SATURDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2018

Nigeria’s Economy Excites Global Investors, Says Udoma They are happy with the conducive business environment in the country Iyobosa Uwugiaren in Abuja Key foreign investors, who met at various meetings with the Nigerian government delegation to the United

Nation's General Assembly in New York during the week, have expressed interest in scaling up investment in Nigeria.

A press statement by

the Ministry of National Planning and Budget signed by the Media Adviser to the Minister, James Akpandem said at the Investors Roundtable held under the

auspices of the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), the investors maintained that Nigeria remains the best investment destination in

Africa with enormous natural and human resources,.

They investors, the statement added, observed that “Nigeria’s current government continues to

show a commitment to creating a conducive business environment in the country.

According to the statement, Continued on page 6

Presidency: FG Working Assiduously to End Strike, Meets Labour Thursday… Page 6 Saturday 29 September, 2018 Vol 23. No 8564

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Riot in Jos As Unknown Gunmen Kill 11 Dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed Seriki Adinoyi in Jos Jos, Plateau State, was engulfed in bloody protest yesterday morning, following

the news of the killing of 11 persons in their homes on Rukuba Road by unknown gunmen late on Thursday.

The assailants reportedly

attacked the home of a popular woman in Rukuba area called Mama-Kogi at about 9 pm, killing her and members of her family identified as Blessing,

Ruth, Jonathan, Cynthia and Majesty. Others in the neighbourhood including a pregnant were also reportedly killed in the attack.

The violent protests against the killings engulfed Rukuba and spread to Gada-biu, where two persons died and a Police station burnt. Also, one person

was said to have been killed in Akpata.

Other areas affected by Continued on page 6

Foreign Observers: Vote Buying, Insecurity, May Hamper 2019 Elections Risk of parties relying intensively on unethical means to secure victory high Udora Orizu in Abuja The International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) yesterday identified several challenges that could hamper the successful conduct of the 2019 general election in Nigeria.

Briefing journalists during a joint pre-election assessment in Abuja, the two United States bodies warned that if these challenges were left unaddressed, “they could limit the ability of Nigerians to experience a fully participatory

and credible process during the 2019 general elections.”

The National Network Coordinator of West Africa Network for Peace Building, (WANEP) Anna Jones, who addressed journalists on the IRI and NDI observations, highlighted these challenges to include inappropriate voter inducement schemes and vote buying; incitement to violence and disinformation; delays in finalising legal framework for the 2019 elections and persistent insecurity, Continued on page 6

APC Awaits Affirmation Vote on Buhari’s Presidential Ticket... Page 8

MOVING AFRICA FORWARD...

L-R: President Muhammudu Buhari; former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Gambari; CEO NEPAD Nigeria, Gloria Akobundu, and the acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu after the High Level Roundtable on Corruption, Migration and Bridging Africa’s Infrastructure Gap in New York, United States…yesterday

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Presidency: FG Working Assiduously to End Strike, Meets Labour Thursday Omololu Ogunmade Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË The Presidency yesterday in Abuja said it had intensified efforts to persuade the organised labour to call off its ongoing strike action.

A statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said the federal government was working assiduously to ensure the

strike is called off.

"The Presidency wishes to assure that the federal government is taking every step necessary to get the unions to call off the strike," he said.

He said the organised labour had accepted its demand to reconvene the tripartite meeting on the proposed new national minimum wage.

According to him, the meeting between

labour leadership and the representatives of various employers of labour including the governments had been rescheduled to reconvene on October 4.

Shehu explained the tripartite nature of the meeting, saying it is made up of representatives of the public sector, that is, federal and state governments, as well as the private sector which he said comprised the

largest private employer group and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA).

He listed other members of the body to include the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises

(SMES).

Shehu said invitation letters had since been dispatched to all intending participants.

"At the moment, the Presidency understands that the combined leadership of the unions, having met and deliberated on the position of the government have now set in motion a process of consultations with their constituent members to

determine their next line of action," the statement added.

Labour had embarked on a one-week warning strike, with effect from Thursday, to press for the approval of a new minimum wage of N45,000.

Activities in several sectors of the economy were distrupted by the labour leaders, particularly in places where the observance of the strike was ignored.

He pointed out that the federal government had been working with the sub national governments and the National Assembly to introduce measures to improve the enabling environment for doing business; and indicated that these efforts have been acknowledged by the World Bank which, in 2017, rated Nigeria as one of the 10 most reforming countries in the world.

He also spoke about government’s determination to develop world class Special Economic Zones in each of the six geopolitical regions of the country in partnership with the state governments and the private sector.

Enelamah emphasised that ministers in the government are here to serve, and are easily accessible to address any problems investors may experience.

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, confirmed that state governments had been working closely with the federal government through the National Economic Council to create the enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the country.

"States are the laboratories where all federal government policies are being implemented.

They are the platforms for practicalising the policies and

initiatives brewed in Abuja�, he said. “The sub national governments are also driven by a sense of urgency to grow the economy, Obaseki was quoted as saying, adding, his priority, as a governor was to build the capacity of his people and attract investment to his state which is strategically located as the gateway to both the eastern and western parts of the country, as well as the North central region.�

The event which was organised by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), was moderated by the President and Chief Executive Officer of BCIU, Peter Tichansky.

It was attended by more than 31 international organisations, including chief executive officers and representatives from Shell Oil Company, Walmart, Motorola Solutions, Coca Cola, Boeing International, United Arab Emirates, Procter and Gamble, AAR Corporation, 3M, APR Energy, Gilead Sciences, SAAB Middle East and Africa, American Tower Corporation, Oliver Wyman Corporation, Rendeavour, IMS Engineers, Credence ID, Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic, Lafarge CIM Nigeria, Flour Mills of Nigeria, Olam Nigeria and ACIOE LLC, among others.

The Edo State Governor and

the ministers on Wednesday evening participated in the Zenith Global Economic Forum on "Nigeria Open for Business," attended by foreign investors, as well as some Nigerian business leaders.

Those at the Forum included the Ministers of Budget and National Planning; Finance; Industry, Trade and Investment; Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola; Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele; Channels TV Chairman, Mr John Momoh; Thisday Newspapers' Chairman, Nduka Ogbaigbena; Chairman of Coronation Capitals, Mr. Aigboje Imuokhuede; United Nations representatives in Nigeria and Zenith Bank Chairman, Mr. Jim Ovia, among others.

On Thursday, Senator Udoma, Mrs. Ahmed, CBN Governor, Mr. Emefiele; the Director of the Debt Management Office, Mrs. Patience Oniha, and the Executive Secretary of NIPC, Ms. Yewande Sadiku, had a series of one-on-one and conference call meetings with more than eight high rate investors to explain current happenings in the country as it affects foreign investments and assured them of policy consistency, adherence to global best practices and the safety of their investment in the country.

NIGERIA’S ECONOMY EXCITES GLOBAL INVESTORS, SAYS UDOMA to show a commitment to creating a conducive business environment in the country.

According to the statement, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, who gave an opening remarks at the event, appreciated the interest the investors had continued to show in Nigeria and thanked them for their willingness to spread the good news to others about the opportunities Nigeria offers to investors.

Udoma said President Muhammadu Buhari had promised the investors that he would restore peace in the troubled zones of the country, fight corruption and grow the economy, adding, "the Buhari administration has worked hard to ensure that those election promises are fulfilled�.

"The present government inherited a challenged economy with very weak fundamentals, but has worked hard towards not only getting the economy out of recession, but placing it on a path of sustained inclusive growth through a series of policy initiatives and deliberate actions", the minister said.

The minister further noted that diligent implementation of the initiatives, had resulted in the economy emerging from recession within a short time

and beginning to grow again.

He emphasised that Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (the ERGP) was anchored on partnership with the private sector with the government helping to create the enabling environment.

He further added: “That is why the government is focused on improving the country's infrastructure and creating an environment with improvements in the ease of doing business, to encourage and attract local and global investors. “Government is also focused on social development by increasing investments in education and health so as to improve the quality of the country’s education and health facilities.�

He emphasised the importance of having a well-educated, healthy and productive nation. “There is no cause for investors to worry about the next year's general elections, the minister told the gathering, as there will be no slow-down in the implementation of government programmes and policies in the period leading up to the elections; as he explained that the ERGP is a medium term economic blueprint which runs through 2020.

The plan, Udo Udoma, explained was produced after

extensive consultations with all the relevant sectors, including the sub national governments, private sector, academia, development partners and civil society organisations; and was endorsed by the National Assembly and the National Economic Council, among others, adding it is a Nigerian document, accepted by all Nigerians.�

Finance Minister, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, who spoke after Senator Udoma, was also quoted as saying that significant progress had been made with the implementation of many of the policy initiatives of government, citing the stabilisation of the country's currency, consistent downward trending of inflation, increased foreign reserves, fiscal discipline in government, and a commitment to creating a conducive business environment.

Ahmed said there had also been increased revenues, adding, these developments have helped in increasing investor confidence in Nigeria.

She said that government officials are under instruction from the President to stay focused on the business of governance notwithstanding the upcoming elections.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, also spoke along similar lines.

FOREIGN OBSERVERS: VOTE BUYING, INSECURITY, MAY HAMPER 2019 ELECTIONS particularly in the middle belt and North East which may be amplified in the pre-election environment.

Jones also noted that the lack of robust investigation and prosecution of alleged vote buying despite numerous instances reported by civil society groups as well as the use of inflammatory language by political parties could hamper the successful conduct of the elections.

She stated that delays in finalising legal framework for the 2019 elections had left many Nigerians questioning whether

INEC would have enough time to implement these changes for the 2019 elections.

She said: "The delegation notes consensus among political, civic and governmental stakeholders on proposed amendments to the electoral act 2010, which could improve the credibility and transparency of elections in 2019. After weeks of back and forth between the executive and legislative branches, the bill is currently with the National Assembly, which is slated to reconvene on October 9, 2018."

According to the WANEP

coordinator, Nigerian interlocutors expressed concerns regarding timely and sufficient funding for the 2019 elections though INEC leadership has affirmed that it will be prepared for elections if the full budget is released when the National Assembly returns to session.

Jones observed that tighter political competition heightens the risk of political parties relying more intensively on unethical and illegal means to secure victory, including inappropriate voter inducement schemes and vote buying.

Furthermore, she said the

delegation heard from many stakeholders, including those within political parties, that there's neither sufficient will not incentive to remedy these issues.

The groups also observed that barriers to internal party democracy and incitement to violence and disinformation could affect citizen participation and the credibility of 2019 general elections.

Jones further added: “The delegation recognises that some political parties have experimented with direct primaries that empower

members to select a candidate of their choice while others rely on indirect for candidate selection. In reality, candidates contesting in party primaries are often imposed on members by political elites and so called godfathers.

Observations were also made on the use of inflammatory language by political parties, particularly through social media, which at times contains false or unverified information or hate speech which can manipulate public perceptions, heightens tensions and fuels the possibility of election-related

violence".

The groups implored the federal government to ensure the timely passage of the amendment to the Electoral Act 2010, provide sufficient and timely funds so that INEC and other electoral bodies can fulfill their responsibilities as prescribed by law.

They also urged the authorities to enforce laws against election malfeasance such as vote buying and robust application through such measures as the establishment of the Electoral Offenses Commission and Tribunal.

and investigation into the crime has commenced.�

Meanwhile, the military Special Task Force (STF) in Jos, while confirming the killings of 11 persons before it arrived the scene of the attack at Rukuba Road, lamented that some elements in the society were bent on scuttling the efforts of the STF to restore peace in Plateau. “Peace on the Plateau is the most sought after essential commodity that all well-meaning people are striving to attain.�

In a statement by its spokesman, Major Adam Umar, the STF warned that, “Any attempt, under whatever guise, to disrupt this effort will not be tolerated henceforth.

The situation whereby youths will block roads to carryout preconceived dastard acts will not be tolerated on the Plateau.�

Umar stated that the STF and the other security agents were fully on ground in Jos metropolis and environs and would ensure that the situation

was brought under control, even as investigations have commenced.

The state Commissioner of Information, Mr. Yakubu Dati, in a statement, expressed Governor Lalong’s condolences to the families of the bereaved and assured them that security had been mobilised to apprehend the perpetrators.

On his part, the Senator representing Plateau North Senatorial District, Jonah David Jang, described the recent attacks and killing as mindless, adding that the persistent killings in the state were a “damning appraisal of the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari and the Governor of Plateau State.�

In a press statement signed by his Media Consultant, Mr. Clinton Garuba, Jang observed: “Under the present administration, there is hardly a day without news of people getting killed by herdsmen or unknown gunmen with ancestral

lands forcefully occupied and people rendered homeless and internally displaced on their own land. “The unprovoked attack, which targeted innocent unarmed natives in their homes once again, reveals the very short life expectation of our people who are no longer safe wherever they are in our towns, villages, and city. “Before we are all wiped out from the face of the earth by gunmen whose familiarisation with murder and violence seem to confound our Armed Forces and the overall structure of government. The Senator without equivocation hereby calls on President Muhammdu Buhari and Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State to resign with immediate effect having displayed unfathomable insensitivity and cluelessness in the aspects of security and value for human life.�

He declared that: “Nigerians no longer feel safe with General

Muhammdu Buhari as President.

Therefore, he wishes to call on the United Nations to intervene in Nigeria and act on behalf of the poor, innocent, and abandoned people of Plateau State and their endangered kinds in the Middle-belt, to protect and guarantee them a future of longevity, pride, and prosperity. A situation where security officials are mobilised to militarise the conduct of elections in a ratio of one policeman to one citizen at the expense of communities prone to attacks is unacceptable.�

He called on the youths and people of Plateau State to be law abiding, and admonished them to rise up to defend themselves within the perimeters of the law, as it was now dangerous to trust the Commander-in-Chief with their security.

Meanwhile, as at last night, the entire streets of Jos were deserted, even as security personnel embarked on Showof-Force around the city.

RIOT IN JOS AS UNKNOWN GUNMEN KILL 11 the mayhem included Ola Hospital Junction, Katako, and Polo Roundabouts, where a military Hilux van was burnt.

In a swift reaction, the Plateau State Government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the entire city.

The protesters lamented that security personnel did not show up during the four hours the attackers unleashed mayhem in the area.

Security personnel were, however, seen in the affected areas battling to quell the violence, but the atmosphere was tense, signaling possible resurgence of violence after the Juma’at prayers.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Tyopev Terna said in a statement that the combined security forces in the state were on top of the situation.

He explained: “On the 27/09/2018 being Thursday, at about 2205hrs, the Plateau State Police Command Control

Room in Jos received a distress call to the effect that there were sporadic gunshots at Rukuba Road opposite Kowa Hotel, Jos. “The Command, after receiving the report, mobilised Patrol Teams immediately to the scene of crime. The unknown gunmen who took advantage of the on-going rain in the area to attack residents were forced to run from the scene following the combined superior gun fire of the Police and the Operation Safe Haven (STF). “Some people who reside close to the hills were rescued while some persons lost their lives as a result of the attack and some others sustained gunshot injuries and were rushed to Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos and are currently receiving treatment. “The combined security team is out to contain the situation in Jos. As such, members of the public are to remain calm and law abiding. Meanwhile, patrol of the area is being intensified

T H I S D AY ˾ SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ ͺ͸͚΀

Ă?ĂĄĂ? ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ahamefula Ogbu 08116759810 (Ă?Ă—Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁĚš Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă– ahamefula.ogbu@thisdaylive.com

MEMORIES ...

L-R: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello; Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; Oba Elegushi of Ikateland, Oba Saheed Elegushi and Chairman, Ikoyi Club 1938, Mr. Babatunde Akinleye during the 80th Anniversary Lecture of Rotunda Ikoyi Club1938 in Lagos, yesterday

Protests, Condemnation Mount over Osun Supplementary Election It is triumph of tyranny, Laments Atiku Democracy dead says Fayose ECA threatens boycott DejiElumoyeĂ“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË,Adedayo AkinwaleĂ“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă”Ă‹ËœÂ VictorOgunje Ă“Ă˜ ĂŽĂ™ Ă•Ă“ĂžĂ“ËœEmmanuelUgwu Ă“Ă˜ Ă—Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă’Ă“Ă‹

Protests have continued to mount over the controversial governorship rerun election in Osun State where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returned Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner with an organisation, the Eastern Mandate Assembly threatening a boycott of 2019 elections.

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has described the declaration of  Oyetola as the winner of the September 22, 2018 gubernatorial election by INEC as a travesty of justice.

Also reviewing the result of the polls, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki who is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council on Osun State Governorship election described it as an embarrassment to the nation’s democracy.

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti

State, lamented that the handling of the Osun election was a proof that democracy was dead in Nigeria.

A coalition of civil society organisations under the aegis of Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA) and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) yesterday also condemned the “brazen manipulation of the poll to subvert the will of the people.�

The TMG further warned that  the desperation of the political class, had grievous implication for the credibility and legitimacy of the entire Osun supplementary exercise.   Atiku, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the PDP said that what happened in Osun State was not democracy but a demonstration of tyranny.

He disclosed this in a statement he personally signed in Abuja, insisting that the victory of the candidate of the PDP Senator Ademola Adeleke, was firmly established last week on Saturday the 22nd of September, 2018.  According to him, “The result just declared today in Osun by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in favour of

the All Progressives Congress and its candidate is a travesty of justice.

That was not democracy. That was a demonstration of tyranny. “This so-called victory of the APC is not a democratic victory. Observers, both foreign and domestic, reported the brazen intimidation of voters and outright suppression of voting in PDP strongholds with even PDP agents physically prevented from being at the polling units.� The former vice president noted that the actions showed to the whole world that the unnecessary rerun, in polling units cancelled or voided by the INEC, was nothing more than a red herring, to distract attention and gain time, while the ruling party perfected strategies to pull a fast one on the electorate, as it has done.

He insisted that the international community must intervene to ensure that what happened in Osun must be investigated, reversed and prevented from spilling over to other gubernatorial, legislative and national elections in 2019.

He called on Nigerians to be on guard, adding APC had shown its

Nigerian Elected First Black Senator in Italy Omololu Ogunmade Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË A Nigerian, Toni Iwobi, who has lived in Italy for 41 years, has emerged the first black man ever to be elected senator in the European country.

Iwobi, on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York, Thursday, met with President Muhammadu Buhari, along with a high-powered team from the Italian Senate.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said Buhari congratulated Iwobi, who was elected in March this year, on

the platform of far-right League Party. “It shows the advanced respect of Italians for human beings, in spite of colour. It’s very impressive,� Buhari reportedly told Iwobi.

According to Adesina, the Italian team discussed issues such as illegal migration and possible solutions through investments in Africa, the recharge of Lake Chad via inter-basin water transfer, among others. “Africa doesn’t need charity, but collaboration to develop,�

Iwobi was quoted to have said.

He said Buhari in response,

said irregular migration from developing to developed countries was often caused by insecurity, education, health care, and climate change.

Adesina quoted the president as saying, “Climate change has had negative impact on a big country like Nigeria. “That is why our youths often defy the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea, to try and get to Europe. It is a problem that needs to be solved.�

The statement added that the Italian Senate delegation is planning to visit Nigeria soon.

leprous hand of a tyrant and must be alert in future elections, saying for as Thomas Paine said “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.�

According to Saraki, “Yesterday, we witnessed another display of the subversion of the will of the Osun people during the re-run gubernatorial elections in the state. The election was characterised by widespread voter intimidation, violence and harassment. Accredited observers were denied access to polling units and duly registered voters were prevented from participating in the electoral process by thugs and compromised security agents. “Like I said a few days ago, this needless re-run election was only

designed as an avenue for the ruling party to perpetrate electoral fraud.

The nature of these elections is an embarrassment to our democracy and casts an alarming pall on the institutions responsible for protecting the will of the Nigerian people as stated through their votes. That was why for more than 10 hours the INEC could not collate and announce results in just seven polling units with just over 2000 votes.  “It is surprising that the election in which on Saturday, the two leading candidates were running neck to neck with the PDP candidate having an edge, four days later, as a result of manipulations and impossible conditions, the APC candidate is

now being credited with all the votes and some paltry number of votes were being recorded for the PDP candidate. “We should not make a mockery of democracy by conducting elections in the manner that the Osun polls were conducted. The Osun election is a clear indication of how the 2019 election will be conducted. It demonstrates that if we cannot conduct free, peaceful and fair elections in seven polling units spread across four local government areas of a state, then the conduct of the general elections in 774 local government areas across 36 states of the country is already endangered.

APC Awaits AfďŹ rmation Vote on Buhari’s Presidential Ticket Oshiomhole accuses Aisha Alhassan of anti-party activities The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has said that the party was still expecting the result of the primary election held yesterday across the country to elect its presidential candidate.

Oshiomhole, who addressed journalists in Abuja, said the party was in the process of collating the results of the exercise and would make it public as soon they were ready. “The process entails collating the results from ward levels to local council and then state level, to know how many persons participated in the primary election. These are well thought out ideal meant to return the country to democratic ideals,� he said.

When asked the membership population of the party and the number of people that participated in the presidential primary, Oshiomhole said that although the APC boasts

of 16 million members, but that he could not say the actual number that voted at the primary until the results were collated.

While reacting to the barrage of criticisms trailing the rerun governorship poll in Osun State, conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Oshiomhole said those who were castigating the commission, including the Senate President, Bukola Saraki had no basis to do so.

He said that as far the party was concerned, INEC performed creditably well in the Osun state election. He also said that going by the narrow margin with which the winner emerged it was clear that the exercise was credible.

Oshiomhole, who vowed that the ruling party would not accept minority party members to superintend at the National Assembly, said that Senator Saraki should reconvene the legislative chamber so that the budget for 2019

general elections could be passed.

On the victory of the APC’s candidate, Adegboyega Oyetola, the APC national chairman said the party worked hard to seal a deal with the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Senator Iyola Omisore while the PDP was busy protesting against the rerun election. “That we agreed that we are going to give him opportunity to contest for a senate seat, that is correct.

Not just the Senate but House of Representatives and House of Assembly seats. Going forward, we discussed how to work together,� he said.

He said that Omisore was a deputy governor to the founding national chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande in 1999 when he was governor, adding that Omisore was not a fake progressive because he had an early working relationship with the progressives.

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2͸͹΀ ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

RingTrue

07013940521 yemi.adebowale@thisdaylive.com

Yemi

Adebowale

The Contentious Vote for Continuity in Osun Adebayo Shittu,

Please, Step Aside

P

ain pours in Osun State. The last seven years have been most traumatic. Governor Rauf Aregbesola represents that pain. No single individual has ever inflicted this much pain on the hapless people of this state in its entire history, with so much hunger, disease, poverty, malnutrition and infrastructural decay. At a point, churches and mosques were providing food for traumatised civil servants.

Some of these public servants even committed suicide due to huge unpaid salaries.

So, will such traumatised and oppressed people vote for their oppressors to continue managing the state? Well, that was what INEC told us with the voodoo governorship result declared on Thursday, which gave a dubious victory to the ruling APC in the state.

Aregbesola’s stooge, Adegboyega Oyetola, will now, according to INEC, continue to run Osun State for another four years. Another four years of inept and coldblooded leadership looms. I still can’t understand how a man that spent his entire two terms pauperizing his people would go back to these same people, to ask for ‘continuity.’ and they would vote for his candidate?

Which continuity? This is certainly continuity of poverty and inept leadership? The good people of Osun State could not have voted for this kind of continuity.

The stories from this state in the last seven years are gory. Pensioners here have become beggars after serving for years.

The plight of those who retired in the last six years is most pathetic. While they were in service, salaries and allowances were irregular, no thanks to Aregbesola. After retirement, pension and gratuities were also not paid. These retirees are permanently on the streets of Osogbo, protesting.

When I met Aregbesola sometime in 2006 in Lagos, (then, he was Lagos Commissioner for Works), I thought he would make a positive impact in Osun State. He rolled out his great dream for the state, if he emerged governor. I was impressed. He eventually became governor through the barrel of the court and he became a different man. Aregbesola was carried away and forgot about his “Marshal Plan” for Osun.

Instead, his son became a major contractor in the state.

It is a shame that everything has been at a standstill in Aregbesola’s failed state. Public institutions are as good as dead. Public hospitals and schools are in a mess due to non-payment of salaries and decaying infrastructure. Daily, civil servants die while waiting for salaries. They have lost over 100 of their colleagues to unpaid salaries.

At a point, labour leaders in the state had to launch an appeal for donation of foods for the traumatised workers.

I get very angry whenever the Osun Governor attributes his inability to pay civil servants to dwindling windfall from Abuja.

Let’s look at it this way; if this country were to be implementing resource control, will Osun State be sharing in the oil revenue? It means non-oil producing states like Osun would have to run their states and pay their

Oyetola

workers without oil money. Late Obafemi Awolowo successfully managed the defunct Western Region with funds from agriculture and industries. These days, governors are only interested in the monthly handouts from Abuja.

Again, Aregbesola took loans beyond the state’s capacity and agreed that deductions be made at source for the lenders. So, his monthly handouts from Abuja are depleted further. How much exactly has he borrowed in the last five years? How much is deducted monthly at source to service the debt? These are questions begging for answers.

This governor has failed on all his promises to the distressed people of Osun State. He promised that the largely rural state would get a desired turn around, adding that the turn-around would be anchored mainly on agriculture. I remember clearly that he said he would turn the state into the food basket of not only the South-West region, but also of the nation as a whole.

He said Osun would tap into the Lagos food market. The plan was to edge out the northern states supplying the bulk of the food stuff in Lagos, by exploiting the proximity of Osun State to Lagos. Seven years down the line, I am yet to see the impact of the money the Aregbesola government claimed to have invested in agriculture to actualize this dream.

I can’t remember spotting a single tuber of yam entering the popular Mile-12 food market in Lagos from Osun State. Aregbesola’s talk about commercial agriculture has remained chiefly a mirage.

Aregbesola clearly mismanaged the economy of the state. He also mortgaged the state to financial institutions. The debt he incurred is shrouded in misery. What the money was used for is also controversial. At a point, he said that the financial crisis of the state was beyond his ability, yet, he refused to resign.

One bogus project he launched with fanfare was the state’s airport project located in Iddo. It is appalling that despite all the abracadabra around the project, the airport remains a pipe dream. This governor told the hapless people of Osun State that the airport would be completed in 2012 or early 2013. A visit to the site last week showed that it had been abandoned. What you find on ground today is the haphazard fencing done without any thought for engineering finesse.

The other things on site are heaps and heaps of stones and rubbish. Billions of Naira has been expended on this white elephant project. The exact figure is a closely guarded secret. Clearly, Osun State does not need an airport, considering the fact that there is one, just a stone throw in Ibadan. This project does not make any economic sense.

Why should a governor, who claims to be a man of the people, waste the state’s limited resources on an airport project amidst so much hunger, disease and poverty in the state? Key infrastructure in Osun public hospitals and schools are in a tattered state, yet, Aregbesola wasted money on an airport project.

Just as Segun Akinwusi, former Head of Service, HOS, of Osun State, said recently, “When a government chooses to indulge in trivialities, the end result is for it to be looking for scapegoats to cover its infamy. Osun state economy today has collapsed, the debt profile has reduced the state indigenes to beggars and destitute.” Aregbesola is usually not happy with people like Akinwusi. He could not silence this dogged fighter.

Unfortunately, this governor’s stooge will now be in charge of Osun State for the next four years. This is what INEC said and not what the people of Osun state said. The true story of Osun State’s finances will be further delayed. However, it can’t be covered forever.

The Anguish in Numan As I pen this piece, hundreds of Internally Displaced Persons from Numan, Adamawa State are languishing at Numan Central Primary School.

The IDPs are mainly from Gon, Bolki, Nzumosu and Yanga villages. These communities were raided by unknown gunmen early this month, resulting in the death of scores of people. Hundreds of terrified residents had to flee the communities to this IDP camp, where facilities have been overstretched.

There is hunger in this camp, but these fear-stricken people can’t return to their homes because the killers now control their communities. The federal government must urgently deploy security

men to secure the affected communities, so that these traumatised Nigerians can return to their homes. The story is that marauders usually come from a border community called Abare in Taraba to attack the communities in Numan.

For now, Adamawa State Government has to step up provision of relief materials to victims in the Numan camp. There is so much hunger there.

Perpetrators of the killings in Numan must be arrested and dealt with according to the laws of our land. Otherwise, the killings will continue. That was why the Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge de Affaires, US Embassy in Nigeria, David Young, attributed the incessant

killings in Nigeria to the absence of justice.

The US diplomat said: “I think it is clear; we know and government knows that as well. It is clear that there is a climate of impunity. When people are committing serious crimes, they get away with it, without being brought to justice.

“It is so important that there should be very strong efforts to make sure that people are brought to justice for these terrible crimes.”

Young advised the Nigerian government to strengthen its laws to deal with killers. I doubt if this government is listening to these words of wisdom.

One of the jesters in Buhari’s cabinet is the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu. He never ceases to amaze me. The other day, his media aide made frightening corruption allegations against him and all we got was a piece of fiction from Shittu.

This time around, this minister was exposed for not taking part in the mandatory NYSC scheme for graduates and he responded with a shocking cock and bull story.

Shittu said he had not violated any law of the land and therefore had no case to answer. He told surprised Nigerians that his membership of the Oyo State House of Assembly in 1979 amounted to “a higher service”.

He said: “I left law school in 1979 and the constitution says anyone who qualifies to contest an election or who has gone through an election and wins, is obligated to move through the House of Assembly, which I did for four years. So, it is a form of higher service as far as I’m concerned and even now, I am still in service.”

On whether he has violated any law, Shittu said: “I didn’t and I’m not worried.

Do you see any worry on my face? I don’t think so except someone has a superior argument and proves it. Unfortunately, Kemi Adeosun had a fake certificate, I didn’t present any, I didn’t have one, I simply followed the constitutional requirement that if you are qualified to contest an election, it is compulsory for you to serve the nation in the capacity that you won an election.”

We all can now understand why I often describe Shittu as a jester. Haba! How can he equate his years in the Oyo State House of Assembly with NYSC? The NYSC is a straight forward thing. It is either you serve and get a discharge certificate or you are qualified for exemption, for which the authorities will issue an exemption certificate. Our dear minister does not have any of these two certificates.

The 1999 constitution is very clear about this. All Nigerians who graduated from any higher institution in the country or from universities outside the country, are under an obligation, unless clearly exempted by this same law, must make themselves available for the NYSC scheme.

The category of persons exempted from the compulsory NYSC scheme was clearly stated: “Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, with effect from 1 August 1985, a person shall not be called upon to serve in the service corps if, at the date of his graduation or obtaining his diploma or other professional qualification, he is over the age of thirty; or he has served in the armed forces of the Federation or the Nigeria Police Force for a period of more than nine months; or he is member of staff of any of the following: the Nigerian Security Organisation or the State Security Service; or the National Intelligence Agency; or the Defence Intelligence Agency; or he has been conferred with any National Honour.” This exemption clause did not support any of the points raised by our dear communications minister. Shittu deliberately refused to make himself available for service. This is the truth.

It is obligatory for him to participate in the one-year national service, to qualify for any job in Nigeria. Section 13 of the NYSC Act states that any person who refuses to make himself available for service continuously for the period specified in subsection (2) of this section, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of N2,000 or to imprisonment for a term of twelve months or to both such fine and imprisonment.

Shittu has clearly breached the provisions of the NYSC Act and should be sacked and punished according to the law.

The good thing is that NYSC authorities have dismissed Shittu’s claims. According to its spokesperson, Adenike Adeyemi, the minister’s claim that holding an elective office suffices for the obligatory national service is incorrect.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

SUPER SATURDAY

Waje

I Represent Women Who Are Curvy, Busty…There is No Shame in That Multi-talented singer and song writer, Waje, (Aituaje Ebele Iruobe) took time off her busy schedule to chat with Vanessa Obioha on her passion, dreams and motherhood

T

he meeting was scheduled for 10am but she got to the venue before the time ahead of this reporter who was caught in traffic due to the heavy downpour that Thursday morning.

Despite the delay, singer, songwriter Waje didn’t throw tantrums for having to wait when this reporter finally showed up.

Instead, she was grateful that it availed her the opportunity to make some adjustment to her upcoming concert slated for October with her team.

“It will now hold in February next year,” she revealed as we were served coffee.

Sitting across in a green and black flowing gown, Waje who recently turned 38 looked younger without makeup. I complimented on this as well as felicitated with her on her birthday.

“Thank you but where is my birthday gift?”

It wasn’t the response I was expecting but it was a good and encouraging sign that I was engaging with a willing and amiable subject.

I tried to find out from her if she has a birthday tradition.

“Well, I always pray at midnight, at exactly 12. That’s the only tradition I probably keep. At that time when people are sending birthday messages to me, I just like to reflect and pray. Sometimes, not a long prayer; a 10 or 15 minutes prayer, thanking God for the past year that has been amazing and hoping for a better year.”

By amazing, Waje means eventful. Indeed her journey in the music industry has been an interesting one.

Born Aituaje Ebele Iruobe, the singer was beamed to her Nigerian fans when the former twins group P-Square featured her on their track ‘Do Me’.

The song was such a hit but the enigma that came with the video made it a mega hit. Nobody knew what the EdoState born artiste looked like since she wasn’t featured in the music video. Social media was at its teething stage then, heightening the mystery around her.

By the time her identity was revealed, Waje had won the hearts of many with her vocals. Although she didn’t fit the mental picture of a tall slender sexy lady, Waje still had a

great following.

There were few female artistes making waves at the time, like Sasha , Weird MC who were famous in the rap genre.

Her closest pal was singer Omawumi.

Despite recording a few singles and collaborating with artistes like M.I., Waje suddenly strolled into oblivion.

Speculations were rife on her sudden muteness and quite a few wondered if she was not another one-hit wonder.

“There were things happening in my personal life at the time and was affecting my business. I really didn’t know how to balance myself. I have to be honest with you; that was a difficult period in my life. I could as well tell you that I was busy with another project just because I want to be seen in a good light but the truth is I was going through a tough time. Let’s call a spade a spade and not a cooking utensil. We are all human and we learn as we grow.

“I had management issues just like any other artiste would have but I have learnt how to rise above these things in the sense that I have come to realise that there is Waje, the singer, then there is Ebele and Aituaje. Often times, I

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

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SUPERSATURDAY I REPRESENT WOMEN WHO ARE CURVY, BUSTY…THERE IS NO SHAME IN THAT merged the three which ought not to be so. If Ebele is having a bad day, the business shouldn’t suffer because of that.

Artistes often don’t know how to separate their personal lives from their businesses. We need to draw a line. Thankfully, I have come to understand that because of the people surrounding me. Regardless of what and how things are, Waje is a business and if I don’t feed Waje with the right things such as attention, consistency, she will suffer and then Ebele will suffer.”

However, the singer stunned her fans when she emerged from her wilderness with the release of her self-titled album ‘Waje’. But what got people talking was when she rocked a sexier and curvier body in her 2014 hit track ‘Coco Baby’ which featured Tanzanian artiste Diamond Platnumz.

Again, the conversation revolved around her looks.

“I just didn’t like the way I looked, I thought I could look better, more appealing. I’m a musician and on the business side of things, brands want to associate with someone who is put together. I didn’t want to be skinny, but wanted to be able to hold my own. When you see me you can say this woman is beautiful. I represent women who are curvy, busty and there is no shame in that. I don’t really care that much about size, but just be firm and carry yourself well.”

Though she went through a strenuous exercise routine for a year to achieve her present shape, Waje discovered at the end of the day that her weight wasn’t the issue.

“The strange thing was that I didn’t lose much weight, about 5 kg but the more people complimented my weight loss, I started feeling better about myself, my mind started acting right. It dawned on me that the problem was not about my weight but the way I saw myself. Over time, I used losing weight to get my mind right. So there’s nothing I will wear now whether it is booboo or the one showing my curves, the way I will carry myself, you sef go wan collect the cloth from me,” she laughed.

With this new hat-trick, Waje found her career rising to an enviable height. Suddenly, she was everywhere. She was the best choice to headline the song ‘Strong girl’ which is the theme song for One Campaign’s ‘Poverty is Sexist’ in 2015 and also joined Bono in Lagos, Nigeria for the Lagos campaign in 2015. She was the only female judge in the debut season of MultiChoice reality music show ‘The Voice Naija’.

This year, Waje was featured in Femi Odugbemi’s gripping TV series ‘Battleground’, an experience she is excited about. Recently, she released a single ‘Kpolongo’ which featured Timaya; and unknowingly hinted that her next album will be released in November. She has also been touring different parts of the world and performing at private gigs.

Everything is happening so fast. To her, it still felt like yesterday. “Sometimes I feel like my career started in 2013 when I released my first album.”

By next year, she would have a career spanning a decade.

She attributed her staying power to her music which she said it’s a daily discovery for her.

“Right now I am enjoying myself. I think I have just started. There are so many things in my heart that I want to do as a brand. I want to do more acting because I like stage.

Being on ‘Battleground’ was a beautiful experience. It was a way for me to be someone else out of Waje and I enjoyed it, playing different characters, living in another world that is not Waje. I’m thinking of how to merge Waje and Ebele on stage to do broadway,” she announced with a twinkle in her eye.

Waje’s comical expressions further confirmed my earlier perception of her friendly mien. It is in the way she switches to pidgin language when she felt the point she wanted to make would be more understandable; or the manner which she deflected questions about her future plans for marriage by replying “she sips coffee”.

Underneath that joviality lies a disciplined and protective mother. A single mother, Waje for a long while hid the identity of her child from the public. But when her daughter went ahead of her to open a Facebook account, the singer was left with no choice than to introduce her to the world.

“There was actually a time there was a fake account on Twitter in her name. It became glaring that people are finding out that she is my child and will do what I don’t want them to do so i rather beat them to it. I didn’t want anyone to tell the story that was not true because people will write their own stories which are snippets of their relationship with her.”

In sharing her ups and downs with her daughter, Waje believes she is laying a good foundation for her. For instance, she gives her a monthly allowance to take care of her daily needs. By so doing, Waje believes she’s making her prioritise her needs and be a responsible woman. She narrated an incident that happened recently.

“Since she turned 14, my daughter has been interning anytime she’s on holidays. During this holiday, she interned for an amazing friend of ours. One day, she came to me and told me she needed to buy data and toiletries.

I replied that I don’t have money that she should use her

monthly allowance. She complained that nothing would be left of the allowance by the time she took care of those needs. But that was life dear. I’m sometimes broke by the time I spend on my earnings on fees, rent and other expenses. She was upset with me but I needed her to learn how to prioritise, to manage her funds so she can understand the value of money. Those are the mistakes I

made; not knowing what to use my money for or how to save. Now she knows that if I give her a fat sum, she will have to decide if she will spend it on human hair or on something more worthwhile.”

She sees parenthood as a learning process and admitted that she would love to have children. But when? With who? She sips coffee. Perhaps, Waje will clarify this some other day.

I Want to Do More Acting Because I Like Stage

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COMMENTARY

THE WARNING NIGERIA MUST HEED Nigerians should be allowed to vote people of their choice, writes Emma Okah

A

s Nigerians continue to live with the bitter pill of an incompetent but deeply partisan electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it has become necessary again to predict the colour of the 2019 elections and the dangers that litter the landscape. Violence is central and so much of it is being cooked to be unleashed in Rivers State.

Many Nigerians are satisďŹ ed with branding Rivers State a turbulent election area but only a few are asking the pertinent questions to understand the causes and the assailants.

A by-election was conducted in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on August 18, 2018 for a seat in the State House of Assembly with just eight wards and 142 polling units. But this was disrupted due to heavy violence leading to suspension or cancellation by the (INEC). The disturbing observation seems to be that most persons revelled in the fact of violence, especially those who started it or felt the violence favoured them. They prided themselves as testing the microphone of violence. The violence resulted in disenfranchisement of voters and bad taste to voting. Worse, there seems to be much joy now in denying people their much-given rights to freely choose who should govern them. Unfortunately, there is no other place this is more celebrated than Rivers State.

This threatening scenario is being dismissed by people who simply say it has been like that since 1999. The danger that it poses today and what the APC is telling us today by justifying today’s violence is that they have the apparatus of violence and that they are going to maximise it against their opponents, against the PDP, during the forthcoming elections.

The meaning of that is that everybody will have to be a victim of attack unless you allowed them to win. Also, the level that the APC is taking election violence in Rivers State has reached a very disturbing crescendo. It does not matter who is the perpetrator.

No normal person can fail to see it so; that wrong remains wrong.

Every well-meaning person should seek an end to what is not right and rebuild our society for the better.

It does not matter to me that something was wrong yesterday.

If somebody was a victim yesterday, so, everybody must perish today, just for you to win an election? So, because things have changed, the victims of yesterday must visit wrong on the people?

If that is allowed to stay, then we mean evil should have no end?

The police are constitutionally empowered to bear arms but it is not to maul over the populace. Violence, apart from discouraging people from voting, puts voters and electoral officers in danger.

Imagine members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) being harmed. Nigerians must wake up to that reality. The same evil that is being perpetrated in Rivers State is now being exported to other states like in Ekiti when the police were used to intimidate a sitting governor. At the end of the day, you wrestle him down and arm-twist him until he is unable to defend himself properly, taking advantage of the coercive power of the state.

So, it looks easy to interpret that all you need to do to win election now is to spend all the money on the security, raise thugs, and the police will give the thugs covering power, cart away sensitive materials, snatch ballot boxes, and take away card reader

EVERY WELL-MEANING PERSON SHOULD SEEK AN END TO WHAT IS NOT RIGHT AND REBUILD OUR SOCIETY FOR THE BETTER

machines. With that, you have paralysed the voting process and you now come out with a result you have pre-written. Printing of INEC results is no longer a big deal. We saw it in Port Harcourt here and we shouted and arrests were made, but no person was punished. It is such impunity. The alert was not proved to be a lie, either. Instead, the case was transferred to police Zone six, and the young man who was caught with the printed materials at 12, Isiokpo Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt Mr Atonye Peterside and his accomplices are walking the streets freely. They were all APC members.

When the re-run election involving Rivers East was held, the court relied on the result given to them by the police and rejected the one from INEC. So, where did the police get their own result?

These came from the alternative results the APC printed. Nobody has been punished to this day. We are showing this example to Nigerians and that is why I am saying, there is a limit to how you can wrestle a man and bring him down in his house. A day comes when he can tell you, you cannot do that. Nigerians must look at this matter seriously.

To me, instead of wasting your resources to think you must win everywhere to retain your seat, you can still win without winning everywhere. A senator must not win everywhere to be senator. What is happening in Rivers State is the desire and wish of one man that wants to be seen as a pampered child; that wants to say he contributed so much to making somebody what he is today and must be so regarded and rewarded with a state. That is why they deploy SARS to obstruct elections in Rivers State and make it impossible for free and fair election to hold so they can declare for APC and claim that they won.

The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and its state commander are the major problems in election rigging and violence in Rivers State. The Acting President (when the president was away) had said that SARS was going to be restructured. While we were still talking about that, the same SARS has come to demonstrate again that it truly is a satanic organisation by disrupting byelections in Rivers State. So, where so we go from there? What it means is that anywhere you discover that elections are not going in their favour, SARS will surface with thugs, giving thugs cover to go and disrupt it, leaving even unarmed security men at the polling units running for safety.

Many people feel that if this is how it will go, why are they going to be bothered breaking their neck when the centre will not allow the elections to hold and when all you will do is to risk the lives of those who came to do elections? The people of Rivers State should be allowed to vote people of their choice and not be intimidated with the police just to do the bidding of the APC because the FG has control of the security agencies, and is in control of officers who have the power to bear arms. This will not solve Nigeria’s problem. This short cut to victory is slowly spreading to other parts of Nigeria because it met success in Rivers State.

Okah is the Rivers State Commissioner for Information & Communications

KWANKWASO, LEADERSHIP AND DOMESTIC ACCEPTANCE Lawal Abdullahi challenges the presidential aspirant to be bold enough to visit home

D

omestic acceptance of a political actor is major index of measuring political relevance and effective leadership. You cannot lead in a community or in a state where your domestic acceptance is in doubt.

The former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu MuKwankwaso has not been able to visit his home state of Kano for a period of over one year. Politicians and political scholars have deemed it necessary to examine the claim of Kwankwaso to leadership viz-a-viz his inability or refusal to visit his state for a period of more than one year.

The political relevance or leadership capability of Senator Kwankwaso is difficult to uphold on grounds of the relationship between domestic acceptance and leadership. How can a politician lead in his state or aspire to lead his country when his domestic acceptance is in doubt?

The understanding of the link of domestic acceptance to political leadership can be understood from the conjectures of subjecting some late Kano State prominent political leaders to such treatment. Think of what would have been the response of late Mallam Aminu Kano or the reaction of Kano people if he was banned by any irresponsible or authoritarian government from entering Kano State. How about if such situation was applied to late Abubakar Rimi?

It is not difficult to know a courageous political leader from politicians that are lucky to occupy government position by circumstances of time and chance. Despite the travails of Sule Lamido he is still able to hold his grounds and demonstrates his commitment to his political ideology.

A government in Nigeria attempted to arrest and rubbish the reputation of Chief Odumegwu

Ojuku. Ojuku did not fight for himself. The people of South-East rose to his defence and the government was now confronted with the problem of who should effect the arrest and the unknown consequences of such a careless act.

Recently, another authoritarian government attempted to implicate the Senate President, Bukola Saraki in the dastardly Offa bank robbery.

Traditional rulers in Kwara State issued a stern warning and made it clear to the government that they will not accept any attempt to rubbish the name of their dear son.

Our political scholar, late Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe was always with his people at home in Onitsha and Nsukka. Would it have been possible for any government to restrict Zik of Africa to Lagos and banned him from visiting Nsukka or any part of the South-East of Nigeria?

Our sage, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo lived all through his life in Ikenne, Ogun State. Let us imagine what would have been the consequences if any government had attempted to ban Awo from entering Ikenne or any part of the SouthWest of Nigeria.

Rabiu Kwankwaso is one of the numerous presidential aspirants on the platform of the PDP. I expect the aspiration of Kwankwaso to be a serious one and he should be willing to make sacrifice for the success of democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria.

The important question for Kwankwaso and the PDP to answer is: how can an individual, a serving senator that cannot defend his fundamental right aspire to be the presidential candidate of an opposition political party that is committed to the defeat of an authoritarian government?

Rabiu Kwankwaso formally declared for the presidential race in Abuja, the Federal Capital

Territory. About a week to the primaries of the PDP presidential primaries, he has not been able to visit his home state to inform his people of his presidential ambition on the platform of PDP. The inability or refusal of Kwankwaso to visit his home state can only be defined as lack of domestic acceptance. A man who cannot visit his state cannot claim popularity or effective leadership.

Kwankwaso supporters can situate their defence of his refusal or his inability to visit Kano State on tactics or political diplomacy. The nonconfrontational method should be encouraged in political struggle. Such methodology cannot be dormant, because if adopted its vibrancy will be felt by all and its potency can trigger an action of government to restore the right of Kwankwaso to security and visits to his home state or condemnation by local and international community.

There is equally no evidence of confrontational method by Kwankwaso. The case of confronting an authoritarian government must not necessarily be led by the principal victim. Local pressure groups in Kano State, students, artisans, traders can put up a peaceful resistance and reinstate his right to security and visits to his home state.

Late Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) did not use force or violence in fighting all his battles against military governments and their draconian policies in Nigeria. He was consistent in his peaceful resistance and protest to defend his right and that of the majority of Nigerians.

Kwankwaso decision to stay in Abuja without any resistance against the decision of government to ban him from entering his home state of Kano is a clear indication of a politician that has no domestic acceptance. Those that are urging him to vie for the presidency of Nigeria are merely

deceiving him .They should know the implication of building a house without a foundation.

It is obvious that the burden of President Buhari administration on Nigeria is one of the reasons for the rising dissent to the second term ambition of the incumbent president. Kwankwaso should not constitute a clear burden on the PDP aspiration to defeat President Buhari and the burden of his administration on Nigerians.

The defection of Rabiu Kwankwaso is quite an asset to the PDP and the collective aspiration of Nigerians to defeat the APC government.

However, it is not enough for PDP to sacrifice its desire for a strong presidential candidate for an aspirant that is finding it difficult to visit his home state. It is true that Kwankwaso put up a good fight in the 2014 APC presidential primaries against President Buhari. It is equally important to note that the political conditions of APC 2014 are different from the present 2018 political environment and its requirement to defeat an incumbent president.

Presidential nomination or a presidential candidate does not enjoy immunity from arrest or prosecution by the constitution of Nigeria. If the calculation of Kwankwaso and his handlers is that he will visit Kano State if he emerges as the PDP presidential candidate, then they should equally know that what Kwankwaso is avoiding by his inability or unwillingness to visit Kano State before the primaries will be multiplied on him if he emerges as the candidate of PDP. Kwankwaso will be a total distraction to the potential of PDP to defeat APC in the general election if he is elected as the presidential candidate of the PDP. Abdulahi is of Department of Political Science, ABU, Zaria

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INSIGHT

The strugle continues...

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I

NIGERIA AT 58: NOT YET UHURU

s the reason for our arrested development far-fetched? No, it is not.

It takes a visionary, seless and morally scrupulous national leader to revolutionise a country and take it to unprecedented economic and technological heights. A great national leader can envision and imagine the type of country he would like his country to become. Then, he would set about it, and work assiduously with his team to achieve their collective national dreams and aspirations.

Think about Chairman Mao Tse Tung and other great Chinese thinkers who laid the ground work for the Chinese rapid industrialisation, technological greatness, and sustainable economic development and prosperity. Israel, which was created in 1947, is not populous; and its land mass may not be bigger than that of Anambra State. Yet, today, Israel, which is surrounded by aggressive and hostile neighbours, has military might and technological culture because it has been led successively by visionary and able leaders.

Singapore, India, and Malaysia have outpaced Nigeria in national development because they have philosopher-kings as leaders.

It is sad and incredible that since our attainment of political freedom and sovereignty in 1960, Nigeria has been bedevilled by myopic, irresponsible, profligate, insensitive, and corrupt political leaderships interspersed with oppressive military regimes. The departing British imperialists helped Alhaji Tafawa Belewa to political power at the expense of his political betters like Rt. Hon. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

However, Alhaji Balewa could not weld the peoples of Nigeria together and entrench national unity, which is a sine qua non for national development. Not surprisingly, soon after we had become a politically independent country, Nigeria descended into a fratricidal civil war, which nearly caused her dismemberment.

Thereafter, the successive military regimes, which ruled Nigeria, would proclaim that their governments were corrective ones. But the military leaders deepened our miseries by their iron-fist rule, corrupt deeds, and suspension of the constitution as exemplified by the military governments of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.) and Sani Abacha (rtd).

Gen. Babangida’s political shenanigans, manoeuvrings, and transition to civil rule rigmarole caused the third republic to become still born after the first and second republics had failed abysmally.

Happily, since the dawn of the fourth republic in 1999, Nigeria has been enjoying uninterrupted political leadership with one political party handing over political power to another party, peacefully.

The change of the leadership baton did not cause political chaos, here, as expected by the people. In fact, it’s a milestone in our political annals.

Sadly, however, the PDP’s leadership of Nigeria under the civilian governments of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan could not transform Nigeria to an economically prosperous and technologically advanced nation-state, given our human and material endowments.

So, when Nigerians voted massively for Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 Presidential election, and he became our president, we thought that he would unveil a road map for the re-making of our battered country. Considering his ascetic nature, avuncular disposition, Spartan mien, aversion to corruption, and zeal for political leadership, millions of Nigerians believed him to be our political messiah.

However, today, President Buhari is not living up to expectations to the chagrin and utter disappointment of millions of Nigerians.

Now, in Nigeria, there is insecurity of life and property because President Buhari’s appointments of personnel into our country’s security apparatchik are determined by the factors of religion and ethnic origin. The murderous campaigns that are being waged by the Boko Haram group and the Fulani herdsmen have imperilled our national unity.

Again, there is infrastructural rot in the country. The dilapidated Enugu-Onitsha express-way brings back memories of egregious roads in war-torn Cambodia and Afghanistan. The deplorable state of the road calls into question the federal government’s claim that it has performed creditably, so far. More so, the regular and steady supply of electricity, which ought to be a given here, as it is obtained in Europe and America, is still a mirage.

While our population is burgeoning exponentially, our economy is shrinking or growing at a slow pace. Consequently, Nigeria has an army of unemployed angry and hungry youths. Are our leaders aware that secessionist groups and terrorist organisations can enlist the unemployed youths into their groups and exploit their vulnerability to destabilise our country?

Fixing our economy as well as tackling the issue of unemployment should become our top priority and imperative now. Are our leaders satisfied that Nigeria has been designated as the poverty capital of the world when we have the natural resources and human capital, which we can harness to turn around our ugly national situation?

REFORMING NIGERIA’S CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS

P

olitical campaign finance refers to funds used to promote the interest of political parties and candidates. In Nigeria, the framework governing political campaign finance is the Electoral Act. According to Section 91(2) and 91(3) of the Electoral Act, the maximum election expenses to be incurred by a candidate at a presidential and governorship election shall be N1billion and N200million respectively. Also, Section 91(4) of the electoral act states that the maximum election expenses to be incurred by a candidate for a senatorial and House of Representatives election shall be N40 million and N20 million respectively. Independent political campaign finance experts have frequently noted that Nigeria’s president, governors, senators and members of the House of Representatives spend much more than the amount allowed by the electoral act. The implication is that the campaign finance laws in Nigeria are not in tune with the realities on ground. While there is need to advocate for a reduction in the amount of money spent by politicians and political parties, there is also need to review the electoral realities and laws in Nigeria. The maximum amount of money that a candidate is legally allowed to spend in an election should be reviewed upwards. This recommendation is based on observed realities that are necessary to mount a solid electoral campaign. However, the upward review should not be contained in the electoral act. Rather, the act should be amended such that the power to decide the maximum legally allowable amounts is vested on the Independent National Electoral ComChiedu Uche Okoye, Umowulu-Obosi, Anambra State mission (INEC). The justification for this is the need to avoid the lengthy rigours of legislation whenever there is need for an urgent change in the maximum legally allowable amount of expenditure. Based on changes in economic indicators, INEC will be allowed to exercise this power from time to time after consultation with relevant stakeholders. Some of the empirical factors for consideration include cost of media advertiseT H E SAT U R DAY N E W S PA P E R ments, cost of campaign venue, transport cost, EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE land area and number of voters to be reached, DEPUTY EDITOR CHIKA AMANZE-NWACHUKU etc. Section 91(10) of the Electoral Act states MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO the penalties for violating campaign finance DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE laws, however, these penalties are too petty CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI and not strong enough to serve as deterrents.

EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN The penalties should be increased to a fine of MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE not less than 50% of the excess expenditure, a prison term of not less than three calendar years and debarment from political offices for a period of not less than five years. The electoral act should be amended to make media T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D outfits under obligation to report the cost of all EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA campaign advertisements to INEC. Companies GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, must be banned from making donations to ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI political campaign finance of candidates and DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE parties while donations by ordinary Nigerian DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI citizens should be made tax deductible so long SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH as it is within the maximum legally allowed ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS PATRICK EIMIUHI, SAHEED ADEYEMO amount of donations by an individual. In terms CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI of disciplinary powers, INEC should not be a DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO toothless bulldog.

TO SEND EMAIL: ďŹ rst name.surname@thisdaylive.com

Martins Eke, Programme OfďŹ cer, Centre for Social Justice, Abuja

T H I S D AY ˾ SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

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NEWS

In Brief  House Member,  Funke Adedoyin Dies

AmemberoftheHouseofRepresentatives,representingIrepodunIsin/Ekiti /OkeErofederalconstituencyofKwaraStateattheNationalAssembly, Hon. FunkeAdedoyin,hasdied.THISDAYchecksrevealedthatthePeoplesDemocratic Party(PDP)lawmakerdiedinaforeignhospital duringtreatmentforcancer.

Thedeath,itwaslearnt occurredonFriday,butwasbeingkeptawayfromher agedfather,abusinessmogul,ChiefSamuelAdedoyin.Asourceclosetothe family said that the deceased had a cancer operation about two years ago, whileshehadbeeninandoutofthecountryformedicalattentionsincethen.

The source, who said a call was put across to the deceased last week, added that he suspected something was amiss when she did not pick or return the call.Contactedyesterday,oneofthesistersofthedeceased,PrincessOmolola OlobayowhospokewithjournalistsinIlorin confirmedthedeathofhersister.Â

‘Stop Distracting Amnesty Boss’

Niger Delta Amnesty Vendors Association has warned ex-militants to stop distractingtheCoordinatorofthePresidentialAmnestyprogramandSpecial AdvisertothePresidentonNigerDelta,ProfessorCharlesDokubowithneedlessprotestsbyex-militants.Insteadofincessantprotests,thegroupadvised ex-militantstoexplorechannelsofcommunicationswithintheamnestyoffice to resolve grievances. Rising from a meeting with ex-militants in Warri, the group condemned the recent protest by some ex-militants at the Bayelsa end of the EastWest Road against the Amnesty boss noting that incessant complaintscouldderailtheprogrammewhichseveralNigerDeltayouthswere benefitingfrom.TheNigerDeltaAmnestyVendors’Associationpleadedwiththe Wreckaage of the Nigerian Airforce jet that crashed while rehearsing for the 58th Independence Day Celebration yesterday in Abuja. Photo; ex-agitatorstoworkforthesuccessofthePresidentialAmnestyCoordinator.

Julius Atoi Uduaghan Donates to Flood Victims FormergovernorofDeltaState,Dr.EmmanuelUduaghan,onFridaydonated reliefmaterialsworthmillionsofnairatopersonsdisplacedbyflood-ravaged communities in Isoko area of the state. Uduaghan made the donation at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Emede in Isoko South Local GovernmentAreaofthestateaftervisitingsomeimpactedcommunitiesin thearea,includingUzereandadjoiningcommunities,describingthesituationas pathetic.Hundredsofbuildingsinthetown,includingamulti-millionaire edifice Omololu Ogunmade Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, yesterday said a board of inquiry had been siasm, excited to be part of the belongingtoapopularbusinessmanandformerchairmanofIsokoSouthLocal said the Nigeria Air Force had put in place to unfold the cause celebration, unfortunately we had GovernmentArea,ChiefAskiaOgeah,wassubmergedbytheflood.Someparts Two jets belonging to the constituted a board of inquiry to of the crash, lamented that the this incident this afternoon. We ofEmede,AviaraandotherIsokocommunitiesandmanyotherareasinDelta Nigerian Air Force yesterday investigate the cause of the crash officers were embarking on the have set up a board of enquiry South and Delta North along the lower River Niger banks have been sacked suffered a midair collision at of military jets which claimed the last rehearsal in preparation for to clearly understand what really by the disruptive flooding in the state. Uduaghan, who defied the downpour the Katampe area of the Federal life of Baba-Ari, in Abuja. Nigeria’s 58th Independence happened. This was supposed to forthevisit,wasreceivedbyover2,000membersoftheIDPcampinEmede Capital Territory, Abuja, which The remains of the deceased Anniversary scheduled to hold be the last rehearsal before the establishedforpeoplesackedbytheflood. claimed the life of one of the was committed to mother earth on Monday, October 1. actual flying on the 1st of October. pilots, Squadron Leader Bello at the Military Cemetery along The Air Force chief who “It is very unfortunate that we BPE Clarifies on Afam, Yola Bids Baba-Ari. Airport Road, Abuja yesterday. described yesterday’s tragedy lost one of them, but we are also TheBureauofPublicEnterprises(BPE)hasclarifiedthatcontrarytoitsearlier President Muhammadu Buhari At the hospital, Kyari com- as one of such incidents which consoled by the fact that we have statement,12firmssubmittedbidsfortheAfamPowerCompanyandseven lamented of the tragedy and con- miserated with survivors of the sometimes occur in the course of two of the pilots here who are in for the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) when the submission sequent delegation of the Chief of crash, saying Buhari was saddened discharging their responsibilities, stable condition, they have been of bids for the Expression of Interest (EOIs) to acquire the two power comStaff, Malam Abba Kyari and his by the incident and consequently regretted the loss of one of the visited by the Chief of Staff and panies ended on Tuesday. In the earlier statement, the privatisation agency had indicated that of the 19 firms with bids, seven were for Afam and 12 for Senior Special Assistant on Media instructed them to visit them in pilots, adding that the survivors I have also visited them and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, the hospital. were in stable conditions. “Like I said, this is something YEDC.The19firmsindicatedinteresttoacquireAfam andYEDC,putupfor to visit the two surviving co-pilots Kyari said: “I wish you quick He said: “Well, I think that is that has to do with the profession salebythefederalgovernmentatthecloseofthesubmissionofbidsforthe at the Defence Intelligence Agency recovery. The President said we the tragic nature of our job. As of flying combat aircraft and ExpressionofInterest(EOIs) onSeptember26,2018.Inastatement Friday, Hospital, Abuja yesterday. should come and see you and combat pilot, sometimes things sometimes you can’t avoid these the Head,PublicCommunications, BPE, AminaTukurOthman, notedthatamong the bidding companies were renowned players in the power industry which The aircraft were said to be wish you well. He is fully aware. terrible happen and this is one things from happening.â€? taking part in the rehearsals for He has been informed on what of those days. These officers According to him, his family theevaluationcommitteeearliersetupbytheBureautoscrutinisetheirbids the 58th Independence Day celebra- happened. We are proud of your have been rehearsing for the had been briefed and his father hasalreadybeeninauguratedandcommencedwork. tions when collision occurred. service to your country.â€?

58th anniversary of their country. and wife saw the corpse before Airtel’s 4G Internet Service for Delta The Chief of Air Staff, Air Also speaking, Abubakar who “Everybody was full of enthu- it was interred.

Airtel Nigeria has re-emphasised its commitment to give the best Internet experiencetotheconsumers.ManagingDirectorofAirtelNigeriaMr.Segun Ogunsanya,whorestatedthecompany’scommitmentyesterdayatthelaunch of Airtel’s 4G service in Warri and environs, said the innovation would make life better for Nigerians. Ogunsanya, who was represented at the event by thecompany’sRegionalOperationsDirector,SouthernRegion,Mr.Oladapo Dosunmu, noted that the target of taking the 4G service toWarri is to boost Emmanuel Addeh Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă‹ his statement on oath as his commerce and provide opportunities for entrepreneurs in Delta. “With this below sea level. So, once there is Alex Enumah Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË˿ launch,wewillpowerpeople,businessesandaidgovernancethroughTechnology. evidence in the case. a major flooding situation in our Governor Seriake Dickson of country, our state is one of the Justice Sanusi Kado of the He informed the court that he Specifically,our4GlaunchinWarriwillhelpboostcommerceandalsoprovide Bayelsa State yesterday urged the most impacted, because all the National Industrial Court, Abuja, was a member of the team that entrepreneursaveritableplatformtoconnectwithmorestakeholders.

Nigerian Air Force to undertake major rivers pass through here on Wednesday adjourned till carried out investigations on a November 12, 2018, hearing on criminal matter which had to  ‘Illiterates Have No Business Selling Medicines’ emergency evacuation of flood to the Atlantic. victims, noting that many com“I want to see a situation where the suit instituted by a Director do with malicious publications Personswhocannotreadandwritehavenobusinessmarketing,distributing munities in the state had already your officers and men collaborate of the Economic and Financial against the EFCC and some of its andsellingofmedicinesorpharmaceuticalproductsinshopsandotheroutlets been submerged by flood. more with our people, especially Crimes Commission (EFCC), staff. He also stated that during in the country, the Pharmacists Council of Nigerian (PCN) has said, warning Speaking when the Chief of in the area of evacuation because Ayo Olowonihi, challenging investigations, he interrogated membersofthepublictobewaryofsuchpeople.TheDirector,Inspectionand Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq the situation we have at hand is his suspension and subsequent a certain Mr. Umaru Dembo Monitoring,PharmacistsCouncilofNigeria,Mrs.AnthoniaO.Aruya,whostated Abubakar paid him a visit in alarming. The reports we are getting demotion by the commission. who was a Coordinator of the this while briefing newsmen on the activities of the PCN, on Friday in Asaba, Government House, Yenagoa, are not palatable. Justice Kado adjourned the Buhari Support Group during wonderedhowanyonewhocouldnotreadandwritecouldeverthinkofselling productsthatweregenerallyregardedaspoisonorevencontrolledsubstances Dickson said Bayelsa was the “We are told that the situation matter for parties in the suit to the 2015 elections. worst hit state in the country will continue for the next one commence their addresses at the However, during cross- requiringindepthprofessionaltraininginpharmacy.ThisisasthePCNsealed since the entire state is below month, by which time, I can end of cross examination of the examination by the claimant’s a total of 165 premises in Delta State during a week-long operation in parts sea level. count on my fingers how many last witness for the EFCC, Sambo counsel, Professor Joash Amu- of the state, following visits to 212 premises by the relevant enforcement He added that in the next one communities in Bayelsa will not Mayana, who had informed the pitan (SAN), the witness told committeesoftheCouncil,Mrs.Aruyadisclosed. court that he was surprised to the court that the publications month, more communities would be evacuated,� he said. be affected, stressing that the state Dickson reiterated his admin- hear that the claimant, Olowonihi were made by some bloggers. Govt Offices, Banks Remain Shut in Abia government in partnership with istration’s commitment towards had been on suspension since Asked who the bloggers were, TheAbiaStatechapteroftheNigeriaLabourCongress(NLC)andtheTradeUnion the military and other relevant supporting the security agencies 2015. the witness named one Abu Congress(TUC)yesterdaymovedtosustaintheongoingindefinitewarning Mayana, the fourth and final Sidiku. The SAN then asked striketopresshometheirdemandforupwardreviewofthecurrentminimum agencies, were needed to support to sustain the prevailing peace those displaced by the flood and stability in the Niger witness (DW4) brought by the the witness if blogger Abu wage. SpeakingwithjournalistsatUmuahiaafterameetingoflabourleaders disaster.

Delta region and called for EFCC testified yesterday in the Sidiku told investigators that toreviewtheongoingstrike,chairmanofNLC,ComradeUchenna Obigweand “Let me commend the Air Force synergy with the Nigerian ongoing hearing of Olowonihi’s the claimant was responsible hisTUCcounterpart,ComradeSunnyOnwumasaidtheyweresatisfiedthat for the way and manner your Air Force to provide effective suit challenging his suspension for the publications to which the strike has attained 100 per cent compliance.“What we are doing now is to go out on monitoring in order to sustain compliance,� Obigwe said, adding officers and men supported this security, in and around the without salary and subsequent the witness said no. state during the 2012 flood and let Bayelsa International Airport. demotion by the EFCC since The witness under cross that “all the affiliate unions of both NLC and TUC are on their feet to ensure me also use this opportunity to call examination further told the thatthetotalcompliancealreadyachievedissustained.�Heassuredthatthe He also said that the state December 30th, 2015. At the resumed hearing court that forensic examination organisedlabourinAbia“willnotsellout�becausethenaggingissueofminimum for more support, especially now. government would soon hand “As we speak, so many of our over one of its model secondary yesterday, the witness, led in of the claimant’s phones did wageaffectseverybody,includingtraderswhoalsostandtobenefitfroman communities are under water. As schools to the Air Force as it did evidence by counsel to the not reveal any involvement enhancedworkersminimumwage. “Ifworkersarepaidwelltraderswillbenefit astheir volumeof saleswould increase,� hesaid. EFCC, Ibrahim Audu, adopted with the publications. you know, the whole of Bayelsa is with the Nigerian Army.

FATAL CRASH...

Pilot Dies as Two Air Force Jets Crash in Abuja, Buhari Mourns

Dickson Seeks Military Support for Evacuation of FloodVictims

Court Adjourns EFCC Director’s Suit Challenging Demotion

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ ͺ͸͚΀

NEWS

Air Peace Loses N60m to Flight Disruptions by Labour ChineduEze

The Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has said that the airline lost over N60 million when members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) disrupted its flights at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) on Friday.

Onyema who made this known to newsmen said the unionists blocked the Air Peace wing of the terminal for four hours, from 7:00a.m. to 11:00 a.m., forcing passengers away from the facility.

With the disruption, he said the airline had to delay most of its morning flights to different destinations in the country and also stopped the movement of its aircraft to the international terminal of the airport for regional operations, as both passengers and crew were barred from accessing the terminal.

Onyema said he was peeved by the acts of the unionists who targeted Air Peace, insisting that they had to frustrate the operations of the airline with the biggest capacity.

 Eye witness account said that the unionists harassed and intimidated the passengers as they sang and danced at the departure hall, making sure that no check in activities took place.

This continued until the passengers became angry and physically began to resist the unionists who went out, spent a while and came back with reinforcement.

However, spokesman of Arik Air, Adebanji Ola told THISDAY that the flights of the airline were slightly disrupted which caused a little delay but the airline operated all its flights.

Head of Communications of Dana Air, Kingsley Ezenwa confirmed to THISDAY that the unions did not come to the main domestic terminal, MMA2; so the airline and others operating from the terminal airlifted their passengers as scheduled.

Corporate Communication Manager, Air Peace, Chris Iwarah told THISDAY that the situation was sad, unfortunate and unfair to the airline. “It is sad and with what the unions have done, it affects all our operations.

As I speak to you because we did not follow our schedule we may be unable to do our late flights into

airports like Owerri, Benin, Ondo because the landing on those airports

are visual and not instruments. “We are not against the union’s

strike but they should carry out their industrial action without using it to

affect the private businesses of others,�

Iwarah urged.

BEHOLD THE GOVERNOR...

L-R: Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Osun State governor -elect , Gboyega Oyetola and leader of All Progressives Congress and former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu celebrating Oyetola’s victory....yesterday

APC Governor Elect Vows to Work for Interest of All

I Will Tackle Bakassi Issue if Elected President, Pledges David Mark

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Former Senate President and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Senator David Mark, has pledged to revisit the issue of ceding of Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroun as well as offer maximum support to projects initiated by the Cross River.

Mark made the pledge when his campaign train stopped at Cross River where he sought for the support of the delegates in the convention of the PDP coming up in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on October 5 and 6, 2018. “I know that Bakassi is very dear to every Cross Riverian; I think that we need to also tackle it while ensuring that Bakassi is given its rightful place in the state,�  he assured.  Accompanied by his team including former first lady of Niger, Senator Zaina Kure who is his campaign Director General, during a courtesy call on Governor Ben Ayade, Mark said: “If I become the president of the Federal Republic

As the election into the Office of the Governor of Osun State was concluded last Thursday  where Gboyega Oyetola  of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was announced winner, he has pledged to work for all interests.

Oyetola who spoke yesterday in a broadcast said from the field report and the tally of the ballots, there was enthusiastic turnout at the polls. He said the huge number of candidates who vied for the office was unprecedented, adding  that there were few hitches and challenges here and there but concluded that the exercise was satisfactory as there had been substantial compliance with the provisions of the constitution and the Electoral Act. It would be recalled that the

election was declared inconclusive after the first ballot and a rerun was slated for Thursday September 27, 2018 in seven polling units in Ife North, Ife South, Orolu and Osogbo local governments areas of the state.

Oyetola said “this was disappointing. We had enough evidence and field reports, including signed result sheets, from our agents that confirmed that we won outrightly.

However, as democrats, we accepted the verdict in good faith and prepared for the rerun.  “I was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after securing the highest number of votes cast in the election. “This election has been keenly contested, and a clear winner could not emerge until the tail end. Indeed, there was a dramatic twist in the end that kept us all

on the edge and made Osun the focus of national and international attention.�

Oyetola also noted that this was an indication of how democratic, free, fair and transparent the election was.

He stressed that he  could not but observe that the election took place under a much more relaxed and freer atmosphere, compared with the previous elections, particularly the 2014 governorship election, during which the state was put under siege by the then federal government. He equally noted that “democratic environment created by the APC under which this election was held was a clear indication of the great political development that had occurred in the past three years of our party’s administration, under President Muhammadu Buhari.

Group Blasts Shehu Sani for Alleged Name Dropping John Shiklam in Kaduna

Kujama said his group was “deeply disturbed at the rate at Some supporters of the All which Sani has been openly bragProgressives Congress (APC) in ging that he has the mandate of Kaduna State under the umbrella of Oshiomhole to recommend names APC Solidarity Forum have called for replacement of the Kaduna State on Senator Shehu Sani, representing APC Exco.�

Kaduna Central Senatorial zone, He urged Sani to desist from to desist from acts capable of seeking cheap relevance through undermining the party as the 2019 namedropping of name and “ bear elections approaches. in mind that the National Chairman In a statement in Kaduna, the is beyond that nonsense.� group alleged that Sani had been The group urged Sani to allow using the name of the National the APC to concentrate on more Chairman of the party, Comrade important issues ahead of the Adams Oshiomhole to promote general elections. his declining political fortunes.

The group said with the final The statement signed by the adoption of indirect primary for chairman of the forum, Hafiz Ali Kaduna State by the national Kujama, urged Oshiomhole to be secretariat of the APC, the era of wary of Sani political antics. deceptive politics could not stand.

The group alleged that, Sani “has “The times when party decibeen dropping the name of the sions are manipulated and the National Chairman here and there, public deceived with impunity especially in Kaduna, to achieve are gone. Sani should note that political relevance.� it won’t serve him to continue

dragging the noble names of our dear President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Chairman of our great party, Adams Oshiomhole into his muddied politics. “Our President and Party chairman are men of integrity, men of vision and not political opportunists. “A collective decision has been reached on the mode of primaries for Kaduna State, endorsed by all responsible stakeholders of the party who should know what is best for the party,� the statement said.

The group said “it is ironic that Sani tends to forget too quickly the manner in which he stubbornly stood between the good people of Kaduna State and a development loan sought by its government. “He should know that the people of Kaduna State and the patriotic members of the APC are very much comfortable with the mode of elections endorsed by the national secretariat for the state.

of Nigeria, I will give you and the entire Cross Riverians maximum support in all these projects that you have embarked on. They are model projects that will change the face of not only Cross River but the entire country and bring them to the level that we aspire and desire all the time when we go out of this country.�

He said his promise to help the state should not surprise anyone given that “I share borders with Cross River and my senatorial district in particular shares borders with Cross River, what else will be better than a superhighway from Cross River that winds up in Benue? “Your industrialisation policy is commendable especially when you take a look at the fact that you no longer send cocoa seeds to other states, now you process them into finished products that you can market, add value to the products thus employing so many youths and providing employment for so many people,� he added.

 The former Senate president who also recalled the governor’s days in the 7th Assembly, pointed out that “Ayade introduced over 40 bills and that was a very unique achievement,� adding, “several times he had good ideas that were digital and model, so, I am not surprised that he brought the same pace to bear in governance here in Cross River.�

On why he is seeking to become President, he said: “I have the capacity and political willpower to take decisions that will move this country forward if given the opportunity as President. Please consider me as one of your own.

Be proud of this one who is one of your own and add me to those your dream projects that you will handle very well.�

Responding, Ayade affirmed that restructuring was the only way the state and nation will survive as almost all presidential aspirants have continued to stress on it as a major focus of their administration.

I’ve Run Inclusive Government in Lagos, Says Ambode Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has said conscious efforts had been made in the last three and half years by his administration to practice inclusive governance in which no sector or section was left behind in developmental and transformational strides.

Speaking at the 80th anniversary lecture of Ikoyi Club 1938, Ambode said deliberate initiatives were put in place since he assumed office to extend developmental strides to every nook and cranny of the state all in a bid to ensure inclusiveness.  The governor who has been a member of the club for over 10 years, said his administration had deliberately promoted the values of inclusiveness which Ikoyi Club had exemplified over the years, adding that he was proud to be associated with the club.

According to him, “I believe

strongly that the value that we bring as a government which is what we have been pursuing in the last three and half years is to say that we should create values that promote inclusiveness which is what IKoyi Club is all about. “This club is known for allowing everybody to join and in allowing everybody to have an entry into the club, we are promoting the real modern state situation that we want in the country. “We can point to a lot of our sportsmen who have actually come all the way from the values that we get from this club and I must say I am very happy to associate myself with the achievements of Ikoyi Club,� he said.

He described the theme of the anniversary lecture: ‘Ikoyi Club At 80: Setting The Tone For Nation Building’ as apt, saying that it was on record that the club had contributed significantly

to the promotion of family values and unity in the country. “Truly, Ikoyi Club has played a significant role in the building of this nation by promoting the values of family life and unity using sports, recreation and also using social interaction to project what it is that we want our nation Nigeria to be and so it was not something difficult for me to actually join Ikoyi Club as a member. “Ikoyi Club is technically older than Nigeria and so the values that we have actually propagated in the last 80 years are things that we must continually project and I want to also say that the reflection of the values that I gained from this particular club has also reflected in the performance that I have laid my hands on in the last three and half years as the Governor of Lagos State,� he said.

Plus

Patrick Chidolue I Believe in Life After Death, So, I Do Things That Will Make Me See God

pg. 20

GLOBAL SOCCER FAIRGROUND AUTO SHOWBIZFLAIR

Stella Fubara

Music is My Balm…There is Music for Every Mood in Life

pg. 29 pg. 36 pg. 38 pg. 45

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PLUS

Music is My Balm…There is Music for Every Mood in Life Stella Ibiene Fubara is a Nigerian doing wonders for tourism in the United Arab Emirates. She is the Director of International Operations for Dubai Department of Tourism; the brain behind Dubai Tourism Africa, aimed at positioning Dubai as the world’s leading tourism destination and commercial hub. Fubara was once Project Finance Manager at Walt Disney World in Orlando. This mother of four talks to Azuka Ogujiuba about juggling motherhood and career, among other revelations

Y

ou market Dubai’s Tourism in Africa.

How challenging has this been?

While all the countries I’m responsible for are located within the African continent, they each have unique attributes which affect how we position, market, encourage, and create awareness. It would be a mistake to assume that all Africans are similar. Sometimes the differences are stronger within regions of the same country.

You must learn Continued on pg.19

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

19

PLUS My Kids Are Supportive. That Makes it Easy to Travel Regularly Without Guilt and appreciate the diversity of each, or you will make mistakes that could adversely affect your goals.

What are the challenges that come with such a role in Africa?

I experience the normal challenges that afflict most women in leadership roles, including the glass ceiling. I also experience racism and discrimination because I’m black. These are the life challenges. Responsibility challenges include knowing when to take a risk and how to read the market. A wrong move could take months to correct. Aligning the goals of Dubai stakeholders with that of consumers and travel trade can also be daunting at times.

There was a recent Girls Trip in Dubai that made waves on social media with a group of known Nigerian personalities. What was the reason behind the trip?

We needed to make Dubai real for those who’ve never visited, and position Dubai as a fantastic affordable destination for everyone to have fun, relax, experience culture, go shopping etc. The ladies we invited on the trip are close friends and down to earth.

They exceeded our expectations.

They succeeded in taking 10 million of their confirmed fans (and more) on the trip with them because their posts were so vivid and full of laughter.

What is your general view about tourism in Nigeria?

Tourism in Nigeria has a lot of potential. A vision needs to be defined and fully supported by the government. Resources need to be allocated to support and execute the vision.

How do you combine motherhood, marriage and career?

I’m truly blessed. My kids are grown and require me in different ways. Technology makes it easy to stay in touch….but it appears my kids are even busier than I am! They are quite proud of my career, and very supportive. That makes it easy to have late nights, and travel without guilt.

Aside Dubai, which country is your go-to spot when it comes to tourism?

I would have to say Orlando, Florida. There is so much to do there, and the shopping is great. It’s very tourist friendly.

What is your leisure like?

My leisure consists of unlimited Afogado, a beautiful view, watching Law and Order (and other crime shows), NatGeoWild, House Hunters International……and music. Music is my balm…there is music for every mood in life.

If there’s any celebrity in the world you’d love to host in Dubai.

Who would that be and why?

That is a tricky question!!! I welcome them all….as long as they are nice and keep it real. I hate people who pretend and act like they are always cool and immaculately dressed. That’s fake. I don’t like celebrities who act like they were born into stardom. Be real.

What fond memories do you have growing up as a young woman?

I was a tomboy growing up, and I had a great childhood. I laughed a lot….did hair-brained things (nothing criminal), and developed very tight friendships which are still in place 30-40 years later.

What is the greatest lesson life has taught you?

Life has taught me that I have to get up when I fall…..because falling is a natural occurrence in life, and if you stay down, you will remain unhappy and unsuccessful.

What was your favorite subject in school?

I didn’t like any of them. Not because they were difficult, but because the teachers made it so boring.

My MBA was the only fun time I had in academics.

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning and the last thing you do at night before you go to sleep?

Send “him” a whatsapp message and then put on or off my music.

What outfits do you relax more in and which is your favorite?

I love jeans and jersey dresses!! Too much dressing up is annoying and seems fake.

Tell us about you, who is Stella Fubara?

I’m still trying to figure that out! It’s annoying to still be discovering myself at this age, but I guess that’s what growth is all about. I do know that I am extremely loving….I think love is the most important thing in life. I’m

What afflict most women in leadership roles, including the glass ceiling. I also experience racism and discrimination because I’m black.

These are the life challenges. Responsibility challenges include knowing when to take a risk and how to read the market. A wrong move could take months to correct. Aligning the goals of Dubai stakeholders with that of consumers and travel trade can also be daunting at times Sa

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˞ ͺΠ, 2014

PLUS

Patrick Chidolue

I Believe in Life After Death, So, I Do Things That Will Make Me See God The Chairman, Chelsea Group, Patrick Chidolue bears the scars of a tough childhood. He made his way up the ladder of success through hard work and luck. Some years ago in the early 90s, Chidolue started funding the movie industry now known as Nollywood. He has since moved on to other challenging businesses which cut across, hospitality, telecommunications, real estate, food, and agriculture. Chidolue shares the story of his life with ADEDAYO ADEJOBI

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ÍşÎ Ëœ Ëž THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

PLUS I Believe in Life After Death, So, I Do Things That Will Make Me See God I’m working on setting up a world class university in Nigeria he progress report is that the dream is still alive and we are getting there. It’s just that we are experiencing some financial challenges. I am not going into education to make so much money, instead, I am going into it to energise the environment with development and create human resources in various disciplines that we undertake as a cause and social contribution.

But then, I noticed that Nigeria needs a massive education system that can develop as many people as possible with quality education at affordable price. Agriculture today is one way to develop Nigeria but nobody knows so much about agriculture in Nigeria. I brought expatriates to partner with me and we discovered that we just do things the way it was done by our fathers.

Each crop has its own characteristics and nutrients required to perform at optimal level. That’s why I’m partnering with foreign university to bring the required knowledge and technical know-how to Nigeria. Commercial agriculture is the only way to save this country.

In fact, I wish I could go into politics and use same as my manifesto to show Nigerians how productive we can be as a nation, by cultivating just 30% of Nigeria’s soil properly.

T

I once sent my proposal to the late President Yar’Adua My ideas are not only in agriculture. I developed the super high way plan which would provide good road networks, 88 stop centres, 44 industrial parks and 44 dry ports.

I spent my money to do it and we sent the proposal to the late president Yar’Adua. All the governors were not PDP governors, so he said it would be difficult selling this project to governors that are not PDP

Mr. and Mrs Chidolue

The future of Nigeria is the North; that’s where the land is and if you cultivate anything there with all these bad roads, to transport whatever is cultivated to Lagos would cost more than the crop itself. Developing Nigeria is easy and inexpensive. It requires political will.

I tell you, if I become the president of this country, in eight years, the whole world will be asking what is happening governors. Nigeria can’t do commercial agriculture without the super highway, should it decide to do it.

The future of Nigeria is the North; that’s where the land is and if you cultivate anything there with all these bad roads, to transport whatever is cultivated to Lagos would cost more than the crop itself. Developing Nigeria is easy and inexpensive. It requires political will.

I tell you, if I become the president of this country, in eight years, the whole world will be asking what is happening. Nigerians are willing to work hard; we are our brother’s keeper. Let’s stop painting ourselves

black. We are not black, our skin might be black but our innermost heart and spirit are good and positive.

I feel strongly that if only we can use what we have, we can be rich. What is China doing that we cannot do?

They are cultivating their land. What we need is a good leader, generous enough to see everybody as his own child and intelligent enough to think of how to create jobs, develop the entire global economy and improve the life of Nigerians.

How we started Nollywood Nature embraces self-renewal and development. Continuous improvement is part of nature. When we started what is now termed Nollywood, we didn’t have Nollywood in mind. We started by getting films from America, copied and mass produced, took photos of it on VHS video and sold. I then started sponsoring people to go and act films. They bring the film for us to package and sell. And that is what is being done till today except that some people have managed to improve on it and have their own channels on DSTV. We’ve come of age in Nollywood but there’s still a lot of room for development and that’s why I’m advocating for the right environment for us to develop ourselves. God cannot create you like an eagle and be living like a chicken.

What I think about when alone When alone, I think about God. How do I serve God? because I believe in life and life after death. So I think on how to do the right thing that will make me see God when I die. Things do not happen in isolation. God has an input in anything that happens. Maybe it’s not our time that’s why we are not developed.

Service to God is very important to me I belong to a society in the church called Opus Dei. The principle of Opus Dei is postulated by the founder Jose Maria. Opus means work, Dei means

God; meaning work of God. Every day I wake up, I am working for God, and I do it happily and willingly.

My tough childhood When I was nine, my mum told me if I see death, I should die. And that if I die, I won’t die again. She told me not to run from death. People don’t realise you need suffering, challenges and some opposition in life. You need enemies or people who don’t like you to serve as a check because you don’t want them to laugh at you. Suffering doesn’t kill you, but it refines you.

As the first son of my mother, I was beating and bulled by some big boys in the village. I didn’t have an elder brother to protect me. But the people I was fighting with have elder ones so they gang up to beat me. One day, I ran home panting and my mother asked me what happened. I told her that they nearly killed me. She said I should go back and that if they will kill me, I should die. So I later went back and fought for a week. One of them was beating me for a whole week until he started running from me. That way I earned my respect.

God has helped me all my life not to do things that are so abstract that I can look back and regret. So it’s purely not my own making. When someone offends me, I see myself forgiving and moving on. There’s nothing a warrior does with fight. So I count myself very lucky.

I found out now that our childhood is the ultimate in all ramifications. I pity my children who are protected.

They can’t develop and explore nature.

Their ways are paved. When I was small, it was safe. I can’t tell my children what my mother told me about facing death headlong. My mother and her generation draw from infinite intelligence. My mum threw me in the bush to suffer and develop strong survival instinct against all conditions. So it’s called tough love.

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T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱͷ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

23

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž Í°ÍˇËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

Lagos PSP Operators Rally Support for Sanwo-Olu Godwin IďŹ jeh

F

rom as early as 8am, Thursday, September 27, 2018, Compactors and workers of the about 360 members of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAM), better known in Lagos as PSP Waste Operators, were positioned in about 15 points across the three senatorial districts of the State.

The heavy duty vehicles were adorned with flex banners with the inscription: “PSP Operators Free Refuse Evacuation Exercise in Support of Babajide Sanwo-Olu, APC Gubernatorial Aspirant, Lagos State.“ The atmosphere was carnival-like with detachments of the Boys Brigade group, banding out very moving sonorous melodies at every point of the gathered trucks in the State. Members of the association bore some of the banners and marched to the dictates of the melodious banding in this support rally for the bid of the former Commissioner for Establishment and incumbent Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Development and Property Company (LSDPC) for the governorship ticket of the State.

All over, huge crowds gathered and discussed not only the interesting and unfolding political drama in the State but to take on the gauntlet and enthusiastically join the convivial celebration in the air.

As the trucks and the workers, manning each slowly dispatched into the now vastly waste ravaged highways across the State to embark on the free refuse cleaning exercise, the swarming crowd moved along to join hands with the cleaners of the PSP Operators to clear and evacuate the waste heaps on their routes from point to point. Residents of various communities now virtually living with refuse equally poured out to take advantage of the exercise, singing and celebrating as they emptied their homes of months of stack piled refuse into the PSP Operators’ vehicles.

Residents on Agege Motor Road as well as Oshodi Road, who stated that their cases had been made worse with the surrounding markets around them, were joyful that they had the opportunity to get rid of the waste that had piled all over for a while. A fabric dealer with shop close to the Planet Project on Agege Motor Road, Oshodi, who simply identified herself as Alhaja Monsura, noted: “Its divine intervention that Sanwo-

The PSP Operators Chairman, Alhaji Ola Egbeyemi and Vice Chairman, Mr. David Oriyomi at the rally on Thursday

Olu has sent these PSP operators here today to remove waste, we didn’t know for how long we were going to continue to live like this, we were faced with epidemic outbreak here any time soon, you can’t eat in the shop anymore as the whole place oozed with offensive odour but I hope this will continue to go on from now on, please, help to tell them that they shouldn’t just do this for campaign purpose and stop, they should not allow the waste to pile up again.�

At Ipaja Road, around Abesan Estate on the way to Ayobo in the hugely vast Alimosho Local Government Area of the State, where the Chairman of the Waste Operators, Alhaji Ola Egbeyemi and his executive committee members gathered to join and formally flag off the exercise, the line of trucks adorned with banners and Sanwo-Olu’s campaign posters for the exercise in the area, stretched to no end. Amidst the executive committee members of the Operators, some of whom were decked in the gubernatorial aspirant’s branded vests and Fez caps, Egbeyemi urged Lagosians to ensure that Sanwo-Olu

does not only get the ticket to fly the APC’s governorship flag in the 2019 elections but that he wins the election.

According to him, the PSP operators have been assured

by Sanwo-Olu that if he is elected to replace Ambode, waste management will be a cardinal programme of his administration and that he would restore Lagos to its former clean state and the jobs of the 25,000 workers of their members. “We are very sure that if we vote Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos will reclaim its past glory; that is the purpose of this our support rally for him today, what is happening here right now is going on simultaneously in about 15 points across the three senatorial districts of the State. We have declared today free refuse-packing from the highways so that everybody will know that we can do it, we have done before and we will do it again, in waste management, there is what we call peculiarity of environment, no one can know your environment more than you and that is why no foreigner can manage our waste better than us,� the AWAN Chairman argued.

The Association’s Vice Chairman, Mr. David Oriyomi, added his voice: “Yes, many will be wondering why we have gone this whole length to cast our lot for Sawo-Olu, we have gone political because the waste management template put in place “by our grand patron, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, which ensured that we were in all the 357 wards in the State to ensure that every nook and cranny of our environment was clean has been thwarted through political means. It is, therefore, necessary that we put it right through a political means. Sanwo-Olu has shown that he cares about the environment and he will restore our environment to what it used to be before the last three years and that is why we are urging all lovers of the environment to join us to ensure that he takes over as the next Governor of this State.�

Mr. Olugbenga Adebola, AWAN spokesman, on the other hand, said the PSP operators were saddened to see their achievement of making Lagos State one of the cleanest cities in the world, being reversed in the last three years.

According to him: “Things cannot be allowed to remain this way and that is why we have embarked on what we are doing today, a free service to drum up support for Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who we are confident will restore all of that, if he emerges the next Governor of the State, he is a man who will build on the legacies of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatubde Raji Fashola in this regard.�

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˜ ˞ SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

PERSPECTIVE FG Should Consider Issues Around the Bonny-Bodo Road Sam Ekpe

P

resident Yar’Adua, on assumption of office introduced theAmnesty Programme, through which oil production returned to its pre-militancy level. There has been relative peace in the Niger Delta area since then. It is only in an environment of peace and harmony that development can take place. The Federal Government therefore, with an end to hostilities in Niger Delta Region, embarked on massive road and infrastructural development projects in the area. One of such projects is the Bonny/Bodo Road project that traverses a large portion of some families (Houses) and villages in Bonny. Two families of significance in Bonny in terms of their population and land mass are the Brown Major House and Jumbo Major House. This 38 Kilometers road which will cost the Federal Government billions of naira will transform the area tremendously and bring a lot of economic benefits to the people but these goodies can only come in an environment of peace, harmony and conflictfree relationship among the people expected to benefit from the project.

Asituation where the legitimate owners of the land have consistently called the attention of the Federal Government to the disruptive activities of some fifth columnists among them and some unresolved issues between the oil giant Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited and NLNG on one hand, and the land owners on the other, will definitely defeat the aims and objectives of siting the gigantic project in the area. We all know the dangers, risks and losses the activities of the militants caused in Niger Delta in the past. The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Works, the Office of theAttorney General of the Federation and Hon. Minister of Justice and the Office of His Excellency, the Vice President, is kindly and urgently requested to give serious attention to the budding and potentially explosive situation in Bonny LGA, before it escalate to very serious and life-threatening level.

In various publications in the past four weeks, there have been reports of protests and petitions by the youth of Bonny against the action of Shell and NLNG of not consulting the Jumbo Major House on their activities in the area. It was the late Basorun M. K. O.Abiola who often stated, “You cannot shave a man’s head in his absence�.

Since the Jumbo Major House has a duly constituted committee

it elected to handle all its affairs with Shell and the NLNG on its behalf, does it not make sense for the Federal Government, Shell and NLNG should deal directly with the duly elected representatives of the majority land owners, in this case the Caretaker Committee of the Jumbo Major House of Bonny, led by Professor Jasper F. Jumbo. The publication of the Bonny Chiefs Council published in the Nation Newspaper of 7th September, 2018 which indicates that it is the appropriate body to deal with the Federal Government, the oil companies and the road contractor,-Julius Berger Nigeria on the road project, actually begs the question and calls for further action and enquiry by the Federal Government, oil companies and the road contractors, in order to avoid double or even triple expenses on the road with regard to necessary protocols and relationship with the host community.

Since there have been many agreements between Shell, NLNG and the Jumbo Major House since 1958, the non-implementation of which, gave rise to various legal actions in many courts, the most reasonable action to take in the circumstance is a peaceful negotiation on the issues in dispute with the true representatives of the land owners.

Professor Jasper F. Jumbo, Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Jumbo Major House, the representatives of the land owners is an age long selfless and honest crusader for the rights and benefits of the people of the Niger Delta area.

As the Public Relations Officer in the Presidency in the early 1980s within the Office of the SpecialAdviser on NationalAssembly Matters, I was a witness to the sleepless nights Jasper Jumbo spent, shuttling from our office in State House Marina, Lagos to Dr. Pius Okigbo’s office in Lagos as well as his residence in Enugu, delivering loads of research documents on the pitiable state of the oil producing areas and the need to improve their lot.

Apart from being deeply involved in the processes that led to the establishment of both the 1.5% MineralAreas Fund, the 1.% Ecological Fund, the defunct Oil Minerals ProducingAreas Development Commission (OMPADEC) and the Niger Delta Commission (NDDC) Jasper F. Jumbo had assisted in transforming environmental practices in Nigeria leading to the establishment of various Ministries of Environment nationwide and the National Inland WaterwaysAuthority.

When such a hero of Niger Delta struggle speaks, the Nation should listen as he is speaking and acting from many years of

Usani Uguru Usani, Minister of of Niger Delta Aairs

experience and deep involvement in the oil exploration activities in the Niger Delta area and their deleterious effect on the environment and people.

It is not proper that the resources meant for the development of some independent Houses in Bonny LGAshould be converted to personal. Neither is it proper that the youth employment quota of a key IOC landlord should be sold.

This writer once again, humbly appeals to the Federal Government of Nigeria and its directly-affected focal agencies, the Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited, the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (NLNG) and Julius Berger Nigeria Limited to have a comprehensive review of all the issues in dispute on this road project and other oil and gas projects in the Bonny LGA and “cement all cementables�, apologies to my late boss Dr. K O Mbadiwe and proceed with the road project and other development activities on Jumbo Major House and Brown Major House without any further threat to peace in the community and progress of the project. ––Ekpe, a former media aide in the Presidency wrote in from Abuja.

Wole Soyinka Provokes Sterling Leadership Sani Tureta

I

t was a breezy Wednesday evening with the weather app forecasting light showers – a portent for good fortune among the incurably religious.

A well-appointed audience largely made up of corporate whiz kids from global corporations, blue chips, senior management and top performing employees of Sterling Bank Plc, were upbeat as they anticipated engagement with the enigmatic Professor Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laurate and living legend.

The venue was the luxurious Head Office Annex of the bank in Lagos.

Kongi, as Professor Soyinka is fondly called by a cross section of the culture community, arrived in style in company with Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, Chief Executive Officer; Mr. Yemi Odubiyi, Executive Director; Mr. Emmanuel Emefienim, Executive Director, all of Sterling Bank. They were his host at the maiden edition of the Sterling Leadership Series which was aptly themed – ‘Corporate – Culture Intersection’.

In his welcome remark, Mr. Suleiman described the literary giant as a living legend whose large body of work is positively influencing people on the continent and across the globe. He disclosed that one of the works of Professor Wole Soyinka that helped to shape his life as a youth is a little publication entitled:The Credo of Being and Nothingness. He said the book had a profound effect on his thinking and changed his perception about life.

Although he needs no introduction, Professor Wole Soyinka was introduced by poet, author and publisher, Ms. Lola Shoneyin who handed over proceedings to the cerebral Mr. Odubiyi. It was a question and answer session anchored by the fine Soyinka banker of encyclopedic learning – a clear case of a Africa. polymath meeting the oracle.

In a response to a provocative question leadership and The highly engaging conversations between the two future of Nigeria, he subtly berated the younger generation crisscrossed leadership, building strong institutions, racism, for lethargy and connivance with the old brigade to shut migration and arts with answers laced with double ententhemselves out of leadership. He charged the Nigerian dre drawn from complex bodies of knowledge. youth to brace up and challenge the status quo because Professor Wole Soyinka’s expansive responses delivered the political elite will not surrender power without a fight. in true oracular fashion deconstructed the current knotty Wole Soyinka urged the audience to be good followers by issues of migration, particularly the death of thousands holding leaders accountable for their stewardship from time of migrants on the Mediterranean Sea, the indifference of to time. some developed countries to the plight of migrants, mass Professor Soyinka added that Nigeria has been unfortuburial, loss of identity and hopelessness of majority of nate to be led by the bourgeoisie who think that leadership young people as well as the on-going xenophobia in South

is their birthright. In Marxist philosophy, the bourgeoisie is the social class that owns the means of production during the modern industrialization and whose societal concerns are the value of property and the preservation of capital to ensure the perpetuation of their economic supremacy in society.

Over the years, Soyinka has distinguished himself as a rare breed and a man of courage.

Besides other remarkable achievements in the academia and public life, he has to his credit two remarkable public institutions. One is the Palm Wine Club, which he co-founded as an undergraduate at the University of Ife and the other, the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC).

He applauded Sterling Bank’s initiative to send its employees home to collect their PVCs in preparation for the general elections, describing it as civic solidarity. He encouraged the electorate not to give up on the country’s leadership because the signs of another change are already showing.

According to him, banks should take the initiative and promote artistic entrepreneurs, saying the contribution of arts to the society is mostly underrated. He enjoined Nollywood to wake up so that banks can invest more in their business because it is a viable industry.

He regretted the extinction of art works across the country, remarking that many art works have disappeared from Oyo to Bida, among other notable art centres in the country.

He commended Sterling Bank’s decision to specialise in five key areas of the economy under the acronym of HEART: Health Care, Education, Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Transportation. “I really appreciate your effort in the transportation system while I encourage you to put some effort in the railway system. Solar power is very good, and I use it sometimes in my house in Abeokuta. I will like to see PHCN fully destroyed.�

The choice of Soyinka as guest speaker at the first edition of Sterling Leadership Series further affirms the bank’s commitment to promoting arts and cultural productions.

Certainly, the bank is certainly driven by the believe that art and cultural productions are a part of the larger economic ecosystem. It is much more than delighting people and can be an important part of a nation’s economic development and growth strategy.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

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SPYGLASS

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

Rabiu Kwankwaso’s Desperation The average Nigerian politician is known to possess a bagful of tricks that always leave many in amazement.

If you think you have seen enough of their many tricks, you are wrong. In their desperation to hang on to power, they continue to dish out different antics on a daily basis.

Or how else does one explain a recent move by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, who was said to have sneaked into the ancient city of Kano last Monday to formally endorse his son-inlaw, Abba Kabir Yusuf, for

the Kano 2019 PDP governorship ticket.

This has since caused a lot of brouhaha in the state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The alleged endorsement has left the hopes of his political ally and former deputy governor, Prof.

Hafizu Abubakar and that of Malam Salihu Sagir Takai in a limbo.

These two men were equally eying the governorship seat on the platform of the party. Many of them have vowed to fight to finish, even with their last drop of blood.

OLASOJI ALABI

RABIU KWANKWASO

Liyel Imoke Dissects Donald Duke

LIYEL-IMOKE

It is no longer news that Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke, both former governors of Cross River State, have been at each other’s jugular.

The two politicians, in recent times, have also taken each other to the cleaners, with accusations and counter accusations.

A few days ago, Imoke lambasted Duke back in an interview he granted an online medium,www. calitown.com, where he described Duke as egoistic and a serial failure.

He also described as mischievous, a statement credited to Duke in an earlier interview granted to the same medium, where he was quoted to have said that “The Death of Cross River State Happened In 2007” when he (Imoke) was governor.

He further said that the accusation was all about

Tinapa, which he described as near-impossible for any investor to take a second look at, adding that it has cost the government and people of Cross River State over N100 billion in contingent and other liabilities.

“Let me give you a bit of a background to the political evolution of Cross River State during the time under scrutiny. In 1996, a group of us came together in Lagos under my leadership to chart a new course for Cross River State. I had already served as a Senator and I leveraged on the relationship and clout I had garnered during my short stint in the Senate. When I suggested that he run for governor, Donald hesitated; the sentiments at the time did not favour someone of Efik origin emerging as governor, especially without any political pedigree. I was, thereafter, now saddled with the burden of delivering an otherwise difficult candidate, in both the party primaries and the general elections.

Though an uphill task, the rest is history. Senator Gershom Bassey and a few others were part of this, and I am sure they can tell the story better.

He talked of a blueprint in the interview he granted, but conveniently failed to recall that the said blueprint was developed in my house on Victoria Island in Lagos.

“ContrarytowhatDonaldwouldhaveeveryone

believe, Tinapa failed before he left office. It was poorly conceptualised and became a burden on the state in the course of its execution. There were several policy and regulatory issues that should have been addressed either before or in the course of project implementation, as Cross River State did not have the capacity and resources to carry the burden of sustaining a going concern of that magnitude.

“The project was financed with loans of billions of Naira guaranteed by the state and the Federal Government. The project was supposed to pay for itself; it never did, because there were no investors. Needless to say, the state government defaulted on the N40 billion (Forty Billion Naira) loan repayment that had fallen due while Donald was still in office. The Federal Government guarantee was called by the banks before Donald left office, because the loans fell due and there were no investors or private sector partners to manage Tinapa and ensure the loans were serviced. Debts fell due and yet he continued to borrow even beyond the N40 billion.

“Tinapa became an albatross before he left office.

It was a misconceived project, commissioned with equipment which was hired from abroad by a company called Dream Entertainment, all of which vanished after the commissioning.

Sifax Group Boss’s Multi Million Naira Wedding for Son Penultimate Saturday, Olayinka, son of the Chairman of Sifax Group, TaiwoAfolabi, married his love of many years, Abisola Omisade, in a blaze of glory.

Though the wedding has come and gone, what is not in doubt is that the astute businessman left no stone unturned to make it most memorable.

He was said to have splashed over N40 million on the wedding.

The event, which took place at the expansive halls of Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos is still being touted in many quarters as the most expensive and luxurious nuptial in recent times.

Assorted local food, international cuisine, vintage and expensive champagne, cognac, spirits like Moet,Ace of Spades, Don Perignon and others flowed like water, much to the over satisfaction of guests.

All you needed to do was to waive at any of the waiters and your wish was their command.

The quality and array of guests at the events also spoke volumes, with the likes of Ambassador TokunboAwolowo-Dosumu, who was the chairman of the reception; Ooni Of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi; Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and his wife, Olufunso; Senator Florence Ita Giwa; Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Oba Saheed Elegushi; Oluwo of Iwo; Senator Gbenga Ashafa; ex-First Bank boss, Bisi Onasanya; Chief Lekan Osifeso; Iyalaje Toyin Kolade and her husband, Prince Kayode, among others.

SIFAX BOSS, TAIWO AFOLABI

Olasoji Alabi’s Forte For some time now, Olasoji Alabi has dedicated his life to rendering social services.

Everything he has been engaged in revolves around social services, which many have described as his forte.

Last year, he was actively involved in the Spell &Thrill competition, an initiative aimed at creating a platform for peer mentorship and a forum for educators and students to showcase fruits of their diligence outside the classroom environments.

As part of sustaining his passion to build stronger communities and promote equality and opportunity, he has, again, championed a new initiative called WaterIt. The new non-governmental Organisation recently launched its activities with a Wash4Prisons Campaign.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign at the Akure Prison, Olokuta, Ondo State, Alabi said the initiative was aimed at creating awareness for disadvantaged groups and people living under legal custody.

He noted that the whole essence of the initiative was to reiterate citizens’ human rights to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, irrespective of their location and situation.

The NGO went further to launch the campaign with the training of prison officials on the importance of prioritizing WASH within the prison environment.

The Akure Prison, according to Alabi, was the first stop and the organisation intends to extend its reach to other prisons across the 36 states of the federation.

The Akure prison has, over the years, managed its sewage disposal in the most unhygienic ways, which has created problems for the prison environment and villages around the prison.

The NGO discussed with the prison officials on the immediate construction of soak ways, which has been non-existent.

Alabi and his group later donated to the prisons authority various items, including new and clean prison uniforms, mattresses, blankets, pillows, mosquito nets, soaps, disinfectants, drinking water kegs, drinking cups, buckets and mosquito nets.

Present at the launch were Comptroller, Ondo State Prison Command, CP Kinane Suanu Dumnaawae; the Medical Director, Ondo State Prisons, Dr Ogunsuyi and Head of Akure Prison, DCP ABC Emuchay.

Susan Eyo Ikpe Plans Evening of Fun With Awards

SUSAN EYO

Tomorrow, Sunday, September 30, 2018, the Red Carpet Event Centre in Oniru, Lekki, Lagos, will, once again, come alive, as top players in the fashion and beauty sector will converge to witness the celebration of some of their peers in the industry, as they are honoured for their outstanding works.

Awards will be presented to deserving individuals in different categories, including Most Outstanding Couture Designer, Make-up Artist of the Year, Beautician of the Year, Men’s Custom Designer of the Year and more.

Also, according to the organisers, special recognition would be given to Couture Designer, Data Okodudu of JD7 Couture in the category of Lifestyle Achievement in Fashion, while Banke Meshida-Lawal would be

honoured for Lifetime Achievement in Beauty.

Others to be honoured are Ovation International Publisher, Chief Dele Momodu for Media; Ali Baba Akpobome for Entertainment; Dr. Ernest Nwaigbo for Medicine; Mrs. Toyin Kolade for Business and the First Lady of Lagos, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode for her effort at enhancing the development of children through her educational support.

Honours will also be bestowed on Chief (Mrs) Shade Okoya as Style Icon and Mr. Lai Oriowo as the Glam & Essence Man of Style.

The event will see the runway lit-up by amazing collection by JD7 Couture, Ejiro Amos Tafiri, House of Loisonell and Grace Couture, the newest fashion brand on the fashion scene.

T H I S D AY ˾ SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ ͺ͸͚΀

MARKET PLACE with Omolabake Fasogbon... ͸΀͚ͽͽ͚͚͝΀Ϳ͟

R - L: Guest Speaker and Executive Chairman, Phillips Consulting, Mr. Folusho Phillips ; President, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association ,NECA, Dr. Mohammed Yinusa; Special Guest of Honour, Dr. Michael Omolayole and National President, AIESEC Alumni Nigeria, Mrs. Brenda Nwagwu at the 34th Omolayole Management Lecture Series held in Lagos on Thursday

Agricultural Marketing Specialist, USAD /FAS/US Consulate, Lagos, Uche Nzeka, with President of Bervidson Retail Group, Joseph Ebata during a training sponsored by the United States of America for operators in the retail sector in Lagos recently

Scanfrost Opens Lekki Brand Store Amid Pomp Scanfrost has opened a new mega brand store in Lekki, Lagos, as it strives to become the market leader in the consumer appliance space, The new store, located at Circle Mall is sitting on a 2600sq space and boasts a wide range of the company’s innovative and stylish products including TVs, gas cookers, air conditioners, refrigerators, deep freezers, microwaves, washing machines, toasters, health fryers, kettles, pressing irons and others in their different sizes and colors to fit a wide range of consumers tastes and budgets.

The glamorous opening ceremony, which was graced by a number of popular chef lit up the Lekki environs, as families, friends, customers, and people from all walks of life, flanked the company to celebrate the grand occasion.

In its 35 years of existence, the brand has been able to win the trust and confidence of Nigerians with its promise- keeping products, thereby giving room for expanding in its range of technologically built products for the improvement and comfort of consumers.

According to the company, it was part of its relentless efforts to promote easy living in the 21st century and give satisfaction to the modern day consumers that led it to launch its third exclusive brand store in Lagos.

The firm’s Marketing Manager, Mr. Nitin Nambudiri, stated that the organisation had come to realise the concerns of Nigerians with home appliances that had to do with durability, longevity and ease of maintenance.

In solving this problem, he said that the company devoted its resources to providing quality, long-lasting and easy to maintain household appliances that come with impressive warranties “To ensure continuous pleasant usage experi-

ence for our customers, we have set up and manage over 40 after sales and service centers pan Nigeria, employing professional service experts who offer real time repairs and maintenance service on our products. This investment has enabled increased efficiency and performance of products, excellent service delivery and a growing consumer base across Nigeria. “By putting innovation and consumer satisfaction at the heart of our strategy, we look forward to adding more world-class experience brand stores to our wide network in the nearest future while further expanding the product range with latest technology�, he said.

Managing Director of the firm, Mr. Maneesh

is one appliance I recommend to moms and caregivers because it allows food frying without using oil, which is a very healthy way to cook.�

The highlight of the event was when the renowned cook, Chef Tanq demonstrated the use of some of the cooking appliances. He prepared ingredients, fruits and vegetables with the brand’s blender, cooked meals with its table top cooker, boiled water using the electric kettle and used the latest air fryer which promotes healthy cooking to fry some of the protein.

Attendees at the launch event were also treated to the freshly made meals, which included pasta and pesto sauce, chicken breast, and a variety of smoothies.

DuďŹ l to Reward Hero’s ICTRD Appoints First at Independence Day Executive Director In celebrating this year’s Independence Day, Dufil Prima Food, makers of Indomie Noodles will be rewarding Nigerian Children, who have displayed exceptional acts in the course of the year.

The company said that the initiative was put in place to support children’s pursuit for quality education in addition to its drive to encouraging positive efforts and strong character in the physical, intellectual and social aspects.

Group Public Relations and

Baby Mamas to Screen at Lights Camera Africa Film Festival in Lagos South Africa meets West Africa as internationally acclaimed film ‘Baby Mamas’ comes to Nigeria.

The movie, ‘Baby Mamas’ premiered at the Toronto Black Film Festival, and its African premiere was at the Durban international film festival. It has also been screened at the New York African Film Festival earlier this year. It will be screened at the Lights Camera Africa film festival in Lagos tomorrow, Sunday 30th September at the MUSON Centre.

The film is a comedy drama revolving around the daily lives, loves and drama of four professional women who are all in different stages of motherhood. As two of them struggle with the challenges that face single mothers, another finds out she’s pregnant, and the other grapples with the fallout of an abusive relationship. Written and directed by Stephina Zwane and produced by Salamina Mosese, the film boasts a star studded cast.

Commenting on the movie - producer Stephina Zwane said “our generation is fortunate to have the privilege of being able to tell our story ourselves, so the first thing I’m going to do is always to tell

Nanda, added: “Indeed, Scanfrost’s consumercentric mindset has contributed immensely to its phenomenal growth in the industry, making the brand a reliable choice, one that brings happiness, makes life easier and elevates happiness moments in millions of Nigerian homes.�

In her testimony, popular food and lifestyle blogger, Sisi Yemmie, commented: “I’ve been using my Scanfrost cooker for over two years now and I’ve had a pleasant experience with the company’s other appliances.

As a modern home-maker, I highly recommend the brand at your home and electrical appliances partner because of its quality features and excellent after sales service. The health fryer

the other side of our unique African story.� “It’s also important to show women who are smart, beautiful, funny, sassy, and that stand by each other,� Zwane added. “These are the women that we know and that we want to see more of on our film screens and on Television.�

Baby Mamas will be screened at the Lights Camera Africa Film Festival on September 30th at 7:15PM at the Muson Centre Lagos.

Sorele Media is a production company, founded by two young black females, Stephina Zwane and Salamina Mosese, with vast Television and Production experience. As producers these two are not afraid to push the bar and think outside of the box. As young black women, they are able to bring to the fore topics in their films, that are relevant to society, in a fun and unique way, and in this way, they are have developed into storytellers who are bringing to the fore stories that are both entertaining, thought provoking and compelling.

Their first foray into film saw the pair produce their first feature film, titled ‘Love and Kwaito’.

Events Manager of the company Mr. Tope Ashiwaju, stated that the 11th edition of the award, slated for next Saturday in Lagos, would reward three children, who had distinguished themselves intellectually, physically and socially with N1,000,000.00 scholarship award each.

He informed that in the build up to the award, the company engaged two professional research agencies to carry out search for the exceptional brains in order to ensure fairness in the process.

The field search exercise, which lasted for over eight weeks, got over 400 heroic stories out of which the best three finally emerged after being screened by some selected panel of judges. “We are indeed grateful and appreciate the efforts of stakeholders in bringing this year’s Indomie Independence Day Award (IIDA) to fulfilment. We appreciate the research agencies and the panel of judges for their commitment to IIDA, the thorough scrutiny of all the stories penciled down by the selection committee. We also appreciate the partnering agency, BD Consult, for a seamless and hitch-free coordination.�

In her comment, Chairman of the IIDA panel, Amata Agatha while commending the company, stated that the panel ensured the selection process was made transparent and only stories that met the set criteria were put forward.

The International Centre for Tax Research and Development (ICTRD) has announced the appointment of Godwin Oyedokun as the first Executive Secretary of the centre.

Oyedokun is bringing on board his wealth of experience as a chartered tax professional as well as his credentials and indepth knowledge of local and global taxation issues towards the realisation of the centre’s objectives for a responsible government.

The ICTRD is a non-profit organisation and research centre geared towards the advancement of taxation both in Nigeria and globally. Its primary objective was to ensure that government utilises the tools of taxation for the benefits of the people.

Oyedokun commenting on the development: “I am honoured to take on this position of leadership for the centre. I will ensure that all hands are on deck to realise the objectives of the society for a developed society and improved economy. “Under my directive, I will also ensure that both the external and internal resources of the centre are put to work to see to the expansion of ICTRD role and to ensure effective integration and efficient operations across the organisation in support of its mission and strategic goals.�

Also, the Founder of ICTRD, Morenike Tejuade Babington- Ashaye, expressed confidence on the appointee as one who perfectly fits for the role judging by his antecedents and records, adding that she was optimistic that the centre would reach its peak under his governance.

Oyedokun is a multidisciplinary professional consultant and scholar practitioner of good repute with over 25 years’ experience and over 27 professional qualifications both locally and internationally. He holds a PhD with specialisation in Taxation and has shown exemplary leadership heading various functions including being a co-founder and the Chief Technical Consultant of OGE Professional Services Ltd as well as President at OGE Business School.

He is presently a Senior lecturer at Accounting Department of Nasarawa State University and a member of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, CITN. He is also the Chairman of the Education Committee of the council.

GLOBAL SOCCER A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

29.09.2018

Set to Halt Reds' Run PAGE. 35

Anthony Joshua

?

Will He Ever Emerge as the ‘Real Deal’

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T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱͷ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ ͺ͸͚΀

Anthony Joshua Will He Ever Emerge as the ‘Real Deal’?

Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă’Ă?Ă‹Ă ĂŁĂĄĂ?Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă—ĂšĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă™Ă˜ĂŁ Ă™Ă?Ă’Ă&#x;Ă‹ Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ăž Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ–Ă?ĂŁ ÞËÎÓĂ&#x;Ă— Ă•Ă˜Ă™Ă?Ă•Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž Ă–Ă?Ă˘Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ùà Ă?ĂžĂ•Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ Ă’Ă“Ă? ÍşÍşĂ˜ĂŽ ʨÑÒÞ̋ ͺ͚ ĂŒĂŁ Ă•Ă˜Ă™Ă?Ă•Ă™Ă&#x;ĂžËœ ĂŁĂ?Ăž Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă–Ă‹Ă“Ă— ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? ÞÒĂ? ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă—ĂšĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă? Ă?ÞÓÖÖ Ă“Ă˜ ĂŽĂ™Ă&#x;ĂŒĂž Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă– Ă’Ă? ÞËÕĂ?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ăž Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ‹ĂŁ Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂ?ĂœËœ ĂĄĂ’Ă™ ÒÙÖÎĂ? ÞÒĂ? ÞÓÞÖĂ? Ă’Ă? Ă—Ă‹ĂŁ Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂŒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă? ÞÒĂ? ËŠ Ă?Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă‹Ă–ËŞËœ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ? Kunle Adewale

M

oments after Joshua defeated Russia’s Alexander Povetkin at the Wembley Stadium to retain his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles, he made it clear that his preferred next opponent would be WBC titleholder, Deontay Wilder.

Wilder is first due to face Tyson Fury but Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn and his father Barry have sought meetings on a number of occasions to reopen negotiations, with a view to staging a Wembley Stadium showdown for the undisputed title on April 13.

Joshua says that Wilder is his 'No 1' choice "I have sent three separate emails to Barry saying that I have no desire to meet with Barry unless I have a real offer for Wilder to meet Joshua," the WBC champion's representative Shelly Finkel told Sky Sports.

"He and I have been in the business long enough to know what that offer would look like."

Hearn had previously told Sky Sports:

"We have got a couple of months. We have made it quite clear we don't want to wait until Wilder fights Fury on December 1 to see what happens.

"We want to get a deal in place to know before then. The absolute sole focus for us right now is to fight Deontay Wilder for the undisputed title in April."

Former heavyweight champion, Lennox Lewis hits out at Joshua's attitude, telling the British boxing star to get out of Hearn's shadow and control his own destiny around a unification fight with Wilder.

Lewis, who has spent time with WBC champion Wilder, is adamant it is Joshua who is stalling on the fight to determine a true heavyweight champion.

"Go order Eddie Hearn to make the fight with Deontay Wilder. Now is the moment when you must take charge of your own destiny," Lewis told the Daily Mail.

The former undisputed world champion isn't impressed with the attitude of fellow British heavyweight, Joshua.

The well-travelled Lewis also had some other advice for Joshua, who has claimed the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts in the comforts of Britain: "Be ready to fight in other people's back yards. It is about fighting, not politricks."

Lewis, who said his biggest learnings came from his losses, said Joshua shouldn't fear defeat.

Joshua didn't take up a US$50m offer from Wilder for the highly anticipated showdown.

"There is no question that it is Wilder who wants the fight and it is Wilder who wants to prove that he is the man in this new heavyweight era," Lewis said.

"He explained to me all the difficulties he is having with Anthony and Eddie, of how AJ is listening to Hearn. Deontay most definitely wants this fight more than any fight.

"Joshua said he would take $50 million in a heart-beat but when that offer came he didn't accept. I would have taken 50 million quicker than a heartbeat and gone through with any fight. But I never ducked anyone.

"Bowe did everything he could to

avoid fighting me but I forced the situation. I did so by ordering my manager Frank Maloney to go out and do whatever it took to make the fight.

Yes or yes. No arguments. Then Riddick had to meet me or vacate.

"It comes to the point where the boxer has to take over from the manager or promoter as 'the boss'. Oscar De La Hoya and me were the first to take charge of our business. I took control of my destiny and opened up my chance for greatness. Anthony needs to do the same with Eddie."

Analysts are beginning to believe the world might not after all get to see Joshua-Wilder fight. “In boxing, as in life, if something sounds too good to be true it probably is - and that's why the prospect of seeing an undisputed heavyweight world championship fight between three-belt titlist Joshua and one-belt man Wilder next is so unlikely,� Dan Rafael, ESPN senior writer said.

He said the main reason is that “at least when it comes to actions instead of words, it seems like the Joshua camp is

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

GLOBAL SOCCER

Wilder

not actually serious about pursuing one of the biggest fights in the sport and easily the biggest fight in the heavyweight division in many years.

“I 100 per cent believed that the Wilder camp wants this fight and wants it next. I also have no doubt Wilder would be willing to travel to Joshua's home turf in the United Kingdom for the bout. Wilder has said so repeatedly and showed his road warrior spirit by previously signing to go to Moscow to defend his belt against AlexanderPovetkin, until Povetkin failed a drug test and the fight was cancelled(and Wilder later won a $4 million court judgment against him and his promoter).”

If Joshua (22-0, 21 KOs) wants the fight with Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs) next, it sure doesn't seem that way, regardless of what he says. It's clear in the offer Joshua's promoter, Hearn, recently made to the Wilder camp: a flat fee of $12.5 million, take it or leave it, for Wilder's participation in the fight.

Of course, $12.5 million large is giant money for most people, but for a fight of this magnitude, it is not a serious offer. If Wilder's team -- managers Al Haymon, Shelly Finkel and Jay Deas and promoter Lou DiBella - accepted the deal, they would be committing malpractice on behalf of their client.

For Team Joshua to take Wilder as a $12.5 million expense without cutting him in for a large percentage of an event that could generate in the high eight figures is a joke. When Joshua faced Joseph Parker to unify their three belts

last month, the Parker camp got onethird of the money in the event. Wilder is worth more than that, obviously; he brings the last piece of the undisputed title to the table, he brings a bigger fan base and, on his own, he generates more money than Parker does.

If Parker is worth a third, Wilder is easily worth at least that much and probably even a few more points. His side has stated it knows it's not getting 50-50 and hasn't asked for it, but to be offered a flat fee is not a real offer. It's an offer meant for the Joshua team to be able to run around and say, "Hey, we made an offer, and Team Wilder turned it down." It's called playing games, and it's nothing new in boxing.

“When we were bogged down in the will-they-or-won't-they nonsense of the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao saga, Mayweather at one point offered Pacquiao a flat fee of $40 million. That's monster money, but not in the context of that event. Pacquiao rightfully said no. When the fight was finally made, Pacquiao got 40 per cent of the pie and earned well over $100 million.”

Joshua-Wilder is the exact same situation but for less money. Wilder and his team would be foolish to accept such a laughable offer, and Joshua's camp knows it - which is why, at this point, all talk of the Joshua-Wilder being next is nothing more than a game boxing fans are not interested in playing.

"I have been trying to fight Joshua for two years, and Tyson Fury for five years," says Wilder. "Is Joshua vulnera-

ble to my style? Of course, he is. I have a very strange style you can't prepare for.

I'm unpredictable. I'm difficult to adjust against, to prepare for. And I'm a scary person. People criticise my style, say 'he fights wild' but look what happened to the 38 men who fought me."

Wilder, however, insists that Joshua spends too much time "looking the part", obsessing with his pursuit of the body beautiful in an effort to obfuscate the weaknesses in which Wilder sees as a robotic style.

"I'd rather be the part than look the part. I'm lean, mean - I don't have the typical heavyweight physique. But I play the part. I've seen so many guys look the part but when it comes to the time, they can't perform. And if Joshua comes through Joseph Parker I'm gonna knock Joshua out.

"Eddie Hearn has the British fans brainwashed that Joshua is the new heavyweight Messiah. It's hype! And I'll burst his hype bubble.

"I don't care about the crowd. I don't care about home advantage. In fact, I like fighting away. All the pressure is on the opponent. If I come over there and face Joshua, y'all going to leave with long faces. Doubt me? I'll prove y'all wrong."

Wilder's long-term ambitions stretch to further than derailing the Joshua juggernaut, however. He is determined to rekindle America's love affair with the heavyweight crown, and return the country to the glory days when the likes of Ali, Frazier, Foreman and Holmes

ruled the planet. It is why he feels it is incumbent on the five current leading heavyweights - all undefeated - to bring a resolution to the meaning of an undisputed king of the sport.

"It's time to return the heavyweight crown to America," he says. "An American at the top of the heavyweight division again would bring great interest in the sport, and people are looking forward to me doing that in the division."

Until Joshua fights and beats Wilder to unify the World heavyweight titles, doubts would continue to trail his claim to be the true champion of the world.

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

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Real, Atletico Divide Madrid

D

iego Simeone described Atletico Madrid's sluggish start to the season as a wake-up call but it was Real Madrid's nightmare in Seville that threw a whole new complexion in today's city derby.

Atletico were seven points adrift of the top of La Liga after drawing to Eibar two weeks ago, and it was not out of the question their rivals were loading up for a knock-out blow at the Santiago Bernabeu this weekend.

'Atleti' were staring at the possibility of a double-digit deficit which, even as early as October, would have been a big gap to close.

"This is a wake-up call," Simeone said at the time. "It is the best thing that can happen to us."

But after back-to-back wins Atletico come into Saturday's game just two points behind Barcelona, who top the table on goal difference, and Real – who drew away at Athletic Bilbao before being hammered 3-0 by Sevilla on Wednesday.

"We are getting used to winning again," said Atletico's Filipe Luis, while Angel Correa added: "This is the Atletico we want."

Some had put a line through Atletico a month ago but they will move above Real with a win – and could even go top if Barca's dip continues at home to Bilbao.

What is clear is that neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid were as formidable as their early form suggested, while Atleti were perhaps undersold by their lumbering out of the blocks.

All three have shown they are fallible.

Real were torn apart in 39 first-half minutes at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, which might have been marked down as a one-off were it not for Sevillacapitalising on the same counter-attacks Espanyol had attempted the week before but failed to

exploit.

Atleti have also been wasteful up front.

Antoine Griezmann has been indecisive, and Diego Costa is without a league goal since February.

There is also Griezmann's recent spat with Real's Sergio Ramos to add another layer of intrigue. Ramos dismissed the Frenchman's suggestion he could do little more to win the Ballon d'Or. "Ignorance makes you bold," Ramos said.

Perhaps the difference is Griezmann is yet to win the Champions League and in that regard, he shares the same ache as Barcelona, whose pursuit of success in Europe appears already to be disrupting their domestic rhythm.

Many Barca fans have still not forgiven Ernesto Valverde for last season's quarterfinal collapse against Roma and chief among the complaints was his failure to rest key players.

This week he left out Philippe Coutinho, Ivan Rakitic and Samuel Umtiti against Girona and, albeit with 10 men, they drew 2-2. He left out Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba against Leganes on Wednesday, and they lost 2-1.

"Obviously it is easy now to talk about the rotations," Valverde said. "In the end, matches are analysed on results – but you can't win the league with only 11 players."

Barca host Bilbao today, four days before facing Tottenham at Wembley and Umtiti's suspension means one player he cannot leave out against Spurs is Gerard Pique, even if the defender's error-count must be a concern.

Clement Lenglet is likely to replace Umtiti in London and could be given another run-out this weekend after being sent off against Girona.

Elsewhere, Sevilla travel to Eibar today while Valencia, still without a win this season, play away at Real Sociedad.

Diego Simeone and Antoine Griezmann plan Real Madrid fall

Chelsea Set to Halt Liverpool Premier League Run Ă“Ă Ă?ĂœĂšĂ™Ă™Ă– Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă˜Ă?Ă Ă?Ăœ Ă’Ă‹ĂŽ Ă‹ ĂŒĂ?ĘľĂ?Ăœ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂž ÞÙ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ę¨ĂœĂ?Ăž Ă?Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă? Ă—Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă’Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? Ă’Ă™ĂšĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă?âÞĂ?Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ&#x;Ă˜ Ă‹Ă? ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă‹Ă‘Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ăž Ă‹ Ă’Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă?Ă‹ Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ? ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ă? Ă’Ă™ĂšĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă‹ Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž ÞÒÓĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă“Ăž ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? ÞÙÚ̋Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă–Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĘŽĂ“Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă Ă?ĂœĂšĂ™Ă™Ă– ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ę¨ĂœĂ?Ăž ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ăž ÞÒÓĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă?Ù×ÚĂ?ĂžĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă? Ă&#x;Ăš Ă™Ă˜ Ă?ĂŽĂ˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂĄĂ‹Ă˜Ăž ÞÙ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?ÙÖÓÎËÞĂ? Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ăž Ă“Ă˜ ÞÙÎËã˪Ă? Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ăœ

B

oasting arguably the best player in the Premier League in Eden Hazard and an unbeaten start under new coach Maurizio Sarri, Chelsea have emerged as surprise challengers for the title ahead of their meeting with leaders Liverpool today.

In a chaotic summer at Stamford Bridge, Sarri was only officially announced as Antonio Conte's successor a month before the new season got underway, FIFA's goalkeeper of the year Thibaut Courtois went AWOL to force a move to Real Madrid and Hazard also expressed interest in a move to the Spanish giants.

Yet, rather than fall further behind after finishing sixth and 30 points adrift of Manchester City last season, Chelsea have stolen a march on Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal to nestle alongside City just two points behind leaders Liverpool.

A soft start with Huddersfield, Arsenal, Newcastle, Bournemouth, Cardiff and West Ham in his first six Premier League games have helped Sarri settle in.

However, the acid test for where Chelsea's

title ambitions stand will come when Liverpool visit today looking to extend their 100 per cent start to the Premier League season.

Sarri has repeatedly insisted his side can't yet be compared to City or Liverpool in their third full seasons under Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.

"We have started to work together 40 days ago. So for us, I think it is a bit early," said the Italian. "We have to work, we need to improve and then maybe, in one year, we will be at the same level of Liverpool."

However, his transformation of Chelsea's style from the cautious approach of Antonio Conte to a side that asphyxiates opponents by dominating possession has been so seamless; a title challenge can't be ruled out.

"The biggest change I ever saw in such a short space of time. Wow. Style completely different. What a manager he is, to be honest," said Klopp admiringly this week.

While Chelsea struggled in Conte's second season, they also boast much more title-winning experience than Liverpool with many of the same squad having won the Premier League in 2014/15 and 2016/17.

"People were always talking about City

being clear, and completely forgot Chelsea," added Klopp.

"This team is really experienced. It won the title before, 80 per cent won it twice, and they know how it works. That’s a really strong football team."

Chelsea also have Hazard, who showed his class by coming off the bench to score an incredible solo goal to inflict Liverpool's first defeat of the season in all competitions in the League Cup on Wednesday.

The Belgian believes the League Cup win will boost the Blues. "This result will give us more confidence because we drew with West Ham a few days ago, but the game on Saturday is more important. We have got to try and beat Liverpool," Hazard said.

Sarri has challenged the Belgian to follow the example of Liverpool's Mohamed Salah last season by scoring 40 goals in a campaign for the first time in his career.

Salah was let go by Chelsea after making just 19 appearances, mainly as a substitute, but fulfilled his potential in an incredible 44-goal debut campaign at Anfield that saw him finish ahead of Hazard and Lionel Messi in third place for FIFA's Best Player of the Year

on Monday.

The Egyptian hasn't been in such sparkling form at the beginning of thisseason, but looked back close to his best by scoring in a 3-0 cruise past Southampton last weekend.

Klopp will be hoping that upward trajectory continues in what is also a massive week of Liverpool's ambitions both for a first Premier League title in 29 years and in Europe.

After facing Chelsea, Liverpool travel to Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday before hosting City at Anfield next Sunday.

Klopp's men took just one point from five away games against the rest of the top six last season. Having already won at Tottenham a fortnight ago, another big win on the road will be a strong statement of intent.

Meanwhile, all eyes would be on Paul Pogba as Manchester United visit West Ham today for the latest chapter in the saga. Jose Mourinho's relationship with Pogba plummeted to new depths this week.

United, already eight points behind leaders Liverpool give the impression they are lurching from game to game and on the cusp of a full-blown crisis.

33

ÍşÎ Ëœ ͺ͸͚΀ Ëž THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

GLOBAL SOCCER Premiership Table TEAM Liverpool Man City Chelsea Watford Tottenham Arsenal Man Utd Bournemouth Leicester Wolves Crystal Palace Everton Brighton Southampton Fulham Burnley West Ham Newcastle Cardi HuddersďŹ eld

P 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

GD 12 16 10 5 5 3 0 -1 1 0 -2 -3 -3 -3 -5 -3 -6 -4 -11 -11

PTS 18 16 16 13 12 12 10 10 9 9 7 6 5 5 5 4 4 2 2 2

Fixture TODAY West Ham

v Man Utd

12:30

Arsenal

v Watford

15:00

Everton

v Fulham

15:00

HuddersďŹ eld v Tottenham

15:00

Man City

v Brighton

15:00

Newcastle

v Leicester

15:00

Wolvers

v Southampton 15:00

Chelsea

v Liverpool

17:30

v Burnley

16:00

SUNDAY Cardi

La Liga Fixture TODAY Sociedad v Valencia

12:00

Barcelona v Bilbao

15:15

Eibar

v Sevilla

17:30

Real

v AtlĂŠtico

19:45

v Girona

11:00

Sunday Huesca

The team appeared to have turned the corner after an indifferent start to the season with three away wins on the bounce but a draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers and a shock League Cup defeat on penalties to Championship side Derby have set alarm bells ringing.

The Pogba factor is the big talking point but there are plenty of other issues to give United fans sleepless nights ahead of the game against newly resurgent West Ham. Mourinho stripped Pogba of the vicecaptaincy this week after the French World Cup star said the side should attack more, an implicit criticism of perceived negative tactics.

Mourinho, speaking after Tuesday's League Cup exit, for which Pogba was rested, said there was "no fallout at all, no problem at all" regarding the decision. But it does not look like that.

On Wednesday the pair were filmed in a tense-looking exchange at the club's training ground and it is difficult to see how they can rebuild trust after the events of the past few days, particularly with fresh rumours linking Pogba with a move to Barcelona.

Pogba's demotion is the latest twist in an acrimonious relationship dating back to last season, when Mourinho routinely dropped him for big games.

United, famed for their gung-ho attacking flair under Alex Ferguson, often give the impression there is no coherent plan.

While Liverpool and Manchester City have a team shape and identity, United often appear reliant on one of their stars to conjure something special to make the difference.

Mourinho has an enviable list of attacking talent at his disposal, with Alexis Sanchez,

Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Romelu Lukaku, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard all competing for forward places, but there is no settled combination and often little flow to their attacking play.

Out of the top nine sides in the Premier League, United, currently seventh, have scored the fewest goals, with nine so far.

Last season, they scored 38 goals fewer than champions City over the 38-game Premier League campaign.

Meanwhile, Arsenal Manager, Unai Emery believes restoring Gunners’ confidence has been the key to his side's revival as they look to make it seven successive wins when they face Watford today.

When Emery took charge at the Emirates Stadium in the close-season, the Arsenal manager found his squad's morale was at a low ebb after the disastrous final years of the Arsene Wenger era.

Emery's job was to restore his players' belief while convincing them to buy into his football philosophy of high-tempo pressing from all areas.

Initially, it seemed the former Paris Saint Germain boss was struggling to get his message across as Arsenal were swept away by champions Manchester City on the opening weekend before squandering a two-goal comeback in a 3-2 defeat at Chelsea.

While it is far too early to proclaim Emery has solved all of Arsenal's problems, they still have a creaky defence with only one cleansheet and the club are locked in a contract stalemate with Aaron Ramsey – the Spaniard has at least steadied the ship.

"It's very good work for continuing to improve and continuing also individually the players taking confidence into the next

matches," Emery said of the win against second-tier Brentford.

"It was good to continue working on our tactical things and our individual things, also for taking responsibility for the players, for taking confidence in the players."

Watford are without a win in their last three matches after losing a penalty shootout in the League Cup against Tottenham on Wednesday.

Nigerian forward Isaac Success scored one of Watford's goals in that loss and he warned Arsenal his side will not be feeling sorry for themselves.

Head to Head 06/05/18 25/11/17 31/01/17 16/09/16 11/05/16 31/10/15 10/05/15 08/11/14 27/04/14 29/12/13 21/04/13 11/11/12 08/05/12 20/11/11 06/02/11 07/11/10

Chelsea Liverpool Liverpool Chelsea Liverpool Chelsea Chelsea Liverpool Liverpool Chelsea Liverpool Chelsea Liverpool Chelsea Chelsea Liverpool

1-0 1-1 1-1 1-2 1-1 1-3 1-1 1-2 0-2 2-1 2-2 1-1 4-1 1-2 0-1 2-0

Liverpool Chelsea Chelsea Liverpool Chelsea Liverpool Liverpool Chelsea Chelsea Liverpool Chelsea Liverpool Chelsea Liverpool Liverpool Chelsea

Villarreal v Valladolid

15:15

Levante

v AlavĂŠs

17:30

Betis

v LeganĂŠs

19:45

Serie A Fixture TODAY Roma Juventus Milan Sunday Bologna Chievo Fiorentina Frosinone Parma Sassuolo

v Lazio v Napoli v Cagliari

14:00 17:00 19:30

v v v v v v

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

Udinese Torino Atalanta Genoa Empoli AC Milan

Bundesliga Fixture TODAY Nuremberg Schalke Hoenheim Stuttgart Wolfsburg Leverkusen

v v v v v v

SUNDAY Frankfurt Augsburg

v Hannover v Freiburg

Dßsseldorf Mainz Leipzig Bremen M’gladbach Dortmund

14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 17:30 14:30 17:00

34

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ ͺ͸͚΀

GLOBAL SOCCER\\OTHER SPORTS

Wimbledon to Rethink on-court Coaching Rules

C

hairman Philip Brook could be willing to rethink Wimbledon's previously-staunch opposition to on-court coaching after branding the Serena Williams U.S. Open controversy "not a good look for tennis".

Williams was given her first code violation by umpire Carlos Ramos in the tempestuous final at Flushing Meadows earlier this month for illicit coaching from Patrick Mouratoglou in the stands.

The Frenchman admitted on TV immediately after the match he was coaching but Williams, who never uses the on-court coaching breaks allowed on the WTA Tour, has maintained they have not discussed coaching signals.

The American was incensed by the warning and was eventually docked a game for a third violation after calling Ramos a liar and a thief.

Brook was in New York for the match, which ended with both players in tears and the stadium reverberating to the sound of booing from the crowd.

His sympathies lay mainly with Ramos, with Brook asserting the pressure of the situation, as Williams sought to equal Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, led her to lose her cool.

He said: "People said to me, 'Would that happen at Wimbledon?' My first reaction is maybe it could, but actually I do wonder whether (it was) the uniqueness of the circumstances in New York.

"Being in the stadium, it was really partisan. I could imagine the pressure on her being even greater than ever, and we all saw what happened. I think she was under a lot of pressure, I think he (Ramos) was doing his job and what unfolded, unfolded. It was not a good

look for tennis."

The momentum seems to be towards allowing some form of coaching during matches, with everyone in tennis accepting coaches and players abuse the rules frequently and that there is a lack of consistency with how sanctions are enforced.

The U.S. Open permitted players to talk to their coaches during qualifying and junior matches for a second year while the Australian Open and French Open are believed to be open to at least experimenting.

Any move to allow it during main draw matches would need to be unilateral among the slams, and Wimbledon has so far been totally against it. But Brook is now keen to have a meeting before the end of the year to discuss the issue, although Wimbledon remains philosophically opposed.

FIFA Women's Ranking:

ͺ͸͚΀ Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă? Ù×Ă? ÞÙ Ă‹ Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă? Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ

Super Falcons Ranked ͝΀ÞÒ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă™ĂœĂ–ĂŽËœ Ă?Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹ËŞĂ? Ă?Ă?Ăž Nigeria's women national football team, Super Falcons, remained Africa's women top side and the 38th in the world following Friday's release of the latest rankings.

The African champions have remained largely inactive in the year 2018 but will seek to defend the Africa Women Nations Cup title they won in Cameroon in 2016 when Ghana hosts the tournament 17 November - 1 December 2018.

Ghana are Africa's number two best side and 47th in the world moving down by one place on the ranking table, while Cameroon are third on the table in Africa with one place down and 49th in the world.

Making the rest of the top ten ranked sides in Africa are: South Africa (4th in Africa, 50th in the world), Equatorial Guinea (5th in Africa, 54th in the world), Cote d' Ivoire (6th in Africa, 69th in the world), Morocco (7th in Africa, 78th in the world), Algeria (8th in Africa, 80th in the world), Senegal (9th in Africa, 85th in the world) and Mali (10th in Africa, 89th in the world).

USA, who are also unchanged, are still the world's best ranked women's football national side.

Germany, England, France, Canada, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Sweden andNetherlands make up the top ten ranked sides in the world.

A total of 161 matches were played in the period under review.

FIFA's next world ranking in the women's category will be released on December 7, 2018.

He said: "The situation is very confusing for everybody. Wimbledon and others think the time has come for an adult conversation across the sport to see where it goes. What we would like to learn from those who have conducted trials is, 'OK, persuade us why it is a good idea'.

"There is more unilateral behaviour and discord among the governing bodies than I've seen in the sport in 20 years and I think it would be great if tennis could do a better job of coming together and trying to figure things out and try to act in the best interests of tennis.

"We (Wimbledon) are not necessarily the easiest of people to deal with. People might say, 'Shall we all vote for coaching, it's good for the sport'. We will say no, but if the rest of the sport say we want to do it and there are good reasons, then maybe Wimbledon should fit in.

Nigerian Super Falcons rated 38th in the world

On-court coaching is allowed at WTA Tour events but not at Grand Slams

Curtains will this Sunday be drawn on this year's edition of the Fast Moving Consumers Games at the YabaTech Sports Complex by 12p.m.

Over the past four weeks, the Games has stayed true to its name by offering an exciting, captivating and entertaining tournament.

This year’s edition features the likes of Nestle, Unilever, FrieslandCampina, Guinness and Reckitt Benckiser in feature events; football, athletics, board games; (chess and scrabble) and table tennis.

This weekend sees table toppers Nestle take on FrieslandCampina in the battle for the Football crown, while Reckitt Benckiser trade tackles with Unilever in a dicey but yet promising match which can potentially take the winner up to second.

Other events for the weekend includes the Athletics finals in both male and female category and the conclusion of the scrabble events.

The past weekend saw the conclusion of the table tennis and chess events which saw Nestle and FrieslandCampina claiming gold.

The football event witnessed FrieslandCampina defeating arch-rivals – Unilever by a lone goal and Reckitt Benckiser earning their first victory in the competition by defeating Guinness.

The event was graced by notable dignitaries from the participating companies; Dayanand T.S. - General Manager West Africa, Reckitt Benckiser, Ayodele Alabi – Corporate Communication Manager, Guinness, Torinmo Fabanwo - Human Resources Manager, Reckitt Benckiser, Kenneth Omeni – Head, Audit, FrieslandCampinaWamco and Odoemene Okezie – Human Resources Business Partner, Unilever.

The battle for who becomes the Overall Champion and also who wins the Football Trophy goes down to the wire as the stakes are high and more medals will be claimed this weekend.

Wada Clears Kenya of Institutional Doping Kenya shows no signs of operating an "institutionalised" doping system, says a World Anti-Doping Agency report after a two-year study.

Wada launched an investigation into widespread doping in Kenya in December 2016, focused on distance running.

It found that 138 Kenyan athletes had tested positive for banned substances, 113 of them in competition, between 2004 and 1 August this year.

But Wada said there is "no evidence of an institutionalised system".

In a report released on Thursday, it said: "The doping practices of Kenyan athletes are unsophisticated, opportunistic, and uncoordinated.

"Doping in Kenya is drastically different from other doping structures discovered elsewhere in the world."

Wada reinstated Russia's anti-doping

agency on 21 September, ending a threeyear suspension that followed a major scandal over alleged state-sponsored doping.

A Wada-approved anti-doping laboratory was established in the Kenyan capital Nairobi in August.

Several recent high-profile doping cases have involved Kenyan athletes.

Former Olympic 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop tested positive for banned blood-boosting agent EPO in an out-ofcompetition test in November 2017.

The 29-year-old denies wrongdoing but said in June he had given up trying to prove his innocence.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said last month that Kipyegon Bett, who won 800m bronze at the 2017 World Championships in London, had tested

positive for EPO, having previously been provisionally suspended from competition for "refusing or failing to submit" to a drugs test.

Kenyan-born Bahrain runner Ruth Jebet, the current steeplechase Olympic champion and world record holder, is also facing disciplinary action for alleged doping offences.

Wada's report found the most abused substances were the steroid nandrolone and EPO, and that medical personnel were sometimes involved in helping athletes dope.

"Some local medical practitioners and quasi-medical personnel are unaware and/or wilfully blind to their role in facilitating the access of athletes and their entourage to prohibited substances," the report said.

Kenya, a major force in middle and long-distance running, missed two deadlines in 2016 to prove to Wada that it was tackling cheating in athletics, following a series of positive drug tests and allegations of corruption.

The country was declared in breach of global anti-doping rules by Wada in May 2016 and threatened with sanctions, leaving Kenyan athletes at risk of missing the Rio Olympics.

However, Kenya's anti-doping agency was removed from the "non-compliant" list shortly before the Games, after Wada said anti-doping legislation introduced

by Kenya's parliament had brought the country in line with the 2015 World Anti-Doping code.

Kenyan athletes won 13 medals in Rio - six gold, six silver and one bronze.

ÍşÎ Ëœ ͺ͸͚΀ Ëž THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

35

GLOBAL SOCCER

Sheyi Ojo

Nigeria on His Mind When the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick said there is no Nigerian, even if they have four or ďŹ ve passports, are always excited being Nigerians, he seems to know what he was saying as another Britishborn Nigerian-Sheyi Ojo had declared his intention to don the green-white-green colours of the Super Eagles as against the Union Flag of the Three Lions

E

ngland youth international, Sheyi Ojo has decided to go the way of players like Victor Moses, Alex Iwobi, Ola Aina Sone Aluko – all ex-England youth internationals with Nigeria descent but chose to play for Nigeria at the senior level after stating readiness to ditch England and accept the request to feature for the Super Eagles at the expense of England.

The 21-year-old has represented England at all youth levels from the U-16, under-17, U-18, U-19, U-20 and U-21 levels and was a key member of the squad that won the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup in South Korea.

Ojo, who was born to Nigerian parents in Hertfordshire, has revealed that he would ‘never turn down’ the three-time African champions but rather think about the call before making his decision.

"To be honest, I don't know much about it (Nigeria interest), but if they call me I'd be honoured to go to Nigeria," Ojo told BBC Sport.

"It's obviously a massive nation. I'm just really focused on club football at the moment, but I'm excited about the future, both club and country.

"My parents are originally from Nigeria as well, so they know a lot about it.

They've always been keen on the idea (to represent Nigeria) but so far I've mainly been focusing on club football.

"It's starting to get to the time where I have to start thinking about my future.

And of course, if Nigeria were to call me now it would be anhonour.

"Of course, if I was to get selected I'd definitely think about it, I'd never turn down Nigeria.

"I'm from Nigeria originally so it'd be an honour, likewise with England as well. If I keep doing well, opportunities will come by for club and country.

"It's not really something I'm thinking about at the moment but you never know what could happen in the future."

NFF boss, Amaju Pinnick had reiterated severally that youngsters of Nigerian origin who are doing well in England and other leagues will wear the Nigerian colours at the appropriate time.

He said it had been in the plans of the present NFF board to build a young Super Eagles team ahead of the 2022 World Cup, adding that the federation is monitoring several Nigerian players that are making waves in the various leagues. “The initial plan was to take our players in the various clubs, but now, what we are trying to do is what we call VIP scouting – talking to these young players that are playing abroad to play for their fatherland. No Nigerian, even if they have four or five passports, they are always excited about being Nigerians.

I can assure you that we shall get them to play for us at the appropriate time,�

Pinnick said.

The Liverpool loanee who moved to the French Ligue 1 on a season-long loan this summer could also join the growing list of England-born players in Gernot Rohr’s set-up.

Ojo joined Liverpool as a 14-year-old

and came through their academy. He spent time on loan with championship clubs Wigan Athletic and Wolverhampton Wanderers before making his competitive debut for Liverpool in January 2016.

He joined MK Dons' academy when he was 10 years old. By the age of 13, he had played for the Dons' U-18 side and was training with the first team squad.

During his time at the club, Ojo became the first MK Dons, trainee, to receive an international cap at youth level.

On 11 November 2011, Liverpool beat off competition from a host of Europe's top clubs including a multimillionpound offer from Chelsea to sign Ojo, then 14, for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of ÂŁ2 million. In April 2014, Ojo was joint top scorer alongside fellow Liverpool player Harry Wilson in the prestigious U-17 Future Cup. Having made a number of appearances on Liverpool's bench over the festive period, Ojo joined Wigan Athletic on loan in February 2015. Five days later, he made his professional debut coming on as a 59th-minute substitute for Wigan in a championship match against AFC Bournemouth, with Wigan naming Ojo as their Man of the Match after he had a positive impact on the game.

In August 2015, he scored the winning goal for Liverpool in a friendly against Swindon Town, after which Liverpool announced that Ojo had signed a new long-term contract with the club and confirmed that he would join Wolverhampton Wanderers on a season-long loan. He made his Wolves debut on the opening day of the 2015–16 championship season as a substitute, coming on in the 84th minute and picking up a yellow card as his side went on to beat Blackburn Rovers. Three days later, he made his first start for Wolves in a 2–1 League Cup win over Newport County.

He was recalled by Liverpool in 2016 and the next day, Ojo made his competitive first-team debut for Liverpool, as a substitute in the FA Cup Third Round tie against Exeter City that ended in a 2–2 draw. He scored his first competitive goal for Liverpool in the replay against Exeter on 20 January; his goal was the second in a 3–0 victory.

Ojo made his Premier League debut on 20 March 2016, replacing Joe Allen in the 87th minute in a 3–2 loss away to Southampton at St. Mary's Stadium. Three weeks later, he made his first start for Liverpool in the Premier League against Stoke City at Anfield, where he assisted Daniel Sturridge for Liverpool's second goal in a 4–1 win, before being replaced.

Ahead of the 2016-17 Season, Ojo sustained a fracture in his back and did not return to first-team training until mid-November.

On 16 August 2017, Ojo joined Fulham on a season-long loan and scored a brace in a 5–4 win over Sheffield United, he scored the winning goal in a 1–0 win over Birmingham City in December.

On 30 August 2018, Ojo signed a new contract with Liverpool and joined Stade de Reims on a season-long loan.

36

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

FAIRGROUND Dare2Dream Season 5 Grand Finale

with

AZUKA OGUJIUBA

azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

I

t was a promising evening from the very start. The fire dancers performed for the guests on the red carpet while beautiful ladies and founders of Dare2Dream welcomed the famous and successful in Lagos.

The celebrity list was impressive. In no particular order, there was actress Kate Henshaw, celebrity businesswoman Bolanle Austen Peters, fashion icon Denola Gray, celebrity wife Anita Okoye, creative artist and photographer Kelechi Amadi Obi, OAP Sammy Walsh, talk show host and style icon Nike Osinowo, soul singer Falana and singer/actor Ikechukwu amongst the guests attending this event.

The Grand Jurors were also an impressive cast.

A-list actor Dakore Egbuson Akande, celebrity designer Mai Atafo, foremost music and advertising executive Steve Babaeko and maverick television personality Denrele Edun made up the team of jurors for the evening.

The guests of power personalities were enthralled in a production titled “This is Nigeria” performed by the 2018 class of dreamers. It has been a long journey for months starting from the campus tour where they were all discovered to this point when they were shining gemstones; set on a stage, ready to meet the world.

Dreamer alumni Teejay Ameen hosted the event and he introduced the new dreamers to a platform that launched him out a few years ago. Every performance was unforgettable. There was rap and spoken word and dance. There was fashion and amazing models on the catwalk.

And there was more.

There is always so much more with Dare2Dream. The guests were further serenaded by Legendary Suni, Dare2Dream alumni and winner Season 1& 2 and the African gentleman Ric Hassani. There were sterling dance acts performed by Royal DC who won in Jos but did not make it to bootcamp. Promiz the Beatboxer who won Season 4 best performing artiste also thrilled the audience with his performance.

DJ was top notch as he did what he knew to do best. KLM boss who sponsored last year’s winners to Zurich spoke about the airline’s commitment to Nigeria and to the young and talented.

Eventually, the evening came to an end.

Hearts pounded as the winners were to be announced. Mai Atafo performed the honours of welcoming Yahaya into the league of fashion designers. Beautiful Dakore Akande crowned Olamide as the model of the season and Denrele Edun, with drama declared Ella winner of the artiste category.

The guests were in no hurry to leave as the magic lingered. If you missed the event, do not worry as the show will be shown on television. Keep watching this space.

Ikechukwu

Anita Okoye

Dakore Egbuson Akande

Kaline

Anto

Preshia Oluchi Harrison

Kate Henshaw

Adebayo Oke- Lawal

Nike Oshinowo and her niece

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

FAIRGROUND

EbonyLife Films Releases Teaser, Announces Premiere Date

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bonyLife Films, producers of blockbuster movies, The Wedding Party, The Wedding Party 2, and The Royal Hibiscus Hotel has released its first teaser for the upcoming movie, Chief Daddy, set to show in cinemas on 14th December 2018. Fans can look forward to another five teasers, revealing hilarious scenes from the film, before the official, full-length trailer is released in October.

The film has a stellar cast starring veterans and newer actors in the Nollywood industry including (in alphabetical order) Bisola Aiyeola, Funke Akindele, Zainab Balogun, Shaffy Bello, Lepacious Bose, Ini Edo, Dakore EgbusonAkande, Linda Ejiofor, Mawuli Gavor, Kate Henshaw, Ayo Lijadu, Jude ‘MI’ Abaga, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Beverly Naya, Chinedu ‘Nedu’ Ani, Uti Nwachukwu, Taiwo Obileye, Chioma 'Chigul' Omeruah, Rachel Oniga, Beverly Osu, Nkem Owoh, Patience Ozokwor and Joke Silva.

Also featured is entertainer, rapper and two-time AMVCA winner, Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana, who may be the breakout star of this movie. Chief Daddy was written by Bode Asinyanbi and directed by Niyi Akinmolayan.

Chief Daddy is centered on the life of billionaire industrialist, Chief Beecroft, who is known to be a pillar of the society. He is extravagant, exuberant and larger-than-life but extremely benevolent, as he serves as a benefactor to everyone around him including a large extended family of relatives, household staff, and mistresses. All seems well in the Beecroft household until Chief Daddy passes away and suddenly the ‘wheels begin to turn’ and things go awry.

The teaser gives a sneak peek into the movie, showing the pivotal moment when Chief Daddy dies and the events that unfold immediately afterwards. What follows reveals enormous surprises, twist and turns that prove larger than the life Chief Daddy lived.

L-R: Dakore Egbuson-Akande , Rachel Oniga, Ini Edo, Kate Henshaw, Funke Akindele, and Shaffy Bello

The must-see movie for December, Chief Daddy is perfect to watch with family and friends during the Christmas holidays. Executive producer, Mo Abudu, expressed her excitement about the movie. “Chief Daddy is a fun, familyfriendly movie that we believe will appeal to a variety of moviegoers. We look forward to giving moviegoers an amazing film experience during the end-of-year holidays,” she said.

With a mix of eccentric, dramatic and comical characters, an upbeat soundtrack and an intriguing storyline, Chief Daddy promises to engage audiences, giving them a cinema

experience like no other.

Following the recent release of the first teaser of the movie last week, EbonyLife Films has announced the date of the movie’s premiere, set for 2nd December 2018. The highly anticipated launch will take place at the Oriental Hotel in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria.

In usual EbonyLife fashion, the premiere is set to be a grand affair, with a guest list including dignitaries, business moguls, celebrities and socialites. With the dress code being ’Opulently Nigerian - Be Extra’, the event promises to be a thrilling and exceptional extravaganza,

showcasing Nigerian fashion culture like never before.

Executive Producer, Mo Abudu is looking forward to another landmark event. “Every year, the cream of Lagos society shows up for our extraordinary premieres and this will be no exception.

This time, with Chief Daddy, we are going to have even more fun with fashion, while unveiling what promises to be the biggest movie of 2018. For those fortunate enough to be invited, we promise a wonderful occasion and a hilarious, highly enjoyable, family film.”

Capturing the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing on BOLDFACES MOMENTS In 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari Administration created the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing (PWH) - to build the backbone for our nation’s development. He appointed and sworn in His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, as the Honorable Minister for Power, Works and Housing.

The mandate of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing is primarily to formulate and implement the policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) with respect to incremental, steady and uninterrupted power supply, Reduce journey time, cost, improve ease of doing business & services and a Robust Housing Economy that passes the test of delivering houses that people accept and can afford.

The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing is the articulator of government policy on energy, road transport, infrastructure and housing.

His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, mission is to carry on the mandate of change into the streets of Nigeria and to transform the country in the same way He helped transformed Lagos, the commercial capital.

In order to capture the REALITIES of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and for the benefit of the common man on the street and Nigerians Fashola Tricia Eseigbe Kerry and Imam Sanusi in general, BOLDFACES Anchor and Producer Tricia Eseigbe Kerry in an Exclusive Serialized because contractors were not paid can recover Documentary spoke with His Excellency, Babatunde their jobs. In terms of housing we have objective Raji Fashola, SAN, to simplify what appears to to deliver a robust housing economy that passes have become a very complex issue about Power the test of delivering houses that people accept Generation, Works and Housing. and can afford.

In the documentary titled “OUR REALITIES”, His Excellency Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN been aired on various local and international TV continues; There has been remarkable itemised networks including AiT, NTA and Channels TV, and significant improvements in power generation His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN and transmission in the power sector, We are stated that the Ministry of Power, Works and busy doing something related to energy supply Housing sectors are key in this present government in all States of the Federation. There is no State drive to improve infrastructure, create jobs and of the country where we are not involved in serve as a springboard to reflate the economy one way or another trying to get power supply and he has devised a clear pathway to achieving improvement. We are trying to energise the markets. the sectors reform objectives.

We want to provide cleaner and more reliable He said for the three sectors there are clear energy in 2018. Works is underway and there is roadmaps. For power, the roadmap is towards collaboration with the State government. There incremental, steady and uninterrupted power are a lot going on when it comes to the road supply. On the road transport roadmap, we network as well. We are constructing roads in want to reduce Nigerians journey time, cost and every State of the country. We are also building improve ease of doing business. We also want a pilot housing project that we want to subject to to recover lost jobs so that those laid off before acceptability and affordability tests in 33 States President Muhammadu Buhari administration of the country. If we are not doing all three in

one State, at least we are doing one or two in one State.

Speaking on some of the ongoing projects, His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN said, we are producing more energy now than before. We are transmitting more energy from the transmission lines than before; 7,124MW. We are distributing more energy than in May 2015. Since 2016, we have peaked at 5,222MW and we are going forward. In 2018, we are expecting more thousand megawatts. We are also expecting our distribution channels to expand. The evidence suggests improved quality of services.

Some have said that this is perhaps the first time we have reached this high level of sustained power in the dry season over the last quarter of 2017 through the first quarter of 2018. If you look in the results of National Bureau of Statistics, all quarters of 2017 pointed to growth in the electricity sector.

We are constructing roads in every State of the country, we are working on second Niger Bridge, we are working on Kano-Katsina road,

Kano western bye-pass with bridges, and we have worked on the Kano-Zaria, Kaduna-Abuja Highway, we have worked on the Tamborawa Bridge, Jebba-Ilorin, Oyo-Ogbomoso, Lagos-Ibadan, BeninOre, Benin-Ahor, Auchi-Ogoja, Numan-Jalingo, Sokoto-Ilelatambowa, Lokoja-Abaji road leading to Abuja, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Enugu-Onitsha, the road that also leads from Enugu to Cameroon, Aba-Owerri, Aba-Port Harcourt, the road that goes to Kolo in Bayelsa State and many others.

We also want to create a housing economy where people can recover their dignity and go back to work. We first paid attention to proper planning and we have deployed a pilot. In the Northern parts of Nigeria, we are experimenting with one, two and three bedroom bungalows in a courtyard, in the Southern parts a mixture of one, two and three bedroom bungalows and a mixture of one, two and three bedroom condominium flats. We have not finished as some have been completed while others are still works in progress.

Addressing challenges of the Ministry, His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN stated, It comes by fixing what exists, optimising what has not been working, replacing and repairing, getting more and so on. Constructing a road has a gestation time, though the first thing is that once contracts are issued, contractors go back to work. Some are man-made challenges to damage the pipelines, transformers and electrical access but are being addressed by various policies.

These are the things we must deal with and so we have a policy that is helping us increase penetration. He also appreciate the leadership being shown by President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and working with the host communities where damages have been most pronounced. We have some clarity about the commitment and passion of the team leader as regards rebuilding the country.

One of the anchor commitments of the President in the economy recovery plan is to invest in Nigerian people, He urge all Nigerians to expect more from the Administration.

His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, commended Tricia Eseigbe Kerry of Boldfaces Media for using her platform to wake our nation up to the realities, correct public perception and create massive orientation & enlightenment for Nigerians on the activities of the ministry of Power, Works and Housing.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

AUTO All-new 2019 Kia Cerato Sets a New Pace for Sedans

Collection of Rolls-Royce Cullinans

Rolls-Royce Launches Cullinan in Wyoming U.S.A Stories by Bennett Oghifo ritish automaker, Rolls-Royce will launch a collection of Rolls-Royce Cullinans, fondly called the RollsRoyce of SUVs, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA and it promises to be the luxury event of the year.

A statement, this week, by the automaker says a collection of Rolls-Royce Cullinans has departed the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex to attend the luxury event of the year. “Bound for the vast and challenging terrain of Wyoming in the United States, Cullinan will be appraised by 200 of the world’s top journalists and social influencers during its Global Press Drive next month in the luxury surroundings of Jackson Hole,

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Wyoming.” Coscharis Motors represents Rolls-Royce in Nigeria.

The most eagerly anticipated motor car of 2018, Cullinan intends to prove itself Effortless, Everywhere by making luxury off-road travel a reality for the first time. The world’s first super-luxury SUV, Cullinan is also the first “three-box” SUV in the world whose contemporary and functional design will ensure its iconic status in the face of increasingly bland SUV designs.

The fleet of Cullinans will show a wider breadth of configurations to the world’s media for the first time. A palette of modern exterior paint colours, leather and wood combinations and of course the two “bookends” offered by Cullinan – the more functional rear lounge-seat configuration with folding seats and rising

boot floor; or the most luxurious individual seat arrangement featuring the centre console with Champagne fridge and crystal flutes, whisky decanter and crystal tumblers, and a glass partition between the luggage and passenger compartments – will all be available to the attending guests.

Rolls-Royce chose Jackson Hole for the launch of Cullinan because it is one of America’s best-kept secrets offering a high-end outdoor lifestyle to its wealthy residents and visitors alike. Located in Teton County – the wealthiest corner of the United States of America per capita of population – Jackson Hole is home to some of the world’s most affluent people and well-known celebrities, as well as the destination for the annual gathering of Central Bankers at the Economic Policy Symposium.

MINI Founded Accelerator URBAN-X Showcases Visions for an Urbantech Revolution in Cities

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RBAN-X, the leading accelerator for startups reimagining city life, founded by MINI and run in partnership with Urban Us, presented the outcome of its fourth generation of urbantech startup companies, Cohort 04. The startups are working on solutions to some of the biggest problems cities face around the world, such as optimizing building construction, making residential real estate rentals more transparent, improving personal mobility and road usage pricing and cutting energy waste in commercial office buildings.

“We’re thrilled to work with these innovative entrepreneurs who are pushing the boundaries of what technology can do for our cities,” said Head of MINI Brand Strategy and Business Innovation Esther Bahne. “The MINI brand’s investment in URBAN-X provides a platform to collaborate with some of the brightest minds and creative urban thinkers around the world, who are helping to shape the future of our cities.”

The program helps young creative people successfully work on product, customer and network development. Professional guidance is provided by MINI designers and engineers among other experts from the urbantech and venture capital sector. The aim is to prepare young startups and their ideas effectively for the subsequent financing process.

“Cohort 04 is a group of incredibly creative, inventive and driven entrepreneurs,” said URBAN-X Managing Director, Micah Kotch. “Improving

L-R: General Manager, Marketing and Communications, Coscharis Group, Mr Abiona Babarinde in handshake with Mr Mide Kunle-Akinlaja, Executive Producer, while Mr Felix Mahan, Brand Manager, Ford, Coscharis Motors Plc watches on at the recently held Premier for the Season 5 of The Next Titans held at the Oriental Hotels, Lagos the way our cities work has always required new thinking, and we’re excited about what comes next for these teams.”

The Demo Day event on September 27th in

Brooklyn, New York, marked the end of the 20week program and kicked off a series of investor meetings the startups will have with top venture capitalists in New York, San Francisco and PaloAlto.

Unveiled at the 2018 New York InternationalAuto Show in Manhattan, USA, the All-new Cerato has made a successful debut featuring its impressively enhanced exterior and interior design. Looking more dynamic and stylish, the All-new Cerato’s design has moved in a sportier direction while preserving the original design elements from predecessors.

Sophisticated yet sporty exterior, dubbed the Mini-Stinger, the All-new Cerato maintains its sporty and youthful image while evolving a more sophisticated appearance that nods to a number of sleek and dynamic styling cues inspired by the Stinger fastback sports sedan.

Expected to make its Nigeria entry by the year-end, Jimoh Olawale, Marketing Manager, Kia Motors Nigeria said he is confident that the car would build on the outstanding success and market acceptance of the previous models. He stated that the all-new 2019 Cerato’s entry will be “premised upon the record-breaking success of the previous models in Nigeria. The 2019 Kia Cerato has been redesigned with an entirely new aesthetic, taking the model to a notch higher in its segment with its refined sporty exterior and forward thinking technologically embedded interior, the sedan is set on a path to redefine the standards of sedans in the country.”

The front end is more aggressive with a new sturdy version of Kia’s signature ‘tiger-nose’ grille and a Stinger-esque headlamp design, while the Cerato is the first model in its class to come equipped with full LED headlamps. The cowl point, base of the windshield, has been moved back to afford a more athletic and well-grounded stance.

Around back, the rear bumpers are designed to look connected – Much like the Kia Sportage compact crossover, the Cerato now has a sleek horizontal trim piece that connects to the LED taillights. Gaining a more sophisticated design influenced by the Kia Stinger, the 2019 Cerato remains one of the most appealing, affordable vehicles on the market.

A comfortable, High-tech Interior for everyone.

As outstanding as its exterior design, the Cerato’s interior has been redesigned to provide an enhanced sense of spaciousness. In order to treat both driver and passengers to a more comfortable ride, the overall length, width, and height of the Cerato have been increased to allow for more head and legroom, as well as cargo room in the trunk.

Lexus Introduces Sharper, Safer, More Refined ES Sedan The all-new luxury Lexus ES 300h mid-size sedan, arriving in national dealerships this month, delivers sharper performance, new safety technology and craftsmanship that has been elevated to the next level.

In an ambitious move that signals the brand’s on-going commitment to electrification of its vehicles, Lexus Australia is offering the seventhgeneration ES as an exclusively hybrid range in Luxury and Sports Luxury grades.

Now in its seventh generation, the latest ES builds on the car’s renowned comfort, refinement and luxury appointments with an exceptionally rigid new chassis that allows for a more dynamic exterior design and even better driving performance.

The ES 300h joins the new flagship models, LS sedan and LC coupe, in delivering eye-catching styling with greater emotional appeal.

It is the first vehicle in its segment to include, as standard fitment, head-up display, 12.3-inch multimedia screen, wireless phone charger and road-sign assist. The latest Lexus Safety System+ incorporates new features and expanded capabilities.

Australia is one of the first global markets to receive the ES 300h with its new self-charging hybrid system.

Power has been boosted almost six per cent (9kW) to 160kW while fuel consumption has been reduced by 16.4 per cent to an exemplary 4.6 litres/100km (combined cycle). It is the most fuel-efficient car in its class that does not require a plug.

Despite the new-generation enhancements and additional equipment, Lexus is encouraging greater uptake of its hybrid technology by launching the new range with a recommended retail price below $60,000 for the Luxury grade - a reduction of more than $3,800. Sports Luxury pricing has been increased by less than $3,000.

LexusAustralia chief executive Scott Thompson said the performance and sophistication of the hybrid-powered ES creates an entirely new feeling of amazing that will attract new customers to the brand as well as traditional Lexus buyers.

“The all-new ES 300h showcases craftsmanship and innovation in every detail from its coupe-like body to its premium interior,” Mr Thompson said.

“We are also delighted to introduce a luxury mid-size sedan with a fourth-generation self-charging hybrid powertrain that delivers enhanced performance with minimal emissions,” he said.

Improved dynamics, performance and safety for the all-new ES begin with the advanced new platform that delivers rigidity close to the flagship LC and LS models.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

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AUTO

Mercedes-Benz to Premiere B-Class, GLE, AMG A 35 4MATIC in Paris Stories by Bennett Oghifo

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he focus of Mercedes-Benz Cars at this year’s Paris Motor Show, holding from October 4 to 14, will not only be on the motor show premiere of the battery-electric Mercedes-Benz EQC(combinedpowerconsumption: 22.2 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/ km, provisional figures) [i], but also on the world premieres of GLE and B-Class, the automaker said in a statement, during the week. Westar Associates Limited represents Mercedes-Benz in Nigeria.

Also making its first public appearance, according to the statement, is an all-new entry-level model from the world of Driving Performance, the MercedesAMG A35 4MATIC (combined fuel consumption: 7.4-7.3 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 169-167 g/km) [ii]. The new six-cylinder GT 43 4MATIC+ 4-door Coupé (combined fuel consumption: 9.4-9.1 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 215-209 g/ km)ii rounds off the offering from Mercedes-AMG at the show. A further highlight is a show car from smart to mark the brand’s 20th anniversary.

The Mercedes-Benz GLE is the best-selling SUV in the history of Mercedes-Benz. As comfortable on the road as a luxury saloon, the new GLE comes with better off-road credentials than ever before.

The new model offers significantly more room in the interior, the new user interface, considerably extended and refined driving assistance systems, the best aerodynamics in the segment, an all-new range of engines and a host of other innovations.

The new Mercedes-Benz B-Class puts the emphasis on the sports part of Sports Tourer. It looks more

The 2019 Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC dynamic than its predecessor and is more agile while offering greater comfort. In addition, the interior has been made more spacious, while the engines are now more efficient and cleaner. Its avant-garde interior makes for a unique feeling of space with the unique design of the instrument

panel. The intuitive user interface of the adaptive MBUX multimedia system is ground-breaking.

State-of-the-art driving assistance systems give the B-Class one of the highest standards of active safety in the segment with functions carried over from the S-Class.

Point of entry into the world of Driving Performance: Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC With the A35 4MATIC, Mercedes-AMG presents an all-new entry-level model from the world of Driving Performance. Based on the new MercedesBenz A-Class, it is powered by a newly developed 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine with 225 kW (306 hp). Bodyshell, suspension, all-wheel drive, transmission, drive programs, fine tuning – the AMG engineers have designed every detail for maximumdrivingdynamicswithoutcompromising on everyday comfort.

There has also been a new addition to the AMG GT family. The new 270 kW (367 hp) six-cylinder Mercedes-AMG GT 43 4MATIC+ 4-door Coupé (combined fuel consumption: 9.4-9.1 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 215-209 g/km)i extends the range of sports cars to include an attractively priced entry-level model. The looks, technology, equipment and individualisation options are the same as those of the more powerful six-cylinder AMG GT 53 4MATIC+ unveiled in March 2018 (combined fuel consumption: 9.4-9.1 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 215-209 g/km)I. Smart: open to everything and never boring With the world premiere of the smart show car, smart gives playful expression to its attitude to life: simple, reduced and pure, yet never boring, and unconventional in its ideas.

To mark the brand’s 20th anniversary, the show car also makes reference to the earlier concept vehicles Crossblade (2002) and forspeed (2011).

As a radically open electric convertible, the latter in particular was a natural example for the new star of the show to follow.

All-new Jeep Wrangler, Undisputed Off-Road Champion

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n undisputed off-road champion and a unique vehicle for everyday urban adventures, the new generation of the iconic Jeep® Wrangler offers excellent levels of comfort andsuperiordrivingdynamics.The all-new Jeep Wrangler is a one-of-a-kind vehicle that is ready to write a fresh, unprecedented chapter in the legendary history of the Jeep brand, a story which began in 1941.

It is with this clear objective that the iconic Jeep Wrangler has been completely renewed while remaining true to itself, with legendary off-road capabilities, authentic Jeep styling and advanced technology features.

The result is the most capable Wrangler ever, courtesy of unmatched technical contents, which, depending on the trim, include two advanced fourwheel drive, active, on-demand full time systems Command-TracandRockTrac,plusTru-Lockelectric front- and rear-axle lockers, Trac-Lok limited slip differential and electronic front sway-bar disconnect.

From the roughest terrain to more exclusive city streets, the all-new Jeep Wrangler is perfectly at ease, and delivers a more modern design, that stays true to the original, combined with more open-air freedom and advanced technology features in terms of safety and connectivity.

The fourth generation Jeep Wrangler is offered in three different trim levels: Sport, Sahara and Rubicon

- all available in two- or four-door configuration, and in an all-new Overland pack, exclusively on the Saharaversion,ensuringamoreup-scaleappearance.

The all-new Jeep Wrangler arrives in Jeep showrooms of the EMEA region in the second half of this year.

Improved legendary go-anywhere Jeep 4x4 capability Engineered to master the most challenging offroad tracks, Jeep Wrangler is the result of more than seventy-five years of leadership in the development of 4x4 systems. Two four-wheel drive systems are available: Command-Trac - on the Sport and Sahara trim levels, and Rock-Trac - standard on the Rubicon trim configuration, the most rugged and capable model for off-road driving. Both systems feature the new Selec-Trac full-time two-speed transfer case for a continuous monitoring and management of the torque sent to front and rear wheels.

In details, Command-Trac four-wheel drive system features a two-speed transfer case with a 2.72:1 low-range gear ratio and next-generation Dana front and rear axles.

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon models provide additional off-road prowess and are equipped with the Rock-Trac 4x4 system, featuring a two-speed transfer case with 4.0:1 low-range gear ratio, front and rear heavy-duty next-generation Dana 44 axles and Tru-Lok electric front- and rear-axle lockers to tackle the most extreme off-road trails.

Kewalram Chanrai Group in Nigeria to reintroduce Fiat and Jeep into the local sedan, SUV and pickup market

A New Thought on Excessive Speeding

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lthough I explained all she needed to know, her worries were no doubt my focus in the piece titled, NAKED ROAD. In that piece, I lamented on the absence of appropriate road furniture and the danger such portends in our drive to promote safety although the Ministry of Works and Housing is currently addressing these issues especially with the partnership with the Corps Signage plant. Traffic signs are no doubt contained in The Nigeria Highway Code which describes traffic signs as signs erected at the side of or above roads to inform or give instructions to road users .These signs according to the Highway Code, vary in shapes and colors. One such sign is the regulatory signs. The speed limit sign falls within this category. On page 73 of the Highway Code, speed limit is listed for different types of vehicles. They range from 50 to the maximum speed limit of 100km/ph.

As we reflect on the just concluded events, one crucial intervention needed on our highways is ensuring appropriate road furniture especially the signs on speed which are rarely posted on our major highways decorate our roads and make driving

SAFE DRIVING with JONAS AGWU

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

pleasurable.

Although other signs are equally important, excessive speed is at the core of the traffic injury problem. It is the major determinant of the extent of injury .It influences both crash risk and crash consequences. The physical layout of the road and its surrounding can both encourage and discourage speed. However, crash risk increases as speed increases especially at junctions and while overtaking. The effect of impact speed on the risk of death for pedestrians is colossal, but for vehicle occupants also, injury severity increases with impact speed. The higher the speed of a vehicle, the shorter time the driver has to stop and avoid a crash.

This is why the possibility of fatal injury increases

from close to zero to almost 100% as the change in impact speed increases from 20km/h to 100km/h.

A car travelling at 50km/h will typically require 1.3metres to stop while a car travelling at 40km/h will stop in less than 8.5metres.An average increase speed of 1km/h is associated with a 3% higher risk of a crash involving an injury. Travelling at 5km/h above a road speed limit of 65km/h results in an increase in the relative risk of being involved in a casualty crash that is comparable with having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05g/dl. For car occupants in a crash with an impact speed of 80km/h, the likelihood of deaths is 20 times what it would have been at an impact speed of 30km/h. It is because of the grave risk involved that a maximum speed limit of 100km/h for private cars and 90km/h for taxis and buses is set on the expressway while at built up areas such as commercial and residential areas; 50km/h is the speed limit although like I pointed out earlier these are rarely posted to guide travelers.

Excessive speeding is an irresponsible driving habit that requires immediate change. However, each time I worry over this behavior, I remember the major theories of behavior change such as the social

cognitive theory which proposes that people are driven not by inner forces, but by external factors. This model suggests that human functioning can be explained by a triadic interaction of behavior, personal and environmental factors often known as reciprocal determinism.

Environmental factors represent situational influences and environment in which behavior is preformed while personal factors include instincts, drives, traits, and other individual motivational forces. To change irresponsible driving we therefore need to change the environmental structure which includes erecting the appropriate road furniture.

We must remember that driving hurts physically. It also affects your mental and psychological health. According to Leon James, co-author of Road Rage and Aggressive Driving: Steering Clear of Highway Warfare, people are not aware of the negative emotions that surge through them while driving. “Driving,” he points out, “is an activity in which you are surrounded by hundreds of people having negative emotions, and the whole system is based on whether it’s cooperative or antagonistic.”The warfare on the highway exposes us to the health hazards known as road rage which refers to an extreme state of anger that often precipitates aggressive behavior. It also refers to words and gestures or to assault and battery.

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T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱͷ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

T H I S D AY ˾ SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž Í°ÍˇËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

EXPRESSION

MEDIAGAFFES

‘Potential’ Non-count

EBERE WABARA

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HE introductory blunders are from THE NATION ofAugust 24: “Over four months after their abduction, the girls are yet (have yet) to be located.â€? “Liberia is (has) yet to return to‌.â€?And this: â€œâ€Śuntapped heroic potentials (potential)‌.â€?

Dr. Stanley Nduagu (08062925996) sent in the next faulty extract fromAba: “The Nigerian nurses as endangered specie (species)â€? ‘Species’ is both singular and plural. The word ‘specie’ has no place in English language. “But in the welter of these realignment of forces‌â€? Re-thinking development: these realignments of forces.

VANGUARD ofAugust 28 circulated three goofs: “The fear along the room and corridor (corridors) of power of a sovereign national conference.‌â€? “It is not in doubt that most of the commuters in the luxurious (luxury) buses that ply.‌â€? â€œâ€ŚAba traders constitute a large proportion of the passengers on commercial aircrafts (aircraft) that fly....â€? “Major reorganization of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), which may lead to mass retirement and sack of its men and officers, now looms.â€? Get it right: a major reorganization or major reorganizations, as context demands. “One of the most outrageous abuses occurred.‌â€? Spelling in the lurch: occur, occurrence, occurred. “I do not buy the argument that the advent of electronic mails and network computers have rendered postal services absolute.â€? Not yet time for structural proximity: the advent of electronic mails and network computers has (not have). “In doing this, however, he must be faithful to the mandate of the ECOWAS Heads of Government under whose platform he operates.â€?

Agenda: on (not under) whose platform he operates “As Nigerian editors converge in (on)Asaba for their annual meeting.‌â€? “Agovernment white paper on the demonstration‌.â€? Sheer abuse of words! ‘White paper’ is a report issued by Government to give information.

Let’s respect words.After all, reporting is all about

BY

telegraphic brevity. “UNN students union honour vice chancellorâ€? What is happening? Sub-editors of these days show traces of illiteracy! This way: UNN students’ union honours VC “The fact that some people eat food that does nothing for their physical well-being put them in the class of the poor.â€? The fact‌puts. “The richer nations who (sic) have more than enough should in this moment of great need and expectation by the poor masses (the masses are basically poor) be their brothers’ keepers.â€?

Standard sociolinguistics: ‘brother’s keeper’— whether one or more. “Any further discourse on it, some might say, amounts to nothing but over-flogging a dead horse.â€? You flog, not over-flog, a dead horse, talking idiomatically. “Like few (a few in this context) years ago, a life cow was allegedly buried‌.â€? ‘Life cow’ in place of ‘live cow’ portrays sub-literacy. “Opponents of private universities claim that they will aggravate the unemployment problem in the country.â€? ‘Unemployment’ is certainly a problem—so why compound it by adding another ‘problem’? “Denmark has just played an historic role in‌.â€? ‘An historic role’ is the type of expression Ndaeyo Uko calls Elizabethan English! Current syntactic trend: ‘a historic‌’ “One of the enduring concerns at the workshop concerned the role and orientation of the military with regards to our democratic aspirations.â€? Received English: ‘as regards’ or ‘with regard to’And this: ‘concerns‌concerned’ is demonstrative of poor vocabulary stock. â€œâ€Śthe two ethnic rivals are now creating the impression that they are about to re-open (no hyphen) their old wounds and embark on another round of strive (strife).â€? “To blackmail has so much become the pasttime.â€? Standard entry: ‘pastime’. “They have in most cases remained willing collaborators in the de-politicization of the political system by acquiescing to virtually all the issues‌.â€? Get it right: acquiesce in (not to). “And the neglect of such costs lead to political and economic imbalance that create disequilibria in the larger society.â€? The two verbs in this

sentence (‘lead’ and ‘create’) demand singular usage to agree with ‘neglect’ and ‘imbalance.’ “The criteria for the choice of candidates was based on partisan political loyalties and ethnic considerations.� The plural of ‘criterion’ is ‘criteria’. “NSE parleys foreign stock exchange� ‘Parley’ takes ‘with’, if it must be used in this sense at all.

By the way, is it not amazing that some Nigerian sub-editors do not know what the ‘N’ in ‘NUJ’ represents? It is Nigeria (not Nigerian) Union of Journalists. One keeps coming across the unpardonable error in reputable newspapers and magazines. “Rangers’ boss picks holes on 3SCâ€? I also pick my own holes in (not on) this headline. “We express these fears, knowing fully well the nature of ‌.â€? This amounts to ill-treatment of the English language. Right: knowing full well. “The NFAstill have to decide on the outcome of some matchesâ€? ‘Association’ takes a singular verb. “What is good for the goose can’t be bad for the gander.â€? I do not understand the use of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ instead of ‘sauce’ in this instance. â€œâ€Śbut LifeStyle will not hesitate to remind you about (sic) one of the qualifying criterion for this jamboree‌â€? Singular: criterion; plural: criteria.

And, ‘remind you of‌’ “AN alleged hike in school fees has created a row between the management and the Parents TeachersAssociation (PTA) of‌.â€? PTAmeans Parent-TeacherAssociation. “The donation of vehicles and communication gadgets provide a good beginning. “ The donation‌provides. “Fear of robbers keep lawyers away from courtsâ€? Fear of robbers keeps‌ “CBN intervention bouys nairaâ€? Get it right: buoys. “You must be matured and in love with jazz music.â€? Just ‘mature’.

The next three errors are from NTANetwork News of September 25: â€œâ€Ś. Who presided at the occasion.â€? NTAcorrespondents should be civilized: the preposition that goes with ‘occasion’ is ‘on’ (not ‘at’) “He said that the ministry intends to restore back‌ “‘Restore back’ shows unintelligibility.

With ‘restore’, you can’t have ‘back’. We should

C a n Man De c o d e G OD ?

H

e is a strange God. His mysteries are beyond understanding - most times.

History tells those who are mentally inclined (or spiritually astute) that God’s ways are not ours, and thus frustrations, desperation, deviantness and sundry rebellious actions become escape routes for mankind to express themselves. When God remains insatiable...

An emblem of perfection... when you have done all that you have been presented as tools to compel His presence (or behold His countenance)... When you thereafter fail, you justifiably blame God, and those who claim deep relationship with Him. “Why me?� the universal cry of entitlement delusion.

Trying to decode the Almighty - as defined by practices and doctrines of both major religions brought into Africa from the West and East - is always a draining experience. Short of falling into blasphemy, or worse still, heresy, I will present my own interpretation of man’s staggered efforts to understand why God is God. The following story is true, in its essence - basically because I am a first-on-site witness. Princess and her partner had resolved, many years ago, to use their modest means and profits to help Nigerian children in dire straits. They intended to mobilise their circle of friends to contribute periodically to a dedicated purse, for the actualisation of their dream.

For years, it was smooth-sailing - Princess’ businesses boomed, and her partner was also successfully engaged. Several months ago, circumstances took an unexpected twist - dryness began to set in.

Just as the duo was counting losses and planning to downsize, Udoh called.

He was the father of Edwin, an eight-year old boy who suffered shocking ailments that afflicted his liver, lungs and brain! Udoh was a talented cobbler with a knack for repairing suitcases, bags, apart from footwears. His skill, honesty and diligence brought him to Princess’ attention many years ago. Then Edwin happened.

After almost a year of relentless fundraising campaigns, Udoh’s wife, Beatrice, and Edwin travelled to India. They returned eight weeks later, with the boy looking well and running wild. We all thanked God. It was clear to all that God was in charge - though Princess’ businesses had begun to reel at the initial choking phase of encroaching recession. Weeks

afterwards, the federal government revealed that the country was indeed in full-blown recession.

Princess and her partner were struggling to make ends meet, looking for ways to stay afloat, and keep their offsprings above the flood. Then Udoh showed up again - with an old story. His friend, in mutual adversity, Maliq had a girl whose affliction rivalled that of his own son, if not worse! Would Princess try and save the life of the six-year old? She was dumb, deaf and had a tragic heart condition that rendered her unconscious now and again. You would think she was asleep... then she would drift into death-like stillness - Shaqirat usually regained consciousness in the hospital days after!

Maliq was an electrician, while his wife, Risqat, used a corner of his tiny shop to display her roasted plantain (boli) and groundnuts. They needed about N1.5m as some sort of counterpart funding, since some US-based Christian group had pledged to provide funds for surgery, accommodation, visa, feeding and post-surgery expenses, for 12 weeks in America.

All Shaqirat and her escort needed was money for return tickets and pre-travel exigencies!

Princess and partner reviewed the case, the documents seemed genuine, and they eventually ascertained that what Udoh and Maliq disclosed were true... the American Christian philanthropists had indeed offered to offset sundry costs in excess of N4m on an unknown Moslem child in one corner of Africa... “God must be working overtime to save this girl,� thought Princess, in wonder.

Yet, raising the N1.5m was going to be very difficult. And the expiry date was less than two months away. The one-year incredible offer was getting stale!

Shaqirat’s parents had spent the past 10 months chasing air. Sadly, Princess and partner didn’t see themselves fairing any better. See, they had just completed raising N2m for Udoh’s child, who only returned from India two weeks earlier. They worried about donor-fatigue. A disease that makes friends refuse to pick your calls or respond to your messages, as they scavenge to also stay afloat their own streams of responsibilities.

It was easy for Princess to decline. For one, her businesses had been wiped out; and that of her partner had stagnated. Two, her family were threatened by hunger; debtors in frenzy to retrieve trapped funds - and she started wondering if it was really God that sent her on the life-altering philanthropy or a delusion driven by some deeply rooted mid-life

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

not use words we do not understand their meanings (or implications). The English language has evolved from the old period to the modern era. So, journalists must avoidAnglo-Saxon expressions.And this: the ministry intended (not intends) “Captain‌wedded former Miss‌ in Lagos over the weekend with pomp and pageantry. “ ‘Pomp and pageantry’ is not an accepted phrase.

The standard expression is ‘pomp and circumstance’ or ‘pomp and ceremony.’ It can simply be left as ‘pomp’. If you don’t remember these forms, rephrase.At least, you can always recollect that the Nigerian creation (pomp and pageantry) is uneducated. “Truely, Jos is a home of peace and tourism.�

Correct form: truly. “This development is unlike in some states where education have (sic) died a natural death‌â€? Indeed, education has died in Champion House! “PUBLIC affairs analysts of the most diverse persuasions are agreed on one thing: the world is at a crossroad. “ This way: at a/the crossroads (not crossroad). “The hopes of millions of our country-men are centred around us.â€? ‘Centre’ admits ‘on’, ‘round,’ ‘upon’‌never ‘around’. “Unclaimed properties of accident victimsâ€? ‘Property’ in this context is non-count. It can only take the plural form if buildings and acres of land are involved—or scientific references. “Yes, Nigerians love to eat traditional meals with their bare fingers but that is not to say we can’t provide foreigners with cutleries.â€? Tourism & Hospitality: ‘cutlery’ is uncountable. “Villagers beseige hospital for free treatmentâ€?

Right: besiege. “In this way, life expectancy bulges as the chances of contacting diseases considerably diminish.â€? Nobody contacts a disease‌ ‘contract’ is the word. “The progressive social option implicit in General Buhari’s analysis is affirmative action aimed at eliminating or drastically reducing poverty.â€? This way: â€˜â€Śan affirmative action.’ Articles are not optional in count words.

COUNTERPOINT BY

FEMI

AKINTUNDE-JOHNSON e-mail: fajalive1@gmail.com mobile phone: (08182223348 - SMS Only)

crisis!

We shall continue next week on Princess’ decision, and her reading of an invisible God.

SNIPPET:

Of Curses & Consequences...

The naive argument that the near total domination of Nigerians from the southern part of the country in our national economic alpha team is effectively balanced by Northerners’ predomination of the national Security superstructure, is simply saddening. A symptom of our excessive romance with stagnation and damnation! Very insensitive and distressing optics, on both counts.

Is one sin better that another? A distressing imbalance in one aspect of statecraft should not be a counterfoil to another error of judgement.

If indeed we run a representative democracy, and the few thousands elected by (or selected on behalf of millions of Nigerians), the reversals of skewed appointments and policies irritating the sensibilities of the populace should be effected forthwith.

To be clear, this is what our 1999 constitution says in Chapter 2, Section 14, subsection 3: “The composition of the Government of the Federation or ANY OF ITS AGENCIES (emphasis mine) and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no PREDOMINANCE OF PERSONS from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.�

How’s that difficult for anyone to interprete?

How can such blatant infraction be condoned by a responsible parliament - three years after, and still counting?

Powers-that-be should remember that power is transient... Use it well and sensibly... or “his office let another take...� is not a curse...it’s consequence!

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

45

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Bright Chimezie

Zigima Sound is Still Very Much Alive GAJI ‘MOHAMMED’ SAMUEL I Don’t Want to Be Labeled With ‘Gateman’ Roles pg. 48

ELIZABETH AGWE Never, Ever Give Up on Yourself pg. 47

46

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

SHOWBIZFLAIR BRIGHT CHIMEZIE

Zigima Sound is Still Very Much Alive Veteran highlife musician, the Zigima exponent, Bright Chimezie (Okoro Junior) is in Lagos thrilling his teeming fans. The musician who relocated from Lagos to Umuahia, Abia State, so many years ago has a new album in the market, titled, ‘Truth and Justice’.

In his 60s, Chimezie leaves his Lagos fans mouth agape with his stage performance, as he still exudes the energy he was known for over 20 years ago. Tosin Clegg gets him to talk about his new album, tour in Lagos, family life and lots more

T

he secret of my strength at my age

I don’t know how to put it, let’s say it is God. I’m telling you. Even myself, I cannot explain it. As the day unfolds, I get more energy.

I take things moderately. I work out and eat wisely.

I have a new album titled, Truth and Justice That has been our style right from when we started. Once you have a fresh album, you get on the road, you play it live, and you endear it to people. That is how we started and we are sustaining it. We are basically in Lagos to introduce Truth and Justice and thrill our traditional fans.

Why it took so long to release my album One thing with Zigima is that we are like writers. I consider each album as a book. I have just written a book. Novelists don’t write books anyhow. I keep telling people that I am not a commercial musician. Most things I say are not commercial. They are deep. I don’t depend so much on sales of my records; I depend on enshrining my philosophy, my thoughts in the hearts of men. It takes us long to work out the song, rhythm and the peculiar Zigima touch it normally has.

About the tour We are playing in Surulere, Agric, it will continue till the end of September. I have a personal doctor but I have never had any reason to give him an urgent call on my health. No emergency at all. I grew up doing it. I cannot stay for two weeks without a show. If there is no show, I create one.

I am a family man There comes a time in a man’s life when you think of the future. I am married with five children. I had four boys in Lagos here who never knew my home, where I come from and who couldn’t even speak my language. I looked at myself, a cultural ambassador; in future, they will ask any of my sons in Igbo ‘how are you?’

He would answer, ‘my father said I am Igbo.’ I said I am not going to do that. I called my wife and I said, if I ask you to go to the village and get these kids indoctrinated in the culture and tradition, they would say Okoro Junior abandoned his wife in the village and he is chasing small girls in Lagos. I said no. We relocated.

I have five children My first two sons are a set of twins and they are 19 years old - Chukwuemeka and Kelechi. My third child is Chukwudi, fourth is Chinemeze and fifth is Chidinma, my only daughter. She would be seven this year, speaks Igbo fluently and knows about her daddy’s people and where he comes from. I do come to Lagos and I am gradually introducing them

Chimezie

back to Lagos. Now I have gotten what I want. They speak fluent Igbo; they know where I come from. If I die today, they know where to take my corpse to and there is a home for them. And they won’t be threatened by the villagers.

They are grounded.

There is show business in the East But the only thing is that the glamour, publicity is here in Lagos. We have done quite a lot in the East that is not reported, and that is the only thing we missed.

How I feel about my fans still appreciating my music I feel great about it. Our labour in the past has not been in vain. I have been getting a lot of phone calls, people telling me they will come to the next venue. It’s all to the glory of God.

How I introduce myself to the young ones One funny thing about creation is that there is evolution. As we grow older, the younger ones are picking up. For the fact that I have been consistent, even though

I have not been to Lagos, they don’t have a vague knowledge of me. There was a time I was like them. I debuted in my 20s and they used to call me the youngest of them all then. They know me. They know what I stand for. I don’t need to overstretch myself to get them convinced.

The release of my album The album is already in the market but I will do the official release here in Lagos, we are working out something. I’m expecting reconnection even though we are entirely ‘Zigimatically dichoted’, the thing is still there. I want to tell my fans that I am not dead because there were so many stories when I left Lagos. Some even got me associated with the IPOB group and stuff like that. The true story is that Bright Chimezie is Bright Chimezie.

I have interacted well in Nigeria. They know me in Yorubaland, they know me here.

I am a cultural ambassador Even while I was in Lagos, most of my shows were still in the village. I am not alien to the village because I have always visited. Moreover, I was working for

myself and I could situate Zigima at any place and still power sounds. So, what’s retirement? People were coming to book me for shows right there in the village.

My music was able to break the tribal barrier I cannot get myself boxed up into one particular corner no matter how genuine they are. If there are truth and justice all over the federation, nobody would be asking for Biafra or any other agitation.

It has to do with marginalisation and wickedness from man to man. Truth and justice are not only from the leaders but also the led.

Our truth is as it suits us. Truth is supposed to be painful even to the person that speaks it. With truth and justice, we would have a stable society, a great society. A society where you can keep your phone and nobody will pick it. Very soon I am going to form a party, Truth and Justice Party.

That is what we need. If we have truth and justice, the constituency allowances would be used well, the security votes would be used well. Without truth and justice, where are we?

47

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Tosin Clegg 07062816737 e-mail: tosinclegg@hotmail.com

Gists

MY STORY

TONTO DIKE, TIWA SAVAGE, CEE C, SHINA PETERS, OTHERS GRACE SAPPHIRE SCENTS AT 3

Last weekend, Lagos was on a lockdown when renowned perfume designer, Wale Aladejana hosted friends, family, celebrities and the

general public to the celebration of his perfume brand at three, the opening of a new store in Lekki and the announcement of a new brand

ambassador.

Celebrities flooded the event, including Sir Shina Peters who gave an electrifying performance, Tonto Dike, Tiwa Savage, Teni, some ex-Housemates of Big Brother Naija Seasons 2 and 3 and a few others.

Sapphire Scents started out small and grew into a multi-million naira business under the management of Wale Aladejana who has grown the business and expanded it. Ex-Big Brother Naija housemate, Cee C was unveiled officially as the new ambassador of the brand, aside Tonto Dike who has been an ambassador. The perfume brand praises itself for excellence, uniqueness and a style which makes it more Nigerian with names such as Jagaban, Arewa which promotes the Nigerian feel.

ELIZABETH AGWE

Never, Ever Give Up on Yourself Elizabeth Agwe is a fashion designer with excellence written all over her pieces. She is the Creative Director of AgweMel, a fashion brand based in Lagos. Listening to her talk about her recent achievement fascinates Tosin Clegg

CHIMAMANDA ADICHIE’S CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP Internationally-acclaimed, awardwinning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has announced the return of her annual ‘Creative Writing Workshop’.

The workshop is sponsored by Trace Nigeria and will run from November 20 to November 30, 2018. This announcement was made at a press conference held in Lagos, recently.

“The workshop, which is currently in its 11th year, will continue to provide me the opportunity to contribute to the growth of the writing community in Nigeria. It will also serve as a platform for writers to learn from one another and from established writers,” Adichie stated.

The workshop, formerly known as the Farafina Trust Creative Writing workshop is now to be called the Purple Hibiscus Trust Writing Workshop. Adichie has been organising the workshop for the past 10 years, under different sponsorship. The workshop has graduated over 200 participants, many of whom have become published writers and editors.

She teaches the workshop alongside other established writers who are invited. Past co-teachers include Poet laureate of Scotland Jackie Kay, British-Malaysian writer Tash Aw, and American novelist Dave Eggers.

Applications for the workshop will be open from September 24 until October

15, 2018. The final shortlisted applicants will be notified on November 7, 2018, while the workshop kicks off November 20, 2018.

The organisers have added that accommodation will be provided for all accepted applicants in Lagos for the 10-day duration of the workshop.

BOLANLE NINALOWO, KIKELOMO ABASS, OTHERS SHINE AT DABIRA WOMEN CONFERENCE

Last Saturday, award-winning Nollywood actor, Bolanle Ninalowo, popularly known as Nino, joined other celebrities to grace the sixth edition of Dabira Women Conference 2018 with the theme, ‘Re-Defining You!’ The conference covered various factors affecting women’s lives, including sexual abuse, adverse childhood experience, social and cultural factors, poverty and

other traumas. The annual one-day conference is aimed at helping women influence change in their lives.

Women from different walks of life including Presidential aspirants, Elishama Ideh, Dr. Olatokunbo Oseni, Mrs. Ekaete Augustine-Edet converged at the event. It was moderated by the Managing Director of Z-Edge, Mrs. Kikelomo Ikepo Abass, fondly known as Kiki. She used her vast experience as a media personality to interrogate the all-men panelists on many life struggles women go through, from a man’s perspective. The discussion panel included Bolanle Ninalowo, gospel artiste Peter Linus, On-Air-Personality, Oscar Oyinsan and business analyst, Kayode Odebiyi.

Kiki was the former head of entertainment desk, Silverbird Television in 2006 and the lead journalist and correspondent for AIT. She has also worked as a Senior Correspondent and columnist with Nigerian Compass newspaper in 2008.

Speaking on the theme, the host, Lara Odebiyi, expressed her joy at being consistent throughout the six years of her mission. Others like renowned United Kingdom speaker, Norva Semoy Abiona and Dr. Kemi Jorge-Oyewusi also encouraged the women to understand their worth and push beyond boundaries.

H

ow did you begin your fashion business?

For me, I’ve always loved dressing up, putting colours together, trying to create something new. I started as a video vixen/dancer, worked with music video directors. At a time, I was working with Unlimited LA, and later he decided to try me with the styling of his set.

So, from there I kept working on myself, my ideas, etc.

You recently emerged as the Most Creative Designer at the 2018 NSFDW. Can you share your experience with us?

It was such an amazing experience, I must say; of me showcasing that day was a miracle. First, I thought I was going to miss the showcase, because it was supposed to hold on the 17th of August, and two weeks to that date, I didn’t even have any materials to make my designs. There were no funds at that time. I was really sad at that period, and I almost gave up. Then I heard they moved the date to 8th of September. I was so excited; I had to talk to friends and family to support, God helping, I got my materials, but there was a little delay making the outfits because of funds.

What is your perception of the Nigerian fashion industry?

I think the fashion industry in Nigeria now is going global gradually, people are beginning to appreciate our African culture more, and we have a whole lot of designers do amazingly great in our fashion industry. And it’s only gonna get bigger and better every single day, I believe.

What should we expect from your brand in the nearest future?

Hmm! Expect nothing but greatness, AgweMel is one brand that will make the whole world see that Africans and most especially Nigerians are gifted. By God’s grace, in Hollywood.

Your words of admonition to aspiring designers All I can say is never give up on your dream. A lot of people will give up on you, a lot of people will disappoint you, a lot of people will laugh at you and wait to see how you will rise, but I tell you never, ever give up on yourself.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

48

SHOWBIZFLAIR GAJI ‘MOHAMMED’ SAMUEL

I Don’t Want to Be Labeled With ‘Gateman’ Roles Other than his character in The Johnsons, little is known about his private life. Gaji Samuel, better known under his nom de plume of Mohammed in the popular sitcoms - The Johnsons – is a delight to watch daily on TV. Full of humour, Mohammed always thrills his audience with witty displays. But his rise to fame wasn’t all that funny. It was a roller coaster ride all along. In this interview with Chinedu Ibeabuchi, Samuel shares his off-stage experience

A

side Mohammed in The Johnsons, so little is known about Gaji Sammy.

Tell us who Gaji Samuel is and your family background?

My advice for actors is that whenever you are given a role, go and study someone behaving in such manner.

Initially when I started acting the role of Mohammed, an Aboki man who is a gateman, it wasn’t easy for me but then I started imagining how the common Malam in the North behaves

I am from Adamawa State. I studied Computer Science at National Open University of Nigeria. My Dad is a Hausa man and my mum is a Yoruba Woman. I am the first of three boys.

How did you come about the name ‘Mohammed’?

The name Mohammed started from the Johnsons. It was initially Mohammed but in the course of acting, Charles Inojie localise the name to Mohamoha. Anytime the Johnsons want to praise the character Mohammed, they call him Mohamoha.

Actually, my grandmother gave me that name Mohammed but growing up, I refused to bear the name. Today, Mohammed has become my nomenclature and it’s the one paying my bills.

You grew up in Jos. How was growing up like in the midst of volatile ethno-religious society?

My growing up was adventurous. I didn’t grow up in Jos. I was only born in Jos. From Jos we moved to Abuja then to Lagos and then to Kano. My dad was working in the Nigerian Airport Authority (NAA), now Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) before he passed on. He was the head of his department.

Growing up was fun because he was always transferred from one location to another which means us moving around.

How did your acting career begin?

Give us a little of your background from cradle to stardom

My acting career started in the Winners Chapel Church in Osun State. I had always liked acting though my dad wanted me to be a medical doctor but he realised that I don’t like seeing blood. So, he said, ‘ok, anything you want to be, go ahead.’

You are often a delight to watch in The Johnsons. How come you fit into this Mohammed role perfectly?

Starting my professional career wasn’t easy because the way I moved from Osun State to Lagos was kind of funny. I actually came to Lagos as a modernised houseboy in the sense that I have nobody in Lagos. I just came to Lagos to hustle.

Eventually, I met one of my church members who relocated from Osun State to Badagry. Whatever a houseboy could do, I was doing it for him. During one of the Mother’s Day celebration in my church, I was impressed with the way the drama group portrayed their acting and decided to join them. The name of the drama group was Perfect Example Theatre. It was tough initially to get roles because I had health issues and the director didn’t like me. Notwithstanding, I was enjoying it and was in charge of carrying around group costumes during shows. After about four to five months, some of the troupe left to school and there was shortage of cast. My friend who was part of the drama group then encouraged me to try a vacant role. I did

Gaji

and performed very well. So when The Johnsons came out, there was already someone playing the role of Mohammed but they called me for auditioning and I was successful. That’s how the success story of Mohammed started in the industry.

Before limelight, many face one hurdle or the other. Can you describe yours and how you surmounted this?

My challenges were so much. I had challenges financially, educationally and had health issues. I had many downsides. One of such critical challenges was the tumur I had on my left cheek in 2008 when I was with my mom in Osun State. It segregated and isolated me from people. I couldn’t relate with people because I was so ashamed. I had to leave

my mom because sometimes she would look at me and start crying. That’s why I left my mom to come to Lagos to live with a church member I knew in Osun then. As I said earlier, I came to Lagos as a repackaged houseboy. People used to describe me in church as that guy with a swollen cheek. To survive in Badagry, I hawked bread, sachet water, zobo, soft drinks, CDs, etc to meet ends meet.

From there, I learnt graphic designing before gaining admission. I am truly grateful to Winners Chapel, friends and my family for the support. Whilst the health issue was ravaging, in my brain, I was like, ‘if this is how God looks in heaven, then let it be’ because we had gone to several hospitals including OAU teaching hospital where I was asked to bring N300,000 in 2010 but

couldn’t afford it. Anywhere you could think of for solution, I went there. This was what even affected me in the drama group I joined in the church in Lagos. For three months, I couldn’t act. The director was like, ‘who brought this person?’ It was not funny at all. Breakthrough came when one of the pastors in my church, late Adeleye called me and told me he wanted to pay for the surgery. In the process of going for x-ray to ascertain the cost, another assistant pastor in the church informed me of an NGO from Spain who came to Benin Republic to carry-out surgery for indigent Africans.

When I got there and realised it was free, tears busted out my eyes. I had three stages of surgery – first was in Benin Republic, the second in Togo and the third was in Spain. So, my journey to stardom was not easy but each day I woke up, I was full of hope that I would make it.

What’s your advice for upcoming actors?

My advice for actors is that whenever you are given a role, go and study someone behaving in such manner.

Initially when I started acting the role of Mohammed, an Aboki man who is a gateman, it wasn’t easy for me but then I started imagining how the common Malam in the North behaves. The way an educated Hausa man behaves is not the same the common Hausa man in the streets behaves. I went to the streets and interacted with the common Hausa man selling water, sugarcane and mending shoes, etc to understand his lifestyles.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

SHOWBIZFLAIR I Don’t Want to Be Labeled With ‘Gateman’ Roles

Gaji

Any similarities between Mohammed in The Johnsons and Gaji Sammy?

The two Mohammeds are contradictory. Mohammed in The Johnsons is married but Mohammed in real life (Samuel Gaji) is not married; Mohammed in The Johnsons is not educated but Mohammed (Samuel Gaji) in real life is educated.

Aside acting, what else do you do?

Outside acting, I am a graphic designer and computer analyst. I studied computer engineering in NOUN.

One would have thought that having grown up in the North, you would have settled down for Kannywood. Why Nollywood?

I went for the big shot. Nollywood is like the grandfather to the father and to the son. In Nigeria, Nollywood is the ultimate. We are still growing and will get there some day like Hollywood.

Between Kannywood and Nollywood, which do you prefer?

I prefer both. There is hood in both and I am not discriminating anyone. I can feature in any.

Kannywood has some restrictions.

Do you think this is healthy for

creative art?

One thing we always forget in Nigeria is culture. We always like to adapt the white man’s culture to ours. In many gathering I find myself, I always say this: we should not always forget our father’s land. If Kannywood has restrictions and you are a member, then you should abide by it. For instance, Kissing is restricted in Kannywood. A Hausa man is very jealous and like to guard his wife. That’s why you see that some of them don’t allow their wives to work.

Aside The Johnsons, what are some of the notable movies or series you have featured in?

I featured in series as far back as 2007 called Rescued. The second series was The Johnsons. But before the Johnsons, I had done several stage plays. As I mentioned earlier, I belonged to Perfect Example Theatre Group.

Nollywood doesn’t pay many actors’ bill. Is acting lucrative for you?

That was back then. Now, acting has moved to another realm with the help of MultiChoice, Africa Magic and iRokoTv. What I will like to say is that most of the actors like to live beyond their status. Nollywood actually pays my bill.

You like playing the role of a gate-

man or peasant. Tell us why you are able to play these roles perfectly

I don’t want to be stereotyped with gateman roles. Most times when I see scripts and it’s a gateman role, I reject them.

If not I would have been in several movies but I don’t want to restrict myself to gateman roles alone. I am an actor and a good actor should be able to picture himself in different characters.

One issue with Nollywood is that once they see that you perform a role very well, they will think that’s what you are best at but I ensured I am not stereotyped to only that role. So outside The Johnsons, I hardly play a gateman role.

What’s your attitude to life?

Mathew 5:5 - blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. My attitude to life is meekness. Wherever I find myself, I try to humble myself because you don’t know who will be at the top tomorrow.

Fans often tend to relate with actors based on their prominent role on screen. Can you share a time when you were ridiculed or embarrassed in public?

I was at the Ikeja City Mall when someone told me she never knew I was educated. I was shocked. But it only makes me to realise that I am portraying that role well.

As I said earlier, I came to Lagos as a repackaged houseboy. People used to describe me in church as that guy with a swollen cheek. To survive in Badagry, I hawked bread, sachet water, zobo, soft drinks, CDs, etc to meet ends meet.

From there, I learnt graphic designing before gaining admission

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t SEPTEMBER 29 2018

50

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Team Merry Men: Falz, AY, Jim Iyke and Ramsey Nouah

Merry Men: More than Just a Movie Premiere The premiere of Ayo Makun’s film, “Merry Men” last Sunday was a big hit with its “agbada challenge.” Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports

I

was expected to be more than just a movie premiere with its theme, “agbada challenge”, as celebrities stepped out in their best ‘agbada’ designs with fanfare to grace the premiere of popular comedian Ayo Makun’s most recent work, Merry Men, sub themed “The Real Yoruba Demons.”

AY as he is widely called, raised the bar when he decided to spice up the premiere event which held at Imax Cinema, Lekki, Lagos, with a challenge to get Nollywood buffs talking about the movie.

The film premiere tagged “Agbada Challenge”, had the comedian release on his social media handle some pictures, three days to the movie opening. The idea was to create excitement and there on, elicit the interests of Nigerian celebrities to an ‘agbada’ challenge so as to see who wore the best design of the attire.

Meanwhile, the challenge which was to help promote the new movie, involved TV host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and former BBN housemate Tobi Bakre whom fellow housemate, Alex set up against the Merry Men; the likes of Folarin Falana Falz, Jim Iyke, Richard Mofe Damijo and Ramsey Nuoah who are some of the actors in the movie as opponents of Team BBN. However, famed for his recent fashion statement with agbada, Ebuka, who hosted the last two editions of the Big Brother Naija, was also expected to as usual, put on a sizzling performance, but surprisingly he put up a ‘disappearing’ act at the grand premiere. Reacting to the

challenge with some funny remarks hours before the challenge started online, AY had posted on Instagram a short video which features himself, Ebuka, Big Brother Naija3 Alex and Tobi Bakre, Falz, Ramsey, Jim Iyke and RMD, captioned “behold the Agbada challenge begins!”

Posting pictures of Jim Iyke wearing agbada on Instagram and commenting on the challenge, AY wrote, “@ebuka his name is @jim.iyke aka Nalz (the life of the party). The whole world knows that he is born for the fight that you picked with #AgbadaChallenge. The Agbada you see in here is what he wears to bed.

Be warned against Sunday! #MerryMen #YorubaDemons in cinemas from September . . . @seyivodi.”

In another post showing photos of RMD, the comedian wrote, “Who else goes to the office like this? @tobibakre!

Baba has been doing this long before you were conceived and deceived into the #AgbadaChallenge trap by @ebuka. His name is @mofedamijo, Father to #Merrymen. He awaits your apologies sent through your dad, first thing on Monday morning… #cantwaitforsunday.” The Agbada challenge was noted by most social media users to be one of fashion traffic as well as a trending topic which was so much fun few days to and up until the movie premiere as followers expected a winner.

Speaking during a chat about the movie, AY said his new movie was different from the ones he had done in the past. The comedian said, “As a matter

of fact, The Merry Men is something different from my previous movies. This is more of drama, romance and action. Of course, there is an element of comedy in the new movie, but it tells a proper story.

The idea is to let the world know that we can infuse comedy into a story that passes a good message. In this project, I was more concerned about the message than comedy.”

On it’s themed ‘agbada challenge’ costume for The Merry Men’s premiere, he stated, “When you have a new project, you will always think of something new to attract the public’s attention. For the premiere of A Trip to Jamaica, we had a football match between ex-super Eagles and Jamaicans. At the moment, we all know the craze for agbada and we also know Ebuka Obi-Uchendu wears agbada a lot. I created a challenge for people to see the other celebrities who wear agbada as well but don’t showcase it.”

With Merry Men brings to four the number of movies produced by the standup comedian since his foray into filmmaking in 2014. In 2017, his movie 30 Days in Atlanta was reported to have registered a Guinness World Record entry as one of the films with the highest domestic gross in territories of Bollywood, Nollywood and Hollywood, with N78 million in seven weeks after its premiere and brought in a box office total of over N137 million, a record his subsequent movie A Trip to Jamaica surpassed at N168 million gross earning within three months of its release.

RMD

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

POLITY Amuchie Focuses on APGA’s Flag in Imo State Stanley Nkwazema

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he number of aspirants eager to occupy the seat of leadership at Douglas House, Owerri, Imo State, is on the rise. However, the unserious are being separated from those with something to offer the people come 2019.

The Owerri Senatorial zone seems to be the centre of action and the All Progressives Grand Alliance which took over the mantle of leadership in the 2011 governorship elections in the state looks like the party to beat. There is a general consensus in the state that APGA leaders in Owerri zone should put their heads together to produce the next governor.

Interestingly, at the state level, there seems to be a lull in the activities of APGA aspirants as the train is now in Abuja. At the last count, 19 aspirants, mainly from the Owerri zone, had returned their forms. By next week, the party will publish the list of those eligible to take part in the primaries.

One of the key aspirants, Stanley Chiedoziem Amuchie, weeks ago resigned his appointment as a top management official of Zenith Bank to contest the primary under APGA. Even as people are wondering why he had to leave his lucrative job in the banking sector where he has prospects of heading the corporate body to join the murky waters of Imo politics, Amuchie, a Chartered accountant, First Class graduate of Industrial Chemistry from the University of Benin and M.Sc. holder in Corporate Governance from Leeds Beckett University, UK says he has a burning desire to turn the state around for the better.

To Amuchie, APGA is not a political party but a movement, hence, he is offering himself to serve with 23 years financial management experience, insisting that the people of Imo State has to choose between light and darkness at this stage having witnessed one of the worst forms of governance in the history of the state.

The APGA aspirant believes that though it is not a do or die affair to aspire to the Government House Owerri, and even as there is an agreement that the people from Owerri should produce the next Governor and the contest between brothers, he wants the delegates to look at the capacity, mental ability, training and an aspirant who would be able to manage the finances of the state judiciously, “not the business as usual type.”

He said: “You must understand that the state has issues and it will take an experienced financial hand to tackle it head on.”

For Amuchie, Anambra State Governor, Willy Obiano, has shown what APGA leadership is capable of doing.

Obiano has set a record of taking Anambra State to an

Amuchie

enviable position in development. Amuchie vowed to win the state for the party if he gets its gubernatorial candidate ticket. He promised to serve the interest of Imolites if elected governor.

Amuchie said Imo State is in need of good governance which can only be achieved by voting in someone with requisite skills and experience to salvage the state from its pitiable condition.

“We must take a cue from Anambra State. They have gone far in terms of rural development. They have a template in place and whoever is coming in knows he can’t derail from the laid down plans. It is an ideal situation which other states within the region should follow.”

The governorship aspirant explained that APGA was the only political party which is founded in line with

Igbo ideologies and will invariably meet the needs of Ndi Igbo. He condemned in strong terms the high level of infrastructural decay in Imo State, which has adversely affected the socio- economic growth of the state.

The front line governorship aspirant maintained that his aspiration to govern Imo is one born out of passion to champion good governance and make Ndi Imo better than they are today.

Interestingly, Amuchie wants to continue supporting the party and whoever wins the primaries to wrestle powers from the ruling APC Government led by Rochas Okorocha. “We must support each other. I want a brotherly contest but in the event that I don’t win - is not a do-or die affair - I will support whoever wins.”

He promised to address the poor working condition of civil servants in the state and as well restore the dignity of traditional institution.

Amuchie wants the APGA delegates to give him the ticket “because I have the good will to attract development to the state, I want to generate enough revenue for the state without going cap in hand begging the federal government. We have teeming unemployed youths, yet, we have vast land, very fertile for agriculture. I will also account for every kobo that comes into the state. We have to be transparent.”

On how he wants to return the state to its enviable position before the coming of Okorocha, Amuchie explained: “It will be a very challenging situation. The state of decay in the state is nothing to write home about.

The roads are all gone, no proper planning while the quality of work is too low in standard It won’t be easy but it could be better handled.”

The aspirants believes that he has enough goodwill and support of people from different religious bodies and all walks of life to surmount the challenges of presenting a model government to the people of Imo. “I have the goodwill. I have something to offer my people and want them to support me.”

On his relationship with the incumbent Governor Rochas Okorocha, he explains: “People are just using it to create confusion. I must be honest with you that I don’t know Rochas and he has never approached me. But for the fact that he is the governor of my state, I don’t know him and has no business with him as people claim. I find it funny when people say it.

“But if accused of being friends with the churches, I will gladly accept it .

I have several awards and recognition from different churches. I am also the Founder of Good Light Foundation. I don’t announce most of the things I do for people.

But the truth is that I did not confine it within my area.

With my experience, if given the mandate, I will do more God willing”.

Ogun West Must Negotiate to Get Governorship Seat Gbenga Obadara represented Ogun Central on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the Senate between 2011 and 2015. He talks to Femi Ogbonnikan, about the decision of the APC in the state to zone its governorship ticket to Ogun West and his relationship with governor Ibikunle Amosun

H

Senator Obadara

businessmen, traditional rulers, workmen and politicians should all move out and canvass. That is what politics entails. So, I do not see anything bad in the thinking of the governor and the state leadership of the party. Don’t forget my maternal grandfather was from Iyesi. He was an Awori man, from Ogun West. My maternal grandmother was from Igbogila, in Yewa North Local Government Area.

But I was married to an Ijebu woman. She was the one that gave me the children. So, you can see that I am sitting on a tripod.

You can be sure one has to be very fair. So, I don’t see anything wrong in whatever the executives of the party or the governor has said, but we should not take that for granted. Because I do tell my people in Yewaland, in Ogun West, here. We should not just sit down, taking it for granted that this has been done. No! They should go out and talk to the people that matter.

If you want to marry a woman, you will need to go and court that family, you would need to send people to go and beg that family in order to marry that woman.

And that governorship ticket is a ‘woman’ now. You want it and you should go for it, by making sure that they use all persuasions and negotiations for it to be possible.

No! It behoves on them to go out and to start looking and begging for it. I think it will go a very, very long way in getting this dream actualised. That is what I feel should be done. The Ogun West people should mobilise themselves, come to Ogun Central and go to Ogun East. Their

What is your relationship with your former leader and a one-time Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, who is also a key factor in the political equation of the state?

He remains a father to everybody in Ogun State. Don’t forget that the man

ow cordial is your relationship with Governor Ibikunle Amosu?

It is very, very cordial.

My relationship with the governor has always been cordial. Whatever transpired in the past was a personal feud between me and the governor. There was nothing impersonal between us. Whatever happened, like I always to say, we are students of history and now, I am sure, all of us are graduates and postgraduates of history of events.

We were able to reconcile in no-time, because there was nothing impersonal.

The State leadership of the APC and the governor decided to zone the APC governorship ticket to Ogun West. Do you subscribe to this zoning arrangement?

Let me quickly say this. As a man that likes justice, as a man that is fair-minded, if you look at the reasons being advanced by the governor and the state leadership of the party, in the 42 years of the existence of Ogun State, Ogun West is yet to produce the governor. I see it as genuine. But as it is, it is for Ogun West people to further go out and solicit for the cooperation of the other two senatorial districts, to beg them, persuade them, jaw-jaw on the reasons they should give them the opportunity. Politics is about negotiation. It is about understanding.

You can’t just sit down at home and think they would come and meet you.

will be 80 years next year. He is a father to all. There is no position he has aspired that God hasn’t placed him. He is an elder statesman. We respect him. We do go to him for wisdom. And we still pray to Almighty God to give him more good health in order to continue to drink from his fountain of knowledge. Aremo Olusegun Osoba is a father to all of us, like I have said, very fantastic and a loving father, a core progressive, a lover of all and we can only wish him the best at all times.

But he has of recent been very silent on political developments in Ogun State?

Are you talking of former Governor Olusegun Osoba? No! There is never two captains in a ship. In accordance with the constitution of our party, we see Governor Ibikunle Amosun as the leader of the party in the state. I am sure, Chief Olusegun Osoba and Governor Ibikunle Amosun, talk whenever Gov Amosun needs to get some advice. You can see, he was with Chief Osoba some other time.

So, it is a continuous relationship. The way things are, if the head of a family is just too difficult, there would not be peace in that family. So, where the governor is going to him for advice and talking on the phones and they are seeing each other, it means, all is cordial. And so, I do not see Chief Osoba to just do anything otherwise than to be at the background as an elder statesman. He still has unfettered access to the governor whereby they can discuss.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

POLITY

Power Nigeria Exhibition Ends in Lagos t Ruwase: Power should not be solely for profit Bennett Oghifo

T

he President of the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Babatunde Paul Ruwase has said the nation’s power sector is too strategic to be left solely as a commercial framework with profit as a prime motive.

Ruwase said this at the opening ceremony of Power Nigeria exhibition and conference 2018 which took place in Landmark Center, Victoria Island, Lagos, during the week. The conference and exhibition brought together decision makers, business leaders, experts and trade professionals to discuss the latest trends and progressions within the country’s electricity and power sector.

“It should be realized that the power sector is not just a business issue, but also a critical development issue. It has implications for job creation, welfare of citizens, growth of small businesses, poverty alleviation, agricultural development, sectorial linkages and much more. Therefore, the government needs to provide some support to enhance development in the sector,” according to Ruwase.

While declaring the exhibition and conference open, the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Barnabas Bala Bantex commended the organisers of Power Nigeria, part of Informa’s Industrial Group, for their consistency and continuity in developing ‘The Power Nigeria Agenda’ conference, which he described as beneficial and educational to the country.

According to the Exhibition Manager for Power Nigeria, Sheetij Taneja, “It is this type of growth that drives our platform and allows us year after year to bring together a wide range of key stakeholders, from power manufacturers, suppliers, domestic wholesalers and distributors, to thousands of visitors from across Nigeria and neighbouring countries, all with decision-making competence.”

He added, “The three-day event allowed us to establish a distinct reputation with government, associations and ministries in the Nigerian power market. It also provided participants the perfect opportunity to attend free, educational CPD-credited sessions, improving your knowledge and skills.

“Some of Power Nigeria’s longest standing exhibitors, such Skipper Seil and Schneider Electric returned once again for another successful edition of the event. New entrants like Lucy Electric also showcased their latest range of industry leading products to local

L-R: Director Energy Finance Consulting, Aniefiok Ntuk; Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Barnabas Bala Bantex; Director of Procurement, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Ahmed Abdul; and Group President, Skipperseil, Jitender Sachdeva at the opening ceremony of Power Nigeria Exhibition and Conference 2018, held at Landmark Centre, Lagos… recently

suppliers.”

According to the Regional Marketing Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa for Lucy Electric, Connie Ochola, “We presented our industry-leading Gridkey LV/MV monitoring system and associated analytics which enables customers to identify actionable information from the data on their network. We also launched a new graphical user interface for Gridkey too, unlocking greater network potential and making network data more accessible and easier for operators to quickly interpret.”

Over the three days, the Power Nigeria Agenda discussed topics, including minigrids, solar and the use of blockchain within the power sector, with day-three hosted by Elsewedy Electric.

Power Nigeria exhibition and conference draws on the strengths of Informa Industrial Group’s geographical foothold in the Middle East and Africa through its partner events like Electricx in Cairo, Middle East Electricity Saudi in Riyadh, and Middle East Electricity in Dubai, one of the world’s largest power exhibitions.

Power Nigeria exhibition and conference.

PHOTO NEWS

L-R: Managing Director/CEO, Bank of Industry, Mr. Kayode Pitan and the CEO/Executive Director, United Nations Global Compact, Ms. Lise Kingo, at the Global Compact Leaders Summit, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA...recently

L-R: Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Princess Sarah Adebisi Sosan; representative of the wife of the Ogun State governor, Mrs. Okeowo Oyeleye; President, Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation, Dr. Wale Afolabi; and Mrs. Aderonke Oguntoyinbo representing Mrs. Dame Abimbola Fashola, during the 10th anniversary of the foundation in Lagos...yesterday Photo: SundayAdigun

L-R: Chairman, FATE Alumni Conference Planning Committee, Olusegun McMedal;, Founder/CEO, Coscharis Group, Cosmas Maduka; Executive Director, FATE Foundation, Adenike Adeyemi; and Chairman, Superflux Group, Tokunbo Talabi, during the 3rd FATE annual alumni conference with the theme: ‘Building for Scale’ held at the Muson Centre, Lagos...recently Photo:AbiodunAjala

L-R: Chairman/CEO Prince Group and President Institute of Export Operations and Management (IEOM), Mr. Princewill Utchay; Head, Trade and Economic Section EU, Mr. Filippo Amatto; and Executive Secretary, the Institute of Export Operations and Management, Mr. Ofon Udofia, at the breakfast meeting of the Institute of Export Operation held in Victoria Island, Lagos...recently Photo: MuboPeters

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ ͺ͸͚΀

NEWSXTRA

Zenith Labour Party Threatens to Sue APC for Violating Electoral Act Onyebuchi Ezigbo Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË

TAKING STOCK...

L-R: Presenter of Law Report,Mr. Francis Ckuka Agbu (SAN). Secretary General, International Association of Deposit Insurance (IADI), Mr David Waker: Managing Director/CEO, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) Mr. Ummarru Ibrahim and Exeutive Director, Corporate Services, Mrs. Lola Abiola-Edewor at the 2018 African Committee Annual Technical Assistance Workshop in Victoria Island, Lagos... recently

PDP Hosts Convention in Port Harcourt, Carpets Buhari over Osun Polls We all agreed to hold the convention in Port Harcourt- Saraki I’m comfortable with Port Harcourt- Atiku 3,619 delegates expected Adedayo Akinwale and Palvin Namero Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË

After weeks of uncertainty over the convention venue, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at its 82nd meeting unanimously agreed to hold its 2018 national convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

This is as the party condemned President Muhammadu Buhari for congratulating the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) candidate, Adegboyega Oyetola in the discredited Osun State governorship election, , saying it had shown that the Presidency was behind the electoral manipulations, outright rigging and bloodletting that marred the process.

The emergency NEC meeting held at the party secretariat

yesterday in Abuja may not be unconnected with the recent outburst of the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and the continued controversy over the convention venue.

Wike had on Wednesday dared the party when he said there would be consequences if the party moved the national convention away from Port Harcourt.

He had said that “nobody should dare Rivers State any longer. Enough is enough. PDP should know that we are not a punching bag. We are not a people you can use and push.

We are not harlots — whenever you want, you come, when you finish, you push us aside.  “Let me warn the party.

If you dare, Rivers State will

Imo APGA: No Changing of Adhoc Delegates List by NWC, Says Ezeobi Amby Uneze Ă“Ă˜ ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂœĂ“

The Imo State Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Peter Ezeobi, has assured members and aspirants of the party that the adhoc delegates list submitted to the national headquarters of the party in Abuja would not be altered based on the integrity of the National Working Committee members and the confidence reposed on them by members.

He said that the rancour-free adhoc delegates exercise was commendable based on the unanimous agreement by the state working committee members that adopted harmonisation which reduced time consuming, risks and financial resources, and expressed happiness that all the aspirants gave their acceptance to that effect.

Ezeobi while briefing journalists at the party’s secretariat in Owerri yesterday noted that inspite of the fact that those aspiring for the office of the governor were up to 24 in number, he had been able to carry all along without bias or showing any special favour to any of them, adding that all the aspirants are qualified and possessed the credentials to be the

governor of the state come 2019.

According to him, we have confidence in the leadership of the national working committee and we believe that the adhoc delegates list would be published as we sent them without any external influence or interference because APGA conducted the adhoc delegates election successfully to the delight of the aspirants. “I don’t think anybody can send another list to Abuja because we gave a level playing ground to all aspirants. I believe in the leadership of the national and I also believe that they cannot be influenced because they are men and women of integrity. “APGA has not zoned the governorship to any zone of the state that is why we are carrying everybody along by accepting nomination forms from all the zones. Already we have no disqualification so far,� he maintained.

Ezeobi thanked the various local governments for conducting a hitch-free adhoc delegates election as well as following the criteria outlined by the party for aspiring delegates to adopt.

teach the party a lesson. Those days have passed when they took Rivers State for granted. Nobody can use and dump Rivers State.�

It was gathered that the leadership of the party who felt uncomfortable with Wike’s outburst pushed for his sanction.  However, the governor who was equally present at the meeting was said to have apologised to the party.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Wali Jibrin had revealed on Monday that the venue of the convention remained a contentious issue.

Briefing the journalists after the meeting, however, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said that the NEC  had unanimously agreed that the national conven-

tion of the party would hold in Port Harcourt , Rivers State.  The meeting which lasted for four hours also saw the NEC approving the budget for the 2018 national convention, saying that 3,619 delegates were expected. The party was however silent on the cost implication of the convention.

Ologbondiyan stated: “The NEC further resolved that we will be committing all our presidential aspirants to a bond on the outcome of the election. What this translates into is that all our aspirants will sign agreement with our party in other to ensure that the outcome if the national convention which the party has promised to be transparent, free, fair and acceptable to Nigerians must be accepted by all our aspirants.�

NAOC: Poor Financing Hindering Nigerian Firms in Oil Industry Emmanuel Addeh Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă‹

The Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) Joint Venture, comprising Agip, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Oando, on Friday identified lack of funding as a major impediment to Nigerian companies operating in the oil and gas industry.

The JV partnership noted that it was important to look for ways to make funds available for Nigerian-owned ventures if the country was to achieve the projected self-sufficiency in executing ground-breaking contracts and projects.

Vice Chairman/Managing Director of NAOC, Mr. Lorenzo Fiorillo, who spoke in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital during a workshop organised for industry operators, said however, that the collaboration with three Nigerian banks had greatly minimised the problem.

The two-day workshop had as its theme ‘Business finance options for Nigerian oil and gas contractors’ and was attended by several government agencies and captains of industry.

He said: “This workshop

is to further demonstrate our strong commitment to Nigerian content development through the implementation of various activities and partnerships that support and enhance the attainment of the Board’s overall objectives “Over time, we have identified financing as a major gap in the ability of Nigerian companies to bid and execute contracts in the oil and gas industry. “Consequently, in the last four years, NAOC has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on vendor financing schemes with three major banks in Nigeria- Stanbic Ibtc, UBA and Zenith in order to support her contractors in providing funds for the execution of projects and contracts awarded by the company.“ Represented by Tajudeen Adigun, General Manager Nigerian Content Development (NCD) of the JV, Fiorillo, said the workshop would expose the participants to various financing options available in the market.  In his comments, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring

to use direct and indirect primary’s and it is against the law. Section The leadership of Zenith Labour 87(3) says that for direct primary, Party (ZLP) has threatened to sue all candidates must be given equal the All Progressives Congress (APC) opportunity while for the indirect, for adopting both direct and indirect the act went further to state the mode of primary election. criteria APC had approved the use of “But the party that is ruling us, direct and indirect mode of primary the APC is using both. Our lawyers elections for its state chapters in are already waiting. You cannot use conducting primaries for aspirants both legal and illegal primaries, it seeking its tickets in the coming is unconstitutional and illegal. We 2019 general elections. must obey the law,� he said.

The party’s move was also in Nwanyanwu who addressed a compliance with the resolution of crowded hall full of party supporters its National Executive Committee stated that ZLP was monitoring the allowing state chapters the option activities of the ruling party, adding to choose the modality that will be that if the party did not reverse its suitable for them. decisions before the 9th of October, However, quoting section 83 then ZLP would have no option of the electoral act, the National than to drag them before the law. Chairman of Zenith Labour Party, ZNL further argued that APC Dan Nwanyanwu said that the APC went as far as allowing the state breached the law by using both executives, an entity unknown to direct and indirect primaries for the electoral act to take decisions on their candidates nomination process. behalf of the party, a development He said that the electoral act he described as an anomaly. stated that a party could use “We are breaking laws everyday direct or indirect primary election even as it affects other political process and not both, adding that parties. This is why zenith party by adopting both procedures, the will challenge it in the court� party had breached the electoral act. Nwanyanwu emphasised.

The party chairman who issued The party leader described the threat on Friday in Abuja, during the just concluded Osun govthe unveiling of ZLP, one of the ernorship election as a charade newly registered political parties and a mockery of democratic said, “Three political parties wanted process.

Use Strike to Protest Election Rigging, not Salary Hike Only, Group Tells Labour David-ChyddyEleke Ă“Ă˜ ĂĄĂ•Ă‹

Arights group, International Society of Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law(Intersociety) has urged the organised labour in Nigeria not to only use industrial action such as strike to protest non increment of salaries, but also to protest when it suspects rigging in an election.

The group in a press statement made available to THISDAY in Awka and signed by Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, chairman of board of trustees of the group said strike was a very powerful protest tool available to workers to protests anomalies in the society, naming election rigging as one of it.

It urged members of organised labour, including Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) not to wait until an unpopular government foisted on them through election rigging refuses to pay salaries before going on strike. “A clear case in point was the broad-day manipulation by the INEC and security goons, of the last Saturday’s staggered governorship poll

in Osun State, where the candidate of the PDP popularly returned by the people of the state had his thousands of valid votes deducted and deleted. “A conscionable and public interest-oriented Labour Movement and their Civil Society Organisation, CSO counterparts should have downed tools until INEC reverses itself and returns the rightful winner,� they said.

The group further accused organised labour of not always declaring strike action in the interest of workers, but the selfish end of its leaders. “We therefore call on the leaders of the labour and their CSO counterparts to be fair and sincere to the people of Nigeria and consider general welfare of all the citizens before ordering industrial action. “Industrial actions in Nigeria must be detached from clannishness and pursuit of primordial interests and made all encompassing by being extended to critical and important issues of good governance and fiscal responsibility.

We’ll Restore Gombe from 8-year Damage, Assures Goje Segun Awofadeji Ă“Ă˜ Ă™Ă—ĂŒĂ?

Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State and Senator representing Gombe Central, Muhammad Danjuma Goje, has pledged the party’s readiness to take the state out of the eight year damaging rule inflicted by the PDP-led administration of Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo.

Senator Goje, the immediate past governor of the state stated this Friday while briefing journalits in preparation of the party’s governorship primary election expected to hold Sunday.

The former governor who declared that he had no anointed candidate out of the nine contestants rooting for the party’s ticket, expressed bitterness over the decay

and rot many of the projects executed by his administration were experiencing under the current administration.

He gave instances of the poor services being rendered by the multi-billion naira Dadin-Kowa Water Scheme, the Gombe State Specialists Hospital, the Gombe International Hotel, the Gombe Airport, the Gombe Stadium among many others.

According to him, “we want a governor that will come and repair the eight year damage that had been inflicted on Gombe State. We landed in the airport and we have not seen anything added to the airport. Since the day I finished the airport, no maintenance had been carried out, the place is just deteriorating.

54

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ ͺ͸͚΀

NEWSXTRA

Benue Warns FG Not to Tamper with its Paris Club Refunds George Okoh Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă•Ă&#x;ĂœĂŽĂ“

HONOURED FOR SERVICE...

L-R: Wife of the President of Niger, H.E. Aissatta Issoufou; wife of The Gambian President, Madame Adjoari Sika Sika Kabre; Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari and Wife of President Burkina Faso Madame Adjoari Sika Kabore during the award to Aisha recognising her outstanding public service and human development especially Women and Children held at the Nigerian mission alongside the UNGA73 New York...recently

Osun Rerun: Buhari Leading a Government of Gangsters, Says ADC Bennett Oghifo

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of leading a government of gangsters for accepting, instead of condemning the Osun State re-run election, which it described as a sham. “The supplementary governorship election in Osun State was nothing but a sham. While hoping that this is not a pointer to what Nigerians should expect in 2019, it is now clear that the failed All Progressives Congress government will stop at nothing to subvert the people’s will,� the ADC said in a statement last night.

The ADC said, “If the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria could come out to congratulate a winner in this kind of election, then his integrity is seriously at stake. “We must stand up against a

political party that has proved itself to be a party of gangsters, judging by reports trailing the last Osun re-run.�

It said the Osun debacle was, indeed, a desperate last resort by the ruling All Progressives Congress to retain power by all means after it had “failed to deliver on all its promises and has instead foisted untold suffering on citizens, while resorting to lies, bogus claims, witch hunting to cover up its gross deficiencies.�

The African Democratic Congress said it foresaw this when it inaugurated its Coalition for Electoral Integrity (C4e-Integrity).

According to ADC, “Every Nigerian must key into this coalition to detoxify our electoral environment and seize power from insensitive leaders. “While we reject the outcome of the Osun fiasco in its entirety,

2019:Workers,Youths, Reiterate Support for Ugwuanyi Ahead of 2019 general election, workers in Enugu State and youths of the state have reiterated their endorsement of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s re-election, declaring that they were solidly behind him.

The workers and youths, who spoke separately through the state chairmen of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Comrade Igbokwe Chukwuma Igbokwe and Comrade Paschal Ugwu, respectively, said the decision was based on their conviction that the governor had continued to entrench good governance, cater for their welfare and promote peaceful co-existence and national unity among residents of the state.

They described the governor as a God-fearing, peace-loving, visionary, hardworking, unassuming, pragmatic and high-performing leader, whose style of governance was uncommon and remarkable in the annals of the state.

Speaking on behalf of the workers, the state Chairman of TUC, Comrade Igbokwe applauded Gov. Ugwuanyi for his prompt payment of salaries on the 23rd of

every month, “whether it falls on a Saturday or Sunday�.

Comrade Igbokwe added that Ugwuanyi “is a governor who makes workers’ welfare his first priority�, disclosing that “he paid June and July salaries even when FAAC did not sit for two months�, saying: “It is not obtainable anywhere�.

Reaffirming their earlier stance on the endorsement of Gov. Ugwuanyi’s re-election, the elated labour leader, who lauded the governor’s giant strides in infrastructural development and human capital empowerment, said: “We are supporting his second term bid and every other endeavor beyond his 2nd term, we will always stand by him.

On the part of youths, the NYCN state Chairman, Comrade Ugwu, stated that “our youthfriendly governor has actually delivered on his promises to the youth in particular and the people of the state in general, disclosing that “youths in Enugu State are celebrating good governance and the peaceful atmosphere in Enugu State, made possible through His Excellency’s sound vision and humble disposition�.

we urge all Nigerians to stand firm and ensure that this does not happen again.� The statement said, “At the main elections a week ago, the people of Osun had delivered a most damning verdict on the irresponsible, insensitive and profligate regime of the Rauf Aregbesola-led APC and had seized the opportunity to end years of wanton deprivation and suffering. But the APC has exposed its own disdain for democratic tenets by its shameful conduct at Thursday’s rerun.�

They also condemned the police for allegedly scuttling the process, stating that “the most tragic aspect of the entire charade was the odious role played by the police in sabotaging the entire process, with its conspiracy with the APC to prevent opposition supporters from voting. “Indeed for the first time in the

history of democratic elections in Nigeria, policemen deployed to provide security for the elections were said to have openly demanded that voters declare their political allegiance before being allowed into the voting area. “The same policemen engaged in indiscriminate arrests of election observers and journalists duly accredited to cover the polls. There were ‘parades’ by policemen on the streets of Oshogbo who fired gunshots sporadically to scare voters. “Even the Independent National Electoral Commission has distanced itself from the disgraceful conduct of the police. “As if this was not bad enough, APC thugs in their numbers took over the polling units, forcing many opposition supporters to keep their distance for fear of injury or worse.

In some cases, thugs fired gunshots to scare away voters.

Obaseki Challenges Electorates to Demand Transparency from Leaders Adibe Emenyonu Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă˜Ă“Ă˜ ÓÞã

The Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has challenged Nigerian electorates to demand transparency from persons holding leadership positions.

Obaseki threw the challenge during the launch of Open Niger Delta (OPENED) Campaign project in collaboration with the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

While commending ANEEJ for the OPENED initiative, which he said was in line with the state’s open government policy, Obaseki assured of his administration’s readiness to drive the campaign in the Niger Delta region.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Taiwo Akerele, Obaseki said the state has put in place institutional framework to ensure due process is followed in the execution of projects, adding that the state government published all contracts above N10 million as well as her annual financial statements.

He therefore noted that behavioural change amongst citizens was essential in the fight against corruption in the country and advised the electorates to vote only leaders who are transparent and ready to deliver good governance in the country. Rev David Ugolor, Executive Director of ANEEJ, said OPENED project is supported by Bread for the World Protestant Development Service with the goal of mainstreaming Open Government Partnership (OGP) principles in the Niger Delta states.

Ugolor explained that OPENED was designed to encourage states within the Niger Delta region to adopt measures that will improve transparency, accountability and good governance in the region. “Edo State has joined the OGP which requires that participating governments enter into a cocreation process with civil society to develop commitment in the fight against corruption, public participation in governance and empowerment of citizens,� he said.

the dummy had better changed tactics, for their game plan has The Benue State Government has already failed,� Akase said. warned the federal government He said the state would against tempering with its share accept nothing less than the of the Paris Club refund that was N14.9 billion back to the state withheld recently by the federal accounts. government. “Agents of such rumours Governor Samuel Ortom who should be told that the Benue spoke through his spokesman, State Ministry of Finance received Mr. Terver Akase, said there were withdrawal notification ( bank rumours that about N4 billion disap- alert) the very minute the N14.9 peared from the N14.9 billion final billion was taken out of the state tranche of the Paris Club refund accounts by the federal governto Benue State which the federal ment, so anyone hoping to play government later recalled from the games with the government and state bank account. people of the state needs to come “We hope that the rumour up with another gimmick,� he remains a mere rumour. Nothing said. must happen to the N14.9 billion He added that the Benue’s the federal government recalled N14.9 billion final tranche of from Benue State accounts. If this the Paris Club refund was intact is a ploy to sell a dummy to the in the custody of the Federal people and later take away the said Government and would soon amount of N4 billion, those selling be returned to the state.

 CNN African Voices Showcases African Athletes The latest edition of the Glosponsored African Voices on Cable News Network (CNN) will feature three African athletes who against all odds are dominating their respective sports across the world.

They are Collins Injera, Kgothatso Montjane and Sarah Achieng.

According to a press statement from the sponsors, Globacom, the programme will focus on the activities of the burgeoning Rugby Player, professional boxer and wheel chair tennis player who are making steady impact.

Collins Injera, born October 18, 1986, is a Kenyan rugby player. He holds the second place for number of tries scored on the World Rugby Sevens Series with 271. He is known for his achievements with Kenyan National Rugby Sevens Team.

In 2010, Injera was awarded the presidential Order of Golden Warriors (OGW) alongside his brother Humphrey Kayange for their performance in the 2008–09 IRB Sevens World Series. He was also named Player of the final match in 2016 Singapore Sevens, after helping Kenya to win their first tournament in the World Seven Series.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as FOLASHADE TAJUDEEN now wish to be known and addressed as SULIAT FOLASHADE TAJUDEEN . All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed BAMIDELE as EYIMIFE OMOLOLA now wish to be known and addressed as IDUSERI BAMIDELE All former OMOLOLA. documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed JOSEPHINE as EZEGUM NDIDI now wish to be known and addressed as UDOCHUKWU JOSEPHINE EZEGUM. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should take note.

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

Kgothatso Montjane is a wheelchair tennis player from South Africa. Popularly known in tennis circles as KG, she was born in Limpopo, South Africa, with amniotic band syndrome, a congenital disorder that affected proper growth of fingers and legs.

At 12, her left leg was amputated due to complications. Despite the physical challenges, Montjane plays sports. The 32-year-old athlete made history recently by becoming the first black South African woman to compete at Wimbledon. She also qualified for the US Open, and became the first wheelchair tennis player from Africa to qualify for all four grand slams in a calendar year. The third guest, Sarah Achieng, 31, is a professional boxer and sports administrator from Kenya. She is a strong African whose only purpose in the ring is to dispatch her opponents as fast as she can.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS OBELEBRA SAMUEL HUMPHREY GRANVILLE now wish to be known and addressed as MISS OBELEBRA GRANVILLE OBIORA PASCHAL. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS SADEKO SEYIFUNMI GLORIA now wish to be known and addressed as MISS SEYIFUNMI GLORIA CHRISTIAN. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed MISS AKINSHINA as ABIMBOLA OLUYEMISI now wish to be known and addressed as MISS OMOLAYO ABIMBOLA OLUYEMIS. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed IFEYINWA as CYNTHIA CYFADAS now wish to be known and addressed as CYNTHIA IFEYINWA OKEKE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as IJEOMA ALICE NKEMDIRIM now wish to be known and addressed as IJEOMA ALICE h , Íł ,/E < . All former documents remain valid. FMN Plc, NOU, Banks and the general public should take note.

55

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

SPORTSXTRA

The gallant D'Tigress of Nigeria lost to the USA at the quarter final of the on-going 2018 FIBA Women’s basketball

Super Eagles of Nigeria in a group picture before Argentina match at the last World Cup in Russia

U.S. Beats Gallant Nigeria to Reach FIBA World Cup Semis The U.S. trailed Nigeria for most of the first half of their FIBA World Cup quarterfinal.

Even with 2-for-16 shooting in the first quarter, the Americans rattled off eight straight points going into the break, then rolled to a 71-40 win in the Canary Islands yesterday.

The U.S., rallying from a 17-9 deficit after the opening frame, improved to 13-0 alltime against African nations at the senior level.

Otis Hugley's team came into the encounter with three consecutive victories so did the USA after three straight wins

in the group encounters.

Against all odds, D'Tigress took the first quarter 17-9 as they come out of the blocks as fast as possible.

The USA who struggled against African opposition Senegal in their opener lost their first quarter of the competition.

Like a wounded lion, the USA came back in the second quarter as they regained the lead 18-6 to lead 27-23 going into the halftime break.

The USA started the second half of the game with intensity, straight two points back to back.

D'Tigress put up a better fight in the third quarter but fell seven points behind as it ended 19-12 and the USA took a massive eleven points into the final quarter.

D'Tigress could not withstand the USA in the fourth quarter as they were outplayed 25-5, to finish at 71-40.

If the U.S. wins its next two games for a third straight world title (and 2020 Olympic qualification), it will run its record between the Olympics and World Cup to 100-1 in the last 22 years. The lone loss came to Russia in the 2006 Worlds

semifinals.

This American team is without stalwarts from its previous decade of undefeated play at the Olympics and worlds.

The U.S. has still won all of its games by double digits, but none came against a world power. If it’s France in the semifinals, that will change.

In 2014, the French beat the Americans in an exhibition, the U.S.’ first defeat in three years.

The Americans then whipped them in the 2014 World Cup quarterfinals (94-72) and the 2016 Olympic semifinals (86-67).

Amunike Admits Coaching Tanzania is Challenging Tanzania coach Emmanuel Amunike admits leading the Taifa Stars is a challenge but his team is ready to build.

The former Nigerian international is now preparing to face Cape Verde in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers next month.

The 1994 CAF African Footballer of the Year is confident he has the strategy to lead Tanzania to a first Nations Cup finals since 1980.

"Being the head coach of the Tanzania senior team is a challenging job," he told BBC Sport.

"Hopefully, we do our best and I believe that hard work is a non-negotiable term in whatever we do in life. You just have to do what you know best."

The Taifa Stars areAmunike's first role as coach of a senior national team and he began with a goalless draw in neighbouring Uganda in a 2019 Nations Cup qualifier.

"We achieved our objective.

We were clear with what we want to do and we worked towards it.

"I am proud of the players - I had only spent 10 days with the team and we could see the character in the team.

"I told them that we were coming here to fight and that is exactly what we saw."

While the 47-year-old, who won the Nations Cup as a player in 1994 with Nigeria, was happy with his first result he knows there is more work to be done.

"What we actually want to do is to continue to look at our teams and the areas we can continue to grow," he continued.

"The four teams in that group all have one ambition and the objective is to make it to the Nations Cup. "Every game is totally different. Every game comes

with different challenges and a different approach.

"What we are doing is to be realistic and be truthful to ourselves as a team, look at the areas we want to improve and look at the areas we have been doing good and continue to improve on that."

Ahead of their back-to-back games against Cape Verde the Taifa Stars are on two points from their two Nations Cup qualifiers after a 1-1 draw with visiting Lesotho last year.

Amunike, who also played for Portugal's Sporting Lisbon and Zamalek in Egypt, made a name at youth level with Nigeria.

He was an assistant when Nigeria won the 2013 Under-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and was head coach when they retained their title two years later in Chile.

With Tanzania set to host the

2019 Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations and havingalready organised a regional qualifier for the tournament Amunike is already putting his past experiences to good use.

Tanzania's under-17 side competed in the qualifying event, despite having qualified for the finals as hosts, and finished third after losing to eventual champions Uganda 3-1 in the semi-final.

"I was not involved directly (with the U-17 qualifiers) but I was using the avenue to see the level of the team and to see what can be injected, how we can improve," he explained.

"The most important thing is that we shall be one of the teams that will be at the finals.

The U-17 journey is a very, very long journey."

The next step on Amunike's journey is a trip to face Cape Verde in mid-October.

Again, Gerrard Hits at Nigerian Striker, Sadiq Steven Gerrard has laid into Umar Sadiq again, warning him he needs to improve every part of his game if he is to get a chance at Rangers.

The striker joined on loan from Roma in the summer but has played just 27 minutes of football, and Gerrard hasn't been impressed.

He admitted Sadiq is highly unlikely to play in the Betfred Cup semi-final against Aberdeen, despite Alfredo Morelos being suspended and Kyle

Lafferty cup-tied.

It means the Rangers manager is likely to line up with either Glenn Middleton or Ryan Kent in the middle of a front three and now he's issued a further warning to Sadiq.

Gerrard warned the Nigerian he has to "come to the party" when he was quizzed about the striker on Wednesday.

Now he has fired another warning. When asked about what Sadiq must improve to earn a place in the team, Gerrard

said: "Everything."

Rangers will play first on semi-final Sunday againstAberdeen and Gerrard admitted he was "delighted" his side would be getting the first go at playing on the Hampden surface.

He said: "It's a bit of a unique situation and unique circumstances because ourselves and Celtic are still going in Europe.

"But in terms of having an opinion on it, or adding to anything that's been said, then no I've got nothing to say

apart from we're really looking forward to our game, we're first on the pitch which is a bonus and we're in for a very tough test against a good Aberdeen team. It's a really exciting game for us and our fans. We can't wait for it.

"We haven't got that problem (of playing second), we're first on the pitch so there's nothing to be said. That's a question you'd have to ask Craig Levein and Brendan Rodgers. I'm delighted we're first there."

NFF Gets Wish as CAF Notify Libya of Change in Venue, Date The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has announced that they have been notified by the Confederation of African Football that the upcoming 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Nigeria will no longer be held at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium on October 12.

The matchday three fixture in Group E of the AFCON qualifiers is now scheduled to take place at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Saturday, October 13.

As previously reported by allnigeriasoccer.com, Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr expressed his concerns about the Ahmadu Bello Stadium when he met with the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) during The Best FIFA Football Awards 2018 in London on Monday, September 24.

The German added that the pitch was not up to standard and his players would not be comfortable playing on the turf.

It is understood that taking the game to Kaduna earlier was a political move by the NFF chiefs which has backfired.

It would be recalled that CAF slammed Nigeria with a $5,000 fine for allowing excess spectators at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium for an AFCON qualifier against Egypt in March 2016.

Super Eagles technical adviser, Gernot Rohr has affirmed that he cannot afford to take his team’s forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifies against Libya with levity because qualifying the competition could determine his future with Nigeria’s national team.

With days ticking away towards the first leg of a double-clash with Libya in the next stage of the AFCON 2019 qualifiers, Rohr said he needs all his key players for the game on October 12, because he has to win and put the qualification campaign on a sound footing.

Footballlive.ng can report that the Franco-German gaffer hinted that he will not invite any untested player for the home and away fixtures against Libya, as he cannot afford to experiment during the forthcoming games.

Meanwhile, Rohr has stressed that the Eagles will go out full blast against Libya both home and away to secure six points and stand a stronger chance of qualifying for AFCON 2019 in Cameroon.

He admitted that Libya have a formidable team that can surprise any opponent if underrated, hence his target to beat them in Nigeria and possibly secures a point in Tunisia.

The former Bordeaux of France tactician added that all his players are well aware of the task ahead and are happy that they have admitted that they cannot afford to miss AFCON 2019, haven failed to qualify for the past two previous editions in 2015 and 2017.

Rohr stated: “You know that qualifying for AFCON will help me keep my job, so I will not take chances.

“Only players that are ready to give me 100 per cent at the field of play I will use against Libya.

“There will be no time for experiment and only the best I will use for the match.”

NFF on Course to Reach Self-funding Goal - Pinnick

President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick has said that the federation was on course to become completely self-funding by the end of his second term in office after achieving 65-per cent private sector funding.

Pinnick, who was re-elected for a second term last week, said the focus of the coming years would be to achieve full self-sufficiency for the NFF. "Thanks to our many sponsors and partners, we have achieved 65-per cent private sector funding status," Pinnick told KweséESPN. "Football has a tremendous capacity to be self-sustaining and even contribute significantly to the national GDP," he added. "That is the situation we are targeting at the moment.

"Our target is a hundred per cent."

The progress represents a remarkable achievement for the NFF, and is a testament to the success of Pinnick's aggressive commercial drive.

During his tenure, he's raked in sponsors like Aiteo, Coca Cola, Zenith Bank, Nigeria Breweries, NIKE, Cadbury, WAPIC Insurance, Emzor Pharmaceuticals, TGI, 1XBet, Peak Milk and Payporte.

Of the NFF's N6,382,500,310 budget for 2018, only N1,148,646,974 was appropriated in the 2018 federal budget, leaving a shortfall of well over N5 billion for Pinnick's administration.

The sixty-five per cent of the total budget discussed by Pinnick amounts to about N4 billion.

NFF sources told KweséESPN that the federation will now resume pursuit of new sponsorship deals which were stalled by the crisis in the federation.

Saturday, September 29, 2018

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MISSILE

TMG on Osun State Election “TMG observers reported several incidences of intimidation and harassment of voters. some observers and journalists were arrested and detained by some security agents” – The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) condemning Osun State Governorship re-run election.

PENDULUM DELE MOMODU

dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com

The Presidential Election in The State of Osun

F

ellow Nigerians, let’s not mince words today and go straight to the crux of the matter. What transpired in the State of Osun, as my dear Brother, the Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, loves to refer to our State, was not a Gubernatorial, but prelude to Presidential election. The interest and resources galvanised for that election demonstrated that it was a civil war and not a civilised election. The election was seen and executed as a referendum on the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari and its wobbly government. While the ruling party appeared determined, or maybe ‘desperate’ is the appropriate word, to win, the main opposition party looked jazzed and disinterested. But for the merciful interventions of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the President of the Nigerian Senate, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the PDP candidate, Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke, could as well have been a virtual orphan.

It was that bad.

What manner of opposition would sit at home, arms akimbo, after seeing how the President, Vice President, Governors, Ministers and party Chieftains all invaded, and flooded, Osun as if their lives depended on it? I fail to understand how PDP can parade over a dozen Presidential aspirants yet only few of them are showing irrevocable commitment to serious party matters while the rest are only pursuing personal agenda. Adeleke was just lucky to be blessed with a family that had the means to fund his campaign and in particular a megastar, David Adeleke (aka Davido). who unleashed his monstrous talent on the campaign.

The ways of politicians are certainly not the ways of ordinary mortals. I could not believe how they turned Osun into a theatre of war because of a few thousand votes. I thought that, by now, Nigeria had passed this disgraceful and embarrassing stage. I have no doubt that APC merely used the elections in Ekiti and Osun as dress rehearsals of what to expect in next year’s general elections. A former President had told me months ago that we should not expect President Buhari to lose the election and quit quietly like President Goodluck Jonathan did in 2015, but I disagreed most vehemently. Thank God, we did not take a bet because with what happened in Osun, in particular, I don’t see the APC apparatchik agreeing to vacate power without a truculent fight.

Many people, Nigerians and non-Nigerians have come to the incontrovertible conclusion that what we currently have is an army of occupation and we should accept our fate with equanimity.

But no country can afford not to have a virile opposition. This is why it is sad and tragic that those who were in opposition only yesterday are perpetrating the same unfortunate acts we collectively rejected and dismissed not too long ago. It is also a shame that political parties have become over-proliferated in our dear beloved country. This has made it difficult for us to have a unified resolve to challenge what may ultimately turn into a Gestapo and most oppressive civilian regime. The PDP that should fight back stoutly to give a good fight is already gasping for breath because of multiple ambitions of individuals who may choose to turn coat at the drop of a hat.

From the multitude of PDP aspirants and even the cacophony of permutations about who can challenge Buhari to a duel, it is becoming clear, to discerning minds, that there are only two, possibly three serious challengers and no more. Of these three, two currently stand tall. One is old and the other is young. It seems patently obvious, from the recent shenanigans that we have seen, that President Buhari and his people would do everything humanly possible to avoid confronting either of these two candidates at the polls next year.

Moving on, let me say with every emphasis I can muster, no candidate from the core North can compete against, and defeat, Buhari simply

Buhari on the basis that they come from the core North.

It is practically impossible. The jejune argument that PDP should pick a candidate who can divide the core Northern votes is either a joke carried too far or a deliberate decision to hand power back to the incumbent on a platter of gold. What the PDP needs urgently is a candidate who can explode its votes in the entire South and the North Central.

I do not hereby advocate for any candidate. I make my thesis only on the basis of empirical analysis. Buhari lost elections three consecutive times because he couldn’t saunter across those zones. If you doubt my assertion, let’s examine the figures, in practical terms.

In 1999, PDP scored 4,226,330 in South South while ANPP/AD recorded 1,205,087. PDP 2,307,712 in South East and ANPP/AD 978,997. PDP 1,092,216 in South West and ANPP/AD 4,366,993. This was Chief Olu Falae versus General Olusegun Obasanjo.

The Yoruba can mobilise humongous votes when they feel they have their own in the race. The sentiment was in favour of Falae. PDP 3,675,027 in North Central and ANPP/AD 1,461,840. PDP 3,552,354 in North East and ANPP/AD 1,412,426. PDP 3,887,536 in North West and ANPP/AD 1,684,934.

In 2003, PDP jumped to 6,953,679 in South South

and ANPP 365,161. PDP 3,161,150 in South East and ANPP 253,079. PDP 5,031,288 in South West and ANPP 195,024. PDP 3,257,956 in North Central and ANPP 1,993,705. PDP 2,941,208 in North East and ANPP 3,694,367. PDP 2,764,846 in North West and ANPP 6,453,437. This was the year Buhari started contesting the Presidency. On this occasion he contested on the platform of ANPP. In 2007, PDP had 6,118,608 in South South and ANPP 365,161. PDP 4,985,246 in South East and ANPP 253,079. PDP 2,836,417 in South West and ANPP 195,024. PDP 3,376,570 in North Central and ANPP 1,744575. PDP 1,832,651 in North East and ANPP 3,660919. PDP 3,466,924 in North West and ANPP 6,453,437. Buhari again contested as ANPP Presidential candidate.

In 2011, PDP recorded 6,118,608 in South South and ANPP 49,978. PDP 4,985,246 in South East and ANPP 20,335. PDP 2,786,417 in South West and ANPP 321,609. PDP 3,123,126 in North Central and ANPP 1,612,999. PDP 1,832,622 in North East and ANPP 3,624,910. PDP 3,395,724 in North West and ANPP 6,453,437. Buhari was again the flagbearer of the ANPP. In 2015, PDP secured 4,714,725 in South South and APC 418,590. PDP 2,464,906 in South East and APC 198,248. PDP 1,821,416 in South West and APC 2,433,193. PDP 1,715,818 in North Central and APC 2,411,013. PDP 796,580 in North East and APC 2,848,678. PDP 1,339,709 in North West and APC 7,115,199.

The import of these figures is that whosoever can checkmate Buhari from the Middlebelt downwards would always defeat Buhari. This does not necessarily mean such a candidate should come from these regions, but it would be ideal. A candidate with cross-over appeal from the North East and North West would also do well provided he does not believe that his place of origin means he should concentrate his effort in that region or adjunct region. PDP should forget the pipe dream of competing favourably against Buhari in the North East and North West. He has consistently won overwhelming in those two regions. However, if President Buhari can be restricted to those two zones while opposition locks down the other four zones of the country, then the prospects of the opposition PDP resoundingly beating the APC

candidate becomes much brighter.

PDP or any intelligent party must apply Isaac Newton’s third Law of Motion: “actions and reactions are always equal and opposite.” Buhari would be 76, his opponent must be the opposite by being much younger. 70 percent of the electorate are under the age of 45. Opposition requires a candidate who can readily galvanise a multitude of first-time voters. Nigeria is long overdue for a candidate in the mould of Barack Obama, an energetic and cosmopolitan leader. Politics as a game of numbers must be approached meticulously.

Buhari has stupendous State appurtenances and resources to deploy, his opponent must have access to similar armoury or have sufficient wherewithal to match the substantial resources of State and not be a scavenger in search of morale, audacity and finance.

I’m not sure about what the third force can produce. I have expressed this publicly and privately. There are those like my dear friend, former Governor Donald Duke, Frank Nweke Jnr. and others who feel a third force can fly next year. I sincerely doubt this. Indeed, I would like to dismiss this as mere wishful thinking. There may also be a fourth force, the Take Back Nigeria Movement being propelled by Omoyele Sowore who has worked extremely hard across Nigeria, but I believe he still has a lot of distance to cover.

The reason is simple. He would have gone very far if he could muster the support of other younger candidates. Same with Fela Durotoye, Kingsley Moghalu and others. I truly wish there could be a consensus candidate, but alas!

Where do we go from here, realistically? I think the toughest opposition can still come from PDP if it can rescue itself from certain interests and manage to pick a kamikaze candidate who is not docile and who is ready to fight all the way with everything at his disposal. No meek or lily-livered gentleman can fight and conquer Buhari next year. The lesson to pick from Osun, while litigation processes are being cooked, is that the next Presidential election is not going to be the stuff of conventional warfare. A serious opposition must prepare for the use of ballistic and anti-ballistic missiles. This is the reality of what to expect.

Turkey, a Country toVisit in a Lifetime If you follow me on social media, you would have noticed my love for Turkey in recent times.

It is not my fault and, trust me, I’m not being hyperbolic. Turkey is one of the most beautiful countries I have discovered since I started flying out of Nigeria in 1985. I have flown, landed and taken off on all continents, but Turkey holds a special space in my heart. Turkey reminds me of the United Arab Emirates in its majestic grandeur, but it is much more natural and less glittering.

My first trip to Istanbul was about seven years ago, but I did not stay long, and I could not explore the country much. Somehow, the importance of Turkey, as a hybrid country, in the comity of nations, did not register well in me.

I promised to return, but was not sure when.

That promise came to fruition early this year when I joined the woman of God, Reverend Mother Esther Abimbola Ajayi and her family on an unforgettable voyage to Turkey at the invitation of her adopted son, Aydin Adem Yildirim, otherwise known as Adesoji Ajayi.

Aydin is from the popular district of Cappadocia and I must confess that this district is simply breath-taking.

It was in Cappadocia that I slept in a cave for the first time. The cave hotel was just surreal. The ancient city had so many artefacts from antiquity dated before the birth of Jesus Christ. We saw

and visited some extra-ordinary museums and underground cities. Cappadocia is famous for hot-air balloon flights which attracts hundreds of people to the rural township daily. There are several airports within a few hours away.

We travelled to the Syria Refugee camps and witnessed how wonderful Turkey treats victims of a most debilitating war and other refugees fleeing from home and loved ones. We travelled to Istanbul, the gateway to Turkey and it was another exceptional experience. It was in Istanbul I spent my birthday, May 16, and was treated to a surprise cruise by the Ajayis. From Istanbul we flew to Bodrum, a city on the Peninsula. Bodrum is a playground for the rich and famous. We had so much fun. I left Bodrum with a promise to explore Turkey further.

I was back in Istanbul, Ankara and Cappadocia last week and it proved to be such a roller-coaster trip as I held meetings with several important personalities. Hosted by the Butik Travel Group and Aydin, my itinerary was well organised.

The efficiency was top rate.

I was warmly received and treated like a king.

I held meetings with prominent business leaders like M. Arif Parmaksiz, Member of Union of Chambers Turkey and President of Nevsehir Chamber of Commerce; I. Hakki Aydogan, General Secretary of NTSO, Cappadocia; I also

met with leading political figures like Atilla Secen Mayor of Nevsehir, Mustafa Acikgoz Member of Parliament Nevsehir, Mustafa Rumeli and other top officials at Invest in Turkey, Fatma Ozsoy, Head of Advertising and Promotion, Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Of course, my constituency, the journalists were not left out. Yilmaz Karaca, President of Federation of Turkish Journalists, Bayram Ekici, President of Association of Turkish Journalists in Nevsehir, Cappadocia, Chairman of the Association of Turkish journalists in Ankara and Metin Yildrim, Aydin’s uncle, and journalist based Nevsehir; and many others. My trip was covered in several Turkish newspapers and I felt like a celebrity of sorts in this foreign clime. There are plans for me to return soon to Turkey to further form and cement partnerships in the area of investment opportunities and tourism. I am convinced that our nation needs cordial relations with countries such as these in order to tap from their related experiences and expertise.

Words can hardly express my gratitude to my hosts and benefactors on both of my recent trips to Turkey. My sincere appreciation go in particular to the Ajayis, Aydin and his father, Ali Yildrim, who graciously and generously further opened my eyes to the magnificent country that Turkey is on this my latest trip.

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