Saturday 12th May 2018

Malabu Oil: Trial of Shell, Eni CEO, Other Top Executives, Begins Monday HEDA: It’s a clear signal that it is no longer business as usual for oil companies in Nigeria Bayo Akinloye The Royal Dutch Shell and Eni, along with a number of their senior executives, will on Monday face criminal charges in Milan, Italy, for alleged aggravated international corruption for their

role in a $1.1bn deal for a Malabu Oil’s OPL 245.

This was made known in a statement yesterday by the international corruption watchdog, the Global Witness.

It noted that no company as large as Royal Dutch Shell or

senior executives of a major oil company had ever stood trial for bribery offences.

Eni’s Chief Executive Officer, Claudio Descalzi; former CEO, Paolo Scaroni; and Chief Operations and Technology Officer, Roberto Casula, are also standing

trial alongside four former Shell staff, including Malcolm Brinded, former Executive Director for Shell’s Upstream International Operations and two former MI6 agents employed by Shell.

"The prosecution by the Milan public prosecutor was triggered by

a complaint filed in autumn 2013

by Global Witness, The Corner House, Re: Common and Nigerian anti-corruption campaigner, Dotun Oloko. The case had also been investigated in Nigeria and the United States following the groups’ complaints. Public

prosecutors in the Netherlands are also investigating the case," the statement said.

Speaking about the coming landmark trial, Barnaby Pace of the Global Witness said: "This Continued on page 6

APC Primary: Al-Makura Reads Riot Act to Ekiti Governorship Aspirants … Page 11 Saturday 12 May, 2018 Vol 23. No 8423

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Buhari Returns 24-Hour Ahead of Schedule, Readies for 2019 Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja Twenty-four hours ahead of his scheduled return from London, United Kingdom, where he had gone for a four-day medical trip, President Muhammadu Buhari returned to the country yesterday evening in a manner that took

many by surprise.

The President who arrived Abuja at about 7pm, was received by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant

to the President on Diaspora Matters, Abike Dabiri-Erewa and the Permanent Secretary, State House, Jalal Arabi.

Speaking after disembarking from the Presidential jet at the Nnanmdi Azikiwe International Airport, the president said he was healthy but only went for

a necessary medical check-up. "I went for further medical check-up.

I am alright," he said.

Also speaking on the President's return, Shehu told THISDAY last night that the President was in high spirit and having been certified to be okay medically, he is now fully ready for 2019

Presidential contest. "The President has returned to the country. He is in high spirit and is set for 2019 polls," Shehu said.

Shehu who had on Tuesday announced the President's return to the United Kingdom on a fourday medical trip, said the trip was in compliance with his doctor's

request following a meeting he had with him last weekend on his way back to the country from Washington DC. He had said the President would return to the country today and get prepared for a Continued on page 6

Catholic Bishops Invite Pope to Visit Nigeria over Herdsmen Killings It will strengthen and encourage the faithful to cope with challenges I’m with Nigerians in spirit, says pontiff Bayo Akinloye in Lagos and Alex Enumah in Abuja Following persistent killings by suspected Fulani herdsmen, Nigerian Catholic bishops have invited Pope Benedict XVI to visit Nigeria, saying that such visit will strengthen troubled Nigerians and encourage them to cope with different challenges.

The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, who was part of arecent "Ad limina” visit by the Nigerian bishops to Pope Francis at the Vatican, announced the invitation in a recent interview with the Vatican News (the mouthpiece of the Holy See), an extract of which was obtained by THISDAY yesterday.

The Lagos prelate remarked: "Oh yes! We're looking forward to seeing him. Yes, we did invite him and of course, as expected, he couldn't give us a response then but we hopeful he would react to that. If he does come, it will not only strengthen the Continued on page 6

ISIYAKU RABIU GOES HOME...

L-R: President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Chairman, IRS, Rabiu I. Rabiu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Chairman, BUA Group, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu; and Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje; during Osinbajo's condolence visit to the family of late Isiyaku Rabiu in Kano ... yesterday

FG Promises to Investigate, Prosecute Killers of Nigerian Diplomat in Sudan

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Crude Oil Price Hits Record High as Iran Sanctions Tighten Supply Outlook Ejiofor Alike with agency reports Oil prices steadied near three and a half-year high yesterday at $77.47 a barrel as the prospect of new United States sanctions on Iran tightened the outlook for Middle East supply at a time when global crude production is only just keeping pace with rising demand.

This is coming as Forte Oil Plc at the weekend announced the signing of an agreement with Chevron Lubricants, Europe, Middle East and Africa, which will make Texaco-branded lubricants and engine oil available at Forte Oil Filling Stations in

Nigeria The United States plans to reintroduce sanctions against Iran, which pumps about four per cent of the world’s oil, after abandoning a deal reached in late 2015 that limited Tehran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for the removal of US and European sanctions.

The global oil market is finely balanced, with top exporter Saudi Arabia and No.1 producer Russia having led efforts to curb oil supply to prop up prices.

Benchmark Brent crude was unchanged at $77.47 a barrel yesterday after hitting $78 on Thursday, its highest since

November 2014.

US light crude was up at $71.56, having touched a three and a half year high of $71.89 on Thursday.

Many analysts expect oil prices to rise as Iran’s exports fall.

Reuters reported that analysts predicted that around October Iranian exports will be down by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) and eventually fall by one million bpd.

There are signs, however, that other members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will raise output to counter the Iran disruption.

Outside OPEC, soaring US crude oil production could help to fill Iran’s supply gap.

US oil output reached another record high last week, hitting 10.7 million bpd.

That is up 27 per cent since mid-2016 and means that US output is creeping ever closer to that of top producer Russia, which pumps about 11 million bpd.

In another development, the collaboration between Chevron Lubricants, owner of the Texaco brand and Forte Oil, a leading player in retail distribution of petroleum products in Nigeria, will open new opportunities for

Nigerian motorists to purchase high quality engine oil.

From its strategic manufacturing hubs, the wellknown Texaco-branded lubricants and engine oil will be supplied to the network of Forte Oil’s filling stations across the country.

Commenting on the partnership, the General Manager in charge of Chevron Lubricants, Stewart Wright said “we are delighted that this agreement means that motorists across Nigeria will have added choice when buying quality engine oil.� “It is excellent news that our Texaco-branded lubricants are now so widely available and

are here to stay in Nigeria,�

Wright added.

Forte Oil’s Head of Marketing, Kenneth Otaru said: “Our collaboration with Chevron Lubricants will allow Nigerian motorists to enjoy a wider selection of engine oil and lubricants assured of the quality guaranteed by both the Forte Oil and Texaco brands. “This is an exciting time for the downstream sector market and for the consumer. Forte Oil is pleased to join in this initiative to ensure that the best available products are located at every Forte Oil filling station,� Otaru added.

on May 11, 2018 was brought pursuant to order 34 Rule (2) and (3) of the Federal High Court (civil procedure) rules, 2009 and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court.

The lawyer, who resides in Guma Local government Area of the state, said he was one of the numerous victims of continuing Fulani herdsmen attacks on communities in Benue State.

Nyiutsa, wants a declaration of court that the series of armed attacks particularly from January 1, 2018 to May, 2018 on inhabitants of communities in Guma, Logo, Makurdi, Gwer-East, Buruku, Tarka, Katsina-Ala and Ukum local government areas of Benue State by suspected Fulani herdsmen using sophisticated weapons like AK- 47 which had resulted in deaths of over

200 persons, amounted to acts of terrorism as defined under section 1(3) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 as amended.

The plaintiff deposed that he had suffered substantial injury from Fulani herdsmen attacks since 2014 to date.

According to him, in 2014, nine of his family members were killed by armed Fulani herdsmen including another 24 of his family members who were killed by Fulani herdsmen on January 1, 2018 at Tom-atar.

Attached to the suit were copies of death report to Coroner and report by Medical practitioner, and burial programme for mass burial of the deceased victims of the attacks by Fulani herdsmen.

The matter is yet to be assigned to any court.

President, Goodluck Jonathan, members of the government and other Nigerian government officials.

The prosecutor further alleged that money was also channeled to Eni and Shell executives with $50 million in cash delivered to the home of Eni’s then Head of Business for Sub-Saharan Africa, Casula. “This is not a case involving a few rotten apples. The evidence points to systemic corruption – from the top down. In this case, Italy has championed the rule of law over abusive corporate power," Nick Hildyard of Corner House said in the statement.

The statement added: "Spokespeople for Shell have referred Global Witness to the company’s statement following the company’s indictment, 'We are disappointed by the outcome of the preliminary hearing and the decision to indict Shell and its former employees. We believe the trial judges will conclude that there is no case against Shell or its former employees'.�

Meanwhile, Eni has said in a statement on its website regarding the case that the trial “will give the opportunity to Eni to fully defend its position and to provide full evidence of the correctness of the actions taken with respect to the OPL 245 transaction.�

Regarding the allegations against Eni’s CEO, the company said: “Eni’s Board of Directors has reaffirmed its confidence that the company was not involved in alleged corrupt activities in relation to the transaction. The Board of Directors also confirmed its full confidence that chief executive Claudio Descalzi was not involved in the alleged illegal conduct and, more broadly, in his role as head of the company. Eni expresses its full confidence in the judicial process and that the trial will ascertain and confirm the correctness and integrity of its conduct.�

On March 28, 2018, a Shell statement sent to Global Witness had said: “Shell filed a criminal complaint with the Dutch authorities because we suspect a crime may have been committed against Shell by a former employee in relation to the sale of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 42 in Nigeria in 2011. Based on what we know from an internal investigation, we suspect this is a case of possible kickbacks, related to the actions of a former employee who left Shell more than three years ago.

The individual in question is Peter Robinson, then VP Commercial Sub-Saharan Africa.� Shell also had added “that based on what we know today, the OML 42 issue is unrelated to the OPL 245 settlement.�

CATHOLIC BISHOPS INVITE POPE TO VISIT NIGERIA OVER HERDSMEN KILLINGS people, it will also encourage the people to be able to cope with these different challenges."

Even though, the Catholic spiritual head had not responded to the invitation to visit Nigeria, Most Rev. Martins noted that the Pope was concerned about the killings going on in the country.

Martins said: "Well, of course, we also asked him what message he wanted us to take back home as a message to our people. He said we should be courageous, particularly with regards to the recent troubles with the terrorists that masquerade as herdsmen.

He told us to tell our people that he is with us in spirit and he is with us praying for us; that whatever it is that is possible in order to ameliorate the situation, he is willing to journey with us.

We thought that was very good."

According to the Vatican News website, the Nigerian Catholic bishops, "believe that terrorists and mercenaries have infiltrated the Fulani herdsmen to cause insecurity and mayhem in the Middle Belt of the country."

Martins also praised the Pope for operating an open-door policy.

"We came in; we wanted to talk about the situation of our people; the situation of their lives and the response had been very cordial in the sense that he is willing to listen to what we have to say. There is that willingness to listen and the willingness to share the kind of challenge that we have. We are there with the Holy Father and he said to us that we could tell him whatever it is that we needed to say even if it meant criticizing him. I thought that was very, very interesting;

that we have a man that is open and ready to listen to what other people have to say," Archbishop Martins said.

The pope was said to be particularly saddened by the recent attack on St Ignatius Catholic Parish, Mbalom, in Gwer West, Local Government Area of Benue state.

During the attack, some men suspected to be herdsmen stormed the church and killed 18 persons, including two reverend fathers, leaving several other parishioners injured.

Lawyer Drags Buhari, AGF to Court over Benue Killings In a related development, a Makurdi-based lawyer, Matthew Nyiutsa, has approached the Federal High Court, Abuja, for an order compelling President Muhammadu Buhari and

the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), to proscribe Fulani herdsmen operating in Benue State and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as terrorist and terrorist organisations respectively.

The plaintiff in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/499/18, is also seeking the prohibition of all activities of Fulani herdsmen in Benue State that have resulted in the deliberate and intentional killings, massacre, wanton destruction of both private and public properties including residential and commercial houses, schools, hospitals/ clinic, markets, water boreholes/reservoirs, invasion of ancestral lands of the inhabitants as acts of terrorism under the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 as amended.

The exparte motion dated and filed at the registry of the court

MALABU OIL: TRIAL OF SHELL, ENI CEO, OTHER TOP EXECUTIVES, BEGIN MONDAY trial should signal a turning point in the way the oil industry has operated for far too long. Some of the most senior executives of two of the biggest companies in the world could face prison sentences for a deal struck under their watch. Shell has recently accused one of these former executives of taking kickbacks in a separate Nigerian deal."

Speaking on the latest development, the Chairman Human and Environmental

Development Agenda, (HEDA) Lanre Suraju, said: "This trial is a clear signal that it is no longer business as usual for oil companies in Nigeria. It’s time justice is served.�

Casula, who will also stand trial in Milan over the OPL 245 case, took a leave of absence from the company in April. He had told Reuters that because of the recent allegations made against him, he had decided to take a temporary leave of absence from

work.

"My primary objective is to fully and promptly address these allegations and cooperate to the fullest extent with the judicial authorities," he had stated.

For years, Shell had claimed that it only paid the Nigerian government for the OPL 245. But after the joint investigations of Global Witness and the United Kingdom investigative journalism group, Finance Uncovered, Shell confessed it had dealings with

"convicted money launderer and former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dan Etete".

Global Witness claimed that Etete had awarded the OPL 245 oil block to his secretly owned company, Malabu, while serving as oil minister.

The case against Eni and Shell brought by the Milan public prosecutor alleged that $520 million from the deal was converted into cash and intended to be paid to the then Nigerian

BUHARI RETURNS 24-HOUR AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, READIES FOR 2019 R-L: President Muhammadu Buhari, FCT Minister Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, SSAP on Media and Publicity Mallam Garba Shehu and SSAP on Diaspora, Hon Abike Dabirei as he returns from the United Kingdom at the Presidential Wings of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja‌yesterday STATE HOUSE

two-day presidential trip to Jigawa on Monday. But the President opted to arrive 24 hours earlier than scheduled.

"In the course of the technical

stop-over for aircraft maintenance in London on his way back from Washington last week, the President had a meeting with his doctor,� he said

T H I S D AY ˾ SATURDAY MAY 12, 2018

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STRENGTHENING THE JUDICIARY ...

L-R: New Customary Court of Appeal (CCA) judges: Justice Mikhail Oyafajo; Justice Tajudeen Abdulganiyu; Justice Abimbola Olatunji-Daniel; Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Chief Judge of the state, Justice Munta Abimbola; and President, CCA, Justice Solomon Akinteye, during the inauguration of the new judges, at the Governor's OďŹƒce, Ibadan... on Friday

After Temporary Closure, Court Stops Rivers APC LG Congresses We’ll go ahead with congresses, insists party Ernest ChinwoinPortHarcourt After a lock down by hundreds of youths suspected to be factional members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has issued an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the APC in the state from holding its local government congresses scheduled for today.

However, the APC has said it would go ahead with congresses despite the injunction as the process for the exercise had already started.

Although the party said it would proceed with the local government congresses, governorship aspirant, Senator Magnus Abe, expressed gratitude to the court for checking impunity and restoring confidence as the last hope of the common man.

Before the court sat in the afternoon, hundreds of youths suspected to be members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to one of the

factions with the aid of the police, barricaded the Rivers State judiciary in the morning.

The youths stormed the judiciary as early as 6.45am and blocked the gates of the High Court Complex, beating up both lawyers and litigants who tried to gain access into the complex while the police who came in several vans watched.

The Chief Security Officer of the complex, Mr. Douglas, told THISDAY that the youth locked the gates by 6.45am and beat up several persons.

THISDAY gathered that the move by the political thugs was to forestall the court from sitting so that it would not grant an injunction sought by Senator Magnus Abe to stop the local government congresses of the APC slated for today.

While the police looked on, the youths padlocked the gates and chased the judges, lawyers and litigants away, and laid siege to the complex.

However, the incident took a turn

for worse when another group of youth suspected to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and backed by another set of policemen stormed the place to open the gates.

Violence erupted as both sets of youth attacked each other with bottles and other dangerous weapons, including guns, and in the process destroyed some structures within the complex.

The police shot sporadically into the air and assisted to chase away the PDP group while the other group relocked the gates. The police also used tear gas to disperse the crowd.

However respite came to the judiciary when the state Governor, Nyesom Wike, went to the complex and ensured that it was opened for business.

Friday last week, the court had served motion on notice on the APC, although, the leader of the party in the state and the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi,

Tax Evasion: FG Pays N439m to 14 Whistleblowers Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

No fewer than 14 whistleblowers were paid N439.276 million this week after they provided the tips which culminated in tax evaders paying the sum of N13.8 billion to the federal government.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who revealed this in Abuja Friday while briefing journalists, said the tax evaders were largely corporate organisations.

According to her, since the commencement of the Whistleblower Policy in December 2016, 8,373 communications had been received of which 1,231 were

actually tips, adding that 534 investigations were conducted with 10 prosecutions and four convictions. “The Whistleblower Policy started December 2016. Since then, we have had 8, 373 communications of which 1, 231 were actually tips. “We have conducted 534 investigations; 10 prosecutions and four convictions. “This week, we paid whistleblowers the sum of N439. 276 million. It was to 14 people who provided specific tips on tax evasions about companies who deliberately evaded or under-paid taxes. Working on those tips, we have held discussions with those

companies and they have paid N13. 8 billion which we have confirmed have been paid to the Federal Inland Revenue Service. “Under the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), we are getting far more tips on tax evasions, which of course is a crime against us all and this is a new trend that we thought is worth bringing to your attention. So these people are being paid this month. “This is the first time we are having that number where we have concluded either communications with companies and the companies have actually paid the money to FIRS,� Adesoun said.

had denied knowledge of such notice.

Last Thursday, the court sat to hear the motion on notice as presented by the counsel for a faction of the APC who were allegedly barred from the ward congress seeking to stop the planned local government congresses today.

However, after the shooting had died down, the presiding judge, Justice Chiwendu Nwogu, who delivered ruling on the motion on notice, barred the APC from going on with the congress and adjourned till 26th of June for hearing.

One of the counsel for the applicants, Henry Bellow, said: "I am counsel for the members of the APC who were unconstitutionally excluded from participating in the purportedly congress even after they had satisfied the conditions precedence to their participation in the congress according to APC guidelines.

"They paid money for nomination forms. They paid but got to APC

secretariat, it was locked only to hear winners have emerged in the congress and it is against the constitution of the party."

Meanwhile, the counsel for the APC, who was sent from the national secretariat to take over the matter, Cuturu Eddeh, accused the state legal adviser of the party, Mr. Chiwikpe Chieme, of professional misconduct, adding that he (Chiwikpe) did not have the mandate to represent APC on the matter.

Eddeh said: "This matter was brought to Port Harcourt from Bori on Monday. Him (Chiwikpe) coming to say he represented the APC is wrong.

He went there and made damaging comments and representation of APC. The Chairman of the Party did not instruct him to stand in for the matter.

I have a letter from the national party to represent the party. " He knows the implication of that.

"Chiwikpe does not have the right to represent the APC and make

any submission on its behalf; he has been suspended by the party since last year."

In his reaction on the incident, the Attorney General of the State, Emmanuel Aguma (SAN), expressed worries over the attitude of APC supporters, noting that there was an attempt to close down the state judiciary.

Aguma said: "The APC supporters came here and closed the court, but youths of Rivers State came and opened it. The police behaved well except for the men of Special Anti-Robbery Squad, who were shooting at Rivers youths.

"I am surprised that there were no casualties. My gratitude is to the youths of the state who came out en masse to chase the APC away.

"The court was totally destroyed.

The judge that came to work this morning, His Lordship Andrew Jaja was manhandled and his car totally vandalised."

FG Removes 5 Top NECO OfďŹ cials Laleye Dipo in Minna

The federal government has removed five top officials of the National Examination Council, NECO, investigations by THISDAY in Minna Niger state has revealed.

Those removed were served their letters on Thursday this week.

As at Friday all the officials were absent from their desks with new people taking over their positions in acting capacities.

When THISDAY visited the headquarters of the Council on Friday, it was discovered that the issue of the removal of the officials were being discussed in hushed tones by other staffers of the Council.

None of the staff was prepared to

volunteer information to the press on the matter.

It was also discovered that some directors in the council were in a meeting with one of those appointed in acting capacity but no official statement was released after the meeting.

We learnt that only two weeks ago, the governing council led by its chairman Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq visited the Council during which he looked intop the operations of the Council.

The removal of the officials it was gathered, may not be unconnected to the report submitted by the governing council to the Federal Ministry of Education.

THISDAY however gathered that three reasons were being adduced

for the removal of the officials, top officials among them, unilateral award of contracts without passing through due process.

It was also gathered that the officials illegally recruited over 300 staff without advertising the vacancies and clearance from the relevant ministry.

THISDAY further gathered that some of those removed were being investigated for alleged corruption running into several millions of naira.

Before their removal, a top source who didn’t want his name in print said some of the officials had been visiting the Abuja office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for investigation into alleged crime.

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RingTrue

Yemi

Adebowale

07013940521 yemi.adebowale@thisdaylive.com

Bring Back Alice Ngaddah, Hauwa Liman, Saifura Ahmed

T

he names above won’t ring any bell to many. Those who have not been following the story would be wondering who Mrs. Alice Loksha Ngaddah, Hauwa Mohammed Liman and Saifura Husseini Ahmed are. They are highly courageous humanitarian workers who braved all the risks to serve distressed Internally Displaced Persons in Borno State.

While Ngaddah is a nurse, Liman and Ahmed are midwives, all working in the IDP camp in Rann. Ngaddah was working for UNICEF, while the two midwives were contract staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC. Unfortunately, they were abducted by the Islamic State West Africa (ISWA), a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, during an attack on the military facility in Rann and the IDP camp in the same town on March 1 this year.

ISWA is led by Abu Musab al-Barnawi, the son of the late Boko Haram’s founder, Muhammed Yusuf.

Few days back, these humanitarian workers, who have remained in captivity for 73 days, managed to send out heartwrenching handwritten notes, pleading with the government of Nigeria to come to their rescue. They are begging for freedom; the pain in the camp of the terrorists is piercing. Their mothers, fathers, husbands,

Buhari

children and other family members also need them at home. Ngaddah’s two children have become weary, waiting for their mother; her mother also died in April as a result of the shock of her daughter’s abduction.

A copy of the note reads: “We are pleading and begging with heavy hearts

to our humble President Muhammadu Buhari to hear our cry for mercy and look into our situation and vindicate us from this captivity. Our dear children, husbands, relations and the entire nation need us back home. To our able organisations, please hear our cry for mercy. We are really helpless and hopeless, please rescue us and vindicate us, our families need us back and the entire nation at large. To our Excellency Governor Kashim Shettima, the local government councils and the entire people of our dear nation to hear our cry and help us in anyway and get us out of here so that we can be reunite with our families.”

My appeal today to Mr. President is very simple: Please, bring back Ngaddah, Liman, Ahmed using your “back channel” knowledge of Boko Haram to end their trauma and that of their families. The way you used the “back Channel” to secure the release of the Dapchi schoolgirls should be used to bring back these captives and thousands of other Nigerians still in Boko Haram captivity. Buhari and his cohorts have openly told Nigerians that they know the back door into the kingdom of Boko Haram leaders. They should end the Boko Haram lunacy immediately using the “back channel.” The pain persistently inflicted on the North-east in particular and the country in general by these terrorists is excruciating.

APC’s Show of Shame It was the first test of the ruling All Progressives Congress’ internal democracy and the party failed woefully. I am talking about the crisis-ridden ward congresses held across the country last Saturday by the APC. The brigandage displayed in most of the states was legendary as factional leaders hired thugs to outwit each other. Expect a repeat performance today in the local government congresses. Only people living in fools’ paradise would have expected something decent from this party. I was not shocked by last Saturday’s outcome; I know the true colour of the majority of APC leaders. I am not sorry to say that there are only few decent people in the party. The APC is dominated by politicians masquerading as progressives.

These pretenders play bread and butter politics. For these misfits, politics is all about what they can grab for themselves and their families and not service to the people.

Let’s run through some of the shameful stories. Zamfara is one of the most pathetic APC states where comical Governor Abdul’aziz Yari ensured that a sham election was conducted to strengthen his stranglehold on APC’s structure in the state. Senator Kabiru Marafa vowed to give Yari a good fight over the charade. He declared: “Contrary to the claim by Yari, no ward congress of the APC held in Zamfara last weekend.

The governor wanted a congress by affirmation because he did not have enough support to go for election but the people objected.

The guidelines said we either do consensus or election. There was no consensus. There was no election in Zamfara last Saturday.

There was therefore no ward executive in the whole of Zamfara.”

In Rivers State, supporters of Rotimi Amaechi and Senator Magnus Abe held each other by the jugular. The APC office in Port Harcourt was damaged in the process.

A congress, described by Abe as a farce, was eventually conducted. In Imo State, the laughable Governor Rochas Okorocha and

Ajimobi

Okorocha

his deputy, Eze Madumere, turned the state into a war zone. Okorocha was desperate to hijack the Imo APC structure in order to install his son-in-law as governor. Surprisingly, Madumere outwitted him. The Imo APC office was eventually set ablaze.

Blood flowed in Anambra State, where the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and Tony Nwoye turned the state into one big battle field. Ngige accused Nwoye of using swam of cultists, arsonists and deadly thugs to disrupt the process. The minister narrowly escaped being lynched. But Musa Yunusa, one of the congress officials from the party’s headquarters was not lucky. He had his head broken, dragged him in his pool of blood and stripped naked by thugs.

In Oyo State, Governor Abiola Ajimobi and Communications Minister, Adebayo Shittu, danced naked in public over the control of APC structure in the state. As at press time, policemen were still guiding the APC office in Asaba, to prevent it from being destroyed by aggrieved party members. In

Kaduna, Governor Nasir el-rufai dubiously succeeded in flattening senators Suleiman Hunkuyi, Shehu Sani and Danjuma Laar.

Hunkuyi won’t accept this “nonsense.” He declared: “Democracy was raped in the state on Saturday. The exercise was not transparent enough. We join all APC members and supporters in mourning the death of democracy and its burial in Kaduna State, where its resurrection may be an impossible task.”

Fighting was also ferocious in Anambra, Ebonyi, Ondo, Kano, Abia, Kogi, Plateau, Cross River and Bauchi states. Indeed, APC leaders and members sustained the dance of shame in virtually all the states during the ward elections. By now, those still in doubt about the true colour of this party should have a clear picture. Our ruling party is evidently dominated by pretenders; desperate bread and butter politicians who roam with political thugs. The few decent people in the APC can’t effect the desired change. Nigerians must rise and save this country from these spongers.

Ibrahim Idris

The Ruins of Gwaska Village By the time I was penning this piece yesterday afternoon, 69 dead bodies had been picked and buried by traumatised residents of Gwaska village in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

More bodies will certainly emerge from the bush. Bandits invaded the village last Sunday, killing and maiming, unhindered for hours. Hundreds of houses were also burnt, with over 2000 people displaced, leaving Gwaska in ruins. This is the same Birnin-Gwari the police claimed it had posted a mobile force few weeks back, yet, the criminals operated unrestrained for hours, moving from house to house. But for the brave vigilantes and volunteers in Gwaska, the bandits would have stayed longer. Soldiers and policemen were nowhere to be seen while the operation of the criminals lasted. Gwaska is just about seven kilometres from Dansadau in Zamfara where the bandits have also been a torn in the flesh of hapless Nigerians.

The tactics of the Gwaska attack is similar to the one carried out a few weeks back in Kabaro and Danmani villages of Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

No fewer than 30 persons were killed in Kabaro and Danmani. So, why are these criminals still roaming unhindered in this part of the North-west? The answer is very simple: It is because our security agents have compromised.

Governor Nasir el-rufai was in Gwaska on Monday, chanting the same ugly rhetoric: “I came here to share the pains and anguish of our people, the predicament of innocent citizens whose lives were cut short due to terrorism of bandits and criminals who have been tormenting us. I want to say again, that we are not sleeping and by the grace of God, we will overcome this evil act and terrorism being unleashed on our people.”

So, el-rufai, what next to prevent a repeat? As usual, nothing! Will our lethargic security agents apprehend the criminals?

As usual, it won’t happen. Just watch out, in few days, you will see the bandits again attacking communities in these North-west villages. This is a government that can’t protect lives and property of its citizens, yet, wants to continue in office.

What a country! Failure to protect lives and property is failure of government.

Buhari obstinately fails Nigerians.

Ilhan Omar on the Real Meaning of Patriotism President Muhammadu Buhari’s legion of sycophants has been redefining the word “patriotism.” They claim they want Buhari to continue because they are patriots.

Patriotism is not hero-worshipping a country’s leader as they are doing at present.

Loyalty does not mean believing (blindly) in a leader or administration despite all its failings. A country where this happens hardly develops. Real patriots must place the interest of the country above that of any individual. Today, I have decided to publish a thought-provoking piece by a

Somali-American called Ilhan Omar on the true meaning of patriotism. Omar, a Minnesota State Representative came to the United States as a young Muslim refugee and is the first Somali-American elected to public office in the US. Omar remarks: “This is what Patriotism looks like: It is really important for people to stay vigilant and understand that patriotism isn’t fully believing in a particular administration. True patriotism is about fighting for your country and its

dignity and making sure that the citizens and the Constitution of the country is protected and uplifted. Once we believe and protect a particular head of a country, then we lose sight of everything and that is the biggest of trouble to come. And so, my fear right now and my biggest worry is when I see people who say, ‘You can’t say anything about the president.’ Because in a democracy, in a country that lives by a Constitution that protects the right to free speech, you should be able to criticize your president. You should be able to hold your president accountable.

You should be able to expect more without fear, without being looked at as someone who isn’t patriotic. And so, I hope this particular confusion that a lot of Americans are having about where their allegiance should be will end; they need to remember that their allegiance is to the Constitution; their allegiance is to their country. Their allegiance is to its society. And it isn’t about the particular person that is the head of the country.”

This is food for thought for Nigerians today

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NEWS

In Brief NDA Graduates 314 EFCC Detective Cadets

The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) has completed the training of a fresh batch of 314 Detective Superintendent of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) months after a first batch of 189 Inspectors passed out.The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NDA, Major MA Yahaya in a statement yesterday, said that cadets had completed a 13- month long trainingattheAcademyandpassedoutafteraverycolourfulparadeatthe NDA Ribadu Campus. Yahaya said this brought the total number of EFCC operativestrainedbytheAcademyto503,bothintheDetectiveInspector andDetectiveSuperintendentcadreoftheEFCC.SpeakingatthePassing Out Parade in honour of the cadets, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), IbrahimIdris,whorepresentedPresidentMuhammaduBuhari,chargedthe cadetstoseethemselvesastoolsinactualisingthewaragainstcorruption inNigeria. Hewarnedthemtoresistthetemptationsthatwouldariseinthe courseoftheirservicetothenation,notingthattheirbeingEFCCoperatives did not make them immune from prosecution if they faltered and took the path of corruption.

11Years After, Oyo LG Polls Hold Today

BUILDING CAPACITY ...

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (3rd left), with his deputy, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo (3rd right), the Assistant Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in charge of Land Borders, Ishiaka Haliru (2nd left), the Comptroller, Enugu State Command, Dora Amahian (middle), and other top oďŹƒcers during the Command's Executive Leadership Training in Enugu, yesterday

Man Bags Life Sentence for Rape as Police Parade Serial Rapists, Others Seriki Adinoyi in Jos and Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti There was mild drama at an Ekiti State High Court on Friday after one Ajewole Dada Fulani was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape. The 24 year old, was standing trial for robbing, kidnapping and raping two female students of the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti on 7th November, 2015 along Ikere-Igbara Odo Road.

This is as the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Undie Adie, on Friday paraded two alleged serial rapists and eight others for vandalising electric cables and murder of Alhaji Yahaya Umar of Jengre community of Bassa Local Government Area of the state.

The verdict was handed down

by Justice John Adeyeye who held that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. Immediately the verdict was translated to the convict, he suddenly became emotional, furious and restless.

Ajewole thereafter hit the court window and broke the louvers and stabbed himself with it and attempted to stab other people inside the courtroom.

It took the intervention of security personnel who grabbed the convict from wounding more people inside the court.

He was subsequently handcuffed and bundled into a waiting Black Maria. Court workers, litigants and other observers were shocked by

the convict’s bravado.

Ajewole, on the day of the incident, conveyed the two College students in is commercial vehicle but diverted the vehicle to the bush, tied them to a tree and raped them one after the other.

The victims later escaped from the scene and reported the incident at the Ikere Main Police Station along College Road.

Ajewole was first arraigned at an Ado-Ekiti Magistrate’s Court but the case was transferred to the High Court after an advice from the office of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

He appeared for the first time at the High Court on 16th November, 2016.

To prove the case, the DPP, Mr. Gbemiga Adaramola, called four witnesses and tendered exhibits which included the accused’s statement and a vehicle with registration number EMR 218 XA. The accused called two witnesses to support his denial of the offence.

The court after listening to the oral argument of Adaramola and defence counsel, Mr. Sunday Ochayi, ruled: “The prosecution has not proved the essential ingredients of the offence of robbery against the accused. “In conclusion and for the avoidance of doubt, the accused was found guilty of the offences of kidnapping and rape as charged in Counts 1,2and 3 and he is accordingly convicted to life imprisonment.�

Police Arraign Ebonyi Lawmaker Sheik Rabiu Buried in for Alleged CertiďŹ cate Forgery Kano Amidst Tears Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

Chief Whip of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon. Chike Imo Ogiji was yesterday arraigned before Abakaliki Magistrate court for alleged an certificate forgery.

Ogiji was arrested and detained by the police before he was arraigned yesterday. He faced a four count charge of allegedly forging his First School Leaving Certificate and Primary School testimonial.

In suit No. MAB 33/C/2018, the offence is punishable under section 118 of the Criminal Code Act, cap C38 Laws of the federation 2004 and section 467 Cap C38 Laws of the federation as applicable in Ebonyi State.

Some of the charges read “that you Ogiji Chike Imo, on the 10th day of November, 2006 at Abakaliki in the Magisterial district of the court did knowingly swore false affidavit touching on a first school leaving certificate purportedly issued to you in the year 1984 by Community Primary School Uduku Ettam Okpuitumo in Ikwo local government area, Ebonyi State and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 118 of the criminal code cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004

as applicable in Ebonyi State of Nigeria. “That you Ogiji Imo Chike, between 2007 and 2015 at Abakaliki in the Magisterial district of this court did forge an entry schedule marksheet and state Exams for community primary school Uduku Ettam Okpuitumo in Ikwo local government area of Ebonyi State for the year 1986 with intent that it may be used or acted upon as genuine and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 456 and punishable under section 467 of the Criminal Code Act, cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as applicable in Ebonyi state of Nigeria�.

After the charges were read to him, Ogiji pleaded not guilty.

His Defence Counsel, Emeka Odom urged the court to grant him bail on self-recognition, adding that he was presumed innocent at this stage until proven guilty. “The fundamental issue in this application for bail is to ensure that he is available to face trial. We urge this court to admit him to bail on self-recognition. He is a person of repute and he is representing Ikwo South state constituency in the state House of Assembly, he is also the Chief Whip of the Assembly.

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

The remains of Khalifa of Tijjaniyya sect in West Africa and Khadimul Islam, Sheik Isiaka Rabiu was on Friday in Kano laid to rest in his house, amid tears from thousands of sympathisers, who thronged his palace at Goron Dutse in Dala local government area of the state, close to the Muhammad Rabiu Friday Mosque.

The remains of the Sheik was brought before a large congregation of Islamic faithful in an ambulance at the Sheikh Muhammad Rabiu Mosque, named after his late father, Muhammadu Rabiu.

The funeral prayer was led

by Sheik Tijjani Aliyu Sisa, the Chief Imam of Kaulaha Mosque in Senegal, who stood in for Sheik Inyass before an unprecedented crowd that gathered at his residence, at exactly 2. 33 pm, before he was finally buried at 2.45 pm.

Late Isyaku Rabiu died after a protracted illness at a London Hospital last Tuesday.

He died at the age of 93 years.

A highly groomed Islamic Scholar, who had a memory of the Glori-

ous Qur'an at the tender age of 14 and would be remembered for his doggedness in pursuance of the Islamic ideals and support for Qur'anic memorisation.

In an interview, the Chief Imam of Kofar Mata Sheikh Nasir Adam described the Late Khalifa as a dedicated and committed gentleman who served as an embodiment of justice and a philanthropist to the core.

As a close confidant to late Sheik Isiyaku Rabiu the Chief Imam said the vacuum created by his death would be very difficult to fill.

A business associate Alhaji Sabiu Bako described the late Khalifa Isiaka Rabiu as a very simple, humble and reservoir of knowledge and above all a philanthropist to the core who assisted most of the business tycoons in Kano and beyond to become what they are today in Nigeria.

The late Rabiu was prominent as a result of his excellent credential as someone who had the opportunity to memorize the Glorious Qur'an at the age of 14 a feat that made to stand out the exceptionally different among his peers.

ElevenyearsaftertheDecember,2007localgovernmentelectioninOyoState, historywillbemadetodayastheStateIndependentElectoralCommission (OYSIEC),saidallarrangementshadbeenconcludedtoreturnthethirdtier of government to full-fledged democratic administration after series of caretaker arrangements. Though 12 political parties are participating in today's election, the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is boycottingthiselectionsequeltoacourtcasethepartyispursuingagainst theconductofthepoll.Afactionoftherulingparty,underthebannerofOyo APC Unity Forum has also instituted a court case against the conduct of today's election. There are however no impediment to the election as a court onThursday vacated an earlier order granted by a Federal high court restrainingtheOYSIECfromconductingelectionintosomenewlycreated wardsinIbarapaland.Tothisend,theChairmanoftheelectoralumpire,Jide Ajeigbe announced that his commission would conduct election in 4,783 polling units and 5,260 polling points in today's local government election in the state.

Professor Johnbull on made-in-Nigeria Goods

TheTVdramaseries,ProfessorJohnbull,sponsoredbyGlobacom,inanew episodeairingat6.00p.m.tomorrowonDSTVAfricaMagicFamilyandGOTV Channel 2 calls for support and patronage of made in Nigeria goods and services.TherepeatbroadcastcomesuponThursdayat9.30p.m.onthesame TVchannels. In the new episode entitled Made in Nigeria, the consensus of thedramatistpersonaeisthatmade-in-Nigeriaproductsarenotofinferior quality,asmostgoodsintheNigerianmarketscarryingforeignlabelsarein realfactmadeinNigeria.ProfessorJohnbullalsoairsonNTANetwork,NTA International on DSTV channel 251 and NTA on StarTimes at 8.30 p.m. on TuesdayandFriday,withAnambraBroadcastingServiceairingsameat8.30 p.m.onWednesdayandSaturday.Partoftheissuesviewerswilldeterminefor themselvesastheybookadatewiththeepisodeinclude:Doesthepriceofa gooddetermineitssuperiority?CanNigeriangoodscompetefavourablywith foreignones?Whydomanufacturersputforeignlabelsongoodsproduced in Nigeria? Why does Jumoke storm out of a party in anger after donning an expensive foreign dress?Who makes Elizabeth to shine at the party?

Oyo APC LG Congress Shifted to Tomorrow

TheOyoStateAllProgressivesCongresslocalgovernmentcongressearlier slated for Saturday (today) has been shifted to tomorrow. The Congress Chairman,AlhajiMusaHalilu-Ahmed,whodisclosedthisatapressconference on Friday, said that the shift became inevitable following the clash of the congress with the local government election being conducted by the Oyo StateIndependentElectoralCommission(OYSIEC)thesameday.Thepress conferencewasattendedbytheStateChairman,ChiefAkinOke;andother stateexecutivecommitteemembers,SenatorMonsuratSunmonu;andother partyleadersacrossthestate. Hefurtherexplainedthattherestrictionof movement during the LG election would pose a serious logistics challenge fortheofficialsinvolvedintheconductofthecongress,aswellascandidates and delegates participating in the APC congress.

Pre-Ramadan Lecture

PresidentofIslamicLeagueofNigeria,AlhajiMuhammedBakarehasinvited the general public to its second pre-Ramadan lecture, which holds tomorrow at 6, Edmond Crescent, off Murtala MuhammedWay, by Presbyterian Church,Yaba,Lagos.ItsguestsspeakerareProf.MurtadhoBidmos,Deanof Education, University of Lagos and Fadhilat Sheikh Musa Yahya Agboola, Mudeeru Daarul Faloah.The event starts at 11am.

Late Madam Victoria Adunola Daodu

The Daodu family has announced the passing on of their mother, wife and grandmother,Mrs.VictoriaAdunolaDaoduonFebruary1.Herwake-keepwill takeplaceon10thofMayat15, EwuodoStreet,oppositeOnikanmuPalace, Oka-Akoko, Ondo State. Lying in state is at her residence. Funeral service takes place at St. Saviour African Church, Ikanmu, Oka-Akoko, Ondo State while reception follows immeadiately after interment.

Madam Mary Amudat Kikelomo

The death has been announced of a woman community leader in Elekuro, Ibadan,OyoState,MadamMaryAmudat KikelomoOlatunji,(NewOre-Ofero Raji).She was aged 90. According to a release signed by Her son-in-law, Mr. TundeAremu,herremainswouldbe interredatherresidenceinIbadanon May18afterafuneralandthanksgivingserviceattheMethodistChurch WesleyCathedral, Elekuro,Ibadan.

She is survived by Mrs. Bisi Adeyemo, Mr Femi Olatunji, Mr Taiwo Olatunji, Mrs. Idowu Aborisade, Mrs.FunkeAremu,Mrs.Omowumi Fijabi, Mrs. Nike Oyedeji as well as numerousgrandchildrenandgreat grandchildren.

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NEWS

APC Primary: Al-Makura Reads Riot Act to Ekiti Guber Aspirants Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti As a measure to ensure hitch-free primary in today’s governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Ekiti State, Nasarawa State Governor and Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, has set a strict guideline for the delegates and aspirants but promised a free, fair and credible exercise.

Addressing a news conference in Ado-Ekiti on Friday on the level of preparedness for the exercise, Al-Makura explained that accreditation would begin at 8.00 am.

Those to be accredited are aspirants, delegates, journalists, observers and other critical stakeholders.

Apart from the security arrangements, Al-Makura explained that facilities needed for the conveniences of participants had been provided.

He said: “Any delegate accredited won’t be allowed to go out for any reason. “Any delegate that enters the arena must be identified by his party membership card, and extra statutory identity like International Passport,

Driver’s Licence and National ID Card. “Such delegates must be identified with the list given to us by the National Secretariat.

All accreditation must be completed for delegates from all the senatorial zones before voting starts. “Voting will be done once at a time and it will start with delegates from Ekiti South, the farthest, then to Ekiti North and Ekiti Central, the closest. “After identification, delegates will be given ballot paper and they will submit their delegates tag for punching and they will also submit the ropes of their tags. “Cubicle for voting area are ready for delegates and delegates will go in and cast their votes. One outlet will be dedicated for voters and no voter will be allowed back into the hall once he votes. “At the end of the voting, there will be sorting to be followed by counting.�

He also noted that the panel won’t allow any aspirant or delegate that wears branded materials to the venue of the primary.

Responding to a question, Al-Makura stressed that some

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agents that were barred for their involvement in the fracas that broke out in the botched primary would be arrested if

found in the vicinity of the primary.

Al-Makura disclosed that some of the hoodlums arrested

for disrupting the primary were already being prosecuted in court.

He sought for the coop-

eration of all stakeholders to ensure a successful primary, saying the panel would be fair to all.

Diamond Bank Reports N203.3bn Gross Income in 2017 FGVows to Investigate, Prosecute Killers of Nigerian Diplomat in Sudan Alex EnumahinAbuja

The Federal government has assured that it would do everything possible to bring to justice, those behind the killing of a Nigerian diplomat, Habibu Almu in Khartoum, Sudan.

Almu, whose death has been confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, was reportedly killed in his official quarters on Thursday 10th May, 2018.

In a statement by the Spokesperson of the ministry, Dr.Tope EliasFatile, the government described the death of the Immigration AttachĂŠ I, as sad and a great loss to the country.

While sympathising with the family of the deceased, Elias-Fatile assured that FG was working with officials in Sudan to ensure that all those found culpable were brought to

justice. The statement read, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja has received an official report from our Mission in Khartoum, Sudan on the death of the Immigration AttachĂŠ I in the Mission, Mr. Habibu Almu, who was killed in his official quarters yesterday, Thursday 10th May, 2018.

"This, indeed, is sad news. The untimely death of the officer is certainly a great loss to our country.

"The Federal Government sympathises with the family members of the deceased on this unfortunate incident.

"Meanwhile, the Mission is working very closely with host authorities in their investigations and will do everything possible to ensure that those behind this dastardly act are made to face the full wrath of the law".

Results of the 2017 financial year released by Diamond Bank on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), shows mixed fortunes in key performance metrics. The report and accounts for the Bank’s operations for the 12 months of the business year obtained by our correspondent, show significant growth in gross earnings which rose by 9% year to year to N203.3 Billion due to increase in interest income for the 2017 financial year.

Commenting on the results, Chief Executive Officer, Uzoma Dozie said: “Diamond Bank made good progress in executing its technologyled retail banking strategy in 2017.

We increased our market share and drove scale through a combination of technology and expansion of our services across additional platforms. For instance, we made additional inroads to the unbanked and underbanked populations with the support of our international partners. In addition,

the rapid rollout of products and services for entrepreneurs, and small and medium business owners gained significant traction and is a trend that is set to continue. “The Bank’s net fees and commission were down by 1.3% year-on-year although impairment charges also trended downwards 0.3% year-on-year to N56.8 billion following continued efforts to improve the quality of the loan book, particularly in the Oil and Gas mid-stream sector. Operating costs of the Bank rose by 6.2% due to foreign exchange rate impact following the devaluation of the naira during the year. “At a macro level, the economic environment improved, albeit marginally. Against this backdrop and Nigeria’s broader positive fundamentals, we disposed of some non-core assets to optimise the use of our resources and focus on the significant potential of our domestic market. By taking this action, Diamond Bank is better

positioned to accelerate its growth, productivity and profitability in the short to medium term.�

The Bank recorded a decrease in profit before tax year-on-year because of higher operating expenses, although investments in technology are starting to drive operational efficiencies.

Total asset increased by two per cent, which was mostly driven by marginal improvements recorded in customer deposits.

Diamond Bank reviewed ownership of non-core assets to focus on the significant opportunities in Nigeria, particularly in retail banking. This led to the divestment from Diamond Bank business in West Africa, with that in United Kingdom set to follow.

To restore its technology-led retail banking strategy, the Bank successfully delivered new initiatives, by building additional ecosystems and the expansion of customer services across different platforms. These include the DreamVille platform – the first

Nigerian gamification portal for banking aimed at improving financial literacy and participation amongst youths. “Although more work is to be done, particularly in relation to our oil and gas exposure, overall the quality of the loan book has improved. This will remain a key area of focus over the next 12 months.

Looking ahead, I am optimistic that due to the actions we have taken as well as an improving economy, Diamond Bank will continue to make good progress and achieve greater profitability, concluded Uzoma’’ Observations on the floor of the Exchange, analysts and industry watchers opined that the Bank had been rightly positioned for accelerated growth in the next business years ahead, noting that with the strong retail strategy, digital infrastructure and focused management, the core fundamentals have continued to look up.

Uma Ukpai Laments FG’s Failure to Check PANDEV, Clark Insist on Full Insecurity, Doubts Anti-Corruption Fight Implementation of Amnesty Programme Okon Bassey in Uyo

Renowned International Evangelist, Rev. Uma Ukpai has bemoaned Federal Government inability to check insecurity in Nigerian and tasked the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to rise to the challenge and demonstrate sincerity in the fight against corruption, frequent attack and killing in some parts of the country.

Rev. Ukpai made the call while fielding questions from reporters in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital where he expressed worry that under the present administration cows were being valued over the life of human beings especially as Christians were killed almost on daily basis by suspected herdsmen.

“The frequent killing of Christians by people alleged to be herdsmen is like telling us that cows are now more valuable than Christians. “But I maintain that nobody is supposed to lose his life because of cows. It is painful that cows are now preferred over human beings in Nigeria. “But for Christians, the solution is for all Believers in the country to give up their dinner for 200 nights and pray for God to fight for them and it will work. Let us ask God to fight for us and He will,� Ukpai said.

Ukpai who is the Founder of the 48 years old Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association regretted that most Christians in the country

remained ignorant of God’s abilities through prayer and also doubt the capacity and anointing of men of God saying that “though we are equal in fellowship but we are not equal in anointing�.

Ukpai also described as unfortunate excuses by government at all levels in Nigeria on why they had been unable to meet up with the challenges of the masses.

According to him, “a man of excuse is a man of failure and as long as the government cannot take care of our challenges then there is no future for the country.�

He said Nigerians should not expect anything good from the general elections next year because “the incoming leaders will still be corrupt because the entire system is corrupt.

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEV) yesterday said that for the country to achieve lasting peace in the Niger Delta region, amnesty programme must be pursued seriously with vigour.

The group also expressed support for any effort that would lead to the restructuring of the country.

The Group made the declarations when its new elected national executive members paid a courtesy visit to prominent Ijaw leader and elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, in his Abuja residence.

Chairman of the group and former military governor of Akwa Ibom State, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga(Rtd.) explained that

PANDEF’s visit was specifically to thank the elder statesman for his contributions in the emancipation of the people of Niger-Delta and also for the new executive to seek his fatherly blessings and advise on how the new leadership of PANDEF could approach its mandate.

The PANDEF Chairman stated that what the new leadership of the organisation would do was to build on the template that Pa Clark and other foundation leaders of PANDEF had already set. He maintained that the infrastructural and economic development of the region, youth empowerment and peace building in the Niger-Delta, would be the cardinal focus of the new leadership of PANDEF.

Nkanga added that the group, would, at all times, seek to collaborate with the leaders, the youth of the zone as well as the government in the actualisation of its mandate.

While responding to the address of the PANDEF chairman, Clark decried the inability of the federal government to implement the 16-point agenda presented to it by the Niger-Delta leaders, including the relocation of the operational headquarters of the oil companies to Niger-Delta.

Clark also gave his backing on the restructuring of Nigeria, where equality of citizenship, equal development of all areas and where power would shift to the states or regions.

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ÍšÍşËœ ͺ͸͚΀˞ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

COMMENTARY

COMPETITIVENESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION The universities must bestir themselves to lead the way to a new beginning, writes Anya O. Anya

L

et me to start with an Igbo proverb made popular by our compatriot, late Chinua Achebe. The proverb suggests that since we cannot climb the Iroko tree every day, when we do, we must collect enough ďŹ rewood to last us a life time. Permit me therefore, to draw attention in passing to the issues of relevance, competitiveness and values in Nigerian higher education.

Relevance of the universities suggests two dimensions of functionality: the university’s relevance in training and moulding the higher levels of human capacity that a functional society demands in terms of knowledge, professionalism and creativity.

Additionally, it relates to the university’s relevance in defining the ethos and moral architecture of the society as defined through the value system. The latter dimension is why some inveigh that the university is the conscience of the nation.

Indeed we confirm this truism when at each convocation we remind the graduating students that “these are the ones we have found worthy in character and learning.� Note that character comes before learning! This normative aspect of the mission of the university is the foundation on which enduring leadership within a society is laid and subsists from generation to generation.

On the issue of values, we must remind ourselves of the nature of man as a basis for understanding what the ethical and moral challenge before the universities are. Philosophers, ethicists and social psychologists have reminded us that a child as a natural being has the tendency to do wrong given the chance and will continue to do so unless corrected for his failures. As one moral philosopher was noted: “Man may be selfish, sinful and indifferent to the truth‌ But could take the easy path of existence. During severe crisis, the best of man’s nature reveals itself in all its glory and brilliance‌ The corruption of a man’s nature does not compel him to follow evil because God has supernaturally restored a measure of freewill within every man. Man as a being of God has the liberty to choose good or evil. An individual is therefore responsible for his actions not only to his fellow men but also to his creator.â€?

Hence our universities must endeavour to impact a code of ethics and moral values hence the need for values’ education in our curriculum. According to some educators, it is the responsibility of

WE NEED TO FACE THE ISSUE OF THE NEEDS OF OUR UNIVERSITIES AS A MATTER OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY IF WE ARE SERIOUS AS A NATION READY TO TACKLE THE ISSUES OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND NATIONAL INTEGRATION

the universities to clarify, analyse and inculcate those values that we consider vital to a functional society through action learning and the drive for holistic moral development. In our particular circumstance, the overarching ethical issues must include integrity, diversity, civic responsibility and social justice.

With regard to competitiveness, that can only be measured against the standing of our universities in the international environment in terms of the standing of the university as an institution and its practitioners as individual teachers and researchers. The lack of understanding and appreciation on the issue of competitiveness has been responsible for the underfunding, under-equipment and ill provision of the Nigerian university as a matter of historical fact.

I graduated from the University College, Ibadan in 1961 and taught in Nigerian universities for 37 years (1965-2002), 29 of those years as a full professor. As incredible as it sounds, in all those years either as a teacher or examiner did I see the provision of facilities that compared with what I was exposed to more than 60 years ago. Consequently, we need to face the issue of the needs of our universities as a matter of national emergency if we are serious as a nation ready to tackle the issues of national development and national integration.

Presently, our dear country faces a multitude of challenges such as has never been faced before even with the civil war. This nation has never been as divided as it is today. The flood of blood continues to flow in all areas of this nation - from herdsmen, armed robbers, ritualists besides the Boko Haram, the militants in the Niger Delta and the separatists in the South East and other parts of this country. On the political front, we have the clarion call for restructuring which we can only ignore at our peril.

These are times that demand statesmanship of an uncommon pedigree. We cannot afford to continue to wallow in our common bond of victimhood. The universities as the vanguard of the new Nigeria must bestir themselves to lead the way to a new beginning.

Old palliatives have failed. Herein again Lagos State has pointed the way to what is possible.

Professor Anya, FAS, OFR, is a former chairman, Nigerian Academy of Science and Governing Board, Nigerian National Merit Award

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT FOR POSITIVE PERCEPTION Akintola Benson–Oke writes that civil servants can communicate government actions perceptively with the creative use of data

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here is a school of thought in political science that posits that there are three key parameters that confer legitimacy on governments. In an article titled,“The Three Keys to Government Legitimacyâ€? by Amanda Greene, a lecturer in Political Philosophy at the University College, London, the question of how governments can secure their legitimacies and translate secured legitimacies into tangible beneďŹ ts for the citizenry was addressed.

According to her, the proposition that the “popular support that translates into legitimacy has to enable government to deliver beneďŹ ts to all implies that citizens’ support for government has to be more concrete than some vaguely positive feelings.â€? In order to go beyond the ‘vaguely positive feelings,’ she argued that there must be positive perceptions of government along three distinct dimensions.

The first dimension identified is the dimension of competence. According to her, and I agree, “government must be seen as capable and effective in carrying out its activities.� The second is the dimension of fairness and the proposition is that “government must be seen as treating all people equally and impartially, without favouritism or discrimination.� Finally, she identified the third dimension as “the dimension of human concern and personal connectedness: government must be seen to be sincerely caring about each person’s welfare. Only when the government is seen as competent, fair, and caring does it have the kind of support that amounts to legitimacy.�

Further buttressing the point, Ms. Greene said, “These three dimensions – competence, fairness, and caring – are all necessary, because a lack of any one of them is enough to weaken legitimacy. For instance, if the government is perceived as unfair, then its legitimacy is reduced even if it is otherwise seen as being competent and caring.� Indeed, it is difficult to argue or disagree with the postulations above and the reason why I have gone to some length to identify these parameters is so that I may point out what the objectives of information management by civil servants in Lagos State ought to be.

Information has been described as the fuel of government. This description was given by Katie Burke, the Government Programme Specialist at Laserfiche. In a recent article, she noted that, “For some industries, information is a means to an end.

Business assets like friendly customer service and attractive inventory can overshadow information as the real ‘moneymakers’ of the enterprise. But

when it comes to government, information—and the systems that manage it—take a front seat.� She then proceeded to explain why government entities should treat information as a valued asset.

I wholeheartedly agree with the reasoning and statement above. One may suppose that what sustains a government and, in fact, a system of government, is the will of the people. That may be true. But what influences the will of the people is information and the way it is managed. This is why every responsible government will place premium on the establishment, maintenance, and sustenance of a modern, robust, effective and scalable information management system.

The responsibility for all these falls on the civil service, of course. In most democracies, the civil service represents the ‘permanent government’ that must be equipped to adequately advise the government of the day, implement government programmes, and effectively communicate the reasoning behind government-sanctioned programmes to the citizens. The net effect is that, if civil servants are well-equipped to discharge these tasks, the programmes of government will be positively perceived by the populace and will thus receive the needed support for success.

The Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration is, of course, unrepentant and unapologetic in its dogged belief in the all-important role of the civil service as outlined above. This is what informs the many varied and in-depth trainings that have been delivered to all cadres of the Lagos State Civil Service since the assumption of office in 2015. The training continues in that laudable tradition with a focus on how the Lagos State Civil Service can be better equipped to accurately, effectively, and positively communicate government decisions, actions, and programmes to the citizens of Lagos State and the world at large.

I will briefly highlight three of the strategies for formulating and implementing world-class information management systems that will result in the positive perception of government programmes. This is because the bottom line is that governments must find ways of operating that enable citizens to see them as competent, fair, and caring. But while it is admittedly harder than ever to secure all of these positive perceptions at once, a systematic approach can be fashioned out and executed to ensure that the details of governmental actions are communicated in the most accurate and positive manner possible. I now turn to a

consideration of three of such suggested systematic approaches and strategies.

In an article titled, Government by Design, Diana Farrell and Andrew Goodman of McKinsey & Co. argued that one of the strategies for improving government perceived performance is by becoming better at collecting and analysing relevant data.

According to them, “Governments must decide what to measure and how, always with an eye on the overall goal of the programme or initiative�.

The authors of the article then proceeded to cite the examples of strategies employed in France and Moscow to improve the perception of government performance.

With respect to the French example, they wrote that, “One of the goals of a government-wide transformation effort in France between 2009 and 2012 was to reduce the perceived complexity of dealing with the government. As part of this initiative, the government identified 50 life events—such as getting married or starting a business—during which citizens have to interact with public agencies.

It then sought to simplify each of these interactions, all the while measuring citizen satisfaction to track whether the changes were actually working.�

Respecting the cited Moscow example, the authors explained that, “as part of a broader open government initiative, the city of Moscow is beginning to publish a dashboard of around 50 key performance indicators relating to the city’s health, education, safety, business conditions, and transportation outcomes. The dashboard acts as a scorecard for citizens, showing the city’s performance against these metrics.�

From the examples referred to above, one begins to see how civil servants can creatively utilise data to generate ideas and communicate government actions and performances in order to ensure positive perception (or, in the least, accurate perception) of government by the citizens. I therefore challenge the Lagos State Civil Service to come up with data-backed and data-inspired ideas that will rival the examples of France and Moscow cited in the article referenced above.

Another advocated strategy for ensuring positive perception is to innovate to make government services more customer-centric. This is one of the subjects that have been previously explored in the training organised by the Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions. In the article by McKinsey & Co. earlier referenced, the point was made that, “the private sector’s responsiveness to

customer demands has led to heightened public expectations of government. Because people can do their banking and shopping online, for example, they expect to be able to conclude transactions with government agencies with similar ease and speed as well.�

I am glad to note that this is one area that has captured the interest of the Governor Ambode’s administration. In fact, in his inaugural address on May 29, 2015, Governor Ambode said, “moving forward, the civil service will be strengthened and made to respond to the needs of all citizens in the same manner quality services are rendered in the private sector.� And, true to that promise, stakeholders are beginning to notice and appreciate the investments made to build and deepen capacity in the Lagos State Civil Service. From citizens to donor agencies, and from civil societies to the media, objective evaluations testify to a Lagos State Public Service that is better motivated, better focused, and better equipped to confront the challenges of modern governance and administration in an emerging, dynamic and rapidly-growing global city.

In a recent publication, PwC, United States, asked and answered a germane question as follows: “What does a customer-centered organisation look like? It’s an organisation that considers the customer in everything it does, from procurement to deployment to the entire customer experience. It also speaks to its customers in their own language and makes it easy for them to align their goals with the mission at hand.�

Going further, the publication noted that, “Many government agency executives have important messages to deliver, and the success of their communications is crucial to the agency’s success. Senior executives need to deliver effective mass communications to the agency employees, concerned citizens, and other stakeholders while maintaining impeccable standards that live up to the ever-increasing scrutiny of today’s communications environment. There are empirical methods that drive successful communications which agencies can seek out now.�

Furthermore, in making a case for a customercentred public service, Christopher Brown, an organisational coach, noted that “countless studies have documented the link between organisational culture and organisational performance.

Dr. Benson Oke is Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions

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͚ͺ Ëœ ͺ͸͚΀ Ëž THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

INSIGHT

A stitch in time...

Let’s Review Our Leadership Recruitment Template

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lumsy leadership selection or recruitment template is at the heart of the logjam we are in as a nation. The template cannot bring about meaningful development that has eluded us for years. In more ways than one, our wrong choice of political leadership across all levels of governance has stampeded our overall prosperity as a nation thereby making us a laughing stock before other nations. The success or otherwise of any society is largely determined by the calibre of individuals presiding over her affairs.

The truth is, given the array of cerebral minds and innovative people we parade as a country, we ought to have been competing with developed nations across the globe in terms of macro and micro-economic developments. We keep making the mistake of allowing characters who are ill-prepared and lack basic leadership attributes to manage our affairs. Everything is wrong with our current leadership recruitment template. Under this arrangement, it is easier for dubious characters to emerge victorious during elections. The way forward is to alter it.

In fairness, Nigeria is home to Africa’s brightest, hardworking and gifted people. A typical Nigerian has what it takes to survive and overcome any challenge. This is simply why we are often called the most resilient people on earth. Ironically, with these sterling attributes, we are far from getting it right in terms of leadership selection. We hardly pick the best among us to preside over our affairs. Instead, we queue behind people who are bereft of ideas and lack what it takes to bring about meaningful development that we so desire.

For obvious reasons, political leadership decides the fate of any society. This is why it is argued that political power supersedes economic power in any democratic set-up. With this in mind, it behoves us to show more interest in who we present as leaders across all levels. Political leadership is too important a matter to be ignored. The power to hire and fire our elected representatives rests with us.

In our choice of leaders, the sterling attributes of integrity, competence, capability, patriotism, honesty and transparency should guide us. Any aspiring leader who lacks the above attributes isn’t fit for leadership position yet. Also important in this regards is an aspiring leader’s antecedents. We must interrogate and probe the intentions of any aspiring leader. In doing this, our focus should be on his or her brain power, antecedents, managerial skills and mind-power of such a person. We should equally be interested in such individual’s record of service in the past. The reworked template should de-emphasise money, certificates, connection and wealth as major requirements needed to aspire for public office.

It should reflect more on an individual’s proven

and tested competence. It should dwell more on a person’s capacity to deliver on goals and objectives.

Questions such as, what leadership position has he or she held before? Did he or she perform well or bad? What are his or her selling points? are very important. Whoever that aspires for leadership position must come prepared. Preparation here isn’t about having a huge financial war chest. It is about having the basic leadership skills that would drive development and bring about better life for the greater majority of our citizens.

It is our responsibility to put in place a leadership recruitment structure that would encourage the best among us to aspire for political offices. It is an aberration to have an incompetent and seedy character presides over our affairs in a place where we have avalanche of capable hands.

The truth is a faulty leadership recruitment process begets bad governance. Going forward, it is important that the electorate should always be vigilant to interrogate the process leading to the emergence of candidates such that dubious politicians who cannot be trusted are prevented from getting into public offices. 2019 is around the corner.

Abdullahi Yunusa, Lugbe, Abuja

Health, Corruption and MedicalTourism

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s you read this, health workers in the country have been on an indeďŹ nite strike for weeks. Their issue? In a nutshell, the government has refused to honour agreements entered into to better the lot of these health workers and the health sector at large.

According to statistics, there are roughly 35,000 practicing resident doctors in Nigeria (aside other health workers); with a population of 180 million people that translates to one doctor to 5,143 persons. The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) standard is 1:1000, which means that the Nigerian doctor is over burdened by extra 4,143 persons.

The problem is not even the number of resident doctors we have in the country, the blood cuddling problem is the issue of massive brain drain in the health sector. Each day there are doctors who leave this country or are planning to. The sector is no longer healthy for them as their welfare and safety is no longer guaranteed.

Funding and the judicious use of funds is a snag to the growth and development of the health sector. In spite of the funds budgeted for the State House Clinic, the wife of the President once said there were no drugs there! This is a scary reality.

Now if the State House Clinic whose budget is

T H E SAT U R DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN

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AIL: ďŹ rst name.surname@thisdaylive.com

more than that of any teaching hospital can suffer this fate, ordinary hospitals will just be a sorry case, a death trap.

The poor woman in Kaura Namoda stands the risk of losing her child to malaria, the poor farmer in Lokoja will probably go blind with river blindness, the helpless fisherman in Brass stands the risk of dying from fever all because they can’t access good and affordable health care on time.

One so-called leader somewhere on the evil food chain of corruption must have appropriated funds meant for primary health care centres to himself and his cronies leaving the poor masses at the mercy of the elements.

As a direct fallout of the dilapidated and almost comatose health sector, there has been a massive brain drain, an unfortunate but booming medical tourism industry and sadly, needless deaths of Nigerians occasioned by this ugly reality that we live in, a reality that we as a people have resigned to. Isn’t it particularly embarrassing that the number one citizen of our nation has become a regular customer of this booming medical tourism business? Isn’t it sad that our political leaders (both appointed and elected) and the elites are the one fuelling this raging inferno of a business? Having superintended on the common patrimony of Nigerians for years, overseeing all sectors especially health, they still don’t patronise our health centres.

They ran the health sector aground through misappropriation, embezzlement and outright stealing of funds meant for this sector. The truth is they don’t care; public office to them is a means to dip their hands into the till and help themselves with monies not theirs. As far as the have access to foreign medical care, the Nigerian health sector can burn to ashes.

These crops of leaders are not fit to continue holding public offices. They have shown their utmost disdain for the health of the common man on the street. They should be shown the way out. Yes they should. It’s a battle for the soul of this nation and the youths can’t fight these battles with folded arms. We have to arm ourselves with our PVCs, identify the right candidates that can be held accountable for every action and then vote for them to bring about the desired nation we have always dreamt about. The power is in our hands, let’s use it.

Prince David Adetunji Adeyeye, Young Progressive Party, AMAC/Bwari Fed Constituency

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 12, 2018

SUPER SATURDAY How Clarence Peters Made My Latest Single Spectacular

FRANCIS ATELA

Benue State isn’t short of music talents. Celebrated singers like Tuface Idibia have distinguished themselves.

The new kid on the block, Francis Atela, also known as A ‘ tela’ is a fresh talent from the state –who displayed his talents at the age of 14. Currently signed on Squeeze Records, he has released hit singles such as ‘Ojuju Calabar’ and ‘My Life’. He recently released a single titled, J‘ ankara’. In this interview with Azuka Ogujiuba, Atela talks about his latest single, life and his gaze at stardom My Latest Single, Jankara, Is Product of My Childhood

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ell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Francis Atela, I was born in Jos and I’m a native of Benue State. I grew up in the barracks as my dad was a police officer. Growing up was very adventurous.

Growing up in the barracks meant I got to meet different children from all over Nigeria and this was really interesting because I learnt new things every day. I was a very curious boy and this got me into trouble with my mum a lot.

Could you tell us some interesting never before heard about you?

I like dogs because of their unflinching loyalty and how they remind me of happiness, playfulness and simplicity. I also have a thing for power bikes as I love the feel of the open roads, the adventure it brings and the feel of freedom thereafter.

How did you develop interest in music; was it a career path you had planned?

I joined the church choir at the age of 14 which is probably what made me realise I was interested in music. It helped me develop and train my voice. So I would say, yes! I did choose this career path, because I knew music was the direction I wanted to go in after joining the choir.

Did your experiences in life or background shape your music?

Yes. I believe my music tells a story of my culture and my childhood. I am all for happiness and I try to make people happy through my music. We all have our struggles and some sort of pain that we have been through or currently going through. I make music that can take people of this zone and from the daily struggles they face.

Which of your songs best describe you and why?

I think ‘My Life’ best describes me. Listening to the lyrics sometimes gives me hope when I’m feeling down and also keeps me positive: ‘It’s getting better, my world is changing. I am not alone, Oluwa bless me....’

Things have really changed in my life and I know the sky isn’t the limit for me. Clarence (Peters) also shot the video and the feedback from the song was out of this world. It is definitely a song you should listen to for encouragement.

Atela

What was the inspiration behind the single ‘Jankara’?

‘Jankara’ is a result of my childhood. There was this game we used to play called ‘Jankara market’. At the barracks at night, we would all gather and play games like ‘Ten-ten, tinko tinko and Jankara market’. Jankara market was my favourite game – once I started playing this game, I did not care about anything but my happiness. I relate this to life now that I have grown up. In this world there is so much to worry about: we tend to forget about all the good things life has to offer.

Hence, the beginning of the song: ‘Life no be a serious something still no be a play something.’ This song is all about having fun and encouraging my fans to have fun

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž Y 12, 2018

15

SUPERSATURDAY I TOOK A RISK STARTING NEW GENRE OF MUSIC IN NIGERIA

I believe my music tells a story of my culture and my childhood. I am all for happiness and I try to make people happy through my music. We all have our struggles and some sort of pain that we have been through or currently going through. I make music that can take people of this zone and from the daily struggles they ey y face ce

even whilst carrying out their day-to-day activi-ties. We have to stay happy. I get my inspiration from anything and anywhere. I just think about things that I love or things on my mind. Generally, ly, I get inspiration from everyday life and this makes kes it easy for me to come up with music.

As an upcoming artiste, what challenges have you encountered?

Being an upcoming artiste is very tough. But I love the challenges that brings because its’ all part of the process. I know that nothing comes easy. The Nigerian industry doesn’t allow much variety in music. If we look at rap for instance, itt has been a struggle for many rap artistes to stay relevant in the industry. So for me, delving into this completely different genre – Afro-pop with a d country vibe which is not necessarily recognised all over Nigeria – was a risk. I wasn’t sure if people would like it. Nevertheless, I do not aln low these challenges define or limit me. I remain focused on perfecting my craft and growing my brand. I also have an amazing team, Squeeze Records, which is a very structured record label.

They have processes in place that make it easy for me to focus on being an artiste while they focus on everything else which is really helpful.

Tell us about your ďŹ rst stage performance.

My first performance on stage was scary. I didn’t know what people would think. There were so many thoughts going through my mind:: reamwould they like my music? Would they all be screamh h ing ‘boo’? Even though I grew up singing in the church choir and performing in front of people, this was a completely different experience. It turned out all my fears were just in my head and the audience really loved my music.

What is your most unforgettable moment so far?

My most unforgettable moment in regards to my career is the day I got signed to my record label, Squeeze Records. I was very happy due to the circumstances under which I got signed. They discovered me at an event in IOS at Alliance France. I will never forget that day.

Tell us about people you have worked with,

who’s been your favourite so far?

I have worked with a lot of producers and directors, from Dj Coblam, T-Spice, (Clarence) Peters who produced my latest single, Jankara, and Unlimited LA, who shot my first video and some others.

Who would you like to work with in the future and why?

I am definitely looking into a lot of collaborations this year. But the one person I would love to collaborate with is Chris Brown. It has always been my dream to collaborate with him. His talent is incredible.

What do you do when you’re not making music?

If I am not making music, I’m doing something

related. I do a lot of training with my team – working on my sound and my voice. Everything I do really revolves around my music and growing my brand.

Is there anyone special in your life right now?

Yes, of course, my mother. She’s amazing and has always been a great supporter of my work. Her encouragement and prayers keep me going.

Lastly, what should your fans look forward to this year?

A lot of exciting stuff; I am working on many music projects – some of which include collaborations. I cannot wait to show the world what I have in store.

MymostUnforgettableCareerMoment is Day I Signed on Squeeze Records

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍşËœ ͺ͸͚͜

Obaseki Proposes Livelihood Sustainability for Oil Communities

REPORT CARD ...

L-R; Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Hakeem Fahm (middle); Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan (right) and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr. Kayode Ogunnubi during the Y2018 ministerial briefing as part of activities to mark the third Year in Office of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, on Friday, May 11, 2018.

Abuja Overtakes Lagos in Foreign Capital Inows UK, US, S’Africa and Ghana top list of countries of origin Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja has become the leading recipient of foreign capital inflows, commencing from the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2017.

In the first quarter (Q1) 2018, the nation's capital also overtook with an inflow of $3.54 billion, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), has revealed in its 'Capital Importation (Q1)' report, which has just been released.

This indicates an increase of 32.24 per cent from the figure recorded in the previous quarter, when it reported $2.68 billion.

At the same time, capital impor-

tation to Lagos increased marginally by 4.59 per cent from $2.55 billion in the last quarter to $2.67 billion in Q1, 2018, while Capital Importation to Akwa Ibom was $43.62 million, which is a decline of 65.05 per cent from the figure reported last quarter ($124.85 million).

In contrast, Ogun, Bauchi, and Kano States witnessed strong growth in foreign capital inflow in the first quarter, each recording respective growth rates of 182.06 per cent, 370.59 per cent, and 154.84 per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis.

The NBS also revealed in its just-released ‘Nigerian Capital Importation (Q1 2018)’ report that the total value of capital imported

into the country in the first three months (first quarter) of 2018 stood at $6,303.63 million, representing a 594 per cent increase (year- on–year) from $908.3 million in Q1 2017.

According to the agency, the first quarter in 2018 saw a continuous growth in total capital importation into the country, the fourth consecutive quarterly increase since the second quarter (Q2) 2017.

A breakdown of the Nigerian capital importation by country of origin showed that the United Kingdom (UK) kept its leading role in capital investment in Nigeria in the first quarter of 2018, with $2.25 billion capital invested in the country.

This inflow accounted for 35.73 per cent of the total of capital inflow in Q1,2018, it was also a 39.89 per cent increase from the previous quarter and a growth of 644.55 per cent over the corresponding period of last year.

As well as the existence of a historical relationship between the UK and Nigeria, London (its capital) is also a principal financial centre, which explains the high value of foreign capital from the UK. Since 2010, the UK has accounted for the highest value of capital importation in all but two quarters (both in the second half of 2015).

Stakeholders Trade Accusations as Youths Launch Social Movement Imo APC Secretariat is Torched Ahead of 2019 Elections Amby Uneze inOwerri

The raging war over who controls the structure of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State between Governor Rochas Okorocha and APC Stakeholders under the aegis of Alliance Forces of All Progressives Congress led by the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere has entered a dangerous bend as the party's secretariat has been set on fire.

This led to the stakeholders accusing each other as being responsible for the fire incident probably to cover some secrets even as the party conducts her local government congresses today.

The Governor, Rochas Okorocha through his chief press secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo said that the act was done by thugs "obviously working for the opponents of the administration and they had hidden under the heavy rain in Owerri at that time, to carry out the disdainful act".

It should be recalled that APC in Imo has remained a peaceful Party until the entry of those known for thuggery and carrying of ballot boxes into the Party.

Their frustration must have arisen from their inability to convince leaders of APC and Nigerians in

general that they didn’t steal the Sensitive materials meant for the Ward Congresses of the Party in the State last Saturday, being May 5, 2018.

According to Government House sources, the fire incident may not be unconnected with tomorrow’s APC local government area congress, which Governor has vowed to stop following his woeful failure in seizing the party structure in the last ward congresses.

Corroborating our source’s revelation, one Nwadike Chikezie who is a social media aide to Governor Okorocha’s son-in-law, Hon. Uche Nwosu, the Chief of Staff, government house cited his facebook account name, Nwadike Chikezie at about 10 am that “Imo State Youths insist on ward Congress before LGAcongress.�

Again shortly after bringing the fire under control by the men of the fire service, Nwadike Chikezie again at about 5 pm, wrote on his wall: “Breaking News: Having failed in their bid to force the National Leadership of the Party, APC to admit that there was Congress in Imo State whereas nothing of such happened, they have resorted to violence and has set APC State Party Secretariat on fire.

Vanessa Obioha

A group of youths from different parts of the country recently launched a social movement to sensitise the public to vote in the upcoming elections.

Known as #voteorshutup2019, the movement kicked off this week with the youths storming the streets of Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Maryland simultaneously to hand out thousands of free voters’ guide booklets and to educate the people on the importance of obtaining their PVC and participating in the upcoming elections.

A representative of the movement, Mr Osazee Bazuaye, a hospitality and lifestyle specialist said that the initiative was specifically for young persons to exercise their voting rights.

"It is easy for young people to complain. So many young people don't bother to vote but they love to complain about the elected officials, we want people to come out and vote, we don't care who you vote for, just vote," they said.

The movement started

silently early this year and has seen a gradual growth in interest. Young entrepreneurs like Moe of "Events By Moe" has become active participant in the movement.

"We want the politicians to acknowledge the efforts of groups like us. This is something we are passionate about and we are not even politicians. So we expect the passion from the politicians to be 100 times more than ours in getting young people interested in supporting them," they said In recent times, the Nigerian youths have been berated for complacence in political matters. Politicians and business moguls have argued that Nigerian youths are the most under-utilised. Hence, the group views its efforts as an independent contribution by Nigerian youths for Nigerian youths as a bid to support each other in getting involved in their country's politics.

They leverage on social media tools to discuss the economy situation and spread positive knowledge on voting rights.

The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has decried the poor state of affairs in oil producing communities and has proposed a Livelihood Sustainability Programme to address the developmental gaps in the communities.

He made the proposition on Friday, in Benin City, while receiving members of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), who are in the state to meet with stakeholders in oil producing communities to assess the impact of oil exploration in the communities.

Obaseki described the visit as timely, as the state was working on a bill that would deal with issues that affect oil producing communities in the state.

He said the state was also embarking on an enumeration exercise to ascertain the impact of oil exploration activities on oil producing communities.

"We want to have a tripartite arrangement involving communities, the state government and oil companies so that the situation

in which host communities are abandoned will no longer exist.

We want to have a livelihood sustainability programme in the communities,� he stressed.

The governor added that, "The enumeration will involve a baseline study and an action plan that will guide the proper implementation of the tripartite arrangement."

He told his guests that the state was planning to utilise the energy sourced from some of the communities to power companies that will be located in the state.

Earlier, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Tayo Alasoadura, said the visit was to allow oil producing communities in the state make input in the three petroleum-related bills in the National Assembly.

"We are propagating three bills on oil exploration and the third bill is the Host Community Bill which is the most important because it is the oil-bearing community that gets degraded in the long-run.

"So we want inputs from the committee before we hold the public hearing in Abuja later in the year," he said.

Unemployment: Lease Expert Calls for Government Attention to Sector Chiemelie Ezeobi

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, First Choice Leasing Limited, Mr. Michael Diji, has called in governments at all levels to pay attention to the leasing sector as a panacea for unemployment.

Diji made this call while receiving his award of Integrity in Leasing Business by the 2018 African Integrity Prize, a brain child of the foremost regional African Child Foundation, held in Lagos.

According to organisers, he was awarded alongside others for having done the most or the best work for fraternity between communities, maintaining integrity in field of Endeavour and promotion of peace in a collaborative effort.

They were commended for serving as an exemplary role model to young people in Africa, taking an effective and vigorous leadership role in the community, making significant contributions in their specific fields of endeavor and displaying exceptional character.

By this honour, the laureate, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Michael Diji, will be listed into the United Nations Volunteers for Peace in Africa (UNVPA) and rated under this category among African Union (AU) members.

While commending the organisers, Diji said it was a fulfilling experience for him and his company with the honour which cements his 10 years in leasing business.

He said, "Its a fulfilling experience because at First Choice, we are customer-centered as we believe in satisfying our teeming customers and our efforts are paying off.

"We got incorporated in October 2010 and for our individual or corporate clients we offer car rental services, trainings, recruitment, all forms of financial consulting services, equipment leasing services, LPO Finance, Fleet Management, financial consultancy services and Delinquent Facility Management Services."

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as EFIOK ABASI N. EKANEM now wish to be known and addressed as DAVID EFIOK ABASI EKANEM. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as AMUDO ANTHONY now wish to be known and addressed as AIMUDO ANTHONY OFEMDU. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as CHUCKWUKA MEGA NELSON now wish to be known and addressed as WEWEH NELSON. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note I, formerly known and addressed as BILIKISU TEMITOPE MOGAJI now wish to be known and addressed as TEMITOPE IYABODE KASALI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note I, formerly known and addressed as MISS EMACHI UKAMAKA PATIENCE now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OBODO UKAMAKA PATIENCE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS AMOS MARY EYEN now wish to be known and addressed as MRS MARY UKO ETUK. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note I, formerly known and addressed as MISS OJEGBA ELOHOR JULIET now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ANOMUOGHANRAN ELOHOR JULIET. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note I, formerly known and addressed as MISS NWACHUKWU EYITOLUWASE TEMITOPE now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. GBADEBO EYITOLUWASE TEMITOPE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

Plus

LOUD WHISPERS AUTO GLOBAL SOCCER INTERVIEW FAIRGROUND FASHION FILE

pg. 20 pg. 26 pg. 29 pg. 34 pg. 36 pg. 43

Ayo Ajekigbe The Joy of Moving My Music from 4-Piece Ensemble to 36-Piece Band

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 12, 2018

PLUS

How a Woman ‘Sprayed’ Cash at My Groin on Stage Humility, focus and discipline stand him out – so does his band’s signature attire and style with trend-setting sparkling white cloths matched with abeti aja caps. His innovation re-defined fashion for live musicians on stage.

Going through that career path, however, came with stiff opposition and stern warning from his father who doubled as his mentor and cheerleader: he was warned to avoid ending up a womaniser and polygamist. Today, he’s fulfilled that. What started like a dream has become a reality.

Rated one of top five live band leaders in Nigeria, Ayo Ajekigbe, the managing director of Peace Band, speaks with Adedayo Adejobi about his life, dream, passion, father, wife, and how a certain former governor of Lagos State ruined his dream of becoming a medical doctor.

But the beat goes on

S

haring nostalgic experiences that have shaped his life and how he felt about his father and mother, he said, “Initially, I thought they were not my real parents.

But I later realised they were training me in the right path.

Attending rehearsals for the Fanti carnival in Lagos during Easter period helped me blend my secular and gospel music.

My dad allowed us mix with others.

During our days, we cherished ourselves and valued relationships. I could go to my friend’s house to play, eat and gist but things have changed. Parents have become protective of their wards. Besides, the economy was tough but better. The children of nowadays are digital children.

Digital side of life has given children an edge over us.’’

How Lateef Jakande curtailed my dream to be a doctor His dream to become a medical doctor, he claimed, was truncated by one government policy. Being a brilliant student who topped his class, he was his teacher’s delight as he clinched prizes and awards in school for outstanding performances.

The heavy blow was dealt him and his father, who was heartbroken. In an emotion-laden voice, he said: “Growing up, I’ve been receiving gifts in the school.

My sisters always wanted to go to our prize-giving day programme because they know I would make them shine. There was a year I collected eight prizes out of 12 subjects. As a child I was one of the best students. I also received several awards for the best tenor singer and overall chorister of the years. Since my school days, I’ve been an award recipient. So, I wanted to be a medical doctor because my dad was a nurse. I loved to see him treat patients, so I had nurtured the dream to be like my dad. But unfortunately, in my own period we were cheated. Even if you were the best in your primary school, for which I was, they would take you to the same secondary school. My period was during the Lateef Jakande era. So, if you had to go to school, you couldn’t go to a school more than 10 kilometres from your house. My dad was not comfortable because I was the best in my primary

school. Unfortunately they didn’t allow us do any exams like they do today in all the unity schools. It was compulsory to move to the nearest secondary school from your primary school and that in a great deal truncated my ambition to become a medical doctor. Back then, the nearest secondary school didn’t have a laboratory, so we had to be taken to another school for our biology, physics and chemistry practical classes. In Form Four, we were advised to move to Art class due to lack of laboratories.’’

Unveiling the music minstrel With a forced shift in career path, and growing interest in music, all his peers wanted to be like Michael Jackson, and so he practised the artiste’s ‘moonwalk’ steps in school. He also fell in love with King Sunny Ade, late Biggie Wright and Swing Paw-paw. Ayo Ajekigbe is the band leader and Chief Executive Officer of Faith Music Band. In his late forties, he is married to Olapeju with three children. He began his music career in 1996 as the choir master of First Baptist Church Choir on Lagos Island. His sojourn into the business of music is best told by him: “I and Sunday Omotosho, started our love for music at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State. Along the line, he was contracted as one of the organists in the church, so I met him when I came back and we renewed our friendship. A few years after he called to tell me that we should start a musical group from the choir, this would perform classical and secular songs for those celebrating birthdays and other celebrations. We began a one-man-piece band. It grew to an eight-piece band. Today, the dream has blossomed into an 11-piece band on the stage performing. We’ve enjoyed God’s grace over the past years. It was like a dream when we started. It wasn’t easy because I was combining music with my regular job as an accountant.’’

In what would mark a watershed in his entry into full-time music, a member of the group opted out to form his band.

So, he was left with Omotosho and the percussionist. He then brought in a new member, Oye. But at that point, the onus had fallen on him to lead the band which he declined, apprehensive of how his late

Photos: Odukoya Aderemi

MAY 12, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

19

PLUS My Plan Is to Create for My Band an Outstanding Footprint on International Stage father would react to his choice of singing secular songs as opposed to singing gospel songs. But destiny came and he couldn’t but heed the call to follow what he’s been destined to do. From a humble four-piece band, he’s grown into a 36-piece band which performs three functions simultaneously at the same time.

Meanwhile, his late father had no clue he had formed a band with his friends and had started playing gigs.

Being a gold fish, he couldn’t hide for too long till his father found him performing live on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA’s) AM Express, a morning magazine television in the late 1990s.

On his return from the TV show, Ajekigbe narrated what ensued: “My father was a deacon in the church. As a deacon, there are some expectations from him and his children. I came back home and he called me.

He called me to ask if I wanted to pursue singing as a career and I told him I just wanted to back it up with my job. He then told me of countless musicians who have ended up being polygamous, warning that I should be careful of women. He didn’t discourage me from performing instead he encouraged me by giving me tips on how to succeed.

He knew music was my talent.

But he wasn’t comfortable with me being a musician. He felt my life is different from every other person’s life. He feared that I would join the league of musicians who womanised and ended up being polygamous.

I promised my father that I would not disappoint him.

God has helped me keep that promise. I thank God I was able to hold on to his words of advice.”

My music, innovation, the stage and craftsmanship Sharing his trade secret and the inspiration behind his one-of-a-kind white attire and the abeti-aja cap, he said: “The bands’ attire is an inspiration from God. We just decided to be unique because we noticed many bands didn’t really dress up in a unique way. Some wore different kinds of clothes on stage and even when they wore same clothes, you’ll notice they’re not uniform and lack colour, style and panache. In that regards, we decided to be unique on the stage. As you know, white represents purity, divinity and cleanliness. Initially, we started with a special Yorubastyled cap called gobi, and then noticed people copied it. We then changed our cap to abeti aja. That was how it became our trademark. It has stood us out and we’ve received loads of compliments from people. Because of our uniqueness, most bands now dress well. It’s one thing to have built ourselves to such a level but I know it could only have been God who has done it. Anyone coming into

faith music band must be able to sing and, or play musical instruments. I have been lucky and blessed to have skillful, diligent and dedicated band members.”

And they inspired me Watching Ayo Ajekigbe perform, it’s hard to pigeonhole him as he wafts through various genres of music, cutting across age and social standing. Where does he get his inspiration from? “Owing to my being raised on the Island, I emulated Biggie Wright -Wura Fadaka. I listened to and enjoyed his music growing up. He’s one of my music role models.

Unfortunately, he died some years ago. I also like Sunny Ade. My dad bought his records and I loved to watch him perform.

The other person who inspired me was Mr Bode Ogunde popularly known as Swing Pawpaw. He was like a brother to me. He started out in the First Baptist Church. He sang with us and I like his style of music. I also love Pa Ebenezer Obey’s music.”

When education meets music On talents, education and persistence, he said: “I know that I’m talented and thank God my father gave me education. When education meets talent and intelligence, a great music business thrives. All these work hand in hand for me.”

Escaping landmines of the music industry Just like anyone in the business of entertainment, money, women, drugs, and immorality are some challenges he faces.

Ajekigbe talks about how he’s been able to keep his head up. “There have been loads of temptations. There was a day I was performing, instead of this lady to ‘spray’ money on my head, she seductively ‘sprayed’ the cash below my belt. I was so embarrassed! After the performance, she invited me but I declined. This is just a few of the temptations we face. I get loads of suggestive and seductive gestures on stage. It’s been by God’s grace and contentment for me to remain standing.

I’ve been able to hold on strong through God –my dad’s advice and my wife’s support. Besides, I’m a Christian in the real sense of the word because I’ve accepted Jesus Christ as my lord and Saviour.”

How I thrive on my wife’s support When quizzed how his wife copes with his job, he was quick to say: “If I had started performing on stage fully before I met her maybe she wouldn’t have decided to marry me. She knew me as a chorister not a stage performer. I had to sit her down and convince her that I wouldn’t let her down as she was afraid.

But I promised her. And to date, she gives her full support and prays for me. Aside from God, she’s my pillar. For the fact that she also sings; she so understands.

She stepped down for me and has had to focus on her career, education and the children. To date, she composes songs for me. She’s so supportive.”

From choir festival with romance Sharing the romantic meeting which started with a spark at the Baptist Church choir festival and what makes his spouse special and unique, Ajekigbe said: “We’ve been in the Baptist Church choir for a while but in different branches.

We celebrate the choir festival yearly.

So that year, we were invited to perform in her church.

I was awestruck by her pristine beauty while she was collecting the offering.

After the programme, I approached her.

We soon became friends. It took me years to convince her as we courted for seven years.

We got married eventually and it has been a fruitful marriage.

My wife is my confidant. She’s so special.

During our courtship we quarrelled but I was strongly convinced she’s my wife. She’s a complete woman. She adds value to life of people around her. I married her when I was nobody but today I’m somebody.

She changed lots of things about me and made me a responsible man. I don’t regret marrying her.”

he were alive today, he’d be so proud of me. One thing I’m looking to do is to immortalise him.”

Where does Ajekigbe see himself in a couple of years to come and what does he think about how he’s rated in the music industry? He noted: “I always assess myself every quarter and every year. I can tell you faith music band has been moving from glory to glory by God’s grace. In the next Raising children five years, I see an outstanding band with And this is how he feels about raising footprints on the international stage. Last children: “One needs a load of commitment year, we were awarded the best live band and dedication to raise children these days. by the Events Planners Association and It hasn’t been easy but I thank God for his also rated by ThisDay newspaper as one of favour. Raising children is not about money the top five bands in Nigeria. The awards alone. My dad wasn’t so rich but we were are just stepping stones because we are not comfortable. Discipline starts from home. relenting on our laurels.”

Whatever one does, the children are watching and emulating. I think the hardest part of raising children is when they transcend If I had started performing to teenagers. They are exposed to so much evil at this stage of life. But with good on stage fully before I met moral and spiritual upbringing, they will her maybe she wouldn’t be guided. The joy of any parent is to see their children do well and excel in life.”

All work and play When he’s not working he rests on Mondays and rehearses with the band on Tuesdays. Wednesdays, he keeps tab on happenings in the office and his recording studio and record label. For him, work starts in full throttle from Thursday to Sunday. “I hardly have free time. But I create a two-week holiday for myself twice a year to vacation outside the country.”

Admiring men of history “I admire my dad – he was everything to me. He wanted to see the best in me. He ensured I lacked nothing. When I did well in school, he rewarded me accordingly. My dad worked hard so that his children could succeed. Unfortunately, he didn’t reap the fruit of his labour. I look back and want to be like the giver my dad was. He taught us to give without expecting a reward. At times I get emotional when talking business with some clients who can’t afford to pay my band’s fee but require my services. I feel their pulse.

My dad is my number one role model because he was a very good father. The second person I admire is the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. I was young then, but I like his vision.

When I read his history, I liked him.

As a child, my father compelled us to read newspapers.

The third person I admire is Gen. Murtala Muhammed.

Of all the three, I can’t compare anyone to my dad.

If

have decided to marry me.

She knew me as a chorister not a stage performer. I had to sit her down and convince her that I wouldn’t let her down as she was afraid. But I promised her. And to date, she gives her full support and prays for me. Aside from God, she’s my pillar.

For the fact that she also sings; she so understands. She stepped down for me and has had to focus on her career, education and the children.

To date, she composes songs for me

20

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 12, 2018

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

LOUD WHISPERS

Evans

Evans: Don’t Beat Him Well, he is still a suspect and since he has not yet been convicted of any of the crimes he is alleged to have committed, I will not yab him too much just yet. But if recent reports in the media are anything to go by, it is looking like he has started paying for his numerous sins - alleged or not. They say, he first refused to come down from the vehicle that brought him to court and when he got the opportunity to speak, he complained about maltreatment, lack of good food and of access to visitors. Well, you see life?

If what they said about how he treated his kidnap victims is anything to go by, I begin to wonder why he is complaining. After all, these things he is complaining about are just kids’ stuff compared to what we have heard.

Anyway, the laws are very clear on things like these. Everybody’s human rights including those of sadists must be protected at all times. They are not negotiable and must be accessible by all. So, my plea to the prison authorities is for Evans to be given a fair deal and that his rights as a human being must be protected no matter what. We, as a society, cannot bring ourselves down to his alleged bestial level. We must rise up. Thank you.

Davido and Chioma – It’s Happening This is really happening o! This young couple are burning up the spotlight not only with their romance but with the kind of money being bandied around as they go about in merrymaking. It was reported that for her birthday, the young musician, who cannot even dance well sef, bought for his flame a brand new car worth N45m and to my surprise, the girl collected it. She did not carry the car back to the dealer and ask them to give her the cash so that she can go and build family house in the village or even set up like 12 beauty parlors. While I was still wondering how I would start to yab them, they now announced that she has just refused an endorsement deal worth N60m and then the promoters now came back with a better offer for N100m. My people, I have been staring at this young lady’s picture for all of the last three days, trying to decipher some things about her. For the sake of national peace and cohesion, I will beg Nigerians to kindly assist me with some information about Chioma - who is her pastor or does she worship in a shrine and if so, location and the priest’s contact details? So

Davido

Mudi

Our Wives are Killing Us This is really getting alarming.

I have even heard that 40 per cent of domestic violence cases are against men. What has driven our women to this point where they have decided that the punishment for a simple altercation is instant death with the knife as a weapon of choice? When the Abuja one happened, some of us had called for an examination of our mental health policy framework.

For I still do not believe that any woman in her sane mind would brutally murder her husband and in most cases, the father of her children in cold blood and with such impunity.

The recent case of the lawyer who carved out her hubby’s insides, caught off his manhood

that me too can go and wash my head o. All these suffer I have suffered in Shomolu, the nearest endorsement deal I have got is the one from Yemi Shodimu’s Shobams Palm Wine and that comes with four crates of the sweet palm wine without the bottles.

He called me last night to ask that I

and placed it in his hands is to say the least scary. What would drive an otherwise very loving and beautiful madam into that state of frenzy? I think we have millions of people walking around with mental health issues and not just women.

Maybe the economic hardships leading to frustrations make people just to lose it and begin to stab and murder one another. The question now is how we remove the stigma in the society against mental health such that people can freely go and be checking themselves without fear just like the way we check for our BP? This way, we just might be able to stop this carnage. It is no longer a laughing matter.

return the bottles or I pay. You see my life, chiomaaaaaa oooooo, come save me.

MUDI – A Truly African Brand Last week, this supremely talented macho man opened his latest outlet on Rue de something boulevard in

Oyegun

Abidjan, Cote D’voire. We were there o. You know the kind of small perks you get when you now happen to be friends with these kinds of people.

He called me and asked for my passport number. He was sending me a ticket to be at the opening. That is how the Duke of Shomolu appeared in Abidjan. At the airport there was a mild commotion as the immigration people insisted on giving me special treatment by singling me out for a thorough search. All my protestation that I carry a diplomatic passport which looked like the yellow card they give you for vaccination fell on deaf ears. This people no listen o. They went about their business methodically and afterwards thanked me for cooperating with them. I thanked them too for showing me their unique hospitality and rushed to the opening.

The crème de la crème of the Ivorian society had all come out to honour Mudi. They snapped up his designs and continued to marvel at the distinct attention to detail he puts in all his creations. The Nigerian Ambassador was the distinguished guest who opened the store. Well, for me, the only problem there was the fact that the language barrier stopped any kind of Nigerian-Ivorian bilateral cooperation especially between me and the little Ivorian damsels; as such no communiqué was signed. So we just respected ourselves and flew back into Lagos very quietly. Well done and congrats my brother, but when are you opening one in Uyo? …That APC Thing They say APC did some kinds of exercises last weekend which were marred by a lot of things culminating in the reported killing of a candidate somewhere in the Niger Delta. Well, me I have really decided to keep quiet about these things ever since my lovely bird told me one cold night that my name had appeared on one security report. Well, my people I don’t know if she was joking or not, you do not take those things lightly these days. No be say, I dey fear o. But you know when you cut off an Ibibio man from afang and his bend-bend sleep you have killed him. So, that is why I am just looking at APC. Let them just continue with whatever it is that they are doing. I will just be looking at them. I will not say a word. It is their business. Let them just continue. There is god as mummy would say. Thank you.

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MAY 12, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

SPY GLASS

with BAYO ADEOYE .... 08054680651 email: bayoolunla@gmail.com

OLU OKEOWO CELEBRATES

LATE ARISEKOLA

UNTOLD STORY ABOUT LATE ARISEKOLA’S PROPERTIES Until he passed on, the late Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Azeez Alao Arisekola, was very wealthy and influential.

In his 20s, the Ibadan, Oyo State-born industrialist had established a chain of businesses under the Lister conglomerate, which cut across food production, real estate management, insurance, transport and publishing.

He was well loved by many people and musicians sang his praise to high heavens due to his magnanimity.

But as soon as the man of means and honour died in 2014, trouble began to rear its ugly head.

In particular, his properties, which were a big attraction then, began to suffer neglect. His most cherished mansion in his hometown, where he had played host to presidents, heads of state, governors, ministers as well as many prominent people, is now a shadow of itself.

“The expansive estate has lost its glory, as rodents have taken over the place. The building is not only dirty, but also in total disrepair,’’ a source disclosed.

Our source further disclosed that the reason for the abandonment of this expansive building and many others is not unconnected with the controversy that arose over his vast estate barely a year after he passed on. How? His will, which was certified by the Oyo State High Court in August 2013, was reportedly administered a couple of days after his burial last year by Dr. Oba Otudeko.

The properties were shared among his 32 children, three wives, three relations as well as some individuals.

Sources close to the family claimed that credit institutions that granted Arisekola funds are now literally at the neck of the family, owing to his inability to offset the debts before his demise.

As a result, the banks, Spy glass gathered, have concluded plans, following a court order, to confiscate most of the properties used as collaterals.

Although the majority of these properties have been inherited by children and families as stated in his will, it was gathered that the banks are set to take possession of them in order to offset the loans Arisekola had taken.

OLU OKEOWO

Olu Okeowo, a property merchant and philanthropist par excellence, is one of the successful businessmen living their lives to the hilt.

Wealthy and influential, he has always dazzled his competitors and delighted his admirers.

Besides, he loves to engage in the celebrations of life, especially his birthday, when he counts his blessings and thanks the almighty God for His mercies and grace.

So, last Tuesday, the billionaire marked his birthday with a lot of frenzy. Indeed, it was another gathering of the crème de la creme at his eyepopping mansion, otherwise called, “Palacio de Okeowo, located inside Park-View Estate, Ikoyi Lagos.

He spared no cost in making his guests most welcome. Ostentation was literally on display, as some of the world’s most expensive champagnes like Pol Roger, Veuve Clicquot, Ace of Spade, Dom Perignon and exotic wines flowed like water during the event.

We gathered that those in attendance were Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekerewandu, Razak Okoya and wife, Prince Samuel Adedoyin, among other notable personalities.

The shrewd businessman, who is unarguably one of the best property merchants in Nigeria, has been around for some time. He is known for a number of imposing properties scattered all over the country.

BOLU AKIN-OLUGBADE’S SUPERLATIVE TASTE Without a doubt, Dr. Boluwasanmi Akin-Olugbade, a lawyer and businessman, remains a shining model to many in and outside the country.

Everything about the Aare Onakakanfo of Owu Kingdom speaks class and opulence.

The Ogun State-born businessman became a billionaire at the age of 21 and his success story will make anyone green with envy.

He works hard for his money, so he spares nothing to spoil himself with good things of life.

It will be recalled that he recently finished the construction of his Banana Island’s architectural masterpiece. The exquisite mansion is considered one of the best around.

Spyglass gathered that the billionaire, last week, took delivery of two 2019 Rolls Royce cars. The custom-built cars (one for himself and the other for his wife), are said to cost over N300 million.

BOLA SHAGAYA COUNTS BLESSINGS

For billionaire businesswoman, Hajia Bola Shagaya, the year 2018 , no doubt, has begun on a good note.

This is in contrast to 2017, when she was in the news after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, went after her because of her close-

BOLA SHAGAYA

ness to a former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, who was accused of money laundering.

Though the case is yet to be decided, the Kwara State-born billionaire is having a ball. Recently, eminent personalities from around the world gathered to celebrate with her.

Earlier in March, her son, Oluwaseun, married Damilola, the beautiful daughter of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, in colourful ceremonies.

As if that was not enough, another of her sons, Kabir, also walked down the aisle with his beau, Amina Buba.

Just like the first one, this wedding was classical and extravagant. The wedding, which held at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, proved that the beautiful woman is powerful and highly connected as she brought those that matter in the social circle to the event. She also spared no expense in giving them the treat of a grand celebration.

Kabir is the CEO of Zippy Logistics, a company that provides high quality services in the areas of procurement, logistics and warehousing to small and medium scale markets in Nigeria.

The high-net-worth woman is spunky. This has helped her to remain in the business arena for so long and the lady of endearing entrepreneurial skills is fast becoming one of the most powerful women in Nigeria, not just in business. Shagaya, who can be described as a glittering star in the business firmament, is generous to a fault.

Indeed, if the history of billionaires in Africa were to be documented, her name would stand out. She is a rare gem, who set out to achieve greatness in life.

POSH SECRETS BOSS, ANITA ANYANECHI, DAZZLES Anita Anyanechi, the brains behind Posh Secrets, a premium lingerie store, is set to further assert her authority in the undergarments biz.

Very warm and unassuming, she has a network of friends and clients who throng her store daily for quality undergarments tailored to fit and adorn the body of African women at affordable prices.

However, the journey has not been without pains. What the world is celebrating today actually sprouted from her small apartment about four years ago. Aside from the premium status of Posh Secrets woman’s underwear, the outfit offers professional services to its clientele. There’s also the clothing section of Posh Secrets, where some of the premium brands adorn the available shelves.

While she continues to make giant strides in her business, she has continued to give the home front the needed attention.

EBOSIE JOHN’S VICTORY Ebosie Jideofor John, a Qatar-

AKIN-OLUG-

ANITA ANYANECHI

based Nigerian-born legal practitioner and engineer, is in a happy mood at the moment.

His happiness stems from his victory in a suit he instituted against an international airline, Etihad Airline, in 2014 before the Federal High Court, Lagos presided over by Justice Hadiza R. Shagari.

While the plaintiffs were represented by Pius E. Sodjie and Pekun Sowole of the Jurislaw Chambers, the defendant, Etihad Airline, was represented by J.M.M. Majiyagbe.

It was said that Ebosie had purchased four economy class tickets with his credit card for his family members namely, Ms. Sylvia U Obichie, Amaka Fingesi, Taribo Fingesi and Zoila Fingesi for a trip from Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos to Abu Dhabi International Airport on May 15, 2014 on flight EY 0674.

Ebosie’s credit card could not be verified by the airline at its Victoria Island, Lagos office due to network failure. Hence, he made available colour photocopy of his credit card and his driver’s licence to ensure his family members were able to make the trip.

However, his family members were denied boarding by the crew members of the airline and were asked to return the following day, May 16.

Though the plaintiffs eventually boarded the plane the following day, they were unable to return to their base, as the flight was cancelled due to engine failure. As a result, they travelled, same day, on another airline.

Consequently, the plaintiffs sued Etihad Airline for trauma, losses, and damages.

In her judgment, Justice Shagari held: “It is in my view to state that the defendant airline is guilty of willful misconduct… “ I grant the claims of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th plaintiffs for a full refund of their defendant airline tickets with interest at 16 per cent rate, as it was decided in the case of Farasco Nigeria Limited & Anor Vs. Peterson Zochionis Industries Plc (2010) LPELR 4142 CA. Per Tine Tur JCA wherein stated that the principle of interest is that it is not a compensation for damages caused by the defendants, but for being kept out of money, which ought to have been paid all this while for services not rendered.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍşËœ ͺ͸͚΀

VINTAGE Edmond Ajoge

We Must Bring Down the Cost of Running Tournaments Stanley Nkwazema

F

or four years, Edmond Ajoge, through Tombim Sports Foundation has shouldered the sponsorship of an International Tennis Federation-sanctioned tournament in Abuja. Three seasons ago, Engineer Dayo Akindoju joined in the sponsorship before he was elected the President of Nigeria Tennis Federation also joining the train is Bayo Okusanya through GSL, now in its second edition. This brings three weeks of uninterrupted international tennis to the Federal Capital Territory.

Interestingly, even as the last edition was concluded recently, it was yet a pipe dream for the Nigerian players as Brazilians won the Tombim and GSL tournaments and Sweden’s only entrant, Markus Eriksson, won the Dayak leg of the International Tennis. After following the editions and sharing the challenges faced by the sponsors, who indeed deserve commendations for the daunting task of bringing players aiming for the top level of the pro circuit, Ajoge told THISDAY that he feels happy impacting on tennis in Nigeria.

Ajoge said: “God has given us the grace.

We have done four editions. It has been very challenging. Everything, everywhere in the world is now a challenge coupled with the economic situation in Nigeria. It is a bit difficult but we are committed to it and by the grace of God we will see it through. “When we set out to do these four years ago, it was one of the things we had in mind.

But like they say, man proposes and God disposes. That was part of our dream but we have not been able to do that because right now, achieving it in the near future is very tight for few reasons. One of them is the fact that we don’t have very good players in this country. It doesn’t have to do with only tennis, it is just the way our country is right now, and we are all in a mess in all facets of life in this country. So, sports are no exception and tennis in particular is just one of it. “You find kids, instead of them training to

Edmond Ajoge

be somebody in life, all they are taking about is money. They have the wrong set of people as their mentors. That is the biggest problem we have in tennis today. The Nigeria Tennis Federation is working towards that and one of the things they are trying to do is to develop our players at the grassroots level; reason they had a tournament recently called ‘play your age’. The NTF President is pushing so hard to achieve the best in that regard and see to it that he can replicate it three or four times in a year. If that can happen regularly, we will have the privilege to see our local players grow into better

players and get to maybe the Semi-finals or the finals of the Tombim, Dayak and GSL Tournaments. “It’s quite unfortunate, the foreign players come here and they look forward to playing this tournament every year; they know they will come to Nigeria and pick the points and walk away. There is no resistance from any Nigerian player.�

It is no longer news that a particular set of officials dominate the tournaments in Nigeria almost monopolising the officiating due to the fact that tennis enthusiasts doesn’t seem interested in running the lines. Ajoge

said: “It was a battle for us like three years.

We were on it and finally last month, we were able to accomplish it. The way we function in Nigeria as a people, whatever we are used to doing, we do not want to change and I felt that we could do something to it. We have done it repeatedly for a few years and there is no difference and if you still continue to do it that way, of course, that is what is called madness. “You have tournaments in Lagos, Kano and other places and you are bringing people from Taraba to come and officiate in tournaments in Lagos. It doesn’t make any sense. If we can develop our data and equally develop a good number of officials everywhere in the country, then that makes life easier for us in this country. If you have a tournament in Abuja then the residents in Abuja will do it. My aim is to bring down the cost of running tournaments in this country as low as possible. When you do that, you will see many people coming in to assist with hosting as many tournaments as possible with little amount of money. “It is possible. But before now, the cost of running tournaments in Nigeria is up there; you to pay the officials, their transport, accommodation and all these raise the cost of tournaments. I can guarantee that if there is any tournament in Abuja and I am invited, I will commute from my house.

According to Ajoge, one of the goals is to get Nigerian players rated by ITF and the ATP. “Unfortunately, we have not been able to achieve that because the players are not ready to sacrifice; most of them are not disciplined. The second part is to bring as many tournaments to the country as possible. We have been able to achieve that. We have three which runs for weeks here in Abuja. Hopefully, more people are joining us to run more tournaments. The other is also to bring down the cost and we are going to achieve that with every opportunity we have. We now have many volunteers ready to run around with each tournament which therefore encourages others to be part of the train.

Raising Africa’s Hope of Digital Migration with Digital Technology The 2018 Digital Dialogue Conference facilitated by MultiChoice Africa, has raised hope among African countries that the current drive for nations to migrate from analogue to digital broadcasting, will reposition Africa in today’s digital era, writes Emma Okonji

ultiChoice Africa, penultimate week, played a major role in the just concluded 2018 Digital Dialogue Conference, which held in Dubai, UAE, by facilitating it to further create a better understanding of the future direction of the video entertainment industry in Africa. Already in its fifth year, the conference was established in 2012 to create a better understanding of digital migration and its impact on Africa’s digital landscape. Since then, the independent and growing platform has been critical in fostering a better understanding and building knowledge on video entertainment and digital terrestrial markets while creating necessary conversations with thought leaders about various industry-related issues.

African countries have been battling to conclude the process of digital migration, which is designed to phase out analogue television broadcasting and usher in digital broadcasting in the TV and entertainment industry. Nigeria is still in the process of completing the entire digital migration process, having covered some few cities where it has launched the Digital Switchover (DSO), as it is fondly called in Nigeria.

Digital Migration in Africa The rapid advances in digital technology in Africa has created new opportunities to innovate on content delivery, however, while “the digital disruption has and will change how people consume digital products, as people who are invested and committed to the future of Africa, it is our collective responsibility to play an active role in making sure our continent benefits from this opportunity�.

These insights were shared by the CEO of General Entertainment at MultiChoice, Yolisa Phahle, on the first day of the fifth edition of

L-R: GM Corporate Aairs, MultiChoice Africa, Caroline Creasy; Film maker, Femi Odugbemi; CEO Strategic Outcomes, Jenkins Alumona; CEO Video Entertainment, MultiChoice Africa, Yolisa Phahle; Founder, Intelligencr, Paul Papadimitriou; Professor, Creative Industries, Ulster University, Anthony Lilley OBE, during the 5th Digital Dialogue Conference in Dubai, UAE‌ recently

the Digital Dialogue.

Speaking in front of a delegation comprising of several international industry thought-leaders and key media stakeholders from across the African continent, Phahle’s talk set the tone for the conference with its positive outlook into the future directions of video entertainment and how the industry is responding to the rapid change in technology when it comes to platforms of content delivery.

Key Insights According to Phahle, “If you speak to any of the people involved in the early days of MultiChoice, one of the things they remind me of is the absolute necessity to not just

understand what the future holds but to shape the future, to be a disrupter and if necessary even to cannibalise yourself.� She said it was the need to be innovative that made Multichoice to launch GOtv in spite of the reach of DStv, adding that that was possible because the company was launched by people who were creating a media group not for the present, but one for the future. “We produce over 16 local content channels across the continent showcasing local storytellers and created the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards that celebrate African film making, we work with local broadcasters so that East Africans can see what is happening in West and Southern Africa. As a company, we

are looking forward to investing even more in telling local stories, documenting our history and providing a platform for Africans to share African stories,� Phahle said.

Speaking on MultiChoice vision for future digital content creation, Phahle said: “At MultiChoice, our vision is to be the best African story teller in the world, at the same time, we also promise to bring our customers the best international stories. Being able to tell the right story, at the right time to the right person is our absolute focus and if we are able to leverage the technology, and become obsessed with pleasing our customers, we will nullify the headwinds and use the tail winds to drive exponential growth for our collective future.�

The Nollywood Revolution The CEO of Zuri24 Media Limited, Femi Odugbemi, who unpacked the Nollywood revolution to industry thought leaders at the conference, said: “If there has ever been an industry that created digital dialogue from the word go, it is Nollywood.� He reflected on Nollywood’s exponential growth since 1992 with the release of the classic ‘Living in Bondage’ and 2014 when it was declared a $3.3 billion sector by the Nigerian government.

According to him, in 2016, Nollywood’s combined Box Office topped a staggering N3.5 billion ($11.5 million) and in 2017 Nollywood was named one of the priority sectors identified in the Economic Recovery and Growth plan of the Federal Government of Nigeria with a planned $1 billion in export revenue by 2020.

MultiChoice said it was of the view that with the right digital content and enabling policies, Nigeria could be digitally ready to achieve digital migration.

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T H I S D AY ˾ SATURDAY MAY 12, 2018

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24

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͰ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 12, 2018

25

EXPRESSION

MEDIAGAFFES

‘Unemployment Problem’ Wrong

EBERE WABARA

D

AILY Sun Editorial of May 2 invaded the English language this way: “But to put the matter in proper perspective (in proper perspectives or in a proper perspective, depending on contextualization)….”

“MFM GO commissions (inaugurates/ auspicates/launches) medical centre, hands over to MTU” “How local content can solve unemployment problem” (THE BUSINESS REPORT, April 16) ‘Unemployment’ is a problem. So, there is no value padding another ‘problem’!

From Politics & Power of April 16 come the next two infractions: “You may disagree with Obasanjo’s style but all the things he said, are there truths in any of it (them)?”

“Like (As) I said, if we dismiss what he said with a wave of the hand, Nigeria will be undoing itself….”

The next two improprieties are from News around the City of April 25: “2 bag 18 years (years’) imprisonment for pension fraud” “National Theatre ex-acting DG, 4 directors charged for (with) taking bribe” THISDAY Front Page of May 5 contained a self-inflicted grammatical challenge: “He said federal, not state authorities, are (were) holding…in custody….”

From the Editorial Page of DAILY SUN of Wednesday, April 18, comes this error: “… that would enable them (enable them to) appreciate history….” Like ‘able’, ‘enable’ attracts the preposition ‘to’. (Contributed by Dr. Stanley Nduagu, Aba, 08062925996) Let me reiterate that the focus of this column is formal (modern) Standard British English usage—not traditional or regionalized English, which is usually dialectical with a dozen of applicative circumscription!

BY

“Invitee” is a piece of Americanism that has invaded Nigeria by way of language imperialism. Persistent abuse of a word or phrase does not confer acceptability or correctness on it. Sticklers must cleanse themselves of the juvenile indoctrination that everything in the dictionary is correct. This columnist, without being immodest, has developed the capacity and competency to justifiably question literary status quo and conventions.

Furthermore, this columnist is not interested in colloquial and informal (nonstandard) entries, which may exist in ‘Abrahamic’ (ancient) registers, dictionaries and thesauruses! Personally, language currency is the sustainable path to toe—not faddishness, lexical conservatism, conventional wisdom and normative reliance. I have dictionaries, thesauri, English language textbooks and other general interest books which contain grammatical and factual blunders!

For me, these publications are guides which are not inviolable. Even the Bible, thesaurus and Shakespearean materials, as authoritative as they are, still contain lexical, structural and informational contradictions, if not fallacies. The edition of references is also critical because what is right today may be wrong tomorrow, depending on human strides, dynamism and universal language development.

Our familiarization with dated words or expressions in vogue in our locales should not mislead us into believing that they are sacrosanct and immutable. I welcome more constructive reactions to this and other issues raised here. My position on “invitee” still stands. According to D. W. Williams, past experience should be a guide post, not a hitching post.

Back to our usual business: “The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is currently in a dilemma over the inability of five of the eight

banks that failed the stress test in the industry in 2009 to get suitable partners.” (NIGERIAN Tribune Front Page, 2 May) By every shred, “is” indicates currency. So, I do not understand this ubiquity in Nigerian newspapers: “is currently”. A rewrite: The CBN is in a dilemma….

“My most embarrasing day” (SUNDAY PUNCH Beauty Corner Headline, May 6) Spell-check: embarrassing, but harassing “Exploitation of the underaged” (Sunday Tribune, May 6) Get it right: underage.

“First Bank Nigeria PLC’s result for the period is an attestation of the trend” (Source: as above) Money: attestation to (not of) the trend. “…there is no doubt that she will be able to steer the ship of the bank without any doubt....” (THISDAY SUNDAY BUSINESS PEOPLE, May 6) Why the overkill of ‘doubt’?

“Let sleeping dog lie!” (Vanguard Headline, April 29) Sweet and Sour: Let sleeping dogs lie.

“More grease to your elbow.” (DAILY SUN, April 29) This way: More power (not grease) to your elbow. What future for the English language?

“I believe that our politicians ought to have become more mature, and that the maturity would manifest in their conducts (conduct).”

“My mission was to present a review of the book at the occasion.” (THE GUARDIAN, May 4) Return to the source: on the occasion.

The next three blunders are from the Nigerian Tribune of May 4: “They are taken through a two-week orientation seminar on American culture and press at the onset (outset) of the fellowship programme in June.”

“It is sad, very sad that the Nigerian police has never been known to use rubber bullets.”

Checking the excesses of security operatives: Nigerian police have (not has).

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

“The assistance of government is urgently needed in this matter as lack of co-operation by many residents is hampering the activities of vigilante (vigilance) bodies.”

“Similarly, at the advent of any coup in Nigeria, we discover that power in all ramification (ramifications) is taken over by the military.”

“An average number of the Southerners are readily willing even at short notice (a comma) to stab their own brother on (in) the back, if only to have a piece of the national cake.”

“Furthermore, the South seem (seems) to have taken the north for granted for too long.”

THE GUARDIAN of May 3 powered two mistakes: “We must entrench into (in) the statute books provisions for the recovery of stolen loot from outgoing governors, ministers and their proximate beneficiaries….” Is there any loot that is not stolen?

Goodnight, Kola Danisa JUST last week, I read about the death of one of the few English language purists in Nigeria, a major contributor to this column and a friend of mine, Mr. Kola Danisa.

The first and last time we met was at the biennial conference of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Katsina not too long ago. Before that meeting, we were in constant touch through telephony and email.

An emeritus of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), egbon Kola was always vivacious despite the excruciating challenges of protracted illness.

May his soul rest in peace. While here, you and the late Baba Bayo Oguntunase routinely disagreed on major lexical issues! How I wish you could reconcile in death! Both of you live on in my mind. Your grammatical interventions remain referential till eternity.

ParliamentandOpenGovernmentinNigeria

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hroughout this week the global community has been celebrating the tenets of collaboration, cooperation and co-creation between government, civil society, the private sector and other non-state actors. This template of civic engagement in the governance process is under the auspices of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), the emerging ‘new normal’ in the execution of the social contract between leaders and the led.

The OGP was started in 2011 as “an international platform for domestic reformers committed to making their governments more open, accountable, and responsive to citizens,” according to the official website of the global movement. From a foundation cluster of 8 countries, the partnership has been subscribed to by up to 70 sovereign states while some 15 sub-national governments (including Kaduna State) have become participants as well.

Nigeria joined the body in 2016 and has since developed and commenced implementation of a National Action Plan (NAP), which contains 14 concrete commitments (with clearly defined milestones and timelines) the country set out to achieve around the four key themes of fiscal transparency, anti-corruption, access to information and citizen engagement. It is important to note that tools of engagement such as open data and technology are a common thread straddling the four themes. The government, civil society and even the private sector are increasingly embracing these tools in service delivery and measurement of social accountability. I will later in this piece share some highlights of how civil society organizations like OrderPaper, Nigeria’s foremost people-parliament interface platform, are applying these tools to engage the legislature in Nigeria.

But it is necessary to make the point first of all, that in this fancy framework of results-based multi-stakeholder engagements, the role of the parliament as the custodian and promoter of the collective interests of all citizens in a democracy cannot be overemphasized. Unfortunately the National Assembly of Nigeria, as the highest legislative body of the country, is conspicuously missing from this burgeoning interface that has been showcased and celebrated all week long in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Whether by deliberate design or unwitting nonchalance the non-integration of the parliament into the OGP infrastructure in Nigeria poses daunting challenges that cannot only impede the achievements of the (2017-2019) National Action Plan but also undermine some of the gains made since the implementation of the plan commenced in 2017.

Nigeria’s National Action Plan is made up of 14 commitments cut across the four thematic areas of engagement listed earlier. Of particular interest in this discourse are the following commitments: development of a permanent dialogue mechanism on transparency, accountability and good governance between citizens and

PEOPLE2PEOPLE WITH

OKE EPIA Telephone (sms only): 07059850016 Email: o.epia@orderpaper.ng.

Twitter: @resourceme

National Assembly government to facilitate a culture of openness; a liaison of government-civil society that should jointly review existing legislation on transparency and accountability issues and make recommendations to the National Assembly; and finally, adopt a technology-based citizens feedback on projects and programmes across transparency.

The central place of the legislature in realizing these milestones cannot be gainsaid. They all speak directly or indirectly to the roles, duties and functions of the parliament in a democracy. Interestingly, these commitments also connote an assumption that the parliament is open and accessible as the institution that represents and promotes the aspirations and interests of citizens. Unfortunately, Nigeria’s National Assembly as currently constituted and operated is at variance with this ideal. Much of its processes, procedures, operations and outcomes

remain quite esoteric and sometimes deliberately made opaque to the public. Although citizens have continued to step up the demand for an open National Assembly (#OpenNass) especially in the financial transactions of parliament, the institution has been quite hesitant if not resistant to such public scrutiny. Some credit must however be given to the current assembly which has opened up on the budgetary process and made measured disclosure on the budget of the federal legislature. But there is still a long way to go. The question on the actual earnings and allowances of senators and members of the House of Representatives has remained enmeshed in a raging controversy as majority of citizens believe the country is heavily shortchanged.

The concern therefore is that a national assembly that is itself averse to exhaustive citizen inquisition can hardly be trusted to be a genuine partner in achieving the NAP commitments. The fact that the parliament has been grossly underrepresented if not entirely unrepresented in the week-long OGP events in Nigeria speaks to the urgent need to get the National Assembly into the conversation and extract productive commitments from the people’s representatives on OGP. It would be easier for instance, for the National Assembly to key into and fast-track reviews of legislations on the thematic areas of the NAP. It is very important therefore to deliberately integrate the parliament into the next NAP post-2019 to make for faster and smoother implementation especially as it relates to legislations.

Now to the point about using technology and open data to engage with the Parliament, civic groups in Nigeria have recorded some gains as they continue the push for a more open National Assembly. As hinted earlier, OrderPaper has been actively involved in reporting and tracking activities in the National Assembly in a bid to simplify the workings and activities of parliament.

OrderPaper has also developed ConsTrack, a constituency projects tracking mobile application to engender openness, inclusiveness, transparency and accountability in a scheme that has for long been mired in the controversy of corruption. By providing verified, validated and updated data (including texts and images) on the cost, location, level of funding and implementation of constituency projects, the ConsTrack App is set to disrupt the existing regime of opacity and corruption surrounding the scheme. The App, which is due for launch soon, will necessarily engender citizen engagement around parliamentary representation which will invariably lead to inclusiveness in the choice and implementation of constituency projects in Nigeria. With the kind of interventions OrderPaper and organizations like BudgIT and Enough is Enough (EIE) are making in the civic space, the OGP in Nigeria is fast becoming a beacon of multistakeholder governance hub other nations can look up to. But it is worth restating that the Parliament must be brought into the picture without any further delay.

26

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍşËœ ͺ͸͚͜

Lexus Crafts a Special-Edition RX SUV

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L-R: Managing Director, BKG Exhibitions, Mr. Ifeanyi Agwu; Executive Director, Sales & Strategy, Coscharis Group, Jonathan Maduka; Assistant General Manager, Ford Sales Division, Coscharis Motors, Justine Ngini; Ford Enthusiast, Amira Obi-Okoye; General Manager, Marketing & Corporate Communications, Coscharis Group, Abiona Babarinde, at the oďŹƒcial unveiling of the all new Ford Escape into the Nigeria market at the 2018 Lagos Auto Fair in Lagos‌ recently

New Escape Builds on Ford’s Global SUV Expertise, Heritage Stories by Bennett Oghifo

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The new Ford Escape has arrived in Nigeria, offering one of the most technologically-advanced, smart sport utility vehicles (SUVs) with five-star safety and improved fuel efficiency.

Ford is the second largest SUV brand in the world and every model is backed by Ford’s global SUV expertise and robust 50-year heritage in the segment. “We are thrilled with the new Ford Escape joining our line up,� said Abiona Babarinde, GM Marketing and Communications at Coscharis Motors. “More importantly, our customers will be thrilled too. With stunning new design inside and out, smart technologies, fuel-efficient yet powerful engines, and five-star safety, it’s a vehicle that will be so many things for our customers.�

As preference for SUVs continues to grow around the world, so too does the demand for greater choice. Ford has responded to customer demand with a broad line-up that includes Trend and Titanium models. Depending on market, a front-wheel drive version is available with a six-speed manual gearbox, or the option of an

all-wheel drive model with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Trend-setting style The New Escape features Ford’s latest design language for a bold, smart look that is shared with other Ford SUVs. Its large upper trapezoidal grille and a smaller lower grille are flanked by sleek new headlamps incorporating optional daytime running lights complemented by functional, stylish fog lamps. “We know from customer feedback and research that vehicle design and style are key factors in the car buying decision process,� Babarinde added. “In many cases, it’s actually the top consideration which is why we’re particularly excited about the new Escape. In addition to being a very capable, functional SUV with a fantastic suite of smart technologies, it’s also a vehicle that will turn heads wherever it’s driven.�

Restyled taillights complete the smart exterior look while a new range of standard 17-inch wheels (steel on the S) or optional 18- and 19-inch alloy wheel designs are available.

Smart and intuitive interior Steeped in SUV expertise from around the Ford world, the new Escape designers’ objective was

to combine stylish form with everyday function for the interior of the SUV. “Our designers went to great lengths to ensure the vehicle and its many different features, large and small, are smart yet provide welcome benefits to even daily routines,� said Babarinde. “The Hands-Free Power Tailgate, for example, is something customers have really grown to appreciate, and is available as an option across the range. No matter what you might find filling your arms, from sports gear to shopping bags or a toddler or two, the Power Tailgate can save the day.� Escape drivers will find an array of new convenience features making the vehicle very user-friendly, including ISOFIX anchorage-points and improved storage in the centre console. An impressive range of additional standard items are included on the top-spec Titanium model, such as rear tray tables and rear air vents for enhanced comfort, and the electronic parking brake (optional on S and SE).

The new Escape offers up to 1603 litres of cargo space with the rear stadium seating folded – ideal for weekend escapes. In addition, the Escape steering wheel and air-conditioning controls operate through fewer and more easily distinguishable buttons and switches, making the controls easier to recognise and navigate.

Kia Motors Partners Access Bank for Affordable, Flexible Auto-finance

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ia Motors Nigeria has struck a partnership withAccessBanktoprovideaffordableand flexible auto finance options for customers.

Tagged ‘Drive Your Dream, Pay at Your Pace’ offer, the finance scheme is premised on a hassle-free car ownership offer with as low as 10% equity contribution, free insurance, attractive interest rates, and flexible loan tenure of 48 months to make owning brand new Kia vehicles easy and convenient.

More often than not, customers are presented with a wide range of options for financing a car or securing an auto loan which makes it difficult to choose a tailor-made scheme that perfectly fit their aspirations.

This auto finance scheme is tailored to suit customers’ needs with flexible monthly repayments and is best suited for individuals, organizations, corporate bodies, and institutions to avail a convenient and easy access to finance options making it easy to drive away their brand new Kia. Speaking on the finance scheme, Jacky Hathiramani, Managing Director, Kia Motors Nigeria said “our core competitive edge in the auto industry is the offering of best in class vehicles at an affordable price and we are delighted to partner withAccess Bank to make owning the Kia range of vehicles affordable with flexible payment options.�

The Executive Director, Personal Banking Division, AccessBank,VictorEtuokwustressedthat“thefinance scheme is aimed at making all customers own a brand new car with ease and tailor-made payment options. He further stated that “the joint promotion offers a subsidized insurance and registration fee,

L-R: Executive Director, Personal Banking Division, Access Bank, Victor Etuokwu; Managing Director, Kia Motors Nigeria, Jacky Hathiramani; and the Zonal Head, Lagos Mainland, Commercial Banking Division, Access Bank, Ralph Opara, at a signing ceremony of Kia Access promo launch‌ recently with improved access to an auto loan to enable customers to drive their dream car.â€? “This partnership represents another step forward in ourstrategytoensureourcustomershaveconsistently available, transparent and competitive financing.

Kia’s vehicles offer modern design and reliability at an affordable cost.And with our special auto finance scheme with Access Bank, it’s never been easier to take home your very own brand new Kia. � said, Debanja Paul, Vice President, Kia Motors Nigeria.

exus is continuing to diversify its popular SUV line-up with the introduction of special-edition versions of the luxury RX SUV. Based on the Luxury grade and available with all three powertrains, the Lexus RX Crafted makes a visual impact with striking black coating for its 20-inch alloy wheels and black accents for the grille, fog-lamp bezels, mirror caps and rear bumper.

Highly prized additions include a moonroof and features normally reserved for higher grades: a colour head-up display, 12.3� high-definition infotainment screen (upgraded from 8-inch) and a premium 15-Speaker Mark LevinsonŽ sound system with Clari-Fi technology.

The five-seat Lexus RX Crafted - available with the RX 300 turbo, RX 350 V6 petrol and RX 450h self-charging hybrid electric powertrains - is being offered for just $7,100 above the Luxury grades.

Lexus is offering 300 of the special-edition models.

Lexus Australia chief executive Scott Thompson said the price step for the Lexus RX Crafted was approximately half-way to the F Sport variants that already offer many of the special-edition features as standard. “The additional luxury and value of the stylish Lexus RX Crafted will attract a wider audience to a vehicle noted for its practicality, convenience, spaciousness and easy manoeuvrability,� Mr. Thompson said.

Like every vehicle in the RX Line, the Lexus RX Crafted ensures a high level of safety with Lexus Safety System + including a pre-collision safety system with pedestrian detection^ and autonomous emergency braking.

All-speed radar active cruise control, blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert and reversing camera with rear guide assist are part of the safety technology offered across the range. The RX is also equipped with bi-LED headlights with LED cornering lights, rain-sensing wipers and 10 airbags.

Other premium appointments include leatheraccented trim, heated and ventilated front seats, dual-zone Lexus Climate Concierge with nanoe™ technology, keyless entry and ignition, power tailgate, BluetoothŽ mobile phone connectivity, wireless charger and USB/AUX inputs.

The RX Line, now in its fourth generation, was expanded in February this year with the addition of three-row variants offering seven-seat accommodation.

To the end of April, Lexus RX sales have risen 22.7 per cent compared with the same period last year.

This is the first year Lexus SUV sales have surpassed 2,000 deliveries before the end of April, with the total reaching 2,095 vehicles - a gain of 18.8 per cent over the same period of 2017.

Hilux, Corolla Top the Market Toyota’s HiLux and Corolla were Australia’s best-selling vehicles in April - the 19th time these stablemates have achieved the quinella.

HiLux was the country’s top-seller last month with almost 3,600 sales while Corolla was the runner-up with close to 3,000 sales.

The HiLux tally has been bettered in an April only once previously - at the height of the mining boom in 2008.

So far this year, HiLux - which recently gained three halo variants, Hilux Rugged and Rugged X and Hilux Rogue - has topped the national sales charts with more than 16,200 sales. HiLux leads both the 4x4 and 4x2 segments.

Corolla is Australia’s best-selling passenger car with more than 12,200 deliveries in 2018, continuing its leadership of the past five calendar years.

Toyota’s market-leading April sales of almost 16,650 vehicles is 3.5 per cent higher than for the same month last year. It resulted in a market share of 20.1 per cent.

So far this year, consumers have bought more than 69,000 Toyota vehicles, which represents the strongest demand for the brand since 2008.

The total is 4,500 additional sales or 7.0 per cent higher than for the same period in 2017.

Other notable sales results for April 2018 compared with a year earlier include double-digit growth for each member of the LandCruiser family (Prado, 70 Series and 200 Series) as well as for Kluger, HiAce bus, Corolla and HiLux 4x2.

Toyota Australia’s vice president sales and marketing Sean Hanley said the company’s broad range of in-demand vehicles and innovative measures to continue building customer loyalty had resulted in substantial momentum, particularly among its SUVs and light-commercial vehicles.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍťËœ ͺ͸͚͜

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Hail Jaguar F-Type SVR, XJR575 Race Taxi at Nurburgring

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One of the exhibition stands for spare parts

Economic Devt: Govt, Stakeholders Urged to Support Auto Shows Stories by Bennett Oghifo

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takeholders, governments and companies have been urged to support motor exhibitions/fairs because they are critical to the development of the auto sector.

The Chairman, Organising Committee, Managing Director BKG Exhibitions Limited Mr. IfeanyichukwuAgwu stated this at the ongoing

13th Lagos Motor & 7th Autoparts Expo Africa held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island-Lagos, this week.

According toAgwu, “To be able to give Nigeria this befitting show we need the support of the Federal and Lagos State governments, companies that operate in the sector as well as other stakeholders.

This support is important because exhibitions/fairs are one of the key drivers of rapid development of the sector and most importantly, no serious investment in this key sector is a waste, rather the multiplier positive effects are unquantifiable.�

He said, “I therefore urge individuals, public and private sectors to take the advantage of this once in a year gathering to see all that the industry offers in the nation and make best use of them. “For all the stakeholders, we need to have unity of purpose; celebrate this event as is done globally, to showcase our potentials and capabilities.

It should be an event that we all should always support and make the best of. These would help in unleashing the required synergies to enhance the development of the sector for the good and benefit of all.

erformance car fans can now hail the ultimate taxi ride around one of the world’s most renowned race circuits.

The Jaguar Race Taxi experience gives thrill-seekers a full-throttle hot lap in the Jaguar F-TYPE SVR and XJR575, around the famous NĂźrburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany.

Jaguar Race Taxi passengers will be driven around the world’s most demanding circuit by hand-picked professional drivers, encountering cornering forces of up to 1.2g on the most challenging sections. They can also relive the excitement of their experience around the 20.83km, 73-turn ‘Green Hell’,with an HD video recording of their lap.

Phil Talboys, European Engineering Operations Manager, Jaguar Land Rover said: “A ride in the F-TYPE SVR and XJR575 Race Taxi is a thrilling and truly unforgettable experience for any car enthusiast – or anybody who just enjoys going very fast!

Our highly experienced professional drivers are veterans of the Nßrburgring 24-hour race, making them uniquely qualified to show customers the true potential of these extraordinary supercharged V8 Jaguars.�

The F-TYPE SVR has been developed by Jaguar LandRoverSpecialVehicleOperationsasa322km/h all-weather supercar and is the pinnacle of the FTYPE range. Powered by a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine with 575 horsepower (423kW) and 700Nm and benefiting from an enhanced chassis and driveline and active aerodynamics, the all-wheel drive F-TYPE SVR delivers supercar performance – in all conditions – and can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 3.7 seconds.

The Jaguar XJR575 is the fastest and most powerful XJ ever made in the iconic luxury sedan’s 50-year history.Also powered by a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 developing the same maximum power and torque as the F-TYPE SVR, it can reach 100km/h in just 4.4 seconds before reaching an electronically-limited top speed of 300km/h while delivering the luxury, refinementandcomfortforwhichtheXJisrenowned.

PAN Nigeria Takes Fight of Fake Parts to 13th Lagos Motor Fair/ 7th Auto Parts Expo

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utomotive industry observers describe the ongoing 13th Lagos Motor Fair/7th Auto parts Expo at Federal Palace Hotel Victoria Island Lagos as Nigerian automotive industry biggest event of the year. With far more local, foreign assemblers and equipment manufacturers participating in this year’s event, there is a tinge of excitement that the recovery trend of the automotive industry can be sustained.

The motor fair provided PAN Nigeria Limited, the indigenous assemblers of Peugeot brand of vehicles the right platform for its advocacy against fake and substandard spare parts. In his statement, made available by Haroun Malami, Head, Corporate Communications, MD/CEO Ibrahim Boyi, called on automobile industry players to act as collaborators not competitors

to fight this menace of fake, substandard and “Tokumbo� parts that are causing avoidable deaths on our roads.

PAN’s exhibition stands featured a proud range of Peugeot vehicles including PARTNER TEEPE utility vehicle, Peugeot 301 that won the Nigerian Auto journalist awards of Nigerian Car of the Year ( COTY) two years in a row 2016 and 2017 and the International multi award winning Peugeot 3008 SUV, backed by an arsenal of Peugeot spare parts.

Collaboration drives standardisation of trade practices that will translate to low cost of vehicle ownership to Nigerians, Boyi, said. The Lagos motor fair is coming at the heels of PAN’s maiden spare parts fair which ended in Kaduna a fortnight ago. PAN has been assembling Peugeot vehicles in Nigeria since 1975.

Peugeot 301

West African Road Safety Organisation @ 10

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ometime in April 2014, I had the rare privilege to accompany the former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Osita Chidoka to attend the WestAfrica Road Safety Organisation (WARSO) executive/technical session held in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The trip was my first official trip to any West African Country and my one week stay in Freetown was quite instructive for me as it enabled me have a first hand view of the level of infrastructural development being undertaken by a country who have demonstrated a commitment to replicate the FRSC lead Agency model as a plank for addressing worrying road traffic crash challenges. During the 2014 session, worries were expressed by delegates over the slow pace of effective strategies in the sub region with the exception of Nigeria’s giant strides through the FRSC and a select number of countries within the sub region.

It is over four years since my historic trip to Freetown and exactly ten years since the birth of this novel sub- regional effort geared towards curbing deaths arising from road traffic crashes. On Tuesday 8th of May, 2018, this year’s commemorative service to mark the WARSO week kicked off across the West African sub region. In Nigeria, a press conference was addressed by the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps,Dr Boboye Oyeyemi. Similar events, including rallies were replicated across the various formations of the Corps. I have therefore chosen to salute

SAFE DRIVING with

JONAS AGWU

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

the doggedness of the leadership of the West African Sub Region and Nigeria in sustaining this initiative. The speech of the Corps Marshal is our guide on the road the Organisation has travelled in ten years.

Before I run his speech, please allow me once again to wet your appetite with the reality of the African Region’s road traffic crash narrative as contained the Global status report on road safety 2013 from 182 countries, accounting for almost 99% of the world’s population, including Nigeria, road traffic deaths remains 1.24 million per year.As at 2014, the figure stood at 1.3million.

Only 28 countries, covering 7% of the world’s population, have comprehensive road safety laws on five key risk factors: drinking and driving, speeding, and failing to use motorcycle helmets, seat-belts, and child restraints. Nigeria through the activities of the Federal Road Safety Corps is among these countries.

The report further states that another 20 to 50million sustain non- fatal injuries. These injuries and deaths have an immeasurable impact on the

families affected and their communities. Road traffic injuries are estimated to be the eighth leading cause of death globally, with an impact similar to that caused by diseases, such as malaria and remain the leading cause of death for young people aged 15–29years, and as a result take a heavy toll on those entering their most productive years. Yearly, 400,000people under the ages of 25years die at an average of more than 1000 a day. These deaths are more in low and middle income countries among vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclist, motorcyclist and those using public transport. Speeding remains the single most common traffic violations and explains why the Federal Road Safety Corps has commencement the enforcement of speed limiters in vehicles beginning with commercial vehicles. The use of phone while driving, dangerous driving, unlicensed and under aged driving are also prevalent violations, in addition to lane indiscipline among others.

Economically, the report notes that disadvantaged families are hardest hit by both direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost wages that result from these injuries. At the national level, road traffic injuries weans the national purse particularly in developing economies and are estimated to cost low-and middle-income countries between 1–2% of their gross national product, estimated at over US$100billion a year. Despite these facts, road safety has been neglected not just in terms of policy formulation but also in terms of resource allocation and individual responsibility despite the fact that road traffic injuries are largely

preventable. Although road traffic injuries is projected to become the fifth leading cause of death by2030, if nothing concrete is done, corporate and individual engagement is still not in the magnitude with which we all become sanitizers distributors in the fight against Ebola.

The African region has the highest road fatality rates with 37 of the 44 countries surveyed having death rates well above the global average of 18.0 deaths per 100,000population.While the region accounts for 2% of the worlds vehicles, it contributes 16% to the global deaths with young men as the most vulnerable. Most countries lack policies for protecting vulnerable road users.

And most are yet to enact comprehensive laws concerning the major risk factors such as speed, drink driving, helmet use, seat belt use and child restraint. Post crash is either inadequate or lacking while law enforcement is weak or ineffective.

In Nigeria, deaths through road traffic crashes before the establishment of the Commission in 1988 stood at 25,792 crashes and 9,077 deaths.

The figure for 2016 stood at 96,94crashes with 5053 deaths with. Road crashes figure for counties within the West Africa sub region just like other countries in Africa is equally worrisome despite the Regional strategy through the West African Road Safety Organisation. As at April 2014 when the WARSO executive/technical session held in Freetown, Sierra Leone worries were expressed over the slow pace of effective strategies in the sub region with the exception of Nigeria’s giant strides through the FRSC and select number of countries within the sub region .

28

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍşËœ ͺ͸͚΀

FAMILY HEALTH with

Ă?Ă—Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă?âĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă– Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?

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woman’s vagina is a very delicate and important part of her anatomy. It is therefore very important that she should be concerned about her vaginal health. A healthy vagina is naturally acidic and contains rich quantities of beneficial bacteria that help fend off infections and maintain a normal pH level.

A healthy vagina is self-cleaning. This means it will secrete small amounts of discharge to keep itself clean, much as saliva is produced to help cleanse your mouth. Therefore, any substance or external cleaning agents used in there would disturb these normal conditions, and you may face vaginal irritation or infection. Ëž Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă Ă‹ĂœĂ“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁĂ? ÞÒËÞ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă•Ă?Ă?Ăš ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă’Ă?ËÖÞÒã˛ Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ë? Ëž Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă– Any form of artificial cleaning, douching, can interfere with the vagina’s pH levels, reducing its acidity and setting the stage for bacterial infections. Normally, vaginal pH is about 3.8 to 4.5. When you have any offensive smell,.it us safer to consult your gynecologist, and not indulge in any self medication, like buying a douching liquid over the counter.

To maintain a healthy pH balance, keep away from cleansers, chemical that would disturb your natural balance. Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ăž Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ? Ă’Ă?ËÖÞÒã A healthy diet is very important for a healthy vaginal. It is so important, and synonymous as the sayings goes, that you are what you eat.

Therefore, a balanced, nutritious diet and drinking plenty of fluids are key to vaginal and reproductive health. In fact, certain foods may be effective in treating vaginal health problems. Cranberry juice and yogurt can potentially help prevent yeast infections and aid in their treatment. And if you experience vaginal dryness, seek medical advice if you can increase your soy bean product intake.

This products contain a weak form of estrogen that can aide natural lubrication . Ëž Ă˜Ă‘Ă‹Ă‘Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă˜Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă?âĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă– Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?

The use of a protection sheath, shields you

from sexual,infections, such as HIV, genital herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, genital warts, and chlamydia. Some of these diseases, like HIV and genital herpes, have no cure. And others, like the human papillomavirus that causes genital warts, are also known to cause cancer or lead to other diseases. If you must engage in other forms of sexual positions, please consider changing your sheath. In other words, normal sexual acts also helps you keep a healthy reproductive organ. Ëž Ă?Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă–Ă‹Ăœ Ă?Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă• Ă&#x;ĂšĂ?

It is advised that you carry out regular checks with your doctor. Every woman should have her first gynecological exam by age 21 or within three years of becoming sexually active. Gynecologists and many family physicians are trained to diagnose diseases and disorders that can harm the vagina or your reproductive system as a whole. Gynecologists also perform Pap smears, which can detect changes in vaginal cells that might indicate the presence of cancer. Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ăž ÚÙĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“Ă?Ă•Ă–ĂŁ r5ISFF UZQFT PG WBHJOBM JOGFDUJPOT BSF common:vaginosis, yeast infections, and trichomoniasis. Yeast infections are caused by several types of fungi, while bacterial vaginosis is caused by bacteria overgrowth in the vagina.

Trichomonas,infection, is an STD. ‘Treating these infections is crucial because not treating them can lead to unpleasant, painful, and serious

Ă’Ă? ĂŽĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă–Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ę°Ă?Ăœ ÚËĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂžË› Ę°Ă?Ăœ Ă‹ ĂŒĂ™ĂĄĂ?Ă– ×Ùà Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ ĂĄĂ“ĂšĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă˜Ăž ÞÙ ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă• ÞÙ Ëà ÙÓÎ ĂŒĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÙ ÖÙåĂ?Ăœ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă™Ă? ĂŒĂ–Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă–Ă?Ă™Ëœ Ă‹Ę°Ă?Ăœ ÚËĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂŁ Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂšĂ‹ĘľĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ‹Ă–Ă?Ë› Ă™ Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂœĂ&#x;ĂŒË›Ë› Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂŁ ÚËÎĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ‹Ă—ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ–ĂŁ ĂŽĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă™ĂŽË› Ă’Ă?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;ËŞĂœĂ? Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă™ĂŽËœ ĂŽĂ™ Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ÚËÎĂ? Ă™Ăœ ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂžĂŁ Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ? ÞÙ Ă‹ĂŒĂ?Ă™ĂœĂŒ Ă˜Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă– Ă Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ă– ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ëž ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă•Ă?Ă?Ăš ×ÙÓĂ?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂ—ĂžĂ’ Ă˜Ă?Ă‹Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ăž Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜

Ě“

lifeissuesfromwithin@yahoo.com ͸΀͸ͽ͝͝Ϳͺ͝ͽ͞

reproductive health problems. All three are can be treated with oral or topical medications. Ă&#x;ĂŒĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă? Ă’Ă?Ă–ĂšĂ?Ă&#x;Ă– For you to enjoy your intercourse, there must be sufficient secretion front your vagina. Therefore, lubrication can help if you are experiencing dryness. Without it, the skin of the labia and vagina can become irritated and chafed, sometimes to the point of breaking. While vaginal lubrication usually occurs naturally during female arousal, some women do not produce enough natural lubricant. In this case, women should use an artificial lubricant to reduce friction and irritation, and to enhance pleasure. It is advised that you use lubricants like KY jelly. Vaseline and related products are dangerous as vagina lubricants they can cause the sheath to break, exposing you to infection. Ă?Ă‹Ăœ Ă?Ù×Ă?Ă™ĂœĂžĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?ÖÙÞÒĂ?

Your vagina should stay clean and dry and you are advised to wear cotton garments.

Certain types of fabrics and styles worn close to the genitals can increase heat and moisture, potentially leading to bacteria overgrowth and infections. Wear cotton underwear during the day, and avoid thongs. Try not to wear tight-fitting cloths like skinny pants, skin-tight underwear and change out of wet swimsuits and sweaty workout cloths as quickly as possible. Ëž ÙÙÎ Ă’ĂŁĂ‘Ă“Ă?Ă˜Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă‹Ă– Common sense can go a long way in protecting the health of your vagina. The direction in which you clean yourself, after passing feaces is very important. After a bowel movement, wipe from front to back to avoid bacterial contamination of the vagina and to lower the risk of bladder infection. Also, after passing urine, clean by just patting your genitals. Do not rub..

Change sanitary pads and tampons regularly during your period. When you’re not having your period, do not use pads or panty liners to absorb normal vaginal discharge; they will keep moisture and warmth near your vagina, which can result in infection.

Your body is very important to you; pay rapt attention to it and to ensure you maintain very good health.

GLOBAL SOCCER A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

Ademola Lookman

A New Striker for Super Eagles?

12.05.2018

TARGETING 100-POINT MARK PAGE. 29

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍşËœ ͺ͸͚΀

A New Striker for Super Eagles?

Ă&#x;ĂšĂ?Ăœ Ă‹Ă‘Ă–Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?ĂœËœ Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă™Ăž Ă™Ă’ĂœËœ ĂŽĂ“ĂŽ Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă’Ă“ĂŽĂ? Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ăž Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ă• Ă™Ă? Ă–Ă?ÞÒËÖ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ“Ă•Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă&#x;ĂšĂ?Ăœ Ă‹Ă‘Ă–Ă?Ă? ĂŽĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă—ËŞĂ? ĂŽĂ™Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă?Ě‹ Ă?ĂŽĂ‘Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ–Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă‘Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă–Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂŒĂ“Ă‹Ëœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?âÞĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă Ă“ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ÞÙ ˊÙÖÎ ĂĄĂ‹Ăœ Ă’Ă™ĂœĂ?Ă?ËŞËœ ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă?Ă—Ă“ Ă‹ĂœĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă™ ĂĄĂ‹Ă? ÒÙåĂ?Ă Ă?Ăœ Ă•Ă˜Ă™Ă?Ă•Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž ĂŒĂŁ Ă“Ă˜Ă”Ă&#x;ĂœĂŁË› Ă’Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜Ě‹ ĂŒĂ™ĂœĂ˜ ÞËĂ?ÞÓĂ?Ă“Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă? ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂ‘Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă˜Ă?âÞ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœËŞĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ăš Ă™Ă? Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂžĂœĂ™ĂšĂ’ĂŁ Ă‹Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă’Ă™ĂšĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ ĂŽĂ™ ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă– Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă™ĂœĂ–ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ăš Ă“Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ë› ÓÞÒ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜ ĚŽĂŒĂ™ĂœĂ˜ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ“Ă•Ă?ĂœËœ ĂŽĂ?×ÙÖË Ă™Ă™Ă•Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ëœ Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă‘Ă‹Ëœ Kunle Adewale ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ?Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă‹Ă˜Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ ÖÙÙÕ Ă“Ă˜ Ă’Ă“Ă? ĂŽĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ ĂŒĂ‹ĂŽ Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă‹

T

Ademola Lookman

hough, Ademola Lookman once turned down an invitation to play for Nigeria, preferring the colours of the Three Lions of England, with Manager Gareth Southgate not looking in his direction for the World Cup, a further push from Nigeria could convince Lookman. Besides, the Nigeria Football Federation President, Amaju Pinnick, had severally indicated his resolve to bring good footballers with Nigerian discents' from all over the globe to play for the national team.

Lookman was in super form as he spearheaded a RB Leipzig 4-1 demolition of Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga last Saturday.

The former England under 21 ace, on loan from the English Premier League side, Everton, opened scorring in the 24th minute of the match after a timely assist from Jean-Kevin Augustin and was again on target in the 52nd minute.

In early 2017, Lookman turned down the opportunity to switch allegiance to Nigeria after an approach from Rohr but was selected in the England under-20 winning team to the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he scored three goals.

Former Nigerian international, Paul Okoku, said it would be a right decision in the right direction if the NFF should make a move to convince Lookman to don the colours of the Super Eagles.

When Everton poached Leicester's head of recruitment, Steve Walsh, last summer, it was easy to understand the logic. The 53-year-old's reputation had hit new heights after he unearthed Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N'Golo Kante to inspire Leicester's title triumph, and Everton were eager to apply the same expertise at Goodison Park.

Idrissa Gueye, Yannick Bolasie and Ashley Williams were the headline arrivals in Walsh's first transfer window as Everton's director of football.

Lookman also arrived from Charlton as a little-known teenager with no Premier League experience. But at ÂŁ10 million, he is the most expensive ever signing from League One. The fee reflects just how highly he is regarded by Everton. A rapid rise into Charlton's first team convinced Walsh that the speedy, skillful little forward could be the next breakout star from the lower leagues, and Ronald Koeman has already described him as an important part of his long-term vision for the club.

Like many of Walsh's best signings, Lookman has had an unconventional route to the top. The jump from League One to Premier League has drawn parallels with Dele Alli's move to

Tottenham. But while Alli was on MK Dons' books from the age of 11, Lookman did not set foot in a professional academy until he was 16.

Charlton U21 coach and former Wimbledon striker, Jason Euell remembers how Lookman came to the club's attention. "It was right at the end of the U-16 year in 2014," he tells Sky Sports.

"The majority of scholarship decisions had already been made, but every year our U-16s play a game against Inner London, an FA side for the best players in south London."

Charlton had received a tip-off about Lookman. The youngster was playing what Euell describes as "innocent Sunday football" for an amateur team called Waterloo FC in the London borough of Lambeth, but he produced a dazzling performance for the county side in front of Charlton's watching coaching staff.

"He had no academy background at all," says Euell. "Sometimes it can happen that a player slips through the net, but we were lucky to already have a relationship with the county and with Waterloo FC. We signed him on a scholarship straight away."

Lookman was drafted into Charlton's U18 side during his first season at the club, scoring 17 goals in 29 appearances as they clinched both regional and national titles. It wasn't long before Premier League clubs started to take note, but Charlton are experts in youth coaching and understood the need to be cautious with his development.

"We knew the talent he had but sometimes it's about taking your time with someone like him," says Euell. "He had been training once or twice a week but he had to get used to every day, professional football while doing his school work."

Lookman was eventually promoted to Euell's U21s, and in November 2015 he made his senior debut in a 1-0 defeat to MK Dons. Charlton's season would end in relegation to League One, but a little over a year on from playing Sunday league football, Lookman took the step up in his stride, scoring five goals in 24 appearances and landing the 2015/16 Championship Apprentice of the Year award.

Lookman's breakthrough was recognised with his first England U19 call-up last May. His outstanding attributes are his pace, dribbling and powerful finishing ability with both feet, but without any professional coaching before he joined Charlton, there were areas of his game which required extra attention.

"There were a lot of things he missed out on, and that was the learning and understanding of the game," says Euell.

"Young lads always say they can play

31

MAY 12, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

GLOBAL SOCCER

Edo Agog as Participants Arrive Benin for Okpekpe Road Race Obaseki restates commitment to successful outing

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Lookman outpaces Plantak of Croatia

football, but then comes the tactical side of it, the game understanding and the decision-making process.

"We didn't want to stop Ademola from doing what he does because that's what makes him special, it was just about getting him to understand when and where to do certain things. At every level, every game is different. He had to learn what was needed from him in and out of possession."

Charlton rejected an offer from Crystal Palace in the summer, but Lookman never lost focus and added seven goals in 25 appearances for Charlton in the first-half of this season. Euell chuckles as he recalls having to drag him off the training pitch at Charlton's Sparrow's Lane headquarters.

That determination to improve should serve him well at Everton.

"He's a great character and everyone else at the training ground would say exactly the same thing," says Euell. "He is just a humble boy who loves his football. He hates being injured and he always wants to do extra work. He just wants the ball at his feet and wants to improve. He's one of those guys who absolutely hates losing."

Charlton manager Karl Robinson only coached Lookman for a few weeks having taken over at The Valley in November, but he described the teenager as an "incredible talent" and a "joy to work with" when the deal was confirmed. Lookman has made a positive impression on just about everyone who has known him, and he heads to Everton hoping for more of the same.

"He called me up to say goodbye," says Euell. "I said: 'Goodbye? It's only a see you later, you're only going up north!' We had a nice chat. I gave him a bit of advice and

G LO B A L S O C C E R ASSISTANT EDITOR KUNLE ADEWALE 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

wished him well." Lookman is still learning, but he has the talent and he has the temperament too. In his new Merseyside surroundings, he might just become Walsh's latest success story.

Born as Ademola Olajade Lookman on October 20, 1997, in Wandsworth, London, to Nigerian parents, he attended St. Thomas the Apostle College in Peckham where he achieved three As and five As at GCSE. Lookman signed for Everton on January 5,2017 for a fee of £7.5m rising to £11m on a four-and-a-half year contract and made his debut for the club 10 days later, scoring on his debut.

He received his first international call up on May 16, 2016 being named in the England U19 squad for a double header against Mexico. He was subsequently named in the England squad for the European U19 Championships the same summer.

In a telephone chat with Okoku from his base in the United States, the St. Finbarrs College of Lagos graduate, who claimed he had been watching the progress of Lookman from his days at Charlton Athletic said it would not be a bad idea if the NFF tries to woo him to play for Nigeria in spite of failing in its first bid.

“I think he is the kind of player that will fit into the style of coach Gernot Rohr. I’m not saying he should just be drafted into the Super Eagles just like that, of course, he would have to earn the national team’s shirt to justify his inclusion. However, the federation should try to further convince him to play for the country of his fatherland and not another country,” Okuku said.

The 1988 Africa Cup of Nations silver medalist pointed out that with the performance of Nigeria in the World Cup qualifier, it won’t be too difficult to convince Lookman as the Super Eagles is set to hoist its flag at the 2018 Mundial in Russia.

“Unpalatable experiences of some Nigerians that had tried to play for England in the past are enough for any Nigerian player to think twice in their choice of country to play for. Moreover, Eagles' good run in the World Cup qualifying rounds is enough to lure any player of Nigeria extraction to play for the country.

"Also, at this time, we need young players that would play for the country for 10 or more years to get to the height of our football and dominate the world stage like what we witnessed during Clemence Westerhof’s era. That is why players such as Lookman is important to the Super Eagles’ project,” the defunct Union Bank of Lagos player said.

ith a few hours to the commencement of the 2018 edition of Okpekpe Road Race scheduled for Saturday, May 12, enthusiasm is at a fever pitch in Edo State, host of the first 10-kilometer International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) silver label road race in Nigeria.

Social and economic activities have witnessed positive spike from the Benin Airport, through the ancient city and to the communities hosting the event, as participants, including Elite and local athletes, sports journalists, sponsors, supporters of the event and dealers in souvenirs arrive the state for the event.

Investigation showed that hotels in Benin City are fully booked and late comers are resorting to smaller lodging facilities in the city while operators of outdoor bars, taxis, guest houses and relaxation spots are counting their gains.

The Okpekpe international 10km road race, currently in its sixth year, is the only road race recognised by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) in Nigeria.

The number of endorsements by corporate organisations has raised the profile of the event, the latest being the Nigerian Breweries Plc. The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, on Friday restated his administration's commitment to a successful race and assured participants of adequate security.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the governor's assurance is coming after he had earlier encour-

aged Edo indigenes and other Nigerians to register and compete in the 10km Road Race because of the inherent benefit of building an army of home-grown longdistance runners to represent the country in similar competitions within the country and overseas.

Obaseki noted that much as the state is happy to play host to athletes from East African countries and other parts of the world, the competition also presents an opportunity for Edo indigenes to prove their mettle and strive to clinch the top prize. “As Nigerians, we are known to never give in easily in contests. So, this competition presents another opportunity for us to put up a challenge and compete to win the top prizes,” the governor said.

According to him, “Edo State is blessed with planes and conditions that can groom people for long-distance races. Highlands such as Somorika Hills can groom athletes to favourably compete in this competition.

It even presents a good training ground for many others who would like to participate.

He added, “The Okpekpe road race is one of our emerging sports and tourism assets and we need to tap from this unique opportunity to build grassroots sports and project ourselves as a welcoming and sports-loving people.”

Describing the backing of Nigerian Breweries as a big boost, spokesman for the race, Dare Esan was quoted as saying that the company is “coming in as a Friend of the Race. It is a massive boost for the image of the race to have a pioneer brewing company support an event in which history will be made on May 12, 2018.”

Organisers finalising preparations for the 6th Okpekpe Road Race

Eguaveon Emerges Winner of Panenka Spot Kick Challenge 2

A

bus driver, Blessing Eguaveon, has emerged winner of the 2nd edition of Panenka Spot Kick Challenge at the iconic Estadio Krypton, Benin City, Edo State.

The event which recorded another memorable spectacle filled with innovative thrills, entertainment and panache, was flagged off by a customary kick-off by the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, HRH Crown Prince Ezelekhae Ewuare.

The Panenka Spot Kick Challenge is a sports reality entertainment show which involves a last man styled penalty challenge between 11 predesignated contestants with the winner parting with the prize money of N100, 000.00.

The penalty kick challenge matched the pre-event hype and audience expectations as the battle to be the last man standing was one filled with suspense, drama, twists and near misses.

The challenge lasted five rounds with one of the notable misses coming from the winner of the first edition, Hassan Akar, making an early exit in the first round. In the end, Eguaveon emerged as the last man standing after five grueling rounds of penalty kicks.

There was no shortage of entertainment as the second episode also saw new innovations such as the fans taking part in football technique contests and quizzes with fantastic prices from sponsors and affiliates.

There were also performances from local dance crews who entertained and delighted the crowd with robust displays amongst other innovations.

Speaking on the success, the founder and head of Team Panenka, Mr. Osahon Austin Aimiuwu expressed satisfaction at both the level of entertainment and increased participation for the event.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍşËœ ͺ͸͚΀

City Target 100-point Mark as Southampton Fights for Survival Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă’Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ Ă—Ă‹ĂŁ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ĂĄĂœĂ‹ĂšĂšĂ?ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ăš ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă? ÞÓÞÖĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ăš Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă™Ă–Ă‹ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă’Ă“Ă? ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă— Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?ÞÓÖÖ ×ÙÞÓà ËÞĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă? ĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ͺ͸͚Ϳ˚͚΀ Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ Ă˜Ă‘Ă–Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽË› Ă’Ă? ÓÞÓäĂ?Ă˜Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?ĂšĂ&#x;ĂœĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă‘Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă—ĂšĂžĂ™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă? ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ ÒÙÚĂ? ÞÙ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ù×Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă“ĂœĂ?Ăž Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ? ÞÙ ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ ÞÒĂ? ÍšÍ¸Í¸Ě‹ĂšĂ™Ă“Ă˜Ăž Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ëž ÓÞ˪Ă? Ă‹ ÞÙÚ̋Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ Ă“Ă Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ăœ

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outhampton head in Sunday's Premier League clash with Manchester City knowing that their top-flight survival will be confirmed should they avoid a heavy defeat against the champions.

However, while the league title has already been wrapped up, Pep Guardiola's team remain motivated to record another victory in order to reach the 100-point mark for the campaign.

Soon after Mark Hughes's arrival at St Mary's, there was an indication that a change in the dugout may not lead to Southampton securing safety in the top flight, but the Welshman deserves huge credit for turning things around on the South-coast.

The demoralising 3-2 defeat to Chelsea - after holding a two-goal advantage - had the potential to leave Southampton accepting that this just was not their season but since the disappointment of that afternoon, eight points have been recorded from four matches.

The goalless draw at Leicester City was not pretty and Hughes was left furious after witnessing his team concede a last-gasp goal at Everton, but the two stalemates have proven decisive in their efforts to stay up.

That has been Hughes's sole objective and although Southampton are yet to mathematically get over the line, the 54-year-old has gone some way to restoring his reputation after a dismal first half of the campaign at Stoke City.

What Hughes must do now is convince his players to turn in one more strong performance. The celebrations at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday night suggested that many associated with the club believe that the job is done and that is a dangerous mindset ahead of welcoming the champions.

As much as Hughes stresses to the press that there will be no complacency, it is more about overcoming the fear of monumental failure and ensuring that conceding one goal does not quickly become three or four, like it did against Chelsea over an eight-minute spell.

The chances are that it will not. Not so long ago, Southampton conceded three goals in four successive matches but just two goals have been shipped in their last four outings in the top flight.

Southampton may have to get on the scoresheet at the other end to ease the nerves but if the team can come through the 90 minutes with their Premier League place still intact, it can lead to a stable future with Hughes at the helm.

With their sole defeats coming in high-scoring clashes with Liverpool and Manchester United, it is a case of what could have been for Manchester City but Guardiola's side remain on course to set a record which may never be broken.

Achieving 100 points over a 38-match campaign would come at an average of 2.63 points per game and given the increasing competitive nature of England's top flight, it is difficult to see any club matching what City are on the brink of achieving this weekend.

Last weekend's goalless draw with Huddersfield Town prevented the North-West giants from reaching as high as 102 points but City still stand to break Chelsea's long-standing record by five points having already scored the most goals in a Premier League season.

Regardless of whether a 32nd success is recorded on Sunday, this City team will forever be remembered as one of the best ever in the history of English football but Guardiola and his players will still hold the desire to cement their legacy in the record books as well as the memories of

supporters.

City earned three points over Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday night and the evening will be remembered for being Yaya Toure's final appearance at the Etihad Stadium in a home shirt, but it will be business as usual on the South coast with Kevin De Bruyne being drafted back into the team.

Mohamed Salah has picked up each of the individual accolades but De Bruyne has been the difference between the title being won at a canter and under pressure from the chasing pack, and the Belgian playmaker deserves a chance to add to his eight goals and 15 assists for the Premier League campaign.

Guardiola may decide to continue with rotating the players who may feature at the World Cup, but the Spaniard will want to end the campaign in the same way that it started at Brighton in August and that is with a win and a clean sheet on the South coast.

Meanwhile, only the most preposterous turnaround can spare Swansea City from relegation on the final Sunday of the Premier League season but if any team can help fashion this mission improbable, it is Manchester City.

While Liverpool and Chelsea contend for the one remaining Champions League spot, Swansea fans are steeling themselves for the most deflating of afternoons at the other end of the table.

For only if the Welsh outfit can beat alreadyrelegated Stoke City at the Liberty Stadium and champions City thrash Southampton at St Mary's to effect a 10-goal swing will the Saints tumble out of the top flight instead of the Swans.

It remains highly unlikely but because rampant City are seeking to underline their record-shredding campaign with a landmark century of points, few Southampton or Swansea fans can quite convince themselves it is over yet.

"We have to be careful. If there is one team in this league who have the capability of scoring a lot of goals, it's Man City," warned Southampton manager Mark Hughes.

Hughes should know. Managing Stoke earlier this season, he saw City rain in seven goals – one of 14 times Guardiola's side have scored four or more in all competitions this term.

Getting the three points on Sunday to finish with exactly 100 clearly means a good deal to the Spaniard, who noted after City's 3-1 steamrollering of Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday that it would "finish this almost perfect season".

Guardiola talked again of "trying to write a new page" in English football to emulate the Liverpool side of the late 1970s and 1980s and Manchester United in the 1990s.

"To be the best, to be alongside those teams, we have to win more," he added. "But (this season) we've done better than the others, we cannot deny."

Indeed, Swansea's manager Carlos Carvalhal can only hopes the champions have one more exceptional 90 minutes in them.

"Well, at this moment we're not relegated," he shrugged.

"We can't depend on ourselves and we don't like that. We must win the game and hope for a miracle to happen."

The "miracle" would not be Man City running riot, it would be Swansea, without a league goal in over six and a quarter hours, actually rousing themselves to hammer Stoke.

The good news for Carvalhal is that the Potters certainly look the most accommodating opposition after a week in which their owners Peter and John Coates admitted the club needed a major overhaul after losing some of its "core values".

In the battle to seal the final top-four spot alongside City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, it's advantage Liverpool, who need just a point at home to Brighton to foil Chelsea.

The only way the Londoners can nick the fourth spot is by winning at Newcastle United and hope Liverpool, perhaps dis-

tracted by the upcoming Champions League final, lose their first league game at Anfield all season.

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Team Man City Man Utd Tottenham Liverpool Chelsea Arsenal Burnley Everton Leicester Newcastle Crystal Palace Bournemouth Watford Brighton West Ham HuddersďŹ eld Southampton Swansea City West Brom Stoke

P 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37

W 31 24 22 20 21 18 14 13 12 11 10 10 11 9 9 9 7 8 6 6

D 4 6 8 12 7 6 12 10 11 8 11 11 8 13 12 10 15 9 13 12

L 2 7 7 5 9 13 11 14 14 18 16 16 18 15 16 18 15 20 18 19

F 105 67 69 80 62 73 35 43 52 36 43 43 44 34 45 28 37 27 31 33

A GD Pts 27 78 97 28 39 78 32 37 74 38 42 72 35 27 70 51 22 60 37 -2 54 55 -12 49 55 -3 47 47 -11 41 55 -12 41 60 -17 41 63 -19 41 50 -16 40 67 -22 39 57 -29 37 55 -18 36 54 -27 33 54 -23 31 67 -34 30

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TODAY Burnley Crystal Palace HuddersďŹ eld Liverpool Man Utd Newcastle Southampton Swansea Tottenham

v v v v v v v v v

Bournemouth West Brom Arsenal Brighton Watford Chelsea Man City Stoke City Leicester

15:00 15:00 15:00 15:00 15:00 15:00 15:00 15:00 15:00

West Ham

v

Everton

15:00

33

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍşËœ ͺ͸͚΀

GLOBAL SOCCER\\OTHER SPORTS

Managing Director Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mauricio Alarcon; Category Manager Beverages, Femi Akintola; Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Youth & Sports, Alhaji Bode Durotoye and winners of the 20 th Milo Basketball Championship , girls category, St Jude Girls Secondary School, Amarata Bayelsa, at the Finals which held at the National Stadium on Thursday 10 th May 2018

L-R: Chief Financial OďŹƒcer, Betking, Morten Foght, Chief Opportunity OďŹƒcer, BetKing, Neil Bothma, CEO, Betking, Byron Petzer, Brand Ambassador, BetKing, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, and Co-founder, Betking, Adekunle Adeniji

Septuagenarian Wins N3m in Sports BetKing with N500

Global Boxing Federation Title

Gifted Cole Goes for Broke against Tuominen Tonight World Boxing Federation Junior Middleweight champion, Nigeria’s Gifted Cole Chiori, will tonight take on Finland’s Teemu Hannes Tuominen in the vacant Global Boxing Federation in Atlanta Georgia in a scheduled 10-round bout.

Chiori promised Nigerians and Africans in Atlanta victory over Touminen, saying he was in top shape for the bout. “After being out of the ring for some time now, I can’t wait to bring back the fire come May 12.

With the kind of rigorous training I have gone through, I should be able to stop him (Touminen) in the third round. I’m not underrating my opponent or being over confident, but I have perfected the strategy to stop him early after watching some of the tapes of his previous fights,� the Ajegunle-born boxer, who is based in the United States, said. “Touminen is a tested boxer and a worthy opponent any day and could be very tricky,� he added.

Cole, whose record stands at

13-0, in a telephone chat with THISDAY from his base in the United States, said he was not intimidated by his opponent, promising to knock him out within three rounds.

The fight which is being promoted by E Butt Promotions and Bishop Entertainment is powered

by Achievas Entertainment.

Chiori defeated German opponent, Tom Reiche, to retain his WBF Junior Middleweight title after he stopped him in the fourth round.

GOtv MAX Cup: Pinnick Lauds MultiChoice on Atletico’s Planned Visit to Nigeria President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has commended video-entertainment company, Multichoice, for its plan to bring LaLiga giants, Atletico Madrid to play in Nigeria.

Pinnick gave the commendation in Lagos on Thursday at a press conference announcing the visit of the team and its participation in the maiden GOtv MAX Cup, saying the invitation of the LaLiga team is further proof of MultiChoice’s contribution to Nigerian football and sports in general.

While in Nigeria, Atletico Madrid

will play the Super Eagles on 22 May at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo. The NFF President described Multichoice as a top-notch organisation, which has raised sporting and broadcasting standards in the country.

"We are very excited about MultiChoice, DStv, SuperSport and GOtv. They have demonstrated high quality in terms of the quality of broadcasting and we are happy to be associated with them. “I have had a personal relationship with them since I was the Chairman

of Delta State Football Association, which was the first state football association to have its matches broadcast live. They are a top notch, five-star organisation. They have done very well for football and sport development generally," he said.

Dignitaries in attendance at the press conference included former Chairman, League Management Company (LMC), Mr. Nduka Irabor, incumbent LMC Chairman and NFF 2nd Vice President, Mallam Shehu Dikko; ex-Super Eagle, Mutiu Adepoju; and LaLiga delegate in Nigeria Javier Del Rio.

Erhamen, Ugiagbe Win Erediauwa/Ologbosere Golf Tourney Waziri Erhamen and Juliet Ugiagbe last Saturday emerged winners at the Prince Erediauwa Aghatise at 60 and Mayer Ologbosere at 50 Birthday Golf Tournament held at the Benin Club Golf Sector course, Benin City.

The tournament organised by golfing friends of Aghatise and Ologbosere featured over 120 players from six golf clubs across the country in honour of the two celebrators’ contributions to the game.

At the end of the competition, Erhamen, handicap seven played a net score of 73 to emerge champion in the men's category ahead of Oscar Iyare, who played 75 net,

while Peace Anuna settled for third place with a net score of 78.

Ugiagbe, current lady captain stepped up her game over the weekend to lift the ladies trophy with a net score of 76 just as the duo of Prof. J. Mokwunyei and Suwadetu Mahmud placed second and third with net score of 76 each respectively, but lost on count back.

Similarly, Osaze Iyare won the best gross awards with 78. Also, Basil Idahosa won the men nearest the pin hole 2 awards while Suwadetu Mahmud won the ladies category. The longest drive hole one award went to Tony West and S. Emina respectively.

Other winners include:

with KUNLE ADEWALE 08111813082

Igbinadolor Jude with 76 net and S. Emina, with 71 net in the guests men and ladies event. The veteran men and ladies went to the duo of Basil Idahosa, while Prince Parry Osayande with 83 net won the super veteran award.

The highlight of the tournament was the presentation of Benin bronze cast trophies and foreign trophies, as well as other fabulous prizes to all the winners and other distinguished guests at the event.

Aghatise expressed joy on the honour bestowed on him and Ologbosere by the golfing friends in collaboration with the t Benin golf club section, which attracted top golfers to the club.

An aged man in Anambra State- Micheal Obiorah, has won three million Naira with just N500 after playing BetKing and has expressed delight as he shared his story with media men.

In his words, “I just believed I could win. See the result now.� He expressed that he has been a sports fan since childhood and when BetKing came to town and called on fearless prediction kings, he was very eager to join the playground for kings.

Michael attributes his success to daring belief in his ability to predict like a king of the game. He talked about the favourable odds as well as the comfort he felt playing at one of the Kingmakers’ shops in in Anambra.

Obiorah expressed gratitude to BetKing for providing a platform that was favorable and efficient especially because he received his winning within 24 hours of making his request.

He talked about how his winning would help him finish long term projects and also promised to keep playing on the platform.

According to the Chief Sam, who manages a BetKing shops in the region, “winnings like this continue to prove BetKing as a royal brand in Nigeria, supporting everyone who wishes to be awinner�, he said.

In the same development, the MD/CEO of BetKing, Byron Petzer said in a statement that BetKing will continue to create endless winning opportunities for fearless prediction kings on the platform.

This win follows a recently reported win of over seven million naira on BetKing and according to a statement from the previous winner, he is busy making serious investments in several parts of Nigeria.

BetKing was launched on February 22, in Lagos, offering online services nationwide and agency services in eight states within Nigeria.

With headquarters in Lagos State, BetKing is working towards a nationwide expansion that places several physical shops across all states in Nigeria. Among the offerings of the company’s services are sports betting, not restricted to football, hockey, cricket, tennis, basketball and more, customised state-of- the-art virtual games including the exclusively designed sports Kings’ League.

International Pairs Golf Championship Goes National In their desire to make the famous International Pairs competition a truly national tournament, the organisers of the International Paris Golf Championship, Falcon Golf Development Company, (FGDC) has introduced regional qualifiers that will culminate in a national final already billed to hold at the highbrow Ibom Golf Resort in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

The Chief Executive Officer of the organising outfit, Remi Olukoya said the decision to make the annual tournament a national event was borne out of the need to accommodate others from all the golf clubs in the country.

To this effect, IBB International Golf & Country Club, Abuja will host golfers from the Northern Region while Lakowe Lakes will host their counterpart from the South West.

Golfers from the South-South and South East region would converge at Port-Harcourt Golf Club for the regional qualifier.

Winners in all the regions and other invited guests would converge at the five-star Ibom Golf Resort for the final that will produce Nigeria’s representative to the finals of International Pairs in Portugal on November 6-10 at the Hotel Penina Golf Resort.

Expected in this year’s edition are the defending champions are, former Governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and his pair, Esosa Ojomo, who will enjoy automatic qualification to the national finals in recognition of their feat last year.

Father O'Connel, St. Jude's Win 20th Nestle Milo Secondary School Basketball Father O'Connel Science College, Minna, Niger State, on Thursday inside the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, emerged winner in the boys’ category of the 20th Nestle Milo Secondary School basketball after out-dunking General Murtala Muhammed College. Yola, Adamawa State, in the final.

In the girls’ category, St. Jude's Girls

Secondary School, AMarata, Bayelsa State, defeated Yejide Girls Grammar School, Ibadan, Oyo State.

St. Augustine's Seminary, Ezzamgbo, Ebonyi State and Government Secondary School, Karu, Abuja placed third in the boys and girls category respectively.

Over 10,274 schools participated in this year’s championship.

According to the Managing Director, Nestle Nigeria, Mr. Mauricio Alarcon, the company has been in the forefront of sports development in Nigeria in the last 20 years. “We have used Milo Basketball Championship and other sports as a metaphor to help children imbibe the values that help them to be successful in life. This is because we believe that sports provide opportunities

for the development of qualities that set the foundations for a child’s future,� Alarcon said.

According to the President of the Nigeria School Sports Federation, NSSF, Mallam Ibrahim Muhammad, Nestle Nigeria has made a landmark achievement in building a bright future for our youths through the development of sports in Nigeria.

34

T HISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍşËœ ͺ͸͚΀

INTERVIEW Lawal Rabana

Omokore Never Stole Any Money, allegation of Stollen $3bn By Osinbajo Misleading Business mogul and Chairman of Atlantic Energy Limited, Mr Jide Omokore, has been in the eye of the storm over a crude oil deal with the federal government, since the Goodluck Jonathan administration. But under the regime of the All Progressives Congress, it is believed Omokore’s name is being further dragged through the mud. His lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, RA Lawal-Rabana, says that the government is wrongly calling a business deal that went awry looting of the treasury. Speaking against the backdrop of the recent repeated claims by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that Omokore colluded with the duo of Kola Aluko and the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Maduekwe, and stole $3bn from Nigeria, Lawal-Rabana in this interview with Bayo Akinloye notes that there is more to the issue than meets the eye

T

he Vice President, Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo, has been consistently alleging that three persons looted the country’s treasury – stole $3bn from the country’s coffers. On Monday, he issued a statement naming the three individuals: Jide Omokore, Kola Aluko and the former Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani (Alison-Maduekwe). As a lawyer to Jide Omokore, what’s your reaction to the latest allegation?

Firstly, I’ve issued a press statement debunking everything the Vice President (Prof. Yemi Osinbajo) had said. Firstly, I don’t know where he got the figure of three billion from –three billion, we are not aware of that. It is not true. The facts and figures are all in court. It is within the public domain.

It is very, very unfortunate that such kind of statement would come from the highest level of the Presidency and it sends a very wrong signal. People need to understand before you accuse people or tag them with fraud or corruption, there must be a conviction.

The general principle we all know or grew up with is that you are presumed innocent (until proven guilty); that is what the constitution says. The 1999 Nigerian Constitution is very clear about it: you are presumed innocent until you are adjudged guilty by the court. So, how can the executive be the accuser and the judge at the same time? And, you don’t prosecute over the pages of newspapers. You don’t prosecute through propaganda. You don’t prosecute through political scheming. It is the judicial process that must be proven beyond reasonable doubt. I am very surprised and shocked that the Vice President’s Office could come out with such a statement.

Are you saying the Vice President made a statement of this nature in an ongoing case in a court of law?

It is ongoing; the prosecuting agency had called six witnesses already, leaving two to be called to close their case. And, it is very unfortunate that he made those comments. It’s even more so that this is a democracy. The rule of law is the kernel of democracy and what is the rule of law? The rule of law is that you respect the rules and laws of the country. If a matter is in court, it becomes sub judice – you don’t comment on it. The intention to (create) bias (in the mind of) the court or to (create) prejudice (in the mind of) the public, is not acceptable and should not be encouraged. And, I am shocked that it is coming from

It is ongoing; the prosecuting agency had called six witnesses already, leaving two to be called to close their case.

And, it is very unfortunate that he made those comments. It’s even more so that this is a democracy.

The rule of law is the kernel of democracy and what is the rule of law?

The rule of law is that you respect the rules and laws of the country.

If a matter is in court, it becomes sub judice – you don’t comment on it. The intention to (create) bias (in the mind of) the court or to (create) prejudice (in the mind of) the public, is not acceptable and should not be encouraged

Rabana

that highest level. If it (statements like that) were coming from prosecutors – maybe police’s rank and file and all that – nobody would blame them. But coming from that level (of the Vice President’s Office), it is quite unfortunate. The matter is ongoing (in the court) and, in fact, we have adjourned to June for the continuation of defence.

So, it’s ongoing and the facts are there.

All the processes filed by the prosecution – the list of their witnesses, etc. – they are all there. They should go and look at it. Where did they get the three billion from?

So, is he just bandying these ďŹ gures about to score political points or what?

Well, unfortunately, that is what it appears to be; because we don’t know.

I have been a part of this case right from the beginning to date. And, all the evidence in court is about $800m of which even my client is still entitled to some portion of it – it is a dispute of what we call cash call. And, what

is cash call? When you lift (crude oil), after deducting all your expenses, whatever is left is shared between you and the NPDC (Nigerian Petroleum Development Company). And, that has been ongoing until we got a report that the operational cost became very difficult and there were some challenges in paying the cash call as and when due. NNPC (the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) itself did not allege fraud. But all it said in a letter written by this same Diezani that they said we had colluded with to loot - to EFCC, please ‘help us recover this outstanding. It is not a matter of litigation.’ The document is there – duly written.

Did you mean the same Diezani accused of colluding with Omokore to steal $3b wrote a letter to EFCC? Yes; she wrote a letter to EFCC inviting EFCC to help them recover the money ($800m). The letter is there – (in) black and white.

Is it that the Vice President is not aware of this fact, or there is more to the misinformation?

I believe he is being misled; he is being given the wrong information.

If he calls for the files, he will see that the letter is there –written by Diezani when she was the minister of petroleum resources. It is this same Diezani that scuttled all efforts to bring in investors to keep the business moving and to repay what was outstanding. It was scuttled by her. So, on what basis will Jide Omokore or Atlantic now collude with her to steal three billion dollars when she was the same person that stood against moving forward in this SA (Strategic Alliance) arrangement? So, it is not true.

What is your next step on this issue since the Vice President appears to be interfering with the court process?

Well, honestly speaking, you have to give it to my client: he didn’t run away.

He didn’t flee the country. Even when

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ÍšÍşËœ ͺ͸͚΀ Ëž THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

FEATURES the court ordered the release of his passport, he said ‘no, I must stay here to clear my name. I’m not a fraudulent person. I am a businessman. And, I have been doing this business long before this SA came on board.’ So, for us, it’s to show the whole world that we are clean and that is why we are focusing on our defence – at the court – to do otherwise will be distractions.

Going to court to sue (for defamation) will be a distraction. We want to focus on our defence and at the end of the day, Nigerians will see that this man (Omokore) never committed any wrong. Also, we have said this several times, it’s a contract. They think there is a breach of contract. We say, yes, if there is a breach of contract, let us reconcile figures. They have done that several times. At the point of payment, this same (former) minister that is being alleged we colluded with would scuttle it, or she would reject outright for one reason or other. It lingered on until when it became difficult for the reconciliation to take place. We have been to arbitration.

What was the outcome of the arbitration?

The arbitration is ongoing. Just to show that even they – the federal government – ab initio knew that this is a breach of contract and your remedy lies in recovery, not tagging it a criminal issue. How do you classify an agreement duly signed by a sitting government through the managing director of NNPC and it has been ongoing? It is not the first, not the second. It has been ongoing. So, at times it baffles me that we cannot draw the line between what is business and politics – trying to portray every transaction as being dubious.

So many oil companies – go and find out – I mean several, it’s not possible to do business without delayed payment of cash calls. The federal government itself even owes people. Go and ask the IOCs (International Oil Companies).

They will tell you that is the practice in that industry. It is not possible to pay as and when due. But over the period you adjust, you conserve and you move on. But this one, the woman was just hell-bent on not allowing the process to continue.

On the basis of what are they now alleging that she colluded with Jide Omokore?

Well, I don’t know. Perhaps, they have some other evidence that we don’t have. But with the evidence at our disposal, there is no collusion between my client, Diezani or (Kola) Aluko. They are the fugitives – they should go and look for them. We are in Nigeria; we have not run away. The man has, every time he was invited by the EFCC, made himself available. So, what next?

Are you not worried that this constant statement by the Vice President might have an inuence on the outcome of the judicial process?

Well, I don’t expect that to happen for two reasons: he is a professor of law; he is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He knows the ethics and traditions of the Bar that when a matter is sub judice – when a matter is in court – you don’t even comment on it so that you don’t prejudice the mind of the court, you don’t interfere with the judicial process (and) then, you don’t set up the public against citizens by publications like that. So, I am very sure that maybe he is being fed with the wrong information. I do not expect a seasoned lawyer and an administrator

Rabana

– who had been an attorney general for eight years – and now sitting on that privileged seat of the Vice President.

There must be caution otherwise it will rub off on the entire system and the entire society. You don’t condemn people on the pages of newspapers so as to score political points. This is a judicial process that is ongoing – allow the judicial process to run through. That is why the law says you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. So, please, I think that it is not right – with all respect to that office – to jump into the public arena and begin to call names as if they are already convicted.

They have alleged in the past that Mr Omokore owns houses in London, the United States, Dubai and that maybe some of these monies were used to acquire those properties. Can you comment on that?

You see, I want you to do some investigative journalism here to find out this man doesn’t have properties in America. The crime office in America came to Nigeria to come and investigate and all they were asking for is the purchase of furniture and some wristwatch items as gifts in a particular shop. Categorically, they said no, they were not investigating him on any property because they were not aware of any property he owns. The United Kingdom crime office also came to Nigeria and wanted to clarify on just one property that the then minister of petroleum resources used to stay in the house. The man said that ‘I wouldn’t know. I have a house in London. I don’t live there. I don’t stay there.’ So, at times, people just keep it open for friends and dignitaries to stay there and they confirmed that – that is the only known property duly registered.

So, all this property was long acquired before (this propaganda). These are seasoned departments known all over the world for their detailed and thorough investigation; not being biased, not being politically motivated. These were all the things they came to ask.

On the two occasions, I was physically present – nothing bordered on money laundering and nothing bordered on the acquisition of properties all over the world. It was just furniture and wristwatch which were clarified.

In the fulďŹ lment of this contract, did Atlantic Alliance ever meet any part of their obligations to the government?

So, all this property was long acquired before (this propaganda). These are seasoned departments known all over the world for their detailed and thorough investigation; not being biased, not being politically motivated.

These were all the things they came to ask. On the two occasions, I was physically present – nothing bordered on money laundering and nothing bordered on the acquisition of properties all over the world. It was just furniture and wristwatch which were clariďŹ ed Yes. Yes, they did. Some monies were paid. The records are there. I can’t remember the figures outright. But some monies were paid. That was why with the success and their track record in the first one, they now gave the second one. And, it was part of the terms and is still in evidence that because of their performance in the first agreement they were given the second one. So, there is evidence of part performance on our part. We do agree that along the line, there were challenges and delayed payment but that is not fraud.

There were records of the movement of the crude, ship with the destination that was delivered and everything.

The records are there exhibited by the same NNPC in court. So, how do you now turn round to now say it was a fraudulent transaction, and that they colluded to defraud the government of Nigeria?

Aside from the strategic alliance entered with Atlantic Energy, were there other such alliances similar to this entered into by the government?

There were. There were quite a good number – even the same document in which Diezani wrote to EFCC listed some of the companies that owed cash calls.

Are those companies also facing trials?

No. They are not facing trials. Some of them, their figures were even higher than that of Atlantic’s. The same document that was written to EFCC listed about four or five of such companies.

Maybe when next we are in court I have the files I will bring out the letter so that Nigerians can see that NNPC itself never complained. But at times you know, in an attempt to justify or to show, you go beyond what you are asked to do. So, I think it has moved to the realm of politics and not genuinely seeking to recover outstanding monies arising from a commercial transaction.

Concerning the outstanding, how was the repayment meant to be

made?

At the end of a specific period, there is reconciliation as to the quantum of crude that had been lifted and the payment was made into a joint account operated by NNPC, NPDC, and the strategic alliance partner. So, it was not money that was supposed to go into the Federation Account. It goes first into that joint partnership account and when all the reconciliations have taken place, then whatever is left is subject to the sharing formula. That money was never paid directly into anybody’s account. No money was paid directly into Omokore’s account or Atlantic’s account. I think the documents are there if they asked for them they would have brought them to court.

It should also be on record that the cash calls that Atlantic was meant to pay were supposed to go into a joint account operated by both NPDC and Atlantic. It is called the JV account.

This account is for the running of those wells, for paying salaries, for training, for work-over programmes, and other incidental costs. It is not meant to go into the government’s revenue account – that is the first thing Nigerians should know. Secondly, every crude that Atlantic lifted it was meant to be part of the recovery of Atlantic’s.

It does not go to the government’s account. It goes to Atlantic’s account.

Atlantic will nominate an off-taker that pays directly into Atlantic’s account.

So, they computed all this crude that was lifted by Atlantic as if it was government’s crude that Atlantic was lifting. That is a false premise – it is not supposed to be so. Whatever they lifted is deemed to be their profit oil.

Really? How come Atlantic has not made this claim known?

It has been said over and over again but people did not understand because of the negative press they (the government) are giving the whole issue, and we don’t always like joining issue (with the government). We believe in the power of the judiciary that things should be done right. You don’t have to join issue with them every time. Let things take their due process. I think when next we are in court I will not mind making available some of these processes so that people can see. It’s a public document – anybody can read and see the terms of the SAA, all the reconciliations made, the agreements reached, the mode of payment, etc.

All clearly set out. There is nothing shady –nothing fraudulent –about the transaction. But unfortunately, any time it’s that fraud, corruption, stealing. Is it possible to go and steal crude oil? Crude oil that is recorded by all the appropriate organs – it takes three months before they move out?

And, even the destination is recorded; it’s not bunkering on the high sea.

It is recorded, ship movement, ship number, ship destination, the location of delivery; they are all in a chart for everybody to see. So, I don’t understand what is going on. My plea is that we should not play politics with everything. Things go wrong genuinely based on the challenges faced by the ordinary Nigerian businessman.

Somewhere along the line, you hit the rock. But that does not make you a criminal, a fraudulent or corrupt person. You hit the rock, you hit the rock and you find a way of getting out of it.

What caused these challenges – was it the drop in oil prices?

There are so many factors which I may not be able to delve into now –most of them are operational reasons.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍşËœ ͺ͸͚͜

FAIRGROUND

Lagos on Path to Become Africa’s Brightest Tourism Destination

with

AZUKA OGUJIUBA

azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

G

overnor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has revealed that the state is on the path to becoming the biggest and brightest destination for tourism and entertainment in Africa.

TheGovernormadethisknown at the 2018 Lagos Tourism Summit held at Eko Hotel and Suite, Victoria Island, Lagos, recently.

The summit, with the theme Destination Lagos: Towards a Sustainable Tourism Economy, was an avenue to collate resourceful suggestions, ideas and experience as content for tourism roadmap in Lagos State.

Ambode declared that the tourism sector contributed $2.2 billion to the state’s Gross Domestic Product and with the infrastructure and resources being deployed in the sector, the target is to double or triple it in the next five years. “The enormous resources we have deployed in the physical and social infrastructure across the state will begin to crystalise by December into mega structures that will support tourism and market our state as a smart destination.�

He also noted that his administration has placed tourism as core aspect of its growth strategy, adding that a solid foundation for the continued prosperity of Lagos is paramount.

Speaking further, the governor disclosed that the strategic plan for tourism progress would focus on six sectors including; culture and heritage, film, art and entertainment, business tourism, nature and adventure, medical and wellness, beach and leisure. The Governor stated that this is one of the legacies his administration aimed to bequeath to Lagosians. “We are humble enough to draw enough inspiration from what cities like Miami, Sao Paulo, Dubai, Singapore and Tokyo are doing with Tourism and we see how African cities like Cape Town, Cairo, Marrakech and Accra have drawn attention to themselves as tourism havens of varying degree, he said.

Speaking at the event, the former Ghanaian President, Mr. John Mahama affirms that Lagos truly can become the Tourism hub of Africa having taking into cognisance the overwhelming infrastructure and human development being witnessed in the state.

He added that Africa, as a continent, has the potential to arrest the attention of the world by creating and investing in its abundant natural and historical edifies adding that adequate and strategic reform is needed to achieve such dream.

While delivering his good will message, the Minister of information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed harped on the relevance of infrastructure and service delivery as key potentials to boost the tourism sector.

The summit witnessed the convergence of local and international stakeholders, professionals, leading academics, scholars and researchers in the tourism, culture and entertainment industry and media practitioners deliberating on the master plan for Lagos Tourism development.

Chief (Mrs.) Nike Akande & Mr. Folorunsho

L-R: Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, HE John Dramani Mahama, Mr Steve Ayorinde, Chief Demola Seriki & others at the exhibition stand...recently

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode

Prof. Ibukunoluwa Ayodele

Erelu Abiola Dosunmu

Mr Kehinde Bamigbetan & Mr Babatunde Adejare

Bashorun Dele Momodu , Mr. Demola Seriki & Sunmi Smart Cole

Adebayo Salami and Jide Kosoko

Prince Dapo Adelegan and Wanle Akinboboye

Paul Onwuanibe, MD of Landmark Event Centre, Lola Shoneyin and Mo Abudu

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍşËœ ͺ͸͚Ϳ

37

Jude Ngaji

Portrait of a Political Turk with Heart of Gold A scion of the Senator Greg Ngaji political family from Yala in Cross River State, Jude Ngaji is charitable, unassuming. He is ambitiously eyeing the big picture as Ugochukwu Aliogor reports

S

o far, so good. But then, when challenges come, what matters is the attitude displayed towards them.

For Jude Ogbeche Ngaji, life is like a river clear, fast and in constant flow, with everyone desiring a drink from it.

Right from his college and university days at Mary Knoll College, Ogoja and University of Uyo, Ngaji’s life has taken the pattern of a fast-flowing river, demonstrating that the act of giving should be a continuous process of circulation that stretches the flow of the human energy.

For over two decades, the philosophy of this young herald of hope has been premised on the understanding that for one to receive, someone else has to give; the latter role he has long assumed.

Weaned on the diet of love, care and compassion, Jude had early in life cultivated the art of charity, care and empathy for the less fortunate around him. Call it his destiny, if you like. Truth is, it has remained his passion and a ministry he has since been running with it. A chip off the old block, Jude’s compassion for the vulnerable has its tendrils from his father, Senator Greg Ngaji, one-time senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

As a member of the upper legislative chamber from 2003 to 2011, testimonies still swirl attesting to Greg’s humanity.

According to several of the senator’s beneficiaries who tapped from his milk of kindness, you never went back the same way you visited Senator Greg in Abuja. He would guarantee your comfort and ensure a fitting return home. His kindness was indeed that legendary. And like a family heritage, Jude has since been touching lives, restoring hope and putting smiles on the hitherto forlorn faces of the less privileged.

Seen by many as an iroko among shrubs, Jude is a medley of many things and different things to different people.

As one time Organising Secretary of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jude ensured a coordinated and collaborative effort that led to howling successes of the party’s activities.

Graduating from the position of the organizing secretary to Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Liyel Imoke, Jude earned his stripes to later become the substantive Chief of Staff to Governor Imoke in the twilight of that administration.

He has been the state security adviser since the coming of the administration of Governor Ben Ayade. A young man with an insatiable appetite for learning, Jude, following his graduation from the university quickly proceeded to the Federal University of Technology, where he bagged a master’s degree in Marketing Technology.

Currently studying Law at the University of Calabar with a PhD admission in International Relations in the kitty, Jude has undergone several foreign security training spanning the Dubai Police Academy, where he emerged the best student of his set, as well as Enforcement and Regulatory Management at Harvard University, USA.

Jude Ngaji

As member of the upper legislative chamber from 2003 to 2011, testimonies still swirl attesting to Greg’s humanity. According to several of the senator’s beneficiaries who tapped from his milk of kindness, you never went back the same way you visited Senator Greg in Abuja.

He would guarantee your comfort and ensure a fitting return home. His kindness was indeed that legendary. And like a family heritage, Jude has since been touching lives, restoring hope and putting smiles on the hitherto forlorn faces of the less privileged To several who have crossed paths with Jude, they have varied accounts of his personality: as then chief of staff, he was without airs and graces and operated an open door policy that ensured an unfettered access to his office. His office and house were a Mecca oas many people milled around for one

favour or the other. A father of two, and a cross bearer for the abandoned and the poor; a man of charity and compassion, while drawing on the art of giving and sharing, Jude is usually roused by the plight of those with an uncertain tomorrow.

A man with a sunny heart, Jude radiates a ray of light through the cloudy world of society’s most neglected and forgotten species as they struggle through the storms and turmoil of their uncharted and uncertain future. As an uncommon gift to his generation, the State Security Adviser is widely seen as a radiant and compassionate beacon of hope, a twinkling instance of what it means to care and the necessity and joy of sharing the suffering of others.

Having accepted the evangelism of charity as his divine lot, Jude has been playing the role of a “father to the poor,� a symbol of compassion to the homeless, hope to the hopeless in the entire five council areas of the Northern Senatorial District of Cross River State.

In fact, as a way of sharing in the core misery of the poorest of the poor and the very vulnerable in the state, the former Chief of Staff has, through his various mitigating and intervention initiatives like the Ikaba Ngaji Foundation, been offering succour to the sick and many others afflicted with sundry ailments.

For instance, in January this year, as part of his commitment to assisting patients who cannot pick up their medical bills, Jude personally undertook a tour of two hospitals, the Roman Catholic Mission (RCM) and the General Hospitals in Ogoja respectively, and settled the medical bills of well over a hundred patients across the various wards of the two hospitals.

On the same day, food items as well as beverages were donated to the mother-

less homes in Ogoja.

Without prior information about his visit, mammoth crowd of supporters from Bekwarra, Obanliku, Obudu, Ogoja and Obanliku, bearing different banners had thronged Igoli, the council headquarters of Ogoja to receive the young humanist.

Similarly, over 3,000 people from the five local government areas of the northern part of the state had equally benefited from eye treatments and surgeries sponsored by the former PDP organising secretary. As well as people with eye-related conditions ailments, there are presently a large number of patients in different Indian hospitals under the auspices of Ikaba Ngaji Foundation, a nongovernmental organisation, with Jude as chairman.

Coordinator of the foundation, Mr. Tony Idagu said since the establishment of the foundation, over half a million people have been touched in one way or the other, noting that Jude is ready to sacrifice everything he has to bring wellness to the teeming populace in the northern part of the state and others outside the zone.

Interestingly, as his humanity continues to resonate all across the five council areas, there is increasing pressure on the young Turk to assume higher political responsibility by running for the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. There has been a huge clamour from sundry support groups across the length and breadth of the five local government areas of Bekwarra, Obanliku, Obudu, Ogoja as well as Yala, persuading the State Security Adviser to have a go at the senate.

Coming under different names such as Generation Next; Team Jude; The Eagle Squad; Judified; King Jude; Ladies for Jude, among others, the support groups have taken it upon themselves to print T-shirts, face-caps, banners, handbills, if anything, to underscore their unflinching commitment and seriousness to the “Jude for the Senate� project which they insist, they are ready to give their all to actualise.

The position of the groups, according to Justin Isorji and Peter Ikpen Ilefa, is that the time has come to have a more vibrant and younger representative with fresh ideas in the Senate. To further reinforce their belief in Jude, the groups are ready to poll resources to pick up nomination form for him, even as they threaten to drag him to court, should he decide otherwise.

While Jude is yet to respond to the popular clamour to aspire to the Senate, he is to the youth, a senator who is awaiting a formal inauguration on May 29, 2019. The youth have thrown a challenge, and the ball is now in Jude’s court.

For Jude, there seems to be a tide in his affairs, which, taken at the flood, might lead on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of his life could be bound in shallows. On such a full sea is he now afloat. It is either he takes the current now that it serves or lose his ventures. This, the youth can ill-afford.

For them, it is Jude or nobody else.

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͰ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

38

MAY THANKSGIVING AND LAST DANCE SERVICE

LASTING THEME:

CHANGE 7:30AM

SUNDAY TH

13 MAY, 2018

(ONE SERVICE)

CITY OF DAVID SANCTUARY

COD CHURCH ROAD, OFF LIGALI AYORINDE STREET, VICTORIA ISLAND EXTENTION, LAGOS

LAST DANCE TESTIMONIES BACK PAIN DISAPPEARS AFTER LAST

FAVOUR AFTER LAST DANCE

DANCE

Following a three year irregular payment of rent in

LAST DANCE

I thank God for the salvation of my soul. On Sunday,

one of my properties and an existing health problem

I had been praying to God for a life partner since

June 12, 2016, I came to church with a serious back

at that time, I decided to put up the property for sale.

2008. Amongst my friends, they thought I would be

pain. I read a testimony in the bulletin of someone

The managing real estate agent said some houses

the first to get married but God wanted to give me

who had been healed of excruciating back pain after a

had been put up for sale for years in that area and had

what I deserved. At May 2016 Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Service. I keyed into the testimony and

no buyers. I instructed him to anoint the gate of the

Service, I decided not to ask God for anything but

told God to do the same for me. To the glory of God, I

house. Miraculously, after September 2015 Last

just thank Him for my marriage. When the song

am now pain free. O.O

Dance, the tenant moved out on his own and three

PROVISION OF A LIFE PARTNER AFTER

buyers surfaced within two weeks, one of whom

"Everybody lookulooku, see what the LORD has done for me", and "Everything na double" was sang, I raised my hand as if I was showing the world my

bought the house with a good return on investment.

PROVISION OF A NEW JOB AFTER LAST

engagement finger, smiling and dancing like I

DANCE

already had the ring on. To the glory of God, I am

I believed God for a better job and had prayed about

now engaged, and with a ring, already planning my

it for some time. During the Last Dance, while

wedding. I give God all the praise! O.T.

dancing and singing, I imagined myself receiving my offer letter. To the glory of God, few days later, I received a call to come pick up my offer letter with a package that was three times better than my current salary. God has been faithful, all glory to His name.

E.E

God is awesome! U.O.

DELIVERANCE AFTER LAST DANCE I give God all the praise for His faithfulness upon my baby. For a while, she had difficulty with sitting. I did the Last Dance in the month of April 2016 and God answered me. She can now sit for a very long time without falling. Praise the LORD! E.A.

T H I S D AY ˾ SATURDAY MAY 12, 2018

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹ͺ˜ ͺ͸͹΀

͹ͺ˜ ͺ͸͹΀ ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 12, 2018

THE ALTERNATIVE with Reno Omokri Osinbajo’s Lost Opportunity to Speak for the Church of Christ

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now understand why #BringBackOurGirls co-founder, Aisha Yesufu, said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is the greatest disappointment in Buhari’s government of fake change. Come to think of it, President Buhari, whose school leaving certificate is in doubt, may be forgiven for his cluelessness. But can the same be said about Osinbajo, purportedly a PhD and Senior Advocate of Nigeria?

In his book, The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri said: “The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who in time of moral crisis preserve their neutrality.”

Alighieri could have as well been writing about our Vice President. Osinbajo’s cluelessness and callousness have been legendary, but let me mention a few instances in which Nigerians have been heavily disappointed by Osinbajo’s silence at critical times in the nation’s history.

Osinbajo DID NOT speak when: 2 Catholic priests and 17 parishioners were killed by herdsmen in Benue When 73 Benue people were mass murdered on New Year’s Day When Leah Sheribu was not released because of her faith When radicals killed evangelist Eunice Elisha When Eunice Agbahime was beheaded by fundamentalists in Kano, or When herdsmen killed a Catholic seminarian and 12 other people in Enugu The curious thing though is that if you dare speak against President Buhari and his fallacious government, Professor Yemi Osinbajo will SHOUT. He also attacks former President Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party as if they are the major reason why his party has underwhelmed Nigeria.

Even when radicals killed Eunice Elisha, a fellow Redeemed Christian Church of God pastor, Osinbajo said NOTHING. Is it Leah Sheribu that he will now speak up for?

Osinbajo is too busy reducing himself to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission’s spokesman to notice that under Buhari, the Nigerian Church is facing the worst attack in its history!

In a 48-page report titled, “Crushed but Not Defeated: The Impact of Persistent Violence on the Church in Northern Nigeria,” Open Doors, the non-profit group, revealed that 13,000 churches have been destroyed in the ongoing jihad by radicals in some parts of Nigeria.

This statistic ought to have shocked Vice President Osinbajo out of his reverie, but it seems nothing can stop the Vice President’s hero worshipping of his fallen angel, Muhammadu Buhari.

To show Nigerians the hypocrisy of Osinbajo, he keeps accusing the Jonathans of corruption, yet only this year, his own daughter, Oludamilola Osinbajo, got married to Bola Shagaya’s son. This same Bola Shagaya was accused of corruption by the EFCC last year. This same Bola Shagaya’s account was frozen. Google it. Do not take my word for it. Have Nigerians heard anything about her case after the marriage of her son, Seun, to Oludamilola Osinbajo?

Buhari Osinbajo’s loyalty to Buhari would appear to be more total than his loyalty to Christ. Jesus told us to speak up for the weak and voiceless. Who can be as weak (in body, but not in faith) and voiceless as Leah Sheribu.

Everyday Osinbajo keeps speaking in defence of Buhari.

Why can’t he lend his voice to also speak up for Leah!

Elsewhere, I have said that the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, should remember what Mordechai told Esther.

Let me paraphrase it for him: if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for Christians in Nigeria will arise from another place....And who knows but that you have come to your Aso Rock position for such a time as this?

Buhari has defended his killer herdsmen kinsmen. He has come up with policies like Cattle Colony for them.

He has placed them in all the sensitive positions in the security services. When will Osinbajo speak up for Christians? What shall it profit Osinbajo if he shall gain the whole Aso Rock and lose his soul?

To show Nigerians the hypocrisy of Osinbajo, he keeps accusing the Jonathans of corruption, yet only this year, his own daughter, Oludamilola Osinbajo, got married to Bola Shagaya’s son. This same Bola Shagaya was accused of corruption by the EFCC last year. This same Bola Shagaya’s account was frozen. Google it.

Do not take my word for it. Have Nigerians heard anything about her case after the marriage of her son, Seun, to Oludamilola Osinbajo?

Officials of the Buhari government have taken their cue from both the President and his vice and have showed the most cluelessness.

For instance, in Nigeria under Buhari, it is easier to count the days when herdsmen do not kill Nigerians than to count the days when they do. Killings are so rampant that the most profitable profession in Nigeria is fast becoming grave digging. Does the IGP care?

He can’t even respect the Senate. His boss can’t even discipline him.

When herdsmen killed 73 Benue people, Buhari implored Benue people to forgive and said, “I ask you in the name of God to accommodate YOUR COUNTRYMEN.” Later on, Buhari told the world that these herdsmen are foreigners from LIBYA and other places. So which is it? Are they our ‘COUNTRYMEN’ or FOREIGNERS? Or is Buhari CONFUSED? In fact, the summary of three years of Buhari is that he has made himself a BRAND AMBASSADOR for: · Recession ·Herdsmen killing ·Nepotism ·Naira devaluation, and ·Blame game Going further, Buhari’s solution to Nigeria’s economic challenge is:

Osinbajo BLAME Jonathan His solution to Nigeria’s security challenge is: BLAME Gaddafi The administration’s solution to youth unemployment has been to: BLAME lazy Nigerian youths Therefore, Nigerians have devised a solution to their Buhari problem: BLAME Buhari with your PVC and send him #BacktoDaura!

In fact, when you open a dictionary to check the meaning of BLAME GAME, you should see a picture of Buhari!

That is why I was surprised when the Buhari administration banned codeine and tramadol in Nigeria. Why stop there? Why not go the whole hog?

The APC has been a worse epidemic on our country than the codeine and tramadol abuse afflicting our youths. Did you hear of this drug abuse on such a large scale under the PDP? It is because people have lost hope. Instead of closing Emzor that provides jobs, Nigeria should close down APC that loses jobs.

And between Buhari and our economy I honestly do not know who is more unhealthy. Both rely on foreigners to survive. Buhari depends on foreign doctors and our economy depends on foreign loans. Our President goes to London for medicine. His finance minister goes there to beg and borrow!

Let me warn that with the resurgence of Ebola in DRC Congo, Nigerians should pray it does not get to Nigeria because unlike the previous government that acted fast to contain Ebola, if it comes now, this administration does not have the capacity to contain it. Their likely response will be to blame DRC or even Jonathan and the PDP. This is no joke. Remember that they blamed herdsmen on Gaddafi, and blamed their inability to initiate, start and finish any project in three years on Jonathan. Ebola does not respect propaganda.

It will ravage Nigeria if it gets here under this regime that cannot accept responsibility for anything.

Reno’s Nuggets Don’t let satan use the media to fool you. Being sexy is not a compliment. Being sexy has no bearing on beauty, brains or character. It just means that you look suitable for sexual intercourse. God did not create women to be sexy. God created women to be lovely.

Exude love instead of exuding sex. That is why we are humans, not animals. Sexy women are attractive to men looking for sex. But VIRTUOUS and lovely women attract men looking for life partners. You shouldn’t pray to God for a husband, then use your sexy dressing to scare away the answer to your prayer from you #RenosNuggets.

MAY 12, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

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FASHION FILE

Ekaz Signatures

After Harmattan’ 2019 collection

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FASHION FILE

Ekaz Signatures

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he creative director of Ekazsignatures, Shirley Ukpaka unveils its ‘After Harmattan’ collection featuring rap artiste and former BBNaija 2017 Star, Marvis.

The collection is about renewable fashion; it highlights the need to control the environmental effects of fast fashion in the fashion industry, where tones of unused or outdated textiles could be dumped in landfills, creating huge environmental waste that affects humans, plants, structures and weather patterns.

This collection reawakens the need to renew previous fabric designs by reinventing vintage Intorica George fabrics or plaids into modern wearable designs thereby promoting recycling and waste reduction.

It is a call to care more about the impact of fashion on the environment!

The photo shoot took place at Aleke, Ikorodu and Lekki gardens, Ajah lagos, in April 2018 by the creative team below: Designer: @ekazsignatures Dress worn by Models: Marvis Nkpornwi @therealmarvis Sylvia Najomoh @bantasyl Onimoyosola Adebola Bukunola Dosunmu Alero Uwanogho Stylist: Labam Careen Mbulaf @missylabby4mcarla Props: Olaoye Anuoluwapo Photography: @ifeoluwaar Make-up Artist: @bantasyl; @bukunola_d Please find the photos attached.

For more enquiries please contact: Creative Director: Shirley Ukpaka Company: Ekaz Signature Creations

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 12, 2018

By Azuka Ogujiuba azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY ˾ SATURDAY MAY 12, 2018

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TRIBUTE Fela Durotoye@47

Celebrating a Generational Shift Campaigner Adetokunbo Olufela Durotoye, leadership coach, corporate trainer and presidential aspirant on the platform of the Alliance for New Nigeria, ANN, clocks 47 today which interestingly, is his wedding anniversary. Adedayo Adejobi writes on the milestone, his thoughts, and ideas on leadership.

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s the saying goes: ‘You can never miss what you’ve never had’. I am really grateful for the quality of the relationship I have with my sons; Mobolurin, Demilade, and Morolaoluwa. They are my best friends and I have always believed that by the time they get married, I would have three daughters added to my family. Since my daughters-in-law will carry my name forever, all I have to do is to be patient and wait for my three daughters to arrive when my sons get married. Having waited so long, you can understand when I say I will be the best father-in-law ever. My wife feels so special being the only girl in our home.

All four of us pamper her so much and give her all our love.�

These were the words of Fela Durotoye, leadership coach and corporate trainer as well a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Alliance for New Nigeria, ANN. FD, as his friends and admirers call him, is 47 today and the day also marks the 17th anniversary of his wedding to his wife Tara, owner of House of Tara Beauty Centre in highbrow Lekki, Lagos.

Fela is a father of three boys and he believes even his wife is not the ‘odd woman’ out among three ‘men’. To me, she is always pampered and she is very loved and that is why he believes that when his sons get married, There won’t be clinking of glasses. There will not also be popping of champagne.

When THISDAY asked him earlier in the week how he would celebrate his birthday, he said there wouldn’t be any celebration.

Rather, he would be doing what he usually does every year. And this involves going somewhere private with his sweetheart and reminisce about the state of the nation.

Durotoye said the nation needs the younger generation more than ever before.

To him, the raw energy the youth has makes it possible for them to devote time and that

Fela Durotoye

energy to building the country. Alluding to a music video playing on the television.

To Durotoye, the music video is a metaphor of the Nigerian situation.

According to him, if young Nigerians are given the chance to govern the country, the creativity and energy deployed in music videos indicate the high level of creativity that can be brought to governance. “If we are given the chance to lead the country, I don’t mean lead the country, but rule the country, that is the kind of creativity we would bring into governance,� Durotoye told THISDAY. “We keep talking of how Nigeria developed in the 60s and 70s. That should not surprise us.

These men, who have refused to let go of leadership, or do I say rulership, were young then and they were full of energy and also full of ideas. That was why they were able to achieve much then because those were their best productive years. All they need right now is to let go of leadership and let the younger generation try their own leadership energy. The creativity you saw in that video will be replicated in governance.�

That is a profound analysis. And thank God, Durotoye has thrown his hat into the ring. He wants to become president. He has already joined the Alliance for New Nigeria, ANN. To him, the desire to serve stems

from the belief that Nigeria could be made the most desirable nation on earth by the year 2025. Tall dream you would say going by present realities but that is not with Durotoye. His raw energy and self-belief can be effervescent at times. Even when you tell him the odds are stacked against him going by the entrenched interests that have held the nation by the jugular since independence, Durotoye would tell you it is because Nigeria has always been ruled and not led.

He added, “The apparent failure in leadership of our country comes from a rulership system that has over the years produced rulers rather than leaders. I believe that leaders are role models of excellence and integrity whose lives are worthy of emulation. True leaders have the ability to create and deliver desired results, desired outcomes and a desired future for all. In other words, Leaders make people, places and things better while rulers make people, places and things worse over time.�

Speaking further, Durotoye said through the nation’s history, there has always been emergence of rulers in positions of authority instead of leaders in positions of service. “Rather than serve the people, rulers consider the people as their subjects who are meant to serve them and their interest. Rulers use the power of their position to oppress and make things difficult for their subjects (the people). Rather than royal fathers, the system produced traditional rulers and afterwards, colonial masters who never came to serve the people, and thereafter, military rulers who came as overlords to oppress the people. And from military rule, we’ve experienced political rulers in a democratic framework.�

To him, true leaders make the lives of the people better; rulers make the lives of the people bitter. He pointed out, “As long as we do not replace the system of rulers, we will continue to experience the so called failure of leadership. The system is the problem.�

Tribute to An In-Law, and a Caring Mother Paul Ejime

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t is common place to hear complaints about mothers-in- law, even among young mothers, who aspire to become mothersin- law themselves. In fact, there is a story about a man, whose relationship with the mother-in- law was so bad. The family had gone on a holiday to Jerusalem, where the mother-in- law, unfortunately passed on.

Given two options of either burying her in the holy land at a comparatively cheaper funeral cost or taking her body back home to a distant continent for burial at a much higher cost, the son-in- law surprisingly went for the more expensive option. His explanation was that a Man, (apparently referring to Jesus Christ), had died and was buried in the holy land some 2,000 years ago, only for him to rise from the dead after three days! The son-in- law had had enough of his mother-inlaw, and would not have anything to do with her, not in this world, and even in the world to come!

This might be an allegory, but the roles often depicted by the Mama Gees of Nigeria’s Nollywood typify the figure of these dreaded mothers-in- law. But I am blessed that my experience is different. Mrs Dorothy Andrea Enweazu Nwakunor (Nee Elumeze), was not just a mother-in- law that most would cherish, she was a true mother to me. Unlike the man cited in the story above, if money was the issue, “Mama di Mama,� as we fondly called her, would be with us today.

A loving, generous and wonderful mother, wife, aunty, colleague, community leader, a trusted friend and virtuous woman, famous for her philanthropy and big heart for the poor, Mama passed on to eternal Glory on 6

Late Andrea Enweazu

th April, 2018, after a brief illness, at the age of 82. We love her but God loves her most. I could write a voluminous book on Mama’s godliness and goodness, over the 30 years that I knew her, including the period of my courtship with her daughter, my wife, Chionyeedue, my God’s gift and jewel of inestimable value.

It all started as “a talk by three prospective suitors,� who felt it was time for them to settle down. With my first car (1985), a Subaru 1800 saloon, the three of us, embarked on the adventure on that fateful evening that would result in my blessed marriage. Escorted by a

relative who knew the Nwakunors, and who had often joked with Mama that “one of my brothers will marry this, your daughter, who is very respectful, hard-working and wellbehaved.� Talk about a good seed, bearing good fruits!

I had packed the car a reasonable distance to the then residence of my in-laws- to-be in Surulere, Lagos. But in spite of the fact that our visit was unannounced, the hospitality Mama showered on us lingers in our memory till date.

Before the visit, young charming Chionyeedue, had nothing other than her education and the possibility of going to a Convent to become a reverend Sister on her mind. But the all-knowing God has better plans for us. As we exchanged pleasantries during the visit, our chemistry was infectious and our two hearts connected. One thing led to another and the rest, as they say is history.

Mama will always remain in our hearts for her invaluable guidance and support. To the Glory of God, my wife and I will be 30 years next September in a union that continues to receive and unleash abundant Divine Blessings.

It is time to celebrate Mama. A retired officer of the Nigerian Customs Service, Mama di Mama and her husband, the late Engineer M.B.O. Nwakunor, were equally blessed with children, my amiable in-laws, whom they spared no effort to bring up with great discipline and good education.

As newlyweds, my wife and I learnt teachable life lessons from Mama, who called and treated me as her son. From her, we learnt several secrets that have made our marriage exemplary, anchored on God’s grace and foundation. For instance, Mama

taught us very early in our marriage to avoid the pitfalls associated with exposing a marriage to third-party influence. Consequently, our two families are so closely-knit that in my wife, I see Mama’s legacy of a home-builder, a peace-maker, a godsend wife, and a gifted marriage counsellor. From Mama, we also picked up a key lesson in parenting – always correct your children with love and pray for them at all times.

As the only child of her mother, in the large family of Chief Francis Okonjo Elumeze of Ishekpe Quarters, Ogwashi-Uku, Headquarters of Aniocha South Local Government Council of Delta State, Mama epitomised industry, hard work and selfless service. She radiated love and care and touched many lives. While Mama showered all with love, she never condoned indiscipline or injustice.

Our Mama di Mama will be greatly missed, especially her prayers. My wife is inconsolable, that her best friend and confidant, has gone. But we take comfort that Mama lived a fulfilled life and has joined her beloved husband in the bosom of the Lord.

Survived by many children, grand-children and great-grand- children, Mama will be laid to rest at the Nwakunor Family Compound in Azungwu Quarters, Ogwashi-Uku on 18 th May 2018, after a wake and funeral service.

Please join us in celebrating the life of our Woman of Honour, who having completed her Divine Mission here on Earth, has gone to Heaven to meet Our Creator, Who has HIS PURPOSE and the BEST PLANS for our lives!

Adieu Mama di Mama, Iya Paul, Iya Nnamdi, Iya Angie, Iya Sussan (Pinky) and Mother to Many, rest in Perfect Peace! *Ejime is an International Media & Communications Specialist

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TRIBUTE

Mary Odili: Celebrating a Woman of Steel and Talent Ifeanyi Omokwe

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oday Saturday May 12, 2018, Mary Ukaego Odili is 65. I am sure as you read this many of her friends, admirers and those she had inspired by her brilliant career in the judiciary across the country are planning birthday celebrations for this legal icon.

Mary is one of the few women in the Nigerian Bench that need no introduction. And this is not just because she is the wife of Peter Odili who served as Governor of River State from 1999 to 2007. But she is even better known and respected for her professional accomplishments.

Mrs Odili became a Justice of the Supreme Court on May 3, 2011, representing the South-South geo-political zone. This is a position only the best on the bench attain, and one which only few women in the country were able to attain before their retirement.

But before sitting at the apex court, she had held several important positions on the bench. She commenced her career in the judiciary as a Magistrate grade III in November 1978, and rose to the position of high court judge by 1992.She had also held the offices of Justice, Court of Appeal, Abuja Division and Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Kaduna Division.

Inspired by her father- Eze Nzenwa –who trained and worked as a lawyer in the United Kingdom before returning to the country, Mrs Odili chose to study law at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. In her second year at the university she earned a scholarship for maintaining the second class upper division league with higher scores. In 1976, she graduated with an LLB (Hons) and was rated the best student of the department of commercial and property law.

But getting to the top in the judiciary requires not just brilliance, but a shining integrity that inspires confidence in the justice system. Mrs Odili must be celebrated for having both qualities in abundance. Not only has her talent propelled her to the top of her chosen career, but she has remained a shining example of exemplary professionalism in

Mary Odili the bench.

In an era where judges have come under intense scrutiny by anti-graft agencies in the country, it is a thing of joy and one that inspires hope in the judiciary, that a justice of the Supreme Court who is also the wife of a politician has remained stainless and sparkling.

Her husband, as a former governor, has been in and out of court for one reason or the other. But at no time has Mrs Odili’s name been linked with any attempt to subvert the course of justice either for her husband or for his political associates.

On one or two occasions, some desperate political forces in Rivers State had attempted to smear her glittering career robe but failed woefully. They sponsored media reports that she attempted to bribe some judges sitting on the Rivers State election petition case against Governor Nyesom Wike. But the allegation was unsubstantiated.

Despte the temptation of the limelight,

Mrs Odili stuck to the conservative tradition of her calling and remained almost self-effacing even as First Lady of Rivers State. In a turbulent political environment as Rivers, it is amazing how she managed to remain above the fray and out of political scandals.

Mrs Odili’s distinguished accomplish on the bench is rightly complemented by her sterling qualities as a wife. She met her husband, Odili at a campus party while at the Enugu campus of UNN, and married him in 1979. Since then she has been a duty wife and mother in the family. The story of her romance with Odili aptly illustrates the saying that behind every successful man is a woman.

After her marriage, she moved to Portharcourt where her husband had a thriving medical practice. With her support, Odili entered politics and served as member and leader of Rivers State Delegates to the Constituent Assembly.

That move paved the way for his emergence first as deputy governor of Rivers and later as governor.

She owes her teeming admirers the responsibility to answer this and many other questions that could inspire the coming generation of lawyers and judges.

If she had not considered before now, she must now start to think of writing a memoir for the benefit of the coming generation. Her story is one that needs to be told for all its wisdom, brilliance, integrity and fidelity to the law and justice.

It bears a resemblance, even if remotely, to the story of United States of America’s woman of steel and talent, Mr Hilary Clinton. She shares Clinton’s intellectual brilliance and moral strength. But she has shunned the limelight of politics. But both women have broken the glass ceilings for women in their different societies, and many women and girls are finding inspiration for their own lives in their stories.

Mary Ukaego Nzenwa was born on 12 May 1952 in Amudi Obizi, EzinihitteMbaise Local Government Area of Imo State. She is the second daughter of Eze Bernard Nzenwa and Ugoeze Benadette Nzenwa. Her father Eze Nzenwa worked as a lawyer in the United Kingdom during 1959 before he was made Secretary of the Nigeria Airways. She attended a number of primary schools as a child including St Benedict’s Primary School, Obizi Ezinitte, St Michael’s Primary School, Umuahia, St Agnes Primary School, Maryland and Our Lady of Apostles Primary School, Yaba.

She briefly attended Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, also in Yaba, Lagos.

Following the outbreak of the civil war in 1967, she and her parents relocated to the southeast of the country where she continued her education at Owerri Girls High School until her family moved back to Mbaise. She then attended Mbaise Girls Secondary School and later enrolled at the Queen of the Rosary College in Onitsha. In 1972, she passed with Grade I (aggregate 6) in the West African School Certificate Examination and entered UNN to study law.

Congratulations at 65, and still counting! –Omokwe is with The Whistler Newspapers

Adieu Leticia Omanukwue Ume, Dibueze of Obodoukwu IfeanyiVenaUme

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ibueze Leticia Omanukwue Ume has passed on at the ripe age of 88. Mama was born on May 5th, 1930 to late Chief and Lolo Okoli Okoroigwe of Umu Ezeanyika clan, in Obodoukwu in Ideato North LGA, Imo State. The first of 10 children, Mama came into the world in an era when girls, especially the first-born daughters, were discouraged from pursuing formal education. Instead, Mama was encouraged to dedicate herself to caring for her family, even while still growing into adulthood herself. She learned farming at an early age, helping her parent plant and harvest crops year-round. She also developed her trading skills early on by selling excess crops at many markets. She frequented Eke Obodoukwu Market and trekked long distances to markets in neighboring towns, bringing home the profits from her trading to help provide for the family.

Her strong sense of responsibility also carried over to helping raise her eight siblings, Augustina, Catherine, Augustine, Bernadette, John, Caroline, Christopher, Basil and Edmund. She often arose before the sun to complete her farm work and tended to her siblings before and after they attended school, though not being able to attend school herself.

In December of 1950, Mama married late Chief Sir Raphael Onyekaba Ume, Ezenwa of Obodoukwu and Sir of the Catholic Order of Knights of St. Mulumba at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Odoakpu, Onitsha town, Anambra State. They settled in Onitsha and started their married life in earnest. Their

Leticia Omanukwue Ume union was blessed with eleven children, six boys and five girls. Dibueze was a loving and devoted wife, who supported her husband in everything he did, both in their family life and in building his various businesses activities, including R. Ume & Co. Nigeria Ltd., (distributor, Nigeria Tobacco Co. Ltd (NTC), Nigeria Biscuit Manufacturing Co. Ltd, (BISCO), Patterson & Zachonis Nig. Ltd (PZ), GB Olivant Nig. Ltd (GBO.) Her children still recall the humbling ex-

perience of struggling to calculate as quickly as Mama, and without paper and pencil at that! She had incredible mental agility.

The Biafran War began a new chapter for her, her husband and their children in 1967.

Like many other Igbo families, they were forced to relocate from Onitsha to Obodoukwu. In the face of uncertainty, she sought to solidify her family’s wellbeing even during the tragic war. She returned to her earlier lessons in farming to provide for the family and many others in the community. As a result and as the answer to prayers, the household remained healthy and joyous.

When the war ended, the children resumed schooling in Onitsha and she and her husband resumed their business ventures, which for her, meant returning to trading in Onitsha.

After the war, she went even more deeply into serving the community and the Lord.

Through her involvement with these various groups, she contributed to the building of churches, schools, hospitals, civic centers and meeting halls in Obodoukwu and Onitsha. She also helped mentor youth in the community. She shared her life experiences - about family, marriage and faith – and helped guide them in the trading industry.

After her husband passed on in 2002, she was the glue that continued to hold her family together. For the next sixteen years, she continued to look after her eleven children, steward her husband’s business affairs, and continued her own trading. In recent years, she fell ill and began travelling to the United States for additional medical treatment. Her children and sons and daughters in-law joined in ensuring she had the highest quality healthcare and they also praised her for

how she took great care of herself – always maintaining a healthy diet, taking pride in her appearance/attire, and walking for exercise. Moreover, it was no surprise that her’s faith was a pillar for her during her treatment. She reminded those around her of the importance of prayers and recited the Holy Rosary around the clock, even during medical appointments. It was not long before her doctors, nurses, and medical staff began to refer to her as “Saint Laeticia,� asking her to pray for them on each visit, as well, which she gladly obliged.

She exemplified strength in many ways, demonstrating the importance of putting her best foot forward, even when undergoing life’s unexpected challenges. She did so until her very last day on Earth in March of 2018. She set this example and so many more through her long life.

She was life member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Obodoukwu, Patroness Archdiocese of Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria, Patroness Sacred Heart Parish CWO, Onitsha Member Idinotu Social Club, Obodoukwu and member St. Ann’s Society SHP, Onitsha and Obodoukwu Town Union, Women’s Wing, Obodoukwu & Onitsha Branches.

As a result, her legacy lives on through her six sons, five daughters, five sons in-law, five daughters in-law, and 41 grandchildren, and 18 great grandchildren, who reside in Nigeria and around the United States.

Her remains will be laid to rest in Obodoukwu, Imo State, on Thursday May 17th 2018. May her peaceful soul rest in peace, amen. – Tribute by Chief Ifeanyi Vena Ume

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍşËœ ͺ͸͚΀

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Ekweremadu: A Federalist Turns 56 UcheAnichukwu

he Articles of Confederation (1781), which gave postrevolution America a lose confederation where the 13 original states operated like independent countries without a President or judicial arm of government had inherent weaknesses. Some Americans propounded federalism as the remedy. John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, known as the Federalists, published The Federalist Papers, which consists 85 essays espousing a new Constitution. That Constitution was eventually signed at the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787, but came into effect on March 4, 1789. For 229 years, the American people have religiously followed the laid down principles of that “small but might� document. The result is the American greatness that is globally celebrated today.

Therefore, it was not surprising that federalism became very attractive to the nationalists in search of a suitable system for Nigeria’s vast lands and diverse people ahead of independence. To Chief Obafemi Awolowo, “the constitution of Nigeria must be federal‌any other constitution will be unsuitable and will generate ever-recurring instability, which may eventually lead to the complete disappearance of the Nigeria composite Stateâ€?. To Sir Ahmadu Bello, federalism was the “only guarantee that the country will grow evenly all over, (as) we can spend the money we receive, the money we raise, in the direction best suited to usâ€?. To Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe the strength of Nigeria as a nation lies in its heterogeneous composition and the potentials that a federal structure possesses for the release of the energies of these component parts for national developmentâ€?.

True to their predictions, the federal structure put Nigeria on the path of greatness to the extent that the Eastern Region became the fastest growing economy in Africa. There were giant strides and competitive development by the regions, relying on their own sweats. Nigeria was so promising.

Then 1966 coup and subsequent military regimes, which destroyed the federal foundations of Nigeria such as fiscal federalism, decentralised policing, and regionalism.

Centralised policing has cost Nigeria so much in terms of human lives and property for decades, but has assumed worst proportions in recent times. Rivers of blood flow with so much torrent that one sometimes wonder if Nigeria runs on human blood.

However, it is comforting that there are many federalists like the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who have refused to give up on the struggle to restore Nigeria to the path of true federalism. Like a voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness, he has spoken extensively on the subject both within and outside Nigeria.

He published the book, “Who Will Love My Country: Ideas for Building a Nigeria of Our Dreams�, which

Ekweremadu

Ekweremadu has also variously complained that Nigeria’s unwieldy 36 states have been reduced to wealth guzzlers, which head to Abuja with their feeding bottles for a refill every month. Curiously, those who feel they are benefitting from living on federal handouts rather than earning a better living from the abundant resources in their states see federalists like Ekweremadu as people high on local gin

advocates true federalism.

He has championed a piecemeal restructure in the various constitution amendment processes. For instance, he has continually pushed for a decentralised policing. There is no federation anywhere in the entire world that runs on a centralised police system. Certainly not one our type of police service, which is grossly underfunded, ill-motivated, badly equipped, and too understaffed for a vast and heterogeneous nation.

He has done a lecture and a recent

article detailing how to structure to achieve a state/decentralised police, taking care of the various concerns expressed by Nigerians.

Sadly, just when Nigerians heaved a sigh of relief when President Muhammadu Buhari, who spoke through Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, supported the idea of state police at the Senate’s Security Summit, the President recently told the Voice of America in Washington DC that it would place a heavy financial burden on the states. However, the President should note that it is not compulsory for every state. More secure states are more likely to attract investments that would boost financial standing.

Ekweremadu has also variously complained that Nigeria’s unwieldy 36 states have been reduced to wealth guzzlers, which head to Abuja with their feeding bottles for a refill every month. Curiously, those who feel they are benefitting from living on federal handouts rather than earning a better living from the abundant resources in their states see federalists like Ekweremadu as people high on local gin. Nevertheless, the Senator who did his doctoral thesis on fiscal federalism has continued to advocate it, knowing that Nigeria can never move an inch without fiscal federalism. Just as in Canada, less endowed states will benefit from Equity Fund to ensure that no part of the country is left behind.

He is a strong advocate of devolution of powers to the federating units. Unfortunately, the recent effort to transfer the railway, power, aviation, etc. to the concurrent list where states could come together or seek local and international partner-

ships to build the much needed socio-economic infrastructure for industrialisation and development was defeated at the floor of both chambers of the National Assembly.

The federal government will thus remain a dog in the manger even in the midst of dire infrastructural deficits. What a country!

Like the late Chief Alex Ekwueme, he has preached regionalism with the six geopolitical zones as federating units. It is baffling that Nigeria with 356,669 sq. miles is saddled with a whooping 36 states. But USA with a population of 316 million people, a 3.8 million sq. miles territory, and more importantly the world’s largest economy (24.3% of the global economy worth USD18 Trillion) has only 50 states. China commands the second largest economy worth $11 trillion. She also has the largest population (1.35 billion) and an area of 3.7 million sq. miles.

Yet, she has only 22 provinces, four municipalities, five autonomous regions, and two Special Administrative Regions. So, Ekweremadu believes that returning to a smart regional arrangement would help to save resources for development and address the agitations against structural imbalances.

The nation’s local governments have been reduced to the oil wells of most states vide the State Joint Local Government Account. Except in a few states like Enugu under the current administration, they have no impacts on the lives of the people. Ekweremadu has canvassed the adoption of the Canadian and American systems in which the local governments are the businesses of the federating units. They do not get allocation like we have it in Nigeria.

But, if they must continue to get allocations from the centre due to our local circumstances, then they must enjoy full autonomy as obtainable in India, receiving their monies as first line charge from the State Consolidated Revenue Account.

All said, the lesson in the success of American federalism and the failure of Nigerian “unitary federalism� is simple: You cannot build a train and put it in the ocean and expect it to sail. It will keep sinking. We need more federalists like Ekweremadu, ready to devote their lives to getting Nigeria back on the track of true federalism for our children’s sake.

Ekweremadu believes advocates of restructuring for true federalism must no relent, knowing that words that enter the ears cannot fall off.

Just as the jinx of constitution amendment was broken under Ekweremadu’s leadership, to bring about far-reaching reforms that have lifted our electoral system, there is hope that Nigerians will one day come together to move the Nigerian train from the ocean of unitarianism to the rail of true federalism where it truly belongs. Only then will the country run fast and smoothly.

As Ike Ekweremadu clocks 56, one can only wish him more life and strength to see the struggle to the end. Happy birthday, Ikeoha, the federalist. –Anichukwu is Special Adviser (Media) to Deputy President of the Senate

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POLITY

DespiteComplexEnvironment,FutureofICTinNigeriaLooksPromising Ikechukwu Nnamani is the new ďŹ rst Vice President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, and the Chief Executive OďŹƒcer of Medallion Communications Limited. He talks about his plans and strategies to lift the nation’s Information Communication Technology, ICT/Telecommunications industry, sector challenges and way out, as well as the regulatory environment in this interview with Omolabake Fasogbon You have just been elected as the ďŹ rst Vice President of ATCON, what do you intend to bring on board? uring my time serving as the first vice president of ATCON, I intend to focus on activities that will strengthen the telecom and ICT industry in Nigeria by empowering members and growing their business. Beyond the current advocacy for member companies that ATCON has been known for, we will be introducing new programmes that will help strengthen members’ business and lead to a more profitable operating environment.

Multiple taxation and right of way are some of the challenges hindering creativity and innovation in the sector, how do you intend to address these?

I believe in engagement rather than confrontation in all matters where there are divergent views. I believe these issues have remained unresolved because the key stakeholders from the government side have not seen telecom and ICT infrastructure as a major socio-economic stimulant that will lead to not only revenue generation but also enhanced quality of life for the citizens. My goal in ATCON will be to help push this important fact to the decision makers in the various arms of government so they will have a rethink of the current approach of seeing telecom and ICT service providers as mainly a means to drive up IGR through taxes and levies. It has to be seen as a partnership where the government gives the necessary support needed for rapid infrastructure development in the various levels of government while the

Y

Nnamani

private sector reciprocates by deploying the necessary infrastructure for the good of all. On the long run, government will generate more income while ensuring that critical services needed by the citizens are provided.

Call masking is a major threat to service providers and consumers that the regulator is trying to solve. What is your advice the regulator?

Call masking mainly results from the termination difference between international calls and local calls. The root causes of this problem must be identified to are not identified to find a lasting solution to it. So, the first area to explore is how to bridge the pricing difference so there is little economic incentive for call masking. Recall that in Nigeria when the termination rate for international calls

was the same as local call, there was no issue as this. There is need to review the various calling patterns and packages from outside the country and align the local rates with the various calling packages so different call rates will apply. That will help reduce the economic incentive for call masking. There is also need to put in the right technology and solutions needed to curb the menace. There exists technology to help resolve this if properly implemented.

As part of NCC’s effort to curb the act, the body suspended six interconnect companies, including Medallion Communications, linked with the act, but recently lifted the ban after it traced the infraction to sim box operators. You were quoted by an online medium to have accused the regulator of not conducting its investigation properly, can you dwell more on this?

It is good to correct some of the misinformation out there with respect to happening in the issue of call masking in the country and the steps taken so far by the regulator. For instance, it is wrong to say NCC suspended the licenses of six interconnect companies. To the best of my knowledge it was not six companies that were suspended. Various penalties were imposed on different companies and the details of these were not made public by the regulator. The companies involved got their individual letters from the regulator and the details were not made public. So it is wrong to speculate on the contents thereof. There has been a lot of inaccurate information published with respect to this matter in recent times.

Sometimes publishing articles with captivating

headlines could drive traffic to a story, but it is wrong to publish articles in a way that does not portray accurately the issue at stake or misquote those that grant interview. In the case of the matter you referred to with respect to our comment on how the regulator has handled the issue of its investigation into call masking, we never attacked the regulator. We simply declared our innocence of any involvement in call masking activities and stated that we followed due process in appealing the suspension and that upon review of our appeal, the regulator lifted the suspension.

In lifting the suspension, the regulator gave us areas of our operations to improve upon and these are simple improvements we can easily implement so we don’t foresee any future issues with the regulator with respect to this matter.

What is your view about the Nigerian telecom regulatory environment?

The Nigerian telecom regulatory environment is very robust. For a complex environment like Nigeria it is difficult to compare our regulatory environment with that of more well established telecom markets. The legal system also has direct impact on the regulatory environment hence a lot of credit should be given to the Nigerian telecom regulator for maintaining a vibrant telecom market. While it is not possible to have a perfect regulatory system in any part of the world, we have to create regulatory policies that are in line with our operating environment and localised for our country.

L-R: Director, Family Health , Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Adebimpe Adebiyi; Managing Director/CEO, Juhel Nigeria Ltd. Dr. Ifeanyi Okoye; and the Director General, Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Segun Ajayi Cadry, at a press conference to unveil Oxytocin drug, ďŹ rst of its kind in Africa, held at Sheraton Hotel in Lagos...recently PHOTO: SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R: The General Manager, General Services, e-bootCamp Company, Emmanuel Malagu; the Chancellor/CEO, of the company, Mr. Lai Omotola; and the Marketing Officer, Alara Kazeem, during a media briefing by the company on entrepreneurship seminar, at the company head office, in Lagos....recently PHOTO: KOLA OLASUPO

L-R: Chairman, ARM Pension, Emmanuel Ikazoboh; Managing Director, Wale Odutola; non-Executive Director, ARM, Aliyu Yaradua; and Executive Director, Layi Afolabi, at the 13th Annual general meeting of ARM Pension in Lagos... recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

L-R: Director, Art, Israel Obatunde; Head of HR, Olasunkanmi Atolagbe; Team Lead, Brands, Adenike Odutola; Group CEO/Chief Creativity Officer, Steve Babaeko; and Head of Finance, Folahan Salam, all of X3M Ideas with the 12 African Cristal Festival Medals won in Marrakech, Morocco... recently

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 12, 2018

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POLITY Okuwa

Afenifere Can’t Adopt SDP for South-west Professor Bankole Okuwa, National Chairman of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), says pressure on the pan-Yoruba Socio-Cultural organisation, Afenifere, to adopt the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the region would amount to a mistake and warns the leadership to be wary of those behind the moves. In this interview with Femi Ogbonnikan, the Ijebu Ode-born politician further sheds light on the implication of identifying with the SDP, a party that now has links with retired Gen Ibrahim Babangida. Excerpts: UPN would take a decision on alignment when the issue comes up. I can’t really tell you, even as I am the National Chairman, I can’t tell you straight away that the UPN will take part in it. What bothers UPN right now is that, the UPN is not just an ordinary party. This is Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s party, Awo, the greatest politician and the greatest achiever in the Nigerian political development. Everybody knows and we are working on his legacies. We haven’t abandoned anything there

What is the prospect of your party, UPN, winning the 2019 Ogun State governorship contest? he Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) has been working hard. I, as the National Chairman of the party, I have no doubt in my mind that the Ogun State people are listening and we shall win the governorship election, including the senatorial positions.

We will also go ahead and win the House of Representatives seats and the State’s House of Assembly seats respectively. I am not just saying. I have my reasons. We have been calling on Nigerians, especially the Ogun State people, to think twice. Don’t sell your votes; because you are going to put yourself in trouble. If you sell your votes, you sell your rights and then, the future of your children. The PDP in Ogun State is broken beyond repairs. You can’t put it together anymore. And the APC is also broken from the centre. Buhari has so much problems and the SDP which was an affiliated member of the APC, I think, they are withdrawing their support for APC now and they want to start again. It is just too late for them to do anything. If they don’t seem to believe it, but coming elections would tell on them. For instance, in Ijebu Ode or Ijebu area, I can tell you affirmatively, the SDP has no ward anywhere and it is unfortunate.

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There has been alignment and re-alignment of forces between and among political parties. Is UPN also considering this option to align with any of the two major political parties that we have in Nigeria?

UPN would take a decision on alignment when the issue comes up. I can’t really tell you, even as I am the National Chairman, I can’t tell you straight away that the UPN will take part in it. What bothers UPN right now is that, the UPN is not just an ordinary party. This is Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s party, Awo, the greatest politician and the greatest achiever in the Nigerian political development. Everybody knows and we are working on his legacies. We haven’t abandoned anything there. We appreciate the man and we are telling the people about it.

We are trying to remind people, to remember the good old days that the UPN wants to bring them back to the state and the Yoruba areas. So, when you talk of alignment with the big parties, you want to align with corrupt politicians. I don’t know if Nigerians have any future. If Nigerians are thoughtful and hopeful, if Nigerians want to preserve this country then, PDP is out. APC is not as bad as PDP but the APC now has even failed, fundamentally. Look at all the killings, herdsmen killings. I have never seen such things. Boko Haram, I know about it. When it is time I will tell you.

The Federal government, I read in today’s newspaper and they said that Obama failed them. Obama didn’t fail them. I was in the United States and I knew the position of Obama. And I knew what the American government did.

The information given to Nigeria, I knew about it. The Nigerian government is inefficient. We don’t care in this part of the world. We don’t care for our people. Those who want to run the government here, go and look at their characters. The Afenifere group, these are meaningful characters; people who wish this country very well. I mean, Afenifere has tremendous influence on the thinking of Nigerians. They are visionaries. Mention all the names there, they are good people. If you may remember, when the national confab was called before Jonathan left office, who was invited to

Okuwa handle it? It was the Afenifere man, Dr. Femi Okunrounmu. The man read Mathematics.

Let me tell you, those who attend York and Harvard, they lead the country politically, because they are like trailer-prepared. If you go to Britain, those who attend Oxford and Cambridge, you will find out they are prepared for leadership positions. These people are not looking for money but honour and development for their people. So, Okunrounmu, I know him, he attended Harvard.

So, the moment I saw that he was invited, why didn’t the PDP group pick somebody of their own or from some other place? Okunrounmu is not aligning with any political party but he is in Afenifere. He has all these honours. He has all these contentment.

These are the kind of people we want to be in front of the politics in Nigeria. So, when you are dealing with Afenifere, you are dealing with a group of highly disciplined people who have integrity. And that comes from the Action Group days which reflect the values or legacies of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Currently, SDP is reaching out to Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, to build and consolidate its stronghold in Southwest. Don’t you think it will not be an aberration for Afenifere to support SDP, instead of your party which shares the same ideologies with Awolowo’s legacies?

Well, I know that people are going to analyse it by themselves. But it would be a tragic mistake if Afenifere goes ahead to accept or try to help SDP or to identify with it as a political group, but they can’t do it. The history is there. When SDP ruined itself two weeks ago, they called on IBB who annulled the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by

Chief Moshood Abiola. Falae is a fine man. I think what I have against him was all about the monies distributed by PDP for the 2015 general elections, then. So, I don’t know their relationship but I think it was a tragic mistake on Falae’s part. IBB scuttled MKO’s efforts to become President and these people went to him; I don’t understand. I mean, what do you think, ask the ordinary people, even people who are not educated: What do they want from him? They will ask you to provide them the answer.

Is UPN also reaching out to Afenifere for the same support?

Of course, yes. We are willing to. We are wishing too. But we don’t want a dispute.

We want them to look at our party, the structure and accept. In fact, we are offering them everything. The only thing we have exception for is our governorship candidate in Ogun State, Otunba Rotimi Paseda, and our National Secretary. They should leave as they are. As for me, I am the National Chairman of the party. I am willing to forgo my position in honour of Chief Awolowo and his legacies. Why should I stand in the way?

Who am I to stand in the way of what will benefit everybody? No! Those in PDP, they fought themselves and may be, they needed boxing gloves when they were struggling to capture the national chairmanship of their party. The same happened in the APC. In Ogun State, the structure is everywhere; we participated in the 2016 local government election. We were very active. Even though I am still an old person now, but I am very active, healthy and I shall continue to serve these demands of the party until God’s time.

There is this rumour that Afenifere

has adopted SDP for the 2019 general elections. What do you think?

That adoption didn’t sail through. I was there, personally. Actually, the Afenifere did not adopt SDP. They Afenifere leadership knew that there is a controversy about it. So, the adoption didn’t carry the day and it was like, they wanted to see how everybody was going to react to it. I was there personally and I reacted negatively to it. What happened? It is not a good idea. One thing that interests me was ex-Governor Olusegun Mimiko from Ondo State was there. And he said something very reasonable, something acceptable, something very wise. He said his advice would be, that all the parties that can be called or described as Afenifereinclined political parties should be left alone for now. Let them go for the general elections. If Party ‘A’ can win here or Party ‘B’ can win there in Yorubaland, fine. After the elections, they can come together and try to re-align. How do you want to imagine it? We (UPN) have been in existence since 2013. We ran the last 2015 general elections.

In 2016, in the entire Ogun State, we took part in the local government election fully.

And our governorship candidate, Otunba Rotimi Paseda, is ready. He has been going here and there.

Within the last couple of weeks, our aspirant all came out, from the House of Assembly, Senate and to the House of Representatives. How do you do it? Adopt a party that has no structure on ground and ask us to go and queue behind it? Is that the way to do it? I am sure that the Afenifere has seen the problems and it is not good for them to have considered this situation but they know that soon and I am also sure that Chief Ayo Adebanjo, who just published his auto-biography, would object to it. I want you to buy a copy and read it. You are going to see the problems of this country there and the history of those who don’t want anything good for this country and those who want just for their own pockets. So, I think, that was not a decision as such but it was a controversy and it is good that they started it.

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T H I S D AY ˾ SATURDAY MAY 12, 2018

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Saturday, May 12, 2018

UT H

& RE A S O

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Price: N250

MISSILE Secondus to the Presidency “Let the Presidency tell the World what they have done in the past three years to deepen our democracy. Is it the inconclusive elections rampant under their watch; is it the invasion of Judges homes at midnight with deadly weapons or the invasion of parliament and abduction of the mace?

– The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, chastising the federal government.

PENDULUM DELE MOMODU

dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com

30 Years of Living and Working in Lagos (Part 2)

F

eellow Nigerians, I started what would easily pass for my mini-biography last week in this column. The response from readers has been truly humbling. It is not easy starting a career with a bang and maintaining the ovation consistently for 30 years, and still counting. My story reassures us that our youths can still achieve a lot if they work very hard and tenaciously on their dreams. I was certainly not born with spoons, be it bronze, silver or gold, but education opened my eyes to uncommon possibilities. Rather than bemoan my humble background or begrudge successful people or government officials, as architects of my poor economic condition, I arrived Lagos in 1988 with a vengeance. I promised myself something; I will work as if work was going out of vogue, and I would leave the rest to God to sort out. And God answered my prayers beyond my asking.

Things happened so fast and till this day, I’m still in a daze, some kind of wondrous haze.

I stopped last week at the point I became the pioneer Editor of Leaders & Company, the parent of Thisday newspapers. There are lessons to be learnt from my uncommon trajectory. Please, let me rewind a bit. When I was leaving Ile-Ife to seek greener pastures in Lagos, my dream was to work for only one newspaper, The Guardian, owned by the great Publisher, Mr Alex Ibru. I was equally attracted by the powerful assemblage of superstar writers in The Guardian: Olatunji Dare, Stanley Macebuh, Yemi Ogunbiyi, Onwuchekwa Jemie, Chinweizu, Sully Abu, Andy Akporugo, Odia Ofeimun, Edwin Madunagu, Patrick Dele Cole, Femi Osofisan, Sonala Olumhense, Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo, Amma Ogan, Greg Obong-Oshotse, and others, who worked there. They were first and world class. For any budding writer at the time, your dream was to work or write, every now and then, for The Guardian. Though the Concord Press of Nigeria, owned by Chief Moshood Abiola, was a much bigger media empire, with different publications, in English, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo languages, every person of intellectual bent queued up patiently to appear in The Guardian. It was the Holy Grail of Nigerian Press.

Many of us had our biases against Chief MKO Abiola, who had acquired many unprintable sobriquets and nomenclature. Some of the more palatable ones included Islamic fundamentalist, friend of the military, American agent, and all sorts.

I therefore joined the Concord most reluctantly, and mainly out of desperation. Little did I know, that it was working within this organisation that would be the springboard to my successful career in journalism and public relations. Prior to that, I was writing on the opinion page of The Guardian to keep my body and soul together. On joining the Concord, I realised Abiola had been a veritable victim of the most malicious campaign of calumny.

Though he was not a saint, he definitely was not the demon he had been painted to be, particularly by legendary musician, social critic and kinsman, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. I learnt many lessons for working for Chief Abiola from 1988-90, two years that now seemed like eternity.

I discovered the real Abiola. He was totally detribalised. He never practised quota system. No one asked about our State of origin or religion.

It was immaterial that you were male or female.

Christians held some of the most important positions in his organisation, at different times.

We had and heard of non-Yoruba names like MCK Ajuluchukwu, Tom Borha, Stanley Egbochukwu,

Ambode Nsikak Essien, Rose Umoren, Chike Akabogu (of blessed memory), Sam Omatseye, Lewis Obi, Ben Okezie, Yakubu Mohammed, Ray Ekpu, Dele Giwa, Nosa Igiebor, Nnamdi Obasi, May Ellen Ezekiel, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Dimgba Igwe, Ohi Alegbe, Betty Irabor… I can go on and on. All that qualified you for a job with Concord was that you had intellect or flair, or both. Journalists enjoyed substantial freedom, except on several and specific occasions when the military governments vehemently protested against certain stories and threatened hell fire and brimstone. We had a bush canteen where we committed sins of gluttony and alcoholism.

Most journalists smoked like chimneys and were never discriminated or recriminated against by our amazing Chairman. He gave everyone his due and was probably the most generous employer of his time.

No one ever missed an opportunity to visit Chairman’s house in Ikeja. A visit would always guarantee some hefty gift, mostly cash. I remember an occasion when Babafemi Ojudu and I went to interview him. He made sure he arranged some substantial taxi fare for us, despite being the one paying our salaries. Our colleagues at work were endlessly jealous of our good fortune.

On another occasion, our Managing Director, Dr Doyinsola Abiola had sent me on errand to secure the music star, Sir Shina Peters, for a performance at Chairman’s house where he was hosting the Super Eagles national team. Job done, I went to Chairman’s house to give a positive feedback and he was very elated. Abiola was a Master of appreciation. He must have noticed the rubbish wristwatch I adorned so proudly on my wrist and he entered his bedroom and came back with a solid gold watch which he gifted to me.

On several occasions, I had the privilege of listening to our Chairman as he explained his many battles and how he won most of them.

He was a naturally affable personality (I liked to call him the spellbinder in many of my reports on him) and so it was not surprising that he had friends in high and low places. Did he take advantage of his extensive global connections and networks? Who wouldn’t? But he didn’t do business for the benefit of himself and family

alone. He was the modern-day Santa Claus who spent lavishly on virtually all those who came in contact with him. His generosity was legendary.

He represented one of Africa’s biggest business interests, ITT, in Africa and the Middle East, and so the accusation of him being an American agent was not surprising even if far-fetched. The lesson I learnt was not to judge anyone without cast-iron evidence. This attitude would help me and my business of journalism in years to come. As a matter of policy, I learnt not to attack viciously but to present my story in a fair and balanced manner and let the readers be the judge and interpreter.

Another lesson was in the art of dedication. I loved my job with a passion and it was palpable.

No one would have believed that I worked at Concord for only, and exactly, two years, but our relationships didn’t just end there. I did not tell the famous generalissimo I was teleporting to Classique magazine but told our MD, Dr Doyinsola Abiola (nee Aboaba). I later ran into Chief Abiola at Sheraton Hotel & Towers, a few months after, where he was hosting Mallam Sani Zorro, a staff of Concord, who had just been elected President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists. Chief Abiola, who flew in that evening from Tokyo, if my memory is intact, gave May Ellen Ezekiel (God rest her soul) and I a pleasant surprise. As he made his speech, extemporaneously, he acknowledged both of us and asked, rhetorically, why I left without informing him.

I walked up to the boss of all bosses after the event and apologised to him. He was just too kind. He said my leaving Concord did not mean I could no longer visit his home and he requested for my business card but I had none on me. He then took one from my friend, Bimbo Ashiru, who was present, and signed behind it with written instructions to his security to give me unfettered access to his house. He then asked me to paste my own card on Ashiru’s own and laminate. “That is your multiple visa to my house,” he said jocularly. And indeed, that simple note opened doors from then to the end.

I practically became Abiola’s official biographer.

If he sneezed or coughed, I turned it into big exciting stories. Our bond grew in leaps and bounds. We became almost inseparable. He never considered anyone too junior or too young and I experienced to advise him and he listened and consented to superior argument and logic. He taught us to convince ourselves about anything before we can hope to convince others. We got to a point that he publicly announced to the media world that I was his adopted son, and I felt truly honoured. Interestingly, after I resigned from my job at Classique, and decided to start a public relations outfit, my first account came from Kola Abiola, who signed me as a consultant to their Summit Oil International company. My adult life has always intertwined media and public relations. I’m certain, I was brought to this world for the two.

I added other accounts later and consulted for the Spirit of Africa, an extremely hardworking and irrepressible business Guru, Dr Mike Adenuga Jnr, as well as Mr Hakeem Belo Osagie, fondly called the whiz-kid, who had just acquired United Bank for Africa, and worked with him on the Moneygram project, in Belgravia, London, when he brought the money transfer company to Nigeria.

I also handled an aspect of Chief Abiola’s media

campaign when he launched his Presidential bid.

I was fortunate to meet and work closely with them at a young age. I was 28 when I joined Concord, 31 when I met Dr Adenuga and I was 33 when Chief Abiola contested in 1993, and I had been working for or meeting with the rich and famous, high and mighty in Nigeria since the age of about 20. This would adequately prepare me for the task of establishing and sustaining an elaborate publication as Ovation International in the future.

Chief Abiola entrusted me with great responsibilities. For example, he had sent me to Vienna, Austria, to represent him at the Bruno Kreisky awards, where Chief Gani Fawehinmi, was a proud recipient. As important as June 12, 1993, was to all of us, I left Nigeria on June 9, 1993, and joined Chief Fawehinmi in Vienna, on June 10. The event was on June 11. Chief Fawehinmi was shocked to see me in person. “Dele is this you or your apparition?” he exclaimed in his famous loud voice. I told him Chief Abiola had sent me with a special letter of congratulations and he was deeply touched. The ceremony went well on June 11.

I left Vienna for London on June 12, but there was no way to return to Nigeria faster. I called Nigeria on June 13 and was told by sources at Concord that Chairman was coasting home to victory. I called Nduka Obaigbena on June 14 but the news he gave me was as if I had received a sucker punch to my solar plexus. “Dele, where have you been? Try and reach your man Abiola and tell him to call his friend IBB (Babangida) urgently. It looks like he would win the election but they won’t hand over to him…” I promptly told him to stop the joke. How was it possible for a man to work feverishly and sleeplessly, as Abiola had done, and yet fail to get his mandate, I wondered aloud. I couldn’t reach Chief Abiola in the midst of this hullabaloo. Chief Fawehinmi arrived London that Monday of June 14, 1993, and I broke the news of what Nduka had told me to him. He too dismissed the report as unfounded.

He said if there was any atom of truth in it, he was ready to fight to finish.

We boarded our flight from London Gatwick, North Terminal, two days later, on June 16, 1993, when the news came stealthily, like a thief in the night, that the military government in Nigeria had asked that the counting of votes be stopped by the electoral commission. Our worst nightmare was actually turning into unfortunate reality. By the time we landed, Nigeria was almost reaching a boiling point. Dr Beekololari Randsome-Kuti and Lawyer Femi Falana were already on standby and waiting for Fawehinmi’s arrival. That was it. What started stupidly as a wicked joke had suddenly spiralled out of control. The chickens had come home to roost and Nigeria, its leaders and its people would not be at peace for a long time to come.

I soon became an early victim of this unnecessary, ill-advised and ill-fated provocation. I was picked up one early morning in July 1993, by security agents on orders from God-knows-who! I was kept in a putrefied, rancid cell at Alagbon Close, in Ikoyi, Lagos. Thus, began my baptism of fire and a cat and mouse game between me and the then military government. The farce eventually reached a climax under the Abacha government and I was forced into exile on July 25, 1995. My dramatic escape from Nigeria is another story to be retold some other day …

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