress” Next on focus is DAILY SUN of July 12: “They buy at N159 and sell at N167, the CBN has (had) addressed last year when….” “But what the banks decided to do is (was) to even stop selling.” “Middle aged (Middle-aged) man commits suicide in Jos…Police tries (try) to uncover his identity” “IITA creates 40,000 jobs under cassava to ethanol (cassava-to-ethanol) project” “Edo: Court remands killer cop (killercop)…” “CBN said money is (was) missing from federation (the federation) account.”

commencement speech

Nuggets for a Successful Life

G Eugenia Abu

raduating students of this esteemed institution, I am extremely delighted to be in your midst today as you take leave of the safety and cocoon of your school and as you re-enter the world a different person than you came. It is expected that you are better educated, sound in mind and body with impeccable moral standards and would have become a rounded individual. Your parents are relieved that the journey they began many years ago has come to a glorious end although this is the beginning of another journey for you both. You have all turned out in your graduating outfits and your best clothes spending many months planning for this day as has the school. That still voice of God which can sometimes be loud enough for us to change our ways for the better has been instilled in all of you through your school which has provided you bespoke character and learning. Here then are some of the nuggets that you need to succeed in life and they are tried and tested. I have lived by all of them and they have helped me in my journey through life. I share them with you today on one of the most important days of your life. I will speak to the nuggets that I have numbered in no particular order so you can remember them at all times. Faith: This is a critical part of one’s life. It is the compass that keeps us grounded, focused and shields us from danger by night and by day. The Bible is my guiding light. It should be for you too. The Quran for those who are Muslims. The holy books are packed full of wisdom and how to navigate life. Brand Pride and protection: You must represent your school and all that it has taught you wherever you go. Shine your light. Let people see you and speak well of your school. Be proud of your school. Be a good ambassador.

Efficient social media usage. Those young people who succeed are not the ones who live on the phone. Use appropriately. There is a plan to get you addicted. Research has shown that Instagram and snapchat are more addictive than drugs and alcohol. Those who are permanently on it are also predisposed to depression. Have a phone fast. Leave it for a while, Take the pressure off yourself. Be disciplined about it. It will help you progress better. You do not need to be validated by total strangers. Cyberbullying, suicide and predators have become almost synonymous with social media these days because there are apps which can auto locate you in the world including exactly what you are doing at any one time and you do not need it. Kindness: This is one of those qualities that open doors of opportunity time and again and sends blessings always from heaven above. Integrity and trust: This is very important. Are you trustworthy? Is your yes, yes. If you say something can you be held accountable? When you tell your parents you are going to Park and shop, is that where you are really going? Public conduct and comportment: Do you carry yourself well? Are you prone to being quarrelsome? Are you loud and obnoxious? Comportment and conducting yourself in public are so important lest you are considered an “agbero” or a common tout in the public space. Always count to ten when upset before you speak. Words spoken can never be taken back. Hard work: This is pretty selfexplanatory. The Bible tells us that work is prayer and there will be no food on the table of the lazy man. In today’s world where criminals, Advance fee fraudsters aka 419, kidnappers and corrupt elements hold sway, it is critical that you understand the value of hard work. Never admire someone for how much he has, you do not know how he is making his\her money. Be hardworking, it always pays. Family focus: Don’t make so many friends in the University and in life and

forget your family. Your family is your anchor. No one succeeds when they forget their family. Cleanliness: There is no doubt in my mind that this has been drummed into your ear severally. Cleanliness is truly next to Godliness. Please dress as you would like to be addressed. Be the best of yourself not the second best of another. Lara is Lara, you are you. Be the best of you can possibly be; stop trying to be an unsuccessful Lara. Beware of peer pressure. Don’t drink because Peter thinks it’s a good idea. There is no senior partner in a friendship. You are both on an equal pedestal. Once one person feels superior to you in a friendship and treats you like a second class citizen, it is time to quit that friendship. Stay drug free: Please consider that I said this a thousand times. Once you start doing drugs your life is destroyed in Nano seconds. No matter how sad you are, talk it over with someone, do not, do not go near Abu drugs. Do not keep friends who do. Show Honesty. This is self-explanatory. We me your friends and I will tell you who are in a lot of trouble in Nigeria today you are. because we are not honest with each other Decency in speech and dressing: at multiple levels. E.g. We are not even The Bible says put a cleft on your tongue. honest with ourselves. Living above your Really once said it is difficult to take back means and claiming who you are not. so watch your tongue and be decent in Changing goal posts because of religious, your dressing. Always. All that breast ethnic and family cleavages. In the end showing, all that sagging has unfortunate you look like a common fraud. destinations, one takes you to a bed and 17. Knowledge Hunt/Reading. A the other pronounces you irresponsible. reader is truly a reader. Get knowledge, Your brain however takes you very far. read widely, actively seek information Decency please! and I do not mean twitter. I mean a book Being polite is not a sign of weakwhether it is hard copy or an e-book. ness. It always adds value and opens Read a classic. Read a Nigerian writer, doors wide. Rude isn’t cute. read newspapers. Academic is good but That said, also add greeting to your current affairs, literature and art is also resume. These days we literally have to important. force our children to greet. Greeting people has no alternative if you are to succeed in ––--Text of the commencement life. Its literally part of the positives in our speech by Mrs Eugenia Abu at the 2017 colorful culture and adds blessings from Graduation Ceremony of Loyola Jesuit elders to you and earns you good vibes College, Abuja on Sunday 10th July, and many stripes. And when you do 2017 greet, please be audible. I hardly respond to murmurs. It is not the same thing as a Readers can continued online www.thisdaylive.com proper greeting.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper •JUly 15, 2017

auto Essential Skills with Stephen Dieseruvwe (Director General, Delta State Traffic Management Authority (DESTMA)

Crossroads

rossroads are junctions where two roads crosseachother,althoughnotnecessarily at right angle to one another. Crossroads rules are similar to those of left and right turnsandT-junctions.Fromtheprevious articles,thebasicskillsneededtodealwith crossroadshavebeenexplainedandyouwillsimply be using the skills for junctions - approaching to turn rightorleft,emergingfromjunctionsandtheMSPSL or hazard routine to deal with crossroads. It is important you learn the priorities at crossroads and how to deal with traffic safely whether you are drivingonthemajorroadoremergingfromtheminor road, traffic on the major road will have priority and youshouldgivewaytotrafficoppositewhenturning left as you will be cutting across their path. InNigeria,mostofthecrossroadswouldbeunmarked, so we need to deal with them as though no one has priorityandbepreparedtostopandgiveway,evenif you consider that you are on the major road because other drivers might be strangers to the area, or might genuinely think that they have priority. If in doubt, always wait.

L-R: Deputy Managing Director; Mr. Kunle Jaiyesimi, GM, Sales and Marketing, Navin Chander; and Marketing Manager, Funmi Abiola, all of Massilia Motors, during the launch of the New Mitsubishi Pajero Sport by Massilia Motors Ltd in Lagos... recently

Massilia Motors Launches All-new Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Storie s by Benneth Oghifo

he all-new Mitsubishi Pajero Sport has been launched into the Nigerian auto market by the sole authorised dealer, Massilia Motors. The all-new Pajero Sport showed its off-road capability on the beachfront of the LandMark Event Centre that overlooks the Eko Atlantic City. The grip and grit of the vehicle sprang to the fore on that beach sand. Unveiling the vehicle during the week, the Deputy Managing Director of the company,

Mr. Kunle Jaiyesimi described it as fantastic, having been produced from painstaking research and development. Presenting the special features of the new Pajero Sport, the General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Navin Chander said the Pajero Sport was first launched in 1996, the second model was launched in 2008 and the all-new Pajero Sport was first launched in 2015 and then in late 2016 and now in Nigeria in the second quarter of 2017. The all-new Pajero Sport is built on the platform of the Mitsubishi L200, it is a sevenseater with good steering wheel control and posh interior and best-in-class leg-room. Its major competition is Ford Everest,

Chevrolet, and Toyota Fortuna. It is a quiet drive with telescopic movement, which enables movement of the vehicle without much turn. The new Pajero Sport’s lights are automatic like the wipers that spring to life once water lands The regular Pajero and the Pajero Sport are two different models but the older generation Pajero was not launched in Nigeria because they were powered with diesel. However, the new Pajero Sport has petrol engine. The just launched Pajero Sport is aerodynamic with off-road capability and city feel. It has LED lights and daylight running lights that complement the dynamic shield design.

Porsche Enjoys its most Successful First Half Year in History

orsche has seen an upwards trend in the first six months of this year: With 126,497 vehicles delivered worldwide, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG exceeded the record figure from the previous year by seven per cent in the first half of 2017, according to the auto maker. The Macan remains the main driver of this growth and the highest-volume model line. However, it is the new Panamera that has achieved the strongest percentage increase in the first six months of the year, with sales of the four-door sports car seeing a rise of 54 per cent. China has established itself as the largest single market, with a significant increase of 18 per cent to 35,864 vehicles. According to Detlev von Platen, member of the Executive Board responsible for Sales and Marketing, the figures prove that the new Panamera has provided Porsche with a huge boost. “The enthusiastic response from customers has been overwhelming. The plug-in hybrid versions and the new Sport Turismo version of the Panamera will provide us with even more momentum”, he explains. “The highly attractive products and unique brand experience that Porsche offers are the foundation of our success,” Platen said. Alongside the Panamera, the Macan recorded a double-digit growth in the first half of 2017: Deliveries of the sporty SUV increased by 11 per cent, reaching the

Approaching on the Major Road Whenapproachingcrossroadsonamajorroad,you normallyhaveprioritywhengoingstraightaheador turningright,butyoustillneedtochecktomakesurethat theroadsontherightandleftareclearbeforeproceeding. Whenturningrightorleftoffthemajorroad,makesure thatyoucarryoutanallaroundobservationtoensure itissafebeforeproceeding,astrafficcanapproachfrom any direction. Emerging at Crossroads - On the Minor Road Whenemergingfromaminorroadatcrossroads,you mustalwaysgiveprioritytotrafficonthemajorroad.In thissituation,thecrossroadsissimplyanextensionofa T-junction,andpriorityisdeterminedinthesameway asdiscussedinemergingatT-junctions.Thedifference between emerging at a T-Junction and emerging at crossroads is simply that you have to consider traffic from the extra road, that is, the road opposite and your observation would be to the left, the right and ahead. Always carry out effective observation and only proceed when you are absolutely sure it is safe to do so. When waiting to join or cross the major road andthereisavehicleonoppositeroad,ifbothdrivers intend to go ahead or turn right and the major road is clear, both vehicles can proceed at the same time. If youintendtoturnleftandtheothervehicleintendsto goahead,thedriverturningleftiscrossingthepathof the approaching vehicle, and should give priority to them. If both drivers are turning left, the procedure is explained below. Turning Left at Crossroads Turning left has always been hazardous and there are three options for turning left at crossroads - hold back, nearside to nearside and offside to offside. In narrow crossroads, hold back, by simply waiting for theother driver to makeup his/her mindto proceed is probably the most common and safest option. Nearside to nearside simply means driving in front oftheothervehicle.Theterm‘nearside’simplyrefers to the side of the vehicle which is nearest to the kerb or footpath (the passenger side). This appears to be the most common method used when both drivers proceedatthesametime,althoughthismethoddoes notgiveyouagoodviewofoncomingtraffic.Inbusy trafficandwithlimitedspacetoturn,thismethodmay have to be the choice to avoid blocking the junction. Offside to offside simply means passing behind the othervehicleandisprobablythesafestwaytoproceed becauseitgivesyouaclearviewofapproachingtraffic. Thisoptionismostlyimpracticablebecauseourroads arenotwideenoughanditcancauseproblemswhen there are several cars turning at the same time. Appropriate Lane for Going Straight Ahead from Minor Road In this situation, you should follow the general rule of keeping to the right to go ahead at crossroads and leave the left lane clear for vehicles (traffic) wishing to turn left. If the road ahead narrows at a crossroads, you may need to position in the left lane. Innextweek’sarticleweshallbediscussingapproaching roundaboutstoturnright,goingaheadandturnleftusing theMSPSLorhazardroutine.Forfurtherexplanations or clarification on the articles in the Essential Skills of Driving column, consult the author.

Interior of 2018 Porsche Macan

50,000 mark. Demand for the 718 Cayman and Boxster models and the Cayenne also grew. The Cayenne was the second most popular Porsche model line with 35,601 vehicles delivered. The US market ranked behind the Chinese

market during the reporting period with 27,568 deliveries. In Germany, the sports car manufacturer remained at the record level achieved in the previous year. With 15,474 units, vehicle deliveries to customers increased by one per cent.

Stephen K. Dieseruvwe

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

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper •JUly 15, 2017

auto 2018 Honda Fit Gets a New Face, Added Safety Gear

BMW 6-series-gran-turismo

First Ever BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo Debuts in Frankfurt Motor Stories by Benneth Oghifo

he all-new BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo is the perfect amalgamation of everything that makes a BMW ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’. It will make its world premiere at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany in September. The machine is distinct for its drive of a Saloon, the roofline of a Coupé and the space of a Touring,

with its superior driving dynamics, exceptional interior comfort and cutting-edge technology. The new BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo’s market launch will take place on November 11, 2017. Taking over from the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, the all-new model in the 6 Series line-up is a major step-up from its predecessor, having vastly improved upon the combined characteristics that it was famed for: comfort, elegance and practicality. A lighter car with added power... Thanks to the use of aluminium in the chassis, high strength steel in the body and ultra-modern

magnesium alloys in the engine, the new BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo has lost 115kg over the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo. This forms part of BMW’s EfficientLightweight strategy to increase power yet reduce weight and fuel consumption. The optional Executive Drive – offered in combination with Integral Active Steering – guarantees supreme cornering capability. The active anti-roll stabilisation compensates for the inclination of the vehicle during cornering to increase driving dynamics and provide greater agility.

onda has revealed the 2018 Fit, sporting a new face and added safety equipment. Besides the new look, the 2018 Honda Fit now packs Honda Sensing safety technology along with a new Sport trim. Now available on LX, Sport and standard on EX trims and above, Honda Sensing is a suite of safety features that will help the driver avoid collisions. It includes lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and road departure warning. Honda says that the Fit is the most affordable car in America to offer such a comprehensive suite of safety equipment. As for the new Sport trim, it fits in between LX and EX and adds more aggressive aero features on the exterior of the car along with an exclusive black finish on the 16-inch allow wheels. A diffuser with bright orange upper trim, a chrome exhaust, and Sport badges finish the car’s look. A pair of colors have also been added to the palette of the Fit: Helio Yellow Pear and Orange Fury. This is the first major update for the thirdgeneration Fit since the car launched in 2014. More information, including pricing, on the 2018 Fit will be revealed in the near future according to Honda.

ABC Introduces SprinterPlus in West Coast

BC Transport is introducing new SprinterPlus buses on the WestAfrican routes for the comfort for passengers, the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Frank Nneji has said. ABC Transport, arguably the most successful transport company in West Africa, has been at the fore of conveying people and goods across West Africa for over a decade and in the process has transformed tourism in the region since it launched its fully air-conditioned coaches on the West African routes in 2004. According to Nneji, “We are introducing new buses with bigger leg room, the SprinterPlus, on the West African route. The SprinterPlus, a 14-seater bus, is specifically introduced for business and corporate

travellers who need to get to their destinations quick as they would be travelling with very light luggage. A lot of hours are lost on the road while travelling with the coaches due to the large amount of cargo the buses carry because immigration and customs spend so much time going through the cargo at the borders. “But the new SprintePlus introduction would save time. The buses are bigger than the usual sprinter and would afford passengers more leg-room space and fully air-conditioned with enhanced comfort facility onboard.” He said, “In 2004 when we went into moving people and cargo from Nigeria through West Africa and back, there was only one flight from BellviewAirline that was airlifting people at the time.”

L-R: Uche Odege of ABC; CEO of ABC Transport, Mr. Frank Nneji; and Ikechi Uko of Akwaaba

Is Phoning While Driving Insanity

s I round up the focus on the use of phone while driving, I wish to remind you of the position I have had held since 2007 that people who drive and phone are not sane. Even if you disagree with me, please remember that many studies have linked texting while driving to series of fatal crashes. The International “Telecommunication Union states that texting, makingcallsandotherinteraction within-vehicle information and communication systems while driving is a serious source of driver distraction and increases the risk of traffic crashes. The Virginia Transportation Institute found out that text massaging increases a crash risk 23 time worse than driving while not distracted. Even the use of hands free, according to the Transport Research Laboratory, makes drivers four times more likely to have an accident, concentration level reduced for 10 minutes after the call had ended. The report also showed that drivers making hand free calls had slower reaction times than those who were slightly over the drink limit. In the United Kingdom, around 30 deaths on the roads each year are linked to mobile phone use even though the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accident (ROSPA) believes this is “just the tip of the iceberg”, because so few drivers admit to using mobile phone when

Safe driving with

Jonas Agwu

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

they cause crashes. crashes involving distracted driving injured more than half a million people in 2008 in the United State of American ,deadly driving habits kill nearly 6000 American a year, according NHTSH. Car crashes are the leading Killer of youths inAmerican – they kill an average of 11 teens each day. As the former United State secretary of transportation, Ray Lahood puts it, “the mother who lost children, the children who lost mother. You want no part of that kind of lost” Talking on the phone while driving causes as much impairment as drunk driving; its like driving after you have taken four bottles of beer and if you are texting while driving, you are 23 times as likely to get into a crash. In the US nearly a third of all crashes are either talking or texting. Studies have shown that drivers who use their cell phone for talking or texting, have much slower response times than those who do not. They also have slower reaction times than people

with blood alcohol levels of 0.08. Studies have also shown that people who talk and drive at the same time are four times likely to crash. Those who text and drive are 20 times more likely to have an accident. While the danger of phoning or texting behind the wheels is undisputed, laws that ban texting while driving have not reduced the number of crashes across four states in the US. According to a study, but a slight increase in road accident has been recorded. The Highway Loss Data Institute compared the insurance claims in four states of California, Louisiana, Minnesota and Washington before and after the texting ban, with those in nearby states that don’t have these laws. After the bans, crash patterns varied from one percent more in Minnesota, and the largest crash increase of 12 per centafterthetextingbanwasamongyoungdrivers in California. The researches have calculated rate of collision claims for vehicles up to nine years old during the months before and after driver texting was banned. The study shows crashes have increased in three states after the bans were enacted, which indicates that bans could increase the risk of crashing for drivers who continue to text despite the laws. The study notes non compliance as the key reason for the increase in crashes as young drivers among 18-24 years are most likely to text with 45 per cent saying they do so in States that ban texting. It pointed out that the bans are ineffective as 48

per cent of drivers admitted to texting in the state without bans. Before I round up, please allow me to once again refer you to the finding of an FRSC commissioned attitudinal survey on motorists. The study was conducted in 2013 by NOIPolls to do a road attitudinal survey across 6 locations in Nigeria. To measure the level of compliance on the road, the survey was conducted across pre- identified corridors within 9hrs of the day (morning, noon and evening) for 12 days. The observation monitored the following: lane discipline, seatbelt/ crash helmet compliance, compliance to overloading rules, traffic light / road signs obedience and the number plate usage. The survey was carried out in 6 locations.Abuja, Lagos, Owerri, Benin, Kaduna, and Gombe. The survey was conducted via observational study.6 corridors in total selected by the clients were observed across all locations and 6 extra corridors were added by NOIPolls, giving a total of 12 corridors observed. Observation was done by 8:30 am – 5:30 pm daily for 5 days. A total of 70,180 vehicles/ bikes were observed across all 6 locations with 29,482 on the highway, and 40,698 on township roads.Atotal of vehicle/bikes observed by location were 13,426 inAbuja, 11,503 in Gombe, 11,903 in Owerri, 7936 in Benin, 10,435 Lagos, and 14,977 in Kaduna. The findings of the survey indicate that 90% of the total observed vehicles/bikes adhered to mobile phone usage rules while driving. Gombe (24%) recorded the highest proportion of drivers/riders that used mobile phones while driving.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • July 15, 2017

Family Health

Changes in Your Body with Ageing

ll human beings were created with a life span, and this life span is affected with the aging process. Ageing therefore is the collection of changes that render human beings progressively more likely to die. It is also good to know that ageing is a natural process, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about, other than making sure that you eat healthy and well, engage in moderate exercise, and go for your regular checkups. Human aging is the physiological changes that take place in the body leading to senescence, the decline of biological functions and of the ability to adapt to metabolic stress. In humans the physiological developments are normally accompanied by psychological and behavioral changes, and other changes, involving social and economic factors, also occur. Aging begins as soon as maturity is reached and is as much a part of human life development. The study of aging is concerned primarily with the changes that occur between the attainment of maturity and the demise of the individual. The goal of research in gerontology is to identify the factors that influence these changes. Application of this knowledge is expected to reduce the disabilities now associated with aging. The biological-physiological aspects of aging include both the basic biological factors that underlie ageing and the general wellness status. Since the probability of death increases rapidly with advancing age, it is clear that changes must occur in the individual which make him more and more vulnerable to disease. For example, a young adult may rapidly recover from pneumonia, whereas an elderly person may die. • Physiologists have found that the performance of many organs such as the heart, kidneys, brain or lungs shows a gradual decline over the life span. • Part of this decline is due to a loss of cells from these organs, with resultant reduction in the reserve capacities of the individual. • Furthermore, the cells remaining in the elderly individual may not perform as well as those in the young. • Certain cellular enzymes may be less active, and thus more time may be required to carry out chemical reactions. Ultimately the cell may die. • Bones and associated structures will begin to loss density, and becomes porous, and soften. • The Heart: Diseases of the heart are the single largest cause of death after age 65. This with increasing age the heart becomes more vulnerable to disease. Even in the absence of detectable disease, the heart undergoes deleterious changes with advancing age. Structural changes include a gradual loss of muscle fibres with an infiltration of fat and connective tissue. There is a gradual accumulation of insoluble granular material in cardiac muscle fibres. These granules, composed of protein and lipid (fat), make their first appearance by the age of 20 and increase gradually, so that by the age of 80 they may occupy as much as 5–10 percent of the volume of a muscle fibre. The heart also shows a gradual reduction in performance with advancing age. The amount of blood pumped by the heart diminishes by about 50 percent between the ages of 20 and 90 years. There are marked individual differences in the effects of age. For example, some 80-year-old individuals may have cardiac function that is as good as that of the average 40-year-old individual. Under resting conditions, the heart rate does not change significantly with age. During each beat, however, the muscle fibres of the heart do not contract as rapidly in the old as in the young. This reduction in power, or rate of work, is due to the age-associated reduction in the activities of certain cellular enzymes that produce the energy required for muscular contraction. In spite of these changes, the heart, in the absence of disease, is able to meet the demands placed upon it. In response to physical exercise it can increase its rate to double or triple the amount of blood pumped each minute, although the maximum possible output falls, and the reserve capacity of the heart diminishes with age. Arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, increases markedly in incidence with age, and is often regarded as part of aging. This is not necessarily true. Arteriosclerosis may appear even in adolescents. In general, blood vessels become less elastic with advancing age. There is a progressive thickening of the walls of larger blood vessels with an increase in connective tissue. The connective tissue itself becomes stiffer with increasing age. This occurs because of the formation of cross-links both within the molecules of collagen, a primary constituent of connective tissue, and between adjacent collagen fibres. The gradual loss of elasticity increases with resistance to the flow of blood so that blood pressure may increase. This in turn increases the work that the heart must do in order to maintain the flow of blood. On the average, obese people have higher blood pressures than those with normal body weights. Since the incidence of obesity increases with age at least up to the age of 55–60, this factor may contribute in part to the increase in blood pressure with age. Digestive System Loss of teeth, which is often seen in elderly people, is more apt to be the result of long-term neglect than a result of aging itself. The loss of teeth and incidence of oral disease increase with age, but, as programs of water fluoridation are expanded and the incidence of tooth decay in children is reduced, subsequent generations of the elderly will undoubtedly have better teeth than

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of 50, however, there is a gradual reduction in the ability to perceive tones at higher frequencies. Few persons over the age of 65 can hear tones with a frequency of 10,000 cycles per second. This loss of perception of high frequencies interferes with identifying individuals by their voices and with understanding conversation in a group, but does not ordinarily represent a serious limitation to the individual in daily life. Listening habits and intellectual level play an important role in determining the ability to understand speech, so that there is often a disparity between measurements of pure tone thresholds and ability to perceive speech.

After the age of 70 other sense organs may show a reduction in sensitivity. Reduced taste sensitivity is associated with atrophy and loss of taste buds from the tongue in the elderly. The effect of aging on the sense of smell has not been precisely determined because this sense is extremely difficult to assess quantitatively; in addition, smoking and exposure to occupational odours and noxious substances in the air influence sensitivity to smells

the present generation. While it is true that the secretion by the stomach of hydrochloric acid, as well as other digestive enzymes, decreases with age, the overall process of digestion is not significantly impaired in the elderly. Sugar, proteins, vitamins, and minerals are absorbed from the stomach and intestine as well in the elderly as in the young. Some investigations indicate a slight impairment in fat absorption, but the reduction is probably of little practical significance. These have important implications for nutrition of the elderly. Nutritional deficiencies can be avoided as long as the diet is varied to assure adequate intake of all nutritional elements. Deficiencies are most likely to develop from poor eating habits, such as excessive intake of carbohydrate with a reduction in protein. In the elderly these deficiencies are most apt to be in the intake of protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and thiamine (also called vitamin B1). With age Nervous system: Changes in the structures of the brain due to normal aging are not striking. It is true that with advancing age there is a slight loss ofnerve cells in the brain. This is because, in the adult, neurons have lost the capacity to form new neurons by division. The basic number of neurons in the brain appears to be fixed by about the age of 10. The total number of neurons is extremely large, however, so that any losses probably have only a minor effect on behaviour. Since the physiological basis of memory is still unknown, it cannot be assumed that the loss of memory observed in elderly people is caused by the loss of neurons in the brain. Neurons are extremely sensitive to oxygen deficiency. Consequently, it is probable that neuron loss, as well as other abnormalities observed in aging brains, results not from aging itself, but from disease, such as arteriosclerosis, that reduces the oxygen available to areas of the brain by reducing the blood supply. There are probably functional changes in the brain that account for the slowing of responses and for the memory defects that are often seen in the elderly; and even small changes in the connections between cells of the brain could serve as the basis for marked behavioral changes, but, until more is known about how the brain works, behavioral changes cannot be related to physiological or structural changes. It is known that, because of the slow course of aging, the nervous system can compensate and maintain adequate function even in centenarians. Human behaviour is highly dependent on the reception and integration of information derived from sensory organs, such as the eye and ear, as well as from nerve endings in skin, muscle, joints, and internal organs. There is, however, no direct relation between the sensitivity of receptors and the adequacy of behaviour, because the usual level of stimulation is considerably greater than the minimum required for stimulation of the sense organs. In addition, an individual adapts to gradual impairments in one sensory organ by using information available from other sense organs. Modern technology has also provided glasses and hearing aids to compensate for reduced acuity in the sense organs. Vision:. Visual acuity ability to discriminate fine detail is relatively poor in young children and improves up to young adulthood. From about the middle 20s to the 50s there is a slight decline in visual acuity, and there is a somewhat accelerated decline thereafter. After age 55 there is little further change. Many people in their 50s adopt bifocal glasses to compensate for this physiological change. The sensitivity of the eye under conditions of low illumination is less in the old than in the young; that is, “night vision” is reduced. Sensitivity to glare is also greater in the old than in the young. The incidence of diseases of the eye, such glaucoma and cataract, as characterized, respectively, by increased intra-ocular pressure and opaque lenses), increases with age, but recent advances in surgery and the development of contact lenses have made it possible to remove cataracts and restore vision to many individuals. Hearing Hearing does not change much with age for tones of frequencies usually encountered in daily life.Above the age

Skin The primary age change in the skin is a gradual loss of elasticity. Although this basic change plays a role, other factors, such as exposure to the weather and familial traits, also contribute to the development of wrinkles and the pigmentation associated with senescence. The ability of the skin to take up slack and remain closely adherent to the underlying structures is due to the presence of fibres of the proteins elastin and collagen Studies of the minute structures of the skin show a gradual reduction in elastin. In addition, the collagen fibres show an increase in crosslinks , which greatly restricts the elastic properties of the collagen network. The effectiveness of facial massage in retarding the development of wrinkles has not been evaluated under carefully controlled conditions. The application of creams containing female sex hormone stimulates regeneration of skin and improves its elastic properties. Endocrine : Because of the importance of hormones in the regulation of many physiological systems, impairments in endocrine (ductless) glands have traditionally been cited as important determinats in ageing. It important to know that the pancreas secretes insulin, the hormone that regulates the utilization of sugar and other nutrients in the body. When the pancreas fails to produce adequate amounts of insulin, diabetes occurs. One test for diabetes involves measuring the rate of removal of sugar from the blood, that is, the glucose-tolerance test. One characteristic of aging is a reduction in the rate of removal of excess sugar from the blood. At present it is not known whether this represents the early stages of diabetes or whether it is a normal age change. It does appear in aged individuals who do not show any of the other symptoms of diabetes. Furthermore, it has been shown that, unlike the diabetic, elderly subjects can, with additional stimulation, produce more insulin. In normal young persons the pancreas releases more insulin in response to even a slight rise in blood sugar levels. In the elderly, the sensitivity of the pancreas is reduced so that a higher level of blood sugar is required to stimulate it to action. With maximum stimulation the pancreas in the aged can produce as much insulin as the pancreas in the young. It has long been known that the excretion of both male and female sex hormones diminishes with age. In the female, the excretion of female sex hormones falls markedly at the menopause. . In the male, the excretion of male sex hormones and their degradation products falls gradually over the age span 50–90, so that the existence of a male “climacteric” is highly improbable. There is a marked downturn in sexual activity , this diminishes progressively between the ages of 20 and 60 in both males and females. In males the frequency of marital intercourse falls from an average of four per week in 20-year-olds to one per week in 60-year-olds. Practically all males aged 20–45 reported some level of sexual activity. Few systematic studies have been made of sexual behaviour in individuals over the age of 60, but clinical reports indicate that at least some males remain sexually active at 90. Skeletal system With aging, the bones gradually lose calcium. As a result they become more fragile and are more likely to break, even with minor falls. Healing of fractures is also slower in the old than in the young. Recent advances in orthopedic surgery, with the replacement of parts of a broken bone or joint with new structures or the introduction of metallic pegs to hold broken parts together, have been of great value to elderly people. The incidence of osteoporosis, a disease characterized by a loss of calcium and minerals from bone, also increases with age. It occurs more frequently in women after menopause than in men and is especially evident in the spinal column. Back pain is a primary symptom of the disease. It can be treated by increasing calcium intake in association with the administration of anabolic hormones. The mobility of joints diminishes with age and the incidence of arthritis increases. Taste And Smell After the age of 70 other sense organs may show a reduction in sensitivity. Reduced taste sensitivity is associated with atrophy and loss of taste buds from the tongue in the elderly. The effect of aging on the sense of smell has not been precisely determined because this sense is extremely difficult to assess quantitatively; in addition, smoking and exposure to occupational odours and noxious substances in the air influence sensitivity to smells. The main focus for most people that are advanced in age is that, think and live like a young person at heart. This coupled with healthy diet, moderate regular exercises would take you a long way.

GLOBAL SOCCER

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper â€¢ JUNE 16, 2011

weekly pull-out

hoping to become the oldest grand slam winner

15.07.2017

Emmanuel Emenike

Searching for Rediscovery in Greece

Page. 29

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • july 15, 2017

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Searching for Rediscovery in Greece

His four goals at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations was crucial to Nigeria’s winning the biennial competition for the third time. As a result, some observers thought a striker that would fill the vacuum left by Super Eagles alltime highest goal scorer, Rashidi Yekini, had finally arrived. It was not to be, as Emmanuel Emenike’s career nosedived tremendously. His involvement in many controversies with his various clubs did not help matters. In 2015, he announced his retirement from the national team after just five years stint. Last week, Turkish side, Olympiakos announced the signing of Emenike. Kunle Adewale asks if his move to Greece could help revive his dwindling career

mmanuel Emenike’s first “missionary journey to Turkey” with Fenerbahce was more memorable for its controversies than anything of value. He was accused of match-fixing, though later released without charge. In his second stint with the Turkish side, he was very unpopular with the club’s supporters largely due to his poor performance, scoring only four goals in 27 appearances. Things came to a head that he once stormed off the field after he was abused by his own fans, culminating in a move to UAE side, Al Ain on loan. However, Emenike last week joined Greek champions, Olympiakos from Fenerbahce,

after signing a two-year deal and a fee said to be about $2.8 million. After struggling with injuries and a lack of first-team football last season, Olympiakos provides him with a platform that includes the European Champions League next season. "I know there are big expectations from the fans and club, but I am ready. I've joined the most successful club in Greek football and I want to give my best for the team," the 30-year-old told BBC Sport. The former Super Eagles striker is the sixth Nigerian player to sign for Olympiakos of Greece, following in the footsteps of Rashidi Yekini, James Obiorah, Haruna Babangida, Michael Olaitan and Brown Ideye. Between the summer of 2009 and 2012, the

forward averaged over 14 league goals per season with Karabukspor and Spartak. During the 2013-14 campaign, he managed 12 goals in 28 league outings for Fener, but in 2014, despite making only one league outing less, he contributed only four goals. After a memorable display against BosniaHerzegovina at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where he drove down the left flank, leaving defenders in his wake before setting up Osaze Odemwingie’s pivotal winner, Emenike went on 15 international matches without a goal. Late coach Stephen Keshi had to drop Emenike, who previously would have been the first name on the list. The question on the lips of observers is whether Emenike’s move to Greece could really

july 15, 2017 • THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper

GLOBAL SOCCER

Emmanuel Emenike

Emenike can still stage a comeback to the national team. There are lots of examples of players that had made some move to revive their career and still got national team calls. A good example is Asamah Gyan, who is still a dependable player for the Black Stars of Ghana. It all depends on the player’s current form and the number of minutes he gets to play It’s better for him to have regular playing time at Olympiakos than being a bench warmer at Fenerbahce. It’s a right move for him and from there he can re-lunch himself and his career

revive his career. Former Nigerian international, Waidi Akani, sees a lot of sense in Emenike’s move to Olympiakos. In a chat with THISDAY on telephone, Akani said, “I think he was just trying to get a break from Fenerbahce. Once a player is not wanted in a club and he has a high price tag on him there is always the need to move and that is what I think he did by moving to Greece. He has to go somewhere for a break and after a year or two, if his game improves, he can always stage a comeback to the main stream of

European football. “Emenike can still stage a comeback to the national team. There are lots of examples of players that had made some move to revive their career and still got national team calls. A good example is Asamah Gyan, who is still a dependable player for the Black Stars of Ghana. It all depends on the player’s current form and the number of minutes he gets to play. It’s better for him to have regular playing time at Olympiakos than being a bench warmer at Fenerbahce. It’s a right move for him and from there he can

re-lunch himself and his career.” Respected Turkish journalist, Kadir Onur Dinker of Milliyet, indeed advised the Greek champions to employ a psychologist who will closely monitor Emenike due to his frequent conflicts with teammates, coaches and fans. ”He also faced some problems with the Nigerian Federation, so he had to withdraw from the national team though he is young. “In general, I can say that he is a very sensitive character that is psychologically affected. For me, Olympiakos should hire a psychologist to watch him in order to be focused. If he has good relationships with his teammates and fans, he can be the best player in the Greek league. Personally I like his dynamic attacking style, like Drogba and I hope he will succeed in Olympiakos,” Kadir told gazzetta.gr. Emenike made 93 appearances in all competitions during his time at Fenerbahce scoring 25 goals. He came to limelight when he was invited to the national team for a

friendly game against Sierra Leone. Thereafter, he was called up to Nigeria's 23-man squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and scored in the opening match against Burkina Faso in a 1–1 draw. He also scored the first goal in the quarter final match between Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire which Nigeria won 2–1. G LO B A L SOCCER Assistant editor kunle adewale Wahab Akintunde Thisday on Saturday Editor Shaka Momodu Deputy Editor yemi adebowale Thisday Newspapers Editor-in-Chief/Chairman Nduka Obaigbena Managing Director Eniola Bello Deputy Managing Director Kayode Komolafe

july 15, 2017 • THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper

GLOBAL SOCCER Transfer News… Transfer News… Transfer News… Transfer News… Transfer News… Transfer News… Transfer News… Transfer News… Transfer News…

Players Chelsea Hijacked from Man United Chelsea coach Antonio Conte and indeed Blues faithful felt “betrayed” by Romelu Lukaku after the Everton forward opted to join Manchester United over Chelsea. Conte and Lukaku have been in regular contact this summer and the Italians feels “betrayed” that the striker rebuffed a return to Chelsea in favour of a link-up with Jose Mourinho. Below are some of Manchester United transfer targets Chelsea hijacked in the past.

Manchester United fans were left confused by the news that Barcelona winger Pedro will be signing for Chelsea, after it seemed for the past month that deal to bring the Spaniard to Old Trafford was imminent. Walker

Hart

Man City Confirm £50m Signing of Walker

anchester United’s surprise move for Romelu plane on their tour of the USA next MManchester week. City have signed Tottenham right-back Kyle Walker on a five-year deal.

Sky Sports News HQ understand City have paid £50m for the 27-year-old - a world record-equalling fee for a defender. Walker has signed a five-year contract and will wear City's number two shirt and he said: "I am thrilled and can't wait to get started "Pep Guardiola is one of the most respected managers in the world and I feel he can help me take my game to a new level." City's director of football Txiki Begiristain said: "Kyle is a fine full-back; one capable of producing quality at both ends of the pitch. "We've followed his progress at Tottenham and have been really impressed by how he has developed. He is now one of the best right-backs in the Premier League and justifiably an England regular."

Madrid Sign Ceballos from Real Betis

Real Madrid have announced the signing of midfielder Dani Ceballos from Real Betis. Ceballos, 20, has become one of the most coveted players across Europe, having helped Spain reach the European Under-21 Championship final in Poland and winning the player of the tournament award. Ceballos signs on a six-year contract after James Rodriguez joined Bayern Munich on a two-year loan deal earlier this week. Real reportedly beat off competition from Barcelona to sign the youngster, who has also been linked with Liverpool in the past. Ceballos has already played 105 games for Betis, scoring seven goals and providing nine assists. Real say Ceballos joined the team on their pre-season tour of the United States yesterday, after being unveiled the day before.

Lazio Agree £5m Fee for Liverpool's Lucas Leiva

The 30-year-old must now agree personal terms and pass a medical before a deal can be completed. Lucas is Liverpool's longest-serving player, having joined the club for £5m in July 2007 from Gremio. He made his international debut for Brazil later that year and has gone on to win 24 caps for the five-time World Cup winners. After Liverpool's final match of the season, a 3-0 win over Middlesbrough, Lucas was presented with a commemorative trophy by Kenny Dalglish to mark his decade with the club. "It's been an incredible 10 years, we all know it's been a little bit like a rollercoaster: a lot of ups and downs," he said, after receiving the trophy. But I'm so proud to wear this shirt every day of my life. This club made me better as a person, as a player, I have two kids born in Liverpool. I don't have one specific moment I'd say was a highlight, I think these 10 years have been a very good 10 years."

World Football's Most Expensive Team

Goalkeeper - Ederson (Benfica to Man City, £34.7m) Right-back - Kyle Walker (Tottenham to Man City, £50m) Centre-back - David Luiz (Chelsea to PSG, £50m) Centre-back - John Stones (Everton to Man City, £50m) Left-back - Luke Shaw (Southampton to Man United, £28m) Right wing - Angel Di Maria (Madrid to Man United, £59.7m) Central midfield - Paul Pogba (Juventus to Man Utd, £93.25m) Central midfield - James Rodriguez (Monaco to Madrid, £63m) Left wing - Gareth Bale (Tottenham to Madrid, £85.3m) Forward - Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli to Juventus, £75.3m) Forward - Cristiano Ronaldo (Man United to Madrid, £80m)

2004 - Arjen Robben - PSV Eindhoven

Alex Ferguson was a big admirer of young Dutch winger Arjen Robben as he tore the Eredivisie apart for PSV Eindhoven, where he had previously purchased Jaap Stam and Ruud Van Nistelrooy from. The next player expected to switch Eindhoven for Manchester was Robben, but Chelsea came in and stole him away and he was an immediate success. While not quite the player he is for Bayern today, Robben was a big player for Chelsea, and Fergie would surely have loved to have had him at Old Trafford.

2005 - John Obi Mikel - Lyn Fotball

This is one that Fergie was probably very happy to wash his hands of as in one of the messiest transfer deals in recent history, Mikel had agreed to join United and even posed with the shirt, but Chelsea swooped and lured him to London instead. Rumours of kidnapping and brainwashing had been thrown about, and Chelsea in the end had to pay Manchester United around £16m in compensation which still makes United fans smile to this day, as Mikel was a bit crap and never held down a first team place.

2005 - Michael Essien - Lyon

Manchester United had the chance to sign Michael Essien as a youngster on trial, but after passing on the opportunity the club were willing to pay for their mistake and fork out to bring Essien to Old Trafford after dominant performances for Lyon in the Champions League. Instead, Chelsea again lured the player to England's capital city by stumping up a huge fee at the time of £24.4m.

2006 - Michael Ballack - Bayern Munich

Chelsea really turned heads in the summer of 2006 when they agreed deals for international superstar Michael Ballack and the German was an important player for the Blues as they won two league titles and three FA Cups with him in the side. Ballack later revealed that he turned down Manchester United as the club wasn't performing well in Europe.

2012 - Eden Hazard – Lille

One of the more ridiculous transfer sagas in recent memory, the tug-of-war between Chelsea and Manchester United was so close that Hazard announced a date that he would publicly announce his new destination, LeBron James style. A French TV show secured an exclusive interview with Hazard where he confirmed the colour he would be wearing next season was blue. Hazard was last year voted PFA Player Of The Year, and has emerged as one of the best talents in Europe. A case of what might have been for United fans.

2015 - Pedro - Barcelona

On August 18th 2015, it seemed a matter of time before Pedro was a Manchester United player. Personal terms were apparently agreed, it was just a matter of time before a fee was agreed. The following day, Pedro was flying to London for a Chelsea medical. We've since heard that Van Gaal was having second thoughts about Pedro, and that Cesc Fabregas' wife told Pedro's wife how great London was after Mourinho reacted to Chelsea's 0-3 defeat to Manchester City, but what actually transpired is not yet clear.

Ronaldo

Chelsea have gotten stronger in a position of questionable weakness, and have again taken a player from under Manchester United's nose in the process.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • july 15, 2017

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Bernat Villa, technical director, FCBESCHOLA, Lagos, addressing some players before a match at the going DONOSTI CUP, San Sebastian, Spain

Williams' last Grand Slam title came in 2008 at Wimbledon

Muguruza Stands Between Venus, Record as Oldest Grand Slam Winner Venus Williams and Garbine Muguruza will meet in the Wimbledon women’s singles final at the end of an intriguing and ‘wide open’ draw. Johanna Konta's ambitions of becoming the first British female winner at Wimbledon since Virginia Wade in 1977 were ended by Venus Williams while Muguruza dismissed Magdalena Rybarikova, the story of the tournament, in convincing fashion. Will it either be Williams, at 37, who secures her sixth Wimbledon title or Muguruza lifting the Venus Rosewater dish for the first time today? We profile both players… Venus Williams Venus has enjoyed a stellar career, albeit often overshadowed by her younger sister Serena, winning seven Grand Slam titles but remarkably she is still competing at the top echelons of women's tennis. The American, playing at her 20th Wimbledon, is back in her first singles final at the All England Club since 2009 - when she succumbed to Serena - after gathering momentum and form as the tournament has progressed. The seven-time Grand Slam champion has had to battle her way into contention at the major tournaments over recent years after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, Sjogren's Syndrome, in 2011. The condition had a debilitating effect on her energy levels and she did not make it past the last 16 in the singles at a Grand Slam tournament between 2011 and 2014. Fast forward on a few years and Williams has reached her second Grand Slam final this year after she Venus Williams 37 June 17, 1980 Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 6' 1" (185 cm) 160 lb (73 kg) Right-handed 1994 24 20 singles (0 doubles) $1,823,733

suffered another defeat to Serena in Melbourne at the start of the year. She had gone nearly eight years prior to the Australian Open final without reaching a showpiece major final. Venus is breaking records at this year's Wimbledon. Having already become the oldest player to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam she is now a step away from becoming the oldest Grand Slam champion in the Open Era (since 1968). "I've played a lot of finals here, it's been a blessing," Venus said ahead of Saturday's final. "I can't ask for more, but I want a little more." Williams is a household name not only for the tennis fraternity but across global sport and Venus has now played at the French Open and the ongoing Wimbledon without 23 Grand Slam winner Serena, who is preparing to give birth to her first child later this year. Williams, the No 10 seed, has showed her power from both wings throughout her performances at Wimbledon this year and her fitness has looked impeccable, highlighted by her comprehensive victories over rising stars Naomi Osaka and Ana Konjuh alongside recent French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in successive rounds. Garbine Muguruza Muguruza, who won the French Open last year, is aiming to become the first female Spanish player to win at Wimbledon since Conchita Martinez, her coach, in 1994. She has had the tougher path to reach the final, including defeating world No 1 Angelique Kerber in three tight sets and former two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, but is into her second

Wimbledon final. The 23-year-old, who is into her third Grand Slam final, is once again facing a Williams. However, this time it will not be Serena but Venus and on current form, she has the artillery to become a Grand Slam champion for a second time. Her victory against Kerber, who will lose her world No 1 spot at the end of the tournament, showed her mental resilience having lost the first set, while her victory against the unseeded Magdalena Rybarikova in the semi-finals was a demonstration of her consistent power hitting from the baseline. Muguruza's regular tour coach Sam Sumyk is absent from Wimbledon and from what we have seen over the past two weeks there can be no doubts about the positive influence Martinez is having. The 2015 Wimbledon finalist has always appeared to have a game well-suited to grass. Her tall frame enables her to get a good early strike on her opponents with her first delivery and she has backed this up with assured groundstrokes and a willingness to approach the net when the opportunity presents itself. "I think she's helping me to deal with the stress of the tournament, because it's a long tournament," said Muguruza about the influence of Martinez. "Not that I'm doing something different, honestly. But, you know, to have her by my side gives me also this confidence of having someone that has won before." If Muguruza is able to replicate her 22 winners from the semi-final and keep her unforced errors down then she will be well placed to overcome Venus in her third career major final.

Name Garbine Muguruza Age 23 Birthdate October 08, 1993 Residence Barcelona, Spain Height 6' 0" (182 cm) Weight 161 lb (73 kg) Plays Right-handed Turned Pro 2011 Yrs on Tour 7 YTD Wins 14 singles (0 doubles) Earnings $2,999,388

Garbine-Muguruza eyeing her second Grand Slam title

FCBESCOLA Lagos Storm Spain for Donosti Cup With less than a year after its establishment, FCBESCOLA Lagos set up by Blaugrana Group International, as one of its platforms to leverage on in the drive for talent hunt, it is already making tremendous impact on the global football clime. After a successful trip to Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain in April, where it defeated Dubai, the FCBESCOLA Lagos team of 31 students and four coaches led by the School Technical Director Bernat Villa, is already in San Sebastian, Spain, to represent Nigeria in this year’s DONOSTI International Cup. The tournament is said to attract many teams especially from Spanish speaking countries. In a chat with the media, Villa revealed that FCBESCOLA Lagos, had two teams of Cadete (14 – 15 years old) and Juvenile (16 – 18 years old) participating in the competition, which was meant to test the skills, mental preparedness and technical acumen of the students who to his appraisal, had improved tremendously, technically and could compete favourably with any team their age globally. “Individually and as a team, our students are technically well honed and skillful to take part in any world competition with the conviction that our performance would give us victory. Our students are well disciplined, coordinated, focused, with a mission to conquer,” he stated. Furthermore, he explained that the exposure was to give courage, spur them to aspire to become great legends, a new life time experience that would for long, motivate them to be better and attract those who did not believe that in a short while, the FCBESCOLA Lagos, would come this far. “The technical teams believe in the vision of the academy and bought into their intent to add sustainable value to the Nigerian society. Our students are an amazing bunch of talents, from the youngest to the Juveniles, they are a future we would be proud in. Our passion is committing to be pillars of these stories of greatness. The academy will do what she can to make our brought-ups a sought after," he said. According to Mrs. Ajoke Jonah, parent of one of the students, "over the years we have been involved in various football clinics and academies. FCBESCOLA Lagos, first in sub-Saharan Africa is indeed the first and will remain the first and the best, for their owners are people of integrity and honour who want the best for our young persons and the happiness of their families. "Initially, I was skeptical due to my experience over the years with all the various platforms. The school took over 36 students and four coaches to Spain in April and now 31 students and four coaches to San Sebastian, Spain. She is less than a year old. She should be highly commended, for she has done very well. The difference is unfamiliar," she vouched. In his remarks, Mr. Austin Eruotor, President WhiteHouse Group, who toured the Academy recently, challenged good spirited and well-to-do individuals and corporate bodies to take a cue from the promoters of the academy, support the initiative, the academy’s Elite 96 full scholarship scheme and other novel ideas and platforms that would help in talent discovery, and expose them to life time opportunities that would lubricate their will of progress. "The Academy’s approach to help these young people live their dreams in this short time is extremely remarkable and worthy of emulation. Other individuals and corporate organisations should borrow a leaf from what the promoters of FCBESCOLA Lagos, are doing. In this area for the first time, this is the best thing that has ever happened to us," he said. The management of the Academy revealed that the FCBESCOLA Lagos Elite 96 scholarship scheme which already has 50 successful candidates is open to candidates between the ages of 5 and 17 who are highly talented and skillful. However, the trials for admission into the Academy are ongoing. Interested candidates are requested to visit the school at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Animosity between Mayweather and McGregor Grows Floyd Mayweather was on the attack on Thursday, branding Conor McGregor a quitter as the four-stop tour hyping their cross-combat superfight hit New York. "Eejit" and "Circus Clown" were the tamest epithets the former welterweight king, who retired from boxing with a perfect 49-0 record in 2015, threw at McGregor, one of the biggest stars of mixed martial arts. "[He] didn't quit once, didn't quit twice, quit three times!" said Mayweather. "Real fighters never give up." McGregor, a two-division champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has been submitted three times in his mixed martial arts career. The two men are set to face each other in a boxing ring in Las Vegas on August 26 in what could be the richest fight in history. Thursday's show at the Barclays Center, home of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, drew a pro-McGregor crowd of more than 13,000. It was the third such production in three days, with one more scheduled for London on Friday aimed at pumping up interest in the bout - although both men seemed to be running short of inventive invective even if the animosity between them is actually growing. McGregor eschewed his sharp-tailored suits for a bare chest and white fur overcoat - which he swept from his shoulders as he took the stage to offer a flexed-arm pose that inflamed the crowd. The Irishman then paced impatiently as Mayweather, draped in an Irish flag, made his way to the stage and they took their positions for the ritual face off from opposite sides of the podium.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • july 15, 2017

tribute

Omowunmi Akande Goes Home in a Blaze of Glory Idowu Ajanaku “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life”. - Proverbs 31: 10-12

he recent sudden demise of Mrs. Omowunmi Bisi Akande, one-time First Lady of Osun State and late wife to the All Progressives Congress(APC) chieftain, Chief Bisi Akande at the age of 73 years brings to the fore the nobility of a life well spent in the selfless service to God and Mankind. At this moment of grief it is natural for the husband, children, grand children, members of the family and friends to mourn, to groan and lament the great loss of the epitome of humility, simplicity and an uncommon grace. But what matters now are the lessons of life hers has taught those left behind. That is what this tribute is all about. “Mama”, as she was fondly called by her many admirers symbolized Love as an unfailing element of sacrifice of one’s cherished comfort and convenience in the pursuit of that of others. That is the first fascinating factor about her -an attribute her bereaved husband would gladly tell one and all. For instance, not many knew that she, a renowned, devout Christian was married to Akande, a man steeped in the practice of Islam! As the great thinker, George Sand rightly noted: “There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved in return”. That was the symbiotic relationship that existed between her

Late Omowunmi Akande

and her loving husband. Mrs. Akande, in her lifetime and more so for the 51 years of her marriage became a beautiful brand for lasting love. In fact, it was such that they were so bonded in fruitful friendship like Siamese twins that remained inseparable come ringing rain or scolding sunshine. The second lesson is Consistency. There were testy periods of trials and tribulations, painful, perilous times she had to go through in her chequered journey of life. But she bore it all with uncommon tolerance and equanimity. For instance, she remained stoic when her beloved husband was sent to jail after the 1983 coup d tat by then General Muhammadu Buhari- led military

putsch. Also, recently she remained a pillar of support in her husband’s trying time when he had to undergo knee surgery in Philadelphia, United States. So cool and calm was she that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode could not help but notice the trait in her when he paid a surprise visit to the family there in the U.S. Yours truly could attest to this as well. Another easily noticeable virtue that defined her life trajectory was Humility. Perhaps, this could be attributed to her proper grooming from childhood and her devoted service in God’s vineyard. As Ephesians 4: 2-3 states: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another

in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace”. She was such one humble First Lady that would go out of her way to cook, not only for her husband but everyone who visited them. And this was amply demonstrated when Chief Akande was a Deputy Governor in the old Oyo State and later when he became the governor of Osun State. In all these, Mrs. Akande remains an enduring inspiration to the younger generation of Nigerian girls. They should bow to drink from her fountain of biblical knowledge which she put to good use in her family and the links with the world at large. She lived according to the wise words in Titus 2: 4-5: “ Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.” One is not surprised therefore, that despite the fact that her husband is a Muslim he never considered nor regretted not marrying a harem of women. He found in her exceptional qualities others could not have possessed. This is an eloquent testimony to her being a virtuous woman and also Akande living as a man of high moral standards. These are lessons for all couples to glean from. It also falls in tandem with what Hubert Humphrey said, that: “The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it”. Akande, in reminiscing over his late wife can say that all over again. As we commiserate with his family, we pray the good Lord grant her gentle soul eternal bliss. –Ajanaku, a journalist writes from Lagos

milestone

Lolo Chika Chukwudi: Celebrating an Amazon at 40 Chukwudi Agwu

s the holy book teaches us, after God had made everything, and saw that they were good, he said to the host of heaven, “Come, let us make man in our own image, after our likeness: and let him have dominion….” Yet, God felt that the man he made, Adam, was not complete. “It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helper meet for him”, our thoughtful God concluded. Thus, Eve was formed out of the rib of Adam. And ever since, no man is ever truly complete unless he has found his missing rib. And a man never really counts himself successful unless he found his missing rib. A misadventure spells lifelong, forlorn wander in the wilderness of life. My path crossed with that of Lolo Chika Ethel Chukwudi (nee Ogbunachara) over fifteen years ago. It was a brief, but longlasting encounter. I did not need a seer or prophet to know that she was the woman. But, how to convince this elusive, charming, and shy girl that I wanted for keeps was another uphill task. Da Eliza came visiting on one occasion and I managed to bring her before the iron lady that raised six boys to full fledged men. One evening, my mum, convinced that this lady was a treasure that must not slip off, charged me to either settle with her or let her go pronto. Thus, mustering all my willpower, I proposed and, to my pleasant surprise, she said “yes” without wasting a minute, “Chineke mee! So you like me like this?” I exclaimed. She just smiled and the

Chika Chukwudi rest they say is history. This union is already blessed with four lovely children, good health, and unprecedented career growth on both sides. Chika compliments me. She knows my weakness and she stands strong in those gaps. She is very accommodating, tolerant and always eager to make me happy. A wonderful mother who believes that anything is possible so long as you set your mind to it and work hard at it. When a man has found his missing rib,

a helper meet for him, the world knows. Sometimes, my close friends will engage her to know how she literally tamed this man. She is a paragon of beauty. That is a fact for all to see from the distance of the sun from the earth. But, the truth is that her openness, honesty and dedication did the magic. Her generosity endears and her heart overflows with milk of kindness. To mark her 40th birthday anniversary, I had in mind to throw a party for my heartthrob in the city. But she would have none of that. Chika, instead, preferred that we do health outreach and also use the occasion to reach out to the less privileged in our community. She preferred that we fete those who had nothing to eat than to feast those who have more than enough to eat and also give away. Her immense generosity and charitable endeavors over the years have earned her several awards by the community and the Church bestowed, which includes; Ada Nwere Ugwu (Lady of Honour) by the Anglican Church, Ohokobe Ndume; Golden Daughter by the Methodist Church Nigeria, Archdiocese of Umuahia, and the chieftaincy title of Ugo Onwa, among others. Meanwhile, Lolo Chika Ethel Chukwudi was born into the illustrious family of Chief (Sir) & Lady Joshua Alozie Ogbunachara of Ohokobe Ndume, Ibeku, Umuahia in Abia State in 1977. She is the third in the family of seven. A graduate of Linguistics from Abia State University, Uturu, she also holds her Post Graduate Diploma in Co-operative

Management and Masters in Business Administration. Chika had a brief stint in banking before joining the Public Sector where, by dint of hard work and God’s favor, she has has risen to head the all-important Public Relations Unit of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Abuja Zonal Office. A golden fish, they say, has no hiding place. Thus, her passion and commitment to duty, where she consistently exceeds expectations caught the attention of Executive Management of the re-branded NIMASA, and she was appointed A BRAND AMBASSADOR to the AGENCY. She is a member of several professional bodies, which includes amongst others; Nigeria Institute for Management (NIM), Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR); Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, where she was recently elected the Vice President of Women in Logistics and Transport, (WILAT) Abuja Chapter. A woman leader, she is currently the President of Umukabia Progressive Union, Women Wing, (Abuja Chapter). Also, a core believer in African and biblical family values, she is a marriage counselor and home-builder. Ugo Onwa, my Queen Bee, your 40th anniversary gave us yet another event to reminisce, in a special way, on what a wonderful wife, mother, and home-builder you have been to me, Kelechi, David, Chioma and Emmanuel (Oke Ekpo, Akpunku). My love, my amazon, Iko Apero, Ugwu Di, you are simply the best.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • JULY 15, 2017

WRITERS’ WORLD

Bisi Daniels

Using Social Media to Grow Author Platform

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

Growing an author platform online takes planning, time, and effort – but it’s not at all difficult. With a little know-how you can build an online community of your own. Shama Hyder author of Momentum: How to Propel Your Marketing and Transform Your Brand in the Digital Age, few of the ways I used social media to promote my latest book.

hew! You’ve put in hours of hard work, writing your book and then polishing it ’til it shines, and then finding the right platform for its publication. Now that your dream is finally a reality, though, it can be easy to forget that the hard work isn’t over. If you want your book to sell, then you’re going to have to do some legwork in order to build a following of enthusiastic readers. Luckily, in this age of social media, that isn’t nearly as daunting a task as it may sound. Growing an author platform online takes some careful planning, time, and effort, but it’s not at all difficult. All it takes is a little know-how – and as the founder of a digital marketing firm and a fellow author of two books myself, I’d love to share my strategies and experiences with you.

with people via social media is through video. Whether it’s a pre-recorded video where you’re speaking about your book or a Facebook Live video where you’re sharing personal stories, videos are extremely effective marketing tools. You can even go interactive, holding live video Q&A sessions where you answer questions posed on social media. Your followers will love to feel that they have a more personal connection with you, and that feeling leads to more enthusiasm and interaction on your social media pages.

Host community-building events on social media.

1. Use social media to build excitement

Before your book even launches, take advantage of the power of social media to build up excitement for its release. Start with teasers, quick posts about how excited you are, pictures of the book cover, and short blurbs explaining what your book is about, or who you hope it will speak to. Offer special incentives for pre-order, and hype any free accompanying materials you’ve created, such as book club discussion guides, or complementary resources. Hold giveaways before your book is officially available and start sharing any early reviews you’ve received. The more excitement people see on your social media pages, the more they’ll get excited about your book themselves.

2. Partner with influencers on social media

You might be wondering how to get new people to visit your social media pages in the first place. One answer: Team up with people who already have established followings on social media, and whose audiences would be interested in a book like yours. That might mean emailing a mommy blogger to ask her if she’d mind reviewing your book in exchange for a free copy, or messaging an Instagrammer to see if

they’d be willing to hold a giveaway of your book. Maybe someone will want to interview you for their podcast, or maybe they’ll let you write a guest blog post for their site. Once you’ve made connections with a few of these influencers, they’ll start sharing your book with their audiences – which will bring those people to your social media pages.

3. Take advantage of video on social media One of the very best ways to connect

Speaking of building connections with your audience, the key to growing your author platform and then keeping it going strong is to build a real community around your book on social media. Your aim shouldn’t just be to promote your book to your audience for a certain amount of time and then stop, but instead, to gather a group of like-minded people you can interact with, give advice to, answer questions for, and truly, become friends with, for the long haul. Hosting Facebook parties and Twitter chats is a great way to get your community involved and interacting with you and each other. Starting discussions by asking questions is another effective method of interacting, but even just setting aside one day a week to respond to your followers’ posts on your pages will go a long way in making them feel they have a meaningful relationship with you, and that they truly belong to a real community of friends. These four strategies have worked for me in the promotion of my own books, and they can work for you too. And once you’ve built up that loyal, enthusiastic following online, don’t be surprised if they start clamoring for another book! You might just find that you have a ready-made audience chomping at the bit to buy your book and make you the successful author you’ve always dreamed of becoming.

Pricing Self-Published E-Book –Publishers Weekly Once the e-book is written, the marketing plan in place, and the work ready to release to the public, self-published authors find themselves with an unexpected challenge: assigning a value to their work. Setting an e-book’s price requires some creativity on the part of the author, a careful consideration of the book’s potential audience, and an assessment of what the author hopes to accomplish with the book. By following a few basic steps, an author will be able to make an informed choice in naming her price, and not feel like a losing contestant on The Price Is Right.

Set Goals

By the time indie authors get to the point where they are naming a book’s price, they should have a clear idea of what they would like their book to do. There are two main goals that will determine how much an author should charge, according to Miral Sattar, CEO and founder of Bibliocruch, a company that helps self-published authors market and promote their books. “You have to ask yourself, ‘Am I looking to get more readers or more sales?’” says Sattar. While most authors would probably say they want both, when it comes to pricing strategy,

it’s best to focus on one and let the other follow. Either approach can be successful, so indie authors must ask themselves some tough questions, among them, can I sell 10 times more books at 99 cents than at $9.99? For less established authors, a lower price will help draw in readers who might be willing to take a chance on 99 cent book, as opposed to a higher priced title. While authors with an established fan base can likely charge more for their work.

More Exposure

For those authors whose main concern is getting their book in front of as many readers as possible, the priority should be getting the pricepoint as low as possible. While most online retailers require authors to charge at least 99 cents for each book, platforms like Wattpad and Widbook can provide other options for getting readers attention and building a fan base. Authors looking to be a little more strategic in how they price their work can enroll in Amazon’s KDP select program. This program allows them to charge a low price for the book (99 cents being the most popular) and offer it for free for specific periods. Authors can participate in a Kindle Free Book

Promotion for a maximum of five days. In order to get the greatest sales impact from the giveaway, authors should get the word out to book blogs and sites that aggregate freebies from around the web. BiblioCrunch offers a comprehensive, updated list of these sites, newsletters, and Facebook pages. “We’ve seen authors who use this list of sites get 20,000 or 60,000 books read right away.” says Sattar.

More Revenue

Authors seeking a bit more money for their work should start by looking at the price of other books in the same genre. While romance e-books tend to do best in the 99 cents to $2.99 range, authors writing nonfiction or literary fiction can charge more. Authors will want to begin at a price under $10 if possible, and test out different pricepoints with short-term promotions. An added motivator for pricing at this level is that retailers will often pay higher royalties for e-books priced between $2.99 and $9.99. Amazon pays 70% of the retail download price for books in this range, but just 35% for those

above or below it. Authors can expect to earn a return of 60 to 70% through Barnes & Noble, and Kobo within the $2.99 to $9.99 range as well. Smashwords pays 85% of list price on sales directly through its site, and 60% of list price on sales through other retailers, while BookBaby charges an annual fee, but gives authors 100% of net, keeping no commission. Once the price is set, authors should make use of promotions to boost revenue. For a Kindle e-book priced at $7.99, run a Kindle Countdown Deal for $4.99. If you are trying to sell it at $4.99, run a promotion at $2.99. As with a book giveaway, these sales should be advertised as widely as possible. In addition to free plugs on websites such as BookBub and Kindle Nation Daily, the author can also consider paid advertising to help get the word out. Sattar suggests running these promotions no fewer than two days to help them gather steam, and never running them on the weekend. “If you can get a burst of sales at the lower price, it ups your sales rank for the category,” she explains. “That helps your book become a bestseller, and then it can go back to the normal price.”

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • JULY 15, 2017

People Nkem Semenitari

Unveiling the Youngest Fashion Designer in Nigeria She is an only child – just 13 years old, who recently had her Junior WAEC Examinations at Emerald High School, located in Ogun State. Chubby, her head adorned with natural hair and a string of African beads, looking like an African princess. Nkem Semenitari has carved a niche for herself in the fashion industry where she is currently making waves as the youngest designer in Nigeria. The just concluded African Fashion Week Nigeria held at the National Theatre, Lagos brought this Bayelsa State-born arts genius’ talents to the fore as she showcased alongside big names in the industry under her fashion label, SENKEM. The hall erupted and many jumped out of their seats in disbelief as she catwalked on the runway with her models. Funke Olaode, in this interview with Nkem and her mum, brings out what makes the youngster tick and her dreams for the future

ow did you develop passion for fashion? I am a very creative person who likes to draw. It started two years ago when I was about 11 years old. I went to spend about two weeks with my good friend, Motunrayo Ilo, in Lagos. We went around the city and landed in House of Divas in Ikoyi owned by Motunrayo’s aunt. There, they do a lot of things such as make-up and sewing. How do you get your fashion inspiration? It comes to me naturally and after my encounter with House of Diva I developed my skills further. I would just pick a piece of paper and start drawing. It was for a few days but the first day I didn’t show much interest in the makeup thing. But the third day a woman saw me and persuaded me to join them in the fashion section. She asked me whether I would like to draw and I said yes. She brought out paper and asked me to focus on the body image. The woman looked at it and said it was good. At the end of the day I asked her if I could take the drawings home and she said yes. That was how it started. After my holiday I went home with a lot of forms and I started drawing. I would draw something on a sheet of paper and transfer it into my book. One day my aunt wore my designs to the Africa Fashion Week model casting and one of the coordinators, Ms. Aiki Odiawa, saw it and asked about its designer. My aunt pointed in my direction. I was then invited to feature as the youngest designer. Initially, there was a problem, my tailor didn’t get the design and I was so frustrated. Honestly, I was down but after some time she got it right. And when I came for the rehearsals I was not settled. I was worried about how it would turn out. By the time my models came on stage I was stunned and my mind felt at ease.

Nkem

Were you nervous coming on the stage? I was not only nervous, I was suffocating. I was scared and the models were calming me down. I was panicky because it was my first time ever. There was air-conditioner but I was sweating profusely. When I finally walked out with the models I was only walking but not breathing. I held my breath. I took a deep breath when I got backstage. People were amazed seeing designs of a 13-year-old. So going with Motunrayo Ilo to House of Divas was a divine arrangement. She schools abroad and I just wanted to spend two weeks with

her and those three days at the resource centre was a self-discovery. What inspires your designs? I am a huge Abba Fan. Abba is a musical group and I love the Abba music that was made in a movie called, ‘Mama Mia’. I am waiting for the Part II to come out and I would be the first to watch it when it comes out next year. That movie also inspires me to go to the past, bring it to the present and the future. We can see that all old styles are coming back. After watching Abba I noticed that something is common, ‘the Spanish leave and bell bottom (long trousers)’. That is where I get the Spanish styles with layers. And once I develop my design idea, I will get a book; write it down including the accessory that will go with it. I will draw the mini sketch of it and once I get the body form I will put everything together and bring out the original design. What’s next after for you after AFWN? I have a lot of things for this summer and it has been a lovely moment discovering my own talents. Apart from studying law later, I also want to start my own business by owing a fashion label. I am planning to start a Facebook account where I will display my designs and a website to put my brand on the world map. Have you ever noticed this creativity in her? Yes. In her school, she was involved in art competition and also loves making beads. She was in the school band and music wise she is involved in music and even conducted the band last December. She loves sports. So she has her hands in so many things. Again, I have always noticed that she loved drawing and her passion grew after her short holiday with her friend. At the initial stage I thought it was a short attention span that after two weeks she would drop everything. But I noticed that she didn’t quit and all the papers in my house were not spared either. And when she got frustrated or she didn’t get the drawing she would throw them away and start all over again. On my part, I tried to get her back to her studies. I would collect all the designs and either keep them or throw them away but she persisted. After a while, my sister started collecting the design and making them. The breakthrough came when the Chief Operating Officer of African Fashion Week, Aiki Odiawa saw one of her designs and liked it and suggested that we should showcase her at the African Fashion

JULY 15, 2017 • THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper

People

Nkem, middle walking with her models at the African Fashion Week held at the National Theatre, Lagos

Unveiling the Youngest Fashion Designer in Nigeria Week Nigeria. That was how she ended up at AFWN as the youngest designer. Now her interest has been established and we move it up from there. Combining education with passion I always use myself as an example. I was given a chance as a sports person when I was barely nine years. I read Industrial Chemistry, and today, my means of livelihood comes from sports. If I hadn’t been allowed to do sports then what would I have been doing today? I would ensure that she completes her education and at the same time I am not going to stop her to pursue her dreams and passion. My daughter is a strongwilled person and when she believes in something she is ready to pursue it. She had notebooks all over the place with sketches and so devoted to fashion magazine. I will encourage her as a mother. I just read about a 20-year-old who won a Tennis Open and went home with about $3m. I think as parents it is high time we started recognising when our children are talented. I agree they must go to school but we should start nurturing that talent from when they are young. It is has been a long time we have seen a young person reaching the zenith of their dreams in this country because there is a lot of emphasis on book education at the expense of creative education. The likes of Bill Gates live in an environment that allowed him to discover who he was at a relatively young age and today, he is the richest man on earth. How did you bring her up as an only child? I am a single parent and she is an only child but I wasn’t overly protective of her. Most times she spends sometime in her cousin’s place. Or, she is in a friend’s place. And I took her to a boarding school where she just finished her junior WAEC. Have you ever noticed these traits in her as a child? She must have inherited it from my family members because I am surrounded with creative people. My sister is one of the big shots as creative director in advertising agency in Nigeria. Her two godfathers, my siblings’ children are all creative people in music, entertainment and even sports or creative arts. So she has been surrounded by creativity all her life. I want her to explore her talent

L-R: Mum, Nkem, her cretive director, Mrs. Nkoli Ogbolu and Nkem while cutting her 13th birthday...recently alongside schooling. Sometimes the up top academically and her creativity experiment works and it is verse visa aspect also did not suffer. and that is life for you. After AFWN, what next for her? How did you feel when she was Arising from the African Fashion coming out with her models? Week the International Women Society Participating in AFWN was the icing Vocational Training Centre located in on the cake for me as a mother. It was an Lekki where she has been getting some awesome moment for me. Yes, we went tutelage on sewing is having its gradufor rehearsals and we were hoping it ation on July 25 and she has been asked would turn out fine. Then we came for to be part of the fashion show with the show everything looked amazing their alumni. Unlike the AFWN where and I realised that it was my daughter’s she showcased a few clothing it is an designs they were putting on. I couldn’t opportunity for her to showcase her describe how I felt that day. I sat in the full collections of about 25. Hopefully, hall and pinched myself not to have tears we are likely to be in London for the Afwhen her models were on the runway. rican Fashion Week London in August. At the end of the show people walked One thing about Nkem’s stuffs is their up to me to congratulate me. I was ‘wearability’. They are everyday attire extremely proud of her because it was – formal, casual or semi-formal. her design that translated into clothing. For the first time I am seeing what she One would have expected her to drew on papers on stage. At the initial design for her age range. stage I was conservative as a parent that Funny enough the first set of designs she should focus on her education. Then she made were for adults because we we reached an agreement that if she (her aunts and I) were her models. She was able to achieve between 75 and 80 also made some casuals for her age per cent average in school, then she was mates. She realises that her mum and good to go and participate in the fashion her age mates would also like formal show. She lived up to expectation and dresses so she does both. achieved 78 per cent average. I gave her a lot of support to ensure that she came What was her dream before she

Before her fashion talent crept up, her vision was to be an entertainment and creative arts lawyer (a kind of copyrights lawyer) that is incorporating fashion, sports, creative arts and entertainments. That dream is still alive because she is only 13. And as time goes on in her fashion foray we are looking at her doing internship with a big fashion house locally or internationally... I look at the Williams’ sisters who started playing tennis at age 13 eventually went to school along the line. Today, Venus has a complete range of fashion, while Serena has over 400 nail studios all over America. They were pursuing their interest in sports, education and business took to fashion? Before her fashion talent crept up, her vision was to be an entertainment and creative arts lawyer (a kind of copyrights lawyer) that is incorporating fashion, sports, creative arts and entertainments. That dream is still alive because she is only 13. And as time goes on in her fashion foray we are looking at her doing internship with a big fashion house locally or internationally. By the time she finishes her WAEC she would be 16 and I don’t intend to send a 16-year-old to the university or to ‘A’ levels. I realise that we are just breeding youths who don’t have skill experience. There is no doubt I have confidence in her ability. But two years of internship (before going to the university) will convince me whether she can go fully into it or not. I look at the Williams’ sisters who started playing tennis at age 13 eventually went to school along the line. Today, Venus has a complete range of fashion, while Serena has over 400 nail studios all over America. They were pursuing their interest in sports, education and business.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper â€¢ July 15, 2017

July 15 2017 â€¢ THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • july 15, 2017

event

Jubilee Chalet Opens new Vista for Tourism in Epe

Bruce Prins, Managing Director of MP Hotels

pe, an ancient town located within the Lagos East Senatorial District, is endowed with rich history and huge economic and tourism potentials dating back to the colonial era in Nigeria. Part of its rich history is the fact that it houses a host of historic landmarks, including the first-ever post office in Nigeria, the second oldest sea port in the country, the second police station in the country, and the first comprehensive college in Lagos state, among others. Epe, over the years, has also maintained its natural endowment. However, the full potentials of the coastal community had in the past decade remained untapped and largely unexploited. But in the last two years, the once sleepy time is buzzing and bubbling again. Since Governor Akinwunmi Ambode assumed office on May 29, 2015, Epe, like many other communities in the state, has gotten attention from the government. From road rehabilitation and construction to upgrade of healthcare facilities, as well as the Light Up Lagos initiative, Epe is fast becoming a new construction site. There is also the ongoing massive Lagoon reclamation under the Epe Marina project which is fashioned after the Dubai Marina, and the primary goal is to facilitate the development of the area and give a quantum leap to the tourism potentials of the state. But Governor Ambode, who coincidentally hails from Epe, gladly tells anyone who cares to listen that the infrastructural renewal-drive going on in Epe has only just started. With the series of ongoing projects, Epe is fast emerging as a new haven for investors and tourists alike. With its proximity to Lekki, with the Free Trade Zone that houses the ongoing Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Projects, the Lekki Deep Sea Port and the Lekki International Airport, among other multifaceted projects, the corridor is set to welcome thousands of visitors for business and pleasure, and on the long run, portends greater prosperity for Epe residents and its environs. Governor Ambode is not oblivious of this. This, perhaps, may have informed the construction of the Jubilee Chalet in Epe, a cozy resort built in a serene environment with a view of the lagoon, a secure neighbourhood for guests to rest from the hustle and bustle of the Lagos metropolis. The facility, which used to be a reserved VIP Chalet hosting government functions,

The newly commissioned Jubilee Chalet by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at Oke-Oyinbo, Epe, Lagos, on Thursday, July 6, 2017

was before now in a state of total neglect, but it has since been transformed by the Ambode administration to a modern tourist destination offering a unique experience for relaxation, meetings, events, and so on. Sitting on a vast area of land in the heart of the community, the Jubilee Chalet presents a perfect blend of comfort, relaxation in a natural habitat infused to meet up with international standards. The facility, built by the State Government, has 72 rooms with four executive suites, an ultra-modern conference hall, a large meeting room that can sit more than 100 guests, as well as a modern restaurant. It also boasts of a standard swimming pool, Tennis Court, football field, gymnasium, a bar and a party area. At the commissioning of the Chalet recently, Governor Ambode said his administration thought it wise to expand the old Government VIP Chalet built by the Alhaji Lateef Jakande administration, in line with its objective to strategically reposition the town to take maximum advantage of the economic benefits of the huge investment activities in and around Lekki Free Trade Zone. Present at the inauguration were an array of guests, including party leaders, members of the House of Assembly, members of the Diplomatic Corps and other stakeholders in the hospitality industry. He said beyond the Jubilee Chalet, his administration was taking deliberate actions to promote tourism, leisure and recreation, including the construction and upgrading of road projects in Epe, adding that ongoing Epe Marina project would soon wear a new look. “As we are changing the face of Epe, we are doing the same thing in Badagry, in a twin-pronged approach to promote tourism in the State. The Government VIP Chalets in Badagry is currently being rehabilitated and will be commissioned early next year. Work is also going on at the Badagry Marina to prepare it for the investors and tourists that the Badagry Deep Sea port will attract,” the Governor said. Ambode also said that aside enhancing the tourism potential of the Epe axis, the facility would provide employment opportunities for different categories of individuals and companies, boost economic activities in the community, as well as generate additional revenue into the state coffers. “The Jubilee Chalet and Epe town are ready for you. This facility is not only for tourists but also for corporate institutions

looking for a serene location for their retreats and all Nigerians looking for vacation spots within the country. I assure you all that this facility will deliver services that will surpass your expectations and someday be ranked amongst the best hospitality properties in Africa,” he said. To ensure the smooth running and maintenance of the facility, the Governor said it would be managed by MP Hotels, an internationally acclaimed firm in the hospitality industry, and that it would be charged to deliver world-class services and create wealth for the state and all stakeholders. Managing Director of MP Hotels, Bruce Prins said the concept behind the establishment of the Chalets was far-reaching and the benefits could not be over emphasised. “I think it is a very good thing that the government is investing first of all in hospitality industry and infrastructure development for its people because building is something that creates job opportunities and it contributes to the economy, especially to Epe as a town because contrary to popular belief, Epe is larger than people think it is but yet it has the rural distinctiveness that makes it very nice for relaxing,” Prins said. For Prins, the beautiful view of the lagoon also adds to the aesthetics of the facility and gives guests the opportunity to savour the aquatic splendor of Epe. “As a result, the Chalet can attract both leisure by individual people who want to get away from the busy life of the city or it can also attract companies who want to do small retreat. We basically categorise this Chalet as a mid-level or mid-scale hotel and

with that, it is more affordable for majority of companies and individual people. It has elements of luxury but it is affordable,” he said. Prins is also confident that the mere fact that the facility is located close to the waterfront with an amazing view would be a major selling point to be considered by guests who would crave for more than just a roof over their heads. In his words: “The facility is very serene and it is unlike living on the island which is very noisy and very hectic. Here is relatively calm and once the waterfront project ongoing is completed, the waterfront visitors will also like to come here. “Epe is outside of Lagos and it’s a quiet place. So, what we are selling is the experience that people will have with us when they visit us at Jubilee Chalet, Epe. It’s a serene environment with natural features,” he said. Aside the facilities at the Chalet, there is also a water fountain, good road network and expansive packing areas within the premises of the Chalets, while effective security arrangement has also been made to guarantee safety of guests. The Jubilee Chalet, Epe, according to the government was just one out of several models to be built across the state as it intends to build such facilities in other locations. With the Jubilee Chalet now open for business, visitors and tourists alike have a viable alternative for a one-stop relaxation centre that would provide a luxury treat, home away from home and a unique experience in a natural habitat.

July 15 , 2017 â€¢ THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper

Fashion file

The Conversation Collection by

Rickdusi

Fashion file

Rickdusi Connection

ICKDUSI has released “THE CONVERSATION” for its debut for the spring /summer 2018 season. Inspired by an imaginary conversation between different epochs of menswear fashion, especially the delicate art of suiting and how it has evolved and communicated with each other in time and through time. According to the Brand’s creative director, Eromosele Patrick Eidusi: “I consciously picked up different elements from different eras and created a visual conversation around my collection “. From very formal to semi formal translation, Rickdusi tells its nostalgic spring / summer 2018 story in a very laid back dapper approach and target the man with a knack for dressing through time. Eromosele Patrick Eidusi is graduate of Geophysics from Benson Idahosa University. He is creative Director of Nigerian Contemporary menswear brand Rickdusi. A celebrity stylist and currently the Fashion Editor for Accelerate tv, an online digital media company - the youth haven for the creative doers, thinkers, champions and even the misfits. Credits Creative Director: Eromosele patrick Eidusi @patrickeidusi Photography: kunmi owopetu @ kunmi.owopetu Styling and Creative Direction: Oluwatosin Ogundadegbe @ thestyleinfidel Models: wale Bello @sobaint01 , Chinedu Johnson@chichilz , nzewkesi david Ebuka @davincisuave Grooming: Desmond Macaulay @ deydeysoso_ Shoes: @overallspremiumbrands Location: @eopstudios

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • July 15, 2017 By Azuka Ogujiuba azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • july 15, 2017

Market Place with Omolabake Fashogbon... 08033621009

L-R: Secretary, Society of Petroleum Engineers Nigeria Council (SPE), Mr. Etta Agbor; Chairman, SPE Nigeria Council, Dr. Saka Matemilola and Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ernest Mkpasi, during the SPE Nigeria Council press conference on the activities of the forthcoming Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition(SPENAICE2017) held in Lagos recently

L-R: Methods & Planning Officer, Total E&P Nigeria/ Energy Institute Member, Engr. Chinedu Oguws; Principal Consultant, Lonadek, Dr. Ibilola Amao; Chairman, Energy Institute Nigeria / Director, Fortune Engineering Service, Mr. Osten Olorunsola; MD, Energy Institute Nigeria, Mrs. Yewande Abiose; CEO, Solarcentric Technologies, Mr. Adetunji Iromini and Member, Energy Institute Nigeria, Ms. Toyin Bassey with the first round of graduates at the inaugural Graduate Engineering Training Scheme (GETS) end-of-training event in Lagos

Five Years of Jumia: The Shoppers’ Story With broadband penetration heading towards 30 per cent by 2018, Nigerian online market is expected to assume a competitive position in the global scene according to the predictions of technology experts. Indeed the online shopping model has come to relieve the stress that comes with the activities of physical buying and selling, thus a preferred option for an average shopper. The initiative is however gradually losing flavour contrary to experts’ predictions as only a few of the sophisticated population have a good testimony from their experiences with the operators. Not that Nigerians are displeased with the business model. In fact, it is a most welcome development as confirmed in a research conducted by MasterCard Worldwide which reported that 92 per cent of Nigerians hold strong and positive sentiments towards online shopping.

Lions Club Unveils Agenda for New Service Year Committed to fulfilling the objectives of its essence in the country, the district 404B2 of the Nigerian chapter of the Lions Club International has identified its initiatives for the new service year which will close cycle in June, 2018. Speaking at a press conference organised in Lagos to herald in the new season, the District Governor, Lion Asiwaju Ayobola Samuel stated that the club under his administration was determined to make a positive and indelible mark. According to him, the district will be pursuing five key projects in the new year and these include engaging the youth through empowerment, advocacy and enlightenment; sight preservation, protection of the environment; relieving hunger and diabetes screening and awareness campaign. The DG added that the district would give special attention to education and enlightenment on sickle cell anaemia to contain its devastating effects on Nigerians. While he harped on impact and result, he said that to get the best of the set agenda, the district had entered into strategic partnership with relevant bodies to actualise the project. He said, “On our mission to protect the environment, we are looking at planting 5000 trees while we have also opened talks with some relevant government agencies on other projects on which we can make a meaningful impact together. For the health projects, we have reached an agreement with Mercy Medical Mission in the United States of American, it will oversee the screening and treatment of visual impairment, provision of medications, eye glasses, cataract surgeries and dentistry. We are targeting and planning for 3000 people to benefit from this arrangement. “We will also explore the possibility of forging partnership with some state governments to carry out innovations and supply of equipment to selected public schools. This is in line with my campaign promises and by God’s grace, we will fulfill them.” Samuel who stated that the club had impacted 161 million souls across the globe, reiterated that the club was purely a service club established for the betterment of the society and not a cult group as being misconstrued by many.

With a long list of online shops in Nigeria, consumers’ report from various angles has further proven that operators, especially Jumia.com.ng need to up their game. For Jumia which is presently painting the town red on the occasion of its fifth anniversary in the marketplace, it is not total condemnation. Its numerous, yet innovative efforts at redefining online shopping trends in Nigeria have paid off. According to the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Juliet Anammah, despite environmental obstructions such as poor delivery infrastructure, i.e. lack of well-functioning postal system and effective logistic systems inhibiting the sector in Nigeria, it had been able to get out of the woods through different strategies. But for the ardent online customers, Jumia may not be the best option. Their dissatisfaction ranges from substandard products

(delivery of items not true to displayed pictures), delayed or no refund on suspicious products, exorbitant prices of goods, delayed delivery and poor customer service amongst others. While these complaints are not peculiar to Jumia, it seems to be taking the lead in the protest brackets. One of the worriers, Lara Wise, narrated her ordeal on the platform. According to her, she ordered for a particular brand of bag and paid before delivery, but what was delivered was an adulterated version of what she ordered which caused her to call for a refund. Even though she called for a refund within the company’s 7 days return policy, the refund didn’t come not until she raised the alarm. Another customer, Bayo said he trusted the platform with his bank details but doesn’t get to deliver as promised.

LG Smart Products Offer Striking Summer Experience Beyond a physical gadget, LG Electronics is offering a soothing companion through its various innovations to spice up summer experience this season. According to the company, its wide range of products available in the market could be explored in the season to stay connected to events around the world and enjoy the summer holidays while at home and away. While most people especially workers have embraced the idea of going on vacation to shrug off stress, rejuvenate and unwind, all aimed at self development and to increase productivity and guarantees steady career growth, this is not an excuse to be interrupted from other activities. Managing Director, LG Electronics West Africa operations, Mr. Taeick Son pointed out that the firm had designed life-changing and highly innovative products to bring about smart connection and safe world during summer and normal routine. “The best time for relaxation is vacation and to help make it a worthwhile experience, we have a variety of smart products to help consumers stay safe and connected to their loved ones even while on holidays. Some of them include smart TVs, sound systems, pro beam laser projector, hom-bot cleaner, home appliances, etc. “For instance the hom-bot vacuum cleaner has a unique feature known as the ‘ home view’; this allows for realtime monitoring and home guard which automatically sends photos whenever any movement is noticed. While the sound systems has a blue ray feature which enables consumers enjoy 3D disc movies in full HD 1080p, this will eventually support standard blu ray disc

movies in high definition and upscale the DVDs to near HD quality without any form of interference. With a wireless broadband, the sound system can easily be connected to the internet with an in-built Wi-Fi. It is interesting to know that most smart home technologies are very simple to operate,” he explained. For the cost-conscious individual who will prefer the stay-at-home vacation, the pro beam laser projector offers video content that can be paired with any Bluetooth audio device within reach. This would provide opportunities for relaxation, watch movies, enjoy local cuisine and hook up with any content of choice. The company also flaunts innovations with security features that could help to safeguard the home while being monitored from far locations, thus reassuring customers while having the best of time holidaying. While highlighting the importance of technology to day to day life, Son noted that technological innovations had come to interfere with human lives positively even as he stressed that the most exciting summer activities would bring refreshing experience to the soul, mind and can be made possible with the assistance of high-tech. “Wherever you choose to go for your holidays, be sure LG Electronics has got you covered with products that will ensure accessibility and great convenience. Connectivity has never been more popular than now especially with today’s smart appliances which are creating new platforms for making holidays not only enjoyable but also convenient while staying connected with loved ones. Holidays can only get better, but with LG life will always be good,” he concluded.

Although, an arm of the company, Jumia Travels recently released a statement saying that ‘investors are happy with the company’, such may not be the true picture in reality as Marketplace encounter with shoppers on the platform proved otherwise. When contacted on this, the company maintained that it was constantly improving its processes to meet the yearnings of the consumers. “We are here to serve the customers better and that is why all the departments in the company including the customers service, quality control and quality checks among others are not leaving any stone unturned to deliver satisfactorily. We will not hesitate to delist any vendor who supplies us with substandard products, yet the quality check department ensures that whatever goes out in our name is not below standard.

Chevron, NNPC Give Back to Society Two Oil giants, Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC have reached out to Igbokada General Hospital, in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State by donating an X-ray machine to facilitate health care delivery and treatment of tuberculosis in the area. The gesture has further proven the companies’ commitment to the well-being of Nigerians and brought relief to members of the community who before now lacked facilities to access diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis and other related diseases. The presentation ceremony was witnessed by the state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, represented by his Senior Special Adviser on Oil and Gas, Benson Enikuomehin and some community leaders who commended the firms for their benevolence. While presenting the item, General Manager Policy, Government and Public Affairs at CNL, Esimaje Brikinn noted that the X-ray machine would improve the diagnosis and monitoring of tuberculosis especially among children. In his remark, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Babatunde Onakoya, added that the equipment would relieve the stress of patients travelling long distances for test and diagnosis of ailments. Also, Akeredolu, commended the joint initiative of the CNL/ NNPC in providing quality health facilities to the people of the coastal communities. He assured the oil companies of the safety of their investments in the oil-rich communities of the state. He noted that the state was the most peaceful in the Niger Delta region saying youths in the oil-rich communities were now desirous of development and not destruction of facilities owned by the oil companies. He thus advised the management of the hospital to ensure judicious use of the equipment and make its maintenance a matter of priority.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper •JULy 15, 2017

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Tosin Clegg

07062816737 e-mail: tosinclegg@hotmail.com

Tosin Bee

I’m Single, My Kind of Woman Must Be…. Tosin Bee is a contemporary African gospel musician. Already, he has an album titled “Testimony”, which he described as a summary of all God had done for him. In this interview, he tells Tosin Clegg how he stated his music career and future plans

Things that shaped me and my music usic started with singing with some of my friends. We did that every evening in Ogbomoso, although they were older than me, but they saw something I couldn’t see then in myself. So every evening, we go round the neighborhood singing really loud, actually just to show off. We were really enjoying the attention then. After a while, I moved on to Ilorin. I did my ‘A’ levels there at Kwara Polytechnic. I was always singing, at a point my friend Tayo advised I join a church choir, but I told him no way, because I was the shy type. On the long run, I joined my church choir, then I joined Gold Heart Mission, and Kingdom Minstrels for Christ, also Latter House Family. These were in our denominational choir, and we meet in the evening on Sundays for rehearsal or ministrations. I also had a group with two of my friends, Samuel Aliyu, and Rumide Jeffery, and all these shaped me and my music life. Then I moved on to Olabisi onabanjo University, Ago-iwoye, while studying, I joined Redeemed Christian Fellowship, (RCF). RCF really shaped me; I joined the choir, SOLM. Along the line, I was made the worship team leader after which I was made the music director of the fellowship. From there I came into Lagos in 2010. Tosin BEE is a coinage from my surname TOSIN is my name, Adejumobi is my surname. It was Mr. June Jack, the first person that was going to manage me that gave me the name, by removing the “BI” from my surname and changing it to ‘BEE’, but that was after trying many names.

in and out of Nigeria. Also so far, I have worked with Nosa, Efe Nathan, Tosin Martins, Wole Oni, Masterkraft, Big Bolaji, Laolu Gbenjo, the list is long. Of course, I’m looking forward to working with quite a number of people, but let’s keep it sealed for now. All gospel acts preach the same message So, there is no room for comparison, but know one thing, I enjoy so much grace. It amplifies the little I do that I wonder sometimes if I actually did this. Also, the spirit of excellence in my approach and method of delivery is another thing. In five years, I believe I must have taken a good number of nations of the world for God, and I believe gospel music will forever be a tool in the propagation of the gospel. The secular music industry You can say secular music is more about entertainment and business. Generally, there is music business, and anybody can do this, as long as you know your way, but the moment the word “Gospel” comes in, then it has become ministry and in ministry it’s all about the kingdom. In this case, money is not priority but soul winning. However, if you are committed to the kingdom business, then God will be committed to your life and everything that pertains to you. Initially the major challenge was money You know it’s difficult to do music without money. But God has been faithful. In terms of success, it’s in the testimony of how God has blessed lives through our ministry, and the testimony has been overwhelming.

Growing up was fun I am from a beautiful family of six. Though, from a really humble background, but ours was a beautiful family, of course. We had challenges here and there, but who doesn’t have one? A day I won’t forget in a hurry God really showed up and he caused men to stand up for this small boy during my album launch, especially Pastor Mrs. Folu Adeboye, the mother in Israel RCCG. She came and stayed through the launch. You know, this is one of the best things that have happened to me. Mummy, I love you so much. “Mama Daa Daa”. Of course, another person I must talk about is Pastor and Pastor Mrs. Charles Kpandei, my very pastor. This man is my number one fan. He believes so much in what God can do through me. The album title is “Tes-

Tosin Bee

timony” and it was just a summary of all God has done for me. It was my Testimony. Special thanks to Daddy and Mummy Odesola, Leke Adeboye, Kunle Ajayi, Mr. Tosin Adewuyi, and everyone that made it happen. I do contemporary African gospel music Gospel music is deeply rooted in the rich traditions of the AfricanAmerican church. During the late 1800s, African-American churches

in the southern United States started fusing various styles of music into their worship services, including African-American spirituals, hymns, and sacred songs. Contemporary African Gospel music is built on cross-pollination with western popular music and genres of African popular music. I’m in the studio at the moment, working I would be releasing new songs soon, followed by a tour of cities

Performances, fans and dealing with fame... Wherever we are called to minister or perform, we make sure we go with an unusual fire of the Holy Ghost, and lives never remain the same. You call them fans, I call them friends. They are very important people to me, and I try as much as possible to relate with them well, I even welcome suggestions and ideas from them; after all they are my friends. Concerning fame, well I always tell myself, what is it that you have that has not been given to you by God, so by God’s grace I try to introduce humility in all I do. To go far in life you must be humble. I’m single And my kind of woman must be beautiful, God-loving, God-chaser, hardworking, praying wife and of course a mother.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper •JULy 15, 2017

SHOWBIZFLAIR

My Story AlmostTen Years After Figurine, Ramsey Nouah, Omoni Oboli Reunite in ‘My Wife and I’ Almost ten years after delivering beloved performances in Kunle Afolayan’s acclaimed 2009 thriller- Figurine, Nollywood legends Ramsey Nouah and Omoni Oboli reunite in the family comedy, “My Wife and I”. The Film One/Inkblot Production’s collaboration casts the Nollywood heavyweights as Toyosi and Ebere, a couple struggling to keep their marriage intact through a number of interesting, yet supernatural circumstances. “My Wife and I” is a comedy that deals with the trials and tribulations of the duo, who are successful in every other aspect of their lives except their marriage. Their decision to make things work, leads them to Pastor Theophilus, who is responsible for putting them through a series of (un) fortunate events. Directed by Bunmi Ajakaiye and written by Chinaza Onuzo, ‘My wife and I’ also stars Ngozi Nwosu, Rachael Oniga, Seyi Law, Jemima Osunde, Bolanle Ninalowo, Dorcas Shola Fapson, Sambasa Nzeribe and Dozie Onyezuruika.

Laolu Gbenjo

My Style of Music Stands Me Out Laolu Gbenjo, a contemporary African Highlife gospel act with a mission to win a Grammy, broke into the industry about a decade ago and has grown to be a name to reckon with. In this interview with Tosin Clegg, he talks about his music, projects and career

Olola to Drop Audio and Video for new Song, Adore You Oluwafemi Feola Famoyibo, popularly known as Olola, is a blend of good music, positive energy and mastery of afro pop. Olola ventured into the music scene a few years back and he hasn’t failed to deliver the best of vibes in good music. He was signed to Grind Records in January 2017 and so much has been put in place to unveil this economy of great music to the public. He recently finished work on a new song, ‘Adore You’ with renowned music producer, TY Mix scheduled to be dropped soon and a video to accompany it. Olola is here to stay and make an impact with his music, ensuring his gospel is passed in messages either of love, dance or any kind.

‘Church Culture’ Launches on ChannelsTV ‘Church Culture’, a new television show focused on the mission of the Christian faith and the people, places and priorities that drive Christians in Nigeria and across Africa, launched its first season on Saturday 8 July, 2017 on Channels TV. The show is hosted by Funmbi Ogunbanwo and produced by Generation Y!, producers of Rubbin’ Minds, also on ChannelsTV and eXploring on ONTV. It is produced in conjunction with the church media company also called Church Culture. “As one of our co-founders has said, the church is the biggest, most well-resourced institution in Nigeria, outside of business,” said Seun Oluyemi who is Senior Producer. Guests on the first season of the show include Sam Adeyemi, Kris Okotie, Ituah Ighodalo, Jumoke Adenowo, Tosin Martins, Obiwon Obiora, Toni Kan, Akah Nnani, among others.

ow long have you been in this business? It’s been 10 years since I started my career and it’s been interesting but also challenging. I give thanks to God. When I first started, finance and platforms were the major issue but, for now, things have been good. Tell us about your career so far? Right now, I have about three albums. First was in 2008, titled Next Level. Second was in 2014, titled Take Over and the recent album was in 2016 were Wole Oni did a great job. Also, I have had two concerts so far. First was in 2014 and second in 2016 with a great turnout, having acts like Akpororo, Tosin Bee, Shola Allyson, Efe Nathan, Onos, Beejay Sax, Acapella and lots more. What makes you different from other acts? I would say it’s my style of music. I do contemporary African Highlife gospel music and old CAC traditional music. So, I think that alone has given me a brand. Any new project coming up soon? I’m planning to do a song with Wole Oni. I just wrote the song titled, Jesus Did It and also plan on doing a worship song which people haven’t seen me do before. So, I’m trying to do something people haven’t known me for.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper •JULy 15, 2017

newsXTRA

Borno Boosts Radio, Television to Combat Boko Haram

for safety on our roads

L -R: Zonal Commander Office,RS2, FRSC, Lagos, Mr. Shehu Zaki; Group Managing Director/CEO, Diamond Bank Plc. Mr. Uzoma Dozie; Corps, Marshal, FRSC, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi; and the Chief Financial Officer, Diamond Bank Plc., Mr. Chingo Ndubuisi, during the presentation of 2 way radio transmitter to the FRSC by Diamond Bank Plc. in Lagos yesterday PHOTO: SUNDAY ADIGUN

Over N8bn Fraud Uncovered in Kogi State Varsity Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja Over N8.4 billion ha allegedly been embezzled by three officers of Kogi State University, Anyigba in the past seven years. Addressing newsmen after the weekly executive council meeting at the government house on Friday, the Director General of Media and Publicity to the state governor, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo said the three officers of the University were

allegedly embezzling of N100 million monthly for the past seven years. According to him, the fraud was discovered during the last staff screening exercise. Although, the governor's spokesman refused to disclose the names of the affected staff, he however said the money were proceeds illegally gotten through ghost workers but vowed that every kobo defrauded the state government must be accounted

Diamond Bank Presents Radio Station to FRSC Diamond Bank has presented radio transmitters to support the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, in its quest to improve the lot of road users and ease traffic situation in the country. Speaking during the official presentation and launch of twoway radio transmitters at the bank’s corporate headquarters in Lekki, the CEO of Diamond Bank, Uzoma Dozie, said the bank was always pleased to associate with anything that would bring relief to the citizenry. “When FRSC came to us and talked about a radio station to communicate with people so that they know better, we thought it was a perfect idea. We are an organisation that is also trying to get people to do more banking better and also understand the benefit of banking. So, it’s a partnership of two organisations that want to communicate to the retail market and the man on the street. “It was something we are glad to do. Things are done better when there is collaboration. If FRSC is doing it by themselves, just communicating about safety, it would be monotonous, but it’s stereo when you are listening to different types of education

and information. It would attract more listeners and not just about road safety but on the general improvement of lives of Nigerians,” Dozie said. In his reaction, Corps Marshal FRSC, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi said the two-way radio station would be established in Abuja, but would transmit all over country and Nigerians would have the opportunity of getting to know about the traffic situation every 30 minutes nationwide, while Diamond Bank would also use the platform to reach out in their own Corporate Social Responsibility. “It’s a partnership that is going to really blossom beyond expectation,” the FRSC boss assured. Asked why the Corps was partnering with Diamond Bank and not any other bank, Oyeyemi said “Diamond Bank had been helpful to the corps in so many ways and when we approached them, they believed in us and in what want to do-saving lives, enlightening the people on the need to obey traffic regulations. We align together on the issue of education and communication. It’s a combination that is going to work well.

for. He also disclosed that government approved the establishment of three befitting markets in Ankpa, kabba and Adavi to boost commercial activities in the state and that contract for the markets had already been awarded and work was expected to commence by September and last for one year. Fanwo also disclosed that council had approved the reconstruction of the office of

the state owned newspaper, The Graphic, to give it a befitting look. He said council had also declared a state of emergency on the environment owing to the ravaging floods that had devastated parts of the state. He said a committee had already been set up which will liaise with the state emergency management agency and expected to quickly do something about the raging floods that had cut off some communities in the state.

Ekweremadu: NASS Addressing Agitations, Disunity in Nigeria The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has assured that the National Assembly of Nigeria would continue to work with all arms of government to address issues causing agitations and disunity in the country. He gave the assurances while hosting pupils of the Brickhall School, Abuja, who were on a Peace and Unity Advocacy visit to his Office in Abuja. He said: “I am impressed that you are committed to the peace and unity of Nigeria at this very young age. It is a further assurance that there is indeed hope and that our future will be greater. “I have heard your concerns. Yes, there are agitations here and there. There are concerns about disunity. However, you need not be afraid. Let me assure you that the issues are being gradually resolved. The government is doing everything possible to ensure that we live in peace and unity, and that growing up, you will inherit a country that is united, peaceful, and progressive. “Our promise to you is that we will hand over to you a country much better than what we have now. We will do our best to ensure

that every part of Nigeria is given a sense of belonging; that there is justice in the land; and that the rule of law is observed”. Ekweremadu urged the pupils to continue to cultivate friendship amongst themselves and work together no matter what part of the country they come from, as that was the only way Nigeria could make the desired progress. Earlier in her remarks, the leader of the delegation, Miss Nicole Ella, said Nigerian children were getting more worried over the “bickering and agitations in the land”. She continued: “We have been taught that the beauty and strength of Nigeria is in her diversity. We are witnesses to this because even though we come from different ethnic and religious backgrounds in our school, we all study and play together as friends and a family without any form of discrimination. “We, therefore, desire to grow up seeing and learning more love, peace, unity, and respect for one another in the larger society. We do not want to inherit or be future leaders of a divided Nigeria. We do not want anything that will cause a separation or mar the friendship we share”.

Michael Olugbode The Borno State owned broadcasting outfit, Borno Radio Television (BRTV), has been boosted to combat the spread of Boko Haram with outreach spanning the entire state, neighbouring Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe States and parts of Niger Republic. The investment of the Borno state government in the broadcasting houses has led to improvement of the Borno Radio 95.3 FM from 15 per cent courage of the state to the entire state and neighbouring towns. A statement by the spokesman to Borno Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, Mallam Isa Gusau said: "The FM station has added 19,700 watts of transmission capacity to existing 3,000 watts inherited in 2011 from previous Government of Ali Sheriff. "Governor Kashim Shettima last year approved release of funds which led to the acquisition and installation of new 20,000 watts (20 kilowatts) transmitter with all components at the Borno Radio

FM in Maiduguri." The statement claimed that: "Borno is the first State Government to acquire such capacity," noting that: "Governor Shettima had also approved funds for the establishment, equipping and modernisation of four studios of international standards to make the FM station meet the standards of international institutions, particularly with plans to unveil programmes that will counter religious ideologies that preach or promote any form of violence and hate among residents." Gusau revealed that: "With all installations completed, the FM station recently spent three days testing the new equipment through transmission of a special programme. Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Mohammed Bulama whose Ministry coordinates and supervises the project, took part in all processes of the transmission. The Commissioner said feedbacks were received from listeners across the State and others from Bosso in Niger and parts of Adamawa, Yobe and Gombe States."

Adeosun: Nigeria’s Economic, Political Development Tied to Tax Compliance Vincent Obia Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has said that Nigeria’s capacity to join the league of economically prosperous countries was dependent on the willingness of its nationals to pay their taxes. Adeosun stated this in Lagos at an interactive session for executives and business owners on the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme. She said the most economically and political prosperous countries also had high tax compliance rates. Equally at the event, which was hosted by leading professional services provider, PwC Nigeria, the chairman of Lagos Inland Revenue Service, Mr. Ayodele Subair, called for the autonomy of state inland revenue organs, saying this would remove unnecessary official procedures that hinder their effectiveness. “The fortunes of Lagos changed when the board gained autonomy,” Subair said, referring to the state’s revenue board, which was reor-

ganised and freed from obstructive bureaucracy since the administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at the dawn of the Fourth Republic in 1999. VAIDS, which was launched by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on June 29 in Abuja, is a nine-month amnesty for tax defaulters to regularise their tax positions by declaring all previously undisclosed assets and incomes in return for forgiveness of overdue interests and penalties. It runs from July 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018, and is being implemented by the federal government in conjunction with the governments of the36 states of the federation. Adeosun said tax payment by citizens would elicit effective political participation by the people, as they would show more interest in knowing how their money is being spent by their representatives. “When people pay tax, they get involved. It actually improves the democratic process. As our tax revenues go up, governance would improve,” she stated.

Osun Permanent Secretary Kidnapped, Killed in Kogi State Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja The Permanent Secretary, Bureau of General Services, Office of the Osun State Governor, Mrs. Olufunke Oluwakemi Kolawole was allegedly kidnapped and killed early hours on Friday along Okene-Abuja federal road. THISDAY reliably gathered that Mrs. Kolawole was abducted and killed while travelling to Abuja from Osogbo on an official assignment. According to the source, the deceased was said to be driven in her official car and was going to attend the inauguration of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Abiola Adewemimo as one of the judges of Industrial Court when she was attacked. However, the younger brother, Mr. Femi Ajibade who spoke to

newsmen on Friday expressed shock over the incident, he described the death of his sister as devastating and sudden. His words, “I spoke with her last on Wednesday. I spoke with her last on Wednesday, and one of my sisters called me on Thursday evening that her number could not be reached, I rushed down to her house at Ofatedo where I gathered that she was in a critical condition after being attacked and shot by armed robbers’ in Kogi State, on her way to Abuja for an event. “We later arranged among the family members to travel to Kogi and ascertain her condition, but we were prevailed upon not to go again, as some of her associates confirmed to us that she was dead."

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • JULY 15, 2017

newsxtra Be Guided by the Law, Conscience, CJN tells Judges Alex Enumah in Abuja

WORKING TOGETHER...

L-R: Executive Director, Marine Operation Matter, Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Sokonte Huttin Davies; Managing Director, NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman; Executive Secretary/CEO, Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Abdur Razaq Balogun and Board Member, LSSTF, Mr. Yemi Idowu, during LSSTF courtesy visit to NPA head office in Lagos yesterday

EFCC Arraigns Former Enugu CJ over Arthur Eze's N10m Donation Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu

Former Chief Judge of Enugu State,JusticeInnocentUmezulike was on Friday arraigned before an Enugu State High Court presided over by Justice Anthony Onovo for alleged corruption. He was accused of using his office as Chief Judge of the state to confer corrupt or unfair advantage in violation of Section 19 of the ICPC Act (laws of the federation 2000). Hewasaccordinglyarraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedlyreceivingaN10million

donationduringhisbooklaunch from a litigant with a pending civil matter before his court. He however pleaded not guiltywhentheone-countcharge was read to him. The former Chief Judge was also granted bail in the sum of N1million and self-recognition as the prosecution counsel, Mr. Wahab Shittu refused to oppose thebailapplicationbythedefence counsel, Prof Agu Gab Agu. The charge read: "Hon. Justice Innocent Azubike Umezulike sometime in February, 2014 at Enugu within the jurisdiction of this court whilst being the Chief

Judge, a public officer did use your position to confer unfair advantage upon yourself by inviting one Prince Arthur Eze, the Chief Executive Officer of Oranto Petroleum Ltd who was a litigant in pending and concluded civil matters to wit: suit No. E/388/2010; prince Arthur Eze vs Diamond Bank Plc and E/147/2010, Prince Arthur Eze vs Major Concepts Ltd respectively presided over by you to the launch of book titled "ABC of Contemporary Land Law in Nigeria" authored by you where the said Prince Arthur Eze donated ten million

naira only by a Fidelity Bank Plc Cheque drawn in the account of Oranto Petroleum Ltd which you accepted and paid the sum of ten million naira only into your Zenith Bank Plc account number1001189952andthereby committed an offence". The matter was thereafter adjourned till October 26 and 27 aswellasNovember2and3,2017 for definite hearing as the judge grantedtheprosecutioncounsel's application for accelerated trial. Before adjourning the matter however, the judge warned the media against sensational reportage.

Insecurity has No Political Affiliation, Says Wike Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has called on all Nigerians to support the Nigerian Armed Forces to fight crime, because insecurity affects everybody, irrespective of political affiliation. Speaking during a State Banquet in honour of the Chief of ArmyStaff,LtGeneralTukurBuratai, at the Government House PortHarcourtonThursdaynight, Wike said when there was no peace, governance suffers. Hesaid:"Everybodymustjoin

hands to fight crime and insecurity.Thisisbecauseinsecurityhas no political affiliation. "When there is no peace, there will be no governance. When there is insecurity, the revenue of the state will be negatively affected and it will be difficult to support the security agencies with logistics and finance". He said the security agencies were doing their best in Rivers State as they had made the state one of the safest places to live and do business. The governor said Nigerians

must learn to commend security agencies for their service to the country, pointing out that there wasnowhereintheworldwhere therewerenosecuritychallenges. "I want to commend the Chief of Army Staff for achieving the great feat of bringing the Boko Haram insurgency to the barest minimum," he said. Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, also commended the military for their service to the nation and urged them to continue to provide security in the Niger Delta.

In his remarks, Chief ofArmy Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai, saidthe6DivisionoftheNigerian Army had come to stay as it is programmed to provide maximum security for the core states of the region. He lauded the Rivers State Governmentforappreciatingthe setting up of 6 Division through the special banquet. Hesaid:"Securityisacollective responsibility. We must work together to achieve the best results. Strong inter-agency cooperation is vital to improving security ".

Plastic Crating: PLAN takes Campaign to Idera, Oyingbo

UN, FG, Wife, Others to Imortalise Osotimehin

PostharvestLossAllianceforNutrition (PLAN) under the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, has taken its campaign on promotingtheadoptionofReturnable Plastic Crates for handling fresh fruits and vegetables to Idera Model market Agege and Oyingbo market, Ebute Metta in Lagos State. Thiswasaimedatreducingloss associatedwiththeuseofweaved raffiabasketsinthetransportation andstorageoffarmproduceinthe country. PLAN said they would equally educate traders on the advantages of using the returnable plastic crates over weaved raffia baskets. Also, the PLAN campaign is targeted at educating traders on the need to ensure that perish-

Senator Iroegbu and Alex Enuma in Abuja The Federal Government, United Nations (UN), family members as other stakeholders in health and development community have paid final tribute to the late Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Under-Secretary-General of UN, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin. Inhismemorialserviceyesterday at the UN House Abuja, Osetimehin was honoured as a man with undyingzealforemancipationand empowermentofwomenandgirls. The tribute by the UN Resident Coordinatorsdescribedthatformer MinisterofHealthasembodiment of all the values of the UN, since its creationin1945,fromtheashesofwar andhumansuffering.Accordingto theCoordinators,Osetimehindedi-

able produce obtained in the state could compete favourably intheinternationalmarkettobring aboutconformitytointernational standardsinviewofthemegacity status attained by Lagos State throughtheuseofapprovedplastic cratesascontainersforcarriageof perishable agricultural produce. Speaking at the event, Director Agric Services, Lagos State, Mrs. Ayoade Abiola who was represented by the State Project OfficerforProduceVehicles/Crate ProjectAdegboyegaAdebisisaid thecommonlyusedweavedraffia basketwasconsideredunsafeand did not conform to standards, in that the material (raffia/palm fronds) was believed to harbor pathogens which bring about microbial contamination that caused illnesses related to fresh produceconsumptionbyhumans.

catedhislifetoservinghumanityas aMedicalDoctor,aPublicServant,a Diplomatandanadvocateforequity, justiceandfairnesstoall,irrespective ofsex,gender,race,tribe,ageorstatus. Part of the tribute read: "He saw himself as that child in a mother’s womb who needs the mother for nurturing,careandsupportatbirth. That is why he committed himself toensuringthatnowomanshould diewhilegivinglife,ordiscriminated against, for just being a woman. "InBabatunde'sownwords,'We are united by our common aspirationstoreducediscriminationagainst women. Despite all our progress, this discrimination is manifest dailyinviolence,trafficking,female genital mutilation, maternal death and morbidity, a persistent gender wage gap, the double burden of work and family, and the poverty of older women.”

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen on Friday advised Judges to be guided by the provision of the constitution, the laws, their conscience and oath of office in the discharge of their duties. Onnoghen also advised that as ministers in the temple of justice, they should not allow personal interest to becloud their constitutional responsibilities, adding that the heavens would not come down if they allow the constitution and their conscience to guide them in the dispensation of justice. The CJN gave the advice yesterday while administering the oath of office and allegiance on 19 newly appointed Judges of the Nigeria Industrial Court at the Supreme Court in Abuja. Onnoghen further stressed that judicial officers can checkmate impunity in the country by adhering strictly to the rule of law. "I advise judicial officers to always be guided by the constitution, the laws and their conscience in the discharge of their duties. As judicial officers, if you remain truthful to your

oath of office, you will have no problem. "Just allow yourself to be guided by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which is the supreme law, you cannot go wrong. Heavens will not fall by our judgments if we abide by the constitution and our conscience. "We can only checkmate impunity by adhering to the rule of law." The Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN, on Wednesday approved the appointment of 19 Judges for National Industrial Court of Nigeria. The appointment was sequel to the recommendation of the National Judicial Council. The newly sworn-in judges are Targema John Iorngee (Benue State); Namtari Mahmood Abba (Adamawa State); Nweneka Gerald Ikechi (Rivers State); Kado Sanusi (Katsina State); Adeniyi Sinmisola Oluyinka (Ogun State); Abiola Adunola Adewemimo (Osun State); Opeloye Ogunbowale A (Lagos State); Essien Isaac Jeremiah (Akwa-Ibom State); Elizabeth Ama Oji (Ebonyi State and Arowosegbe Olukayode Ojo (Ondo State).

FG Wants Donor Agencies to Align Devt Initiatives with Nigeria's Objectives Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The federal government has advised development partners to ensure that their development initiatives in Nigeria align with the nation's objectives, pointing out that although the county would like some foreign aid, its majorfocusisgeneratingenough revenue internally. The admonition came just as it statedthatitwouldappreciatethe assistance of the United States of America in providing technical support for the development of transportationinfrastructureand agricultural sector as the country intensifies work on its economic diversification project. The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma told the USAID/NigeriaMissionDirector, Mr. Stephen Haykin who was in his office inAbuja Friday that although Nigeria is looking inwardsformorerevenue,itwould also appreciate external support especiallyintheformoftechnical assistance. Udomasaiddevelopmentinitiatives of development partners in Nigeria should align with the objectives of the country. Explaining the essence of the EconomicRecoveryandGrowth Plan (ERGP)recently launched bytheBuhariadministration,the minister said it was designed to restore growth to a positive and sustained path, to invest in the Nigerian people to improve their living standards, and to buildaneconomythatisglobally competitive. A statement issued by the Media Adviser to the minister, Mr. Akpandem James said to achieve this, Udoma observed that the government set out five

keyexecutionprioritieswithfocus onimprovingthemacroeconomic environment; ensuring agriculture value-chain enhancement and food security; enhancing the energy sector; developing transportation infrastructure and encouraging industrializationwithparticularfocusonsmall and medium scale enterprises. He said the Nigerian government was fully committed to good governance and had demonstrated this in the steps it hasbeentakinginthefightagainst corruption which has not only drastically reduced impunity in the handling of government financesbutactedasadeterrence to further mismanagement. He assured the USAID Director that any additional support received from Nigeria’s development partners would be judiciously utilised. Udoma said the US can contributetothespeedyrecoveryand growthoftheNigerianeconomy by increasing the volume of its import of Nigeria’s oil as well as allowing more Nigerian exports into the United States.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as GBANIRO, UYIMETAN ABU, now wish to be known and addressed as GBANIRO, UYIMETAN OLAMIDE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper •JUly 15, 2017

TRAVEL&Leisure

by Omolola Itayemi omolola.itayemi@thisdaylive.com 08054699602

No Parking as the ‘Tour Nigeria’ Bus Takes Off From the first week of August, Tour Nigeria Bus Tour will traverse the six geo-political zones of the country. The tour kicks off a series of monthly events to promote the best of Nigeria. Enjoy the captivating landscape, eat unfamiliar memorable dishes, visit interesting sightings and take part in festivals dotting the landscape from Lagos to Maiduguri, from Calabar to Sokoto and end the year with ‘’Countdown Nigeria’’ celebration. OMOLOLA ITAYEMI dreams a pleasurable experience

t rained all through the week and the nerves of the commercial center of excellence was flooded. Palpable fear seized the hearts of travel writers covering the much-talked about launch of the Tour Nigeria bus tour, the flagship of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Domestic Tourism campaign. Such fear was however unfounded as all went well with the change of venue from Lekki Conservation Centre (LCC), Chevron, Lekki to the Lagos Motor Boat club, Awolowo road, Ikoyi despite the rain, traffic gridlock and flood. Director General, NTDC, Folorunsho Coker interacted freely with journalists before the formal launch of ‘Tour Nigeria’ at its second press conference, the first being in Abuja last Friday. Housed in a white colonial-era building and boasting a view of the serene lagoon, the Lagos Motor Boat Club, Ikoyi Lagos has an unmistakable nautical theme- the wood-panelled bar with a large boat wheel as its centre-piece. Though it became the venue of choice due happenstance, it offered a serene environment, excellent service and good view of the city’s aquatic splendor, the perfect backdrop for a launch. Domestic Tourism has definitely taken a new turn with Coker at the helms of NTDC. Now, it has been made more compact but with richer content. Under the ‘CHIEF’ Plan, a tourism development roadmap with short, medium and long-term objectives has been rolled out. Basically, it consists of a 5-point action plan that aims to promote domestic tourism in Nigeria. The concept of ‘CHIEF’ gives citizens and stakeholders an opportunity to experience local tourist sites, attractions and events as an alternative to vacationing overseas. ‘CHIEF’ seeks to introduce global best practice for the tourism industry, encourage human capital and infrastructural development and protect Nigeria’s cultural heritage, while also pursuing funding for capital projects in the tourism sector. Coker at the interactive session itemized ‘CHIEF’ plan as an acronym - C for Corporate governance and regulations, H for Human capital Development, I for Infrastructural development, E for Events and marketing and F for Finance and investments. He said that the brand was an ambitious attempt at promoting

The Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) , Mr. Folorunsho Coker (4th Left); the Managing Director , Galaxy Backbone PLC, Mr Yusuf Kazaure (5th Left) , the Managing Director / Chief Executive, Nigerian Film Corporation, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe (6th Left) and Desmond Heunis, Country Manager Broll jabi lake mall with other during the unveiling of the ‘’ Tour Nigeria ‘’brand...recently

tourism in Nigeria. “It will showcase the vibrant and friendly energies of Nigerians through different creative expressions. It will also leverage on our abundant power to celebrate our heritage, promote our natural and cultural tourism assets, destinations and people.” Part of his mandate as the DG of NTDC is to reverse the negative impressions in the minds of the public about Nigerian tourism and galvanize commercial tourism, promote Nigeria’s diverse multicultural heritage. He listed others to include evolving new channels of tourism markets whilst promoting Nigeria in a positive light and shaping a positive perception of its citizens. He added that the brand would leverage on the best of Nigeria. “Nigerians are known to be intelligent and

hardworking people. We are also known for our can-do and ‘never-say-never’ attitudes, which are complemented by our friendly and accommodating spirits. We are proudly the most populous black nation on earth; home to the second largest film industry on the globe whilst also being the fashion, technological and creative hub of Africa. In line with the corporation’s agenda to promote domestic and regional tourism, the ‘Tour Nigeria’ brand was conceived to drive domestic consumption of our tourism assets and products, it would also add to the nation’s GDP, create employment, and increase spending in the economy,” he said. The ‘Tour Nigeria’ campaign is not a ‘one-off’ campaign but part of a more holistic promotional approach to develop community clus-

ters and to help identify events and festivals, that when put together provide our visitors and citizens with authentic and memorable experiences. The key components to tourism are travel, accommodation and entertainment/ hospitality. They would be explored with airlines, hotels, car hire services, tour operators and others to bring about affordable package tours to encourage Nigerians to tour Nigeria. Amidst good ambience, tasty meals and choice drinks, Coker expressed pleasure that “Tour Nigeria initiative has come to fruition as a result of cooperation amongst a host of tourism players. The thrust is to develop locals’ appreciation for the domestic tourism product and at the same time, improving their sense of pride in this beautiful country we inhabit.”

Rabo Saleh’s Victory, a New Dawn at FTAN

ike any general meeting, coupled with the fact that FTAN is the apex body of all the tourism associations in Nigeria with over 40 professional associations, Ekiti Hall, of Nanet Suites in Abuja was full to the rafters with delegates, new members and other stakeholders. Founded in 1997 at the instance of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, FTAN represents interest of all private sector Tourism associations of Nigeria. The event saw Rabo Saleh Karim of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), as the president. Other executive members elected include Nkereuwem Onung as the first National Deputy President; Abiodun Odusanwo, second National Deputy President, Ayo Olumoko Vice President, South West; Nura Kangiwa, Vice President, North East; Ngozika Ngoka, Vice President South East; Badaki Aliyu, Vice President , FCT, Eugene Nwanzi, Vice President South South and John A. Adzer, Vice President, North Central Also elected are, Ime Udo, Membership Secretary [1]; John-Likita M. Best; [2]; Emeka Anokwuru, Membership Secretary(3); Okorie Uguru, First Publicity Secretary and Joseph

Rabo Saleh

Karim, Publicity Secretary [2]. With the theme, “Financing as a Catalyst for Sustainable Tourism Development”, the Director General of the Nigeria Touwwrism Development Corporation, NTDC, Folorunsho Coker, who represented the Minister of Culture, Information, Lai Mohammed at the AGM, reiterated the need for one voice at FTAN Coker said: “I met FTAN couple of years

when I was in Lagos and I have always advised it needs to act with one voice that is very loud. With so many voices in the travel and tourism chain, the need to have one body representing it has never been more pertinent. There is a dire need to package our tourism products collectively as done in other tourism-forward countries. Strategically, tourism employs women and the youth and you know what they say, when a woman is happy, the home and country prospers more.” In his presentation, Ben Akabueze from the Ministry of Budget and Planning said tourism offered opportunity for job creation and it is capable of driving short-term growth and longer-term structural change. He noted that the tourism was recognised in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) as one of the ingredients needed to achieve economic growth. “By addressing under-developed infrastructure, security challenges, lack of attractive options for vacationing at home, and insufficient investment, the sector is expected to contribute to government revenues and foreign exchange earnings. The objectives of the policy are to enhance contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), increase numbers of visitors to

Nigeria by 10 per cent annually from 2017 and increase volume of domestic tourism.” In his acceptance speech, Saleh appreciated members of the association for their support and promised to do everything humanly possible to move the association forward. “We plead with every one of us to lend your supporting hands even as you constructively criticise us; we won’t take it personal; believe me, we are here to serve you. “This is a tough job, but we can only make a success of it, if all FTAN families give their individual support and assistance. “We would operate a transparent and equal opportunity administrative system; we shall be open and accountable to you and every FTAN member,” Saleh said. ATTWON becomes FTAN member Association of Travel and Tourism Writers of Nigeria, ATTWON officially became a member of FTAN on 29th June, 2017. ATTWON, one of Nigeria’s foremost Travel and Tourism Writers body was formed in 2015 and registered as a body with CAC in 2016. ATTWON has been championing Domestic Tourism as an alternative to mono-economy in Nigeria.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • july 15, 2017

Maritime bits with John Iwori.... 08057763164

R-L: Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Mr. Ahmed Gambo, President, Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA), Mr. Luke Chidi Ilogu, SAN Director General, NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, Executive Director, Finance and Administration, NIMASA Mr. Bashir Jamoh and Barrister Emeka Akabogu during a courtesy visit by NMLA to NIMASA headquarters, Lagos ...recently

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Customs Area Controller (CAC), Western Marine Command (WMC), Comptroller Mohammed Sarkin Kebbi with some of his officers displaying some of the contraband sized by his command at the WMC headquarters, Apapa, Lagos…recently

Masaya: I’m Tackling the Challenges I Met in EMC Headlong The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Eastern Marine Command (EMC), Comptroller Ajiya M. Masaya has said that he is tackling headlong the numerous challenges he met in the command since he took over the reins of administration four months ago. EMC like its counterpart in the West, Western Marine Command, has a mandate to curtail the activities of smugglers in the waterways located in the Eastern part of the country. These challenges include the fact that the command shares its operational base with other government agencies in the Federal Secretariat, Port Harcourt, Rivers State; lack of office space; absence of an armoury; paucity of arms and ammunitions; militancy in its areas of operation and the daring tactics of smugglers using the waterways.

WISTA International shortlisted for SAFETY4SEA Sustainability Award The Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA), International has been shortlisted for the SAFETY4SEA Sustainability Award. The organisation which comprises women who are actively involved in the shipping sector of the economy across the globe was shortlisted for enhancing opportunities and supporting the role of women in the maritime industry on a global level. The SAFETY4SEA award is scheduled to take place for a second consecutive year as part of the SAFETY4SEA conference within the scope of fostering safety excellence and sustainable shipping. The international organisation in a statement made available to THISDAY by WISTA, Nigeria President, Mrs. Mary Haman said the award process is a combination of open nomination and vote and the objective is to communicate and celebrate exceptional performance of the organizations that contributed towards sustainable shipping. Haman quoted President of WISTA International, Karin Orsel saying that being nominated for such a prestigious award was a recognition that diversity and equal opportunities matter within our industry. Continuing, Orsel said: “WISTA International has been advocating the importance of increasing the competences and professional development for female leaders in the maritime industry for many years; it is common knowledge that a diverse team leads to more creativity, success and thus profit.” According to the statement, the voting process will be open to the industry stakeholders until 8th September 2017 and the winner will be the one who will receive the majority of the online vote. The Winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at the completion of the SAFETY4SEA Conference, which will take place on Tuesday, 3 October, 2017 at the Yacht Club of Greece. We take this opportunity to congratulate all the nominees and invite our members and supporters of WISTA to support our nomination by casting their vote online at the dedicated award page.

In an exclusive chat with THISDAY, Masaya who has served in different Customs formations across the country and acquired cognate experience over the years stated that the fact that the command shares its operational headquarters with other government agencies in the Federal Government encumbers EMC in its operations. His words: “The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is a para-military organisation. Our present operational base in the Federal Secretariat where we share facilities with several other government agencies is a big challenge. That is one of the reasons we do not have an armoury because in the present environment, we do not have total control over the number of persons trooping in and out of the premises daily. It is not only the number of people that is the issue, there are certain kinds of persons that we would have turned

back from the main entrance but you cannot do so in the Federal Secretariat due to the fact that we share the premises with so many other government agencies. We would have preferred an operational base outside the Federal Secretariat but for now, that is yet to be realised. “We do not have an armoury in this command. We borrow arms and ammunitions from sister commands. Militancy and insurgency is also a challenge in the delivery of our mandate because we are under constant attack. For instance, Borno State is under the jurisdiction of this command but presently it is a ‘no go area’ because of insurgency. The terrorists’ activities in Borno State have not allowed us to deliver on our statutory roles and responsibilities in that part of the country. The fact that some of our officers and men cannot swim is also an issue to contend with. In spite

NCS Intercepts Contraband Worths N12m in WMC The anti-smuggling campaign of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has yielded more results as officers and men in the Western Marine Command (WMC) have confiscated contraband worth N12 million. The feat was recorded following intensive efforts of WMC in combing the waterways sequel to a discovery that so many daring smugglers have resorted to the creeks and rivers as a way of escaping the onslaught of officers and men of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) on land across the country. The Customs Area Controller (CAC), WMC, Comptroller Mohammed Sarkin Kebbi who disclosed this while displaying the contraband at the command headquarters in Lagos said the service has taken the fight to the waterways. He revealed that when the suspected smugglers were caught napping as they dived into the rivers in order to escape arrest. The items seized by the NCS include 138 bales of second hand clothes, 10 bags of second hand clothes, eight sacks of children foot wears of rubber sandals, 477 cartons of frozen poultry products and 400 bags of foreign rice. Kebbi dislosed that the bales of clothing, rubber sandals and frozen poultry products were seized at Ilufe Ojo-Alaba by the joint patrol team of the command. His words: “No arrest was made because the smugglers abandoned the items and flee. As for the foreign parboiled rice, the seizure took place at Tungeji/Ijofin Creek along Nigeria/Republic of Benin

axis. Again, the smugglers on sighting the officers and men who laid ambush on them, dived into the waters”. A breakdown of the seizure showed that the goods valued at N12, 073, 692 with a duty of N3, 348, 189, 40 and a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N12, 509, 896. While 80 big bales, 58 small bales and 10 sacks of second hand clothes is valued at N6,100,000.00, its duty is put at N1,220,000.00, just as its DPV amounts to N7,320,000.00. Similarly, eight sacks of children rubber sandals valued at N200,000.00, came with a duty of N40,000.00 and a DPV of N240,000; 477 cartons of frozen poultry products is valued at N2,862,000. For the 400 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each, the value is put at N2, 911, 692 just as the duty is N2, 038, 184. The DPV is N4, 949,876.4. The WMC CAC lauded the Comptroller General of Customs, Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retired) and his management team for their support in the strides the command has made since he took over the rims of administration from his predecessor, Comptroller Yusuf Umar (retired). According to him, the support of Ali and his management team has boosted the moral of officers and men of his command. He warned smugglers and criminals in the nation’s waterways to stay clear as the men and officers of WMC will not rest on its oars until they smoke out smugglers out of the command areas of jurisdiction.

of the provisions of life jackets, some of our personnel still get drown in the waterways during operations”. The Customs Chief assured that in spite of the challenges he met on ground, he has what it takes to tackle them headlong. He expressed Masaya optimism that with the support of the present management of the NCS led by its Comptroller General, Colonel Ibrahim Hameed Ali (retired), the command would succeed in its quest to address the challenges facing it.

Babington-Asaye Backs Review of Constitution, Restructuring One of the leading voices in the business sector of the economy, Mrs. Morenike Babington-Asaye has thrown her weight behind the on-going clamour for the review of the Nigerian constitution and the restructuring of the country. Babington-Asaye who is the Chairman and chief executive officer, ACCERS Accounting Education and Research Services stated that reviewing the constitution will help in addressing some of the anomalies inherent in the system. Renowned for her expertise on tax matters, Babington-Asaye argued that the agitation for the restructuring of the country and the clamour for the Republic of Biafra were not unconnected with the fact that many Nigerians are not happy with the present state of things in the country. According to a statement made available to THISDAY, the public commentator and tax expert maintained that governance was made possible through the society’s commonwealth. Taxation and the society is a platform to discuss and advise the government and the people on good governance, transparency, and accountability. Continuing, she said: “The review has three major areas of the constitution to address which are the political, social, and economic orders. These are common areas in many constitutions of a democratic world. Has it ever occurred to you to ask yourself the question, ‘Am I an enemy of the world? “The place of peace is in your heart and each time you terrorize, oppress, exploit, dehumanize, and discriminate against others because of their race, colour, religion, tribe, language, age, size, class, disability, and for whatever other reasons, you are an enemy of the world. More importantly whenever you steal the wealth of the nation, you are the worst enemy of the world. The world is a small place and all resources move around for the well-being of the people”. She argued that whenever there is war or disharmony or agitation in any country it affects other countries and the good people of the world directly or indirectly.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • july 15, 2017

encounter Olomu of Omu

I Never Knew I Belong to a Ruling House Until Last Oba Died

At age three when his father died, he never knew he belonged to a ruling house. His mother also did not tell him until a day before her death. Oba Mobolaji Oludaisi Mosuro (Ramuja III), the Olomu of Omu, in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State, speaks with Femi Ogbonnikan on his ascension to the throne, stating that he had on three occasions rejected traditional title offers because he was not interested in it, but that each time he tried, another offer would come his way. Like other previous offers, Oba Mosuro, who is an electrical engineer, says he initially rejected the Obaship offer, but that when the pressure from elders of his Ramuja Ruling House mounted, he had no choice than to seek the face of God to decide. The rest is history, he says Tell us about your background

I didn’t know that I belong to a ruling house, because my father died when I was three years old. There were lots of secrets that my mother had kept away from me and, I think, they were very advantageous to me. So, not until she was about to die, actually, it was a day before she died that she told me there were important things

y name is Oba Mobolaji Oludaisi Mosuro. I became the Olomu of Omu-Ijebu, in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State on May 9, 2005. I was born on May 26, 1946. I am a member of Ramuja Ruling House. I went to ZI Primary School, here in Omu. Subsequently, I went to IjebuOde Grammar School, Ijebu - Ode, between 1960 and 1964. From there, I went to Ibadan Polytechnic (now called The Polytechnic, Ibadan). I spent two years there and obtained an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Electrical Engineering. I worked for two years with the Nigerian Electric Power Authority (NEPA), now Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). Afterwards, I went to Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech), Lagos, for the Higher National Diploma (HND) in Electrical Engineering. I finished in July 1970. Then, I went back to NEPA where I worked for nine years before I left to start my own business. Did you ever think you would become king? No! It is a funny question to ask. This is my personal house and anybody that comes here would probably think I was preparing for the obaship of this town, whereas it was not so. This house was completed in 1981 and I became the oba in 2005. All my life, I would say, may be, until three years before the last Oba died, I didn’t know that I belong to a ruling house, because my father died when I was three years old. There were lots of secrets that my mother had kept away from me and, I think, they were very advantageous to me. So, not until she was about to die, actually, it was a day before she died that she told me there were important things she wanted to tell me about my life which I never knew before. She now said I should not go back to Lagos, but that I should wait and hear the things she had to say. I said, okay, I would wait but I didn’t heed her advice and I went back to Lagos, until she died. So, I would say, that I didn’t have that at the back of my mind all my life. How many ruling houses do

house (Ramuja), did anybody contest the stool? About four of us contested.

Oba Mobolaji Oludaisi Mosuro

you have in Omu? We have two ruling houses. We have Ramuja and Adekiyere ruling houses. Each ruling house has some sections. Like the ruling house I hail from, in those days, you know, we had families, maybe, about five relatives, and each one would become a sub-ruling house within the family. Were there opposition either from the other ruling house or yours during the selection process? It is our own turn to rule, but maybe, the other ruling house felt they were the ones to rule. I would not dispute that, but what I know is that when the governor said, “This

is the ruling house whose turn is to present a candidate,” they had no choice but to accept. It is my ruling house that presented me. I would not say there was no opposition to my emergence. Even taking part in the process had some struggle, because immediately the last oba died in February 2004, in that same month, people in my own ruling house, Ramuja, started signifying interest in the stool. I was not part of the initial jostle and I didn’t come in until October that same year. Definitely, by the time I came in, some thought that I was coming to hijack the thing from them. From within your ruling

And the lot fell on you? Yes. The case is still in Appeal Court. Everybody had a right to fight for what he or she thinks is his or her entitlement. So, we tried to resolve it at the lower level and I won. They went to the Appeal Court and the Appellate Court has yet to hear the case. At the formative stage, did any of your wives object to your interest in becoming an Oba? No. You know, the thing happened when I was almost 59 years old, before I was selected. But as of that time, I had two wives, but the one I would call my wife died in September 2004. So, the other one was not really in my house, but she is from this place. And she was happy about it (the selection). From my side, there

july 15, 2017 • THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper

encounter

Oba Mosuro with his Olori, Afolashade

was no objection. My family, my children and my wife, they didn’t oppose it. There was no anxiety. They all welcomed it. But for the children, though they were young, but some of them were very happy with the development, because I never portrayed myself as a member of a ruling house and I never used the title, Prince, like other people would.

over it’. After three days of prayer, he told me that God said I should accept it, but that I would not be installed at the end of the day. So, I was not installed until I became the Oba. Oba Adegboyega Ogunrin was the one that gave me the title. As of the time he gave me the first title, when I accepted, my cousin, the first born of my elder brother who was working with me and whom I had trained to take over the business from me, fell sick. He was sick for almost one year and he died. Luckily, my elder brother is a friend to the Oba, then. So, he knew that I could not take up the offer. When I was recovering from the shock, my wife fell sick and she had stroke. She had cancer. I battled with the sickness for one year and everybody was aware. By the time the woman died, the oba too had fallen sick and he died. There was nothing I could do about it. Then, when the issue of Obaship came and I prayed over it, my church leader told me that he had seen a vision that God had been telling him for upward of 10 years that a traditional ruler (Oba Aiye) among us in the church would emerge and that he had prayed and prayed but that God had not revealed the person to him. So, when I came up with the title and presented it to him, he said, God said, you are the person; that he has reserved the stool for you. That those people that were struggling were just doing it in vain.” It was not until I joined the race that the then Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, called the ruling house to bring a candidate.

Were you happy when the Obaship contest was tabled before you since you know the demands like living a regimented life, getting involved in various rituals? Well, I would not say I was not worried. Because from all that I told you now, the race was on for eight months before I joined. I was not interested in it, initially, but it got to a stage when the elders of the ruling house insisted that I must contest. Right from the time the last Oba died, when other contestants were coming out, there was pressure on me to join the race, but I said no. And I had reasons for saying no. The thing is that, as a matter of fact, I didn’t agree until I sought God’s view. I had to seek God’s intervention. So, when the pressure was too much on me and, I had to go to the spiritual church, Cherubim and Seraphim (C&S) that I attended in Agege, Lagos. I informed the pastor when the issue came up, like I did in the past when they wanted me to be an Otunba. They also wanted me to be a chief twice and I declined each time they came up with these chieftaincy titles. The third time, I agreed. After praying and God said, ‘Ok, you can go and take it’. I am not God, but the spiritual man told me to accept it. So, the last appointment How has the town fared Since was for me to be the ‘Asiwaju’ of the your ascension to the throne? town, and I had declined two offers Well, you are not familiar with before that. So, he said, ‘let me pray Omu, otherwise, I would have

Oba Mosuro, with his nuclear family

The thing is that, as a matter of fact, I didn’t agree until I sought God’s view. I had to seek God’s intervention. So, when the pressure was too much on me and, I had to go to the spiritual church, Cherubim and Seraphim (C&S) that I attended in Agege, asked, from what you saw in 2005, what is the position now? I don’t praise myself. Whatever has happened is God’s work. I didn’t create myself; it is God. So, what I can say is that the town has achieved a lot of things which I don’t want to personalise. We have achieved a lot of things, and our people are now coming home to build houses, which wasn’t so before I took over the stool. We have an annual event that we call ‘Omu Eleni Day’. We use that event to raise funds to do

developmental projects, like town hall, post office, police station and so on. When I came in, I said we should have a palace, and it has developed to a stage and that palace is ready. It only remains to be equipped and then we will start using it. I am not the one that donated the money, but I was part of it, contributing to the purse, but it was a collective responsibility. I can’t say it was a personal achievement, but I think we have fared well.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • july 15, 2017

polity

Npa Implements Single Interface Examination of Cargoes

ising from a meeting of the Implementation Committee on the Executive Orders recently issued by the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo today July 14, 2017, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman has directed the immediate implementation of the single interface examination point for cargoes at all ports across the country. This is in conformity with Executive Order 22.

With the take-off of this policy, all agencies of government that are required to operate and domicile in the ports, would embark on their activities in the designated locations only. There will be no other form of examination outside of that single interface. According to a statement by Ibrahim Nasiru, Principal ManagerPublic Affairs, Every agency will develop their backend office operations to streamline what they require

S’Court Verdict: Anambra PDP Guber Hopeful, Obiogbolu Celebrates

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in the November 18 Governorship election, Dr. Alex Obiogbolu has saluted the Supreme Court verdict which gave the party’s structure to the Markarfi’s led faction of the party. Obiogbolu described the ruling on the protracted intra party crises that had rocked the PDP as a welcome development. The PDP governorship aspirant said that the verdict would permanently take care of impunity and recklessness, the twin devil which he noted rubbished the fortune of the party in the country. Obiogbolu said emphatically that the ruling yesterday is a victory for democracy, rule of law and decency.

The Anambra state guber hopeful however called on the faithful party men and women who left the party because of the endless intra party crises to make a return noting that the judgement would restore peace and stability to the PDP which according to him. is the biggest political party in Africa. He said that with the unity and peace the judgment is expected to usher into the PDP, the party will return to its winning ways under one big umbrella where genuine interests of every party faithful would be taken care of even as he commended the PDP governors,members in the National Assembly and Board of Trustees(BoT)members for their steadfast and examplary roles while the litigation lasted.

to support any historical structure they may have, but no agency should operate outside that interface at any of our port terminals. The statement reads: “All agencies of government that are not domiciled in the ports but are required to provide services should liaise with the lead agency on the modalities to perform their operations when they are required. “For record purposes, only the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Customs and Excise, Nigerian Immigration Service, Department of State Services (DSS), Port Health, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian

Police, which were part of the presidential approval in 2011 are permitted to domicile within the ports. All other agencies must come in only when they are required. “The Managing Director expresses the gratitude of the management of the NPA to all government agencies and stakeholders who have collaborated with the Authority to ensure the implementation of Executive Order 22 ahead of deadline. “She assures that the doors of the Authority are open to receive suggestions or complaints about challenges that are encountered in the implementation of this policy and asks for the continued support of all stakeholders toward repositioning port operations in Nigeria.”

L-R: Chief Administrative Officer, Cway Good and Beverages Nigeria Limited, Mr. Peter Che; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mickey Excellency Nigeria Limited, Alhaji Abdulazeez Babatunde and the General Manager, Cway Group (Nigeria), Mr. Figo Zheng at the Nutri Milk 10th years anniversary celebration at Oriental Hotel, Lagos ...yesterday

Photo news

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Heckerbella Limited. Mrs. Yemi Keri; General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Coscharis Group, Mr. Abiona Babarinde; Managing Director, Coscharis Technologies Limited Mr. Umukoro Emomine; and Sales Marketing Consultant, Coscharis Technologies Limited. Mrs. Julie Eno, at the launch of Coscharis Technologies, Mobile School in Nigeria, in Lagos... recently PHOTO: SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R: Personal Assistant to the Pastor, Trinity House, Deacon Olu Victor Oyinloye; Senior Pastor, Trinity House, Pastor Ituah Olajide Ighodalo; and the Church Administrator, Pastor Niyi Famuyide, at the church 7th anniversary press PHOTO: SUNDAY ADIGUN conference in Lagos...recently

L-R: Head, Retention, MultiChoice Nigeria, Kemi Omotosho; recipient of MultiChoice/Etranzact reward; Kingsley Ogbonnaya; Group Head, Business Development, Etranzact, Adeyemi Adeyemo and Head, Value Addition Services-Non Banking Sector, Etranzact, Uchebuaku Moshe-Ilok during presentation at Etranzact Head Office, Lagos... recently

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Environment, Eng. Adeyemi Saliu Abidemi; Head, Marketing, Harpic, RB West Africa, Mrs. Omotola Bamigbaiye-Elatuyi; Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Samuel Babatunde Adejare; and Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Environment, Mr. Babatunde Hunpe, at the 2017 Harpic World Environment Day Celebration in collaboration with Lagos State Ministry of Environment in Lagos... PHOTO: Yomi Akinyele recently

july 15, 2017 • THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper

polity

From Senate Comes a Relief for Gunshot Victims Olu Onemola

t the end of 2008, there was a tragic story in the newspapers about a young 8-year old boy that died from a single gunshot wound that could have been treated. The story was about a bank robbery that happened in Lagos, which culminated in the death of eight civilians. However, the death of the eighth casualty, the young boy — who was hit by a stray bullet — could have been easily avoided. This is because when the child was rushed to a nearby hospital by passersby, the staff of the hospital refused to treat him without a police report. Needless to say, in the time that it took for the police report to be requested for, written out, and transported back to the hospital, the 8-year old boy bled to death. Issues like the aforementioned story are rampant. We hear about them everyday; read about them in the news; and watch news reports about victims that could have been saved. However, based on current legal practices, many lives have been lost. This is why, this week, the Senate fast-tracked the passage of the Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshots Bill. The Bill, which was sent to the Senate for concurrence by House of Representatives, seeks to ensure that all victims of gunshot wounds receive necessary treatment from medical workers and assistance from security agencies. The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, was right when he stated after the passage of the Bill, that with the Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshots Bill, the Senate has moved to

Saraki ensure that everyone is entitled to medical treatment — irrespective of the cause of the shooting. This is because so many lives have been lost in the absence of this law. As things stand, innocent victims who have been shot by robbers, must first be rushed to a police station to secure a police report, before they are rushed to the hospital for treatment. This situation, creates victims of people who would otherwise be survival. This is because having a system in place that forces both the good and the bad people who have been shot to first request police reports before going to the hospital, makes the innocent people among them victims of

circumstance (i.e. robberies, or stray bullets); victims of the hospitals, who refuse to treat gunshot victims without police reports; victims of the police, who oftentimes do not process these requests in a speedy manner; and victims of Nigeria’s current laws that make police reports mandatory for both law-abiding citizens and criminals alike. By the passage of the Gunshot Victims Act, the Senate has moved Nigeria one step forward to saving tens of thousands of lives each year. This law has addressed several inadequacies — like ensuring that society has a burden placed on it to ensure that there will be no unnecessary loss of lives.

Moving forward, based on certain provisions of the new law, every person, including security agents must render every possible assistance to any person with gunshot wounds. This assistance includes ensuring that the person that has been shot is taken to the nearest hospital for treatment. Additionally, the Bill preserves the fundamental rights of gunshot victims by mandating that no person with a bullet wound shall be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment and that no person with a gunshot wound shall be refused immediate and adequate treatment by any hospital in Nigeria — whether or not an initial deposit has been paid or not. Finally, the Bill takes the approach of several nations, that have a ‘treat first, ask questions later’ mindset. This is because it specifies that it shall be the duty of any hospital that receives any person with a gunshot wound to report the situation to the nearest police station. This amendment puts the horse back in front of the cart, because saving lives must always come before due process. Moving forward, Nigerians must commend the National Assembly for the passage of this Bill, and urge that it is signed into law by the Acting President. On top of this, the Presidency and the Executive arm must properly orient officers and men of security agencies to comply with the dictates of this law. Doing this, will show the world that we have society that values the lives of our citizens, more than we value the ‘perception of adherence’ to the rule of law. I rest my case. – Onemola is a Legislative Aide to the Senate President

Why Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill Should Be Rejected Regina Akosa

am a woman. I am a promoter of the dignity of womanhood. I am an advocate of political and economic rights of women. I love womanhood because I am a woman. But at the same I am a very discerning person. I have read and re-read the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill 2016 (GEO Bill 2016) presently being sponsored at the Senate by Senator Abiodun Olujimi, and, I must tell you that something serious is wrong with the said Bill. The title of the Bill certainly conveys a wrong impression that the Bill is good. But the Bill is a bad Bill even though some sections of the Bill are lauadable. It is noteworthy that when the same Senator Olujimi first presented the GEO Bill before the Senate, it was rejected. I gather that the bill has been revised and returned to the Senate by Senator Abiodun Olujimi,. Going through the so-called revised Bill, I discovered that it is not different from the earlier Bill that was rejected by the Senate. To start with, the Bill aims at domesticating (i) Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), (ii) The Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) and (iii) The International Covenant on Human Rights which affirm the principles of non-discrimination etc. CEDAW, Maputo Protocol and International Covenant on Human Rights have been condemned by the immediate past Nigerian Ambassador to the UN Ambassador Usman Sarki and other ambassadors from other countries. These ambassadors ensured that no LGBT and abortion rights entered the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that was adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2015. I am not sure Senator Abiodun Olujimi knows that the GEO Bill which she is sponsoring is a vehicle to legalize Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) rights, abortion rights, immoral sex education for children in Nigeria. If the GEO Bill is passed by our National Assembly and signed by our President, Nigeria would legalize LGBT practices in Nigeria, Population Control through abortion, contraception; breakdown of the family and

societal values through promotion of radical equality rather than fundamental equality between men and women as entrenched in our Constitution. We must understand that men and women are ontologically equal but they are different physically, psychologically and physiologically. Therefore they cannot have “equal participation” in all areas of society as this GEO Bill proposes. We are not a unisex society. I advise my fellow women to seek equity and respect from men rather than equality with them because the two sexes were never made to be the same and will never be same. A recent event illustrates my point. A man who transgendered to a woman, competed with women in weight lifting and he won the first prize. Are we surprised that the man won? No. because even though he had transgendered, he is still a man, physically, psychologically and physiologically. A cursory examination of the different sections of GEO Bill reveals that it is a very dangerous Bill. To begin with, the notion ‘gender’ used in several sections of the Bill has up to hundred different definitions. Gender no longer means male or female as we traditionally understand it to be. It is no longer determined by biology. It is now a ‘social construct’. It is now portrayed as something malleable, something that one feels or chooses to be or is assigned to or something that a person imposes on the society to accept rather than what is by nature. Section 2 of the GEO Bill states that discrimination against any person means any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of his/her sex or gender or other condition or status. Do we really want to remove all distinctions, exclusions and restrictions in all areas – social, civil, cultural etc? This will amount to a unisex arrangement in all spheres of our daily life including having the same bathroom and toilet facilities for everybody – male and female. Also the roles which are usually restricted to a distinct sex in religious and cultural matters, will cease to exist. This will undermine our religious, moral and cultural values and will open the door to another set of discrimination. The GEO Bill outlaws all Nigerian institutions which have designated roles for males and females, such as the Catholic Priesthood, Imams, traditional rulers, Rev. Sisters,

motherhood, fatherhood and so forth. This is sad. The Bill talks about affirmative action of reserving 35% of employment opportunity in every institution in Nigeria be it public or private for women. This is very questionable. The sponsor of the Bill forgets that equal employment opportunities should be for those who are qualified for the jobs and possess the capacity to hold such positions. Besides, some organizations naturally do not employ women to do certain jobs such as night guard or cutting down a tree not because they discriminate against women but simply because they believe that such a job can only be done well by a man. Non-discrimination in educational placement as the Bill promotes implies abolishing “all boys” and “all girls” schools including seminaries and convents. Is this what we want to do in Nigeria ? Certainly No. More importantly, verbal utterances including preaching by religious leaders and even admonitions by elders and parents can be interpreted, pursuant to the Bill, as abuse or violence against the person it is directed to. Therefore, religious leaders and parents can be punished under the Bill for uttering admonishing words. What this means is that children can take their parents to court for scolding them. Religious leaders can be taken to court by any member of their congregation for preaching against the ills in the society like abortion, contraception, LGBT practices, kidnapping, armed robbery etc. This is already happening in the West. Sections 4, 8 and 10 of the Bill are very dangerous. They contain euphemisms such as Reproductive Health (RH) which are euphemisms that promote abortion, contraception and sterilisation. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), Reproductive Health “implies that people are able to have responsible, satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so. Implicit in this are the right of men and women to be informed and to have access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of fertility regulation of their choice… Reproductive health also embraces sexual rights which include the human rights of women including girl-child to have control over their body and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to

their sexuality, free of coercion, discrimination and violence”. From this definition it is obvious that, reproductive health connotes teen and adolescent “safe-sex”, including LGBT practices, contraception, abortion, sterilization, promiscuity even in children etc. These eventually will lead to smaller families, population control and increase in breakdown of societal and family values, increase in sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS. On September 11th 2015 the Leadership Newspaper published interesting information. It published that the United Nation Population Funds (UNFPA) advised Nigerian government to withdraw its objection at the United Nations against reproductive health. The UNFPA, according to the paper, said that . “if Nigeria withdraws her reservation on the two targets of SDGs the country will get maximum value for Naira”. These targets are 3.7 which seeks universal access to sexual and reproductive health services and 5.6 which seeks universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. This shows that the strength of the Naira is controlled by the United Nations. If reproductive health program is something beneficial to Nigeria why did our government reject it at the United Nations? Why is the United Nations punishing Nigeria for rejecting it? Reproductive health programs promotes abortion as a form of Family planning. Abortion leads to reduction in family size which invariable leads to reduction in population size. But children are our future and social security. Presently, 59 countries, comprising 44% of the world’s population are not producing enough children to avoid population decline. By 2045, according to UN projections the world’s fertility rate will have fallen below replacement levels, that is, 2.1 children per woman. If Nigeria is not careful it will soon be graying like Europe. Mind you, the European Union countries are paying their women and giving them other incentives for them to start bearing children. So, why is the West forcing African countries to stop having children?. Who is fooling who? –Dr. Akosa is a Director Happy Home Foundation, an NGO based in Enugu

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • July 15, 2017

Business People

Editor: Vincent Obia email: vincent.obia@thisdaylive.com Tel: 08054681757

Kennedy Okonkwo

It’s Never Too Late to be Happy in Life Dr. Kennedy Okonkwo was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. The prize fate awarded him for his determination is success. Dr. Okonkwo, the managing director/chief executive officer of Nedcomoaks, a property development company that operates within the LekkiAjah axis of Lagos, is one of the leading property entrepreneurs in Nigeria. His company owns the popular Victoria Crest project, the “affordable luxury” brand that targets the middle class. He speaks with Vincent Obia and Anayo Okolie about his life and enterprises

ou can tell a lot about a person by the collection of things they display for others to see. Some display pictures of themselves with the strong and powerful. Others show treatises and works of art they love very much. As you walk into Dr. Kennedy Okonkwo’s Lekki office, in the highbrow district of Lagos, a visual collection comprising inscriptions of words of wisdom and family photographs is one of the remarkable things that greet you. They tell a whole lot about his background and walk to success. Childhood Okonkwo had a difficult upbringing. He was about 16 years old when his father died in 1993. That incident affected him deeply and changed many things about his life. He says, “I realised that I was close to my dad. I had a dad who believed so much in academics. He believed he wasn’t going to leave you with anything better, that you can fall back on, than education. He believed what he could leave for you was the education you will live with. “My dad saw that education was the only critical thing for survival. Intuitively, his passion was looking at what we were doing in school. He used to say this was the only thing you could do for yourself. He believed he could pay school fees but nobody will force you to read. Studying is one thing you must do for yourself.” His father’s death also taught him interesting lessons, the most remarkable of which is that a man is responsible for his own happiness. “You are responsible for your happiness.” he says. “What you do is a function of where you want to be. So, if you wake up in the morning

and think that somebody has put you in a bad mood and you end up being sad all day, you are hurting yourself by choice.“ Happiness Okonkwo believes, “It’s ‘never too late to be happy’. When you wake up, that becomes your own morning. I can’t waste my time doing things that are not necessary all day, and then wake up in the evening to say that I have lost so much. If you didn’t get the opportunity of going to school very early in life, for instance, and you decide to make it up with evening classes, that’s the beginning of your own success story.” He finds this philosophical idea of happiness, which he framed and keeps close to his desk, most interesting. It is what strengthens him in times of difficulty. “I lost my father at an early age. It has shaped my life in a profound way. I grew up to realise that there were certain responsibilities that I thought my dad was supposed to carry out. But the man was gone. So I was left deep in water,” Okonkwo says. The indigene of Ojoto town in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State says another important thing he has also learned is, “God brings along so many people you will look up to as part of help in your life. It is left for you to recognise them and appreciate them. They may generally not be the people that will give you money, but they may be people that will give you words of encouragement, advice and direct you, even when you do not ask. That’s what fathers do. I miss my dad.” Crossroads Living with no home after his father’s death was a watershed

“God brings along so many people you will look up to as part of help in your life. It is left for you to recognise them and appreciate them. They may generally not be the people that will give you money, but they may be people that will give you words of encouragement, advice and direct you, even when you do not ask. That’s what fathers do. I miss my dad

July 15, 2017 • THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper

Business People One of My Greatest Achievements is Having My Own Family in his life. He talks about the trauma his family faced. “The major turning point in my life after I lost my dad was when my mum was kicked out of our apartment, and she and my siblings moved to her shop and lived there for a while before one Pastor David came to our rescue by providing us a temporary space at the Obafemi Awolowo Glass House, in Ikeja, where a boys’ quarter of a church was given to her to manage. These were before I could finish my school.” Success Okonkwo is today a successful entrepreneur. But his background gives him an uncommon perspective on success and achievement. Knowing what it feels like as a youth to not have a father around to provide necessary guidance, he has been passionate about his family as well as helping young people to achieve their potential. “I have had many great achievements in life,” he says. “Some, some people may consider great and some they may not consider great. I think one of the most important achievements I have in life is having a family I can call my own. “I also enjoy building a young and formidable team – bringing together young people with diverse religious, cultural, ethnic and educational backgrounds. I am happy seeing them succeed and doing what they are doing in life.” Family Life Unsurprisingly, then, Okonkwo says, “I enjoy spending time with my family.” Growing up was not rosy, but he is now married to a lady, Uchechukwu, whom he calls “my friend, confidant and my partner who has helped complement me in what I have been doing in

Okonkwo

life.” Like they say, behind every successful man, there’s a woman. Okonkwo is proud of his wife’s role as a pillar of support. He hardly nurses regrets, and he tries to run away from a life of regret and self-pity. “I rarely do have regrets because when things happen, I think of new ideas. I have learnt not to probe over issues for too long.” But Okonkwo, who also has an MBA in Marketing, says if there is anything he would have done differently it is refusing to study psychology the first time he was offered admission into the university to study the course. He had waited for three years, only to end up studying the same course. Though he does not work in a psychiatric hospital or the security services, he feels fulfilled having a degree in psychology. To him, “There’s a bit of psychology in everyday life. Like I always say, it’s never too late to be happy. Where I am, I am happy and this is what God has destined for me.” Role Model Okonkwo admires people who share his quiet mien. His role model in the property industry is Yomi Idowu. “I admire his humble demeanour. He is very humble. He has built a reputable company. It is one thing to be in business and it is another thing to have a reputable name.” Another person he looks up to as a mentor is Chief Sylvester Okonkwo. “He saw me through school. He has a great giving habit and about the time I said he saw me through school, he was training about 14 students on scholarship.” Projects Okonkwo and his team have done a

lot of projects in the property industry, but the one that really announced them is the Victoria Crest project. Tagged “affordable luxury”, it is a brand that targets the middle class. “When we talk about Victoria Crest, we talk ‘believe your dream’” he says. The about 168 units housing project marked a turning point for them in the industry. “After Victoria Crest one and two, now we have flagged off Victoria Crest three with 93 units and we are anticipating that subscribers will have the keys to their apartments from October this year.” Advice With 17 million housing deficit and a real estate industry worth over $13.65 billion, which accounts for nearly 8 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, the industry holds a lot of promise for investors. But Okonkwo believes the industry is being ignored by government. He wants the federal government to properly fund the real estate sector by providing single digit interest loans to investors through the Federal Mortgage Bank and also encourage the commercial banks to do same. “There will be so many things that will benefit the economy when you do that because when you have many artisans and unskilled people getting employment, it helps to empower them and grow the economy.” He also wants the state governments, which control land under the Land Use Act, to liberalise the land ownership process for genuine investors. “If the state governments want to be sincere,” he says, “there is need to justify the capacity of the person you are giving land. There’s no need to give land to a non-developer who would keep it idle for years for speculative purposes.”

Okonkwo and his team have done a lot of projects in the property industry, but the one that really announced them is the Victoria Crest project. Tagged “affordable luxury”, it is a brand that targets the middle class. “When we talk about Victoria Crest, we talk ‘believe your dream’” he says. The about 168 units housing project marked a turning point for them in the industry. “After Victoria Crest one and two, now we have flagged off Victoria Crest three with 93 units and we are anticipating that subscribers will have the keys to their apartments from October this year

Saturday, July 15, 2016

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MISSILE Makarfi on Osun West Victory “The victory of our party, the PDP at the poll is the reawakening of Nigerians to the deceit of the All Progressive Congress (APC), led administration at all levels, hence, the overwhelming rejection of the APC by the electorate in Osun West.” –The Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), celebrating its senatorial victory in Osun State.

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Dele Momodu dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com

Another Season of Poisonous Rumours

ellow Nigerians, let me say emphatically that our dear beloved country has never been in short demand or adequate supply of useless rumours. We all love gossip of all kinds, mundane or sublime, plausible or outrageous. We enjoy junk and gobble up any news in sight, no matter how ridiculously far-fetched. I remember one hot story during the last Presidential campaign of 2015. Major General Muhammadu Buhari had left Nigeria to London. His main mission was to honour an invitation from the influential Chatham House. I don’t know if he had other reasons to visit London but rumour soon had it that he was brain dead. I had wondered why no one waited a few more days to see if he would surface and speak at his Chatham House engagement. There was so much hoopla and hullaballoo all over the place. At a stage, even I started believing the naysayers, such was the volume and monotony of the babble. A call from Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki rescued my sanity. He confirmed that the People’s General was going to honour his appointment and face a barrage of questions. APC was not yet in disarray at that time and the members worked in unison. The only problem was that there was no one on ground to handle the media fallout during and after the event. I told Dr Saraki I had just left London the day before and was back in Accra, Ghana. I promised to see what I could do. My number one priority was to get fantastic coverage for the event and so my first duty was to contact our international photographer, Dragan Mikki, in Canterbury. It was already too late to seek and obtain media accreditation. Two, such an assignment would require the audacity and tenacity of a warhorse like Dragan who has the guts of a lion and the friendliness of a dove. Dragan would talk his way through the labyrinth of fire unhurt. Next, we’ll need to set up a situation office somewhere safe and private from where we can report the event live and control cyberspace. I had been reliably informed that the Director-General of the Muhammadu Buhari Presidential campaign organisation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, was going to be in London and the hotel where he was going to stay was also disclosed. I decided last minute to return to London. For me, oju oloju ko le jo oju eni (another man’s eyes can never be as effective as one’s own). I had to make this sacrifice for my country even if I was not (and still not) a member of APC. Off I went back to London and landed the following morning. Dr Saraki was stunned when information reached him that I had purchased my own ticket and headed back to London the day after I left the historic city. I had arranged a room at the Intercontinental Park Lane where Dragan joined me to plan a major media blitz. Amaechi was shocked to see me in the hotel. We discussed briefly before he drove off to Chatham House with Dragan Mikki in tow. I managed to set up a one-man riot squad in my room with blistering broadband internet in tandem. I was ready to blast the news to a global audience. Dragan was instructed to feed me with live and exclusive pictures as the event unfolded. Trust Dragan, he over-delivered. First, he meandered his way through the extensive and elaborate security and got extraordinary shots of Buhari’s private meeting

Buhari with former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. This was getting too good to be true. So “Buhari was not brain dead as widely speculated”, I soliloquised. My confidence returned in full force. Buhari actually wowed his captive audience as he answered most questions with as much candour and humour as possible. I was impressed and elated. My coming back to London was not a wasted journey after-all. There was a motley crowd of demonstrators gathered outside, ostensibly hired by the PDP ruling government to inflict as much humiliation and psychological damage on Buhari. Not wanting to take any risk, the British Metropolitan Police spirited Buhari out of Chatham House in James Bond version. He was ferried in a nondescript van to his modest rented apartment in Mayfair. I later got a call from Amaechi asking me to join the retired Army General. I was delighted to join Buhari and company. Amaechi, Sirika, Farouk, Hadiza, Keyamo and others were present in the flat. Buhari was in a relaxed mood and he stood up to welcome me and pose for pictures. He obviously and definitely did not appear like a man who had any brain damage. That done, I plotted my exit from London and returned to Accra. Those who said Buhari was already a vegetable never explained if it was his ghost that spoke at Chatham House or if he had resurrected from the dead. And they certainly did not render any apologies to their misled audience. Sad. Sure, Buhari has suffered health challenges, like all mortals, since winning the election and becoming President. He is after all in his seventies and has had a long and chequered military career. He has been away on long absences for medical treatment and constitutionally handed over power temporarily to his Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo. The bad news is that the rumours that dogged him in 2015 have been upgraded each time he’s had to travel. As usual, Buhari has been killed on social media many times, all to no avail in the physical realm. The most charitable ones have declared him to be in coma claiming a few members of the Buhari cabal

have been ruling by proxy, whatever that means. Anyway. The truth, as we have been told by the Acting President, Professor Osinbajo following his whistle-stop visit to the President in Abuja House, Kensington, London, is that President Buhari is hale and hearty, albeit recuperating from an undisclosed ailment, and is due to return home shortly to the consternation and chagrin of his detractors. That latest rumour about Buhari vegetating in London thus seemed to have been debunked in one fell swoop by this sudden trip of Professor Osinbajo to London for a quick but meaningful meeting with the once ailing but now “recuperating President.” A few things became clear to me. One, President Buhari is still unwell but not as bad as being rumoured. Two, the visit was a masterstroke, as President Buhari offered Acting President Osinbajo a chance to discuss with him directly instead of listening to emissaries and dealing with third parties. Three, Buhari shows himself as loving Nigeria more than most people are willing to acknowledge by stylishly displaying a synergy between himself and his deputy. Four, the meeting is a warning signal to over-ambitious elements who may wish to be opportunistic by attempting to seize power through the backdoor. Five, it looks like a less than subtle ringing endorsement of Osinbajo as the man in charge and a super warning to would-be plotters to stay off. Six, this is a team that is thriving on the trust and respect that the President and his Vice have for one another. Seven, Buhari is confident he would recover fully and return to work as soon as his health permits. These are my personal thoughts and my prayers are with the President. As for those accusing Osinbajo of being squeamish and not working at full capacity out of fear, they should understand that the worst thing a man can be accused of disloyalty.

If one thing is clear from the debacle unfolding before us, it is that Professor Osinbajo is a man of integrity who is not given to playing the kind of games that politicians are renowned for. Indeed, by his simple mien and resolute commitment to dealing with the task at hand, he is outsmarting and defeating those who wish him and the administration ill. If I were in Osinbajo’s shoes, I’m sure I’ll be very careful to avoid any suspicion of disloyalty. I therefore respect Osinbajo for his principled stance and temperate character. His boss has constitutionally transferred power to him as Acting President and there is nothing more to be desperate about. Buhari’s taciturnity is the reason many think and talk for him. But he has demonstrated, even in ill-health, that he wants no division in his government and Osinbajo remains his major ally. Contrary to the rumours being spread by unscrupulous elements in the polity, Osinbajo is demonstrating great courage and resoluteness in the face of adversity. His opponents grudgingly understand this but would like to paint the picture that his sure-footedness is borne of timidity and trepidation for the unknown rather than the steadfastness and adeptness of a man who knows what he is doing and where he wants to be and is prepared to be tactful and cautious to achieve the goal of a prosperous and corruption free Nigeria. Nigeria has more to gain in an atmosphere of peace and unity. Those who harbour Presidential ambitions should pursue their dreams responsibly and within the realm of the Constitution. It is pointless flying futile kites, in flights of fancy. No amount of silent whispers and poisonous innuendos can destroy something that has the heavenly seal of approval. Whilst it is anyone’s right to aspire, it’s certainly not anyone’s space to destabilise a government that is beginning to gather steam and ready to fly.

Congratulations to Mrs Osinbajo on Her Golden Jubilee The wife of the Acting President, Mrs Oludolapo Olutosin Osinbajo turns 50 today and I take this opportunity to salute a woman who has brought an unusual quiet, calming graciousness and dignity to the position that she occupies. I have known Mrs Osinbajo for many three decades, as she is the first cousin of Mrs Olukemi Aderemi, who is a dear family friend. The Wife of the Acting President, is a softspoken, intelligent, unassuming and humble woman who complements her husband in practically every respect. You could say that they are the perfect couple. Both are lawyers, authors and Pastors who share a common love for teaching and a compassion for the poor and downtrodden. Incidentally they both also partly come from the same hometown, Ikenne in Remo, Ogun State. The way in which Mrs Osinbajo carries herself with such humility and demureness one would not realise that she comes from the family of the great Obafemi Awolowo on her mother side. But it should really be no surprise that she demonstrates these traits. Both on the paternal and maternal side, (her father, Mr Tayo Soyode, is the son of a wealthy and distinguished fishing magnate who plied his trade in Ijora, “Pipi”

Soyode) Mrs Osinbajo combines wealth, grace, leadership and discipline. The effortless ease at which she goes about her duties shows that she is someone to nobility born. Mrs Osinbajo has brought a real sense of decency, decorum and respect to her office. She is fashionable, tastefully glamorous, not loud or lurid. Even when she wears the simplest of attires, her radiant beauty and the self confidence that she exudes makes her look as regal and resplendent as when she dresses in haute couture clothing. In her own inimitable way, Mrs Osinbajo is a style icon with a difference. Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo is a role model worthy of emulation in all respects. The kind of moral and upright upbringing that she had, can be seen in the rounded development of her three lovely children, two girls - Damilola and Kanyinsola “Kiki” and the last born and son, Fiyinfolowa. They would make any parent proud as they sensibly live their lives outside the public glare and without the haughtiness that children of dignitaries often display. It is my joy to celebrate a deserving lady of distinction and repute today as she turns 50 years old. I pray that she continues to enjoy good health and has a long life full of joy, happiness, contentment and peace. Amen.

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