SATURDAY 3RD NOVEMBER 2018

NNPC: $1.05bn Petrol Supply Support Fund Sourced from NLNG Dividends Says its monopoly of petrol supply not good for Nigeria Chineme Okafor in Abuja The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has disclosed the

source of the $1.05 billion revolving fund it said it uses to support its supply of petrol to Nigerians since private oil marketers stopped importing

from its investment in the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) Limited. In the NLNG, the NNPC holds 49 per cent shares, while Shell;

and supplying petrol in the country. According to the corporation, the $1.05 billion was sourced from dividend accruals to it

Total; and ENI hold 25.6 per cent 15 per cent and 10.4 per cent shares in the liquefied natural gas business. However, a statement sent

to THISDAY on Friday in Abuja by the Group General Manager, Public Affairs of the Continued on page 6

CBN: Foreign Investment Falls By $500m in 2018 Q1… Page 16 Saturday 3 November, 2018 Vol 23. No 8599

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N250

N

Minimum Wage: Labour Insists Strike will Go on Despite Court Order Alex Enumah in Abuja and Ugo Aliogo in Lagos Few days to the planned nationwide strike, slated from Tuesday, November 6, by labour unions in the country

to press for N30,000 minimum wage, Justice Kado Sanusi of the National Industrial Court in Abuja has ordered them to shelve it, pending the hearing of a suit before the court. Regardless, President of

the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Waba has insisted that the joint Central Working Committee (CWC) would stand by the resolution of the national executive council to begin indefinite industrial

actions from November 6, except the government accepts and begins the process of perfecting the payment of N30,000, as negotiated, before that date. Justice Sanusi gave the order while delivering ruling on an

exparte application brought before the court by the Federal Government and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF). He ordered that the processes be served on the defendants in the suit, which are the Nigerian

Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Governors Forum. Ruling on the exparte Continued on page 6

Oshiomhole: Buhari Will Defeat Atiku Again Accuses Amosun, Okorocha of desperation Party orders fresh congress in Rivers Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will repeat the feat of beating the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in an electoral contest. Addressing a press conference in Abuja on yesterday, he also dismissed insinuations that the ruling party has erupted into crisis over the primary elections, especially with the opposition mounted by some aggrieved governors. Oshiomhole said the major grouse of the Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha and his counterpart from Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun was his inability to help them establish

political dynasties in their states. With respect to the recent Supreme Court judgment, which annulled all levels of party executive in Rivers state, Oshiomhole said as a law abiding entity, the party had decided that there would a fresh congress in the state. Oshiomhole also apologised to the Supreme Court over the invasion of a High Court in the River State capita, Port Harcourt by supporters of a faction of the APC during a court hearing., Oshiomhole said the party would be setting up reconciliation panels to be headed by eminent party members to help heal the wounds and assuage the feelings of aggrieved members ahead of the 2019 general Continued on page 6

WAEC Presents Certificate to Buhari, WITH LOVE FROM WAEC... President Muhammadu Buhari receiving his attestation of result certificate from the Registrar, West Africa Examination PDP, Others Punch Holes… Page 6 Council (WAEC), Dr. Iyi Uwadiae at the Presidential Villa, Abuja ….yesterday.

2

THISDAYtSATURDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2018

THISDAYt SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2018

3

4

THISDAYtSATURDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2018

THISDAYt SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2018

5

6

T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž Ëœ ÍťËœ ͺ͸͚΀

PAGE SIX

WAEC Presents Certificate to Buhari, PDP, Others Punch Holes Omololu Ogunmade, Adedayo Akinwale, Udora Orizu and Mercy Apollos in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, in Abuja received the attestation and confirmation of his West African School Certificate (WASC) Examination result issued by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in 1961. There has been controversy over the president's secondary school certificate for several years. In a swift reaction to the attestation certificate presented to Bunari, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said it was a political certificate and that the Buhari photograph embossed was abnormal because as at 1961, WAEC certificates did not carry photographs. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina said, in a statement, that the documents were presented to Buhari in the State House during a courtesy visit by a delegation of WAEC, led by its Registrar, Dr. Iyi Uwadiae. Adesina said Uwadiae was accompanied by the Head of National Office of WAEC, Olutise Adenipekun, Head of Public Affairs, Abiodun Aduloju and WAEC's Zonal Coordinator in Abuja, Olufemi Oke. He said the President thanked the examination board, which was established in 1952, and which conducts the West Africa

School Certificate (WASC) examination in West African countries, and JAMB entry examination for universities, for upholding its integrity over the years, adding that he did not expect anything less from the institution. Adesina also said the president remarked that it would have been impossible for him to attend the Defence Services Staff College in India in 1973 and the United States Army War College thereafter, as a Nigerian military officer, if he didn’t sit for the WASC Examination in 1961. He said the president also recalled that during his secondary school days, it was very difficult for anyone to commit examination fraud, even though it was not impossible. Adesina quoted Buhari as saying, "My colleagues and I who spent close to nine years in boarding school, both in primary and secondary, including Gen. Musa Yar’Adua, when we intended to join the military, we had to take a military examination. ''We were examined in three subjects - English, Mathematics and General Knowledge because English is the language for general instruction throughout the country because of our colonial heritage. ''Mathematics in the military was necessary, coupled with Geography. We were trained how to be dropped off in the bush, given only a pair of compass and since we were not astronomers, you have to learn to find your way, calculate, using the Pythagoras Theorem and others to work out your position." The statement added that the

registrar, in his remarks, said it was possible for candidates to lose their examination certificates through fire and any other unfortunate incident. According to the statement, the registrar said while WAEC would not issue a certificate twice, it could issue an attestation or provide confirmation wherever necessary, adding that it had the record of every candidate who sat for WAEC. ''We don’t issue certificates twice but we can issue attestation or duplicate copy of the certificate. ''We also have what we refer to as confirmation; usually, universities were using this in those days when Information Technology was not in vogue. ''Whoever sat for WASC exams in whatever year, we have the records in our database, and Mr. President, we have the records of the examinations you sat in 1961. ''We have the attestation of results which we issue to candidates who lost their certificates and confirmation of results,� Adesina quoted Uwadiae as saying. Adesina, in a tweet yesterday, queried what cynics would say next after the WAEC presentation. “WAEC presents attestation certificate and confirmation of school cert result to President Buhari. What will the naysayers say next?� the tweet said. Regardless, the PDP described the presentation of attestation certificate to President Buhari by WAEC as a tragicomedy. A statement by the party queried why the president refused to present his certificate to the Independent National

Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2015 if he actually had one. The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan described the attestation certificate from WAEC as a political certificate. He stated: “It is a tragicomedy. We never expected Mr. President to dramatically come this low, because you cannot have a certificate and be calling it an attestation. “What are they attesting to? We stand by our position that Mr. President has no school certificate. “It’s simply a political certificate. We have said that the Buhari presidency and his handlers are always fretting at the mention of a certificate. “So, they want to mislead Nigerians to say that Mr. President has a school certificate. If Mr. President has a certificate, why did he not use it in 2015 election? Why is the certificate suddenly emerging few months to the election? “And have you checked the photograph that was attached to the certificate? In 1961, was it the requirement of WAEC to have a passport attached to school certificate? “Even in our own generation, was it a condition in WAEC that you must submit your passport to be attached to your certificate? They should come off it. It’s too low. “You remember the procured Martin Luther Award presented to our president which later was discovered to be fake? This is a similar award procured. We are waiting for the story of its declaration as another procured document. The PDP told Buhari to abide by his undertaking to accept the outcome of the 2019

Presidential election, which it said, by all indices, would be overwhelmingly won by its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. The party’s statement said that the APC administration had gone down in history as “irredeemably incompetent, blatantly corrupt, overtly insensitive, incurably vengeful and under which Nigerians are facing the worst form of economic hardship, hunger and starvation.� He added that Buhari Campaign Organisation had seen the handwriting on the wall; that Nigerians across board have reached an irreversible consensus to end the Buhari administration and vote in Atiku, as their next President, stressing that no amount of smear campaigns, intimidation and threats can shake their will or cow them from firmly defending their resolution after the elections. In 2015, the president had claimed that his secondary school certificate was with the Secretary of the Military Board. But the military leadership then swiftly dismissed the claim, saying it didn't have Buhari's certificate. The controversy compelled Buhari, who was then the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, to present a certificate embossed with his recent photograph which only aggravated the controversy, leading to unresolved litigation over the matter. However, there was a resurgence of the controversy last week when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) published names of candidates and their credentials.

As was the case in 2015, Buhari's certificate was again missing as he only submitted a sworn affidavit attesting that his certificate was with the secretary of the military board. This sparked another wave of controversies in the polity as most Nigerians believed that by making the same claim that was dismissed in 2015, the president must definitely have something to hide. Also yesterday, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) described the sudden release of a confirmation of result for Buhari by WAEC few days to the commencement of the suit seeking to disqualify him from the 2019 election as laughable, unbelievable and a desperate effort to mislead the court and shield Buhari from disqualification. The CUPP, in a statement in Abuja by its National Spokesperson, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, called on WAEC to produce the official ledger and booklet containing the scores and records of names of students of the Provincial Secondary School, Katsina, now called Government Secondary School, who sat for the exam in 1961. He added that the confirmation of result was not backed with any evidence to show that Buhari participated in the 1961 exams. The spokesperson further said that WAEC succumbed to high level pressure to issue the document “which is suspicious and aimed at misleading Nigerians and the court to believe President Buhari sat for the WAEC certificate exam when actually, he did not, as there is no evidence to support the assertion.

According Oshiomhole the desperation to have to himself a Senate ticket and a governorship ticket for his son-in-law amounted to turning Imo state into his family dynasty. He said Okorocha had been a beneficiary of the party's adherence to rules and procedures adding that the new leadership had taken measures to redo the congress in Imo state which now gave the structures back to his loyalists. " We followed due process

to rescue him because the congresses conducted by my predecessor swept Okorocha out of the system but the NWC thought it wise to restore due process and ordered fresh congress in the state. "Yesterday, I watched Okorocha on television urging me to obey the rule of law.� He explained that the after the NWC studied the report of the Ahmed Gulak-led governorship primary election committee for Imo State, it was convinced that it did a good

job and therefore approve the candidacy of Senator Hope Uzodinma. on the tussle for the Ogun State governorship ticket, Oshiomhole said that he had submitted the name of Dapo Abiodun as its candidate. He accused Amosun of resorting to self-help by boycotting the authentic primary election approved by the party to go and conduct his own version. "However, Ogun state governor decided in his wisdom to conduct its own

self help, I mean resorting to what you can call self-help by conducting what he called his own primary," he said. Oshiomhole also accused both Amosun and Okorocha of attempting to armtwist the party using exparte motions from courts but to no avail. Speaking on the fate of APC in Zamfara State, Oshiomhole said the party had sought legal advice from its lawyers and would be heading to the court to ensure that it fields candidates for elections in 2019.

independently spend from the fund which he noted was primarily set up to ensure stability in petroleum products supply in the country by providing enough volumes to augment the petrol supply from the Direct-Sale-Direct-Purchase (DSDP) framework. He stated the NNPC was fully aware that only the National Assembly has the statutory responsibility to appropriate on petroleum subsidy matters, adding that the

fund was designed to take care of the under-recovery arising from the extra volumes which the DSDP could not capture. He also called on the National Assembly to support the enthronement of enabling environment that would ease the participation of marketers in petroleum products importation, adding that it is not in the best interest of the corporation and the nation to maintain the prevailing NNPC’s monopoly in the subsector.

midnight,� he noted. Wabba recalled that the minimum wage was due since 2016, but that they were committed to a process of collective bargaining while workers and unions were patient. He explained that the issue of minimum wage was at the heart of every worker, adding that they had suffered monumentally in terms of purchasing power from the value of N18,000 to the value that they had now, “therefore the issue is very central.� According to him, “We dialogued and also negotiated in line with Convention 87 up to a process of taking us more than

one year, and at the conclusion of the meeting when workers are expecting to benefit from the minimum wage, all these issues are coming up. “The demand is very straightforward, we are open to dialogue, but dialogue must have an end. If we must have dialogue for one year and there is no end to that, certainly there is deceit, and we are not ready for that, we will not actually participate in a process that will not have an end. This is where we are now and it is unambiguous that a worker who creates wealth needs to be taken care of.

OSHIOMHOLE: BUHARI WILL DEFEAT ATIKU AGAIN elections. On the strategies for the 2019 general elections, Oshiomhole said the party was still intact and would be marshalling out plans for campaigns. "Now that our opponent is Atiku Abubakar, we will defeat again the way we have defeated him before and I have confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari will return because he has the quality which none of them has - integrity". He described the move by

Amosun and Okorocha to cast him and the National Working Committee in bad light as unwarranted. On the injunction given to him by Okorocha to always abide by the rule of law, Oshiomhole said the governor is preaching to the converted. Oshiomhole who described actions of Okorocha against the Christian community in Imo State as an embarrassment to APC said the party was not ready to join him in antagonising his people.

NNPC: $1.05BN PETROL SUPPLY SUPPORT FUND SOURCED FROM NLNG DIVIDENDS NNPC, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, the corporation denied keeping a $3.5 billion subsidy slush fund for underhand payments of differentials in the pump price of petrol which a legislator alleged against it. In the statement, NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, explained in a presentation he made to Senate Ad hoc committee set up to investigate the existence of the said fund that the assertion was totally different from the

reality on ground. The Ad hoc committee led by Senator Ahmad Lawal, was according to the statement informed by Baru that what was in operation was a $1.05 billion fuel support fund created by the NNPC in response to an earlier call by the National Assembly at the peak of Nigeria’s petrol supply crisis that the NNPC put an end to the scarcity. He stated that the order by the legislators made NNPC

raise a revolving fund of $1.05 billion sequestered from its dividends from the NLNG, adding that the corporation had no hesitation in acceding to the legislators’ order. Baru noted that the NNPC had since then become sole importer and supplier of petrol in the country, and that from inception, the fund had been domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) but not in the custody of the NNPC. He said: “For the avoidance

of doubt let me restate that the fund had been jointly managed by the NNPC, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); the Federal Ministry of Finance; the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA); Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OGF); the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR); and the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF).� Baru, equally declared that the NNPC did not

MINIMUM WAGE: LABOUR INSISTS STRIKE WILL GO ON DESPITE COURT ORDER application, the judge agreed with the submission of the Solicitor General of the Federation (SGF), Dayo Apata, who filed the suit on behalf of the government that the planned strike, if allowed to go on, would have grave consequences on the economy and the people, particularly those in urgent need of medical care. He subsequently adjourned till November 8th for hearing of the main suit. However, following its failure to reach a compromise with the government, the Organised labour had announced that starting from November 6, it would embark on an indefinite

strike to press home its demand for an upward review of the current minimum wage of N18,000 monthly pay. It initially demanded for N65,000, but following various meetings with the representatives of the government it was reduced to N30,000. Meanwhile, there has been a stalemate, as the federal government on its part insisted on paying only N25,000 while the states government claimed they cannot go beyond N22,500. The stalemate therefore prompted labour to call for an the indefinite strike until their demands were met. Wabba, who spoke in Lagos,

urged Chairman of the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Negotiating Committee, Ama Pepple, to submit the report of the already concluded National Minimum wage negotiation to President Muhammadu Buhari for transmission to the National Assembly for consideration and passage into law. The labour leader, who addressed a media briefing organised by the joint Central Working Committee (CWC) of all registered trade unions in Nigeria, noted that the joint CWCs of organised labour in the country “considered the recent mischief by government as an

attempt to impeach the outcome of the concluded new national minimum negotiation. “It was resolved after taking the report of organised labour of what transpired at the tripartite minimum wage negotiating council committee that if government fails to respond and address the issues of making sure the report is signed and submitted to President Buhari and him putting in motion processes that would transmit a bill to the National Assembly, enactment of a new national minimum wage, certainly, the National Industrial action will commence by November 6 by

THISDAYt SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2018

7

8

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍťËœ ͺ͸͚΀

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

CREATING WEALTH... L-R: Commissioner for commerce, industry, and cooperative, Lagos State, Olayinka Oladunjoye; Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; president, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Babatunde Ruwase; PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT Past president, Mrs. Nike Akande; and National president, NACCIMA, Iyalode Alaba Lawson, during the opening ceremony of Lagos international trade fair in Lagos, yesterday

2019: el-Rufai Dares Southern Kaduna Christians, Picks Muslim Running Mate John Shiklam Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă‹ Rumours of a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship race in Kaduna State was laid to rest on Friday as Governor Nasir el-Rufai announced Dr. Hadiza Abubakar Balarabe as his running mate for the 2019 elections. Balarabe is Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency, from Sanga Local Government

Area in the Christian dominated Southern part of Kaduna State. The incumbent Deputy Governor, Mr. Barnabas Bala, has opted to contest for the Southern Kaduna senatorial election in 2019. Announcing nomination in a statement on Friday, Samuel Aruwan, spokesman of the governor said the choice of Dr. Hadiza Balarabe as running mate was a continuation of el-Rufai’s deliberate policy of promoting women. The statement said “Kaduna State Governor Nasir

el-Rufai has announced the selection of Dr. Hadiza Balarabe as his running mate for the 2019 general elections. “The choice of Dr. Hadiza Balarabe as running mate continues Malam Nasir el-Rufai’s deliberate policy of promoting women. “There are five female commissioners in his 14-person cabinet, a feat not attained even by governors that had much larger cabinets. “This is the first time in the history of Kaduna State that a major political party will

select a woman as running mate.� The statement said since her appointment in February 2016, as the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Balarabe had helped in revitalising the primary healthcare delivery in the state. The statement said as the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency, “she has overseen the Kaduna State Government’s programme to revitalise and strengthen primary

health care as the core of health service delivery in the state.� According to the statement: “Under her watch, the state is renovating and equipping 255 primary health centres with tools to assist better antenatal services and safer delivery. “The agency has also helped expand vaccine coverage to protect children across the state. “Prior to joining the Kaduna State Government, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe was Director of Public Health in the FCT. She studied

Medicine at the University of Maiduguri, and graduated in 1988. “She was a Senior Registrar at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital before joining the services of the FCT in 2004.� Before the nomination of Balarabe, rumours of el-Rufai’s Muslim- Muslim ticket has been trending for some time, with some government officials dismissing it as mischievous and blackmail by opposition politicians.

Buhari Blames Infrastructure Deficit on Nigeria Back Regional Common Tariff, Late Passage of Budgets by N’Assembly Customs Union for Trade Liberalisation Omololu Ogunmade Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja blamed late passage of budgets by the National Assembly which he said could sometimes take up to seven months for delay in completion of projects across the country. The president who appealed for more efforts in speeding up the budget process, made the remarks while receiving a delegation of “Eminent and Respected Citizens of Niger State,â€? in the State House. A statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the delegation which included Niger State Governor, Sani Bello, was led by a former military governor of the state, Lt. Gen. Garba Duba (rtd.) at the Presidential Villa. According to the statement, the president said despite the delays in passing budget, the government had strived to ensure better roads, rails, power and repositioning of the airports and pleaded for more understanding and commitment to infrastructure development. “If the National Assembly takes seven months to pass a budget, then we should be

commended for the much that we have achieved, and can still achieve. “I personally feel very disappointed. I spoke with the leaders of the National Assembly on the issue that seven months is a long time to work on a budget,’’ he was quoted as saying. The statement added that the president remarked that ongoing efforts to improve road, and rail networks across the country would be increased, bearing in mind that infrastructure development was paramount in improving the livelihood of Nigerians. Adesina said Buhari told the delegation, which included military and traditional leaders, that his administration would pay more attention to the stretch of 2,150 kilometres of federal roads in Niger State, pointing out that huge resources were currently being diverted to security. “We cannot manage our communities and societies without security. A lot of resources are being diverted to provide security instead of going into infrastructural development,’’ he was further quoted. Adesina added that the president re-assured the delegation that his administration would remain focused on security of lives and property, fighting

corruption and stimulating the economy for more progress. Furthermore, he said Buhari told his guests that the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria had been directed to increase monetary supports, through loans, to farmers in the next farming season, and equally ensure that farmers were not overwhelmed by the traditional demand for collaterals. “Traditional institutions and families can serve as guarantors because we cannot continue with that colonial style of asking for collaterals that people don’t have,’’ he also quoted him to have said. Adesina stated further that the president commended the Chinese government for accepting to finance 85 per cent of Nigeria’s infrastructure development need. He quoted him as saying, “I thank you so much for coming. It is a good morale booster for me and the country that a State will bring a strong delegation to show appreciation for our efforts.� According to the statement, the leader of the delegation, Duba, commended the president for what he described as the significant stride in repositioning roads, rails and airports across the country.

Ndubuisi Francis Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË The federal government has assured ministers of member countries of the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) of Nigeria’s support for regional common tariff and customs union towards trade liberalisation, industrialisation and integration. Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, made the commitment at the 4th ECOWAS Finance Ministers’ Meeting in Abuja, with the theme, ‘Information Exchange and Cooperation Amongst Customs Administrations as a Concerted Response to Obstacles to the Free Movement of Goods, Security

Challenges and the Resurgence of Illicit Trafficking’. She also noted that the move to establish the ECOWAS Customs Union remained a pertinent issue that should be vigorously pursued in order to facilitate free trade and industrialisation towards shared prosperity for people in the sub-region. A statement by the minister’s Special Adviser (Media and Communications), Mr. Paul Ella Abechi, said Ahmed made it clear that Nigeria would continue to be on the vanguard to champion and foster regional economic development and trade facilitation in the sub-region According to her, some of the issues for consideration at the

conference include the matters for review and validation to include Draft Supplementary Act on Community Rules of Origin and Procedures applicable to goods originating in the ECOWAS; the Draft Regulation on the Harmonisation of Customs Duty Reliefs; the Draft Directive on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters; the Draft Regulations on the Change of Category of Products in the ECOWAS CET; the Draft Directive on the System of Track and Trace and the Verification of the Taxation of Tobacco Products Manufactured or Imported in the Member States of the Community and a couple of other equally important fiscal matters.

Again, Tinubu Meets Buhari in State House Omololu Ogunmade Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË For the second time in three days, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, met with President Muhammadu Buhari behind closed-doors in the State House yesterday. Tinubu had met Buhari on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting. After the meeting, he told

State House correspondents that even though the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was busy strategising in the jungle, the opposition party was bound to fail. Tinubu also threw his weight behind the embattled National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, and challenged party members asking for his head over the conduct of the recent party primaries to repent

and submit themselves to the supremacy of the party. But Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, who also met Buhari on Thursday in the State House, cautioned Tinubu against supporting illegality allegedly perpetrated by Oshiomhole before and after the primaries. There was no insight into what brought Tinubu to the State House for the second time in three days last night.

9

NOVEMBER 3, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

RingTrue

Yemi

Adebowale

07013940521 yemi.adebowale@thisdaylive.com

Weep Not for Abdul’aziz Yari

T

he dream of Governor Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara State to determine his successor has collapsed like a pack of cards. Well, at least for now. Perhaps, he would move Muktari Idris, his anointed governorship candidate to one of the fringe political parties to actualise his dream. Yesterday, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, sealed the fate of Yari and that of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Zamfara State, when it unveiled the list of candidates for elective positions in the state without APC candidates. INEC had insisted that the APC in Zamfara did not hold primaries, and as such, not eligible to field candidates in the 2019 elections. The battle for the soul of Zamfara APC has been a rancorous one, with the leadership of the party at the national level aligning with Yari’s opponents. There were also insinuations that the cabal that runs the show in Abuja had instructed that the Zamfara governor should not be allowed to produce his successor because of his “untoward” behaviour to the President over petrol subsidy payments and attacks by bandits in some Zamfara communities. Yari had bitterly criticised the petrol subsidy regime of the Buhari government, particularly claims that Nigeria was consuming over 65 million litres of petrol per day, compared to about 30 million litres per day under the Jonathan government. The Zamfara governor tacitly said the NNPC subsidy deduction was a big fraud because experts had told him that the entire West Africa can’t consume 65 million litres of petrol daily. Then came the persistent attacks by bandits on communities in his state and Yari was furious, saying that Buhari had failed the country on security of lives and property. During a visit to one of the affected communities, the Zamfara governor declared: “I feel let down facing the people of this state whenever I remember the promise I made to them that when they elect President Muhammadu Buhari into power, these killings will end. But unfortunately, things are now getting worse.”

Yari

This governor revealed further that the likes of army chief, Tukur Buratai; Air chief, Sadique Abubakar and IGP Ibrahim Idris no longer obey the President. “It is disheartening that these killings have continued in spite of President Buhari’s order to security agencies to end the incessant blood-letting across the country. We cannot keep quiet while our people are killed daily,” lamented Yari. The Zamfara governor has since “resigned” his responsibility as Chief Security Officer of the state since he has no control over Zamfara security machinery. His decision stemmed from the seeming helplessness of the state government and the people over the recurring killings in the state. The big men in Abuja would have none of Yari’s “recalcitrance” and vowed to move against him and his candidates in the primaries for the 2019 elections. They did exactly this. Unfortunately for Yari, when the war against him started, he had lost the support of the key stakeholders in Zamfara APC because of his failings as governor. He is also not doing well in the “people’s court”, because the masses of the people of the state have been struggling to survive for almost eight years under his

government. Yari’s anger against the Buhari government is a just one, but he has also created a legion of enemies for himself within the state because of his style of leadership, laced with pride. He is perceived as inept, greedy, corrupt and vindictive. As a result, many opted not to stand by him when the APC at the national level moved against him. Yari has also been an absentee governor; thus, cutting him from the people. He is hardly in Zamfara. You will regularly find this governor in Abuja, London or Dubai. That was why elder statesman, Saidu Dansadau, petitioned Buhari in 2016, asking him to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State. Things have not changed one bit. Dansadua, a Second Republic Senator, remarked then: “The governor hardly stays in the state as he prefers to travel all over the world at the expense of the state resources and safety of the people. He has spent only about 20 per cent of that whole period (1st five years) in Zamfara State. He had utilised the other 80 per cent junketing from one part of the country to the other and shuttling around the globe. All matters of state that require action are kept waiting until he returns to the state. Consequently, intelligence and security reports are kept in abeyance. For instance, at a period, out of 60 straight days, the governor spent only two days in Zamfara State.” Many will also not forget in a hurry how Yari viciously killed moves by legislators to impeach him over his insensitivity. He simply got operatives of the Department of State Service in Abuja to harass and detain the leaders of the revolt. The DSS detained the Speaker, Sanusi Garba Rikiji, his deputy, Muhammad Abubakar Gumi, the Majority Leader, Isah Abdulmumini and the Chief Whip, Abdullahi Dansadau. The remaining 20 members of the Assembly fled to Kaduna to avoid arrest. Prior to this, Yari allegedly used miscreants to attack the Speaker. The intimidation worked, with the lawmakers withdrawing their impeachment notice. This is why chieftains of the party moved against him when he ran into trouble with Abuja. Yari has simply not been a governor of the people.

Unending Boko Haram Attacks in Gashigar Boko Haram again took the battle to a military post in Gashigar, Borno State last Saturday, inflicting pain on the soldiers. The Nigerian Air Force swiftly provided support to the ground forces, before the terrorists were pushed back. The troops in Gashigar had to raise the alarm when their location came under attack, because of the superior power of the “decapitated” terrorists. The military authorities admitted that the terrorists came in “13 gun trucks, as they advanced towards the camp from two directions.” It is preposterous that a “decapitated” Boko Haram would stage an attack with 13 gun trucks; more so, taking the attack to the military and not the other way. This deceit about having decapitated Boko Haram must stop. The propaganda that Boko Haram now only attacks soft targets has collapsed. The Gashigar military post is certainly not a soft target. On the flip side, Boko Haram returned to Konduga, Borno State, early on Thursday,

killing 13 people. Thousands of people in 13 villages were also displaced. Homes were attacked with ferocious fire and many set ablaze. The terrorists, operating on trucks with guns mounted guns and motorcycles, also launched rocket attacks and forced their way into the IDP camps in the town, killing scores. The Bularin and Kofa IDP camps were turned upside down by the terrorists as residents scamper to safety. Several tents in the camp were burnt. An Islamic cleric together with his wife and three children were burnt to death at the Bularin IDP Camp. Back in the inner part of Bularin, they burnt the village market, shops, houses, animals and vehicles. Many people died in the attack while others are still missing. The terrorists have repeatedly attacked communities in Konduga over the years. As usual, the attack on Thursday went on for several hours unhindered. Where were the military? It is a big shame. All those managing this war against Boko Haram should be sacked.

Who will Belt NNPC?

The Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative has confirmed that $22.06 billion and N481.75 billion is yet to be remitted to the Federation Account by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiary, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, and other companies in the oil and gas sector as of 2015. Providing a breakdown of the unremitted revenues by the other firms, the report stated that oil and gas producing companies were still withholding $152.69m and N5.2bn; companies involved in offshore processing contracts, $498.6m; and the NPDC, $2.38bn and N51.95bn.

The NEITI report stated that the total losses to the federation arising from crude oil production, processing and transportation were $3.04bn and N60.99bn. It noted that irreconcilable differences arising from the allocation, sale and remittance of proceeds from domestic crude allocated to the NNPC amounted to N317.48bn. The total liability by companies involved in Offshore Processing Arrangements was put at $498.6m, as NEITI explained that the debt was due to under delivery of imported fuel by the participating companies. For years, the NNPC persistently de-

Endless Crisis in the Power Sector It’s unbelievable. Power generation plants across the country are being forced to operate below their optimal capacity, so says the electricity generation companies. This is happening amid dwindling supply to residential and industrial consumers. The generating firms raised this same alarm last year and there was no positive response from the government and its regulatory agencies. The Executive Secretary, Association of Power Generation Companies, the umbrella body for the Gencos, Dr Joy Ogaji, stated: “Specifically, generation companies are pinned down by some operational impediments. The frequency of instructions to either increase load or decrease load (ramp up and ramp down) and, in some cases, shut down, have induced damaging stresses to the components of the machines. These instructions, reflective of the grid behaviour, are subjecting key electrical components of the power plants to operational stresses.” “Some of the machines, for instance, with 145MW capacity, are subjected by the NCC to operate at 70MW, if not less on daily average, which constitutes 50 per cent base load value. Experts had prescribed solutions such as procurement of regulating and spinning reserve as well as tools to be developed to manage the grid to the mandatory free governor mode. The TCN has refused to put these in place; instead, it is forcing the Gencos to operate outside factory capability.” According to the APGC spokesperson, all the thermal and hydro power plants are designed to operate optimally and efficiently at base load. “Operating these plants far away from their base load implies a reduction in efficiency or, in other words, an increase in consumption of gas for the thermal plants by as much as 15 to 20 per cent (extra cost not recognised by the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc nor captured in the Multi-Year Tariff Order),” she stated. The weakest links in the electricity chain remain the TCN and the distribution firms. Our lethargic TCN is controlled by a government that has failed to turn around the firm. On the other hand, the distribution companies have remained unruly because the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission lacks the capacity to discipline them. For now, Nigerians will continue to wallow in darkness while the shenanigans in the electricity chain continue.

Buratai

prives the nation of huge revenue through corruption. I am sure that when NEITI unveils its report on unremitted revenue by NNPC covering up to 2018, Nigerians will be further shocked by the level of graft in this corporation. Allegations of malfeasance against the NNPC pour daily. The corporation is strongly suspected to be duping the federation with deceitful claims as subsidy on imported petrol. This is why the governors called for an audit of the corporation’s petrol importation. Sleaze allegations against the NNPC under this “change” government are unending. What a country.

Fashola

10

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ NOVEMBER 3, 2018

SUPER SATURDAY

Akpororo (inset) his mother

Akpororo Dazzles His Super Mum Comedian, Akpororo has just Gifted a brand new car to his mother in addition to hitting the street with praiz jam to further celebrate her 50th birthday, writes Ferdinand Ekechuwu

I

t is widespread belief that mothers are indeed precious gifts, not just to the children they birth, but to the entire world. The reward of maternal labour is the joy of motherhood. For the mother of popular standup comedian, Akpororo, her joy knew no bounds as she jumped around and headed straight to where a car was parked outside the church premises where she worships in Warri, Delta State. It was the car gift to her by her famous son on the occasion of her 50th birthday anniversary recently. The white Toyota Venza spec, came to her as a surprise as she received the car gift to celebrate her. The 50-year-old mother had thought her son bought her a phone when the gift was presented to her inside church premises. The comedian had gently presented her mum with a phone case. She opened the casing expecting to see some other thing inside only to discover that the case contains a car key. On posting the video on his Instagram page to show how surprised his mum was when she received the car gift, Akpororo wrote, “Little surprise/gift at church in Warri to my super mum, thanks for believing in me, for your advice and prayers. I pray for more strength, favour, grace, peace, health, wealth to fall on you happy 50th birthday to my number one fan. I love you so much bcos you are the best...” For Akpororo, his mother deserved much more and he was ready to pay out himself just to please her. Beyond the car gift, he went on to engage the street in

praise jamz organised to further celebrate his mother’s golden jubilee a memorable one. Born Jephthah Bowoto, the native of Ondo State is among the many Nigerian celebrities who hold grass to grace kind of story. His career started off as a local gospel musician until in 2008 when he went into the National Comedy Challenge by Opa Williams and went on to win the Calabar zone of the competition. In 2009, Akpororo moved to Lagos and contested twice in the AY’s Open Mic Challenge, coming second in his first try and winning the competition in his second try. His hunger for success spurred him on. From begging to perform for free at shows; some he got. Some he didn’t. After some time, he got bookings for events. One of such bookings was when he was requested to perform at an event for a professional fee of N1,000. At the end of the show, he was paid N600 with a promise to get the balance. But that would not deter Akpororo, “the man of too much swagger and anointing”, as he normally calls himself. He hustled so hard, dreamt so big, and desired so much...until his date with destiny at Basketmouth’s ‘Laff and Jam’ in Ikoyi. He went on to perform in several comedy shows including the much raved ‘AY Live’. He once did a joke about the testimony of a mad man in church. And at the end of his performance, he gave testimonies about how from that day on, he began

getting serious, high paying, globe-trotting bookings. With his unique artistry, the crazily funny comedian has been performing in several open concerts with fresh, exceptional and energetic style of comedy, thereby receiving a lot of ovation from fans and lovers of comedy within a short time of his arrival in the industry. His style of comedy is basically the fusion of circular and church-related jokes. In an interview, the comedian who is just as funny as his attitude effortlessly depicts on stage, had revealed that he performs and cracks jokes about lunatics because he was once an attendant to mentally-ill people who came to the church he was attending for spiritual healing. Akpororo loves what he does for living. “As a comedian, I am in this art because I love what I do. Though some might have come into the industry as a result of unemployment, there is a lot in the industry like me who genuinely chose this path,” he said. Akpororo’s sudden rise to stardom in the comedy industry is no mere coincidence as he has obviously earned it. On 12 August 2014, he staged his first major comedy show “Akpororo vs Akpororo” at the Shell Hall, MUSON Centre. The maiden event saw the attendance of notable musical acts and comedians. In 2014, Akpororo delved into acting, starring in the films Headgone and The Antique; with the former earning him three nominations at the 2015 Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ NOVEMBER 3, 2018

11

SUPERSATURDAY

Ada Slim Grabs Her Oyinbo Lover Beautiful actress and filmmaker Ada Slim, tells her white lover “we are in this forever” as they wed in Lagos. Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports

Q

uickly changing her social media username from Ada Slim to Ada Karl, to reflect her new status, surely confirmed the news of her wedding and completion of her dream, like every other woman. The TV host and Nollywood filmmaker cum actress Adanne Onu, known as Ada Slim married her Caucasian lover, Karl Fredrik Skargard (Karl Sk) in Lagos. The ebony complexioned actress and her groom, who is an engineer, tied the knot last weekend. The wedding ceremony was attended by notable Nollywood celebrity friends of Ada, including Chinyere Wilfred. Fashion stylist Toyin Lawani’s son, Tenor, was one of the kids who played a part at the wedding. Sharing the photos on Instagram, the groom Karl SK wrote: “Yesterday, I married my first love.” The bride, Ada, wrote: “Thank you for loving me unconditionally, we are in this forever. Happy married life to US. @karlsk1 #Adakarl #MrsSK #Adaslim #Theskargards.” An online source had it that the couple met in New York and fell in love immediately. The groom Karl knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Ada. So, he wasted no time in making this known to her with his words and actions. Ada was mesmerised by his love and unwavering commitment. All her doubts were cleared with each moment she spent with him.

The couple had their traditional wedding on the 29th March 2018. The excited actress “had been in the wilderness for several years” until her come back with fresh movie projects while on a major controversy with friend and colleague Tonto Dikeh sometime last year. An active player in Nollywood until her hiatus, the re-emergence of the award winning actress, timing and exchange of words with Dikeh suggests a well-staged social media drama to create awareness for her upcoming projects which earned her an article with the title “How filmmaker used Instagram rift to push out three movies at once.” Although she laid out legitimate grievances against Dikeh when she called her out on social media, it would be hard for Ada Slim to deny that the episode raised public interest in her, and by effect, on her new projects.” Known for her previous movies, Gallant Babes, and Thanks for Coming 1 & 2, Ada is now an established name in the industry. On the strength of her hustle, Ada, asides producing the movies, also has a role in each of them. There was also a plus for having Nollywood icon, Pete Edochie, as her godfather and mentor. Ada has many movies and entertainment works to her credit, some of which have featured prominent A-list actors and actresses like Pete Edochie, Desmond Eliot, Nora Roberts. Some of her movies like Irreplaceable and

Secret Pain have been aired on South Africa’s pay television platform Africa Magic and other television stations within and outside the country. Earlier in her career, in a quest to develop and encourage fresh talents, who didn’t have the privilege to fulfill their dreams, Ada Slim created a talent hunt programme titled “Adaslim Talent Bank” which sought to promote many young talented artistes by providing platforms and exposure for them to explore their potentials and reach for their dreams. The effort it claimed, produced one of the most successful and sought-after actress in Nollywood, Tonto Dikeh, as she was cast for a huge supporting role being the debut of her movie career, Secret Pain 1&2 which was followed by Irreplaceable 1&2 and others, all from the stable of Adaslim Productions Ltd. Ada Slim achieved a great media footprint in her early 20’s; and once received accolades as the Most Creative Young Producer in Africa. She studied Broadcasting at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Real Estate at New York Real Estate Institute (NYREI) Manhattan, New York and Communication Arts at the New York University. In a bid to adapt with the everchanging global trends and boost her insight and competence in TV presenting, Ada Slim received an international training in TV presenting at the Los Angeles Film School, California, USA, before launching the flagship TV programme – Celebrities with Adaslim in 2010.

12

ÍťËœ ͺ͸͚΀ Ëž THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

COMMENTARY

AVERTING DEATH OF IGBO LANGUAGE Uzor Maxim Uzoatu writes that Pita Ejiofor, a former vice-chancellor, is working hard to ensure that the Igbo language lives on

T

he passion in the man was like a charge of electricity. Prof Pita Ejiofor may look calm but when the subject is the neglect of the Igbo language calmness gives place to passionate intensity. The celebrated professor was introduced to me in Awka by the Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba, and almost instantly our discussion gravitated to the vexed matter of the travails of the Igbo language. Prof Ejiofor had served in esteemed positions as commissioner, vice-chancellor and so on, but what gives him the greatest oomph is the drive to save his beloved Igbo language from extinction. He has arduously championed the cause for all of 12 years through his group Otu Suwakwa Igbo that he initiated on February 14, 2006. He laments that a great number of Igbo leaders can never ever be seen taking the Igbo language issue seriously. “Hausa and Yoruba leaders always address their people in their languages but not the Igbo leaders,� he says, shaking his head somewhat ruefully. “Buhari always speaks Hausa to his people. Obasanjo and Tinubu speak Yoruba to their people.� Prof Ejiofor points out that Igbo people are fond of lionising those who speak big English grammar. “Anybody who doesn’t speak in English is not lionised here,� he says, adding for emphasis: “Every event in Igboland is in English!� He reveals that the neglect of Igbo language started a long time ago. He cries out that it does not bode well for the Igbo that there is hardly any surviving Igbo language newspaper. The first newspaper in Nigeria, Iwe Irohin, was established by the missionary, Henry Townsend, in Abeokuta in 1859. The world’s first Hausa language newspaper, Gaskiya ta fi Kwabo, was set up in 1939 in Kaduna. The first Igbo language newspaper is an issue of controversy that needs not detain us here. It just suffices to state that as at today the one surviving Igbo newspaper is an insert, Ka Odi Taa, in the weekly National Light newspaper published by the Anambra State Government. Ejiofor highlights the use of language as a unifying factor in the North by Sir Ahmadu Bello when he championed the cause of “One North� through the use of a common Hausa language amongst the disparate ethnic nationalities of the vast region. “Maybe the British advised the leadership on the use of a common language,� Ejiofor avers. “After all, England used the English language to weld Scotland, Wales and Ireland.�

Incidentally, BBC Hausa Service and VOA Hausa Service flowered for such a long time before the modern-day advent of the Yoruba and Igbo versions. Prof Ejiofor readily supplies the date of the start of BBC Hausa Service as March 15, 1957. He has crucial dates ready to hand, stressing that he found it curious that on November 25, 2015 BBC London put out “on the internet that it was about to launch BBC Yoruba and BBC Pidgin English respectively without any mention of BBC Igbo!�

IT DOES NOT BODE WELL FOR THE IGBO THAT THERE IS HARDLY ANY SURVIVING IGBO LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

Prof Ejiofor had to somewhat make an intervention. He got a call from the BBC on April 3, 2016 that its emissary would come to meet with him. On April 16, 2016, the BBC Chief Correspondent Mike Callaghan came to Ejiofor’s house in Awka. BBC Igbo Service and BBC Yoruba Service kicked off live broadcasts on February 19, 2018. “The Igbo and the Yoruba need to sustain the stations in healthy competition,� he advises. Ejiofor cites the initiative of the Lagos State Government on the mandatory issue of scoring a credit in Yoruba before any candidate can be admitted into the state’s institutions of higher learning. “There is no such law in the Southeast,� Ejiofor asserts. When alerted that he could have used his esteemed position as the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka to make the needed difference, he admitted that it was only towards the end of his tenure that it really got to his knowledge that Igbo language was in trouble. “When I realised this in 2002, I had a year to go,� he says. “I found out that some people were ashamed to be studying or teaching Igbo. Even the department was called African Studies. We changed that to Department of Igbo Language and Culture.� He divulges the trickery of some students using Igbo to gain entry into the university only to change their course of study later. Some of the students used Igbo to earn admission into the university just to satisfy the ego of being in the university, even as they were on campus re-taking “JAMB� to study a “better� course! “We made sure nobody changed to any other department once he or she had been admitted to study Igbo!� he stresses. He cites the exemplary role of the Igbo politician and business mogul, Godwin Ezeemo, who for three years sponsored the competition of the making of Igbo VCDs for which Nze Uche Nworah, the CEO of Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) served as chief judge. Born on September 19, 1941 in Obeledu, Anambra State, the 2004 Nigeria National Order of Merit (NNOM) winner is married with five children. He believes in the promotion of higher ideals like education over crass materialism in the Igbo landscape. “I have travelled everywhere promoting the speaking of Igbo language,� Ejiofor concludes.

BETWEEN SAMSUNG WORKERS AND LADOL Samsung should be transparent in its operations with the staff, writes Zik Zulu Okafor

I

t was some weeks ago. A scanty crowd of workers carried out a tame protest. In front of the Lagos ofďŹ ce of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). Their grouse was with Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL). But they work for Samsung Heavy Industries, (SHI). So, why would any group of workers leave where they collect their salaries to protest against another company without inscriptions of their names anywhere? This is the intricate story of SHI and LADOL partnership. An alliance that held immense and historic possibilities, the LADOL/SHI partnership, at infancy, was chequered, perhaps, by acute infidelity to contract. This inconstancy became a bad omen of things to come. The protesting workers fate is one of them. By the action of their protest however, they seemed, sadly to be treating the effect of a problem. But the cause actually is their headache. They therefore need to dissect the root cause of their problem to be sure they are not mere pawns in the hands of a cynical corporate player. So, what was the grumble of SHI’s workers? What do they want? They say they are about to lose their jobs at SHI because of an alleged termination of a sublease agreement that SHI Mega Construction and Integration Free Zone, SHI MCI-FZE, had with LADOL. They therefore want the quick intervention of DPR as the regulator of the oil and gas sector in order to save their jobs. They are of the opinion that LADOL’s purported action, that is the termination of the sublease contract, poses a threat to Samsung’s continued operation in the zone and by extension the source of their livelihood. In fact, Samuel Samidotun, the Assistant Manager, General Affairs department at SHI considers LADOL’s alleged act arbitrary and wants DPR’s strong intervention to resolve the lingering dispute.

However, there are close observers of the SHI/LADOL partnership since their parts intersected in 2010 and culminated in a partnership that won the bid for Total’s Egina Floating Production Supply Offloading (FPSO), with LADOL as the Local Content Partner, a partnership that SHI needed as the law required for that success to happen. Two of these observers who preferred to be anonymous, did not share the sentiments of the protesting SHI’s workers. As one of them put it, the fate of SHI’s workers lies in SHI’s wry, double-edged approach to the partnership with LADOL. “They were not transparent; every step they took seemed to show a mindset to short-change LADOL and possibly edge them out of the partnership. Did you not read of all the issues Samsung created when the whole thing just started and how it terminated the agreement unilaterally as if there are no laws in this country�. He added, “You must have heard of the outcome of the Senate Public hearing on the FPSO. It has been revealed that some US$214 million paid by Total for the upgrade of the fabrication and integration facilities at LADOL was hidden by Samsung and still they made LADOL to cough out some good money for the facilities while losing a lot of their shares. So, what I am trying to say is that if Samsung had started the whole business in good faith, this issue of termination of their sublease agreement would not have arisen. It would have been a matter of simple discussion and an agreement easily reached�, he concluded. LADOL has however come out to debunk the claims of both SHI’s protesting workers and some publications it alleged were sponsored by SHI. According to the logistics company, its affiliate, Global Resources Management Limited (GRML) terminated SHI MCI-FZE’s sublease on September 5, 2018 for

three reasons: “First unremedied and material breaches of lease covenant. Second, denial of its landlord’s title by inter alia asking the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) the head lessor, to carve out a part of GRML’s leased land and grant a direct lease in favour of SHI MCI-FZE, so that SHI MCI-FZE could deal directly with all government regulators without needing to go through GRML or the Zone Management�. LADOL added that although GRML’s sublease agreement provided for upward only rent review, SHI MCI-FZE, in antipation of NPA’s approval of a direct lease in its favour made several statements at various government agencies affirming its decision to unilaterally crash its rent from US$70 per square metre to US$5 per square metre (a reduction of more than 90%) on the expiry of its sublease in June 2018. For GRML, SHI MCI-FZE’s renunciation of the upward only rent review was an anticipatory breach of the sublease contract. It was therefore left with no choice but to terminate the contract since it was, in any case, entitled to do so as a matter of law. But the LADOL Zone management understood the pivotal importance of the Egina FPSO as a strategic national project with regard to Nigeria’s local content and technology transfer quest. And so when Samsung’s operating licence was about to expire the first time, it granted SHI MCI-FZE a two month licence extension on July 2, 2018, to enable Samsung complete its work on the Egina FPSO. Job completed, the Egina FPSO sailed away on Sunday, August 26, 2018, to the Egina oil field in OML 130. And at midnight on September 2, 2018, the two-month extension of SHI MCI-FZE’s operating licence expired. Since SHI MCI-FZE did not renew its operating licence and did not indeed meet the conditions for renewal such as payment of licence fee,

provision of information and documents requested by the zone management in addition to failure to pay all outstanding amounts and fees, SHI MCI-FZE’s licence could not be renewed. And so everything about LADOL/ GRML and SHI MCI-FZE came effectively to an end. So, you ask, why were the SHI MCI-FZE workers protesting? What were they protesting for? And why are they blaming LADOL over their fate? Another close observer of the LADOL/ SHI MCI-FZE face-off provided an answer. In his words, “those workers need to go back to their organization and seek audience with their employers. The truth is, they will soon find out that Samsung is just using them against their own country and sooner or later will dump them with the flimsy excuse that LADOL is the cause of their problem�. Continuing, he added, “See, all over the world, Samsung is known for lack of transparency in its operations. It is presently in major legal battles in South Korea, its own country for withholding crucial information on chemicals its many sick workers were exposed to at its computer chip and display factories that led to those sicknesses. Those sicknesses include leukemia, lymphoma and other dangerous ailments. Now, add this to the declaration of May 1, 2018 as the International Day of Action Against Samsung by a coalition of human rights bodies in Europe, Asia and the United Stated to protest health, labour and human rights violations of Samsung’s factory workers everywhere by the corporate giant. So, the summary of what I am saying is that Samsung should call his workers back to its office and sort out their issues. They should be open to their staff and tell them in truth that their business with LADOL is over�, he concluded. Okafor wrote from Lagos

13

ÍşÍşËœ ͺ͸͚΀ Ëž THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

INSIGHT

Who killed General Idris Alkali (rtd.) and why?

F

Indiscriminate Posting of Posters and the Law

2019: Character versus Certificate

I

or a while, I have mused the thought I am about to share. Although not all may t’s disheartening that the learned Professor of Law and Dean, Faculty of Law at the University of Abuja has reduced the current agree with my position, yet my recent research on the issue proves me right. discourse to mere campaign for the President. The irony of all of The issue in question concerns the indiscriminate pasting of posters by political these is that the war on corruption is mere lip service and not an aspirants in the country, Lagos State to be precise and a need for caution in intelligent and concerted effort at tackling this menace. the forthcoming election in order to ensure that the law prevails in all things. The past Should the President’s certificate presentation be an issue? months and I am sure further days ahead will witness lawless pasting of posters of Or should his ‘character’ (which is relative), take the place of a political aspirant in different parts of the state, on walls of bridges, public infrastructure constitutional requirement? It is also pertinent to note that if the and private buildings alike. This was seen in primaries of political parties not excluding president’s demands during his patriotism rhetoric speeches are the All progressives Party where the whole city of Lagos State was flooded with anything to go by then he should show example by complying indiscriminate posters of Governor Akinwumi Ambode and Jide Sanwoolu. with the requirements of the electoral act. After all character is the There is a law that regulates the pasting of posters and erecting of signage in Lagos mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. State. It is called Lagos State Signature and Advertisement Law enacted in 2006 and the Against the aforesaid, a school of thought including eminent agency that enforces its provisions is Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency. and none partisan Nigerians have complained about the perceived Unfortunately, its seems the agency is just another organization which milks money from cronyism and nepotism in government circles; the president should poor peasants in the state as opposed to executing the law on all deterrents irrespective be seen to be above board. of their status or political affiliation. I have often seen on walls of buildings, both public Nevertheless, most Nigerians who had had to attend crucial and private where it is aptly captured “Don’t past posters hereâ€?; more specific on walls interviews in order to secure a livelihood were nominally assessed of public and private buildings infrastructure yet the recent happenings defies this notice. character-wise but their certificates were variously considered. But Just about three years ago at the inception of Ambode’s government, several repaintthe learned professor seem to believe that due diligence should be ing and refurbishing of public infrastructure particularly bridges were carried on and one sacrificed for a relative ‘character’. of the hallmarks of such refurbishment was the washing of posters of public buildings. Osebi Olagboye ,olagboye@gmail.com Unfortunately the same government has subjected itself to running foul of the laws as well as watched the disobedience to its rules by its agents. More unfortunate is that public fund shall be used to remedy the disobedience of the law. The law enacted by the house of assembly of Lagos State and assented to by the government of the day is flagrantly disobeyed by the makers. I am sure persons who did pasting of posters on walls of public infrastructure are either ignorant of the implication of their acts or unconcerned with the consequence of their act, since they have the backing of their lords. In much like vain, I equally doubt that the agency, LASAA, is aware of such act and even if T H E SAT U R DAY N E W S PA P E R they are, they must have knowingly closed their eyes EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE to such disobedience of law. At least they cannot be DEPUTY EDITOR CHIKA AMANZE-NWACHUKU seen biting the fingers that feed them; else they face MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE the heat of a transferred aggression from political CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI aspirants in government. The disregard of such simple EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN law tells again what Lagosians, the Nigeria populace MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE should expect from political aspirants especially political office holders seeking reelection into offices in the next coming election. A total disregard to law and constituted authorities just because of returning back to office will assume the fashion of time. The present T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D disregard to LASSA law is just a tip of the iceberg. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA What shall transpire in the forthcoming election will GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, beat imaginations, many political aspirants, public ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE officers and citizens will knowingly disregard the DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI provisions of laws all in a bid to gain power. SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH It is therefore important that attention of public ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS PATRICK EIMIUHI, SAHEED ADEYEMO officers, law enforcement agents saddled with ensuring CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI compliance with the provisions and tenants of the law DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO stand firm and ensure that the rule of law prevails on TO SEND EMAIL: ďŹ rst name.surname@thisdaylive.com all citizens of the state irrespective of their power or post.

INEC And 2019 Election

N

o doubt about it, this INEC under the watch of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is the most partial electoral body in Nigeria’s history. President Muhammadu Buhari did a great disservice to Nigeria by turning the established norm that the electoral umpire must come from a minority tribe on its head by appointing an Hausa-Fulani to head INEC and also making sure that his niece, Hajiya Amina Zakari, holds the ultimate sway. As 2019 approaches, keen observers of Nigeria’s politics would detect a subtle INEC vs. PDP matchup because the electoral body has raised the duke on behalf of the APC to do battle with the PDP. Consider what is cooking at Ogun State: everyone can tell that the Olusegun Obasanjo’s camp is rooting for the Adebutu clan to clinch the Ogun State gubernatorial crown, but INEC would want to “punishâ€? Obasanjo for endorsing Atiku Abubakar by accepting the candidacy of the Buruji Kashamu-led PDP faction as bona ďŹ de. This is simply a farce! If President Buhari were such a “corruption-fighter,â€? then Senator Kashamu should have long been extradited to the US to face fraud charges levelled against him. Now, INEC is revelling in personal guffaw at Obasanjo because it thinks it holds the trump cards in all elections. But INEC has not got away with the Ekiti and Osun mess just yet! An impartial judiciary should help steer Nigeria on a course of true justice! Sunday Adole Jonah, Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State

14

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍťËœ ͺ͸͚΀

NEWS

In Brief UN Condemns Attack on IDP Camp

TheUnitedNations(UN)hascondemnedtheattackonaninternallydisplaced persons(IDP)campbysuspectedBokoHarammembersinMaiduguri,theBorno Statecapital.TheUNinastatementbyitsHumanitarianCoordinatorinNigeria, Mr.EdwardKallon,askedtheNigerianGovernmenttostepupsecurityofthe country and ensure safety of lives and property.The Dalori camp, which was attackedonWednesday,31Octoberis justafewkilometresfromBornoState capitalMaiduguri.Thecamphosts12,600civilianswhoareseekingrefugethere afterhavingfledtheviolenceinNorth-eastNigeriainpastmonths. Kallon,said accordingtotheNationalEmergencyManagementAgency,anon-statearmed groupcarriedouttheattackonthecampadjacenttoDaloriVillageandonfour surroundingcommunitiesafterdark,killingatleasteightpeopleandinjuring dozensmore,kidnappingwomen,andburningandlootinghomes,sheltersand foodstocks.Hundredshavealsobeendisplacedasaresult. Kallonsaid:“Iurge theGovernmentofNigeriatostepuptheprotectionofinnocentpeople,�noting: “Attacks on camps for internally displaced people threaten these innocent women,childrenandmenwhohavealreadyfledtheirhomesasaresultofthe ongoing conflict. Our deepest condolences go to the families of the victims of thisattackand wewishtheinjured aspeedyrecovery.�

No Political Activities in IDP Camps

RECOGNISED FOR EXCELLENCE... L-R: Head, Africa Regional OďŹƒce, International Professional Managers Association (IPMA), Prof. Feyi-Sobanjo Taiwo; Director of Administration, Ibru Organisation, Sir Henry Muogho; and CEO, IPMA-UK, Prof. Mike Wooi, during the 2018 Induction ceremony of IPMA-Nigeria in Lagos...recently

Sapele Power Alleges Seistech, Police Plot to Seize its Facilities Chika Amanze-Nwachuku

Sapele Power Plc (SPP), owner and operator of the 1,020MW Sapele Power Plant has raised the alarm over alleged attempt by a firm, Seistech Energy Limited to forcibly takeover its facilities with the connivance of the police. Seistech Energy Limited, an oil and gas company had in September 2016 signed agreement with SPP for the lease of one of its (latter’s) storage tanks for storage of crude oil produced by Mid-Western Oil and Gas Company Limited. According to the SPP in a petition to the Inspector General of Police, few months into the transaction, Seistech allegedly became bankrupt and unable to meet the terms of the agreement. It introduced Mid-Western to assume its financial responsibility and Mid-Western effected tank rental payments on behalf of Seistech. However, payment for the tank rental was suspended following

a dispute between Seistech and Mid-Western. The company said rather than seek a creative means of liquidating its indebtedness, “Seistech chose to cunningly cook up lies and misinform our business partners, regulatory authorities and unsuspecting third parties that the rented tank did not belong to SPP, but belonged to Seistech.� This, the power firm explained prompted it to terminate the tank rental contract with Seistech and urged it to pay up outstanding rental debt, evacuate the products from the storage tank in question and vacate its premises. According to SPP, “Instead of complying, Seistech surreptitiously and continuously sought ways to defraud us by evacuating product in storage without settling its indebtedness (presently in excess of N600,000,000 (Six Hundred Million Naira). So far, its threats and activities have impeded our activities and smooth operations

Ganduje Fails to Honour Invitation By House Ibrahim Shuaibu Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜Ă™

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje on Friday, denied collecting bribe from any contractor. He, however, failed to personally appear before the House. Testifying before the State House of Assembly, Ganduje said the allegation levelled against him was false and injurious. Ganduje said the video clips released by the publisher of Daily Nigerian were aimed at tarnishing his image politically. The Commissioner for Information, Mohammed Garuba supported by the AttorneyGeneral Ibrahim Mukta while reading the written response to the Committee, said, “I have the instruction of His Excellency, the Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (OFR) to write as follows: “That His Excellency, the Governor of Kano State categorically and unequivocally deny the allegation of collecting bribe

from contractors as alleged by the publisher of the online newspaper, Daily Nigerian. “That His Excellency, the Governor of Kano State did not collect, has not collected and will never collect bribe from anybody whosoever and for whatever purposes. “That the allegation levelled against him is injurious falsehood designed purposely to tarnish his long-established good reputation, reduce his popularity for some political opponents to take undue advantage in the forth-coming general elections. “That caution should be exercised by handling this allegation putting into consideration the antecedents of the accuser on similar accusations against leaders and rulers in the state, particularly the allegation made against the former Governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and the Sarkin Kano, Malam Muhammad Sanusi 11, which turned out to be false accusation.�

of the power plant.� The power company said Seistech, with the “connivance of the Police, deployed mobile policemen from Mopol 33 into the plant, leading to a faceoff with SPP’s mobile policemen from Mopol 44 with threat of gunfire exchange.� It said several petitions to the police to check the activities of Seistech had not yielded any result. It also alleged that the Managing Director of Seistech had severally boasted he had the backing of the IGP and had mobile policemen in place to take over the facility and evacuate their tank without paying.�

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama on Friday in Abuja summoned the Ghanaian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Alhaji Rashid Bawa, to explain the alleged continued maltreatment of Nigerian traders in Ghana. Over 400 shops belonging to Nigerians in Ghana have sealed off by the authorities in that country resulting in series of protests by National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) and Nigerian Union of Traders Association Ghana (NUTAG). Onyeama at the meeting also raised concern over the suicide committed by a Nigerian Woman in Ghana who was frustrated by the continued closure of her shop. The Minister of Foreign Affairs reminded the envoy of the meeting held by Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and his Ghanaian counterpart Nana Akufo Addo in New York at the last UN General Assembly meeting where the Ghanaian leader promised to resolve the issue. While stating that there were conflicting reports regarding the re-opening of those shops, he said the Ghanaian envoy was invited “to brief us on current situation� regarding the closure of Nigerian businesses in Ghana. Responding, Bawa told the minister that the shops had been

Arrested over 520 Bags of Rice

MenoftheNigerianCustomsServiceNiger,Kwara,KogicommandonTuesday along the Mokwa axis of the command arrested three people for allegedly smuggling 520 bags of rice and 50 bags of sugar with a Nigerian registered truck marked DAL769 XA which was also impounded. A statement by the organisation made available to newsmen in Minna, Niger State on Friday put the Duty Paid Value of the smuggled rice at N8, 840, 000 and the sugar atN697,000.AccordingtothestatementreleasedfromthePublicRelations unitoftheServicethesuspectsarrestedinconnectionwithincident“havebeen grantedadministrativebail�.Thesuspectsaccordingtothestatementwould bearraignedincourtsoon.Earlier,ComptrolleroftheCommandAlhajiAbba Kassim Yussuf had disclosed that six suspected smugglers were arrested and 23 seizures were made by the Command within the last 9 months. He disclosed that thecommand had so far generated N1.788 billion.

According to Sapele Power, Seistech, was not relenting in its plan to defraud SPP, instituted a civil suit against it at the federal High Court Lagos, challenging SPP’s title to its tank farm and jetty. Rather than wait for the outcome of the matter, Seistech and Midwestern allegedly sought clearance from the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to berth a vessel at the jetty to enable them forcibly evacuate the tank Flood Sacks 10,000 Families in Niger cargo. The request was rejected ActionAidanInternationaldonororganisationhasrevealedthatthereare10,000 by NPA. familiesinsixInternallyDisplacedPeoplesCampinNigerStatearisingfrom flooding.The camps according to ActionAid Nigeria are located in Zungeru, Cheku Muye and Maikakaki communities. The IDPs and camps arose as a result of the last flash floods which sacked the people from their ancestral homes.ActionAidwhichisalreadyinterveningintheaffectedcommunitiesand threeotherstatesaffectedbyflood,Delta,KogiandAnambra,however,decried re-opened to their Nigerian owners the condition of the camps and wanted the federal and state governments adding that those that were not to facilitate the immediate return to their ancestral homes. Speaking at the opened were because the owners “start-up� of distribution of relief materials to flood survivors in Niger State, ActionAids Humanitarian and Resilience Officer, Mr. Anicetus Atakpu said were not present. He said other issues affecting the materialsvaluedatN45mweretobegiventotheaffectedpeopleinthefour Nigerian traders was given due states.AtakpuwhosaidattheIDPcampinZungeru thattheprogrammewas attention and would be resolved beingco-sponsoredbyanotherInternationaldonororganisation,STARTFUND as soon as possible. saidatotalof2160householdswouldbenefitfromtheassistanceoutofwhich Bawa said, “I was in Accra at 1850 would receive material supports and 310 household in “ hard to reach� the invitation of the president to go communitieswouldeachgetN30,000.AtotalofN18millionwouldbespent have a look at what was happening inNigerState.Amongtheitemsdistributedweredetergents,mosquitonets, on the ground. I spent two days medicated soaps, water guild for water purification, blankets ladies under on the ground, meeting with all wears,riceandsemovita. stakeholders.“Some of the shops at the time I visited 10 days ago Bloomberg Wins at 2018 Entrepreneurs Award have been opened. Some have BloombergPropertiesandConstructionsisamongthecompaniesthatwould not yet been opened. Opening be honoured at Nigeria Entrepreneurs Award come November 16,2018 at of shops are still ongoing as we the Oriental Hotel, Lagos. Nigeria Entrepreneurs Award is at the forefront speak. “Those that have not been ofcelebratingandhonouringentrepreneurshipinNigeria.Thisyear’sedition opened are locked because owners of the award which is the 5th in the award series. Bloomberg Properties and were not present at their shops. constructions is one of the leading real estate and construction companies GUTA wants to open the shops whichpriorityistodevelopthebestproperties.Aspartofthecompany’sefforts to drastically reduced the housing problems in the country, Bloomberg has with owners present.� According to Bawa about 80- builtseveralhousesforlow,averageandhighincomeearners.Thecompanyhas 85 per cent of shops that were growntoearnsignificantrecognitioninNigeria.Justrecently,Bloombergwas locked had been opened. He also honoured the Most Enterprising Construction Company of 2018 by African dismissed reports that a Nigerian EntrepreneursMeritAward. in Ghana, Stella Upaleke, committed suicide because of frustration Atiku Represents Quality Leadership occasioned by the closure of her Women and Youths Support for Atiku otherwise known as ‘WAYS 4 Atiku’, a shop. supportgroupforthepresidentialcandidateofthePeoplesDemocraticParty The General Secretary, Nigeria (PDP),AlhajiAtikuAbubakarhavedeclaredthatNigeriadeservequalityleaderUnion of traders Association ship inthemouldofthePDPflagbearercome2019.WAYS4Atiku,inapress in Ghana Mr. Jasper Emenike statementpersonallysignedbyits NationalPresidentandGlobalCoordinator, confirmed the reopening of the PrincessKemiAdesanya-Eboda,stressedthatAtikurepresentsthequality shops. leadershipthecountrydesperatelyneedstorepositiontheeconomy.Quoting He however noted that there thecelebratedAmericansoldier,DouglasMcArthur,shesaid,“Trueleaderhas were still many issues to be the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions and the addressed. compassionto listento theneedsof others.

Onyeama Summons Ghanaian Envoy over Nigerian Traders Alex Enumah Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË

TheBenueStateEmergencyManagementAgency(SEMA)hasbannedallforms ofpoliticalgatheringsinIDPcampsacrossthestate.ThebanaccordingtoDr. Shoarbecamenecessaryinordertoavoidfurtherpublicembarrassmenton theIDPsandtostopdisgruntledpoliticiansfromusingthemisfortunesofthe peopleforcheappoliticalcapital.HeaccusedtheAllProgressivesCongress (APC) of using the camps for campaigns. “It is exactly one week ago, when leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Benue State, stormed DaudutoformallyreceiveaformerSpeakeroftheStateHouseofAssembly, Dr.StevenTsavfromthePeoplesDemocraticParty(PDP)intoitsfold.Although theeventhascomeandgone,ithasleftmanyissuesthatdeserveverystrong cautionandportraysomeofourleadersinverybadlight.Letitbenotedthat crosscarpetingintheNigeriancontextofpolitickingcanbedoneatanytimeby anybody,butthemannertheDaudueventwasdoneleavesmuchtobedesired forthosecrosscarpetingandtheonesreceivingthem.Thechoiceofthevenue isunacceptableandshouldbecondemnedintotalitybyallwell-meaningBenue peopleand indeed Nigerians,� hesaid.

THISDAYt SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2018

15

16

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍťËœ ͺ͸͚΀

NEWS

CBN: Foreign Investment Falls By $500m in 2018 Q1 HSBC UBS Close Nigeria Offices Chika Amanze-Nwachuku with agency report

Global banking giants, HSBC Bank and UBS Group, have closed their offices in Nigeria, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said yesterday, while also noting that foreign investment had fallen sharply from a year ago. Foreign direct investment in Nigeria fell to N379.84 billion ($1.2 billion) in the first half of the year from N532.63 billion ($1.7 billion) a year earlier, Reuters quoted a report by the apex bank to have said. According to the central bank, the outlook for the Nigerian economy in the second half was optimistic given higher oil prices and production but rising foreign debt and uncertainty surrounding the 2019 elections was a drawback. Investor confidence in Nigeria has been shaken since the central bank in August ordered MTN to bring back $8.1 billion to the country, part of profits which the South African telecoms firm sent abroad, the newswire noted. HSBC, one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations is headquartered in London while UBS is a Swiss multinational investment bank and financial services company that provides financial services to private, corporate and institutional clients in over 50 countries including Nigeria. In September, HSBC Bank had

predicted that re-electing President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 could worsen Nigeria’s economic woes. Although the CBN did not disclose the reasons for the HSBC closure, financial industry sources linked the development to the bank’s running battle with the federal government over its poor rating of the Buhari government’s economic policies. A source noted that the two firms’ decision to close their representative offices in Nigeria could be a prelude to their eventual exit from the country, adding that “this ugly development does not augur well for the country.� “It is also a signal that all is not well with the nation’s economy�, he added. HSBC had in a report in September by its Global Research Unit, entitled, “Nigeria, papering over the cracks�, emphatically stated that Buhari’s re-election for another term would spell doom for the country’s economy. It said: “Buhari’s second term raises the risk of limited economic progress and further fiscal deterioration, prolonging the stagnation of his first term, particularly if there is no move towards completing reform of the exchange rate system or fiscal adjustments that diversify government revenues away from oil.�The bank noted that the “economic growth remains sluggish and reliant on the rebound in oil output while the non-oil economy,

GIVING BACK TO SOCIETY... L-R: Managing Director/Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, Novia Hospital, Ms. Lydia Taiwo David; Risk Manager, Dangote Cement, Ibese, Mr. Tunji Adeniyi; Head of Dangote Drivers, Ibese, Mr. Aliyu Bulama; Assistant Director, Transport, Mr. Rasheed Abdulazeez; General Manager, AGROSACK, Mr. Pankaj Mehra; Head-External Relations, Mr. Joseph B. Alabi, at the Admin Block 2 Training Hall of Dangote Cement Plc., Ibese, during the opening ceremony to kick o the Ibese Sustainability Week 2018

which accounts for about 90 per cent of GDP, continues to languish with many service sectors still mired in contraction.� Furthermore it noted that “unemployment continues to rise, up almost three-fold in three years to 19 per cent in Q3 2017, pushing the number in poverty to 87 million.�

Balarabe Leads Albishir’s Group to Yobe APC Nseobong Okon-Ekong

Nguru-born businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Abdullahi Balarabe, is set to formally lead the political camp of the Late Senator Usman Albishir in Yobe State to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during a rally in Nguru. Following this development, Nguru town and its environs have been given a facelift, with major roads within the towns wearing a new look. The event which is expected to have the Yobe governor, Alh. Ibrahim Geidam in attendance will see the governorship candidate of the APC in Yobe State and outgoing national secretary of the APC, Alh. Mai Mala Buni formally receiving Balarabe as well as thousands of Albishir’s core political allies. Beside close political associates of the late Yobe strongman, two

scions of the Albishir dynasty, Sadik Albishir and Mohammed Albishir are also expected to be received at the event. They will be joined by all the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) local government executives and ward leaders loyal to Albishir in the state. Speaking on plans for the event, Alhaji Balarabe said about 500,000 supporters of the late Senator would be returning formally to the APC ahead the 2019 elections to ensure victory for the APC in the state. He said already, arrangements were in top gear to ensure a most successful outing , noting that before now there had been doorto-door mobilisation of Nguru residents for voters registration, cards collection and awareness campaigns of the developmental strides of the APC in the state. “As individuals , we have strived to touch the lives of a

lot of Nguru people through provisions of various means of livelihood including providing accommodations, jobs, crafts, revolving loan schemes and many other empowerment tools for our people, including influencing power supply to the area. “The popularity of Senator Usman Albishir can never be underestimated in Yobe politics, much more in Nguru where he hails from. It is for this reason that the reunion of our group into the APC will further boost the prospects of the party as well as cement the winning streak the zone has been known for, for the APC come 2019�, he said. Alh. Balarabe asked residents and supporters to turn out en masse and welcome the governorship candidate of the APC , noting that “Insha Allah, Mai Mala Buni will be elected governor and Nguru people and Yobe State will be better off for it.“

Fresh Earth Tremor Hits Abuja Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Fresh earth tremor has occurred in Abuja almost two months after parts of the nation’s capital were jolted by the rumbling within the bowels of the earth. The latest occurrence happened in the Maitama District of the Federal Capital Territory and has been confirmed by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA). A joint statement signed by Vincent Owan, Director, Planning, Research and Forecasting NEMA and Abdulrazak Garba of the NGSA, confirmed the development. NSGA said the earth tremor occurred somewhere in Panama

Street in the highbrow Maitama. It stated that a team was sent to the location of the call for an on spot assessment and an internal response protocol was immediately activated, informing relevant government agencies and stakeholders. “Our preliminary findings indicated that the tremor occurred at about 12.26 hrs around the vicinity of Panama Street in Maitama district, Abuja. “After the field evaluation, the NGSA determined that the intensity was about 3.0 on the Mercalli Intensity Scale. “That means it was just felt indoors and lasted less than one minute. “Further inspection revealed that there was no structural damage due to the vibra-

tions and hence, NEMA was adequately briefed by the NGSA. “The residents were consequently assured that there was no cause for alarm,’’ the statement read. Owan disclosed that NGSA technical teams were conducting further assessments and would continue to update the public on further development. However, some residents of the affected areas, said they were feeling apprehensive by the earth tremor, adding that the seismic activity produced some unusual sensations and shook the neighborhood fiercely. They pleaded with the relevant authority to ease their worries as many of them were scared of staying indoor.

The bank also noted the country’s continued reliance on oil revenues, the issue of inadequate non-oil tax collection, pointing out that a large share of the budget was directed to debt service. It also faulted Buhari government’s debt management strategy and the issuance of external debt to redeem more expensive short-term

government securities, pointing out that while it is helping to reduce debt service costs in the near term, it exposes the fiscal position to exchange rate risk in the event of a future decline in oil prices and naira devaluation. These predictions by the bank did not go down well with the federal government, which days,

after, accused the bank of conniving with past Nigeria’s leaders to loot the country’s resources. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehuaccused the HSBC of laundering more than $100million for the late General Sani Abacha in Jersey, Paris, London and Geneva.

Ibeshi Sues PDP, INEC, Ayade for N1.2b over Disqualification from Governorship Primary Akinwale Akintunde

Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary and governorship aspirant in the last primary election in Cross River State, Hon. Emmanuel Ibeshi has dragged the party to court over allegation of his exclusion from participating at the governorship primaries in the state. Agrrieved by the actions of the party and others which deprived him of the opportunity to contest governorship of Cross River State, he filed the suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja, asking the court to nullify the governorship primary elections, which produced the incumbent governor, Ben Ayade as the winner. Joined as 2nd and 3rd defendants in the suit apart from PDP are Governor of Cross River State, Senator Ayade and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In the fundamental human rights suit, the plaintiff is seek-

ing a court declaration that his purported disqualification from contesting the party primary election conducted in September 29, 2018, was in breach of his constitutional right to fair hearing and void. Ibeshi is praying the court to declare his disqualification from the governorship primary elections as breach of the electoral guidelines, party constitution and contravened electoral laws of Nigeria, thus wrongful and void. The plaintiff is asking the court to declare that the 1st defendant (PDP), having collected huge money from him as price for sale of governorship nomination forms and ancillary expenses, was bound in contract to give a fair chance to contest for the stated office, and his exclusion from the contest without just cause was in breach of his contractual obligations. The aspirant is also praying the court to declare that the purported emergence of Ayade

as the PDP governorship candidate in Cross River State, from the unconstitutional process that excluded him was illegal, and void under the law. The plaintiff wants the court to set aside his disqualification and ordered for proper conduct of the party primary elections between him and the purported winner of the September 29 primary elections, Ayade. Ibeshi is also seeking an order of the court restraining INEC from accepting or acting the submission of Ayade’s name by PDP as the governorship candidate for Cross River State for the 2019 governorship elections. The plaintiff in the alternative, is seeking damages in the sum of one billion naira against the defendants for breach of fundamental right to fair hearing. He also wants the court to award him N194 million being cost of nomination form and campaign expenses incured prior to his disqualification from the election by the party.

Amnesty Office to Activate Oil, Gas Vocational Training for ex-Niger Delta Agitators Adibe Emenyonu Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă˜Ă“Ă˜ ÓÞã

The Office of the Amnesty Programme said it would soon activate the Oil and Gas Vocational Training Centre, Agadagba in Ondo State to provide training for some of ex-Niger Delta agitators who are yet to be placed in either vocational training facilities or deployed for formal education. It also said that as of when the new Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta and Coordinator, Amnesty Programme, Prof. Charles Quaker Dokubo, assumed office, 11, 297

ex-agitators were yet to be sent for training out of the over 30,000 that were registered for the programme. The Special Assistant to Prof. Dokubo on Media, Mr. Murphy Ga nagana, who disclosed this to journalists in Benin City, capital of Edo State, further announced that the Programme’s Power and Energy Vocational Centre in Bomadi, Delta State, would soon commence operation. Besides, he listed other training centres of the Amnesty Programme to include Maritime Vocational Training Centre, Oboama, Rivers State; Basic Skills Vocational Training

Centre in Boro Town, Kaiama, Bayelsa State; and Agricultural Vocational Training Centre in Gelegele, Edo State. Ganagana also disclosed that 1,537 former agitators had graduated from institutions of higher learning abroad from inception of the programme, while 207 others were currently studying various courses overseas. According to him, “Between 2017 and this year, 2,633 Amnesty Programme students were studying in higher institutions in the country with 556 graduates recorded among who are 34 law graduates that would be called to Bar this November�.

Plus

Abiola Salami

There is a Purpose for Our Creation… We Need to Find it and Start Living According to it pg. 20

GLOBAL SOCCER FAIRGROUND AUTO SHOWBIZFLAIR

Bobby Michaels Getting Married Early Isn’t the Best Idea

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

18

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ NOVEMBER 3, 2018

PLUS

Getting Married Early Isn’t the Best Idea Nollywood actor, Bobby Michaels’ flair for entertainment is remarkable. On stage, he is admired for his acting prowess; off-stage, his fashion sense is adored. He broke into the entertainment world as a musician and super model before carving a niche in Nollywood. Bobby talks to Chinedu Ibeabuchi, about his career, style and up-coming projects

Y

ou have a rich entertainment culture in your family, with your parents being entertainers also. Tell us more about this? I was very lucky to have been born to parents, who were entertainers from the very start. My late mum, Chief Charry Adannaya Onwuguzo, was an actress, singer, songwriter, poet and novelist. She wrote over 30 books for children and adults in her life time and she greatly impacted me as her son. My dad was a DJ and actor and he also ensured I had basic training as an entertainer during my growing years. Was it always your dream to become an actor or your parents influenced your career choice? From my early years as a little child growing up, my parents had noticed the passion I had towards the arts. They saw in me what they didn’t see in my siblings.

NOVEMBER 3, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

19

PLUS My dad is One of the Best Dressed Men I have Ever Known I have three other siblings who are not arts inclined in any way. So it was simply natural for me to finally become the entertainer I am today. It wasn’t my parents edging me towards entertainment, it was my nature that brought me here today. Having followed your parents’ career footsteps, is any of your kids following same line? Well, my daughter Pearl likes to draw and paint stuff. Paris likes to dance and my son MJ is a footballer. The thing is they are still very young and I don’t know what the future will bring eventually but I know they are all very well gifted children and I won’t be surprised if they turn to entertainment at any stage in their lives. My twin girls, Pearl and Paris are 13 and my son Michael Jnr. is eight. Having tasted early marriage at 22, what’s your advice for youngsters aiming same direction? My advice to young people is to be very careful when choosing a life partner. I strongly also believe that people must be mature before venturing into a lifelong project as getting married. Getting married too early in life isn’t the best idea. I did that and the rest is history. We must all live and learn. You were once into music also. Have you finally retired from your music career? My first call as an entertainer was my music. Music is me and music is my world. I took a break from music to pursue my acting career not because I am done with it. I only took a break to reinforce my musical style and come back when that type of musical genre would be very acceptable in Nigeria. The music isn’t over, there’s a planned 3rd album coming in 2019. After a career break, you returned to Nollywood few years ago. What do you think has changed since your return? Basically, I didn’t really take a break from acting. I only took a break from acting in Nigeria. I wasn’t living in Nigeria for a couple of years, so my focus was the amount of work I was doing in Europe, South Africa and America, among other places. When I finally came back to Nigeria four years ago, I once again rejoined my colleagues to continue to showcase my talent in Nollywood. What projects have you been involved in since you came back? I have done quite a lot of movies since I got back. Some notable ones are Lagos Cougars, Devil and The Red Sea, Kiss n Tell, Tailor My Heart, Grape and so many that I can hardly remember. The list is endless. Then I made my debut as a film maker with my self-produced movie, deep fever. You love to look good. What drives your fashion sense? I got my fashion sense from my dad. I think looking good is very natural to people in my family. My mum was a very fashionable woman and my dad is perhaps one of the best dressed men I have ever known. Looking good is also very important in this business of showbiz. I take it very seriously and that’s why I am able to stand apart from a lot of my peers. People would sometimes say stuff like, if you want to look good and charming, go look up Bobby Michaels. Guys who dress to kill are often thought of as a gimmick to attract the opposite sex. Do you agree with this? I don’t believe in that. I think looking good is a lifestyle. Why would I want to look bad at any time? The truth is, the way you present yourself to people on first contact will be the way they will value or look at you for as long as they continue to engage with you at any level. Which are you more comfortable in? Western or native attire? I am very comfortable in both. There are no preferences. I used to be a super model a little way back, so I wear or I wore just about anything good. Which of your works would you say has given you that utmost feeling of a ‘pat in the back?’ Honestly, that’s a hard question to answer because every movie I have ever made, I

have gotten accolades for each of them. My character definition has been the reason why I am still very relevant in Nollywood today. How would you describe your reception since your return to Nollywood given the notion that you are more popular in Ghana and South Africa? Well, Nollywood has been great since I came back, but it doesn’t mean I haven’t been very happy with the organisation here. There is still a lot of work to be done here to put Nollywood on a bigger scale around the world. I have had my good moments and very bad ones, but in all, I am glad I am here. Maybe with time, there will be positive changes How would you describe Bobby Michaels brand? The Bobby Michaels brand is a very special one. It’s a brand that breaks boundaries. A brand that can change the game in entertainment anywhere in the world. It’s a world class brand with experience that can be of value in Nollywood or Hollywood. I am not like any other actor you know... There’s only one Bobby Michaels...and that’s me. Producers aren’t really satisfied with Nigerian cinemas business model. What ways do you suggest that this can be made better for both parties? I think it also stems down to greed. A lot of producers are not happy with the returns from the cinemas because a lot of them borrow from banks, friends and relatives to make films. So I think, the cinemas should in turn give the producer a break with their business ideologies. The split between ends is too much of a crash for the original producer. And again, I think producers also should step up their game when producing. They should ensure that their movies pass the q and A. That way, they will be at least guarantee that other avenues of interest will come for the movie after it leaves the cinema. Tell us about your latest or upcoming project. I am currently working on a movie written by my late mum in 1982. I expect to be in studio filming early February of 2019. If you aren’t acting, how do you relax? I travel a lot. I like to view the world. I love to see other people and other cultures of the world. I love to have a good time. People who know me know I am a movie and cinema addict. This things are my vices as I don’t smoke or drink. You seem to have done quite some works with Charles Uwagbai. How would you describe him in the industry? Charles Uwagbai is a phenomenal modern day director. He is one of the very few that I have great respect for. Charles is very imaginative and very creative. Working with him makes my work as an actor and producer very easy. I would work with him any day, any time As a fashion icon, any plan to launch your own label soon? Yes! In 2019, I intend to launch BM Clothing Nigeria. It’s been on the pipeline for a very long time and after so much pressure from business like minds, we decided it’s about time Nigeria had a taste of Bobby Michaels. Veterans are dying as paupers. Does it ring bell to stars like you? It all boils down to that adage that says, man shall not live by bread alone. I wish that the veterans of the past had delved into other businesses to support their income and to prepare for retirement at the time when they were very active, the industry was not a very profitable one. Most people did what they did at that time simply because they had the passion and the drive for it. At that time, it was passion first before anything else, but now, it’s pretty different. If your passion can’t put food on your table, you may have to look for another avenue to support yourself, your family and your passion. I am one of the new day practitioners who are urging the government and corporate bodies to please come to the aid of our veteran entertainers who need financial help because they were the ones who opened the doors for us to have an Industry in the first place. So I think the industry should support them now that they are in desperate need for help.

A lot of producers are not happy with the returns from the cinemas because a lot of them borrow from banks, friends and relatives to make films. So I think, the cinemas should in turn give the producer a break with their business ideologies. The split between ends is too much of a crash for the original producer. And again, I think producers also should step up their game when producing. They should ensure that their movies pass the q and A. That way, they will be at least guarantee that other avenues of interest will come for the movie after it leaves the cinema

20

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž NOVEMBER 3, 2018

PLUS

Abiola Salami

There is a Purpose for Our Creation‌ We Need to Find it and Start Living According to it Abiola Salami is an author and motivational speaker, who within less than a decade of mentorship and inspirational speeches has impacted on thousands of people globally. He is recognised as a Global Young Leader. Salami has coached several young people and business executives all across Nigeria and Africa. He tells Tosin Clegg about his empowerment programme coming up in December and a lot more

ÍťËœ ͺ͸͚΀ Ëž THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

21

PLUS Anybody can Develop the Capacity acity acit ity ty to be an Exc Exceptional xcept ptional Leader I nspire people to rock their world biola Salami is a gentleman with a passion to inspire people to rock their world like champions. I’m proudly Nigerian and African and I was raised, bred, buttered in Nigeria and then sold out to Africa and the world to inspire people to rock their world like champions. Everything started with a discovery. Then, I was in my third year in the university, searching for meaning of life and prior to that time, I had read many books and have been exposed to many insights and philosophies about life and it all came to one thing for me that for all of us on earth there is a purpose for why we were created. And we need to find it and start living according to it. Then for me, I used my skills to inspire people. I am the kind of person that could be multitalented but then, I realised you can be that and multi-confused at the same time. I did so many things and I asked myself what to do with all that, then I realised I had to combine that to inspire people to do better.

A

My Exposures Abroad Some years ago, I was invited by the administration of President Barack Obama to the US for a US Consulate Programme called IVFLP and that exposed me into a lot of learning as well. One of the schools I can’t forget, Right State University, Ohio was one of those places I learnt a lot as well as University of Florida. After School, I Worked in Four Thriving Institutions Despite my discovery that time, I knew I didn’t have the requisite knowledge, skills, relationships and swag so I had to go through the process. That’s what got me into working with NGOS, HMO, Banking then Consulting. And finally after a decade running all of this I started running Champ full time 1st of December 2012. The beginning days were quite interesting as when you start doing something people don’t pay attention to you, thinking you are wasting your time, don’t even listen to you when you need support but with full passion to inspire and convince people to rock their world like champions I went head on into it. And it’s six years down the lane and things are getting better by the day. We Opened Champ City Last year I have always dreamt of having an inspirational center for people despite your gender and religion. A place were you can come and learn then start to think on a different level. Champ City is going fast and we have training facility there that people that come every now and then to make use of and we also run different programmes which are about 15. We also have a monthly series we run were we bring professionals together, we bring very top people from different industries to come and facilite and the experience has been phenomenal. So far we have engaged about five hundred plus people within a year. And our goal is to have inspired One Billion Champions by Monday 30th November 2026. We started counting in 2016 after we inspired 2.3 Million across 30 countries, last year we inspired 5 Million across those countries and this year we plan to inspire 10 million. Our DeďŹ nition of a Champion Is any individual that is committed to using his or her competence, character, creativity, courage and compassion to use to make a difference anywhere in the world, family, industry, community so anybody that has all these are the people we call champions. Our commitment is working with them to develop the skills required to make their commitments work also to providing opportunities as well to make their commitments work. It’s one thing to be committed to doing something but another to have all that it takes to get it done and that’s the gap we fill for people. Leadership Boot Camp in December It’s called Champ International Leadership and Business Boot Camp. The theme this year is ‘Exceptional Leadership’ which is accelerating the performance of high performing champions Like I said, the target audience are those within organisations who are delivering excellence already. The idea is to engage them so as to increase their level of excellence and we would be privileged

to have His Excellency, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President of Nigeria who also will be writing the foreword to the book coming out before the event titled, ‘You Too Can Become an Exceptional Leader.’ Some say leaders are born but we believe anybody can develop the capacity not just to be an ordinary leader but an exceptional leader. We are also having Dr. Christopher Kolade, Mrs. Mosun Bello Olusoga , Dr. Herbert Wigwe (MD, Access Bank), Mr. Jimi Awosika and many others that will be on the faculty. Its a two day-programme with a lot of activities. The Passion has kept me going You need passion as passion is energy. It’s also what works for you when nothing else is working. It’s also what fuels your vision even when you are seeing something and everyone is seeing something else. Secondly, it’s surrounding yourself with the right people. There are many negative people around and I remember in the beginning of this project, there were many people who felt I didn’t know what I was doing. So it’s important to surround yourself with right people and that’s the most important thing I did. Your peers and mentors have to be choosen carefully but I can’t but mention Dr. Christopher Koladewho has been a great source of inspiration in encouraging me even when things aren’t going well. Also, there is result which is what we are getting from the things we are doing.

Youths are Leaders Leaders need to have realistic expectations because statements like ‘I want be my own boss’ are good to say but when it comes to the reality of it, leaders to know that everybody has a boss. Hunger can be your boss. At times, the bills you need to pay can be your boss. Your responsibilities and more can be your boss. What you need to know is to discover what you are supposed to do and the purpose. Then, grow through, sowing seed to benefit other people and no leader should jump up saying ‘I want to start a business.’ First, in the place you are now, how faithful are you? Also know that the things you sow are what you will reap. Dr. Christopher Kolade is my Biggest Mentor Dr. Kolade is the man that met Abiola Salami and didn’t meet Champ. I remember I was his account officer and that was the beginning of the relationship and I served him well, which was where we began the relationship. I kept on disturbing him about the things in my mind. At his age - our age gap is almost 50 years - he was patient enough to listen to me and in fact my first book we sort of wrote it together. He has been very available and I think mentorship is more about relationships. Mr. Jimi Awosika is another phenomenal gentleman, Mrs. Mosun Bello Olusoga and a lot more.

A

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t NOVEMBER 3, 2018

22

TRAVEL

A City of Towers Charles Ajunwa writes about his recent experience in Toronto, Canada

P

enultimate Tuesday, this reporter flew into Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada’s busiest airport via an Ethiopian Airlines. The over 14-hours flight which took off from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, had two stopovers in Addis Ababa and Dublin before terminating in Toronto. The mission was to cover the Online Learning 2018 organised by MediaEdge Communications held at The Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto. Two elegant looking stewards were at the entrance of the hotel, directing guests around the massive building which behind it has a breathtaking waterfront, where tourists hang out to catch fun. The three-day Online Learning summit attracted 1,100 delegates from 10 countries, 400 presenters in over 139 sessions, 31 leading suppliers of products and services in the EdTech Expo, and 12 major sponsors. There were exchanges and discussions throughout the event on practices and research in pedagogy, design, student support, access, retention and success, teacher training technology applications, and institutional developments. For the first time in Canada, the event brought higher education faculty, academic administrators, learning designers and policy-makers together with corporate learning and performance professionals in partnership with the Institute for Performance and Learning. Despite my tight schedules during the Summit, as a first-time visitor my curiosity afforded me the opportunity to learn more about the Canadian societypresently accommodating over 5,000 resident Nigerians and over 10,000 Nigerian students, the highest in the sub-Saharan Africa. Canada is a country located in the northern part of North America. Its 10 provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering 9.98 million square kilometres (3.85 million square miles), making it the world’s second-largest country by total area. Canada’s southern border with the United States is the world’s longest bi-national land border. Its capital is Ottawa, and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. As a whole, Canada is sparsely populated, the majority of its land area being dominated by forest and tundra. Consequently, its population is highly urbanised , with over 80 per cent of its inhabitants concentrated in large and medium-sized cities, many near the southern border. Canada’s climate varies widely across its vast area, ranging from arctic weather in the north, to hot summers in the southern regions, with four distinct seasons. The official languages are English and French. “Toronto” is Huron Indian for “meeting place,” a word which aptly describes one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world, with over 100 different cultures represented in its population of over 2.3 million. This diversity can be seen at the city’s many festivals, friendly neighbourhoods , and of course, its 9,000 restaurants. I marvelled at the massive development taking in Toronto, essentially powered by technology. The signature post of Canadians is, no doubt, their managerial and orgnisational ability. More than anything else, Canadians invested heavily in their security systems. Within Toronto, there are closed-circuit television monitors (CCTV) mounted in every part of the city running for 24-hours. These CCTVs are part of the sophisticated security network that helps keep crime at bay, no matter its

CN Tower at the background

degree of sophistication. Their transport system is any tourist delight. They have a well managed underground train services, taxis, bus services and popular streetcar system operated by the Toronto Transit Commission which is the busiest in North America. The movement was further made easy in Toronto by the use of Google map which helps tourists to locate their desired destinations. Apart from the functioning traffic lights, the roads are well demarcated with white lines clearly drawn on the roads. Signages, though mainly in the English language direct you to direct parts of the

city. Their clear-cut approach towards metro system, from good maintenance of the road to descriptive signages, could be one of the reasons why accidents are reduced on a daily basis. The high rise structures dotting landscape is breathtaking. From The Westin Harbour Castle through Bay Street, these landmark structures within Toronto are easily visible from all directions. Difficult to miss, is the CN Tower which stands at 1,815 feet, making it the Western Hemisphere’s tallest freestanding structure. Built at a cost of $63 million in 1976, the CN Tower weighs 130,000 tons! Ascending at a

rate similar to that of a jet plane takeoff, the elevators will zoom you up to one of four observation decks including the world’s highest, The Sky Pod, that sits at 1,465’. Feeling brave? Step outside the observation area for the exhilarating EdgeWalk! Toronto is a bold new city of glass towers. The CIBC Towers is a brand new generation of iconic AAA Bay Street office. The connected towers rise 49 floors each at 81 and 141 Bay Street, facing Union Station and the Air Canada Centre and straddling the train tracks that traverse the downtown core. One building is scheduled to be finished in

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t NOVEMBER 3, 2018

23

TRAVEL

Flow of traffic at The Westin Harbour Castle

A City of Towers 2020, the other in 2023. The 2.9 millionsquare-foot complex, to be developed and jointly managed by Ivanhoé Cambridge and privately owned U.S. developer Hines Interests LP, is among the more ambitious new projects to break ground in Toronto in recent years. Designed by architects WilkinsonEyre and Adamson Associates, it will draw together roughly 15,000 CIBC employees from many of the bank’s 20-plus offices across Toronto, pushing a piece of the city’s financial heart closer to the lakeshore. Another iconic building is the TD Canada Trust Tower, which is the foremost office tower in Canada and the country’s pre-eminent business address. Comprising over 1.14 million square feet of ‘AAA’ office space in the Brookfield Place Complex, 161 Bay Street is located in the heart of Toronto’s Financial Core at the corner of Bay and Front Street. It is directly connected to Union Station and the underground PATH network and is within close proximity to the city’s main highways; the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway. 161 Bay Street is also minutes away from Toronto’s downtown Billy Bishop International Airport and Toronto’s premier sports and entertainment facility, the Air Canada Centre. The building’s formidable architectural aspects and location attract top-tier tenants that occupy the country’s highest quality, core office space. The Complex comprised two office towers totalling over 2.4 million square feet, two smaller heritage office buildings, ground floor and concourse-level retail, a large concourse-level food court, a four-level parking garage and an outdoor public space, all connected via the spectacular Allan Lambert Galleria. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and B+H Architects, 161 Bay Street and was constructed in 1990 and is a sophisticated combination of modern architecture and Toronto heritage with features such as restored 19th century facades and the Santiago Calatrava designed Allan Lambert Galleria. This iconic six-storey pedestrian walkway was the result of an international competition.161 Bay was certified LEED Gold EB : O&M in August 2012. The L Tower at the heart of downtown Toronto is the evolution of 21st century living. An iconic landmark designed by celebrated architect Daniel Libeskind, the residential tower rises 57 storeys and is home to 600 suites, graced with high-end luxurious features and finishes. The exquisite interiors feature signature Munge Leung designed kitchen cabinetry, engineered hardwood flooring, stainless steel kitchen appliance package, granite kitchen countertop, marble bathroom countertop, 9-ft ceiling heights and more.

Tourists relaxing at the waterfront behind the Westin Harbour Hotel

CONT’D FROM PAGE 22

The L Tower at the heart of downtown Toronto is the evolution of 21st century living. An iconic landmark designed by celebrated architect Daniel Libeskind, the residential tower rises 57 storeys and is home to 600 suites, graced with high-end luxurious features and finishes

TD Towers

Spectacular condo amenities include catering kitchen for residents and their guests, library, private cinema, lounge, spa facilities and a 24-hour concierge. The project, which broke ground in mid-October 2009, was expected to be complete in mid-2015, but saw many delays. One cause for delay was a stop-work order caused by safety concerns about the crane at the top of the building. The crane was also an eyesore for many residents. Despite the crane (which was removed by September 2018), the building still won the eighth place Emporis Skyscraper Award in 2017. Apart from the aesthetic structures dotting the landscape of downtown Toronto, the planners of the modern city to make it more environmentally friendly, the drainage system and electric power cables are channelled underground. Cleanliness definitely rates high with Canadians, as you notice motorised trucks moving round on a daily basis to pick up waste from offices and homes. Disposing waste items on non-approved areas are frowned at and attract heavy fines. The urge to go back to Toronto to enjoy its beautiful sophisticated architectural works increases with each passing day.

L Tower

24

˜ ˞ NOVEMBER 3, 2018

TRIBUTE

Tony Anenih: When a Giant was Humbly Jude Ndukwe

I

am one of the few Nigerians who had met Chief TonyAnenih a few times before his call to glory. So while there are lots of things to write about him from historical perspectives, and from the writings and experiences of others about this giant of a man, I will be writing based on my personal experience and encounters with him. To say that it was a privilege that I was able to meet and speak with the Esan-born chief would be stating the very obvious. Before I met him for the first time some time in 2015 during the presidential campaigns, I had had the impression that such a man was unapproachable, and probably haughty and dismissive of people not in his class, stature or level in any way.And you would not blame me. When presidents and former presidents, governors, party leaders from all divides, kingmakers, political juggernauts, captains of industry, statesmen, serving and retired military top brass, leading members of the academia etc, regal a man with the uncommon title of “Mr Fix It�, for his prowess at finding solutions to all manner of sociopolitical challenges to the satisfaction of those involved, then you should know that such a man is someone who in my native language is referred to as nnukwu mmanwu (The Big Masquerade) who must be feared or there are consequences and whose appearance climaxes big occasions. But as forAnenih, he might have been the big masquerade but in place of fear, he exudes love and amiability. On meeting the former minister of works and housing, I came to discover that he was a firm but fair man in his dealings with people. He took decisions that would ordinarily not go down well with some people but that would bring solutions to almost every situation he was faced with leaving some with gladness and even others with admiration! During the 2015 general elections campaigns, ChiefAnthony Akhakon “Tony�Anenih served as SpecialAdviser to the Goodluck Jonathan/PDP Campaign Organisation.And as one would expect, there were times when different departments of the organisation had misunderstandings and disagreements that threatened the smooth running of Jonathan’s campaign, as the then media adviser to Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, former minister of aviation who was the Director of Media and Publicity of the Jonathan/PDP campaigns, I would join FFK to ChiefAnenih’s house where the issues were resolved. First, his humility hits you from the very beginning. Here was a man who never kept his visitors waiting as it is common with men of such status. Once you secured an appointment to see him, you were most likely going to find ChiefAnenih already seated waiting for you. Second, he had no airs. Except for issues that were very private, ChiefAnenih allowed as many of us on an entourage to be at meetings with him. Even when you offered to excuse yourself at such meetings, he would counter and insist you sat as there was nothing to hide. This usually made me uncomfortable as I was trained to usually excuse my elders/leaders whenever they are having discussions that are of little or no concern to me. But as this continued, I later discovered that this was Chief TonyAnenih’s own unspoken way of blooding the younger ones into maturity as it concerns politics,

Anenih

governance and leadership. He expected that those usually present at such crucial meetings learned one or two things about the art of resolving complex and high wire political matters without fear or favour, with firmness and fairness and with the larger picture always in mind.And truly, whatever matters were taken to him for resolution usually got resolved with the panache of a revered leader and the stamp of authority of a fixer since everyone usually got satisfied with the outcome of such meetings. He had his own peculiar way of taking honey into the lion’s den and return unscathed. He kept a busy schedule even till recently and did not seem to discriminate between the old and the young, the weak and the strong, the powerful and the downtrodden about who was coming to see him as I usually met people of all ages and status at his place who wanted to see him for one thing or the other. He was surely a man at home with being a solution provider to the people. In all these, Chief TonyAnenih had lived a political life devoid of the garrulousness of politicians of his status. He had carried himself with dignified gait and offered advice and solutions without making any noise about them. Even though he had children who are social media savvy, he had managed not to use that as an avenue to draw attention to himself. Until recently when age began to tell on him, he remained a very effective but quiet achiever and he expected his children and those who had met him to be so effective. I remember vividly well certain election that took place on twitter in which one of his sons participated and won. When that his son told him about it, he simply replied, “Wouldn’t you have won the election?� In other words, he expected not only his children but also

those who have passed under his tutelage to be winners, not just winners but magnanimous winners, and in case they lose, to be patient and wait for another time. This brings me to his children. I have met only one of them, Ose. If anyone would like to confirm all I have said aboutAnenih, just meet any of his children. Just like his father, Ose has no airs and no noise but only poise around him. I actually met him through one of my closest and trusted comrades and partner, MrAriyo-Dare Atoye. We had an urgent job to do and delivery date was closing in on us, and we were still searching for an office space. We were in a dire situation. It was either we delivered or we lost our goodwill. It was thenAriyo suggested we spoke to Ose if he could give us some space in his office.Ariyo did, and without much explanation from us, he gave us a space and also access to it and the facilities there even if he was not around. He left instructions with his staff to ensure we were comfortable.Apart from that, Ose would come around our desk once a while to see how far we were going with the project and offer his advice where necessary. Sometimes, aside work, we would gist and talk about sociopolitical developments in the country in very relaxed atmosphere that no one would even ever think that we were rent-free tenants even if it was for just a short moment. Such a pleasant fellow! This is in a country where children of men and women of such class oppress their fellow citizens with blaring sirens, scary revving of power bikes, and threats of menacing and mean looking aides and security personnel! The encounter with Ose left a lasting impression on me. To me, it reflects on the kind of family he comes from and the kind of training and legacy ChiefAnenih has bequeathed to his children. Beyond relying on their father’s influence for anything, they have been adequately equipped with life’s greatest virtues of humility, temperance, fortitude, prudence and charity to the extent that they can navigate through life’s challenges without much reliance on their father, his influence or affluence! Chief TonyAnenih’s influence on the political trajectory of Nigeria would also surely be missed by all no matter the political divide. It was such influence that former president Goodluck Jonathan referred to when he appealed toAnenih at a point to reconsider his decision to quit partisan politics. Hear Jonathan: “We agree that you will not attend meetings at 2am, 3am, but, in the areas of security and politics, we will consult you�. That is how important the man Chief Anenih was! He had the audacity to fix things where others dreaded to go near. His well known humble mien had nothing to do with his capacity and capabilities to deal decisively with situations no matter how hydra-headed or monstrous they were. He always rose up to the occasion and delivered.And that was why even presidents trusted him with sensitive tasks whether in government or when he was out of government. He did not earn the title “Mr Fix It� for nothing. He proved to be a courageous fixer! ChiefAnthonyAnenih who died on Sunday, October 28, at 85, would also be remembered for his generousity and philanthropy not only to the Church but also to the needy irrespective of religious background and political affiliation all of whom he had supported in no small way. As the family and Nigeria mourn the fall of this political giant, we pray that the soul of Chief TonyAnenih and the soul of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.Amen!

Arthur Nzeribe, Maverick Politician Clocks 80 Going around the palatial country home of Senator Francis Arthur Nzeribe, one can only hope to live forever even as the strong man of Oguta clocks 80 years, writes Amby Uneze

A

flashback of events leading to the 1979 episode that ushered the Second Republic, the name Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe was a household one in Nigeria mostly in the South-east. It was when Nzeribe was a strongman of the Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NPP). As a governorship aspirant then who contested against late Sam Mbakwe, he was very influential as a result of his flamboyant style of politicking as he used to campaign with his helicopter from where he was throwing 50 kobo notes across the old Imo State landscape and people would scramble for the cash. Nzeribe’s kind of politics overwhelmed the entire landscape through his “Hope ‘83� campaign slogan. By this period, Nzeribe had built apartments in his Oguta country home which were meant for commissioners that were expected to serve under his administration had it been he won the ’83 governorship election. His plan then was that all the commissioners would reside in his Oguta residence and come to work in Owerri, the state capital. By his calculation, he felt that the government should not spend so much money on the running of government if all the commissioners were to reside in his Oguta home. It was Arthur Nzeribe that brought his hometown, Oguta to limelight so also was Justice Chukwudifu Oputa (Charlie Boy’s father), the Nwapas , the Obiekes, and many others. His country home known as the ‘Haven of Peace’ (Nkpu Udo), a masterpiece that occupies a massive land space across the Oguta River, built over the years remains a magnificent architecture anytime any day. No wonder, General T.Y. Danjuma ( rtd ) described it as ‘an expansive country home and most elaborate’. The property is serviced till date by over 150 staff with departments and sections manned by supervisors including foreigners.

Nzeribe

The expansive environment is always kept neat. This 80 years old politician who was popularly referred to in political parlance as “maverick� had lived and worked in Ghana, Nigeria and Europe and managed to possess a lot of movable and immovable properties including aircraft, working closely with leaders of the world. Nzeribe also became popular in Nigeria during the June 12 saga as he was alleged to have been used by the Ibrahim Babangida military regime to scuttle

the 1993 presidential election believed to have been won my Alhaji Moshood Abiola. Nzeribe whose chieftaincy titles include Ogbuagu, Oshiji, Damanze, Oyimba Oguta won election into the Senate on under different political platforms until he was defeated in the 2006 primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Francis Arthur Nzeribe was born on November 2, 1938, in Oguta Imo State. He attended Holy Ghost College, Owerri, and then got a scholarship from the Nigerian Ports Authority in 1958 to study Marine Engineering in England. By 1960, he was selling life insurance to black immigrants in Britain. He met Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana that year and started to work for Nkrumah in public relations. He bought his first Rolls Royce a year later. After the fall of Nkrumah in 1966, he lost influence in Ghana. In 1969, Nzeribe started the Fanz Organisation based in London, dealing in heavy construction, arms, oil brokerage, publishing and property investment, with much business in the Middle East and Gulf states. By 1979, Fanz had an annual trading turnover of ÂŁ70 million. In Nigeria, Nzeribe built up Sentinel Assurance and other companies. In 1983, he won a senatorial seat to represent Orlu senatorial district. In 1993, he floated Association for a Better Nigeria (ABN), which backed General Ibrahim Babangida in the annulment of what was described as the fairest and freest presidential election in the history of Nigeria. Nzeribe was elected Senator for the Imo Orlu senatorial district 1999 and was reelected in 2003. –––Ike Ewuzie, the Project Manager of Mital Nigeria Limited, a company putting a facelift to the structures in Nzeribe’s country home including a beďŹ tting chapel said: “I have been here since May building several projects for Chief Nzeribe. Nzeribe’s wife, OgbueďŹ Joan expressed gratitude to God for his husband’s health and accomplishment.

25

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍąËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

JOE/FAJ

Who’s Holding Buhari Captive?

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated time without number that he is no one’s lackey. He upped the ante during his inauguration in 2015 with his now famous declaration that ‘I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody. Therefore, any individual or group wishing to reverse this trend has to rethink. So whether you love or hate him, Buhari has this penchant for speaking from the depth of his heart as his spirit gives him utterance regardless of whose ox is gored. He may be slow to act, indecisive at times, almost boring, but when he finally speaks, he leaves few in doubt that he is speaking his mind on any issue as he sees it without pretension, embellishment or colouration. He is simply blunt and some may say arrogant yet he owes no one any apologies. Which is why the storm stirred by his admission during his visit to commiserate with the people of Kaduna that he was not informed that 70 persons had been killed is surprising to many. Given Buhari’s antecedent, it is only those who have not been following him closely that would raise such dust because it has become the President’s stock in trade to make such statements innocuously. Although Samuel Aruwan, Senior Special Assistant to the Kaduna State Governor (Media and Publicity), who is not authorized to speak for the president has debunked the reports via a series of tweets that read: “I anchored President Buhari’s condolence visit to Kaduna on Tuesday. At no point did Mr. President say that nobody informed him about the loss of 70 lives in Kaduna. He came to Kaduna precisely to condole with the people and the government, a very welcome act of solidarity; Buhari is not new to such controversies. It will be recalled that in Benue state during a similar visit recently and at a meeting of Benue State stakeholders, Buhari told the bewildered elders that he was unaware the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris had failed to carry out his orders to relocate and deploy special forces to stop the killings going on in the clash between farmers and Fulani herders. So if the President is unaware of the killing of over 70 persons in Kaduna and his IG fails to redeploy to Benue state as instructed by the President, who then calls the shot at the Presidency? The wife of the President, Aisha Buhari gave lucid indication of an existing cabal that has captured the President and controls the administration. According to her, “The president does not know 45 out of 50, for example, of the people he appointed and I don’t know them either, despite being his wife of 27 years. Some people are sitting

THEFRONTLINES WITH

JOSEPH USHIGIALE e-mail: jushigiale@yahoo.co.uk, joseph.ushigiale@thisdaylive.com mobile phone: 08023422660 (sms only)

Buhari down in their homes folding their arms only for them to be called to come and head an agency or a ministerial position. “I have decided as his wife, that if things continue like this up to 2019, I will not go out and campaign again and ask any woman to vote like I did before. I will never do it again. You will know them [the people who hijacked Buhari’s government] if you watch television.� She was asked whether at this point she was still confident that her husband was in charge of things in the presidency, she retorted by saying: “That is left for the people to decide.� Mrs Buhari was not alone, her position was corroborated by Senate President Bukola Saraki who confirmed Nigerians’ worst fears. According to Saraki, “what has become clear is that there is now a government within the government of President Buhari which has seized the apparatus of Executive powers to pursue its nefarious agenda.� But it would appear the so-called cabal is not only out to undermine the President but also national security. Let’s compare Buhari’s reactions to the killings across the country to George W. Bush reaction during 9/11. On the morning of September 11, 2001, around 9:10, in front of a sign stating “Reading Makes a Country Great�, George W. Bush was reading The Pet Goat while also listening to it being recited by a group of schoolchildren at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota County, Florida,

just after White House Chief of staff, Andrew Card informed him that a second plane had hit the twin towers. The reaction from Bush and his staff was spontaneous. All hands were on deck to keep Americans and America safe from terrorist attacks. He reassured the nation, mobilized his security chiefs and rallied pan- American support to defeat terrorists and terrorism. In the next 12 hours after the attack, although the country was under siege, Bush left no one in doubt that he was in charge and not a cabal. Even if Aruwan would argue that Buhari did not feign ignorance of the killings in Kaduna, there are a litany of cases where it has become clear the President is clearly turning a deaf ear to or not in control. Take the case of the chairman of the defunct Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina who was under investigation by the EFCC for his complicity in over N2b pension scam. Maina was declared wanted by Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in 2013 and was is still on the commission’s wanted list when curiously, the minister of interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau announced that he “was posted a few days ago to the Ministry of Interior by the Office of the Head of Service on an Acting capacity to fill a vacancy created following the retirement of the Director heading the Human Resources Department in the Ministry�. The Presidency said it was unaware of his presence in Nigeria and a committee was set up by Buhari to investigate the circumstances leading to his return to the federal civil service. The report was submitted and nothing has been heard of it. Maina was relieved of his post and left to go scot free. What about the case of the former Secretary to the Federal Government Eng. Babachir Lawal? He was suspended in April 2016 for allegedly violating the law and due process in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE). Buhari was forced to fire Lawal, more than two months after he received the report of the probe panel he set up headed by Vice President Yemi Osibajo and after heavy criticism of how he handles graft allegations against his allies. Readers can continued online www.thisdaylive.com

Ă™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă™ Ă™ĂĄËœ Ă™ Ă“Ă‘Ă’ Ă˜ Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ë

I

t is worrisome when I read people I admire their work and antecedents join the chorus of “Ok, he’s corrupt...we agree he’s a thief...but we prefer to vote for a competent corrupt thief who is ready to work and prepared to act...instead of a lifeless one who pretends to be Mr. Integrity, and we’re suffering, while his own people are smiling...� And thoughts similar to that...in 2018!

This is a rehash of the repugnant mantra four years ago when men and women supposedly sound and progressive joined the mundane mantra of “...even if all he has is NEPA bill...if he has only toilet paper as a certificate...in fact, if he has no certificate, we will still vote for him...�. Ironically, we are always surprised and disappointed when the results of lowering the eligibility bar of merit, experience or competence hit us hard like a poorly thrown uppercut. If you didn’t care if an “illiterate� ruled you, why should you complain when your hopes are dashed. If in your mind, you are already making room for a “thief� to lead you...why, in all that is good and gracious, do you expect to still have a treasury after four years? Or do you expect that he would have grown so tired of stealing that on sighting your awuf littering all over the dark spots where they hide such loose money, a restraining spirit will fall upon him, and baptise him with the Saul-to-Paul oil of deliverance? Sorry, Damascus is very far from Asokoro! Yes, we have our preferences; we may have genuine and concrete reasons to distrust Muhammadu Buhari or Atiku Abubakar... going forward, we must not fail in our duty as opinion leaders, intellectuals, analysts and journalists (I dare to speak to this elite group)...we must not abdicate from our invaluable roles of provoking the capacity for intelligent appreciation of choices facing our youth and the generality of our people who are not yet partisanly entrenched. It will not augur well for our country when we mislead those reading and watching people who should know and guide into falling into such level of the same watermark where it matters not whether a leader “is a confirmed international thief� or “has only NEPA-bill as certificate�...he will still receive our votes! As if only these two types of individuals populate our leadership cadre. Of course, we may have strong reservations about the quality of leaders presented to us...yes, let let us challenge their competence, vision and “fruits�... but we must never indulge their excesses or malfeasance... Never! Whatever

the justification! Now this: I know Buhari made efforts to explain his certificate matter in 2014... Premium Times, an online publication, in January, 2015 unearthed a transcript of the 1961 results from the University of Cambridge West African School Certificate Examinations body in which he “obtained five credits in English Language, Geography, Hausa Language, History and Health Science�. Earlier in same January, the authorities of his alma mater, Provincial Secondary School, Katsina (now Government College) also released a testimonial affirming that Buhari sat for same examinations. While the cynicism still persisted, his supporters went to town about the plausible reason he could not present a hard copy: the original copy had supposedly gone missing during the putch of his regime by the Ibrahim Babangida-led interrupters... when a Major Dasuki(?) led troops to sack and thrash his office and home. That same Dasuki has now been in detention (unjustifiably?) for over three years, accused of heinous crimes while serving as NSO to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who is free as a bird. Those who did not believe the missing certificate story have approached the courts... That is as it should be. And the defendant has expectedly spruced up a high-powered defence team. The matter should be pursued to its conclusion. On the other hand, Atiku has had his image thrashed by allegations and charges that he was involved in corrupt practices alongside his fourth wife and others in the USA... apart from anciliary and equally disturbing allegations.... These accusations have been floating without unimpeachable explanations for years. Can the man in the eye of the storm make a categorical defence...face the challenges inherent in dismissing the allegations/charges... or sue for damages from some of those who seek to defame or assassinate his character? In the interim, let anyone who does not believe Atiku’s off-hand protestations of innocence approach the bench... We must know the truth, one way or another. Let us put a stop to “managing� our leaders...their remiss is to manage our affairs well. Only the best of us should lead the rest of us! Are these two the best of us?

- SNIPPETS -

“President Muhammadu Buhari-+ (recently) received meeting proceedings and resolution of the National

COUNTERPOINT BY

FEMI

AKINTUNDE-JOHNSON e-mail: fajalive1@gmail.com mobile phone: (08182223348 - SMS Only)

Minimum Wage Negotiation Tripartite Committee. Report says the document contained proceedings of all the meetings the Committee had, including the resolution to have N30,000 as the new minimum wage. It’s expected that president will make his final pronouncement after going through the document.� - Sir, make your mind up as quickly as possible... November 6 threat of the labour leaders may not be real, but the anxieties amongs the people are! That which you want to do... Act now...not on Nov. 5! XXXXXXXXXXX “The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has said that there was no plan to impeach the Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode. The lawmaker, while dismissing the current rumours on plans by the House to impeach Ambode pointed out that impeachment was constitutional and has its process, but added that the lawmakers were not embarking on that yet.� - When the masquerade is chasing his lead guide, it is obvious that there is discord in the Grove. The sword over Ambode’s head in the wintering six months remaining for him is called “YET�! What a dog’s life!! XXXXXXXXXXX “A coalition of the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidates have insisted that the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole must be removed now. The coalition, in a statement, described the former Edo State Governor as cancerous, accusing him of causing much of the crisis brewing in the party.� - Emm... Emm... Coalition of wetin? So, there were other Presidential candidates in APC? Were they sleeping when their party was carrying on several weeks before the primary as if Buhari was the only aspirant available? Well, that cancer has spread wide and deep for us to be hearing of disgruntled aspirants, long after the party has ended. Please, shift!

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t NOVEMBER 3, 2018

26

SPYGLASS

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

Fresh Trouble for Richard Nyong Richard Nyong, CEO, Lekki Gardens, came to the nation’s real estate sector with a clear vision and mission: to change the sector. He pursued the vision with uncommon gusto to the surprise of even some established players in the industry. Indeed, his arrival on the scene, so to say, had caused a stir in the industry, as he also delighted stakeholders with beautiful promises. But suddenly, there was a new twist to his story when Nyong and his contractor were arrested and arraigned in connection with the death of some workers at one of his construction sites in Lekki, Lagos State. The development later forced him to go underground. But if you think his travails are over, you are wrong. The pathetic tale of the Akwa-Ibom State-born businessman reminds one of the saying that misfortune sometimes comes not singly but in myriad. Spyglass gathered that over 20 unit owners

in the Horizon Premier-1 Estate in Lekki, Lagos have dragged the developer, Nyong, before a Lagos High Court over an alleged distortion of the estate layout by building shops in the space originally meant for children playground, green area and recreation facilities. In the suit filed by the law firm of Advocaat Law Practice, the claimants are demanding an immediate reversion to the original layout in the 33-unit estate, which suffered over two years of delay in delivery, a default for which the subscribers are also demanding compensation. It was also gathered that Lekki Gardens had sold the units in the estate in 2015 with a pledge to deliver in 2016. However, it turned out an airy promise; hence the suit this year. The claimants noted that rather than apologise for the delay and make adequate

compensation for loss of rent revenue to subscribers, the developer, in a desperate move to raise money after suffering from a huge loss from the collapse of one of its buildings in March 2016, decided to convert the space for children’s playground, green area and recreation facilities to shops under the guise of providing facility offices. It will be recalled that a six-story building at Ikate Elegushi area of Lekki belonging to the developer had collapsed on March 10, 2016 during construction, killing over 30 people and injuring many others. To avoid the stigma the incident brought to the Lekki Gardens brand and to shield the company from liabilities, Nyong was said to have set up new property development companies to advance his business. The companies are Meridian Park Estate Limited; Horizon Estate Limited; and Foreshore Waters Limited.

Lagos First Lady, Bolanle Ambode’s Homily

BOLANLE AMBODE

Lagos State First Lady, Bolanle Ambode, has shown evidence of a privileged woman blessed with a heart of gold. All her actions in the past years point to the fact that she shares in her husband’s vision, which is to further change the face of Lagos State, while also bettering the lives of the indigenes. As Chairman of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), she has initiated countless activities to promote mother and child care. Speaking at the just concluded COWLSO conference, she urged

women all over the world to be pillars of growth and development of their countries. Ambode, who lauded COWLSO for a being pacesetter, added that the quest to continually improve the welfare of women and sustain the vintage position of Lagos State in the federation was one of the key objectives behind the annual gathering. She also urged women to learn to come together to support one other and discard unproductive habits, adding that “there is advantage in numerical strength.”

Kemi Adeosun Resurfaces After several months of planning, the 10th edition of the annual conference of Arise Women, a faith-based nongovernmental organisation committed to accelerating nation- building through the empowerment of women in the society, held amidst pomp and circumstance on Saturday, October 27, at the City of David Sanctuary, Church Road, Victoria Island,Lagos. The event, with the theme “Arise Now”, was conveyed by Mrs. Siju Iluyomade. Though it has come and gone, the presence of the immediate past Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, on the occasion, had generated mixed reactions from some of the guests. It was obvious that she was probably making her first public appearance

after she was forced to quit her plum job over her National Youths Service Corps certificate saga. Following her resignation from the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari, Adeosun, a chartered accountant, had gone into hibernation of sorts, leaving many to wonder about her whereabouts. However, she seems to have put the sad development behind her and moved on. Other dignitaries in attendance at the memorable event were wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo; Wife of Lagos State, Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode; wife of the Imo State Governor, Mrs. Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha; First Lady of Kwara State, Mrs. Omolara Ahmed.

RICHARD NYONG

Toyin SokefunBello’s Recognition Toyin Sokefun- Bello used to be a member of a music sensation, KUSH, an all-female group. Together with the likes of Lara and Emem, the band made a grand entry into the nation’s entertainment firmament and sustained its tempo with several award-winning hits. But just when many were thinking that the group had come to stay, it disappeared, leaving many in wonderment of what could have necessitated their sudden exit. Well, that was several years ago! Today, the girls have grown into ladies and are doing so well in their individual endeavours. Toyin, fondly called TY Bello, has been showcasing her other talent in photography. She is a household name and enjoys patrongage by rich clientele spreading across different walks of life. As evident of her rising profile, beautiful TY Bello, last week, was honoured with an award at the 18th National Conference in Lagos for her outstanding work in photography and creative arts. A visibly elated TY Bello could not hide her joy about the honour done her by the organisers.

KEMI ADEOSUN

Muyiwa Akinlabi’s Generosity

MUYIWA AKINLABI

Muyiwa Akinlabi is a chartered accountant of repute. Akinlabi, by all standards, is also a successful farmer. He has succeeded in growing his company, Blosmak Agro-Allied Farms, to an enviable height. But above this, Akinlabi is loved by many for his philanthropic gestures. He is literally addicted to giving back to the society. Unlike many, he detests unnecessary celebration or

publicity over his benevolence, which he sees as a divine obligation. He is said to have assisted many indigent students to realise their dreams, academically. Through his mentorship, many budding entrepreneurs are today smiling to the banks In addition, Akinlabi, a devout Christian and motivational speaker, is also famous for his care for the aged, which he does so religiously.

TY BELLO

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t NOVEMBER 3, 2018

27

MARKET PLACE with Omolabake Fasogbon... 08155131874

R-L: Country Manager, Core Group Africa iStore, Sachin Verma ; Manager , iStore ; Kolapo Agunloye; Chief Executive Officer, Core Group Africa, Matthew Grose; and iStore Manager, Kolapo Arogundade during the launch of iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max at the iStore ,Ikeja City Mall in Lagos yesterday

L-R: Director , Corporate Affairs, Philip Morris Limited, Mr. Ibrahim Fadipe; President, Nigeria Society for Toxicological Sciences ,NSTS , Prof. Uche Osunkwo; Representative of Minister of Science and Technology, Mr. Akinyemi Oyefeso; Pharmacologist, University of Abuja, Prof. Florence Nwinyi; and Manager, Translational Research Strategy, Dr. Ashraf Elamin, during the first scientific conference of the NSTS in Abuja, recently

iStore Unveils iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max in Lagos Amid fun and excitement, the latest models of Apple phone, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max were officially introduced to the Nigerian market yesterday. The new products were unveiled by iStore, Apple Authorised Reseller, in ShopRite Ikeja Lagos, and the event was graced by some popular Nigerian celebrities who had pre-ordered the devices. Featuring a standard array of internal improvements, including a better camera and faster processor, the new phones boast an internal storage, with an upper limit of 512GB. According to the company, the XS Max features parade a 6.5-inch screen, significantly larger than that of the older iPhone 8 Plus, but with the edge-

to-edge design of the iPhone X line while both phones have the same cameras and processors. The iPhone XS is also said to have a 30 minutes longer battery life than the X, while the XS Max battery last 90 minutes more, giving the two devices 12 and 13 hours life during internet browsing. Speaking at the launch, Chief Executive Officer of Core Group Africa, Matthew Grose, explained that the new products offered more in terms of gaming, lifestyle, films, social media, businesses and others to improve users live experience. To enjoy Apple’s maximum services and other perks that come with it offerings, Grose further advised customers to pick their products in any iStore locations in Nigeria.

“When customers get their new iPhone at iStore, they get access to our full range of exclusive benefits and services, including free tech support, free training and access to financing a device for over 8 months. “Customers can also visit iStore to upgrade to the latest model of iPhone and save up to 50% when they trade in their existing iPhone. Bring any device you have on hand and trade them in to put towards buying your new iPhone, iPad or Mac. “To encourage early adopters, most especially students and teachers, we will also be offering a discount of 5% on any of our products purchased in iStore”, he said.

Computer VillageTraders Seek FG’s Intervention on Growth Traders in Computer Village market, Ikeja, Lagos, have called on federal government to intervene in their activities for improved growth and development. Speaking on their behalf, Chief Executive Officer of Mojoy Computers Limited, Mrs. Nike Shittu, stated that considering the market’s huge potential, it was important that government at the national level and its relevant agencies set up a small and medium enterprises (SMEs), support programme to aid businesses in the market, being a critical segment of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry in Nigeria. Shittu noted that a lot of operators were migrating from the environment to pursue a career in the formal sector, hence, slowing down development in the general ICT space.

Shittu said: “I have been doing business in this arena for 18 years and I must say that the market has evolved to become the leading technology business hub in Nigeria. “It is however unfortunate that government have not shown enough support for SMEs which happens to be the backbone of the economy of many countries . Small businesses gather small number of people and before you know it, they are taking unemployment out of the country. “I should be doing more than I’m doing now but I cannot because of financial constraints. Despite the value of activities here, we have never been encouraged by the authority. By the time one goes to the bank, they start asking for things that one might not even own, this shows that the banks too don’t believe in us.”

The Mojoy Chief therefore appealed to institutions like the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Ministries of Communication and Information, to always represent the interest of the market before the federal government. “We need help within the cluster, and I don’t think that Federal Government can see us from afar . With the intervention of relevant institutions,we believe we can get the needed help and be offered facilities that will be within unit interest to help and sustain us. Borrowing at 28%, 30% is like we are just working for the bank, we actually need this help so urgently”, she said. Shittu also encouraged women and youths to remain committed to their respective businesses regardless of accompanying risks.

EStoreSMS.com Upgrades Platform A leading provider of bulkSMS and mobile marketing solutions in Nigeria, eStoreSMS.com, has upgraded its platform to deal in political campaigns and bills payments. According to the company, its expansion to the political space was as a result of the pool of opportunities and depthness of SMS marketing in the field. It added that its diversification into bill payments was to allow users to also pay for paytv subscriptions on its platform. Spokesperson and Manager of the company, Tope Olarewaju, pointed out that SMS marketing outperforms other channels like social media, radio and TV as a last-mile tool to reach the electorates. He said: “The technology is optimised to deliver campaign messages, mobilise volunteers, send out timely information and keep the aspirant top of mind during an election period. “Approximately 84 million people with permanent voters’ card are eligible to vote in the upcoming 2019 elections according to the Independent National Electoral Commission ,INEC . “As SMS is priced below three naira per message, experts posit that the medium might indeed be more effective as a last-mile approach for political parties to reach electorates, especially those in sub-urban and rural communities where the majority might not have access to smartphones. Olarewaju also highlighted a bouquet of services that include bulk SMS, airtime top-up, phone number database and voice SMS. Group Chief Operating Officer of the parent company, Quam Ojikutu noted that the firm was on course with political stakeholders to obtain the demographic-specific phone number database that comprises their target electorates and send SMS at affordable rates.

Indomie Sustains Support as Lagos Chelsea Dry Gin Rewards Consumers at Felabration 2018 Unveils 2018 Spelling Bee Champion Dufil Prima Foods, makers of Indomie Noodles has sustained its support for the annual Lagos Spelling Bee competition as the 2018 winner emerged. The winner, Ajala Gloria,14 , of Lafiaji Senior High School was declared overall winner after beating 57 other contestants from across the six education districts in the state. The initiative, of which Indomie is a major partner, is aimed at encouraging academic excellence among students in the state. At the end of this year’s contest, Ikhariale Grace of Tin Can Island Senior High School came second while Akinbodewa Oluwatosin of Iworo Ajido Senior Secondary School emerged third. All the winners were handsomely rewarded with cash prizes, a trophy, school bags, dictionaries and other educational materials. Speaking during the competition grand finale in Lagos , Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule, praised the winners for displaying exceptional brilliance

and added that the programme had helped to boost reading habits among young students in the state. In his address, Group Public Relations and Events Manager of Dufil Prima Foods, Mr. Tope Ashiwaju, said Indomie resolved to sponsor the competition to enhance learning outcome for students in the state. “As a brand, we have keen interest in education development for the Nigerian child which explains our unwavering support for the Spelling Bee project. We are committed to the child’s whole development,we know that Spelling Bee does not only build phonetics, but also boosts memory and confidence of students,” he said. He added that the organisation would continue to support quality education for the Nigerian child. “This is Indomie’s brand legacy and we hope that the partnership with Lagos State Government will continue to grow stronger,” he stressed.

Nigeria’s foremost gin brand – Chelsea London Dry Gin recently sponsored the annual musical festival, Felabration held in honour and memory of the Afrobeat Legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. The event which was held at the popular New Africa Shrine, Ikeja, attracted over 80 musical acts within and outside Nigeria. The seven-day event saw music fans troop out in their thousands to attend the event. The King of Gin – Chelsea London Dry Gin - rewarded consumers for their loyalty. Some of the gifts won by consumers of the brand and best dancers were TV set, Deep Freezers, Generators, Table top Fridges, Gas Cookers and Washing machines. According to Afolabi Kasomo, Brand Manager Chelsea London Dry Gin, “Being the King of Gin, we are leveraging on the event as one of the avenues to connect with our patrons and lovers of good music not just Afrobeat alone, to have a feel of the brand experience and also reward them for their loyalty over the years.”

The brand has always associated and partnered with the Felabration over time and will continue to do so. This year’s event marked Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s posthumous 80th birthday and the theme is ‘Baba at 80 Overtaking Overtake.

28

THISDAYtSATURDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2018

GLOBAL SOCCER A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

03.11.2018

Liverpool Test

Isacc Success Has He Rediscovered His Groove?

PAGE. 32

30

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ NOVEMBER 3, 2018

GLOBAL SOCCER

Has He Rediscovered His Groove? After his record transfer from Granada to Watford, Isaac Success was not successful at hitting the back of the net for the Hornets, managing just a goal in 19 appearances in his first season to the disappointment of the fans. However, since the start of the current season, the 22-year-old seems to have found his groove again, scoring twice in the Carabao Cup against Tottenham Hotspur culminating in his invitation to the national team for the first time since 2017, for the doubleheader AFCON qualifier against Libya. Just last weekend, the 2013 U-17 World Cup star was on target in the English Premier League change in attitude has been behind his

W

atford boss, Javi Garcia, thrilled with Isaac Success and has praised him after scoring a goal of the season contender in the Hornets 3-0 rout of Huddersfield Town in the Premier League last

Saturday. Robert Pereyra and Gerard Deulofeu scored two brilliant individual goals in the first half but the Spanish gaffer has picked Success’ 80th-minute strike as his favourite because the goal was created on the training ground. ”I prefer the last one. We were able to have a good free-kick, with three good passes and then Isaac was able to score his first goal of the Premier League season,” Gracia said to Watford’s official webpage. ”I prefer always the collective rather than individual actions. All of them were amazing.” The Nigerian international has featured in every single game played by Watford in all competitions this season

and broke into the starting lineup in their last two Premier League games. ”Isaac was working very hard before coming back for pre-season. He was fit, he was ready to play and he has been waiting for his moment, his chance, and now he’s showing his level. ”I don’t think there is a secret or something special. It is about hard work and being patient for his chance to play,” Garcia said. His newfound form could not be ignored by Super Eagles head coach, Gernot Rohr, as the German tactician recalled Success for their back-to-back 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Libya after the Watford forward last played for Nigeria in 2017 in a friendly game against Senegal. He is also in a good stead to earn his third straight cap for the Super Eagles for Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Africa in Johannesburg. It has taken 10 appearances eight of those as a substitute for Success to score his first Premier League goal of the season last Saturday against Hud-

dersfield Town, though he had earlier scored twice in the League Cup against Tottenham Hotspurs. His move to England was expected to be his big break for his career, instead, the most prominent headline was an alleged dispute with four prostitutes in a Hettfordshire hotel. But this season, not only was the forward not making the right choices, but he was not getting the right counsel to help him navigate those waters. “In life, we come across difficulties, we come across challenges,” he began. “Some people are meant to get a solution to their challenges easier than others. I just think it was a difficult challenge for me I was not around the right people to put me in a position to get a solution quickly and come back to my feet again. “Then I got injured because I wasn’t fit enough, and when I came back from my knee injury I added a bit of weight and that made me more unfit. That slowed me a bit.” He, however, acknowledges that a

improvement. “I had a different mentality then than now,” he continued. “Then I thought talent can do it all because to me I know the talent is there. I realised just before the start of this season that talent was not enough, and hard work will always beat talent. So I am more of a professional now. It took a lot of time to adapt to the Premier League system, the lifestyle and professionalism.” Coming to that realisation helped Success put in the work necessary and he decided to do it well before the other players at the start of the campaign. “I had a plan for myself, I set a target for myself this season and I stuck to it with the aid of my boss. I came in two weeks before the pre-season started, and went to Manchester to do some personal training with my trainer. “I think that helped me because it made me stronger and by the time preseason came, I was already fresh and fit so I was able to compete and now I am getting more chances in the Watford team.

NOVEMBER 3, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

31

GLOBAL SOCCER

“l lost a couple of kilos which has made me fitter and quicker for my team,” he continued. “I think I have now become a better person, I have become a better professional and that helped my career a lot. “I would like to say thank you to Javi Gracia and Watford that they had belief in me and have been giving me chances all season to build up my fitness level. Now, I am in shape and ready to go any time.” Despite his track record, Success has insisted that there should be no concern of him falling off the wagon again. “I am a much better player now, much better professional,” he continued. “I know my ability, I know my quality. I just want to keep on working hard and giving what I can give to both my country and the club side. “Obviously, being the third striker, I am not far from getting a starting shirt. All I need to do is just keep on working. “Whenever I get in five minutes, 10 minutes, I just try to make an impact on the team. That impact is going to keep on growing until I get into the team, and when I get into the team, it’s left for me to seal it up and say no going back. “I just want to say I thank God I am now with the right people to put me through in my career because I can’t do it alone and I am grateful to them. Now is just the time to take what belongs to me, the forward concluded. It, however, remains to be seen if Success has finally found back his groove.

G LO B A L S O C C E R ASSIS ASSISTANT A STANT T EDITOR EDITOR T KUNLE ADEWALE WAHAB W AKINTUNDE THISDAY ON SATURDAY SATURDAY SA EDITOR T YEMI ADEBOWALE W DEPUTY U EDITOR T CHIKA AMANZE-NWACHUKU THISDAY NEWSPAPERS EDITOREDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN T IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA MANAGING DIRECT CTOR DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUT UTY MANAGING D IREC IRE CTOR DEPUTY DIRECTOR KAYO AY YODE ODE EK OMOLAF OMO MOLAF MO LAFE KAYODE KOMOLAFE

32

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž Ć˜ Íť Ëœ ͺ͸͚΀

GLOBAL SOCCER

CAF Champions League: AL Ahly Close to Winning 9th Trophy

E

gyptian giants, Al Ahly yesterday at the Borg El Arab Stadium, Alexandria, moved closer to winning the CAF Champions League for the 9th time after defeating a familiar foe, Esperance of Tunisia 3-1. Walid Soliman scored two penalties for Al-Ahly while Amr Al Sulaya also scored for the home side, but Esperance have a lifeline through a penalty netted by Youcef Beaili as his Algerian compatriot, referee Mehdi Abid Charef, took centre stage. The visitors were handed the opportunity to halve the deďŹ cit when they were awarded a penalty when Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy raced off his line and crashed into on-rushing Esperance forward Belaili. Algerian Belaili took the spotkick himself and drilled the ball low into the bottom corner. Charef then awarded a third penalty with 15 minutes remaining, again consulting the VAR, after Azaro went down in the box in an off-the-ball incident. Despite replays suggesting there was little in it, he upheld his deci-

sion and Soliman converted. The second leg will be played next Friday at the Stade Olympique de Rades just outside Tunis as AlAhly seek to extend their record of eight Champions League victories. At stake is not just the trophy but the prize of N900 million ($2.5 million or 2.2 million Euros), apart from the winner qualifying automatically for the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. Participating in the Club World Cup by the winner also guarantees at least another N360 million or $1 million. Both sides met in the ďŹ nal of 2012 edition, with Ahly winning 3-2 on aggregate to claim their seventh title. The two teams are familiar foes on the continent, having met 16 times at various stages of the Champions League, starting with two goalless 1990 qualiďŹ ers. Al Ahly and Esperance count between them 10 Champions League titles, with Ahly the record champions having eight titles, with two for the Tunisians. Yesterday’s ďŹ nal was Ahly’s 12th appearance in the ďŹ nal, which is an African record.

Bayern, Freiburg Live on StarTimes Today

I

n its usual manner of treating subscribers to an awesome football experience, StarTimes subscribers will this weekend continue to enjoy live matches from the Bundesliga season as Bayern Munich slugs it out with Freiburg at the Allianz Arena on today, by 3:30p.m. on StarTimes (Channel 254 and 245). Bayern, currently occupying the second position on the Bundesliga table with 19 points will battle it out with 9th placed Freiburg with 12 points to progress on the league table. Bayern Munich are set to be without Thiago Alcantara for ‘a few weeks’ after the influential midfielder suffered an ankle ligament injury. The Spanish international limped out of the German giants’ DFB-Pokal win over Rodinghausen on Tuesday, adding to injury worries for manager Niko Kovac.

The former Barcelona man, 27, who has played in 14 out of 15 competitive games this season, was replaced on Tuesday night in the 75th minute after being fouled. And Bayern Munich Coach, Niko Kovac, who was under pressure last month after a run of four games without a win, admitted the injury “doesn’t look good�. Bayern, second in the Bundesliga after nine matches, have had injury problems all season with Tolisso, Leon Goretzka, Kingsley Coman, Arjen Robben, Jerome Boateng, Rafinha, Mats Hummels and Franck Ribery all absent at times. Wolfsburg will also host current Table toppler, Dortmund at the Volkswagen Arena today by 3.30p.m. West African time for more points to retain its place as the first on the Bundesliga table.

G

Arsenal’s Emery Evolution Faces Liverpool Test Two of the top four in the Premier League will face o this evening when Arsenal welcome Liverpool to the Emirates Stadium. Unai Emery’s Gunners have come a long way since losing their ďŹ rst two Premier League games of the season and they face a major test of their credentials with the visit of unbeaten Liverpool. Just two places and four points separate the two teams going into the weekend, with both enjoying impressive unbeaten streaks which they will be putting on the line

T

hings have been going very well for Unai Emery at Arsenal so far, but today’s visit of Liverpool will be a good marker of exactly where the Gunners are in their post –Arsene Wenger transition. Most fans would have taken their current position at this stage of the season, sitting fourth in the table and only four points off the top two following back-to-back finishes outside the Champions League places. Confidence both in the team and in the stands has certainly grown in recent months, with Arsenal unbeaten in their last 13 matches across all competitions and winning 12 of those. It is an impressive record regardless of

the opposition, but question marks still remain over whether the Gunners are genuine top-four or even title contenders considering they have not been tested against one of their direct rivals since matchday two of the season. At that stage things looked a lot more concerning, with Arsenal losing at home to Manchester City and then going down 3-2 at the hands of Chelsea the following weekend. Liverpool are the only other team currently above them in the table, and Emery will know that his side need a big result against a big team to truly convince their fans that they are a force to be reckoned with once again. Whether that occurs this weekend

remains to be seen, but there are more reasons for trepidation than optimism ahead of this match, despite the recent run of results. The Gunners have conceded more goals than any other team in the top seven of the table, and there are lingering concerns that they have got off lightly by only letting in 13 from their 10 matches so far. A team with the attacking talents of Liverpool seem well equipped to expose some of the flaws which have perhaps previously gone unpunished. Even Wednesday’s EFL Cup win over League One side, Blackpool was not straightforward, although they held on with 10 men to set up a North London

derby quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur. Last weekend, a pair of Crystal Palace penalties saw Arsenal’s 11-match winning streak across all competitions finally ended at Selhurst Park. Arsenal have won all seven of their home games in all competitions since their opening-day defeat to Manchester City, though, and they have not been beaten by a visiting team other than the Premier League champions since February’s Europa League defeat to Ostersunds. The visit of Liverpool poses arguably their toughest test since the Manchester City clash, though, and the result today could tell us a lot about how high

33

ÍťËœ ͺ͸͚΀ Ëž THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

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

P 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

GD 24 16 17 11 8 7 4 0 2 0 -2 0 -6 -6 -11 -8 -14 -17 -8 -17

PTS 26 26 24 22 21 20 19 17 15 15 14 13 8 8 8 7 5 5 3 3

Fixture TODAY Bournemouth v Man Utd

12:30

Cardi City

v Leicester 15:00

Everton

v Brighton 15:00

Newcastle

v Watford

15:00

West Ham

v Burnley

15:00

Arsenal

v Liverpool 17:30

Wolves

v Tottenham 19:45

SUNDAY Man City

v Southampton 15:00

Chelsea

v Crystal Palace 16:00

La Liga Fixture

TODAY LeganĂŠs v AtlĂŠtico 12:00 Madrid v Valladolid 15:15 Valencia v Girona 17:30 Vallecano v Barcelona 19:45 SUNDAY Eibar v AlavĂŠs 11:00 Villarreal v Levante 15:15 Huesca v Getafe 17:30 Sociedad v Sevilla 17:30 Real Betis v Celta Vigo 19:45 MONDAY Espanyol v Athletic Bilbao 20:00

Hot Shots Arsenal should be aiming this season. However, only once before in the Premier League era have Liverpool begun a season by going 11 games unbeaten, and victory today will ensure that Jurgen Klopp’s class of 2018-19 surpass the 2002-03 team for their best-ever start to a Premier League campaign. The Reds may have been unable to match Manchester City in terms of goalscoring so far, but in a reversal of last season their success this term has hitherto been built on a solid defence. Liverpool have conceded just four goals in their opening 10 games - their lowest ever at this stage of a Premier League season and more than three times fewer than Arsenal have shipped in the same time. There are signs that the attack is beginning to warm up too, with Liverpool having scored eight goals in their last two games in all competitions after a spell of just three goals and one win in five outings. Mohamed Salah, in particular, has begun to make a mockery of one-season wonder claims with four goals in his last three games, and he also weighed in with a couple of assists during last weekend’s 4-1 victory over Cardiff City. It took time for Liverpool to make sure the scoreline reflected their superiority in that match, but having churned

out a number of ugly wins already this season, it was a welcome mixture of good performance and a good result for Klopp’s side at Anfield, albeit an expected one. Liverpool now sit joint-top of the table alongside Manchester City having dropped only four of a possible 30 points this season, and they should arrive in North London well rested given that they were not in EFL Cup action during the week. A fast start could prove important against an Arsenal side that has not been leading at halftime in any of their 10 Premier League games so far this season, and Liverpool would be the most likely team to provide one. If matches had ended at the 45-minute stage this season, Liverpool would be one point clear at the top whereas Arsenal would be down in 17th place. Recent matches between these two sides have seen goals galore too, although Liverpool have not been quite as swashbuckling on the road in recent months and have only won one of their last 13 away games by more than a single goal. However, the Reds have already beaten Spurs and drawn with Chelsea in the capital this season, so an away trip to face another of their direct rivals will certainly not daunt them this

weekend. One thing this fixture has guaranteed in recent years is goals - the last five Premier League meetings have produced 27 in total at an average of 5.4 per game, with Liverpool scoring at least three times in each of those. The Reds have never scored at least three times in six consecutive top-flight games against a single opponent, while no team has ever managed it against Arsenal either. The Gunners are winless in their last six Premier League clashes with Liverpool since a 4-1 victory in April 2015 - their longest wait for victory against the Merseyside outfit since a run of 12 between 1994 and 2000. Klopp is also unbeaten in all five of his Premier League games against the Gunners, although Liverpool have won just two of their last 18 away league games against Arsenal and last season were held to a thrilling 3-3 draw including a spell when four goals went in the space of just six minutes. There should be goals in this one, but Arsenal’s recent form has papered over some cracks in their defence and Liverpool are more than capable of exposing them. The Liverpool front three are beginning to hit their stride - as they did at a similar stage last season - and they could punish a severely weakened Arsenal defence today.

Eden Hazard Aubameyang Sergio Aguero Glenn Murray Sadio ManĂŠ Callum Wilson Mohamed Salah Sigurdsson Harry Kane Aleksandar Mitrovic Roberto Pereyra Richarlison AndrĂŠ Schuerrle

Chelsea Arsenal Man City Brighton Liverpool B’mouth Liverpool Everton Tottenham Fulham Watford Everton Fulham

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

HEAD TO HEAD 17/22/12 17/27/08 17/04/03 16/14/08 16/13/01 15/24/08 15/04/04 14/21/12 14/08/02 13/02/11 13/30/01

Arsenal Liverpool Liverpool Arsenal Liverpool Arsenal Arsenal Liverpool Liverpool Arsenal Arsenal

3-3 4-0 3-1 3-4 3-3 0-0 4-1 2-2 5-1 2-0 2-2

Liverpool Arsenal Arsenal Liverpool Arsenal Liverpool Liverpool Arsenal Arsenal Liverpool Liverpool

34

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍťËœ ͺ͸͚΀

GLOBAL SOCCER\\OTHER SPORTS

Edo Development Organisation to Partner ESSC on Sports

Winner of the GTBank Ogun State Principals Cup posing with trophy at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta

Principals Cup: GTBank Invests in Discovery of Soccer Talents In the 70s and 80s, football clubs in Nigeria and indeed the nation looked up to the Principals Cup as a way of nurturing their teams and names like Stephen Keshi, Henry Nwosu, Paul Okoku, Sylvanus Okpala to mention but a few readily come to mind. As a matter of fact, Keshi, Nwosu, Okoku and Okpala not only made it to the senior national team of Nigeria while in secondary school; they were already breadwinners of their various families as secondary school students. By the turn of the century, the Principals Cup was practically dead as most schools could no longer boast of a playing field and in most cases hoodlums and touts paraded themselves as students thereby constituting nuisance whenever the competition was being played, which led to the extinction of the Principals Cup. However, in 2009, the management of GTBank decided to revive to Principals Cup as a way of catching young talents by investing in the discovery of soccer talents in Nigerian youths and since then budding talents had been churned out, hence the birth of GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup. After the successes recorded with the Lagos State edition, GTBank took the competition to Ogun State, which is now in its 6th edition. Every season, the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) pitches a new star and in 2017, Stephen Odey of MFM FC was the star man. His striking form left opposing teams in tears and sorrow and placed MFM FC as a major contender for the league title and eventually earned them a continental ticket in 2018. The sudden resurgence of the club appears to be tied to the magical boots of Odey whose goal count hits 18. This striker did not just drop from the moon; he is a product of the GTBank Principals Cup, a grassroots football development programme of Guaranty Trust Bank. Steven played in the second edition of GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup where he was the captain of the winning Dairy Farm Senior Secondary School, Agege. He also topped the list of the GTBank 13-man All Star Team of the Year. It is, therefore, no surprise that the little mustard seed is fast growing into an oak. In January 2017, Stephen received the NPFL Bloggers’ Award as the most valu-

able player of the month. And in the 2017 season, he was the first player to score a hat trick among over 200 players in the league. His exploit led to his invitation to the Super Eagles CHAN Team double header qualifiers against Benin Republic in August in 2017. His impressive performance led to his signing a four-year contract with Swiss club-FC Zurich. Aside Odey, Esther Adeboye, one of the Most Valuable Players in the 2014 competition from State High School, Alimosho was part of the National Female U-17 Team – The Flamingoes – that represented Nigeria at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. However, it is not only school children that are benefitting from the GTBank Principals Cup. In its resolve at ensuring that the standard of the game of football in Lagos State is raised, GTBank partnered with Lagos State Football Association (LSFA) in the training of 300 coaches in the state. The 3-day training programme was organised for coaches involved in the GTBank Principals Cup tournaments and other grassroots football tournaments in Lagos State with the theme ‘Raising the Beautiful Game’. The training availed the participating coaches an opportunity to learn the fundamental techniques of effective youth coaching and capacity building in various areas which include sports therapy, time management andpsychology. At the end of the training, participants were awarded a LSFA-Level 1 coaching certificates, which according to the general manager of Communication and External Affairs at GTBank, Lola Odedina, “is the first step in a three-level certification programme towards becoming a certified football coach.� Facilitators at the seminar were former Super Eagles Coach, Chief Festus Onigbinde, Dr. Akin George, retired FIFA barged referee, Calistus Chukwujekwu. Speaking at a press briefing to herald the seminar, manager, Media and communication, GTBank, Jide Shipe, said the seminar is important to the bank, just as he said a lot of players discovered during the Principals’ Cup had gone to excel not only in football but in other endeavours. The MD/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank, Segun Agbaje, has over the years hailed players that had participated at the GTBank-

Lagos State Principals Cup for putting up excellent performances, while he urged the pupils to imbibe the spirit of fair play, hard work and discipline, the core values of the bank. “The competition paves the way for youths to cultivate their sporting talents, whilst fostering and building a healthier lifestyle at a critical stage in their lives,� Agbaje stated. Commenting on the Finals of the 2017 GTBank Lagos State Principals Cup, Agbaje stated that, “We are delighted to see schools aiming for their first ever trophies in this competition; it emphasises the growing stature of the GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup as a platform for the cultivation of dreams through hard work and discipline.� Over the years, the GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup has propelled the professional careers of several talented and now renowned players like Odey. Guaranty Trust Bank, a youth-oriented brand, maintains the lead in providing support for education and sports to enable young boys and girls to explore their talents and reach for their dreams. It is one of the few Nigerian financial institutions that have maintained a defined Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy, most especially in sports education. The bank, not satisfied with the GTBank Principals Cup and Masters Cups, in 2011 Camp GTBank was introduced to help kickstart the careers of more than 120 footballers by taking the players through all the aspects of the game, expose them to modern rules and regulations and improve their physical and mental conditioning to position them for a professional career. Commenting on the Camp GTBank, Agbaje, said “Given the amazing talents shortlisted for this programme and the quality of the coaches overseeing their development, I am confident that Camp GTBank will be a seedbed for the emergence of professional footballers who will go on to have very successful careers. This goes to the heart of our sports education initiatives, which are aimed at actively engaging the youths through sports whilst identifying, nurturing and grooming young football talents.� The popularity and the importance of the Principals Cup have grown so much so the Nigeria Football Federation could not help but endorse the competition.

A group of leading Edo businessmen and professionals have indicated their readiness to partner Edo State Sports Commission (ESSC) headed by Godwin Dudu-Orumen, to transform sports in Edo State. The Edo Development Organisation (EDO) comprising individuals of diverse professional backgrounds, is a non-governmental organisation looking to create value for Edo State through the realisation of sustainable community- spirited initiatives, met recently in Benin City with Dudu-Orumen, the newly appointed chairman of the commission, who unfolded his vision for Edo State sports. The meeting explored areas of cooperation between ESSC and the commission with EDO promising to throw its weight behind Dudu-Orumen’s efforts to reposition Edo sports to enable it to reclaim its position as the hub of sporting excellence in the country. The group, which decried the deplorable state of sports in the state, said it was confident that with Dudu-Orumen, a renowned sports administrator noted for both his passion for sports development and unimpeachable integrity, a new dawn had arrived for sports in Edo State. Mr. Ekhator Osaretin Moses, who spoke on behalf of EDO, said the group was ready to offer all its professional advice and support to ensure that Dudu-Orumen and his team at the commission meet the expectation of Governor Godwin Obaseki who has shown strong commitment to transforming sports in the state by having capable individuals drive the process. “We have had a fruitful discussion with the Chairman of the Commission and his team. We have let them know that as a group of individuals committed to excellence and development of Edo State in every way possible, we are willing to partner with the commission to bring about significant improvement in Edo State sports. Everyone knows that Edo was once the Premier centre of sports in the country with its sons and daughters winning laurels in major local and international competitions and among the leading athletes in the world.� Speaking after the meeting, Dudu-Orumen thanked members of EDO for their interest in the commission and their willingness to team up with the ESSC to revolutionise sports in the state. He said he was ready to do all that was necessary to justify the confidence placed in him by Governor Obaseki and by extension, the people of Edo State.

2018 Nigeria Bankers Games Hot up Hostilities continue as the Nigeria Bankers Games enter Week Three today at the Yabatech Sports Complex, Yaba, Lagos. According to the Chief Operating Officer, MediaVision Limited, Mr. Jimmy Sogbesan, the group stage of the football event will be concluded, just as the indoor games -Chess, Scrabble, Table Tennis begin at Yabatech Sports Complex, while Tennis matches at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Court, Onikan. On match day two of the Games, five-time champions, UBA defeated returnee- Keystone Bank with goals from Umar Ahmad, Kabir Dauda, Onyeka Cyprian, Alex Andrew and Ebuka Chimelu. Three-time and reigning champions, Fidelity Bank also secured a win over 2013 overall champions Sterling Bank in the second match of the day. Fidelity Bank broke the deadlock in the opening minute of the game through Timilehin Samuel and controlled the game for much of the duration of the match. Goals from Tobi Anyandoku, Kelechhi Nwosu and Victor Jideonwo helped seal a comfortable victory for the Fidelity Bank. The ties were graced by a few dignitaries including Desmond Anumkua - Divisional Head, Internal Control Compliance, Fidelity Bank, Uyi Uhunwango – Legal Services/ Team Manager Communications, Stanbic IBTC, Austin Ihenyen – Team Manager and UBA and Hall of Famer - Theo Amadi.

35

ÍťËœ ͺ͸͚΀ Ëž THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

GLOBAL SOCCER

Iwobi

German Manager, Key to Akpoguma Super Eagles’ Decision Though Nigeria national team Manager, Gernot Rohr is optimistic that Hoenheim defender, Kevin Akpoguma, would one day opt for the Super Eagles shirt his decision still lies on German Coach, Joachim LÜw inviting him to the Die Mannschaft

L

ast year, Nigeria national team Manager, Gernot Rohr had reiterated his optimism when he was in Europe to embark on a scouting mission where he watched the Bundesliga clash between Hoffenheim and Eintracht Frankfurt that the former German youth international would play for Nigeria as against his country of birth, Germany. Rohr had revealed his delight after watching the central defender and said he plans to hold talks with Akpoguma over an invitation ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. ‘’I watched him play for Hoffenheim against Frankfurt on Saturday. Kevin is an excellent match for the players we are on the lookout for. But he’ll have to decide soon whether he wants to wear the colours of Nigeria and I’ll call him in the next few days,’’ Rohr had told SWR then. The defender added that it’s an honour to see Rohr showing interest in him but he is German and wants to represent the Die Mannschaft. “That honours me, of course, but I’m German, I was born here, so I should play for Germany too,’’ adds the former German U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20 and U-21 international. Few days after saying he wants to focus on progressing through the ranks of Germany, Akpoguma said he had left

the door open over a potential switch of allegiance to Nigeria. He granted an interview on a sports programme in Germany, where he confirmed he was open to the idea of playing for Nigeria. Akpoguma was said to have confirmed that talks would be held with Rohr who handles the Nigerian team, referring to him as a coach he respects a lot right from his days as director of youth football in Germany. However, Akpoguma recently admitted to a Nigerian journalist that playing for the Super Eagles would be depending on whether or not he is handed a call-up by Germany’s senior coach Joachim LĂśw in the coming years. “The thing is that I was born in Germany and I have played for all the youth teams of Germany and I am still a young player,â€? Akpoguma told a Nigerian journalist. “So, I want to leave it open because Germany can still call me. But if I have no other option to play for Germany, then I can consider playing for Nigeria because my dad is from Nigeria.â€? Akpoguma has also caught the attention of manager Gernot Rohr, and the former Bayern Munich defender was unable to sweet talk him into joining the Super Eagles. â€?Gernot Rohr visited us here in Hof-

Collins and Rohr

fenheim and talked a lot about the young team he is building. I saw it at the World Cup; there are very good players like Iwobi, Ndidi and Leon Balogun. �He explained all the things because I had a good conversation with him. But as I said, I want to leave every door open. When the time comes, I will let the world know my decision,� he concluded. It has always been the dream of the Nigeria Football Federation President, Amaju Pinnick, to have youngsters of Nigerian descent doing well in European leagues wear the Super Eaglescolours. “I am yet to see a Nigerian that is regretting being a Nigerian. No Nigerian, even if they have four or five passports, they are always excited being Nigerians. I can assure you that we shall get them to play for us at an appropriate time,� he said. In an earlier chat with THISDAY, the NFF boss said Alex Iwobi’s decision to play for Nigeria as against donning the colours of the Three Lions of England earned him the respect he is enjoying at Arsenal today. “Iwobi started earning respect at his

English club after he was given a national team call-up. Calling him to the national team made Arsenal to respect him and that is the truth. Today, he is one of the key players in Arsenal and we are proud of what federation had been able to do for his football,� Pinnick said. Akpoguma was born on April 19, 1995, and has represented Germany at various youth levels. Akpoguma spent the 201617 season on loan at 2 Bundesliga side, Fortuna Dusseldorf. He made his first appearance in the Bundesliga the following season on October 22, 2017, replacing Stefan Posch at half-time in Hoffenheim’s’s 1–1 draw with VfL Wolfsburg and four days later, he made his first start for the club, in a 1–0 away to Werder Bremen in the second round of the DFB Pokal. Born to a German mother and a Nigerian father, he is eligible to play for Germany and Nigeria. He was the captain of the German U-20 national team, helping the team reach the quarterfinals of the 2015 FIFA U-20 World

36

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t NOVEMBER 3, 2018

FAIRGROUND

Kemi Adetiba Premieres ‘King of Boys’

with

AZUKA OGUJIUBA

azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

K

emi Adetiba’s new movie, King of Boys had its world premiere recently and the A-list event brought together the very best entertainers in Nigeria. The stylish event, which was themed “Gangster Royalty” saw the likes of Dare Art Alade, Sess The Producer, Sola Sobowale, Falz, Adekunle Gold, Ebuka, Noble Igwe, Toni Tones and a host of others grace the red carpet. The premiere marked the first time the movie was aired to the public and while a lot of talk from the premiere has been themed around the fashion, the film has also generated a lot of positive buzz due to its strong, compelling story. Many have called the movie a break from the norm and a perfect movie ahead of the election year, particularly due to its themes of political conflict and the quest for power. Speaking ahead of the movie premiere, Kemi Adetiba expressed her delight at finally being able to tell such a compelling story. “After the huge success of “The Wedding Party”, I wanted to try my hands on a different style of storytelling, one that would show my versatility as a director and a storyteller. Yes, the process of making the movie might have been tedious, as we shot in over 75 different locations, but we are very proud of what we’ve created, and we can’t wait to share this with the world,” she remarked.

Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi

King of Boys Director- Kemi Adetiba

Sola Sobowale

Mo Abudu

IK and Olo Osakioduwa

Adesua Etomi

Ill Bliss

Latasha Ngwube

Ebuka Obi Uchendu

Demola Adedoyin

Adebola Williams

Mrs Mayen Adetiba

37

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t NOVEMBER 3, 2018

FAIRGROUND

Uche Jombo: ‘Heaven On My Mind’ Not a Christian Film

N

ollywood actress and producer, Uche Jombo who teamed up with another veteran actress Ini Edo, has refuted claims from different quarters that their new movie, ‘Heaven On My Mind’ which is set for cinema release from Friday, December 7, 2018 is a Christian movie. She however insisted that the movie was inspired by a real life story. “I keep hearing this over and over from people saying that the movie is a Christian film and I know why that is. It is because of the title but you only need to see the film to realise that it had nothing on Christianity or any religion. It is simply a human story. The idea for the movie came from a real life story I heard which was corroborated from another source and we had to invite someone who had similar experience. That was

how we developed the story and the script. For me, it is more about human stories. I love to make stories I can feel and others can as well. So, to clear the doubt, Heaven On My Mind is not a Christian film but a human story”, she clarified. All major cinemas in the country will be showing the movie to teeming and expectant fans. The official trailer for the movie has just been released. The Nollywood heavyweight, Uche Jombo who has had her fair share of cinema runs with several collaborations with top filmmakers like Desmond Elliot, Emem Isong and more will be making her first full feature and directorial debut with this family movie, Heaven On My Mind. The highly anticipated movie, which began pre-production in late 2017 and finished filming in March 2018 is the first collaboration between two talented

actors, Uche Jombo and Ini Edo as co-producers and will be released under their film companies, Uche Jombo Studios and Minini Empire Production. Heaven On My Mind to hit cinemas nationwide come December 7th 2018. The movie tells the story of Ben Peters who sees marriage as a business transaction and he is hard working at it, his wife is sexy, a goal getter, hardworking and intelligent woman never denies him sex. To him he has a different idea of what marriage is. The movie features talented actors like Uche Jombo, Ini Edo, Mercy Aigbe, Ray Emordi, Andrea Chika Chukwu, Femi Adebayo, Adunni Ade, Eric Ogbonna and Yvonne Nwosu. Jombo ventured into the Nigerian movie industry in 1999 in the movie Visa to Hell. She is a screenwriter, actor, producer and now a director.

Uche Jombo

The Play ‘Our Son The Minister’

B

Beeta Universal Arts Foundation presents its second showing of the stage play “Our Son the Minister” written by Paul Ugbede, directed by Kenneth Uphopho and produced by the award-winning actress and super talented thespianBikiya Graham-Douglas . This is the winning play of the Beeta Playwright Competition. BUAF kept its promise by publishing and producing this play and are happy to share it with the general public. About the Play This Play is a political satire. It is inauguration day and Doctor Makoji prepares to be sworn in, while family and friends make their plans on how to share the national cake. Alarmed by their plans, an austere Makoji decides to turn down

the ministerial appointment. They conclude he has gone mad and are in desperate race to find solutions to cure him. This play is hilarious yet thought provoking. It stars talented actors to include; Patrick Diabuah, Inna Erizia, Chris Iheuwa, Soibifaa Dokubo, Bola Stephen, Biodun Kassim, Bunmi Sogade, Omololu Sodiya and Oladapo Gbadamosi, Deola Gimba. The play is family friendly and a perfect watch with election. This show is sponsored by MTN, Union Bank, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Union Bank, DSTV, supported by Terra Kulture, Chairborne Limited, Oyewole&Olajide LLP, Paperworth Books Limited, Amstel Malta, Africa Magic and Silverbird, Classic FM, BeatFM, Kimberly Ryan, YNaija, Olorisupergal, Ono Bello.com and refreshed by Amstel Malta.

Bikiya Graham-Douglas

PMAN Elects New President After Falope’s Resignation

I

n a move to maintain stability in the nation’s apex artistes’ body, the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), following the resignation of its immediate past president, Dr. Gbenga Falope, the National Working Committee (NEC), in Lagos last week elected, Comrade Obi Okwudili Casmir popularly known as Voombastic Uncle P as its new president. The NEC election held at the newly acquired PMAN office inside the National Theatre complex, Iganmu, Lagos, in line with PMAN’s constitution, had present delegates from all the states chapters as well as principal officers of the union and veteran world acclaimed musician, Tee Mac alongside Baba Fryo among other top artistes that witnessed the change of baton that ushered in Voombastic Uncle P. The new president was former National Treasurer of the union. “I have one Agenda, that is to restore the lost glory of PMAN and ensure that music MUST now begin to pay artistes,” Uncle P said in his inaugural speech. He has begun moves to work closely with the Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC) and Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), this according to him, is to ensure that artistes, members of the union enjoy the fruit of their labour. “As the PMAN backed by judgment of the National Industrial Court, Trade Union under

Uncle P and Tee Mac

the Ministry of Labour, we have begun moves with all agencies saddled with the administration of copyright. We have also started talking to corporate Nigeria to begin to patronise local artistes more in terms of shows and endorsements. These are ways the artiste can feed from

his music.” Tee Mac on his part pledged his total support for the new president and called on him to move the union forward. He called on all Nigerian artistes to support Uncle P even as he said music has the potential to replace crude oil as Nigeria’s

biggest export. He said: “That is why we must all rally round Uncle P to take PMAN to its once enviable heights. I have known Uncle P for years now, he is loyal and hardworking and I believe in his capability to manage PMAN very well.”

38

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t NOVEMBER 3, 2018

AUTO Michelin to Excite Customers in Lagos Fair

2019 Jaguar I-PACE

Future Jaguar Land Rover Vehicles will Help to Cure Motion Sickness Stories by Bennett Oghifo

F

uture Jaguar Land Rover vehicles will be able to tell if you’re feeling unwell and adjust settings to combat motion sickness. Motion sickness affects over 70% of people. Spencer Salter, wellness technology researcher at Jaguar Land Rover, points out that previously “little has been known about the causes and how to mitigate them”. Now, through its industry-leading motion sickness research, Jaguar Land Rover has created an algorithm that generates a ‘wellness score’ for each passenger. This can be used to automatically personalise a vehicle’s driving and cabin settings to reduce the effects of feeling car sick by up to 60%. Jaguar Land Rover has already collected over 24,000km of motion sickness data and tested the effects caused by performing a task while in transit, such as checking emails. This has enabled the creation of a baseline driving style for selfdriving vehicles to work towards, minimising

the need for steering corrections and therefore the risk of motion sickness while passengers work or relax. Salter explains: “As we move towards an autonomous future where occupants will have more time to either work, read or relax on longer journeys, it’s important we develop vehicles that can adapt to reduce the effects of motion sickness in a way that’s tailored to each passenger.” Motion sickness is often caused when the eyes observe information that is different from what is sensed by the inner ear, skin or body forces – commonly when reading. The ‘wellness score’ calculates how susceptible individual drivers and passengers are to feeling car sick, using biometric sensors that record physiological signals. Combining this with motion and dynamics data, the vehicle will reliably know when a passenger or driver is becoming motion sick – before they do. Dr. Steve Iley, Jaguar Land Rover Chief Medical Officer, explains: “This cutting-edge research has created a solution that, with its solid scientific foundation, can make travelling enjoyable, regard-

less of your susceptibility to motion sickness. As a parent of young children, who are most susceptible to car sickness, I am particularly excited by the benefits this research can have in making long journeys comfortable and stress-free for families.” Jaguar or Land Rover vehicles today are already designed to help combat feelings of nausea. The Jaguar E-PACE, for example, has 26 different seat configurations for passengers to find a position that raises the infotainment screen relative to eye level as well as turn on the cooling seat function. Both factors have been proven to significantly reduce the likelihood of motion sickness. The E-PACE’s Adaptive Dynamics also remove low frequency motion from the road, which can lead to nausea, by altering the ride settings every 10-milliseconds to ensure passengers always experience high levels of comfort. The first phase of the research completes this month. The findings are already being implemented into further projects across research ensuring Jaguar Land Rover can create the ultimate personalised cabin experience for its customers in future vehicles.

Keeping to its tradition of maintaining a very close relationship with its customers, Michelin Tyre Services Nigeria will be show casing its range of quality tyres at the Lagos International Trade Fair between November 2-11, 2018. Holding at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) on Lagos Island, the fair will also offer Michelin the opportunity to offer generous discounts to customers, free technical advice on tyre maintenance as well as gifts. This year once again there will be mobile Tyre fitment vehicle belonging to one of their accredited dealer – Freeway Prime Auto in Lagos. Director of Sales/Marketing of Michelin Nigeria, Mr. Kayode Sangotayo says the company will also display other brands, aside Michelin brand, marketed by the company-Komoran, Tigar and BF Goodrich brands. These are coming in Passenger, Van and Truck tyre ranges. According to Sangotayo, “Michelin is a well-known brand worldwide. We have been providing our customers with quality tyres, and we ensure that we do not compromise when it comes to quality and safety”. He advised motorists to take advantage of the fair and purchase quality tyres for their vehicles, especially as “we draw closer to the end of the year which is usually characterised by increased vehicular movements within the country”. He also said customers would be offered special prices during the trade fair. Michelin Tyre Services offers its numerous customers a range of tyres including passenger car tyres, Light Truck tyres, Truck tyres, Earth Mover tyres, Sports Utility Vehicles tyres among others. Beyond making available a wide range of quality tyres, the company equally offers quality after-sales services in its Tyre Service Centres plus the mobile Technical services vans across the country providing tyre fitment, balancing and alignment and other free technical services.

New Supra to Debut in Detroit Toyota today announced that the premiere appearance of the much-anticipated Toyota Supra will be at the NorthAmerican InternationalAuto Show in Detroit, taking place from 14 to 27 January next year. Although Toyota ceased production of its highly popular flagship sportscar in 2002, it was revived in the form a GR Supra Racing Concept at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, demonstrating the intention to bring Supra back to the market. A Supra prototype has already appeared in front of fans at events this year. In July, it made its international debut in prototype form at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK. Earlier this month, Supra also took part in a VLN Endurance Championship race at the Nürburgring in Germany, completing the race as part the vehicle’s development programme. Toyota expects the new Supra to reachAustralia in the second half of 2019.

Innoson Inaugurates Vehicle Manufacturing Plant

I

nnoson Vehicles Manufacturing Limited (IVM) in Nnewi, the industrial capital of Anambra state has, once again, achieved double milestones as it commissioned the first ever automated Vehicle Manufacturing Plant at its Umudim, Nnewi factory. The historic event also doubled to unveil 2019 model of IVM brand of pickup truck, the Granite. The unveiling of 2019 Granite was performed by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, who was represented by the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in charge of Logistics; DIGAgboola Oshodi-Glover. While Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano represented by his deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke performed the commissioning of the automated vehicle manufacturing plant. Speaking at the occasion, Oshodi-Glover commended the Chairman of IVM, Dr. Innocent Chukwuma, for his innovation and responding to the local vehicle needs of Nigerian market. While promising Nigeria Police partnership he tasked Innoson to produce Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) which assists the police in crime fighting. The IGP commended Innoson for providing camouflaged vehicles for the Nigerian Army for combating insurgency and other security challenges In his speech, Dr. Nkem Okeke extolled Innoson for achieving such feats despite harsh operational environment. He challenged both the state and

federal governments to support the company through patronage and provision of enabling operational environment like power, accessible roads, patronage among others adding doing so would improve the GDP of the state as well as create jobs. In his words “I am happy that this is happening in Anambra State. I don’t think there is any where I know of in this country there is a local vehicle manufacturing; I am not talking about those who import parts and assemble them in Nigeria. Innoson manufactures about 70% of components locally.” He added that if IVM receives the type of support it needed the company will go places. Earlier, in his welcome address, the Chairman of Innoson Vehicles, Dr. Chukwuma attributed the success of IVM to various governments support adding that under President Muhammadu Buhari watch IVM signed a MoU with the Nigerian Air Force, collaborated with the NigerianArmy for the design, modification, manufacturing and supply of Military vehicles. The automated production plant he explained can wield an entire vehicle parts in record four minutes drastically cutting down production time from about six hours manual operation. With reduction in man hour comes increased efficiency and production units from 10,000 to 60, 000 annual output if operating at full capacity.

L-R: Group Chairman Innoson Group, Dr. Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma, Anambra State Deputy Governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke, Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Logistics, DIG Agboola Oshodi Glover and Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Garba Baba Umar at the unveiling of 2019 IVM Pick Up Truck, Granite held at Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company (IVM) premises, Nnewi, Anambra State

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t NOVEMBER 3, 2018

39

AUTO

Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ is Fastest Series Production Four-seater Stories by Bennett Oghifo

W

ith an officially measured and notarially certified time of 7:25:41, the new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ (fuel consumption combined: 11.3 l/100 km, CO2 emissions combined: 257 g/km) is the world’s fastest series production fourseater on the legendary North Loop of the Nürburgring. Sat at the wheel of the fully equipped standard eight-cylinder model was AMG Development Engineer Demian Schaffert. The former racing driver was involved in developing the high level of driving dynamics of the four-door coupé and was able to demonstrate the performance of the powerful 470 kW/639 hp sports car to impressive effect with his record lap. The Nürburging-”Nordschleife” (North Loop) is regarded as the world’s toughest race track. Therefore a record lap is the ultimate test of a sports car. The AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ offers the best conditions for this: Its standard equipment includes driving dynamics highlights such as fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive, active rear axle steering, electronically controlled rear axle differential lock and AMG DYNAMICS agility programme. The optionally available Michelin Pilot

The new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+

Sport Cup2 tyres enabled the last grain of grip for optimum traction and perfect acceleration out of bends of the “Green

Hell”. The record lap was measured precisely by the neutral experts of “wige SOLUTIONS”. The correct specification

of the vehicle as well as the lap time was additionally certified by an independent notary public.

Volvo Cars, Baidu Join Forces to Develop, Manufacture Autonomous Driving Cars

V

olvoCarshasreachedanagreement with Baidu, the leading Chinese internet search provider, to jointly develop electric and fully autonomous drive-compatible cars with the aim of mass producing them for China, the largest car market in the world. According to a statement by the auto company, “Volvo Cars is the first foreign car maker to collaborate this closely with Baidu to jointly develop customized autonomous driving cars. The partnership will allow both companies to develop and sell these vehicles to potential Chinese customers, underlining the Swedish company’s aspirations to be the supplier of choice for mobility companies globally.” Volvo Cars and Baidu will pool resources to take the next step and prepare for mass manufacturing of fully electric and autonomous cars, according to the agreement. The collaboration with Baidu is Volvo Cars first of its kind in China and it was deliberately chosen as a partner by Baidu because of its long-standing safety credentials. Based on the collaboration agreement, Baidu will contribute with its Apollo autonomous

driving platform. Volvo will provide access to its expertise and advanced technologies of the car industry. Industry forecasts show that China is likely to become the single largest market for autonomous cars in the world in coming decades. Market research firm IHS Markit predicted* earlier this year that around 14.5 million autonomous cars will be sold in China by 2040, on a total global volume of around 33 million. “With Baidu we take a big step forward in commercialising our autonomous compatible cars, built on Volvo’s industry-leading safety technology,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars. “There is a strong development in autonomous drive in China, where Baidu is a leading player, and the market there offers huge opportunities for us as the supplier of choice for autonomous fleets.” “Since its founding a century ago, Volvo has kept safety as its core mission, pushing safety development forward with significant innovations. We are very glad that Volvo Cars has established a strategic partnership with Baidu in the development of a fully autonomous car compatible with our autonomous driving platform Apollo.

Volvo V90

Distracted Driver Versus Distracted Pedestrain

L

astweekItoldyouthatitwasthetragic loss of Justice Monica DongbanMensem son in a road traffic crash that inspired her to join the crusade to stop deaths on our roads. Her son’s death reminds one of similar tragic incidences such as that involving the late media guru Dimgba Igwe, among others. Amore recent story which occurred a fortnight ago is that of one of my junior staff who almost lost his life when a reckless motorcycle rider crashed onto him while waiting for a vehicle to convey him home after the day’s works. The young man ended with series of injuries including a swollen eye, head injury while the passenger of the bike sustained more serious injuries caused by the recklessness of the rider who in the new found mad riving among this group was riding against the flow of traffic in the outskirt of Abuja,in the Federal Capital Territory. I once wrote about the tragic death of a young man whose demise occurred some years ago. Kenneth Ikwo(not real name) according to the story was planning his wedding with his lover he fondly calls,Angel. Everything had been concluded; from the wedding invitation to the traditional wedding concluded a day before the wedding day as is the custom with most cultures. There was excitement not just on the part of Kennedy but also on the part of Angel his wife to be including their families. Unfortunately all the dreams of a honey moon in a serene and secluded hotel somewhere in any of the West African Country of their choice

SAFE DRIVING with Jonas Agwu amnipr, mcipr,mprsa,arpa (Corps Commander) Corps Public Education Officer Federal Road Safety Corps. + 2348033026491 was shattered. Kennedy had seen a friend off and was walking back home when a distracted driver ran him over. He died on the spot as a result of too much bleeding. There are other unreported stories especially stories of commuters and hawkers whose tragedies rarely get published. Stories are also told of Corps members who get killed in the course of youth service. While some are privileged to round up the service, some suffer similar fate either in the course of the service or as they are rounding up leaving behind grieving family and shattered friends. I have chosen this week to applaud this woman of steel for her concern on the plight of pedestrians. The global record says that every day, more than 2000 children and teenagers die from injuries which are preventable. The report report notes that yearly, more than 270 000 pedestrians lose their lives through road traffic crashes. Many, like Kennedy leave their homes never to return. Globally, pedestrians constitute 22% of all road traffic fatalities, and in some climes this proportion is as high as two thirds of

all road traffic deaths. Millions of pedestrians are non-fatally injured – some of whom are left with permanent disabilities. These incidents cause much suffering and grief as well as economic hardship. The WHO / UNICEF in its report lists five most important causes of unintentional injury with road traffic injuries topping the list. In the report, it notes that pedestrian collisions should not be accepted as inevitable. Such crashes are both predictable and preventable. Top on the key risks to pedestrians are driver behavior such as speeding and drinking and driving. Infrastructure is another in terms of dearth of dedicated facilities for pedestrians such as sidewalks, raised crosswalks and medians among others. Poor trauma or emergency care is also crucial. In all the cases cited in this write-up ranging from the case of the Justice’s son to Dimgba Igwe among others shows clearly that these lives could have been saved if only help was prompt. The frequency in these cases calls for the safety of vulnerable road users to become a priority in our interventions to cut down crashes in keeping with the United Nations Decade ofAction for road safety. In the United Kingdom, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents(ROSPA) leads the vanguard for the call to cut speed in built up areas and pedestrian training for children. Since excessive speed is identified as the number one causative factor responsible for increased deaths and injuries, there is no doubt that the ROSPA positions one that should be tinkered upon among other possible critical interventions. We need to improve and expand our capacities to respond to road crash incidences and improve

enforcement on critical infractions such as excessive speeding, driving under the influence among other traffic infractions. Notwithstanding the necessities to address these we must not lose sight of the responsibilities of pedestrian to be more safety conscious while using the road. In one of my recent write-up on the same plight of pedestrians, I noted the concern of an American expert who said that “People outside cars are dying at levels we haven’t seen in 25 years.”The expert noted that there is a spike in pedestrian deaths which is coming despite improvements in vehicle safety, including the relatively recent introduction of automatic emergency braking systems, rearview cameras and collision-alert technology. But other potentially helpful developments are lagging one of which is poor headlights. Poor design and failure to adopt lights that swivel with the curvature of the road are hurting. About 75% of pedestrian fatalities occur at night, making road illumination critical, the expert noted. But pedestrians are sometimes to blame, as well. While we distracted and irresponsible drivers we equally have distracted and irresponsible pedestrians and this is a deadly combination. What this means is that people both behind the wheel and people walking in the street must take responsibility for their behavior and put down the phone for their own safety. I guess we should also be considering outlawing use of phone while walking even though I know its enforcement will no doubt be problematic. We must consider in the words of Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps,Dr Boboye Oyeyemi the increasing drug abuse including increased use of marijuana as potential factors causing the increase in deaths.

40

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͻ˜ ͺ͸͹΀

ͻ˜ ͺ͸͹΀ ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

41

42

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ NOVEMBER 3, 2018

FASHION FILE

By Azuka Ogujiuba azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

Nuciano Luxury Bags by Joy Egbejimba

NOVEMBER 3, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

43

FASHION FILE

Nuciano Luxury Bags

N

uciano, an award-winning luxury handbag Label is set to officially launch in Nigeria on the 8th of November, 2018. The sophisticated luxury handbag label which was founded in Seattle, United States, by Nigerian designer, Joy Egbejimba will be making a debut in the Nigerian market. With the rapid growth of the Nigerian Fashion Industry and its demand for more indigenous fashion brands, there couldn’t have been a better time. The Creative director and

Founder, Nuciano shared “We have always wanted to bring Nuciano back home but we weren’t sure if the Nigerian market was ready yet, considering that it was already doing so well abroad. We are excited to be launching here finally and we can’t wait to see how well it does” Ranging from clutches to satchels,Nuciano collections feature elegant designs with a variety of fierce color options leaving you spoilt for choice. “There’s something for every woman,especially one who is not afraid to express herself through her style in uncompromised high

quality and luxury handbags without the usual exorbitant price tag” Egbejimba said. Nuciano hand bags are available ilable on www.nuciano.com and selected ected stores in Lagos/nation wide. Credits Makeup: @faaribysissyope Photography: @kosolonwudinjor njor styling: @moashystyling Creative direction: @the_florentyna ntyna and @moashystyling Models: @preciousjohn and @ Eniolaabolarin @bethmodelAfrica girls Hair: @ferdinandshair

44

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍąËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

EXPRESSION

MEDIAGAFFES

Yesteryear, Heyday Non-count

EBERE WABARA

“M

USIC stars of yesteryearsâ€? ‘Yesteryear’, just like ‘heyday’, is uncountable. “The privileged invitees, who showed up to rejoice with this well-connected individual‌.â€? Social scene: privileged guests (not invitees), which is a warped Nigerian creation. “Police arrest 51 over post-election violenceâ€? Replace ‘over’ with ‘for’ “Two cousins killed in Ondo road crash as mob burns carâ€? Just ‘vehicular’—not road— crash? “It is antithetical to democracy for the minority to have its say and wants to have its way.â€? (Source: as above) The minority cannot have their (not its) say. “...to that extent shall we congratulate its authors for (on) hearing the deafening cry of Nigerians for an affective legislature.â€? â€œâ€Śwere simultaneously a continuation of the power-bloc struggle in Nigeria and unanticipated fallouts from that struggle.â€? ‘Fallout’ is uncountable “AU has always been a helpless on-looker as other do-gooders from Europe and America flock to these troubled (trouble) spots with relief materials.‌â€? “The reduction in the number of road accidents and casualities‌.â€? This way: casualties. “Why fight, especially since we all are groping in the dark.â€? A poser: can we grope where there is light? So, why not just groping? “FG sets to fill vacancies in Civil Serviceâ€? Get it right: FG set to‌No loose thinking! â€œâ€Śask questions or demand for their credentials.â€? Delete ‘for’ from the extract. â€œâ€Śnever mind that ‘saboteurs’ have since done their worst by returning Nigeria back to darkness.â€? Yank off ‘back’ in the interest of

BY

morphological sanity. The Ijaws, Urhobos, the Itsekiris, the Ilajes are killing each other (one another).â€? “Buhari is back on (in) the saddle of the country’s leadershipâ€? “The readiness of the President and his vice to acquiesce to (in) Senate’s decision.‌â€? “The time when one ethnic group and the multi-ethnic political prostitutes and the favoured can walk roughshod over the rest of the country have (has) gone forever.â€? “Security reports indicated that the strategy of vicious robbery operations are (is) hatched at the chambers of hotels.â€? “Specifically, the crisis in the community bothers (borders) on the refusal of majority (a majority) of the people‌.â€? “Ethical status of PCN worry (worries) pharmacistsâ€? “The committee has since submitted its report, while the public awaits the government’s white paper on it.â€? Education: simply the white paper. “As a result (a comma) Nigeria’s role in (on) the continent has been a critical one.â€? “Instead we saw belated efforts when the chicken has (had) come home to roost.â€? “Someday when the history of Nigeria, with regards (regard) to its bureaucracy‌.â€? “Dignitaries at (on) the occasion included‌.â€? “UNILAG alumni meetsâ€? Our alumni meet monthly or the alumni association meets monthly. No mix-up. “They hardly acknowledged each other’s presence, talkless of (let alone) engaging in courteous exchanges.â€? “State, council relationship: Chairmen pick hole (holes) in 1999 constitutionâ€? “For that, you need an experienced sailor, not an oars man with an ‘L’ plate number.â€? From the master: number-plate “So we now gathered in my house at (on) Victoria Island‌.â€?

“Western delegates have stabbed us at (in) the back.â€? “You better (had better) come to Jos, Plateau Stateâ€? “Most observers are agreed that the national question has become more aggravated under the present regime. ‘More aggravated’ sounds illiterate. ‘Aggravation’ means to make worse. “That calm has returned to the troubled spot is superficial‌â€? When the bell tolls: trouble spot. “The tendency in most of the analysis is‌â€? Singular, analysis, plural: analyses. â€˜â€Śthe combatants are expected to sheath their swords and fall into line.â€? Noun: sheath; verb: sheathe. “They equally advocated for a national conference‌.â€? Delete ‘for’ in the interest of lexical orderliness. “Unions, others commend FG over payment of NITEL workers’ entitlementsâ€? ‘Commend’ takes ‘for’ (not ‘over’). “Polls: Plateau police assures of readinessâ€? Two dimensions: the word, ‘police’, admits only plural verbs. ‘Assure’ must function with ‘somebody’ or ‘oneself’. So, Plateau police assure residents of readiness. Wrong: “Give me meatâ€?; Right: (Give me some meat) Wrong: “Your son has been there sinceâ€?’; Right: (Your son has been there for some time). Wrong: “You know Chidi nowâ€?; Right: You should know Chidi. Wrong: “Adanma, wait now for Chibuikeâ€?; Right: Adanma, please wait for Chibuike. Let us continue with a visit to Champion House, Ilasamaja, Mushin, Lagos: “Soldiers take over troubled spotsâ€? Let peace reign: trouble spots. “Post election violence spreadsâ€? Towards a better life for the people: Post-election violence‌. “Post poll violence continuesâ€? Solution: as above. Somebody should inform editors at Kirikiri Canal of this recurring lapse.

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

“Man killed in car accidentâ€? Why not ’’Man dies in car accident?’’ He was not killed! “Nigerian loses his life (dies) in a ghastly auto crash in Greece.â€? It was a fatal (not ghastly) accident. “President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, expressed sadness over the sporadic violent protest (protests)‌.â€? The next headline blunder is from last week’s edition of this medium: “Police arrest four over Maiduguri explosionâ€? Do we arrest the entire editorial team for (not over) lexical recklessness? “Bribery enthrones mediocrity and crucify merit.â€? (Source: as above) The Tabernacle of bribery crucifies merit. “Gang up against Buhari will failâ€? Phrasal verb: gang up; noun: gang-up (which applies here). “We were treated to another similar incidence.‌â€? All newspapers should know the difference between ‘incidence’ and ‘incident’ (which is the correct etymology here). “Although the governor’s last minute romance with the main opposition party is held against him.‌â€? Saturday People: last-minute (take note of the hyphen) romance‌. “Thus, a core investor‌with regards to optimal use of the machinery.‌â€? Either: as regards or with regard to‌. “In the heydays of the goggled General when fuel was often unavailable.‌â€? Stranglehold of oil workers: heyday (uncountable). “Last year, many houses of the Igbo in Ajegunle, a suburb of Lagos, were razed down.‌â€? No word abuse: simply razed (not razed down). Discard the contrary views by some registers! Yet another headline gaffe: “Restrictions on inter-bank foreign exchange trading is (are) killing the market.â€?

TRIBUTE

Ă‹ĂŁĂ?Ă™ĂœĂŽ Ă–Ă“Ă–Ă?Ë? Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ă¤Ă‹Ăœ Jason Okoro

O

n October 1, 2018 what many avid capital market players and watchers like myself never expected happened. The death ofApostle HayfordAlile was announced. The lateApostleAlile was the pioneer Director General of The Nigerian Stock Exchange from 1976 to 2000. He was also the first man to bid mother earth good bye amongst the privileged leaders who have helmed the affairs of the Lagos bourse since inception in 1960.

TheMan,HayfordAlile Apostle Alile was an avid philanthropist, erstwhile DirectorGeneral of The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and Spiritual Leader of St. Joseph Chosen Church of God. He was a leading investment banker who in the last four decades made valuable contributions to national economic growth and public policy formulation. Born on April 24, 1938, Apostle Alile was educated at Loyola College, Ibadan, for his secondary school education before proceeding to the then University College also in Ibadan for his first degree in Physics. Later, he proceeded to Howard University, USA, where he earned another degree. His thirst for knowledge and education seen insatiable as he enrolled at the Rutgers State University of New Jersey, USA, for a master’s degree in Business Administration. Upon completion of his MBA, Apostle Alile was appointed the Assistant Director of the Rutgers University Entrepreneurial Development Center, New Jersey, and the Rutgers Minority Investment Company Incorporated. He served in these offices for about three years between 1969 and 1972. He moved on from the services of the university to the corporate world as Investment Adviser and Broker at Investors Diversified Services Incorporated in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, between 1972 and 1973. Apostle Alile was a lover of sports. For 12 years, he was Trustee and Treasurer of the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC). Despite his busy schedule, he was very active in the Old Boys’ Association of his Alma Mater: Loyola College, Ibadan, where he served as the President for many years. He also served as President of the Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria. He was a recipient of the Nigeria National Honours awards of the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM). Apostle Alile was a life Member of Nigerian Economic Society, and was a Fellow of several professional bodies, including the Nigeria Institute of

Alile Management (NIM), Institute of Directors (IOD) and Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Company Administrators.

HisProfessionalExploits Apostle Alile was appointed the pioneer Director-General of the NSE, where he held sway for more than two decades, from 1976 to 2000. He was a leading investment analyst, economic and financial consultant and a boardroom guru of exceptional quality. Apostle Alile’s outstanding achievements at The Exchange include the physical movement of The Exchange’s operations to its current location in the hub of the Nigerian financial district; trading automation, which significantly improved international access to the Nigerian capital market; and the launch of the All Share Index (ASI). Apostle Alile served on the board of the defunct Oceanic Bank and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc. He was Chairman of the board of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, UTC Nigeria Plc and Unilever Nigeria Plc. He also served as a Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria between 1999 and 2005 upon leaving his position as DG of the NSE. The deluge of tributes to this quintessential capital market guru affirms the impact he has had on many people and corporations.

In a press release released by NSE, the Chief Executive Officer, Oscar N. Onyema, eulogised Apostle Alile and reminisced how he constantly made himself available to The Exchange even in retirement. In his word, “Most recently, we remember his wise counsel and measured contributions during his meritorious service as a Member of The Exchange’s Membership Verification Panel, whose activities assisted the National Council in finalizing The Exchange’s Membership Register�. He further said “Apostle Alile’s contributions to the capital market and organised private sector will continue to be referenced.He was indeed a visionary leader, whose foresight and impact on the operations of the NSE remains evident several years after the end of his tenure as director-general of The Exchange�. In his tribute, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, President, National Council of the NSE said, “Nigeria has lost one of its most patriotic and visionary corporate leaders. Apostle Alile was an outstanding authority on the stock market and its operations and he rightfully laid a solid foundation for The Nigerian Stock Exchange. As an Exchange, we shall remain grateful to him for providing the inspiring leadership required at the formative stage of the Exchange�. President Muhammadu Buhari described the late Apostle Alile as a selfless person. According to a statement by President Muhammadu Buhari’s media aide Femi Adesina who commiserated with the family, he showed patriotism to the West African nation. “President Buhari believes the rich educational pedigree of Apostle Alile and his strong spiritual background were used for the benefit of the country, commending his sense of patriotism and national outlook in promoting peace, unity and setting up The Hayford Alile Foundation to cater for the poor�.

CelebrationofLife&Times In mourning his passing, the NSE observed a one-minute silence in his honour during the trading hours of Tuesday, October 2, 2018. It was gathered that on Wednesday, November 7, 2018, members of theAlile family that will possibly include his children and widow will have the honour of closing the trading for the day. The event, our source further revealed will commence at 1.30p.m with a reception of the family and will continue at the trading floor at about 2.00 p.m. The ceremony is expected to bring together, past and present Presidents of NSE, Doyens of stockbrokers and stakeholders who have had the privilege of knowing the lateAlile more intimately.A bespoke lunch is planned for the guests attending to round off the event at the Exchange. –- Jason Okoro, a public analyst, wrote from Lagos Readers can continued online www.thisdaylive.com

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t NOVEMBER 3, 2018

45

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Omoni Oboli

Relishing 18 Years of Marital Bliss SUNNY MELODY I Was Influenced By Ebenezer Obey’s Songs While Growing up pg. 48

OMOTUNDE SOGUNLE I Wanted to Be a Lawyer, But…

pg. 49

46

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t NOVEMBER 3, 2018

SHOWBIZFLAIR OMONI OBOLI

Relishing 18 Years of Marital Bliss Award-winning actress/producer/director and beautiful mother of three, Omoni Oboli has stayed faithful in marriage as she celebrates 18 years of marital bliss, writes Ferdinand Ekechukwu

K

eeping a man and a woman as partners in a relationship is not as easy as the word marriage sounds. It takes the two parties involved to make a marriage work, and when one disagrees, the bond is broken. Regular couples do face hitches and temptations that tend to drive their marriages to the rock, let alone celebrities who are constantly in the spotlight and are always busy traveling from one location to the other. But for Nollywood actress and movie producer/director, Omoni Oboli and her better half, Nnamdi Oboli, the story has been so totally different 18 years after marriage. For the couple who have been blessed with three sons, the romance is still quite strong. In a post shared on Instagram early this week, the 40 year old celebrity shared sweet photos of herself and her husband as they marked 18 years of blissful marriage. Interestingly one of her supercelebrity colleagues, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde had teased her that at 18, their marriage just became an adult. While looking forward to a future filled with undying love, the beautiful actress announced to the world that as couple, they have survived everything to still remain married and joyous. Definitely one of the beautiful couples out there and completely picture perfect, Omoni while dedicating a post to her husband wrote; “18 years later, you still make me deliriously happy! I couldn’t have married a better man! The woman I am today, I owe it all to God and you! I love you endlessly. Thank you for loving me unconditionally. My hero! Happy anniversary baby! Forever beckons.” Her husband Nnamdi, who seem happier, in turn wrote; “What a ride it’s been for 18 years living with this beautiful, dutiful, and resourceful woman, wife and mother. Words fail me to express my immense gratitude to God for the life in the years we’ve lived in grace and wonder. “We made our vows, and it seems like we blinked and time gained wings and we became breathless due to the rollercoaster romance. We were one from two, and from that God-given union came three more, yet we remained one at once, never to renounce. I can’t begin to recall all the nuances that make for the beauty of what we’ve learned that holds us together and keeps it all fresh and exciting. But what I know is that I’m looking forward to many more years, God willing, of more moments together that are also nail biting. I wish you darling the best the world could offer, but more than that, I wish you the best God

Omoni and her husband

47

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t NOVEMBER 3, 2018

18 years later, you still make me deliriously happy! I couldn’t have married a better man has prepared. “This is wishing us another happy Anniversary, and prays that this best friend of mine will continue to grow in grace doing and loving all that she ever cared. I love you more 18 years over, and wouldn’t trade the moments that we’ve shared in light of the beauty that it’s produced. So join me in celebrating another milestone as our marriage continues in momentum, never to be reduced.” The actress tied the knot with her husband in 2000. She met her husband when she started acting in 1996, but they did not begin dating until four years later. Just two weeks after they began dating, and at the age of 21, while he was 29, he proposed to her. “We actually met on a movie set. His uncle is Obi Osotule and he had come to the set with him. We met, we just talked and I did not see him again until four years later during my final year in the university,” the University of Benin, French graduate, had revealed. In an interview, she opened up on why her marriage is still intact as she attributes it to a matter of understanding her partner. Omoni who has been in Canada with her family members for a while now had said, “I don’t know if I keep my home intact; I believe God does that for me. There are many women who do the right things and show up at every time for their husbands and still get the short end of the stick. “So I don’t take credit for it. I have my moments and he does too, but somehow it has never tipped the scale and that’s because God made it possible. Nevertheless, I believe that when you understand that you’re both different individuals who have become one, then you can try to weather any storm, knowing that if you don’t, both of you will have a dreadful life in that marriage. Enjoy it and seek for the things that make for peace because life is too short to waste it fighting.” The scriptwriter and trained digital filmmaker who could be described as one of the leading examples of Nollywood celebrity married woman, Omoni was once hit by several criticisms for her dress which appeared to have exposed her breast and cleavages in Aso Rock during one of her movie premieres; a thing that didn’t go down well with many of her fans and social media followers. Those who cruelly slammed the filmmaker expressed disappointment over her choice of dress to the event, saying they never expected her to indulge in such. On reacting to why she exposed her breasts, she said she had exposed her breast due to the type of dress she wore. She further said the dress appeared to have shown much of her “chest” due to the camera angle. She then explained that after the event, she headed straight to her hotel room and returned to Lagos to meet her family. “So if anybody is going aside to say something else, they are wrong. I returned to Lagos with the small purse I took to the event and after the event, I went back to my hotel room and left for Lagos the next morning. I didn’t stay back in Aso Rock or sneak out to meet anybody.” Notably one of her movies, Wives on Strike The Revolution, preached against domestic violence.

Omoni and her family

Omoni and her husband

... during their early days

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t NOVEMBER 3, 2018

48

SHOWBIZFLAIR SUNNY MELODY

I Was Influenced By Ebenezer Obey’s Songs While Growing up Sunny Melody is a UK-based Nigerian indigenous Juju musician. While at the Ogun State University, he was a member of the school’s music band and that kick-started his career before he travelled to the UK in 2000. He shares with Tosin Clegg how his journey started while in school, moving to the UK, his works and more How the journey started y journey started from Abeokuta in Ogun State when I was a very young boy and a choir member of an African Church in Abeokuta. I became the choirmaster of this church at a tender age.

M

How OSU Melody was formed The brain behind Osu Melody was Adeolu Adekanmbi who was simultaneously a kegite member in those days. It was formed out of distinction from Kegites and became the official Ogun State University band (now OOU). All members of OSU Melody were kegites when it was formed. We were doing Highlife, Juju and all kinds of Yoruba traditional music. I was offered an opportunity to join when I got to OSU, and I obliged without any hesitation. Growing up, family and childhood dreams I was born into a Christian family in Abeokuta and I have always loved music even from the grassroots, and my entire family loves music. My brothers, sisters, uncles, cousins were active in our church choir and it became a tradition for the entire family. I was the leader of my secondary school’s “Cultural Group” and I was a member of my University Band (Osu Melody), as I said earlier. To be honest, I never dreamt of becoming a musician because I only saw it as a hobby. I have always wanted to be a journalist or be in any vocation that will give me an active interaction with the public. What inspires my musical content Every “church grown” musician would opt for Juju music because it’s next in line to church or gospel music. I stated earlier that I started from the church, so obviously, my choice of circular music would be Juju. I always try to at least send a message to the entire world in my musical content. I so much love educative messages and that’s what I always do in my music. My definition of Juju music Juju music is a wonderful style of Nigerian traditional music which derives its flavour from rich Yoruba percussion and strings. It is naturally educative and captivating. I perform with a large band consisting of keyboardists, guitarists, talking drummers, percussionists, backup singers, among others. We rehearse regularly and we have an uncountable number of composed songs. How I came about the name Sunny Melody My first name is Sunday and that’s

Sunny, my melody was culled from my University School band days “Osu Melody”. It’s just too perfect for me, considering these two memorable factors. Successes and challenges so far Well, we thank God for the hardearned success so far. We thank God we have achieved all that can be achievable in the Nigerian context. We have faced so many challenges and, to God be the glory, we are still standing. It’s all to the Glory of God. I have released four albums so far Oyato, my first album was inspired by my journey from Nigeria to the UK and it was released in 2003/2004. On the Dance Floor, my second was inspired by my early settling years in the UK, the Nigerian culture and mentality here in the UK and it was released in 2005/2006. My third one Pasunnification was a collaborative work with Pasuma and it was released in 2007/2008 and was a magnificent success. The fourth, Greater Heights was released in 2013 to appreciate all my fans in the UK and all over the world for believing in me and my dreams. Ongoing projects I have just released a single titled ‘Fewa’ and I’m seriously working on the video right now. I am also working on another single and another album. Who inspired my kind of music Inspiration comes from God, however, I have always loved the Ebenezer Obey while I was growing up. When I became an adult, I always regard Sir Shina Peters as my role model for bridging the gap between old and young. My view about Nigerian Juju artistes targeting the UK Well, if you ask me, I will say that it’s due to the poor standard of living in Nigeria. However, I believe Nigeria is still the best place to showcase one’s talents in music. Majority of those here including myself would still want their works to be heard and promoted in Nigeria. What an irony that is? Aside from the UK and Nigeria, I have been to at least 15 countries and I am happy that my music has been accepted everywhere. Hip hop music and Juju music I have always been saying this, Juju music will always be relevant because it derives its roots from traditional music, as long as there are traditional activities, it will always be relevant, whether Hip Hop or no Hip Hop. Looking ahead I see myself still in the industry but doing less singing and promoting upcoming artistes and also engaging in a musical charity programme.

Melody

49

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t NOVEMBER 3, 2018

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Tosin Clegg 07062816737 e-mail: tosinclegg@hotmail.com

MY STORY

Gists D’BANJ GOES ON TOUR WITH AFROLAVIDA MUSIC FESTIVAL Something big is going down this Ember Season. It’s the Afrolavida Music Festival with ‘D’Banj Goes on Tour’. Afrolavida Music Festival is an entertainment event that celebrates and showcases an explosive experience of music, dance and fun like never before. Headlining this year’s event is one of Nigeria’s worldclass, renowned and award-winning artiste, D’banj popularly known as The Koko Master a.k.a BangaLee. The Afrolavida Music Festival with D’banj tour kicks off in November 2018, as the DKM Boss is billed to have two countries’ tour; Benin Republic, Cotonou and Cyprus. He will be thrilling his ever-growing fans with energetic performances of his hit songs live. Dbanj has been up and running lately doing shows, tours, appearances and gigs in and out of Nigeria. He also has ongoing collaborations with other African acts which he has all piped down.

PENZAARVILLE CELEBRATES, RECOUNTS CONTRIBUTION TO MEDIA INDUSTRY Penzaarville is a social media agency that has played a pivotal role in working with emerging brands to reach their potential. In three years, the brand has evolved from influencer marketing to a full-blown social media agency to meet the demands of its esteemed clients such as Taxify, Wema Bank, Nokia, Coldstone Nigeria, to mention a few. Olufemi Oguntamu, Lead Consultant of Penzaarville believes that, “Steps into steps make the world a better place and our contribution to the social media sphere over the years has earned us the reputation and reckon we get from our clients, new and old. For us, Nigeria is just the starting point, Africa and the world is next.” Her vision is to be the number one social media agency in Africa and so far it’s been steps closer to the set goal. The brand over the years has built a track record for its social media reach and influence. The conference ‘Handle It Africa’ started by the company has become a force to reckon with in the social media marketing industry. The conference witnesses over a thousand attendance each year with two editions so far. Its impact has been applauded by industry pundit as being one of the most influential conferences on the subject of social media.

OMOTUNDE SOGUNLE

I Wanted to Be a Lawyer, But… Omotunde is an actor whose works include films and stage plays. She is also a TV host and a multi-diversified entertainment enthusiast. She tells Tosin Clegg about her career, acting, TV and more

H

ow did it all start?

I initially wanted to be a lawyer but it all changed in secondary school when a drama competition was brought to my school. I went for the audition with my best friend. She got the role I auditioned for and the director made me his assistant. In fact, he made me everything; I was in charge of costume, props, set, makeup, etc.

Tell us about your works? So far, I have been in a couple of series, movies, both Yoruba and English, from Jenifa’s Diary. My most recent Yoruba movie is Oba Ara which is still showing on YouTube. House 31 is coming soon to your screens. Downtown is still showing on NTA, Copers Shun on Accelerate Tv, Liberty Villa on Stv, Rofia Taylor Loran and more.

Who are your role models? I have a lot, but not as role models, because a lot of us just pick and want to be like this person. But I’m like, I like your style, I want to be better. I particularly watch out for the emotional switch in every actor. It’s something I work on, myself, every day because acting is make-believe so if I’m not able to switch from one emotion to the other smoothly then how do I make my audience believe me? Every actor inspires me. I inspire myself when I pull up a totally different role.

Tell us about your shows? I host my own show which is called FoodPorn with MoSugar. I have a talk show called Bedtalk which I co-produced with Asurf Oluseyi the producer of Hakkunde. Sometimes, I’m into contents, radio jingles, adverts. But basically, all I do has to do with the media.

What goals have you set for yourself? I intend to go into production next year. All is getting set but I just might focus on Yoruba movies first. Directing might be in the future. The last time I directed was during NYSC and it was a dance-drama. Those two I’m sure of but who knows, something else might spring up.

50

THISDAYtSATURDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2018

51

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ NOVEMBER 3, 2018

POLITY Legend Doubles Internet Speed on Bundled Fibre Service Stanley Nkwazema

T

he Leading Fibre to the Home (FTTH) service Provider, Legend has formally doubled its speed on its TriplePlay and Dual Play Bundles from 8Mbps and 4Mbps to 16Mbps and 8Mbps respectively to serve clients

better. Interestingly, the increase will be at no additional cost to the customers already on the service and to those joining the network. The General Manager of Legend Aisha Abdulaziz disclosed yesterday in Abuja that in Legends quest to deliver a fully

immersive Multi Media experience at the quality of the most developed countries in the world to its customers in Nigeria, the company will continue to increase the speeds on its network and introduce innovative and exciting products that ensure its customers are satisfied and fulfilled with their TV, Internet and Digital services. She explained that Legend had also made history in the African Internet market by launching its Residential GE Gigabit Internet service. Gigabit Internet services are very rare even in the United States and were championed actively by companies like Google who set up Google Fibre to drive GE services to the home. She said “We have built a network at

par with the most advanced in the world, and are very eager to provide our customers with the services they deserve. Our GE services start at 0.1Gbps through to 1Gbps, over a single connection, suitable for UHD/4K Video streaming and other bandwidth intensive applications. They are also well priced and start at N150, 000, 00 per month” According to the Legends General Manager “Our diverse product offerings ensure that the Legend experience is available to the broad spectrum of the market either through our Hotspot chain or our OTT products which can be accessed through the Google Playstore or App Store. We are very excited at the prospects and opportunities ahead”.

Legend by Suburban is an exclusive service brand which offers distinctive value that enhances the lifestyle of its users. The service was launched in 2014 with a focus on providing access to unlimited premium video entertainment and connectivity to the public. The company provides direct fibre optic connections to individual locations to enable: ultra-fast internet access; unlimited HD video streaming via different models, including Subscription Video-on-demand & Transactional Video-on-demand; Home Automation and Security services; Wi-Fi hotspots set up across different locations; as well as a bespoke mobile app that enables video content consumption on the go

Udom: Akwa Ibom Interest Above Self Aniedi Uko

A

kwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, has always been one that can correctly be described as a true son of the state and patriot. His interest in matters that affect the state goes back long before he began the journey that would end with him steering the ship of the state as its governor; long before he was appointed secretary to the state government in 2013. For many years, Udom, as he is fondly called (not Emmanuel, his surname), was a frontline member of Akwa Ibom Professionals, a Lagos-based group of indigenes who see themselves as Diaspora citizens of the state, though resident in Nigeria, who have made their marks in different professions and have been silently contributing to the development of the state as a group and as individuals. Prior to his coming into public office, Udom occupied the plum office of executive director in one of Nigeria’s high flying banks, Zenith Bank – a position that should have made a thankless job in public office an unattractive one, especially for someone not given to the politics and intrigues that are associated with political office at that level of government. While at the bank, he used his position to advance the interests of the state in any legitimate way he considered feasible and within his ability to do. When he was called to serve the state in an

official capacity, he knew the risks involved in leaving the comfort zone of the corporate world that had been his terrain for over two decades for the unknown and highly unpredictable public sector. But he was undeterred. He had been making little contributions, even if inconsequential, from relative obscurity. If it was the will of God that he should leave the known for the unknown in the interest of the state, who was he to refuse? Perhaps it was a Divine test and preparation for a higher calling that lay ahead. Udom’s appointment to the third highest political office in the executive arm of government in the state was therefore an opportunity for him to further his contributions to the development of the state from inside. For the brief period he held the office of secretary to the state government, he acquitted himself quite creditably, such that the question on the lips of most people in the state was – what next for Udom? The question itself was answered by the people of the state who felt he had more to offer the state beyond the office he was occupying at that time. And when, by an act of Providence, he entered the history books as the fourth elected governor of the state in 2015, Udom braced up for the onerous task of carrying the hopes and aspirations of the over six million people of the state on his shoulders. The quiet, unassuming and relatively unknown banker from the sleepy village of Awa, in Onna Local Government Area of the state had found favour in the sight of God who considered him a worthy

instrument of change in a state that was in dire need of inspirational leadership. More than three years down the road, it is hardly possible to say that he has disappointed. Indeed, the popular view in the state is that he has executed, quite creditably, the Divine Mandate on which he hinged his campaign for election, even with about six months to go in his first term. In words and action, Udom has used his position as governor to promote the interests of the state and its people at the slightest opportunity. The areas in which he has been able to do this are quite legion, ranging from education to industrialization, sports, culture and tourism, including religion with which the people of the state are passionately associated, perhaps in line with the name of the state that translates into Almighty God. Above all, he has been able to raise the status of the average Akwa Ibomite above what had been stereotyped for decades. He has spared no effort in doing all these. The governor has, in the last three and half years, championed the political and economic emancipation of the people of the state, such that today, the Akwa Ibom man and woman can rub shoulders with other Nigerians in every area of endeavor as equals. Shortly after the commencement of the present political dispensation in the country, border skirmishes between Nigeria and Cameroun reared their ugly heads, prompting President Muhammadu Buhari to visit the central African country to explore ways of sustaining the cordial relationship that had existed

between the two countries for more than a century. Udom was a member of the federal government delegation to that country. It was an occasion that afforded the then newly elected governor the opportunity to participate in high level discussions on issues that border on the welfare and security of the people of Akwa Ibom and, indeed, Nigerians living in border communities between the two countries. Discussions at that level were highly essential, considering the decades-old interaction between the people of the state and Camerounians in trade and commerce, and the need to preserve that relationship. That national assignment marked Udom out as a governor that would not toy with the security, welfare and the very existence of the people of the state. Udom has changed the narrative of the politician as a brash, no nonsense and sometimes rude public official who takes delight in using his office to trample on the rights and privileges of others, simply on account of holding public office, especially one as high as a state chief executive. He has demonstrated, in every way possible, that one can be a political leader and still uphold the basic tenets of democracy that include respect for the rule of law and the rights of others. His quiet mien may be a sharp contradiction of the perception by some people of what politicians are known to be, but it has been the secret of his string of successes since he took the plunge into the murky waters of Nigerian politics in 2014. –––Aniedi Uko lives in Uyo.

Osinbajo Celebrates with Grange School at 60 Bennett Oghifo

G

range School Lagos has celebrated its Diamond Jubilee with the official unveiling of its Anniversary Logo by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, at the school premises in GRA, Ikeja,

Lagos. The event, which saw in attendance different dignitaries across all sectors including education, kicked off with the arrival of the Vice president. The staff and students of Grange school were all in their best ensuring a well-coordinated and highly engaging ceremony. Highlights of the event included a performance from the school choir, rendition from the school primary and secondary musical band, as well as the grand unveiling of the 60thAnniversary Logo by the Vice President. As the Special Guest of honour at the ceremony, the Vice President talked about the link between quality education and poverty reduction. “Education erases poverty by almost 60 per cent in a community, increases earnings by 10 per cent and reduces a nation’s inequality. To eradicate poverty, we equip the young people with education; this is to develop the category of people ready to take on the challenges of the 21st century,” Osinbajo said. He further explained that the critical issue being looked at is how to develop a

new curriculum for education. “We have a threefold plan; first is ensuring that we are able to attain all of the sustainable goals. Those standards include school enrolment, quality of education, adult literacy, quality of teaching, and we intend to meet all of those targets”. The Headmaster of the School, Mr. Guy Cassarchis, in his address during the ceremony said every school had its history, adding that Grange School understood the importance of quality education and learners were taught to be role models and mentors who would be capable of facing whatever challenges occur when they move on from school. He further stated that Grange School was putting together a football Academy which will eventually be opened to other talented children outside the School to be trained and positioned for opportunities with International Football club scouts that have partnered with Grange School. The Chairperson, Grange School Governing Council, Mrs Awuneba Ajumogobia, while addressing the media at the press conference which took place on the same day, elucidated that the school over the years had become a reference point in primary and secondary education in Nigeria, adding that its students enjoyed first choice privileges from some of the most prestigious tertiary institutions globally. She added that Grange school owed its impressive academic accomplishment to its dedicated teachers, intelligent students and adequate

L-R: Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; an official of Grange School; Chairperson, Grange School Governing Council, Mrs. Awuneba Ajumogobia; and Headmaster of the School, Mr. Guy Cassarchis, at the official unveiling of its Anniversary Logo by the Vice President, at the school in Ikeja, Lagos... recently

support of stakeholders. The Logo unveiling is the first in a series of events to mark Grange School’s Anniversary as the Institution continues to advocate quality education, innovative teaching methods and better remuneration for its teachers. Grange School is a co-educational private day and boarding school offering

the British Curriculum to a multicultural community of nursery through to secondary school, which was founded in 1958 by a group of interested parents who desired to provide standard education equivalent to that which was obtainable in the United Kingdom. The school is located at Harold Shodipo Crescent, GRA Ikeja, Lagos Nigeria.

52

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ NOVEMBER 3, 2018

POLITY

As Dimeji Bankole Enters Ogun Race The emergence of a former speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole as the governorship candidate of the ActionDemocraticPartyinOgunStatehaschangedthepoliticalcalculationinthestate,writesTobi Soniyi

I

n Ogun State, this is an interesting time. The two leading majority parties in the state: the Peoples Democratic Party and theAll Progressives Congress are weighed down by divisions.

The PDP Crisis

In the PDP, there are two state executives with each claiming legitimacy. The Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Buruji Kashamu says his faction is the legitimate excutive. He cited a couple of court judgments which he said legitimized his claim. The PDP at the national level appears to favour another faction and submitted the name of LadiAdebutu as its governorship candidate. Adebutu is presently a member of the House of Representatives. However, the Independent National Electoral Commission has declared that based on courts’

judgments, it is the Kashamu’s faction that has the right to nominate candidates for election. It is not clear yet if the INEC’s position is in tandem with the party’s constitution. What is clear is that the PDP does not have any plan to win the governorship race in Ogun State. Without the national headquarters of PDP supporting the party’s candidate in Ogun State, the PDP is out of the race in Ogun State. It is also unlikely that the party can win in Ogun State without the support of Kashamu. Head or tail, the PDP is not a party to reckon with in Ogun.

Like PDP Like APC

TheAPC does not appear to be in a better position either. Since the state governor and leader of the party in the state, IbikunleAmosun was outmaneuvered in the governorship primary election, he has vowed to work against his party. His candidate, a member of the House of Repre-

Rev. Ignatuis Gladestone Nwamu

T

he Nwamu family of Issele uku in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta state has announced the death of their father, uncle, brother, and grandfather, Rev. Ignatius Gladstone Nwamu who died in August this year at the age of 73years.He will be buried in his compound in Ishiekpe quarters in Issele uku in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. In a statement signed by Mr. Chas Uju Nwam, there will be a service of songs on thursday 8th and interment on Friday 9th November 2018 in their family compound.

Rev. Nwamu

sentatives representing Egbado South and Ipokia Federal Constitueny,AdekunleAkinlade lost to DapoAbiodun.Amosun would not go down without a fight. There are reports that many of his followers are working for a candidate of another party. This can’t not be verified. But in politics, permutations can change within 48 hours. Some of his followers have reportedly secured the tickets of the Democratic People’s Party to vie for election into the NationalAssembly. While Amosun he repeatedly promised to work for the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari, he had not made any such pledge to support the party’s governorship candidate in Ogun State. Since the presidential election will hold first, Amosun should not have any problems carrying out his threat. Unless, theAPC is able to rein inAmosun,APC may be in for a crushing defeat in 2019 in Ogun.

ADP Emerges

However, the situation in Ogun State is not as hopeless as it appears. While other parties are busy seeking candidates based on primordial sentiments such as where the candidate comes from, Dimeji Bankole, the youngest man to preside at the House of Representatives has positioned himself as the most competent person to run the affairs of the state. According to him, what the people of Ogun State crave most is competence and not where the governor comes from. “They want someone who will create jobs. They want someone who will return the state to its glorious past in academic excellence. But politicians have ignored the voters and are busy seeking to impose their favorite candidates on the people”,ADP. National Chairman, Chief Wale Egunleti told Thisday on the telephone. According to him, what theADP has done is to talk to the people of Ogun State and to ask them what they want and who they want as governor. The answer, he said, was overwhelm-

Bankole

ingly unanimous: “They want a competent person as governor. They don’t care where the person comes from. They want their children to be gainfully employed. They complained that after spending so much to educate their children, these children could not get work to do. “Our response to the people’s demand is Dimeji Bankole.” The battle for the soul of Ogun State will not be restricted to the three political parties mentioned above. There are others such as theAfrican Democratic Congress on which platform, Gboyega Isiaka is running. This will be his third attempt. There is also the Social Democratic Party featuring Rotimi Paseda as its governorship candidate in Ogun State. In 2015, he was the candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria for the governorship race. In the past, Ogun State governorship race was quite predictable.At present, that is proving not to be the case.

PHOTO NEWS

L-R: Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris; celebrant, Dr. Tunde Ayeye; founder, Precious Jewels Development Initiatives, Mrs. Adenike Ayeye; Special Guest/former Lagos State first Lady, Mrs. Emanuella Abimbola Fashola; and Pastor, Mountain of Life Ministry, Pastor Mrs. Nonithi Odukoya, at the commissioning of rehabilitated classroom blocks, library and resource centre of Afolabi Primary School, Oshodi by Dr. Ayeye to mark his 50th birthday... yesterday SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R: Regional Director, Africa and Near East Daikin Middle East and Africa FZE, Mr. Mohamed Abbas; Promoter, Panaserv Nigeria Limited, Mr. Suraj Rupani; Chairman, Daikin Middle East & Africa FZE, Mr. Yuji Miyata; Vice President – Regional Sales, Daikin Middle East & Africa FZE, Mr. Tuna Gulenc; and Regional Consulting Sales Manager, Daikin Middle East & Africa, during the launch of new R-32 Inverter Split Wall Mounted Units in Lagos... recently

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Diamond Bank, Uzoma Dozie; Founder BWL Agency, Ronke Bamishedu; Founder, ALARA Concept, Reni Folawiyo; Founder, Tiffany Amber, Folake Coker; Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bank, Bola Adesola, and co- founder Nataal, Helen Jennings, during the ALARA Awards for young African creatives held at the ALARA Concept, Victoria Island, Lagos... recently

L-R: Cross section of the Winners of the Stimuno School Colouring Competition in Domican Nursery and Primary School and staff of Dexa Medica, Makers Of Stimuno - Immune Boosting drug recently in Lagos

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍťËœ ͺ͸͚΀

53

NEWSXTRA

32 Bag First Class as UNIUYO Holds Convocation Okon Bassey Ă“Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™

PROMOTING TOURISM ... L- R: Foremost tourist and adventurer, Newton Jibunoh; former DG, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation, Omotayo Omotosho; Erelu of Lagos, Princcess Abiola Dosunmu and Ajoke Arinola, at the 2018 Destination Tourism Night in Lagos...recently PHOTO: ABIODUN AJALA

Group to Mobilise 20m Igbos for 2019 Elections Dismiss call for election boycott, reemphasises restructuring

Nseobong Okon-Ekong

No fewer than 20 million Igbo across the country will be mobilised to exercise their civic rights in the 2019 general elections, while restructuring will be a major cardinal concern for them in the elections. A pan Igbo organisation, the Igbo Public Affairs Foundation (IPAF), made this known as part of decisions reached at the end of its one-day strategic and sensitisation roundtable which held in Abuja. At a media parley with journal-

ists and some civil organisations following the adoption of a communiquĂŠ at the end of the meeting, IPAF president and convener, Hon. Uzor George Tiga, said it had become pertinent to review political activities in the country in line with Igbo participation in politics, as the build-up for 2019 general elections commences. While denouncing the call for the boycott of the 2019 general elections by the Igbo, the group said the call for restructuring was no longer a joke and hence the need for a change of strategy by

Igbo political class; with a view to prioritising the participation and nurturing of Ndigbo to hold political offices. “The call for restructuring of Nigeria is a task we must vote for as IPAF will mobilise 20 million Igbo voters both within and outside the South-east to discharge their civic rights without any fear of intimidation. “We remain resolute that Ndigbo shall determine the 2019 general elections in Nigeria and hence condemn in strongest terms, the undemocratic call for 2019

general elections boycott in the South-east,� the group stated. IPAF said it commended Igbo political leaders for timely resolution of their political impasse and now solidly supporting one of their own as a Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, stating that the reconciliation has shown that Igbos could speak with one voice. “We shall study the manifestoes of all the different presidential candidates before making our endorsement.�

Communities Benefit from Dangote Bayelsa Hands Over 127-Hectare Employee Sustainability Initiatives Aquaculture Village to Private Investors Dangote Cement Plc (DCP) sustainability teams from Obajana, Ibese and Gboko cement plants embarked on social investment programmes directed towards healthcare, education, and environmental sanitation in their host communities during the company’s sustainability week, 2018 which spanned five days simultaneously held across Africa. In Lagos, where the Dangote Group is headquartered, Sustainability Champions – which now number 500 persons across the business - embarked on the cleanup of Oniru block-makers village in Victoria Island; environmental sanitation of Anjorin Market, Apapa by Apapa Greenville; and the Isolo community clean-up by the Isolo Depot Team of Dangote Cement. Offshore business units of the company initiated various activities: a beach clean-up and tree planting in Tema by DCP Ghana; hospital sanitation and clean-up in Bounsa by DCP Congo; educational outreach programmes in Douala by DCP Cameroon; and Dangote Cement Ethiopia Plc constructed additional block for Ula Gora School, Ethiopia. The Dangote Sustainability Vision is built on seven Sustainability Pillars called ‘The Dangote Way’. The Dangote Sustainability Week, according

to the DCP Group Managing Director, Mr. Joe Makoju; “is built on the premise that sustainability must be owned and practiced by employees at every level of the organisation, and powered by the highest levels of institutional governance.� Chief Sustainability and Governance Officer of Dangote Group, Dr. Ndidi Nnoli, said: “For us at Dangote, sustainability means living in harmony with our communities and natural environment. We believe our people and our businesses have a lot to give but also much to learn from the rich heritage of cultures in Africa. As a company, we are committed to building sustainable local economies in the communities and markets where we operate.� The Chief Operating Officer of DCP, Mr. Arvind Pathak, remarked that “the positive and lifetransforming impact of Dangote Sustainability Champions across the African Continent during the recently held Sustainability Week surpassed all of our expectations and we are committed to doing more.� Across Nigeria, employees and Sustainability Champions of the Dangote Cement Plant came out dressed for work alongside community members to improve the quality of life for ordinary citizens.

Emmanuel Addeh Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă‹

A group of private investors has officially taken over the management of the Bayelsa-owned multi-million Aquaculture Village, located in Yenegue, Yenagoa Local Government Area. The concession of the village located on a 127-hectare land with over 500 fish ponds, it was learnt, was a collaboration between Aquaseas, Unity Bank and the state’s Ministry of Agriculture. Commissioner for Agriculture in the state, Mr. Doodei Week, described the handover as another remarkable achievement, noting that the three thematic pillars of capacity building, establishment of critical agricultural infrastructure and creating linkages with partners had been actualised. According to him, the government was poised to replicate such agricultural facilities in other local government areas of the state, noting that some councils would have two aquaculture villages. “It is not just the aquaculture village in Yenegue but aquaculture villages in every local government areas. Some local governments will have two because already we are doubling the investment in some local governments. “The state responsibility in this regard is to build the farms,

create the infrastructure and allow the private sector to drive them. We thank the governor, whose dreams, guidance systems and specific objectives that we are fulfilling,� he said. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Aquaseas, Mr. Steve Okeleji, said following further investments by the state government, the aquaculture villages would generate 16,000 direct jobs and countless other indirect jobs. “I want to applaud the audacity of the governor. What makes one a consummate leader is the ability to see opportunities, challenges and proffer solution. I am aware that the aquaculture village will be replicated in other local government areas with capacity of 500 ponds. “It is massive and that means we will be having a minimum of about 16000 direct jobs. It will also create indirect jobs. Our role is to manage the farms and sales and we are going to do that by engaging the youths of Bayelsa in all the entire value chain of aquaculture. “We will also create independent aquapreneurs, young, independent entrepreneurs in aquaculture. Bayelsa will soon become the hub of aquaculture in Africa. Other states should come around and borrow a leaf from the vision of this government.�

Thirty-two undergraduates of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), Akwa Ibom State will be officially conferred with first class degree honour as the institution marks its 24 convocation ceremony today. The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Eniefiok Essien (SAN) who disclosed this at a pre-convocation briefing also stated that the only honorary doctorate degree would be awarded to Late Dr. Ann Ward of the St. Luke Hospital, Anua in Uyo, the state capital. Professor Essien explained that 4,539 graduands made up of 631 postgraduates, 3,678 undergraduates and 239 sub-degree would be convoking. The elated Vice Chancellor said the university had 100 per cent status for all its programmes offered just as the National Universities Commission (NUC) recently approved the running of a Bachelor of Education in Educational Technology in the institution. He attributed the peace enjoyed on campus during his tenure to staff- and student friendly posture

of the university administration and further witnessed in the peaceful conduct of the Students’ Union election four months ago. Essien stressed that the university took the issue of staff welfare seriously, adding that promotion of staff across the categories and levels were done as and when due. On the development of physical infrastructure, he listed many of the projects completed in the last 12 months indicating at least 13 other projects were still on going and on stages of completion. “Another major physical project currently taking shape at the main campus of the university is the engineering complex funded by Exxon Mobil. The ground breaking ceremony for this project was performed in May this year,� he stated. The Vice Chancellor said the main challenge of the university was funding which was responsible for provision of befitting physical facilities, payment of state promotion arrears, arrears of shot falls in 2017, payment of earned allowances and engagement of more staff particularly academic staff.

Fayemi Inaugurates Probe Panels for Ekiti Tertiary Institutions Victor Ogunje Ă“Ă˜ ĂŽĂ™ ÕÓÞÓ

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Friday, inaugurated visitation panels for three stateowned institutions in its drive to reposition tertiary education in the state. The visitation panels, which were set up through executive orders signed by the Governor, are for Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti, and College of Health Sciences and Technology, Ijero Ekiti respectively. Inaugurating the panels at the Governor’s Office, Ado-Ekiti, Fayemi charged members to take proper review of the issues that have come up in past few years in the state adding that government constituted the panels because it did not want to act on hearsay from some quarters of the society.. “Rather than being arbitrary in some of the decisions we had to take, we felt it will be best to have the experts, people who are experienced, people who are knowledgeable, people who are also driven by passion and excellence to help us review some of the issues that have come up in the course of the past few years in our state.

“If you take time to look at the terms of reference of these panels which are set up in accordance with the statutes of the various institutions that we are examining, you will see that we are to ensure that this is a very comprehensive assignment. “We are not just looking at the laws of the institutions, you are looking at the management of the institution, financial, research, administration and so on�. Meanwhile, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has advised the Governor Fayemi not to spare any head of the state owned tertiary institution found to have looted the treasury while at the helms of affairs. In a statement jointly signed by NANS National Vice President, Com. Raymond Ojo and Secretary, NANS’ Anti-Corruption Committee , Com. Farouq Ahmed, NANS opposed the idea that the appointments of those directing the College’s affairs in acting capacities after the exit of the immediate past Provost of the College of Health Sciences and Technology, Ijero Ekiti , Mr. Bayo Ojo should be confirmed. It alleged that they were also part of the lingering maladministration affecting the fortunes of the institution negatively.

INEC Relocates 22 Polling Booths from Private Homes in A’Ibom Okon Bassey Ă“Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Akwa Ibom State yesterday announced the relocation of 22 polling booths hitherto located in politicians’ houses to appropriate locations in the state. The state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Mike Igini, who revealed this while briefing newsmen in Uyo, didn’t mention those private residences that had been used as polling units. However, he said the relocation became necessary to forestall the influence of the election process by the owners of such buildings. He disclosed that 175,995 PVCs out of 1,893,379 delivered were yet to be collected by their owners in the state. The INEC commissioner stated that only 4,346 out of 85,226 PVCs delivered to the state in the first quarter of this year were collected

by their owners while 49,313 out of 127,880 delivered in 2017 were collected with only 1,663,725 out of 1,680,957 collected in 2015. Igini posited that INEC would continue to maintain neutrality in the election process and leave a legacy of free, fair and transparent elections that remain precedence on future elections in the state. “In Akwa Ibom votes would count in 2019. As a people and as a commission, we remain committed to the legacy of bequeathing a transparent free and fair election. “We have started the process and we hope to achieve this in line with our mandate.� the state INEC boss stressed. The commissioner assured that they would conduct elections in the troubled Etim Ekpo and Ukanafun local councils as peace had gradually returned to the areas following the amnesty programme initiated by the state government.

54

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍťËœ ͺ͸͚΀

NEWSXTRA

Fear Grips Abia Community as Erosion Exposes NNPC Pipelines Emmanuel Ugwu Ă“Ă˜ Ă—Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă’Ă“Ă‹

WORKING TOGETHER... L-R: Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt. Hon. Donatus Uzogbado and Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, when the former was handing over gift items to the governor at the Government House, Enugu...recently

2019: Army Vows to Punish Partisan Officers Emmanuel Addeh Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă‹

The Nigerian Army yesterday warned its officers and men against taking sides with politicians during next year’s general elections in the country. The military maintained that all errant officers who flout the directive would be summarily tried under its extant rules and regulations. Speaking at the Step-Up headquarters of 16 Brigade in Nembe, Nembe local council, Bayelsa, during the official launch of Operation Crocodile Smile 111, Maj. Gen Jamilu Sarham, General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, warned that officers who openly or discreetly support any party or contestant will be shown the way out of the service. He said aside taking out

criminals in the Niger Delta, the third phase of the operation would ultimately lead to high tempo activities during the Yuletide and subsequently the next set of elections beginning early next year. “In the end, Operation Crocodile Smile 111 will serve as a launch-pad towards the high tempo operation as we approach the 2019 election. “Let me warn all officers and soldiers of 6 Division to be very wary as we approach the general election of 2019. “You have no business hobnobbing or taking sides with contestants in the forthcoming elections. You must remain absolutely neutral and visibly nonpartisan . “Any officer or soldier found wanting in this regard will be

court-martialed within the Nigerian army’s extant rules and regulations. To be forewarned is to be forearmed,� he warned. Maj. Gen Sarham also urged his men not to yield any ground to militants operating in the Niger Delta, adding that in carrying out their duties they have the full backing of the federal government as well as the governors of states in which they operate. According to him, the latest phase of the operation was aimed at sharpening the skills of officers and soldiers to operate in the riverine and creek environment of the Niger Delta region as well as dominating the land-based flashpoints where criminals may be hibernating. He promised to ensure that all the rules of engagement were upheld in the course of

the operation and listed Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers as states in which the programme will be conducted. “Officers and soldiers have been sensitised to abide by all professional ethics with absolute respect for human rights and best global practices in their conduct. “In the course of our operation, troops’ action might inhibit personal movements and activities, but be assured that this operations is for the overall good. “ We will not tolerate and unit or division yielding ground to criminals or militants in whatever guise . You have the full backing of the Federal Government and state governments within your areas of engagement to deny criminal activities and elements any freedom of action� he added.

Anglican Priests Block Anambra Over N2.7trn Spent on Capital, Govt House in Protest Infrastructure, Says Osinbajo David-Chyddy Eleke Ă“Ă˜ ĂĄĂ•Ă‹

Over 200 priests of the Anglican Communion, from the Onitsha Arch Diocese blocked the gate of the Anambra State Government House, Awka on Friday, preventing Governor Willie Obiano from leaving office. The priests were protesting alleged takeover of a property in Onitsha, which they said belonged to them, and housed Bishop Crowder Primary School. They said their Catholic counterparts seized the land from them, in connivance with the state governor, Obiano, who they noted was also a Catholic. Meanwhile, Governor Obiano snubbed the priests who besieged the Government House gate, refusing to come out and address them, prompting them to bring out chairs, on which they all sat at the gate, singing hyms, and refusing to leave until they were addressed by the governor. Diocese of the Niger, Anglican Communion has been contesting the ownership of the school with their Catholic counterpart, which led to the ban of church services in public schools in Anambra State by Obiano-led administration. The priests also refused to

be addressed by the deputy governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke, insisting it must be the governor himself. The protesting priests carried placards of various inscriptions such as: ‘Gov. Obiano, stop disrupting our church services and activities, Bishop Crowder Memorial Primary School is not government property’ among others. Leader of the protesting priests, Ven. Josiah Chukwukadibia Ofoegbu said they were in Government House to register their grievances over marginalisation and politics of denomination being played by the Anambra State Government under Obiano. They also claimed that so many Anglicans in the state were denied All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) ticket for various positions in the just concluded party primaries, describing such as a threat to peaceful coexistence. “We are embittered in what is happening in our dear state. This present administration is turning Anambra State to a denominational state. It is unfortunate that this is happening 28 years after Bishop Ajayi Crowder who built the school left Nigeria.

Jonathan Eze Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has stated that the federal government has spent over N2.7 trillion to service the country’s infrastructure needs which translates to the largest capital spent in the nation’s history despite earning 60 per cent less in the previous five years. Osinbajo who stated this at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Lagos International Trade Fair said, “ We have focused on roads, power and our new rail network amongst others. The federal government has been committed to policies and reform efforts geared at enhancing diversification and structural reform of the economy through massive investment in infrastructure and human capital.� According to him, these policies have successfully enhanced productivity, increase in the share of manufacturing in Nigeria’s total export earnings and a drastic reduction in Nigeria’s susceptibilities to shocks. “Our focus on infrastructure extends to both hard and soft infrastructure particularly trade facilitation, quality infrastructure and the ease of doing business reforms, we have taken on the infrastructure challenges that have stifled SME growth and development in the country by

seeking innovative ways to bridge the significant infrastructure gap and at the same time, creating an enabling environment,� he added. He said plans were also on the way to facilitate an innovative product in collaboration with Google incorporated to provide free WiFi in public places, pointing out that the service was currently in six different locations in Palm Shopping Mall, Landmark Centre, MM2 Domestic Airport, the Computer Village and the Ikeja City Mall. “The more interesting part is that we are asking them to roll out a market across Nigeria. In the next few months they will be in Onitsha Main Market, Gbagi in Ibadan, Kuto Market in Abeokuta, Kaduna Central Market, the Sura Market and the Lagos Abuja International Airport. We think that by democraticising access to the internet especially in public places and in markets so many more people can do their business and more people can receive information and this information can cheaply be delivered to them. An enabling business environment is critical, we have also enhanced our electronic visa process which allows any eligible business traveller coming into Nigeria to attain visa within 48 hours of applying and meeting the conditions.

After the disastrous pipeline explosion which occurred at Osisioma, Abia State last month, fear has gripped the rural community of Ohiaocha Umunwanwa in Umuahia South Local Government Area of the state following the exposure of NNPC pipelines by erosion in the area. Community leaders said they were not comfortable with the exposed pipelines which pass through their community as it had been made vulnerable to vandals who could easily break the pipelines without having to dig them up. To prevent vandals from taking advantage of the exposed pipelines Senator Theodore Orji yesterday visited Ohiaocha and appealed to the community leaders to do everything in their power to restrain youths from tampering with the pipelines pending the time the relevant authorities would come over to secure them. “We don’t want what happened at Osisioma to happen here,� he told the people of Ohiaocha, adding that the exposed pipelines

constituted a big danger and “a disaster waiting to happen�. The Abia Central Senator noted that if the youths of the area were the bad type they would have broken the pipelines to scoop petrol thereby exposing the community to disastrous consequences of the illegal act of breaking pipes to steal petrol. Senator Orji stated that it was the responsibility of the NNPC to safeguard the pipelines from erosion menace ravaging the community, noting that the exposure of the pipelines had nothing to do with vandalism but an environmental problem of erosion. He therefore called on the NNPC to hasten up and safeguard the pipelines and not ignore the alarm being raised by the people of Ohiaocha as they call on the authorities to come and save the situation from getting out of hand. Former chairman of Umuahia South local government, Chief Jerry Uzosike lamented that erosion had eaten up the whole area and excavated the pipelines and making them more tempting for vandals.

Obi Fully Supported Savings, Says Aide Former Governor of Anambra State and the Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, has said that he fully supported savings by the federal government during his tenure. This was disclosed by his Media Aide, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, in a statement made available to THISDAY in response to the tape released by the All Progressives Congress (APC), where Obi spoke about savings and lamented that the country could not save because the governors at that time were against savings. “For APC, it means that Obi also opposes savings and was part of the crisis of inflation presently plaguing the state,� Obienyem said. Obienyem who agreed that lack of savings was a contributory factor to inflation, said in the present case that it was more due to lack of proper management of the economy. He insisted that APC

should not be blamed for releasing such a video, because, according to him, while speaking on the matter as shown in APC tape, Obi in the spirit of collective responsibility always accepted it was partly the fault of the governors, without going behind the scene to offer the details to the world, otherwise that would be righteous indignation. He advised the APC and other Nigerians desirous of knowing what went behind the scene during the great debate on savings to read the book entitled ‘Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines’, written by the former Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. In the said book, Obienyem wrote: “the former minister and one of the most renowned economists in the world today, went behind the scenes and told us what happened.

Nigeria’s Remi Dada, Other Designers on CNN African Voices Nigeria’s creative office designer, Remi Dada, will this week feature as special guest in the Globacom-sponsored magazine programme, African Voices, on CNN International. He will be joined by health recipe designer, Andrew Draper of South Africa, and handbag stylist, Abai Schulze. The edition is dedicated to various forms of creative designs in architecture, food and luxury handbags and will be aired at 3.30a.m. and 1.30p.m. on Saturday and at 11.30 a.m and 6.30p.m. on Sunday. There will also be repeat broadcasts at 10.30a.m. on Monday and at 4.30a.m. on Tuesday. The 32-year-old Dada is the Chief Executive Officer of SpaceFinish. He is a former Product Marketing Lead for Google and You Tube. An architect by profession, Dada has pursued his interest in technology and is inventing creative office spaces. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architectural Studies and MBA in Marketing from the University of IIIinois, Urbana-Champaign, and Howard University, both in the United States. His vision is “to create working spaces which blur the gap between Silicon Valley

and Africa.� Andrew Draper is a celebrity chef, who once cooked for South Africa’s former president, Nelson Mandela. He is expected to share his culinary experience in innovative food, memorable events and fine dining on the programme.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as DEBORAH AMARA IWEGBU, now wish to be known and addressed as DEBORAH AMARA OMONDEAGBON. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS OYERO SADIAT OLUWAREMILEKUN, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ADIGUN ALIMOT OLUWAREMILEKUN. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note. I formerly known and addressed as OGIDI HENRY AWUBARE, now wish to be known and addressed as ODHEGBA HENRY AWUBARE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

55

NOVEMBER 3, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

SPORTSXTRA

Super Eagles celebrate

Nicklas Bendtner (left) and his lawyer Anders Nemeth arrive at court in Copenhagen

Nigerian Fans to Pay N1,500 for Bafana Bafana-Eagles AFCON Qualifier Nigerian soccer fans hoping to watch the Super Eagles take on South Africa on November 17 will have to pay at least N1,500 for tickets to watch the Cup of Nations qualifier at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg. Though South Africa Football Association (SAFA) earlier announced that ticket prices would be subsidised for the game, their reduced fees might still appear rather high when converted to

Naira. Footballlive.ng learnt as much from reports out The Rainbow Nation, which confirmed that cheapest tickets for the match will be 60 rands, about N1,500; but children under age 12 will pay 10 rands (N250). After losing the first leg 2-0 in Uyo, Eagles will be out for revenge on November 17 in the Group E reverse fixture against Bayana Bayana, for which tickets

have gone on sale at centres across South Africa. Gambian referee, Bakary Papa Gassama will be in charge of the match day 5 fixture at the famous ‘Soccer City’ in Soweto. The 39-year-old ref is regarded among the best on the continent and was among a few Africans selected for the FIFA World Cup in Russia. Gassama also handled Nigeria’s 3-1 victory over

Algeria in Uyo during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Nigeria currently leads the group with 9 points from four matches, one ahead of South Africa, who have 8 points from same number of games. The Super Eagles need just a point to qualify whilst South Africa need all three points to end the hopes of Libya making it to Cameroon 2019.

Joshua Considers Whyte’s Option at Wembley Anthony Joshua has confirmed that Dillian Whyte could face him at Wembley Stadium if he beats Dereck Chisora and Deontay Wilder fails to “step up”. Joshua has divided loyalties between his two fellow heavyweights and will be ringside when they meet again at The O2, London, on December 22. ‘AJ’ would also like to see

north Londoner Chisora win and, while Wilder’s team are willing to resume negotiations after his December fight with Tyson Fury, Whyte is also a serious option for April 13. “I am not out again until next year, April 13. You know we’re ready Wilder. Whatever, we are ready,” he exclusively told Sky Sports. “Just be realistic on the

negotiations because that’s your issue, not mine. “But this isn’t about me, this is about Chisora-Whyte. I am looking forward to that fight, I will be there. “It’s a blessing to take myself out of training and go and watch these guys go and perform and see it from a different point of view. “If I was a betting man? I want Chisora to win because

he’s my guy, north-west London. I respect him. He’s a Finchley ABC ambassador and he was a role model when I was coming through. “And Dillian, I want him to win because I want to box him again. Come April 13, if Wilder doesn’t step up, they’re my two options. “Good luck to Chisora, good luck to Whyte, they’re both relevant wins for me.”

‘Djokovic has Exceeded all Expectations’ Annabel Croft and Greg Rusedski feel Novak Djokovic is on course for complete world domination in the coming years. Djokovic described his return to the No. 1 ranking as “a phenomenal achievement” knowing he will replace Rafael Nadal as the world’s top player on Monday after a two-year absence. The 31-year-old is looking to win the Paris Masters for a record-extending fifth time and his elevation back to the top is remarkable, as it comes just five months after he slumped to 22 in the world - his lowest ranking for 12 years - when he was knocked out of the French Open in the quarter-finals. But since then, he has been riding on a crest of a wave, having triumphed at Wimbledon, Cincinnati, the U.S. Open and Shanghai, winning 29 of his past 30

encounters in an incredible run of form. “I honestly believe that he has exceeded his own expectations,” Croft told Sky Sports. “They said they had a plan in place when they got (coach) Marian Vajda and the fitness trainer (Gebhard Gritsch) back on side again. But I think the plan was to play well at the U.S. Open - I think it came a lot earlier than that. He said the catalyst was playing as well as he did on the grass courts. “Remember, he came very close to winning Queen’s where he lost to (Marin) Cilic, but he also admits to extremes in how he looks back at his year because only five months ago, he was in dire straits. He was all over the place. He was so offbalance in everything that he was doing on the court, particularly on the backhand side, and now here he is full

of confidence. He’s found joy back on the tennis court again. “Five months ago, he was in a very, very dark place, and I really honestly believe that he has exceeded all of his expectations.” It was in 2016 when Andy Murray usurped Djokovic for the No. 1 ranking in Paris, so it is almost ironic that the Serb has returned to the top of the rankings in the French capital. “He went into such a deep decline after losing that top spot. He’s going to be one of the few who have come from such a low ranking and now to be back at number one on Monday is going to be absolutely extraordinary,” added former British No. 1 Croft. “Tennis is not easy, but when you go to the depths of despair and you find a way to build yourself back up again, he almost looks twice as strong as he has

ever looked before. “What a record he has already achieved in his career and who knows what he might go on and achieve. I did not see what he achieved this year coming. I thought it was going to take him a lot longer to get back.” Rusedski has reiterated the fact that he expects Djokovic to continue to dominate men’s tennis and says the 31-year-old could well surpass Nadal and Roger Federer in the Grand Slam stakes. “He’s doing things that other players haven’t done before,” said Rusedski. “We always talk about Federer and Nadal, but this guy Djokovic has a real shot to go down in history, and possibly as the greatest to have ever played the game. He’s only six (Grand Slams) away from Federer and at the pace he’s playing right now, there’s a real chance.”

Bendtner Sentenced to 50 Days in Jail for Assault

Ex-Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner has been sentenced to 50 days in jail in Denmark for assaulting a taxi driver. But the 30-year-old Rosenborg player has appealed and has been released until a hearing at a higher court. The incident took place in September, with the City Court of Copenhagen shown CCTV footage in which it appeared Bendtner struck the driver in the face. The Denmark international admitted hitting the taxi driver but said it was because he felt threatened. Bendtner said the driver threw a bottle or a can towards him and his girlfriend when they left without paying. “We think that it’s not good for the club and not good for Nicklas, but he remains a player in the club. We are keeping him,” said Tove Moe Dyrhaug, the chief executive of Bendtner’s Norwegian club Rosenborg. Bendtner, who played for Arsenal between 2005 and 2014, scoring 45 goals in 171 games, missed out on a place in Denmark’s squad for the 2018 World Cup because of injury. He had loan spells at Sunderland, Birmingham City and Juventus while at Arsenal before making a permanent move to German club Wolfsburg. He moved back to England to join Championship side Nottingham Forest in September 2016 before joining Rosenborg in March 2017.

2018 Lagos Kids MiniMarathon Holds Today in Ikoyi

The second edition of the Lagos Kids Mini-marathon organised by the St Saviour’s School Ikoyi Endowment Fund is scheduled to hold today in Ikoyi Lagos. The 2017 inaugural edition was well attended with over 1000 children representing 22 schools in Lagos. It also attracted guests like Kate Henshaw, Alibaba Akpobome, Asisat Oshoala, Chief Mary Onyali, Eku Edewor, Maje Ayida. Organisers have promised that this year’s edition promises to be even bigger and better. Themed “Active Kids Rock”, the mini-marathon is recognised as Nigeria’s only kids-focused marathon and will see children participating in the 1.2km, 3km, and 5km distance races respectively. Although the event is kids focused, the mini-marathon is designed as a fun day of family outing with exciting activities planned for kids and parents. This event is supported by AXA Mansard, Access Bank and MTN. Part of the proceeds from the event will be used to support Slum 2 School Africa, a volunteer-driven social organisation working to empower disadvantaged children in disadvantaged communities to realise their full potential through the provision of educational scholarships, health, and other psycho-social support.

Idowu Gives Condition before Joining Dynamo Kiev Former Nigerian U-17 international Akinjide Idowu has confirmed that Ukrainian powerhouse Dynamo Kiev areexploring ways to sign him, as first reported by Football Live Nigeria. The central midfielder, who won the U-17 World Cup with the Golden Eaglets back in 2013, has given a condition before he can agree to a switch to the Kievites. Idowu is twice shy about making a move to a big team as he was not afforded playing time during his stint with Major League Soccer club Portland Timbers and ended up playing only one game for their reserve team. ‘’Dynamo Kiev have interest but I and my manager have not decided on me joining the club or not,’’ said Idowu toallnigeriasoccer.com. ‘’Of course, I want to join Dynamo Kiev but only on a concrete condition that I will have enough playing time. ‘’That’s my priority for now not the huge amount of money.’’ Idowu is contracted to Lithuanian club FK Palanga until September 2019.

Saturday, November 3, 2018

TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Price: N250

MISSILE

Ezekwesili to Buhari

“There is no shadow of a doubt that President Buhari is the most parochial, most nepotistic and most partisan President that Nigeria has ever seen.” – Presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, Oby Ezekwesili, reprimanding President Buhari.

PENDULUM The Battle of The Nigerian Generals F DELE MOMODU

dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com

ellow Nigerians, I once wrote an article about the Nigerian Mafia on this very page. Yes, Nigeria is a Mafia nation and there are a few Mafia families in play. Some are peopled by civilians, whilst some are a group of military men comprising retired soldiers. There is also a mixture of civilians and soldiers like the Kaduna Mafia comprising Northern elites from both the civilian populace and the military. Apart from the Generals’ Mafia which includes General Olusegun Obasanjo, all of these Mafia families usually consist of men of Northern extraction. There were only two visible Mafia families in the South, namely the Awolowo and Zikist Mafia. However, the latter’s influence diminished long before the Owelle Of Onitsha, Chief Nnamdi Azikwe, who was the arrowhead, passed away, whilst the former has had its glory days dulled by the fractious disagreements which broke out between the acolytes of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, The Odole of Ife, after he exchanged mortality for immortality. This got exacerbated and became open internecine warfare after the revered sage’s wife, the Yeyeoba of Ile-Ife, Chief Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, who had kept the shop together with adroit wiles and guile, died just over 3 years ago. However, the Tinubu Mafia has grown in competition with the Awolowo Mafia in recent times, but even the influence of their effervescent overlord, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Asiwaju of Lagos, may be facing challenges at the moment from rebels within and outside. These coming elections may well be a true test of how efficacious the influence and control of this great and astute politician remains. It is interesting that while the influence of the Italian Mafia seems to have waned over the years, that of the Nigerian Mafia, particularly the Generals’ Mafia appears to have skyrocketed in recent years. There are warlords now spread across our country. And the godfathers and their godchildren litter the landscape of Nigeria. Since the return to civilian rule in 1999, Nigeria has remained under the firm grip of the military class, no matter what the civilians may say or think. It is therefore the Generals’ Mafia that remains in the ascendancy for now. Former Army General Olusegun Obasanjo, incidentally, the Balogun of Owu – a traditional warrior chief - came back from retirement as a former military Head of State and governed majestically for eight wonderful years. When he left, Umaru, the brother of a former Army General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua replaced him, largely on the basis of his relationship to the deceased brother, who was a firm favourite of General Obasanjo, who singlehandedly handpicked him and foisted him on a pliant nation despite his well-documented health challenges. He died in office and his Vice President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan also head-hunted by Obasanjo, took over to complete their first term. Thereafter, Jonathan was endorsed by Obasanjo, leading the Generals’ Mafia for his own first term. Unfortunately, things fell apart, when the falcon no longer hearkened to the falconer, and mere anarchy reigned upon the land. Meanwhile, all this while, Major General Muhammadu Buhari never stopped contesting serially, from 2003 to 2011 by which time he was expected to give up on his dream and ambition. He never did. Buhari returned to contest for the Presidency a record fourth time in 2015 and won resoundingly with the support of the almighty Generals’ Mafia. But since then, he has not been able to hold the centre together and he has fallen out of grace, and out of favour from the super Generals. Some may want to argue otherwise but the proof is easy. He could not win on previous occasions until the powers that be joined him. Who are these super Generals, the last men

Lt. General Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi (CFR GCON) remains a veritable member of the Nigerian Mafia. Born in 1940, he rose to prominence and the peak of his military career when he became Chief of Army Staff (COAS) from 1981 to 1983, in the Nigerian Second Republic, under the Shagari government. Wushishi joined the Army in 1961 and received his military training in Kaduna, Nigeria and later at Aldershot in the United Kingdom and finally at the United States War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He had a meritorious service till he rose to the rank of a Lt. General. He was well respected as a very disciplined officer. Now, guess who took over from him as COAS? General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), popularly described as the “evil genius”, and “Maradona” for his deft political and Machiavellian moves when he was President. Babangida was born in 1941. After enlisting in the military, he had his military training in Nigeria, India and the United Kingdom. A very brilliant and sociable man, he rose quickly and became a Major General within 20 years, from a Second Lieutenant in 1963 to a Major General in 1983 and a full General in 1987. Babangida participated in all the successful military coups from July 1966 and actually toppled Buhari unexpectedly in 1985. The story of how he successfully achieved a feat nobody thought possible at the time is the stuff of legends and myths and is a story to be told another time! Babangida was the opposite of Buhari. He made many friends but was accused by his critics of introducing favouritism and corruption to our body polity. However, his network of friends is second to none and this has contributed to the vantage position he continues to maintain in the Nigerian Generals Mafia. But for the grave error of annulling the best, freest and fairest election ever held in Nigeria, history might have been extremely kind and gracious to him because he assembled one of the brightest men and women to join him in government. As it is, he is forever remembered by this singular misadventure. Lt. General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma was born in December 1938. Notably, and unlike his senior colleagues in the Generals’ Mafia, he completed and passed his Higher School certificate examinations and was admitted to study History at what is now the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1959. A keen sportsman in his secondary school days and captain of the School Cricket team, Danjuma opted out of University education to join the Nigerian Army in 1960. The rest, as they say is history, for this quintessential gentleman soldier, who rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General and Chief of Army Staff before retiring in 1979. Since his retirement from the Nigerian Army, Danjuma has been an esteemed and respected member of the Generals’ Mafia. He is a consummate politician who was Minister of Defence during Obasanjo’s first term as civilian President, astute billionaire businessman with interests in shipping, oil and gas and telecommunications where he sits as Chairman atop a myriad of companies, and above all a major gracious and significantly benevolent philanthropist, unlike his peers. It is claimed that his lack of support for President Buhari’s re-election bid stems from the refusal to renew his oil mining licence and a hefty tax bill which his gigantic oil company, South Atlantic Petroleum Limited (SAPETRO), naturally disputes. A man of very few words in public, the spate of senseless killings of his people recently forced him to issue harsh words which instantly brought him on collision path with the Buhari Government. General Abdulsalami Abubakar was born in

Obasanjo

standing, you may want to ask? Let me oblige you, even if you know some or, indeed, all of them already. A few of them are quite visible while others are not, either deliberately or otherwise. The Nigerian Mafia in their totality are predominantly under the control of a few Generals who are members of a very select, privileged and exclusive club of high achievers in the Nigerian military and the Nigerian state. Let me start with the first and the reason he is probably the most powerful and influential. General Olusegun Obasanjo remains the most visible and voluble member of the Nigerian Mafia. His official date of birth reads May 5, 1937, but many feel he is older, considering the age of some of his friends and schoolmates. He schooled in Nigeria and continued his military education in England and India. Fearless and brutal, he became famous and was idolised for his fairy-tale exploits during the Nigerian civil war. Though different accounts have claimed that his role was exaggerated and overhyped, even his worst critics admit and agree that he is an extremely intelligent and brave soldier with a no-nonsense attitude who seldom takes prisoners. He shot into prominence when his boss, General Murtala Muhammed was killed in a military coup in 1976 and as second in command, he was catapulted to the number one position of Head of State against his will. He and his team of the Supreme Military Council performed great feats until they handed over power to a civilian government headed by President Shehu Shagari. The fact that he stuck to his terminal date despite the fact that he had reasons to elongate his tenure endeared him to the international community. He acquired avuncular status on the continent of Africa and was much sought after globally. His detribalised nature also helped to place him on a higher pedestal in Nigeria. The man he and Murtala Muhammed sacked from power, General Yakubu Gowon was in exile in England for a long period of time and when he returned his amiable, gentle and religious disposition meant that he was no longer really relevant in the polity and this placed Obasanjo in a prime position to assume the leadership of the Nigerian Generals’ Mafia. Gowon is only sometimes wheeled out when it is time to plead for patience and peace in the land, but the truth is that he is often just left alone to enjoy his retirement! Obasanjo’s stock rose even higher, and that is indeed the frightening reality of the stock of this colossal statesman, when he returned to power for 8 years in the latest civilian dispensation. His bid to perpetuate himself in power through an abortive third term agenda crashed spectacularly. However his power and headship of the Generals’ Mafia remains solid and incontrovertible.

1942. Like Babangida, he hails from Minna in Niger State. He completed his secondary education and went on to study at Kaduna Technical College from where he enlisted into the Nigerian Air force in October 1963. He undertook military training in the then Western Germany, but on his return to Nigeria in 1966, he was seconded to the Nigerian Army. He rose to the rank of General in the Nigerian Army and was Chief of Defence Staff for over five years during the regime of General Sani Abacha. He was entrusted with the mantle of leadership of the military junta upon the death of Abacha in June 1998 and became the country’s Head of State. Like Obasanjo, he set up a time-table for an early return to civilian rule and remarkably kept his word by organising elections and surrendering power in less than one year. He handed over to his leader and senior Don in the Generals’ Mafia, Olusegun Obasanjo, thereby continuing the trend of the Generals’ Mafia dictating the political leadership succession in the country. He is an international statesman who is acclaimed for returning the country to democratic rule in the shortest period of time. His reputation is however blighted by the death in his detention of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, the man who won the June 12 Presidential election, an election victory that has now been validated by President Buhari. Lt. General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau completes the list of senior members of the Generals’ Mafia. This quiet, unassuming and self-effacing gentleman soldier was born in 1943. He has on diverse occasions been Director of Military Intelligence, Director of Defence Intelligence Agency, DirectorGeneral of NSO and Coordinator on National Security. He was National Security Adviser under Babangida, Obasanjo and Jonathan in that order becoming the only man to have held this position under three different Heads of State. He was briefly Chief of Army Staff, under the Interim National Government led by Chief Ernest Shonekan, thus following in the illustrious footsteps of some of his fellow dons in the Generals’ Mafia. He was also Minister of Defence in the Government of President Goodluck Jonathan. He is nicknamed the ‘Spook’ because of his secretive nature and his long stint in the intelligence service. He is reputed to have a dossier on all the major actors in the Nigerian military and political scene and is much respected and feared. He deliberately avoids public occasions and avoids controversy. It is fabled that the troika of Babangida, Abacha and Gusau had a pact that all three would become Heads of State and whilst Babangida and Abacha succeeded, Gusau failed in his ambition despite spirited attempts. Indeed, it was Abacha who retired Gusau from the Army when he took over the reins of power from Shonekan in 1993. Nonetheless, Gusau remains a veritable and trusted member of the Generals’ Mafia. By virtue of his previous positions, President Buhari is also a member of the hallowed club of dons in the Generals’ Mafia. However, until 2015 when he contested elections for the Presidency yet again, he appeared to be an outcast in the Club who was merely tolerated. However, the gang opted to back him in 2015, but for whatever reasons, personal, altruistic or national they appear to have withdrawn that support. It remains to be seen whether lightning will strike twice on the same spot and the Generals’ Mafia which outflanked and outfoxed Buhari in 1985 will succeed in truncating his regime once more.

READ THE CONCLUDING PART OF THIS ARTICLE ON www.thisdaylive.com

Printed and Published in Lagos by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja . All Correspondence to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. TELEPHONE Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929 24/7 ADVERTISING HOT LINES: 0811 181 3085, 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com