SATURDAY 1ST JUNE 2019

NSE Did Not Give MTN Waiver on Free Float, Says Onyema In this particular case, they met the standards Telco beats FG’s deadline, pays N55bn final tranche to complete N330bn fine Obinna Chima and Emma Okonji The Chief Executive Officer of

the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema, yesterday clarified that MTN Nigeria Plc did not get any

waiver on free-float ahead of its listing on the NSE. On the same day, the telecoms firm confirmed that

it had paid N55 billion to the federal government, being the last tranche of the N330 billion SIM card infraction

fine imposed on it by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

There had been concerns

over the free float accommodation and some Continued on page 6

Court Dismisses Alleged Age FalsiďŹ cation Suit against Acting CJN, Muhammad‌ Page 6 Saturday 1 June, 2019 Vol 24. No 8818

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Oshiomhole: South-South APC Chairmen Fault Shuaibu, Demand Apology Pass vote of confidence on party’s National Chairman after emergency meeting

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja Following the recent call by the Deputy National Chairman, North, of the All Progressives Congress

(APC), Senator Lawal Shuaibu and others on the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole to resign, the South-south State Chairmen of the party have risen to

his defence, demanding an apology from the deputy chairman.

The APC State Chairmen, who held an emergency meeting in Abuja, yesterday,

to consider issues raised by the Deputy National Chairman, said they did not find anything wrong in the stewardship of the party's National Chairman.

The chairmen who signed the resolution were Hon. Ini T. Okopido, Akwa Ibom; Hon. Amos Lalabunafa, Bayelsa; Mr. John Ochalla, Cross River; Prophet Jones Ode Erue, Delta

State; Aslem U. Ojezua, Edo State; and Hon. Ojukaye Flag Amachree, Rivers State.

Senator Shuaibu had written Continued on page 6

Oando Kicks as SEC Orders Wale Tinubu, Boyo to Step Aside Slams 5-year ban on CEO, deputy Company's board also fired by regulator, Extra-Ordinary General Meeting summoned to appoint new directors Oando: Alleged infractions, penalties, unsubstantiated, ultra vires, invalid Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja and Goddy Egene in Lagos The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) yesterday announced that it had concluded its investigation into the activities of Oando Plc., and found its management

involved in serious infractions such as false disclosures, market abuses, misstatements in financial statements and corporate governance lapses stemming from poor board oversight.

Continued on page 6

Residents Groan amid Massive WITH LOVE FROM KOREA‌ Member, National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, Hon. Jayen Baik; Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Security Cordon in Abuja‌ Page 54 L-R: Dogara and Deputy Speaker, Korean National Assembly, Mr. Lee Ju-Young, during a courtesy visit to Dogara in Abuja‌yesterday

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Court Dismisses Alleged Age FalsiďŹ cation Suit against Acting CJN, Muhammad Alex Enumah with Agency Report A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Jabi area of Abuja, yesterday dismissed a suit, seeking the prosecution of the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Mohammad, over allegations of forgery and perjury.

The plaintiff, Tochi Michael had alleged that Justice Muhammad deliberately

falsified his date of birth from Dec. 31, 1950 as contained in all his official records including that of WAEC to Dec. 31, 1953 upon his appointment as a judicial officer.

But in a judgment on the suit yesterday, trial judge, Justice Danlami Senchi, however dismissed the suit on the grounds that the plaintiff lacked “Locus Standi� (not qualified in law) to institute the suit).

According to the judge, the

plaintiff ought to have brought the suit before the court by way of writ of summons and not originating summon.

In addition, Justice Senchi, held that there was no evidence before the court to prove the plaintiff's case that the Acting CJN, reduced his age from Dec. 31, 1950 to Dec. 31, 1953 as claimed by him.

Justice Senchi also held that the claimant did not specify in the originating summons

the special interest he has in the suit.

"There is nowhere in the document before the court where the claimant have been injured by the defendant, the claimant also did not disclosed further much information about himself. “Where a suit was not commence with due process of the law, it was quite clear that this suit was commence by way of originating summon

instead of writ; the claimant has failed to show to the court necessary document to show that the defendant falsified his age. This suit is hereby dismissed in entirety,’’ Senchi held.

According to the Judge, the attitude of the claimant’s counsel, Mr Melkizadeck Zaro, is nothing but to scandalize, malign and destroy the person of the CJN and the entire judiciary.

The Judge also ordered that the registrar of the Supreme Court should commence a disciplinary action against the claimant’s counsel for supplying false information to breach the law.

Justice Senchi awarded a N10 million fine against the claimant to serve as a deterrent to others who are bent in carrying false information and must be paid within three weeks from the day of the judgment.

company.

The two shareholders had petitioned SEC, claiming majority shareholding in Oando Plc and that the company was being mismanaged by the Wale Tinubu-led management.

They had sought the removal of Tinubu as Group Chief Executive Officer of the company so as to save it from going under.

SEC said it carried out a comprehensive review of the petitions and found: breach of the provisions of the Investments & Securities Act 2007; breach of the SEC Code of Corporate Governance for Public Companies; suspected insider dealing; suspected related party transactions not conducted at arm’s length and discrepancies in the shareholding structure of Oando Plc., among others.

According to SEC those findings are weighty and therefore needed to be further investigated. “After due consideration, the commission believes that it is necessary to conduct a forensic audit into the affairs

of Oando Plc. This is pursuant to the statutory duties of the Commission as provided in section 13(k), (n), (r) and (aa) of the ISA 2017. “To ensure the independence and transparency of the exercise, the forensic audit shall be conducted by a consortium of experts made up of auditors, lawyers, stockbrokers and registrars.�

In order to further ensure that the interest of all shareholders of Oando Plc were preserved during the course of the exercise, SEC directed the NSE to place the shares of Oando Plc., on technical suspension in October in 2017.

But the suspension was lifted in April 2018 with SEC explaining that the technical suspension took longer than expected on account of the lawsuits from its shareholders and from the company itself. “All litigations have now been withdrawn, the independent forensic audit by Deloitte is ongoing and the preliminary result is expected," SEC said back then.

whom they said was bent on destroying the party before departing.

The South-south state chairmen wondered why Senator Shuaibu was just realising the issues he raised barely few days after the NWC set up a committee to "look into petitions against highly placed party stakeholders who were

glaringly involved in antiparty activities which was responsible for the loss of the number of states mentioned in his letter."

The state chairmen further disagreed with Senator Shuaibu's claims that the actions of the National Chairman were responsible for multiplicity of court cases bedeviling various

state chapters of the party.

The South-south chairmen, who gave Senator Shuaibu 7-day ultimatum to apologise to Oshiomhole, also implored him, to "use more civilised ways of expressing whatever private grievance he has against the National Chairman instead of playing to the gallery by granting interviews."

N55 billion to the federal government, being the last tranche of the N330 billion SIM card infraction fine imposed on it by the NCC. The telecoms company, in a statement yesterday, said it paid the said amount to the Consolidated Revenue Account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on May 24, ahead of the May 31 deadline given to it.

The Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management at NCC, Sunday Dare, also confirmed the payment to THISDAY last night.

In a statement issued by MTN yesterday, its Chief Corporate Relations Officer, Tobechukwu Okigbo, said the successful resolution of the fine was the outcome of active collaboration between the NCC and MTN. “We are very pleased to have completed the payment of the N330 billon negotiated settlement with the NCC. We are particularly gratified to be in a position to have fully met the terms of the settlement within the agreed timeframes. I would like to thank the NCC for their constructive and collaborative approach to this issue, and believe that we emerge from it with a stronger relationship, focused on ensuring maximum value is delivered to our people, from a strong and growing telecoms sector,� Okigbo said.

NCC, last week, announced that MTN had been faithful in meeting up with the staggered payment arrangement, which was spread in six tranches to

cover the negotiated N330 billion fines. It said that the telecoms company was left with the last tranche of N55 billion, and had until May 31 to complete the payment.

According to a statement from NCC last week, the payment arrangement was staggered for MTN and May 31, 2019 was the deadline for the telecoms company to pay the sixth and final tranche of N55 billion.

Specifically, MTN began with the payment of N30 billion into NCC’s Treasury Single Account (TSA) with the CBN 30 days from the date of the agreement, dated June 10 2016.

Subsequently, MTN paid N30 billion on March 31, 2017; N55 billion on March 31, 2018; N55 billion on December 31, 2018 and on March 31, it paid N55 billion, leaving it with a balance of N55 billion, which was meant to be paid on or before the May 31 deadline.

The NCC had on October 20, 2015, imposed a fine of N1.04 trillion on MTN for infraction of the provision of the NCC Telephone Subscribers Registration Regulations 2011; for failure to disconnect 5.2 million improperly-registered Subscriber Identification Modules (SIM) lines within the prescribed deadline, because these lines had economic activities on them without proper registration.

According to NCC, MTN and other telecoms operators were warned to correct all improperly registered SIM cards on their networks, and

that failure to do so would attract a fine of N200,000 per SIM card infraction, which other telecoms operators adhered to except for MTN. "Since MTN had 5.2 million improperly registered SIM card on its network as at the time we checked, which was after the deadline given to all telecoms operators, and each SIM infarction attracts a fine of N200,000, we discovered that the 5.2 million improperly registered cards on MTN network amounted to N1.04 trillion and we had no choice but to slam the fine on MTN," the former Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo, said in 2015 after the fine was imposed.

Shocked by the huge fine of N1.04 trillion, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc., went to court to challenge the powers of NCC to impose such huge fine on its business.

Few months later, MTN withdrew the case and entered into plea negotiations with the federal government and the NCC on how to reduce the N1.04 fine.

After several negotiations, the fine was reduced to N330 billion and spread across three years in six tranches to enable MTN pay the reduced fine.

According to NCC, the agreement to reduce the fine was reached by the parties involved in a way to avoid decisions likely to cripple the business interest of the operators that the NCC regulates.

OANDO KICKS AS SEC ORDERS WALE TINUBU, BOYO TO STEP ASIDE Consequently, the regulatory agency ordered the oil firm’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Wale Tinubu, the deputy, Mr. Omamofe Boyo and other board members to resign and ordered that an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting be convened to appoint new directors, on or before July 1, this year.

The Commission also barred Tinubu and Boyo, from being directors of public companies for a period of five years.

But in a swift reaction last night, Oando said it would challenge SEC’s ruling, saying the alleged infractions and penalties “are unsubstantiated, ultra vires, invalid and calculated to prejudice the business of the company.�

The regulatory agency said these were part of measures to address identified violations in the company. It also directed the payment of monetary penalties by the company and by the affected individuals and directors, as well as refund of improperly disbursed remuneration by the affected board members to the company.

As required under Section 304 of the Investments and Securities Act, (ISA) 2007, the Commission said it would refer all issues with possible criminality to the appropriate criminal prosecuting authorities.

In addition, the SEC stated that other aspects of the findings would be referred to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

SEC said: Following the receipt of two petitions by the Commission in 2017, investigations were conducted into the activities of Oando Plc., (a company listed on the Nigerian and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges). Certain infractions of Securities and other relevant laws were observed. The Commission further engaged Deloitte & Touche to conduct a Forensic Audit of the activities of Oando Plc. “The general public is hereby notified of the conclusion of the investigations of Oando Plc. The findings from the report revealed serious infractions

such as false disclosures, market abuses, misstatements in financial statements, internal control failures, and corporate governance lapses stemming from poor board oversight, irregular approval of directors’ remuneration, unjustified disbursements to directors and management of the company, related party transactions not conducted at arm’s length, amongst others. “The Commission is confident that with the implementation of the above directives and introduction of some remedial measures, such unwholesome practices by public companies would be significantly reduced. “Therefore, in line with the federal government’s resolve to build strong institutions, Boards of public companies are enjoined to properly perform their fiduciary duties as required under extant securities laws. “The Commission, as the apex regulator of the Nigerian capital market, maintains its zero tolerance to market infractions, and reiterates its commitment to ensuring the

fairness, integrity, efficiency and transparency of the securities market, thereby strengthening investor protection.�

Oando Kicks Responding to the SEC ruling, Oando said: “Oando is of the view that these alleged infractions and penalties are unsubstantiated, ultra vires, invalid and calculated to prejudice the business of the Company. The company has not been given the opportunity to see, review and respond to the forensic audit report and so is unable to ascertain what findings (if any) were made in relation to the alleged infractions and defend itself accordingly before the SEC.�

Oando declared that it reserves its rights to take all legal steps to protect its business and assets whilst remaining committed to act in the best interests of all its shareholders.

The Oando problem started in 2017 when two shareholders, Alhaji Dahiru Barau Mangal, and Ansbury Incorporated wrote petitions to SEC alleging financial mismanagement of the

OSHIOMHOLE: SOUTH-SOUTH APC CHAIRMEN FAULT SHUAIBU, DEMAND APOLOGY a letter to Oshiomhole last Tuesday asking him to resign honourably for failing to administer the affairs of the party creditably.

Shuaibu also hinged his call for resignation of the chairman on what he described as his apparent lack of capacity and his alleged penchant for

undermining prominent leaders of the APC, which he said was evident during the processes leading to the just concluded general election.

However, the South-south state chairmen faulted the action of the senior party official whom they said ought to be well acquainted with the provisions of the party's constitution regarding

how to channel perceived grievances.

In a resolution they jointly signed, the six South-south APC State Chairmen passed a vote of confidence on Oshiomhole.

They blamed the electoral losses suffered by the party in some states on alleged landmines created by Oshiomhole’s predecessor,

NSE DID NOT GIVE MTN WAIVER ON FREE FLOAT, SAYS ONYEMA other waivers MTN Nigeria was allegedly granted by the capital market regulators to pave the way for its listing.

This, THISDAY had reported, compelled the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch an investigation into the process that led to the listing of the telco on the Nigerian bourse.

But providing insight into the matter, the NSE boss, who spoke on AriseTV’s “The Morning Show,� monitored in Lagos, clarified: “Have we granted exemptions before? Yes, we have and we have given a compliance plan to such companies to meet those standards. Again, the Exchange has the authority to grant such exemptions. But in this particular case, that waiver was not granted because they met the standards.�

With regards to the telco floating an Initial Public Offer (IPO), he reiterated that the company had publicly stated that it would do the IPO when market conditions are right and a few outstanding issues with the Attorney General’s office resolved, to allow it (MTN) to get proper market valuation. “We don’t typically speak on behalf of companies. But this was what they presented to us.

There are many ways you can list on the Exchange. You can do an IPO, you can do a listing by Introduction, a Reverse Mergers and Acquisition or you can do what we call deposit receipts. “So, there are multiple ways and they are all avenues to bring

people to list on the market,�

Onyema explained.

Responding to a question on the visit to MTN’s head office by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Onyema said: “In the international market, it is very rare for and FBI to go and raid a company because there is some negative news in the press. “So, we should wait for the result of the investigation and I am sure that the EFCC has its own operational modalities. I cannot talk about what triggered its own investigation, but I can only talk about ours. “Ours is to make sure we have an orderly market, which we try to do using global standards.

The NSE is a self-regulatory organisation that means we do frontline line regulation, pursuant to delegated authority from SEC, which has the statutory responsibility to make sure that you have a market place that works the way the law has said it will work.�

He added: “If there are criminal activities, the NSE and SEC don’t prosecute criminal activities. So, we have relationships with organisations that have those powers. “For example, the stock exchange has an MoU with the EFCC. So, if there are cases that have criminal aspects, we would pass them on to the EFCC pursuant to our MoU. “One of the reasons why we hold ourselves to high standards is because 52 per cent of market activities is international. So, it is

about 47 per cent that is domestic in terms of market activities. “So, it is very important that we view these things from the lenses of the national economy, the capital market and the impact they could have on millions of investors that participate in the market daily.�

Speaking about efforts to deepen the Nigerian stock market, Onyema said the management of the NSE was already in talks with several companies to encourage them to list on the stock market.

He, however, stressed the need for the right environment to allow businesses thrive in Nigeria.

Following the listing of MTN Nigeria Plc on the NSE about a fortnight ago, Airtel Africa a few days ago said it was also considering getting its shares listed on the Nigerian bourse.

But the NSE boss said his team had been engaging several other companies to get them listed.

Precisely, he said the NSE was already engaging the Pension Fund Administrators and other institutional fund managers for them to see the benefits of being listed on the stock market.

He stressed the need to channel more funds to the private sector so as to allow for a more inclusive economy.

MTN Pays N55bn Final Tranche to Complete N330bn Fine Meanwhile, MTN Nigeria has confirmed it had paid

T H I S D AY • SATURDAY JUNE 1, 2019

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ͚˜ ͺ͸͚Î

NEWS

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

FAMILIARISING THINGS...

L-R; General Secretary, Risk Management Association of Nigeria (RIMAN), Mr. Adesoji Olasoko;1st Vice President, RIMAN Mr. Kola Ajimoko; President, Mr. Magnus Nnoka: Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe; Executive Director, Access Bank, Dr. Greg Jobome; Publicity Secretary RIMAN, Mrs. Laurine Ubanozie and Executive Secretary Victor Olannye, at RIMAN’s Courtesy Visit to the Access Bank Plc in Lagos..

UAE/Nigeria Relations Strengthen as Trade Volume Hits $1.2bn, Says Envoy Airlines to operate daily flights week from June 1 Alex Enumah in Abuja The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Fahad Al Taffaq, has said that the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari for his second term in office would further strengthen and improve relations between the UAE and Nigeria.

Dr Taffaq, who put the bilateral trade between the two countries around $1.2bn said both nations would do well to harness their potentials in building a bright and progressive future. “To date, there are over 20 Nigerian trademarks registered with the Ministry of Economy

in Dubai. The investments of Nigerians in the UAE rose to approximately $120m in 2016, this being due to the ease of doing business policy of the UAE government. “Also, the latest figures released in 2017 by the UAE Ministry of Economy showed that the overall bilateral non-oil trade between both countries is about USD 1.2bn. The two main UAE airlines (Emirates and Etihad Airways) operate a combined 22 flights weekly from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Lagos and Abuja. “This is set to increase to 25 flights a week, as Emirates airline is increasing its Dubai to Abuja route from the current 4 flights a week to 7 flights a week (daily) starting

June 1st 2019�, the ambassador said in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja.

The envoy said following a successful inauguration of Buhari and his vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the UAE looked forward to further solidifying its existing relationship with Nigeria.

He said, “It is important that we take advantage of our capabilities and unleash our potential to strive above expectations and push the boundaries of partnerships, allowing for a bright and progressive future for both nations.�

He said that although the UAE and Nigeria were separated geographically, both countries had over the years emerged as major

regional players in their respective regions and as such, had strong bilateral relations with countries beyond their regions.

According to the envoy, the above scenario was the premise for increasing cooperation between both countries. “Nigeria currently has the largest economy in Africa, with potentials to grow further in various sectors of its economy. “A strong interest in enhancing the mutually beneficial relationship can be seen in the number of highlevel bilateral visits over the past few years. “The most recent visit occurred on April 8, 2019 when His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, delivered the keynote

address at the 9th Annual Investment Meeting hosted in Dubai. “As part of his official visit to Dubai, President Buhari also met with UAE investors in various sectors where they engaged in highly productive discussions around the shared interests of both nations. “This represented the vast potential for the two nations to further bolster new partnerships based on mutual respect, shared concerns and values. There are tremendous opportunities for cooperation and investment between both countries�, he said.

The ambassador however called for the establishment of the right legislative infrastructure to enable

both economies achieve more in their partnership.

According to him, the UAE had always viewed Nigeria as a key partner and as such, signed several bilateral agreements with Nigeria during President Buhari’s visit to the UAE in January 2016.

Some of the agreements include, the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement and the Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement. “Both have been ratified by the UAE in July 2017, but are currently awaiting ratification by Nigeria before they become effective.

When in full effect, these agreements will further promote and protect mutual investments�, he added.

Group Threatens Chevron over Local Content, Employment

Parallel Congresses in APGA, Oye, Njoku Emerge Factional National Chairmen, Obiano as BOT Chair

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Amby Uneze in Owerri and David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

An Oil Monitoring group, Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change (NDIMRC) has threatened to disrupt the operations of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) over alleged non-implementation of the local content act with deliberate denial of qualified Niger Deltans employment.

The group, in a statement yesterday, decried the activities of the American oil company which, it stated, tends towards circumventing government policies towards creating opportunities for Nigerians, especially people of the host communities.

According to the statement signed by its President, Nelly Emma; Secretary, John Sailor and Public Relations Officer, Stanley Mukoro, NDIMRC cited, as an example, the recent denial of one Captain Roland Tonlagha of employment after a successful interview with the company.

It alleged that the said Captain

Tonlagha, having succeeded in the interview, was directed to the company’s clinic and a private hospital for medical test where it was allegedly discovered that his urine contained drugs.

But contrary to the medical result, NDIMRC said a private medical test by other hospitals in the United States of America proved the applicant had no drug substance in his urine. “The Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change (NDIMRC) therefore call on the Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Limited ( CNL ), Mr. Jeff Ewing to urgently investigate the denial of the said Captain John Roland Tonlagha of employment after the successful interview with the Company. “He took to an independent investigation which was conducted in both Nigeria and the United States of America. Specifically, the tests were carried out at Lily Clinic, Capitol Hill Clinic, all in Nigeria, US Coast Guard Test Centre and also at US

Drug and Alcohol Test Centre, all in the United States of America. He was given a clean bill of health as all results were negative,� the group maintained.

NDIMRC said it viewed the “case of this qualified son of the Niger Delta Region, Captain John Roland Tonlagha as a deliberate attempt to deny him of employment by Chevron Nigeria Limited. Many of our qualified people have been going through this terrible experience in the hands of the Multinational oil companies. These oil Companies who are making so much from the Region do not want our people to be employed. “We want a probe into this matter.

We want to get to the bottom of this calculated attempt to deprive Captain John Roland Tonlagha of employment by Chevron Nigeria Limited. These Nigerian Hospitals who are conniving with Chevron Nigeria Limited to cook up fake results in order to deny our people employment in the Region must be investigated and brought to book.

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) yesterday conducted parallel congresses in Awka, Anambra State and Owerri, Imo State with each faction announcing the election of a National Chairman.

While the Awka group which allegedly has the backing of Governor Willie Obiano produced Dr. Victor Oye as its national chairman, former first National Vice Chairman (South) of the party, Chief Edozie Njoku emerged the National Chairman at the Owerri faction.

The Awka group also retained the Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano as the chairman Board of Trustees of the party, while in a surprise move, Chukwuemeka Ojukwu Jnr, son of the late leader of the party who had earlier moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was also named as members of the BOT. Oye was reelected in a national

convention of the party held in Awka, the Anambra State capital on Friday, with delegates from all the 36 states of the country and the federal capital territory.

THISDAY reports that the convention was conducted peacefully, using an affirmative system, in which the delegates voted by voice vote.

Though there had been rancour in the party, during the buildup to the convention, with some aggrieved members of the party mounting a campaign for Oye to be stopped, but presenting acceptance speech after he was elected, Oye described such characters as ‘never-do-wells’.

He said, “We are building a new party, and we urge all to put behind them everything that happened in the past, but there are people who will never be happy with our achievement no matter how visible. “My business in APGA is to win election, and I have no other business as the chairman of the

party than that. I urge you all to put the past behind and join hands with me. We are going to do great things in this party in the next four years. My governor, Chief Willie Obiano is here, and I am assured of his support. “In Abuja, they are shouting next level, but in Anambra, with Obiano as the governor, they will see what next level truly is.�

Speaking on allegations that he embezzled funds belonging to the party and also extorted from aspirants during the last general election, Oye dismissed them as mere smear campaigns mounted against his person by enemies. “Every kobo that was realised during theelection is in the coffers of the party, and none of it was tampered with. We made N1.3billion during the election. What we did when we came to office was to outlaw payment of money by cash, all monies went straight to the account of the party, so it couldn’t have been tampered with.

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͚˜ ͺ͸͚Π˞ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

Who Will Rescue Magajin Garin Daura?

T

he district head of Daura, in Katsina State, Musa Umar-Uba, who was abducted in his residence in Daura, has now spent 32 days in the dungeons of these heartless fellows.

So far, his abductors are yet to make any contact with his family. Security agents have also failed to locate him. Are these security agents really working to rescue him and bring his abductors to justice? I have my doubts. It seems our security agents have all gone to sleep. The ancient town of Daura is gloomy because the Magajin Garin Daura is still not back at home. No positive news after 32 days.

If this can happen to a high profile personality like the Magajin Garin Daura, then, the poor have no hope in this country.

The abducted Magajin Garin is a retired Customs Controller and cousin of the Emir of Daura. He is married to Hajiya Bilki, a niece to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Magajin Garin is also the father of Fatima, who is married to Buhari’s Aide De Camp, Colonel Mohammed Abubakar. You can see all the massive connections, yet, 32 days after his abduction, security agents are yet to rescue him. I challenge the military, police and DSS to redeem their image by liberating Magajin Garin and hundreds of other Nigerians in the cells of bandits, Boko Haram and killer herders.

On the flip side, thousands of Nigerian refugees, mainly from Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara States are languishing in communities in nearby Niger Republic. These refugees, largely women and children, prefer to remain in Niger Republic, with little food and medicines, because the country is safe.

The exiles were displaced by bandits from Isa and Sabon-Birni local government areas of Sokoto State and Shinkafi and Zurmi local government areas in Zamfara. The National Emergency Management Agency

Magajin Garin

(NEMA) is aware of this, but has done very little to help these hapless Nigerians.

The Head of NEMA’s operations in Sokoto, Dr. Kofoworola Soleye, confirmed that the agency staff visited the refugees in Niger Republic and conducted need assessment exercises towards supporting and reducing hardship in the camp. That was where the story ended. Over two weeks after, nothing is happening in terms of aide to these unfortunate Nigerians.

Today, I challenge the governments of Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara states to move in and assist these refugees with food and medicine, pending when it would be safe for them to return to Nigeria.

These refugees are so frightened to return home because bandits are still ravaging their communities. Some days back, the bandits invaded Mara Zamfarawa village in Danmusa Local Government; Sabon-layin Galadima community of Faskari Local Government and Yar Gamji village of Batsari Local Government of Katsina State, killing no fewer than 26 persons and leaving scores with varying degrees of injuries. In protest, frustrated Batsari youths ferried the corpses from Batsari to Katsina, the state capital, where they displayed them before the Emir of Katisna, Dr. Abdulmumini Kabir Usman and Governor Aminu Bello Masari.

Despite numerous attacks in communities in Katsina and Zamfara states and pledges by security agents to tame them, the bandits still move freely. They are unleashing mayhem unchallenged by anybody. Only God knows where the security agents deployed are hiding. That was why the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Batsari LGA, Mr. Mannir Mu’azu, openly declared that the security personnel in Katsina State were not doing anything to tackle the deadly attacks confronting residents in the area. The level of lawlessness in many communities in Zamfara and Katsina is indeed terrifying.

Yes, the federal government controls the languid security agencies, the governors must think out of the box to tackle the insecurity. This is not the time for showboating, as shown by the new Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Mohammed (Matawalle Maradun), on Wednesday, “warning armed robbers, kidnappers and other criminals in the state to repent or face the consequences of their actions.� As a first step, these governors should use their massive security votes to engage quality hunters with capacity to terminate the bandits. They should no longer rely on federal forces alone.

Money Wasted on Social Investment Programme

Buhari

Federal government has spent N470.8 billion on the implementation of its social safety programme since its inception in 2016. Yes, N470.8 billion. Many states did not smell this much cash in the last three years. How I wish the Presidential Adviser on National Social Welfare Programme, Maryam Uwais, would pick up courage and give Nigerians a transparent report on the activities of this comical National Social Investment Programme since its inauguration.

The truth is that this programme that aims at improving the living conditions of Nigerians, through capacity building, investment and direct

support, has failed woefully. I have said this severally on this page. It was heartwarming seeing First Lady, Aisha Buhari, agreeing and also launching a ferocious attack on the lethargic scheme this week.

Millions of Nigerians slipped into abject poverty in the first four years of the Buhari government, notwithstanding this comical Social Welfare Programme. Uwais wants Nigerians to believe that over 11.5 million people have directly benefited from her programmes. She says there are over 700,000 indirect beneficiaries.

She is unaware that over 1.1 million Nigerians slipped into extreme poverty just in four months – June, July, August and September – of 2018, while the Social Welfare Programme falters. Uwais is unaware that over 88 million Nigerians now live in extreme poverty (below $1.90 a day), while her programme continues to gulp billions of naira. Earlier in June 2018, the Brookings Institution named Nigeria as the poverty capital of the world, with 86.9 million extremely poor people. Nigeria overtook India as the world’s poverty capital, despite being six times smaller in population than the Asian country.

Buhari’s Social Welfare Programme is incapable of changing the fortunes of the poor-

est of the poor in our dear country. Let’s take the school feeding programme, which Uwais claims serves food to 9.5 million pupils in 30 states and has empowered 101,000 cooks. In practical terms, the story is not true. Just visit any of the schools involved and you will be shocked by the miserable food served to the pupils. The Cooks are also struggling to survive because of the fraud in the payment system.

The Tradermoni, Farmermoni, and Marketmoni remain charades incapable of reducing poverty in Nigeria. This is why poverty is on the rise in mother Nigeria. Under Buhari, more Nigerians wallow in darkness, rising fuel and food prices, disease, insecurity, hunger, unemployment and malnutrition, all leading to more people falling into extreme poverty. These are the issues the government must properly address to reduce poverty. This government should come up with pragmatic steps to pull more Nigerians out of poverty, instead of regaling us with stories of a failed Social Welfare Programme. The N-Power, Conditional Cash Transfers, National Home-Grown School Feeding and Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programmes, are lousy projects incapable of truly impacting on the lives of the masses of the people.

Lagos Government Using Corrupt Tax Consultants I shed tears after watching the former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Obadiah Mailafia, analyse the rot in the collection of tax in Lagos State. Mailafia, who spoke on a television programme on Tuesday, said the Lagos State Government had for years been using corrupt consultants to collect tax from the people. The former CBN deputy governor, who described the act as daylight robbery, called on the people of Lagos to rise against such extortion and corruption.

He praised the Lagos government for being able to increase its Internally Generated Revenue, but said there was room for doing things in a better, transparent and more effective manner. Mailafia is convinced that tax consultants in Lagos receive as high as 20 per cent commission in some instances “which is against the norm in other advanced climes.�

He said: “When the people see that their taxes are being put to good use, they will be willing to pay more hence the spike in IGR during the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola. Lagos, which was the poster child for success in internally generated revenue, still has a lot of issues there‌The cost of extracting this taxation is one of the highest in the world. They have invited very dubious consultants who keep between 15 to 20 per cent of this tax. I think it is a form of iniquity and I don’t know why for the life of me, Lagosians tolerate that nonsense. “It is their money and it is daylight robbery.

Employ people, train them; let the government collect the tax, not private consultants. In France, there are schools dedicated to training people in public finance and tax administration. These are the people you should set about to collect your taxes, not some iniquitous and corrupt private consultants.�

Mailafia did not say anything new about the massive leak of the tax collected in Lagos State. He did not say anything new about the fraud in the process. What he simply did was to again alert Lagosians to the naked fraud being perpetrated by tax consultants engaged by the state’s government. It is a shame that such a huge percentage go to consultants while majority of Lagosians wallow in poverty. I sincerely hope that the new governor, Babajide Sanwoolu, will pick up courage to end the use of consultants for tax collection in this state. The Joint Tax Board (JTB) had long ago outlawed the use of consultants for tax collection. Lagos government and some other states have refused to abide by this for selfish reasons. Civil servants must be allowed to do their job of collecting tax in Lagos State.

Sanwo-Olu

Justice Tijjani Ringim’s Incisive Ruling For those who have not been following the story, Justice Tijjani Ringim is of the Federal High Court, Owerri, Imo State.

He delivered a landmark judgement on Monday May 27 on a pre-election case involving two members of the All Progressives Congress in the state - Harrison Nwadike and the member-elect (APC) for Nkwerre/Nwangele/Njaba/Isu Federal Constituency, Ugonna Ozurigbo. Nwadike had approached the court asking it to declare that he was the rightful winner of the APC primary election in the federal constituency and that his name

ought to have been submitted to INEC. He argued that the automatic ticket given to Ozurigbo was unknown to the constitution of the APC. The petitioner also wanted the court to order INEC to issue a certificate of return to him “as the lawful candidate of the party� in the election.

In his ruling, Justice Tijjani Ringim agreed that Nwadike, was the “rightful winner� of the primary election in the federal constituency and that automatic tickets were unknown to the constitution of the APC. However, the

judge refused to order INEC to issue Nwadike a certificate of return as the rightful winner of the election. Rather, he ordered INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to Kingsley Echendu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who came second in the election into the House of Representatives.

Neither PDP nor Echendu was a party to the suit. Justice Ringim’s submission was that Nwadike did not participate in all the stages of the election, and so, cannot be declared elected.

The implications of this judgement,

which I believe will sail through all the way to the Supreme Court, are numerous. A candidate, who has not participated in an entire electoral process, should not inherit the general election victory of another candidate for any reason at all. If a primary election is declared illegitimate by a court after a general election victory of that candidate, the person that comes second should inherit the mandate. This is now the position of the law. Parties issuing atrocious automatic tickets to favoured candidates and conducting sham primaries will sit up.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 1, 2019

SUPER SATURDAY

Daniel Amokachi, the New Man in Tonto Dikeh’s Life?

Nollywood actress and side singer, Tonto Dikeh, has surely attained fame. Mired in controversy and steeped in scandal, she doesn’t seem to give a hoot! Not long ago, she was linked to former Super Eagles star, Daniel ‘The Bull’ Amokachi. However, ‘King Tonto’ as she prefers to be called, debunked the talk of love with the ex-international star. Nevertheless, recent developments suggest that something “strong” is happening between King Tonto and The Bull, writes Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Tonto and Amokachi

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 1, 2019

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SUPERSATURDAY Daniel Amokachi, the New Man in Tonto Dikeh’s Life?

N

ollywood diva Tonto Dikeh is no stranger to news making. In fact, hardly is there a season without the beautiful actress in the news, trending for whatever reason. Such has left her with the toga “controversy”. Unfazed by that, the single mother of one has gained more popularity for her lifestyle and social media engagements than her showbiz career.

Recently, pictures and video of the Nollywood actress with ex- football star, Daniel Amokachi, made the rounds on a Thursday evening on the social media.

The pictures and video which was first posted on her Instagram page showed Amokachi and Tonto on a date dining and later dancing to a live jazz tune from the famous Titanic movie soundtrack by Celine Dion.

Others who were at the scene cheered them. Tonto had tagged the posts with the caption “#Thebull X #Kingtonto.” “Dinner with The Bull at the newest/ best Chinese restaurant in town.” The ex-international would then reply her saying: “Was a pleasure hanging out with The King @tontolet It was a good shoot… keep representing.”

No sooner than she posted the stuffs that it gained traction online. Tonto Dikeh looking stunning and beautiful in her short yellow gown outfit on the date wore a smile that literarily lit up the room. While ‘The Bull’ reciprocated her every gesture, the chemistry appears to be really strong as both stars left much to be desired. It is unclear if Amokachi is still married to the

Tunisian woman who had twin sons for him, named Kalim and Nazim. The boys are following his footsteps in becoming footballers.

On the part of Tonto, since she separated from her estranged husband, Olakunle Churchill, the Nollywood diva has been going on with her life, even though, hardly a week passes without her discussing issues around the man. While the screen star and singer has successfully kept a secret the man in her life, her recent posts had got people speculating that she is in a relationship with The Bull.

The Ikwere (Rivers State) descent reacted to the speculation thus: “That is very funny. He is married and has children and he has a family. We are ambassadors to a new restaurant; actually the biggest Chinese restaurant in Africa just came to Nigeria. So we are ambassadors filming.”

Not long afterwards and in what appears to be a new twist to her relationship status, Tonto took to Instagram to call out some celebrities while revealing she has a new man. In the post, the controversial actress threatened a number of entertainers and she didn’t hesitate to mention their names.

She wrote: “Dear Nollywood and music industry, I am in a new relationship now and, to God, if I see anyone of you begging him money, begging him to sponsor your shows or movies... I will mess you up and your whole life!!”

With her denial and revelation about a certain man in her life, one is forced to ask who truly the new man in

her life is. Is she really ready to love again? Is she really ready to give another attempt at marriage? Would the new man be able to cope with all the drama surrounding her week in week out? From allegation of her ex’s car sales to their child’s custody, the delectable showbiz persona sure packs a handful of issues to contend with.

Recall in the past weeks, the social media went agog, over the Nollywood actress interview with popular On-Air-Personality (OAP) Daddy Freeze, which went viral for a number of reasons. In the video, Tonto Dikeh had called her ex-husband a liar, for alleging that only four people had attended their wedding, which she sponsored. But what gave the interview much grip was the know-how actress’ audacity in calling her ex-husband a 40 seconds man in bed.

Within hours, cartoons were created, praising the 40 seconds man, a strong man for being able to father a child with less than one minute action, while she was judged a frustrated ex-wife who wouldn’t let her ex-husband be despite that he had lost the custody battle of their three year old son to her. She was judged for being desperate to get married, to the point of using her personal funds to pay for her dowry and even buying the clothes and shoes, he (Churchill) wore to their wedding.

Much ado was given to the actress by both men and women, some who suffered terrible domestic violence, frustrated marriages and some who even had less than 40 seconds in their own matrimonial beds, yet all was forgotten to judge, the spirited King Tonto!

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͚˜ ͺ͸͚Π˞ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

COMMENTARY

THE TASK BEFORE BUHARI

Tony Ademiluyi writes that the president has another four years to etch his name in gold

I

nauguration days are epoch making or red letter days when great speeches are made. We won’t forget that of John Fitzgerald Kennedy which he made on January 20, 1961 ‘Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.’ These speeches outline what the leaders intend to do during their term in ofďŹ ce and what their countrymen should look forward to when they would hold sway. Their campaign promises are usually reinforced in these speeches and the followers can hold them accountable to their pledges when they sought for votes.

As its becoming the norm in the US, on some occasions poets are called to render some renditions. Robert Frost was one such prominent poet in his lifetime that at some point he became the nation’s official poet laureate.

I missed the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and so scouted the internet for Buhari’s inauguration speech. I wasn’t surprised when I didn’t find any as Sai Baba as he is fondly called doesn’t have a penchant for making speeches as he clearly lacks the gift of the garb which makes him have an aversion for oral communication.

The lack of a speech makes it difficult to hold Buhari on to anything but that doesn’t make him immune from any form of responsibility to Nigerians.

There are many areas begging for critical attention of the president which he needs to urgently address. On top of the list is youth unemployment. The National Bureau of Statistics puts it at over 30 per cent of the population which is dangerously high and a time bomb waiting to explode in our faces if care isn’t taken. The concomitant effect of youth unemployment has given rise to terrorism and other huge forms of security challenges. The current hydra-headed monster of the Boko Haram insurgency has part of its roots in unemployment and the failure of the nation to provide decent jobs for the angry youthful terrorists who have taken to bombs and guns in frustration. A hungry man is an angry man and this has given rise to kidnappings, abductions amidst a plethora of vices. His policies in his first term led to a massive loss of jobs as many companies left the country in droves as a result of public policy inconsistencies. The harsh operating environment didn’t make matters any better.

The lack of electricity and the huge cost of diesel and petrol have made Ghana the next investment destination in West Africa.

The next is our educational policy which is highly defective and linked to the massive unemployment which youths now face. The curriculum is outdated and not in tune with modern day realities which makes our graduates neither here nor there in terms of employability. A total overhaul is needed for us to produce graduates who can meet the needs of the 21st century workplace. The government should also re-introduce the vocational schools as not everyone can go to the university at the same time and there is the need to curb idleness in any form. Asides that, some people are more suited to working with their hands than with their brains and the enabling environment should be created for them to flourish and thrive.

There is the demon of the epileptic power supply that needs

THERE ARE MANY AREAS BEGGING FOR CRITICAL ATTENTION OF THE PRESIDENT WHICH HE NEEDS TO URGENTLY ADDRESS. ON TOP OF THE LIST IS YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT

to be urgently solved. As observed earlier on, we need to attract businesses into the country so as to create jobs, jobs and more jobs. The Buhari government needs to step in and breath the much needed balm into this ailing sector so that some modicum of sanity can be restored as soon as possible. Foreign investments cannot come in when they have to spend a huge chunk of their profits on diesel. It will also act as a disincentive to local businesses as well. The Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was once quoted as saying that he had the opportunity to make money within the twinkle of an eye through forex trading. The lack of power will attract Nigerians to endeavours that provide avenues for quick cash without investing hugely in infrastructure that would create jobs. For job creation to be a reality, there must be heavy investments in industrialization which only power can provide.

Health is wealth goes the age-long aphorism. An apple a day keeps the doctor away goes another. When the late General Sani Abacha announced the 1983 coup that signaled the collapse of the Second Republic, he said that the hospitals had become consulting clinics. Over three decades down the line, they have worsened and become worse than death chambers.

Misdiagnosis by disgruntled doctors has become the order of the day. Avoidable deaths caused by the overworked but underpaid doctors don’t make the headlines anymore as it is now seen as the norm. The president’s daughter, Zahra Buhari got the nation alarmed when she drew the attention to the fact that there were no syringes in the Aso Rock Clinic despite the billions pumped in there on an annual basis. Buhari himself has been guilty of overseas medical tourism despite his pledge not do so in his first coming. The United Kingdom is seen as the president’s medical haven which is shut out of the reach by the man on the street or the masses. There is also the ugly incident of the medical brain drain that has seen a massive shortage of doctors and other medical personnel in the country as a result of the poor conditions of working. The hoi polloi are the ones at the receiving end as the medical joke is on them when they cannot access quality healthcare.

Buhari needs to declare a state of emergency on the healthcare sector and ensure that it is not only affordable but qualitative.

In an era where the former war-torn Rwanda now uses drones in their healthcare services, we as the ‘Giant of Africa’ ought to have something akin to 911 for medical emergencies.

Nigerian relations abroad have to be thoroughly checked and reassessed. Our citizens ought to stop being killed abroad for offences they may not have committed. We need to critically look at the jail terms that our citizens serve in foreign prisons and see how they can be reduced for their well-being.

Buhari just has four years which is fleetingly short to make an impression that would last for eternity. He has another four years of grace save the results from the elections petitions tribunal to salvage his name and etch it in the hearts of Nigerians.

Ademiluyi wrote from Lagos

NIGHT OF THE LONG SCOOPS The justices’ dinner with the president is not exceedingly fine, argues Oseghale Erahodu

T

he Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Mohammed, was recently caught on camera in a dinner session with President Muhammadu Buhari.

The CJN was accompanied by other Justices.

They were at the Villa to break the Ramadan fast with the president.

If you ask me what my grouse with this high-powered dinner is, I will quickly retort by telling you that there is something distasteful about the meal. It is sour in every sense of the word because of the secrecy that was brought to bear on it.

Before their lordships were feted at this presidential dinner, some other high-ranking government officials, including the leadership of the legislative arm of government, had had similar dinners with Mr. President.

But there is a difference. The dinner for the other stakeholders was in the public domain.

They were announced to the Press. The public was very much in the know. But that was not the case with that of their lordships.

Theirs was kept under wraps. It took some kind of whistle-blowing for some of us to know about this special meal.

Why were their lordships ferreted into Aso Rock and treated to a sumptuous evening without Nigerians being put in the know?

That is the question that is begging for answer.

Now, let us go into the substance of the matter. I have a problem with this dinner because of the issue we have on our hands.

The Nigerian judiciary is on trial because of the 2019 presidential elections. The received impression in many homes in Nigeria is that

the election in question was won by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It is this disputed outcome of the election that Atiku and his party, the PDP, have gone to court to challenge.

But an issue as testy as this cannot be resolved by a compromised judiciary. The independence of the judiciary, the world over, is almost taken for granted. The judiciary is the last hope of the common man. It is the bastion of democracy. It is expected that the judiciary will stand firm and courageous when democratic institutions are being abused and trampled upon by corrupt politicians.

Not too long ago, the judiciary in Kenya, an East African country, made the world proud when its Supreme Court upturned the result of the 2017 presidential election in the country owing to widespread electoral malpractices. Since that courageous step was taken in Kenya, the world has been holding the Kenyan judiciary aloft as the beacon of hope for democracy in Africa, nay in the world. The judiciary in Nigeria may not have attained this enviable height, but Nigerians are hoping that our courts would, one day, help to right monumental wrongs.

This is where we stand in Nigeria of today.

It was on the strength of this delicate situation that Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, the President of the Court of Appeal who also assumed the chairmanship of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, was asked to recuse herself from the trial because it is believed that she is an interested party

in the case. I will not bother you here with the details of the assumed and presumed weaknesses of Justice Bulkachuwa in this matter. Suffice it to say that she has since recused herself. Our hope is that the other Justices on the panel and whoever that will take over from Bulkachuwa will do justice in this matter without fear or favour.

But we are constrained to say that members of the presidential election petition tribunal have started on a disappointing note. Their ruling that there was not enough reason for Justice Bulkachuwa to recuse herself from the case is bizarre. How they decided to ignore judicial precedents and decided cases in this matter beats the imagination. Nigerians are waiting for them to dispense justice in a manner that will not make our judiciary a laughing stock.

You can now appreciate my agony when the matter which we are trying to resolve at the Appeal Court level is being entrenched at the Supreme Court. It must be noted that Justice Tanko Mohammed was appointed in controversial circumstances. He was chosen to replace Justice Walter Onnoghen, the deposed CJN who Buhari suspended in circumstances that were less than decent.

Analysts have since linked Onnoghen’s deposition to the presidential election case we have on our hands. All the talk about non declaration of assets by the former CJN was bunkum and a mere afterthought.

Given this set-up, it will be most unconscionable for Justice Tanko Mohammed to do anything that will throw him open to suspicion. Since he is believed to be the

president’s special nominee, he must tread with caution. He must be seen to be an impartial arbiter who will not be compromised by sticky meals.

The fact that the presidential dinner under reference took place in secret is worrisome.

The development is most reprehensible, to say the least. It sends uncomfortable signals to the watching world.

Justice Mohammed must retrace his steps.

He must also watch his back. He must bear in mind that it will be imperative that he recuses himself from the case if he cannot maintain the neutrality expected of him.

Nigeria must overcome a compromised judiciary which cannot save the country from itself. Our lordships must watch what they do because the world is watching.

That is why I shudder at the fact that their lordships did not see anything wrong with the secrecy that attended their outing.

Considering the fact that other dinners that held before theirs were publicized, their lordships should have spared a moment to ask why theirs was made a top secret.

Circumspection is paramount here because of the case before them. They must realise that they are being looked up to resolve many of the thorny issues that the 2019 presidential election has thrown up. A cavalier disposition such as the one Tanko Mohammed and his entourage displayed in the instant case will not serve anyone’s purpose in this matter. They should come off it and stay guided.

Oseghale, a freelance journalist, wrote from Benin City

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͚˜ ͺ͸͚Π˞ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

INSIGHT

Great expectations...

Tackling the Suicide Scourge

E

ver since reports of incessant suicides took over our socioeconomic wavelengths, I have had the opportunity of reading different opinion articles by different

writers.

To the vast majority of commentators, the scourge is but a social malady fuelled by the current socioeconomic condition in the country.

To others, it is a psychological problem accelerated by individual’s lifestyles which can only be reduced by individuals, while in the opinion of the rest, the sudden surge in suicide may not have occurred without a warning signal.

Indeed, for those of us who in the last months looked through reports of suiciderelated incidents from places such as the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Kogi State University and lately the Niger Delta University (NDU) Bayelsa State, it becomes evident that Nigeria is in a calamitous strait.

Essentially, it raises not just the imperative of finding the courage to provide answers to this grave problem by the government- via the development of collaborative and systematic redesigning of our nation’s economy, but exposed the consequence of our past failures which have erupted in the present uncontrolled experiment with attendant risks and indefinite outcome.

As to the cause of the appalling situation, I may not speak in concrete terms but I know that close to the entrenched distrust of the political leadership which characterizes our sphere, is the national vexation by the people who once lived in comfort and loved to stay alive as life was never a burden.

But today, life in their estimation has become not only a burden but the shout of the ‘good old days’ now rends the nations’ wavelength with the cost of living comparatively high and national security now a problem. Our value system which used to be sound has gradually been eroded and people no longer have value for hard work and honesty.

To further put issues where they belong, Suicide, which is the act of intentionally causing one’s own death is committed primarily as a means for escaping pain or suffering. At times, it involves intentionally taking one’s life and that life of others for religious belief.

Hence, it is more important to identify the symptoms than mere attempt to be safe.

The heinous plan to commit suicide manifests through the following: depression,

APC and Bayelsa 2019 Governorship Election

frequently talking about death, drastic but negative changes in mood and behaviour for example solitary behaviour, aggressiveness and irritations, unwarranted giving personal things away, and the making of personal funeral arrangements.

In concrete terms it is triggered by issues such as stress, disappointment, low self-esteem, frustration, academic challenges, health challenges, stigmatization, sense of hopelessness or no hope for the future, lack of psycho-social support system, substance abuse which could be alcohol or drug, dying for a course which could be religious or family honour, bullying by friends and attention seeking syndrome.

But among these causative factors, economic hardship occupies the driver’s position. As to what should be done, the important responsibility facing the Nigerian government should be the need to go beyond the call for the ban of Sniper, a poisonous insecticide, and other toxic substances or lethal objects that have been used for this deliberate self-harm. The authorities should tackle the challenges with the nation’s economy and joblessness.

Jerome-Mario Utomi, Lagos

A

fter reading through the above-titled article by one Kesiye Newman, I feel a strong sense of responsibility, as a committed and loyal APC man to promptly respond to the tissue of lies and misinformation contained in that toxic opinion, which is capable of bringing about divisiveness to our party at this historic period of our political development in the state.

Our party is currently at a threshold of history. We have been increasing in great strength over the years, particularly after our dismal performance in the 2015 general elections. Our sterling performance during the recently concluded presidential and parliamentary elections in the state is an eloquent testimony to this.

The least we can do now as a party is to further leverage on these electoral successes and take over the reins of power from the PDP. Let me now very briefly address some of the deliberate misconceptions and misinformation that were laced in the above-titled article. First, I share the view of the writer that the APC made very quantum leap in the last presidential and National Assembly elections in Bayelsa State. I however, disagree with him because of his deliberate inability to locate and credit the real person(s) responsible for those electoral successes. Truth be told, the coming of the former Minister of State, Agric, Senator Heineken

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

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS PATRICK EIMIUHI, SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: ďŹ rst name.surname@thisdaylive.com

Lokpobiri to APC has greatly positioned our party for the streaks of electoral victories we have enjoyed in the state. Those of us who are the party men know that the minister has been the person funding the party all the way since he came to the party. He does this quietly without expecting and receiving any applause.

The writer deliberately sold the falsehood that Lokpobiri does not command enough followership in the state to entitle him the offer to run for the governorship race for the state in the coming November election. Let me state for the records that Lokpobiri is undoubtedly one of the politicians with the strongest followership in Bayelsa State. Why do I say so? First, he had a landslide victory when he contested for the House of Assembly in 1999 before becoming the Speaker. Secondly, his entry into the senate was also a triumphant victory during the two terms he served in upper chamber of parliament.

Regarding the lie that Lokpobiri did not make much impact in his local government area of the state during the last election, the truth of the matter is that APC fared much better in the minister’s home Ekeremor LGA than the party did in 2015. This success couldn’t have been credited to anybody else than Lokpobiri. As a minister, Lokpobiri’s constituency cannot be limited to Ekeremor LGA alone. In his status as a minister, he funded the activities of the party beyond his local government area.

Therefore, it will be uncharitable for anybody to restrict his influence to Ekeremor LGA alone.

Ministerial appointments are not thrown at anybody on a platter of gold as enunciated by the writer.

Ministers are persons of proven integrity who must be nominated by the president and duly confirmed by the Senate. It is therefore a smack of intellectual laziness for anyone to state otherwise.

With due respect to Sylva as my party leader in the state, somehow, his face has been recurring in the state gubernatorial contests for a long time. Perhaps for some reasons, the party has suffered losses in those elections, leading to his image being somewhat bruised.

I sympathize with him because the sentiments against him when he was a governor are still very fresh in the minds of Bayelsans and are still haunting him till date.

Unfortunately, governor Dickson being conscious of this, has always used this sentiment against him at any given opportunity and circumstance, to the disadvantage of our party, the APC. Regrettably also, even some members of our party have certain reservations about Sylva’s leadership, especially, drawing from the fact that he as a person, has been holding virtually all the key board appointments meant for the state to himself. He is currently the chairman of the Maritime University as well as the chairman of the oil and gas free zone.

Ebitimi Doutare-owei, APC member and Public Affairs Commentator

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N36m Swallowed by Snake: Court Orders In Brief Remand of 3 JAMB Staff in EFCC's Custody Tuesday,WednesdayarePublicHolidays Alex EnumahinAbuja A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Friday ordered the remand of three staff of the Joint Matriculation and Admission Board (JAMB) in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over their alleged complicity in the missing N36 million funds belonging to JAMB. Justice Peter Affen of the Abuja court gave the order shortly after the trio were arraigned before him on an eight count charge by the anti-graft agency.

The three defendants, Yakubu Jekada, Samuel Sale Umoru and

Philomina Chieshe, were arraigned before the court following their claims that the sum of N36m from proceeds of sale of e- facility cards entrusted to them was swallowed by a snake.

While eight charges were jointly slammed against Samuel Umoru and Philomina Chieshe, Yakubu Jekada on his part is facing a four count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and dishonest misappropriation of public funds.

They however pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court could not take a separate four count charge against another suspect related with the matter, due to the fact that the

time was fast spent.

Prosecution counsel Ekene Iheanacho then urged the court to grant a short adjournment to enable the prosecution call its witnesses.

Justice Afem said that since they were three separate charges, and Court had dealt with two of them, he would adjourn till Monday to take the remaining one. He therefore adjourned the matter to June 3.

Consequently, the judge ordered Samuel Sale Umoru and Philomina Chieshe to be remanded in the custody of the EFCC. Parts of the eight count charge

reads: That you, Philomina Chieshe, sometime in June 2016, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, being legally bound to furnish the management of Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) information on the financial status of the JAMB between 2015 and 2016, stated that the sum of N36, 510, 500 being value of the shortfall of unremitted e-JAMB cards disappeared as a result of manipulation from the Kingdom of Darkness, which claim you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 139(a) of the Penal Code Law.

The Federal Government has declaredTuesday 4th andWednesday 5th June, 2019aspublicholidaystomarktheMuslimEid-Al-Fitrcelebration.ThePermanent Secretary,MinistryofInterior,Mr.GeorginaEkeomaEhuriah,whomadethedeclaration on behalf of the Federal Government congratulated the Muslim faithful on a successful completion of the Ramadan fast and enjoined all Nigerians to use the occasion of the celebration to pray for the peace, unity, prosperity and stability of the nation. In a statement signed by the Director, Pubilc Relations, Mohammed Manga,EhuriaadmonishedNigerianstoshunhatespeechesanddivisivetendencies andjoinhandswiththeAdministrationofPresidentMuhammaduBuharitobuilda peaceful,strongandunitedNigeriasoastoachievethenextlevelofsocio-economic development. EhuriahreaffirmedthedeterminationoftheFederalGovernmentto protectthelivesandpropertyofNigerians,addingthatsecurityagenciesunderthe Ministry have been directed to ensure the provision of adequate security before, during and after the Eid-Al-Fitri Celebration. The Permanent Secretary restated Government’sdesireforallNigerianstobeinspiredbythevirtuesgainedduringthe Holy Month of Ramadan to live a life of sacrifice, charity and love for one another.

Police Deny Deaths during IPOB's Protest

PoliceinAnambrahavedeniedreportsinasectionofthemediathataboutfive personslosttheirlivesduringthesitathomeprotestheldbytheIndigenousPeople of Biafra onThursday. Spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Haruna Mohammed who granted a telephone interview to our correspondent said the report was false as there had been no such incident from any of the command's divisions in the state. He said, “I read that report, and am sure it emanated from a WhatsApp post made by someone in a group I belong with some journalists, but I had reacted to it immediately. We have reached out to our Divisional Police Officers(DPOs), and there is no such incident, I can tell you. Please ignore it because it is not true.� He however confirmed that there had been a case of attack on a Catholic priest, Rev Fr Festus Eziamaka of St Jude's Parish very early in the morning, but insisted that no other incident of violence was witnessed anywhere in the state. IPOB through an order made by its leader, Nnamdi Kan had paralysed some parts of the South East and South South in what it called honour to those who lost their lives in the struggle for the attainment of a sovereign state of Biafra.

Navy Medical Services to Orphanages

A ROYAL PARLEY L-R: Vice Chairman, Enugu North Senatorial District, HRH Igwe R.S.N Ezeh; Chairman, Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH, Igwe Amb. Lawrence Agubuzu and Enugu State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi during a town hall meeting with all registered traditional rulers in the state, yesterday.

GuberPoll:BayelsaVotersMustRejectCultists,SaysDickson Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, yesterday called on the people of the state to reject cultists and ungodly politicians aspiring to govern the state after the November 16 governorship election.

The Governor enjoined Bayelsans to ensure that politicians with the habit to use political appointments as a bait to lure the people into the destructive fold of cultism were not allowed to have access to political control in the state.

A statement by his Special Adviser, Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the Governor as having made the comment during the monthly Praise Night for May, in Yenagoa.

The Governor called on the people

to be vigilant and supportive to the party, and to await the discovery of the leader God Himself had picked to rule the state after him.

He stressed that the person anointed to lead the state was known to God and waiting to be discovered.

Governor Dickson predicted that the contest of the governorship of Bayelsa State would be characterised by a lot of trials, temptations and fierceness because of the high price of the state.

He said, “You should be vigilant and support your party and government. Pray for God’s direction. This earth has no power to give what God has not given. The leader God has anointed is there. He is waiting to be discovered.

“There will be a lot of trials, temptation because the price of Bayelsa is very high. Don’t be surprised if the conflict gets fierce.

It will get hot before it gets cold.

From 2012 to date, they did a lot of things, but we are still standing and counting. “With your support, no man or woman who subscribes to evil, who does not know what is good, what is godly, shall ascend the throne, no one who initiates our children to cultism will be there. “So I continue to pray that as we get along this road, there will be a lot of trials, a lot of temptations on the way because the price is high.

The price of Bayelsa is very high.

So don't be surprised because it will be fierce but I assure you it may get hot before it gets cold. it will

get hot but it will get cold and we are used to it.

"No cultist will ascend the seat of Bayelsa, none who will initiate our sons or brothers and sisters before they get one patronage or appointments or the other. And that is happening in some states, but it will not be our portion in Jesus Name.�

The Governor also restated his call on the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democracy Party to give between 20 to 30 per cent of the councillorship positions as well the Rural Development Areas to women and youths. He said that the women and the youths should be encouraged with political positions as a reward for their wonderful support for the party over the years.

2,444 AwaitingTrial in IkoyiPrison Farmer Sentenced to Death in Delta for Murder responsibility.

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi A total of 2, 444 inmates at the Ikoyi Prison are currently awaiting trial of different cases, the Deputy Controller of Prison and officer in charge of Ikoyi Prison, DCP Ogunshakin Ajiboye, has disclosed.

Ajiboye added that a total number of inmates in the prison was 2, 937, exceeding well above its 800 capacity.

Ajiboye made the disclosure when the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) paid the inmates a courtesy visit to identify with them as part of the company's corporate social

"We have a total number of 2,937 inmates, 2,444 are awaiting trial, while 493 have been sentenced. The rooms are over-crowded, we have between 120 to 150 inmates occupying a room", he said. “I appeal to the Lagos State Government to always turn minor cases to community services or little fines than sentence, which adds to the congestion,� Ajiboye added.

He explained that some of the inmates had learnt so much from the prison which had reformed their characters and attitude to conform to societal norms.

Omon-Julius Onabu inAsaba A High Court sitting at Ughelli in Delta State has sentenced a 40-year old farmer, Mr. Alex Obigho, to death by hanging for the murder of Mr. Okunu Diafa nearly seven years ago.

The late Okunu Diafa was until his death the personal steward/ cook to the traditional ruler of Kiagbodo community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.

Delivering judgment on the case, trial judge, Hon. Justice A.O. Akpovi, found the accused guilty

of one count charge of murder proffered against him by the State and accordingly sentenced him to death by hanging.

The 22nd June, 2012 brutal killing of the victim, Okunu, a native of Kiagbodo at the boundary between Oviri-Olomu of Ughelli South Local Government Area and Kiagbodo community in Burutu Local Government Area had heightened tension between the two peaceful communities for fear of reprisal attack; and, only the quick intervention of the traditional rulers of both communities save the situation from degenerating.

TheNigerianNavyhasvisitedorphanagesandhousesforthephysicallychallenged in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, as part of its community relations activities marking its 63rd year of establishment. A large team of medics which accompanied the leadership of the naval operations which covers Bayelsa, Delta, Kogi, Anambra and others, also treated the children of common ailments. The Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Saidu Garba, who led the team, also donated medical and household items to the hospices, including the Daisy home for orphanages and physically challenged children as well as the Gloryland orphanage. Garba, who was represented by Rear Admiral Solomon Agada, Chief Staff Officer, at the CNC, Yenagoa, said the Navy was inspired to give back to the society as part of its efforts to go beyond handling of deadly weaponstowinningtheheartsofpeoplelivinginitsAreasofResponsibility(AoB).

ITF Trains, Equips 450,000 Youths

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has revealed that in the last two years, the organisation had trained and equipped over 450,000 Nigerian youths in differentskillsacquisitionforemployabilityandentrepreneurship.DirectorGeneral ITF Sir Joseph Ari disclosed this during the closing ceremony of the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP) in Lokoja. According to him, out of the over 450,000 trainees, Kogi State had over 4,500 youth that have benefited from the programme. The Director General who was represented at the occasion by a Deputy Director ITF Mr. Atiku Muhammed noted that the phase of the programme which was completed shortly before the 2019 elections, trained over 11,000 Nigerians in various trade areas such as Wielding and Fabrication , Plumbing and Pipe-Fitting, Tailoring , Aluminum, Tiling ,Plaster of Paris (POP) and Photography. He added that over 300 indigenes of Kogi state also benefited from the phase, saying they were trained in various trades that were carefully selected based on their potential to directly impact on the economy of the state and the country. "Our commitment to skills acquisition is based on the fact that it is the most sustainable solution to combatting unemployment, reducing poverty and youth restiveness in the country.

763 BeneďŹ t from Orji’s Free Eye Surgeries Treatment of eye diseases with laser machines has now become possible in Abia following the intervention of SenatorTheodore Orji in his bid to provide free eye care services for people in his constituency. He made this known during his assessment of his free eye care programme being implemented at the eye centre located on Ohafia Street Umuahia. Senator Orji who represents Abia Central senatorial district, was instrumental to the installation of state of the art eye treatment equipment at the centre in line with his philosophy of that health comes first before other social amenities. He stated that the health status of his constituents was of utmost priority to him, noting that the benefits of improved infrastructure and other dividends of democracy could only be more meaningful when the people are healthy. "If one is blind, he will not see the tarred road," he said, adding that he had made the health care of the people he represents a top priority. Orji said that he was satisfied with the success recorded so far in his free eye care programme following the emotional phone calls he had been receiving from beneficiaries, especially old people.

Prosperity Preachers Spike Fraudsters

The Head Pastor, Palace Fire Chapel, Joshua Afolabi has frowned on the rise of Internet fraud, kidnapping and diabolical means of getting wealthy, saying that the unbalanced prosperity teachings of some churches and lack of proper parenting are the major causes of these dubious act trending amongst Nigerian youths. Out of 74 ’email scammers’ arrested by the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation last year, 29 of them were Nigerians in a global operation, internet fraud has reportedly been onward and upward with more Nigerian youths getting themselves enrolled into the dubious act. According to him, "The problem we have is the church because some of us don't focus on basic teachings, and that is why I don't joke with teaching, I am a prophet but I don't prophesy all the time, when the auction comes I do but I teach on attitude character and hard work. Let's tell them that hard work pays, diligence because what someone keeps hearing he becomes.

T H I S D AY • SATURDAY JUNE 1, 2019

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Sanwo-Olu Mulls Return of Monthly Sanitation

MEETING WITH THE TEMPORAL ...

R-L: Shehu of Borno, HRH Alhaji Abubakar Umar Ibn Garbai El-Kanemi; the Deputy Governor (Operations) at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi; and the CBN Branch Controller for Maiduguri, Mr. Tijani Kanuriana Lawan, during a courtesy visit on the Shehu by the CBN Deputy Governor, who was on an operational visit to Maiduguri on Tuesday

Court: Honeywell Not Indebted to Ecobank We will appeal judgment, Says bank Davidson Iriekpen A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos yesterday held that Honeywell Flour Mills Plc and its sister companies, Anchorage Leisures Limited and Siloam Global Limited were no longer indebted to Ecobank Nigeria Limited.

In a swift reaction, Ecobank disagreed with the judgment, saying it would appeal the decision.

Justice Ayokunle Faji made the declaration while delivering judgment in a suit filed by Honeywell Group against Ecobank Limited.

Following a dispute over an

alleged indebtedness of N5.5 billion to Ecobank Limited, Honeywell Group and its sister companies instituted a suit seeking the court’s declaration that they were not indebted to Ecobank contrary to the bank’s claim.

The companies urged the court to hold that having made a “full and final� payment of N3.5 billion, as agreed at the July 22, 2013 meeting, they were no longer indebted to the bank.

But the bank insisted that in paying the N3.5 billion, the firms did not comply with the terms of agreement.

It contended that the firms breached the agreement that the money should be paid before the examiners from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), who were in the bank to examine its books, would leave.

But the firms contended that the bank failed to inform them when exactly the CBN examiners were to leave, adding that it made the final payment on December 12, 2013.

In his judgment yesterday, Justice Faji ruled in favour of Honeywell and its sister companies, holding that they were no longer indebted to the bank based on the exhibits

placed before the court by the defendant The judge said Ecobank did not give any update about the actual time limit for the repayment of the loan. “Based on the agreement reached between the parties, the plaintiffs are no more independent to the defendant,� the court held.

It further said: “I have looked through all the exhibits placed before the court, letters sent by plaintiffs to defendant about the remittance and the money the defendant ate talking about now did not feature in the letters to the plaintiffs.�

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State is considering reintroducing the monthly sanitation exercise in Lagos to press for a cleaner Lagos but said he would consult the people to decide on the next line of action on the issue.

A statement by Director of Public Affairs, Toro Oladipo said the Governor mulled the idea when he visited the Olusosun dump site in furtherance of his pledge to improve the environmental situation as contained in the first Executive Order on Environmental and Sanitation Matters signed recently.

He said the Governor noted that “This is where we receive 70 per cent of the waste in Lagos.

The facility is 28years old so we want to ensure that it can receive waste for the next 23years. “We are going to ask Lagosians if they want us to return the three-hour monthly sanitation exercise to ensure that we have a cleaner city. Though I have my own view, we will still ask Lagosians.�

He also disclosed the plan to expand the dumpsite to accommodate more waste, saying: “We want to expand the facility to 42 acres so that trucks can have a quicker turn-around time�.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the building under construction at the entrance of the site would be used to train and retrain the staff and create more jobs for the people, adding that the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) would be strengthened to collect recyclable materials necessary for the creation of more jobs.

He expressed confidence that the revenue derivable from waste will be properly harnessed to make life more meaningful to the people of the State.

In a related development, the

Benin Disco Signs Agreement with Five Firms to Bridge Metering Gap Adibe Emenyonu Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă˜Ă“Ă˜ ÓÞã

We Won’t Witch-hunt Anyone, Ugwuanyi Parleys Royal Kwara Gov Tells Civil Servants Fathers on Peace, Security Hammed Shittu Ă“Ă˜

Ă™ĂœĂ“Ă˜ Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq has assured civil servants in the state that he would not witch-hunt anyone for their political beliefs.

Abdulrasaq made the promise in Ilorin on Friday during the interaction with the civil servants after he assumed duties at Governor’s office.

According to him, “We would not label anyone. We will carry everybody along and will promote a culture of transparency and independence�.

He said, “We want Kwara to regain its rightful place particularly in the North where it used to be the number one in terms of education and so on,�

Abdulrasaq promised to ensure prompt payment of salaries, adding that Kwara would also pay the minimum wage after due consultations with the civil servants and proper assessment of the financial situation of the state.

“We’ll pay (May) salary almost immediately. We want to get a place where there are no backlog of salary and pensions,� he said. “We’ll discuss the minimum wage. The intention is to pay but we need to sit down and resolve a few issues. “There has been so much plundering of the state resources but we will rise above all that.

We’ll ride on your back to get things done while your welfare is taken care of�, he stressed.

The governor spoke extensively on his agenda for the state such as plugging loopholes, reducing overhead costs through prudent management of resources, addressing the infrastructure deficits in the state and creating wealth through private enterprise.

The meeting was attended by top party leaders led by APC chairman Bashir Bolarinwa; head of the civil service, Mrs. Sudan Oluwole Dupe; permanent secretaries; directors; and other senior civil servants in the state.

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has urged traditional rulers in the state to intensify efforts towards the enhancement of peace and security in their communities for rapid development.

This he said was in line with the renewed vigor of his administration to advance good governance in the state.

Ugwuanyi who made the appeal during a maiden town hall meeting with all recognised traditional rulers in Enugu State after his 2nd term inauguration, stressed the need to sustain the existing peace and good governance in the state, urging them to be agents of peace in their respective communities.

The governor noted that some communities had not yet accessed the first tranche of N5million earmarked for the 458 autonomous communities to execute priority projects of their choice under the “One Community, One Project� initiative because of one crisis or another.

He therefore advised the leaders of the affected communities to come

together and resolve their problems on or before the end of June, so that their people would benefit from the well-thought-out programme.

Gov. Ugwuanyi also told them that they should be able to resolve their differences without government’s intervention, advising further that “the only way out is peace� because “it will bring development and good governance�.

The governor, who frowned at the activities of some of the Neighbourhood Watch Groups in the state, said they were deviating from their responsibilities, pointing out that the essence of the town hall meeting was also to review the activities of the security groups to ascertain if they were doing what they were set out to do.

He maintained that Enugu was one of the safest states in the country, but said that he would be more comfortable if the state became the safest in the country, adding that “if there is anything I will ask from you in this my second term it is peace.

Governor solicited the support of religious leaders in bringing about behavioural changes among their followers in order to bring sanity to our roads as well as the environment.

The Governor, accompanied by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and other top government officials were at the Lagos State Secretariat Mosque in Alausa for a special inauguration Jumat Service organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Culture to pray for the success of the new administration.

He stressed the important role that Clerics play in disseminating, propagating and sensitising their followers on government programmes and policies, following the strong belief they have in them, adding that this platform will be well utilised by the current administration.

The Governor promised to regularly use the clerics for the implementation of the newly signed Executive Orders on Waste Management, Traffic matters and Sanitation. “We challenged our clerics to say that we would be coming back to see them on issues around waste management because we know that the congregation believe them.

We would bring back the waste management team to come and show them the different colours that we will be using for wastes. “And once they help us to propagate it, the message would go down. We would also talk about traffic management and why we need to obey traffic rules, to ensure that we are not driving against traffic; obey traffic officers and very simple things like that.

We will take the message to people through you so that we can begin to see the change,�

Sanwo-Olu said.

To address the metering gap in the power sector in its coverage areas, the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), said it had signed agreement with five Meter Asset Provider (MAP).

It said the MAP scheme was approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

Managing Director of BEDC, Mrs. Funke Osibodu disclosed this in an interactive session yesterday with the media in Benin City, the capital of Edo State.

She listed the parties approved for the MAP scheme to include; G. Unit Engineering Ltd, Sabrud Consortium Nig. Ltd, lnlaks Power Solution Limited, FLT Energy Systems Ltd and Turbo Energy Ltd, who are expected to fast track further metering penetration in the four states of Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti that constitute its areas of coverage.

Osibodu solicited for the cooperation of electricity consumers in the ongoing enumeration exercise in its franchise states, adding that the exercise was in compliance with the directive of NERC to all Discos, towards improving accuracy in billing, improving quality of supply,

prompt response to faults and also to ensure proper planning for network expansion.

She encouraged customers to cooperate with the enumerators who had been going round various locations in the four states by responding promptly to requests for completion of enumeration forms with a passport photograph, a utility bill for postpaid customers and vending slip prepaid customers, including mobile phone number and email address, which are all prerequisite for metering.

The BEDC boss also noted that within a period of six months, about 49 communities without power supply in their coverage areas had been connected to the national grid with another nine locations about to be connected.

She however identified vandalism of electrical equipment and molestation of BEDC staff as a major menace faced by the company.

According to her, “In Edo, 39 transformers and locations were vandalised in 2019, whilst we recorded several numbers in Delta. These two locations have been highest, though we have informed security agencies of the upsurge for investigations�.

Plus

Babajide Fagade I Tackle Challenges

by Having Fun on My Job... I Take Each Day As Though I’m Not Working

FASHION FILE GLOBAL SOCCER FAIRGROUND SHOWBIZFLAIR

pg. 22 pg. 29 pg. 36 pg. 45

Ero Idehen My Parents Were Comfortable But I Was Made to Clean, Cook, Wash Clothes, Mow the Lawn

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PLUS

Whenever I Had an Excellent Result, My Dad Would Buy Snails for Me Call her the girl from Benin, Edo State and you would be right. This is because Ms. Ero Idehen, the CEO of Rosebud Package Tours Limited, spent her formative years in this city. Idehen has since carved a niche for herself as far as travel services are concerned in the country. With over 20 years’ experience in the industry, her name crops up when travel and tourism are being discussed. Idehen shares her experiences in the industry with Azuka Ogujiuba, talking about how she promotes Nigeria through tourism, her vision for her firm, what inspired her to go into that line of business, the challenges and more

H

ow did your foray into travel and tourism start?

When I was studying in France in the 80’s, I found it very strange that majority of French people had never heard of Nigeria. You would introduce yourself saying you’re from Nigeria, they would respond “Oh oui, le Niger!” Then invariably, I would spend time explaining to them the difference between “Niger” – the francophone country and “Nigeria” – the English speaking country. That conversation would lead on to Nigerian culture, Nigerian ethnic groups and languages, places of interest, etc. Because I was very good in Geography, all this information came to me easily. In my 10 years living in France, I met only one elderly lady who knew about Nigeria! Her husband had worked in Nigeria for a construction company called Dumez.

So this lack of awareness about Nigeria naturally got me thinking about how to promote Nigeria via tourism. I then packaged a tour to Nigeria, got several of my friends at the university interested in visiting Nigeria but unfortunately they weren’t bold enough to make the actual journey to Africa. Remember this was the 80’s; no internet, very little was known about Africa – the dark continent then. All you heard in the news in the 80s was about famine in Ethiopia and Apartheid in South Africa.

By the time I returned from Europe in 1994, I set up Rosebud Package Tours Limited mainly for inbound tourism.

We organised local tours to places of interest within Nigeria - Jos, Yankari, Kano, Katsina, Argungu, Obudu, Calabar, Benin. Our clients were largely expatriates.

How would you describe travel business in Nigeria in terms of patronage and returns?

You can summarise Rosebud in a few words. We sell travel services! Our services are meant to take the stress off potential travellers, individuals or groups. We assist with all travel arrangements from conception to bookings and the actual trip.

We offer assistance all through the trip. Well, patronage is pretty good as Nigerians are becoming more aware of the importance of preparation in travel. You need to source for a holiday location, check out the weather, prices, airfares, visa requirements if any. Then if all the conditions are conducive, then the packaging is done.

If you could go back in time and start your career all over again, would you still choose what you do at the moment?

I don’t think so. Perhaps I should have balanced my tourism business better with my catering side hustle. I would have given equal attention to both.

Are you into both inbound and outbound travel?

I must admit that our focus at Rosebud Package Tours has evolved with the times and trends. When I launched the

Idehen

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PLUS company in 1995, we were very much about inbound tours. We did Nigerian cultural tours and organised these Nigerian cultural packages for about 10 years. Then, I took a short break to work in an oil company. By the time I returned to tourism around 2008/2009, there was so much restiveness and insecurity in the Niger-Delta region that our target clientele – expatriates and other foreigners had deserted Port Harcourt.

So I had to shift focus to outbound tours. We started catering to Nigerians desirous to travel outside the country.

Tell us about your formative years?

I am a product of one of the foremost girls’ colleges in the then Bendel State - St Maria Goretti Grammar School, Benin City. It was a mission school run by Catholic nuns up until the 90’s when the government took over mission schools. The foundation of my education and character was built here. Because admission was strictly on merit, every student was treated equally and fairly.

There was nothing like preferential treatment for some big men’s children or stuff like that. In fact, there were no social inequalities in our school nor distinctions along ethnic lines. At Goretti in those days, you must not be found speaking vernacular or pidgin English.

We were taught discipline in addition to the regular school subjects.

What was it like growing up in Benin?

Growing in Benin was wonderful, the 70s and 80s were a peaceful time in the country. Crime was practically non-existent. As a child, you could play outside and your parents knew that you were safe under the watchful eyes of friends and neighbours. I remember an anecdote when I was in Form five preparing for WAEC. As a Day student, we normally close by 2pm. On this particular day, I had stayed back for some revision in school, so it must have been like 3pm when I left school. I was walking home – still in my school uniform - and suddenly somebody driving by in a car called out in Bini language, ‘Idehen’s child, what are you still doing outside? Why are you not home yet‌?!’ It sure gives a new meaning to that good old saying that it takes a village to raise a child Can we say you were born with a silver spoon?

Yes and no. My parents were comfortable; however, my mum saw to it that we were brought up in a very conservative manner.

Even though we had often had househelps, we as children did our chores and duties - cleaning, cooking, washing clothes, mowing the lawn and so on.

Every one of us; boys and girls, we were given duties.

How did your background shape your life?

With such a strict upbringing, you learn to be pretty independent and self-sufficient; there is no household chore that I cannot do today. I may not enjoy it but I can do practically everything. I learnt to pound yam as a child, I washed our family cars, I washed clothes.

Tell us about your parents My parents passed away in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

My dad, Sir George Otutu Ise-Idehen

Idehen during a tour she organised for children

was a kind-hearted, family-oriented man. He stood well over six feet four tall and was truly a gentle giant. A formidable businessperson, he joined the family saw-milling business straight out of secondary school and grew it into one of the most successful businesses in Benin.

My grandfather built the third Sawmill in Benin in 1960. The first was owned

by Gaius Obaseki and the second by Chief Obasuyi. Today there are over 300 sawmills in Edo State. Through sheer hard work and dedication, Sir George Ise-Idehen expanded the family business by building a livestock feed mill, another ultra-modern sawmill in 1975, and other major investments including timber exportation and real estate. My father was very involved in the activities of the Benin Saw-millers Association and until his demise in 2008, he was the President of the Saw-millers Association. My dad was a devout Catholic. And in 1974, his holiness, Pope Paul VI, honoured him with the Knighthood of the Order of Saint Sylvester. An advocate of Justice and an ardent anti-corruption crusader, he was the sponsor of the Prayer Against Bribery and Corruption, which aired for many years on several radio stations throughout Edo State.

And my mum Lady Clara E. Idehen was an industrious woman too; you can say their union was a match made in Heaven!!

Mummy didn’t believe in idleness and as such, she was always involved in one form of activity or the other! As children, she enrolled us in so many extracurricular activities. We went to the State Library on Saturdays, encouraged us to do after-school activities like sports, French club. She taught Catechism, was a marriage Counsellor in the Catholic Church and was also a member of the CWO. A retired Teacher, she operated a block-making company in the 70’s and then ventured into poultry farming; an activity she ran for decades.

Renowned for her wit, mummy carried the affix O.F.N after her names on her complimentary card.

Losing both my parents within a year of each other. Honestly, you can’t really overcome such a loss. You only learn to live with the emotional pain and emptiness caused by their departure.

They impacted so many lives. Every now and then, you relive the memories of the times spent with them and pray to God for the grace to carry on the legacies they built.

This simply stands for “Operation Feed the Nation�, with regards to the programme launched by Obasanjo in 1976. This actually spurred her going into the poultry business and farming.

That is the embodiment of who our mummy was: disciplined, passionate, purposeful and witty.

What was the best gift you remember receiving as a child?

The particular gifts I remember was throughout my secondary school years. I had a fondness for snails, so whenever I had an excellent result, my dad would buy snails on any of his numerous trips and give firm instructions that these snails were for only me! And truly-truly, my mum would serve me those snails with my food for like three to four days. Čą ‘ŠÂ?ČąÂ ÂŠÂœČąÂ?Â‘ÂŽČąÂ–Â˜ÂœÂ?ČąÂ?’ĜŒž•Â?ČąÂ?‘’—Â?Čą that ever happened to you in all your years and how did you overcome it?

It was losing both my parents within a year of each other. Honestly, you can’t really overcome such a loss. You only learn to live with the emotional pain and emptiness caused by their departure. They impacted so many lives. Every now and then, you relive the memories of the times spent with them and pray to God for the grace to carry on the legacies they built.

What are some of your indelible high

points in life?

My first and second package tours with Rosebud are forever etched in my mind! The very first tour in November 1994 was with a group of six expatriates working and living in Port Harcourt.

The tour was tagged ‘a visit to the Ancient city of Benin.’ I remember taking home a net profit of about N7000.

The second tour was to Jos and Yankari Game Reserve in April 1995. The group was larger with almost 20 adults and kids.

What is your biggest fear in life?

The fear of failure. This is the reason I jump out of bed every morning.

Are there still things you desire?

Certainly! Aren’t we all driven till the day we die? I have only just started!! I do believe that we are wired that way to keep trying to surpass our last success. No one should be resting on their laurels. We need to keep striving to do better, to achieve more, and to become a better version of ourselves.

What is your favourite local meal?

I love moin-moin. Although I am not a “swallow� person at all, I do enjoy pounded yam with edikan-ikong.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Dark Chocolate and an exquisite French wine named Pouilly Petit FumĂŠ or Pouilly FuissĂŠ.

I Jump Out of Bed Every Morning for Fear of Failure

20

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 1, 2019

PLUS

Babajide Fagade

I Tackle Challenges

by Having Fun on My Job... I Take Each Day As Though I’m Not Working

Babajide Fagade is the CEO of Ocean Outdoor Advertising, a thought leader, keynote speaker, and serial entrepreneur, who provides the vision and energy that has inspired the creation of start-ups like Growasel, Zowatel, Outdoor Republic, Nimbus Media and Street Toolz advertising.

His experience has greatly influenced his leadership, resourcefulness and entrepreneurship endeavours.

Fagade tells Adedayo Adejobi about nostalgic moments of growing up, raising his children, his childhood dream of becoming a sculptor and lots more

21

͚˜ ͺ͸͚Π˞ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

PLUS Appreciation of the Gift of Life Makes Me Flow with Changes

W

hat is the future of advertising in Nigeria?

How do they meet these challenges at Ocean Outdoor?

The future is what we attain every second; as such, the future is always here with us. We are already experiencing the future with the level of disruptions here and there. However, the future for OOH and other forms of advertising can only take up the contemporary development as opened to the world. We hear that the world would fully embrace the use of electric cars by 2025 and by then vehicles running on gas would be hardly seen. Likewise, AI (artificial intelligence) would be at the centre of most things currently handled by humans and advertising would definitely mirror the world to provide contemporary services.

Ultimately, data would become a big thing in advertising and analytics would become the heartbeat of advertising in the nearest future. OOH advertising would as such rely heavily on face recognition technologies to justify audience delivery through eyeball counts and the likes.

At Ocean Outdoor, we have embraced technology from inception of the business.

A visit to our website would confirm this.

Our advertising assets are available online real time and we use technology to ensure clients’ satisfaction. In a recent meeting with a potential client after exchanging business cards, the client couldn’t hide but to acknowledge that he was receiving for the time in Nigeria a business card with functional QR code. However, I speak specifically for Ocean Outdoor Limited now; we simply demonstrate that, ‘anything can happen.’ Tell us about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most œ’Â?—’ęŒŠ—Â?ČąÂ’Â—ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂŒÂŠÂ›ÂŽÂŽÂ›ÇŻ That would be the new market development project during my days at Afromedia Plc as the General Manager for New markets. We set out for African expansion project and commenced market-scanning activities in key African markets, which lasted for about 10 months or so with focus on the four regions. We consummated the acquisition of an existing Out-of-Home advertising company in Gambia within six months following major Nigerian banks’ entry into same market and we opened Afromedia Gambia Limited as an accomplishment. While the Kenyan market entry got beyond the scanning stage, the due diligence part became the most significant hurdle.

Â˜Â ČąÂ?Â˜ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ“ÂžÂ?Â?Â•ÂŽČąÂœÂ’Ä´Â’Â—Â?ȹŠÂ?Â˜Â™ČąÂ&#x;ÂŠÂ›Â’Â˜ÂžÂœČą ‹˜Š›Â?ÂœČąÂŠÂŒÂ›Â˜ÂœÂœČąÂ?‘ŽȹŠÂ?Â&#x;Ž›Â?’œ’—Â?ČąÂŒÂ‘ÂŠÂ’Â—Çľ The board level experience is what I would recommend for anybody looking to build a career at C-level executive and beyond. It is more of a privilege for my humble self to be an independent non-executive director where I contribute and develop amongst other member of the board. Obviously, relativity comes handy for me in my area of influence and experience. Hence, it becomes an energy-boosting episode for me rather than tasking and even in the absence of material incentives; I remain energised doing what I am passionate about.

What was your most unexpected lesson ’—ȹ•ŽŠÂ?’—Â?ČąÂ?Â˜Â›ČąÂ?›˜ Â?‘Ǿ I reckon this occurred during my role at E-motion Advertising Limited as Chief Executive Officer where I led the business to unprecedented achievements. I was at the height of my organically growing career doing what I know how to do best and full of confidence about my deliverables, which has business growth at the centre of it. After building an elliptical LED billboard, which was first of its kind world over and achieved 100% occupancy on same as revenue optimisation, I was confronted with the challenge of managing a board member.

Obviously, I was new to boardroom intrigues as I got carried away by my accomplishment of growth and ignored the learning opportunities offered at the board of directors’ level.

Leadership isn’t easy in this kind of Â?’££¢’—Â?ȹŽ—Â&#x;’›˜—–Ž—Â?ÇŻČą ‘ŠÂ?ČąÂ‘ÂŠÂœČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›Čą ÂŠÂ™Â™Â›Â˜ÂŠÂŒÂ‘ČąÂ‹ÂŽÂŽÂ—Çľ

My leadership approach is from the point of service with value at the centre of it. ‘ŠÂ?ȹŠÂ?Â&#x;Â’ÂŒÂŽČąÂŒÂŠÂ—ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ?Â’Â&#x;ÂŽČą ÂœČąÂ“ÂžÂœÂ?Čą starting out regarding keeping a company –˜Â&#x;’—Â?ČąÂ?˜› Š›Â?Ǿȹ ÂŽÂ•Â•ČąÂžÂœČąÂ?‘Žȹ”Ž¢ȹÂ?Â˜ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›Čą ÂŒÂ˜Â–Â™ÂŠÂ—Â˘Č‚ÂœČąÂœÂžÂŒÂŒÂŽÂœÂœÇľ The paramount thing is to stay focused and on the back of that is to remain focused until you have enough traction, which is compelling to the extent of leveraging.

In today’s fast changing business Ž—Â&#x;’›˜—–Ž—Â?ǰȹ ‘ŠÂ?ČąÂ?Â˜ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ?Â˜ČąÂ?Â˜ČąÂ”ÂŽÂŽÂ™ČąÂžÂ™Čą  ’Â?‘ȹÂ?Â‘ÂŽČąÂŒÂ‘ÂŠÂ—Â?ÂŽÂœÇľČą ‘ŠÂ?ČąÂ?Â˜ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ›ÂŽÂŠÂ?ČąÂ?Â˜Čą ÂœÂ?ÂŠÂ˘ČąÂŠÂ‹Â›ÂŽÂŠÂœÂ?ČąÂ˜Â?ČąÂ?‘’—Â?ÂœÇľ What I do to keep up with the challenges is to have fun at what I do all the way. I take each day as though I am not working; yet I am. ÂŠÂ—ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ›ÂŽÂŒÂ˜Â–Â–ÂŽÂ—Â?ČąÂŠČąÂ‹Â˜Â˜Â”ČąÂ?‘ŠÂ?ČąÂ‘ÂŠÂœČą ‘ŠÂ?ČąÂŠÂ—ČąÂ’Â—ÄšÂžÂŽÂ—ÂŒÂŽČąÂ’Â—ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂŒÂŠÂ›ÂŽÂŽÂ›ÇľČą Â˜Â ČąÂ?Â’Â?ȹ’Â?Čą Â’Â—ÄšÂžÂŽÂ—ÂŒÂŽČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÇľ I read books like; Think Differently by Steve Jobs, The Wall Mart Way by Don Soderquist, Long Walk to Freedom by Mandela and see business movies like The Big Short. Â—ČąÂ˜Â—ÂŽČąÂœÂŽÂ—Â?ÂŽÂ—ÂŒÂŽÇ°ČąÂŒÂŠÂ—ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ?ÂŽÂ•Â•ČąÂžÂœČąÂ Â‘ÂŠÂ?ČąÂ?‘Žȹ most important thing about being a leader Â’ÂœÇľ Leaders must be willing and able to serve always. ‘ŠÂ?ČąÂ–ÂŠÂ”ÂŽÂœČąÂŠČąÂœÂžÂŒÂŒÂŽÂœÂœÂ?ž•ȹ Çľ Leadership and achievement of business objectives ‘ŠÂ?ȹŠĴ›’‹žÂ?ÂŽÂœČąÂ?Â˜ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ•Â˜Â˜Â”ČąÂ?Â˜Â›ČąÂ Â‘ÂŽÂ—Čą ‘’›’—Â?Çľ Passion, energy, integrity and commitment ÂŽÂœÂŒÂ›Â’Â‹ÂŽČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂ™ÂŠÂœÂœÂ’Â˜Â—Çľ Commitment and integrity ÂŽÂœÂŒÂ›Â’Â‹ÂŽČąÂ Â‘ÂŠÂ?ȹ’Â?ČąÂ?ÂŠÂ”ÂŽÂœČąÂ?Â˜ČąÂ‹ÂŽČąÂœÂžÂŒÂŒÂŽÂœÂœÂ?ž•Ǿ Commitment to dreams Describe how running a successful ÂŒÂ˜Â–Â™ÂŠÂ—Â˘ČąÂ‘ÂŠÂœČąÂŒÂ‘ÂŠÂ—Â?ÂŽÂ?ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÇľ It has built confidence in me that I can always replicate it. ‘ŠÂ?ČąÂ’ÂœČąÂ?Â‘ÂŽČąÂ Â˜Â›Â?ČąÂ?‘ŠÂ?ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ‹ÂŽÂ•Â’ÂŽÂ&#x;ÂŽČąÂ‘ÂŠÂœČą Â?Â‘ÂŽČąÂ–Â˜ÂœÂ?ČąÂ™Â˜Â ÂŽÂ›ČąÂ’Â—ČąÂ?‘Žȹ —Â?Â•Â’ÂœÂ‘Čą Š—Â?žŠÂ?ÂŽÇľ Love.

What was the best gift you remember ›ŽŒŽ’Â&#x;’—Â?ČąÂŠÂœČąÂŠČąÂŒÂ‘Â’Â•Â?Çľ Vacation abroad. ÂœČąÂ?Â‘Â’ÂœČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂ?Â›ÂŽÂŠÂ–ČąÂ“Â˜Â‹Çľ My dream was to become an Artist/ Sculptor. I dreamt about creating monuments that would become landmarks within the environment. ‘ŠÂ?ČąÂŒÂ‘ÂŠÂ—Â?ÂŽÂ?ǰȹŠ—Â?ȹ ‘¢ȹÂ?Â’Â?—ȂÂ?ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČą Â™ÂžÂ›ÂœÂžÂŽČąÂ?‘ŽȹÂ?›ŽŠ–Ǿ My parents influenced my course of study. Hence, I studied marketing instead of fine art. I can say it is not really so much of a change because taking to Advertising and ending up as an Out-of-Home Advertising specialist, enables creating monumental billboards within the environment. Â˜ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ?ŽŽ•ȹÂ?ž•ę••ŽÂ?ČąÂ’Â—ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂ™Â›Â˜Â?ÂŽÂœÂœÂ’Â˜Â—Čą Š—Â?ČąÂœÂ”Â’Â•Â•Çľ I would say yes, beginning from my high school days when I started creating Hand-made cards and pursuing a career in advertising after studying marketing. My 360 degree advertising experience and my current position in the industry makes me grateful to God. ‘ŠÂ?Č‚ÂœČąÂ?’쎛Ž—Â?ČąÂŠÂ‹Â˜ÂžÂ?ČąÂ?›˜ ’—Â?ȹž™ȹÂ?˜Â?Š¢ȹ Â?Â›Â˜Â–ČąÂ Â‘ÂŽÂ—ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ ÂŽÂ›ÂŽČąÂ?›˜ ’—Â?ȹž™Ǿ We were more communal living together with neighbours; had one family then than now. ‘ŠÂ?ČąÂ ÂŠÂœČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÄ™Â›ÂœÂ?ČąÂ“Â˜Â‹ÇľČą ‘ŠÂ?ČąÂ?Â’Â?ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČą Â•Â’Â”ÂŽČąÂ˜Â›ČąÂ—Â˜Â?ČąÂ•Â’Â”ÂŽČąÂŠÂ‹Â˜ÂžÂ?ȹ’Â?Çľ It was a sales job where I worked as Assistant Marketing Manager for a Korean textile company in Nigeria. I picked up the much needed staying power that sales role teach.

Â˜Â ČąÂ?Â’Â?ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ–ÂŽÂŽÂ?ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂœÂ™Â˜ÂžÂœÂŽÇľ

Fagade

During NYSC year. Čą ‘ŠÂ?ČąÂ?Â’Â?ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ•Â’Â”ÂŽČąÂŠÂ‹Â˜ÂžÂ?ȹ‘Ž›Ǿ Simplicity and cheerfulness. Čą ‘Ž—ȹÂ?Â’Â?ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ?ÂŽÂ?ȹ–Š››’ŽÂ?Çľ That was in 2002.

Â˜Â ČąÂ˜Â•Â?ČąÂ ÂŽÂ›ÂŽČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÇľČą ‘Ž›ŽȹÂ?Â’Â?ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ?ÂŽÂ?Čą –Š››’ŽÂ?Çľ I was 28 years and we got married in Lagos. ‘ŠÂ?ČąÂ ÂŠÂœČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂ ÂŽÂ?Â?’—Â?ȹ•’”ŽǾ It was a modest ceremony at Ikoyi, Lagos. ‘ŠÂ?ČąÂ ÂŠÂœČąÂ?Â‘ÂŽČąÄ™Â›ÂœÂ?ȹ‹’Â?ČąÂ™ÂžÂ›ÂŒÂ‘ÂŠÂœÂŽČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČą –ŠÂ?Žȹ ’Â?Â‘ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂœÂ™Â˜ÂžÂœÂŽÇľ We bought a land way back at the outskirt of Lagos (laugh).

Â˜Â ČąÂ–ÂŠÂ—Â˘ČąÂŒÂ‘Â’Â•Â?›Ž—ȹÂ?Â˜ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ‘ÂŠÂ&#x;ŽǾȹ ‘Ž—ȹ  Ž›ŽȹÂ?Â‘ÂŽÂ˘ČąÂ‹Â˜Â›Â—ÇľČą Â˜Â ČąÂ?Â’Â?ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ?ŽŒ’Â?Žȹ ‘ŠÂ?Čą Â?Â˜ČąÂ—ÂŠÂ–ÂŽČąÂŽÂŠÂŒÂ‘Çľ We have three children, two boys and a girl. We trusted God for their names and agreed to names that I’ve nurtured from school days. ‘ŠÂ?Č‚ÂœČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂ?ŠÂ&#x;˜ž›’Â?ÂŽČąÂœÂ?Â˜Â›Â˘ČąÂŠÂ‹Â˜ÂžÂ?ČąÂŽÂŠÂŒÂ‘Čą ˜Â?ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂŒÂ‘Â’Â•Â?›Ž—Ǿ The story of how I connected with actual conception days for all of them.

What is something funny or embarrassing one of your children said at an early ŠÂ?ÂŽČąÂ?‘ŠÂ?ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČ‚Â•Â•ČąÂ—ÂŽÂ&#x;Ž›ȹÂ?˜›Â?ÂŽÂ?Çľ My first son used to call me sweetheart and my friends found it funny.

Is there one holiday memory that stands ˜žÂ?ČąÂ?Â˜Â›ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÇľ The holiday time at Whispering Palms, Badagry.

How did you feel about raising your

Œ‘’•Â?›Ž—Ǿ Always a new experience as the children grow up ‘ŠÂ?ČąÂ–ÂŠÂ”ÂŽÂœČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ™Â›Â˜ÂžÂ?ČąÂ˜Â?ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂŒÂ‘Â’Â•Â?›Ž—Ǿ That they are my children is enough to be proud of and the love we all share. Â˜ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂ‘ÂŠÂ&#x;ÂŽČąÂŠÂ—Â˘ČąÂ‘Â˜Â‹Â‹Â’ÂŽÂœČąÂ˜Â›ČąÂœÂ™ÂŽÂŒÂ’ÂŠÂ•Čą interests?

Reading, browsing and meditating. Â˜ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžČąÂŽÂ—Â“Â˜Â˘ČąÂŠÂ—Â˘ČąÂ™ÂŠÂ›Â?Â’ÂŒÂžÂ•ÂŠÂ›ČąÂœÂ™Â˜Â›Â?ÂœÇľ Yes, golf. ‘ŠÂ?Č‚ÂœČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂ?Â˘Â™Â’ÂŒÂŠÂ•ČąÂ?ÂŠÂ˘ČąÂ•Â’Â”ÂŽČąÂ—Â˜Â Çľ Usually filled with meetings, strategy session and impromptu stuffs.

Â˜Â ČąÂ’ÂœČąÂ’Â?ČąÂ?’쎛Ž—Â?ČąÂ?Â›Â˜Â–ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂ?Š’•¢ȹ ›˜žÂ?Â’Â—ÂŽÂœČąÂ’Â—ČąÂ?Â‘ÂŽČąÂ™ÂŠÂœÂ?Çľ If you are referring to my paid employment days, those were routine activity days.

Â˜Â ČąÂ‘ÂŠÂ&#x;ÂŽČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂ?Â›ÂŽÂŠÂ–ÂœČąÂŠÂ—Â?ČąÂ?Â˜ÂŠÂ•ÂœČą Œ‘Š—Â?ÂŽÂ?ČąÂ?‘›˜žÂ?Â‘ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂ•Â’Â?ÂŽÇľ I am glad that there are no significant changes though few modifications to suit the journey of life. Hence, the appreciation of the gift of life makes me flow with changes as they may occur even though rarely. ‘ŠÂ?Č‚ÂœČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂ ÂŠÂ˘ČąÂ˜Â?ČąÂ?Â’Â&#x;’—Â?ČąÂ‹ÂŠÂŒÂ”ČąÂ?Â˜ČąÂ?‘Žȹ ’—Â?žœÂ?›¢Ǿ I’ve been giving back to the industry through my publishing, Outdoor Republic journal in circulation since 2007. My next plan of giving back is through Outdoor Academy, where the future generations of OOH advertising specialists will be nurtured and groomed while there would be room for continuous development training for practitioners at every career stages in OOH advertising. Outdoor Academy is billed for launch in October 2019 here in Lagos. We have commenced admission process for the pioneering set.

22

Fashion File

Greyvelvets Day Time to Play Time Looks

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ͚˜ ͺ͸͚Πwith

AZUKA OGUJIUBA

azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ͚˜ ͺ͸͚Î

23

FASHION FILE

Greyvelvets Day Time to Play Time Looks The GreyVolution with Love from Lagos, continues as Grey Velvet presents work to out-ofoffice collection which explores the transition from Day Time to Play Time inspired by the best of both worlds of the metropolitan city that is Lagos, which presents maximum hustle and entertainment. It unveils a 360 degree shoppable collection, which evaluates bold and evocative prints and styles within high end fashion, and the values of openness and love that the brand strives to uphold. The pieces depict the classical GV woman with lighthearted but empowering looks which highlight the correlation between work and out of work

office styles. These clever hints at what the GV Woman wears is so versatile.

Grey Velvet is still solidly behind its continued mission to raise the profile of African designers at home and beyond.

Instagram @greyvelvetstores, Twitter @GreyVelvet, Facebook @Greyvelvetfashionretail and www.greyvelvetstores.com

Campaign Creatives: Styling: Ifeoma Odogwu @ hyperfashun Photography: Seye Kehinde @ theSeyekehinde Makeup: @adoestouch for @ thebeautyprecinctng PR: So.Me Solutions @somesolutions.

24

˜ ˞ JUNE 1, 2019

JOE/FAJ

If I Were President...(2)

I

n the concluding part of this write up which coincides with the commencement of President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term, let me make some clarifications. The first part of this write up attracted a lot of criticisms with some arguing that my suggestion is not workable in Nigeria. To that, I ask: why not?

I believe that where there is a will, there is always a way; what we lack in Nigeria is the will to power which is why such negativism of impossibility permeates the entire fabric of the polity. If it can happen elsewhere why not here too? Those who think a leadership set in selfless service and sacrifice for the common good is not achievable should take a lesson from the 40th president of Uruguay and the world’s poorest president, Jose Mujica.

His life is a story of selfless struggle to liberate and create a better life for his people and country. In the heady days of dictatorship in that tiny southAmerican country, Mujica went underground as a freedom fighter. He was arrested and incarcerated for 14 years.

On his release from prison, he formed a coalition with other like minds and was elected to the senate from where he emerged as the country’s 40th president.

Alarge chunk of his $12,000 monthly salary was donated to charity and small businesses. He shunned the presidential palace and the privileges attached to his office. He lived a very austere life choosing to work from his modest home which he shared with his wife. His only automobile was a 1987 Volkswagen beetle car which he often times used to give lifts to the poor and needy. He was once offered $1m for the car, he turned it down on the excuse that he would fail to meet the need of lifting the poor when the need arose. He recently recently resigned from the senate to go back to his farm where him and his wife cultivate flowers. He has no sprawling mansions, shares in blue chip companies, children in foreign schools, private university or business. He is just was he is: a servant leader. He did not favour neither his wife nor member of his family. He never lined his pockets with filthy lucre and he is living his life fully.

Coming nearer home, in nearby eastAfrican country of Tanzania, John Magafuli is also walking the talk.According to QuartzAfrica, an online publication, just days into his presidency “He made a snap unannounced visit to the Ministry of Finance on his first day as president. Then he pulled funds intended for Independence Day celebrations and redirected them to anti-cholera operations. “He began a shake-up of the Tanzania PortAuthority, and extended it to the Tanzania RevenueAuthority as he launched a tax collection drive.An audit of the public payroll led to a purge of “ghost workers�. Quickly, it became apparent that he was genuinely waging war on corruption in the Tanzanian state.

These two gentlemen defined their presidencies with pragmatic actions and selfless services to their people and putting their people first in every policy decision formulated. They never took decisions that would be of direct benefits to them. Mujica after his presidency returned to the senate and resigned shortly after because, according to him, he didn’t need a pension. We are all witnesses to the humongous pensions claimed by former state governors and members of the NationalAssembly after serving out their terms.

L

JOSEPH USHIGIALE jushigiale@yahoo.co.uk, joseph.ushigiale@thisdaylive.com 08023422660 (sms only)

Mujica, Former President of Uruguay (2010 to 2015)

The most worrisome part of this development is that some senators were previously governors and already drawing pensions from their respective states and still claim pension from the National Assembly. These payments are not only being duplicated, they amount to wasteful expenditure.Assuming they deserve a pension after two terms as governor, of what use is a second pension in the senate? Where are the resources and the sacrifice they often enjoined majority of Nigerians to make here?

Having made these clarifications, let me give a broad outline of what I would do as a president in my concluding contributions.As a new president, the major focus of my administration would be to concentrate only on building infrastructure and the concentration would be on two key areas only. The first would be to generate a minimum of 10000MW of electricity within my tenure and also build 10,000 kilometres each of road and rail networks across the entire country.

We are being told that it would require at least $12b annually for at least 6 years for Nigeria to make an impact in infrastructure development. Between 1960 and date, the country has spent trillions of naira on infrastructure development and it is not yet uhuru. It goes to show that the current model in operation has to give way to something more radical and pragmatic. Under the former president Olusegun Obasanjo alone, Nigeria reportedly spent $16b on electricity generation and in one year alone, N300b was reportedly budgeted by the ministry of works which was then superintended

Buhari’s Second ‘First 100 Days’...

oosely defined, dream is not merely a wool of incredible actions, impossible distortions and alignments; nor is it always tissues of reality and fantasy welded in one’s subconsciousness.

Sometimes, with eyes wide open, steeped in a state of frustration, disappointment, drudgery or stagnation and despair, we begin to visualise situations and circumstances of positive and robust turnaround. We see a pond bursting with whales, to make mockery of our tilapia reality!

We are often advised by motivational speakers and religious ciphers to think big, and channel our energies away from the undistinguished current reality... on the wings of colourful dreams and positive thinking...into a place called El Dorado... diamond-crusted expressways that can be downloaded into reality by sheer will, sacrifice, perseverance, opportunity, and, of course, the good old grace of God, otherwise known as “good luck�.

In my study, few hours before the “low-key� second inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, I conjured a series of dreams...it started as a wish-hint, then developed into unguarded visions of a pleasantly unusual protagonist, looking very much like the incumbent president, but behaving very much unlike our man from Daura of the past four years.

Seduced by the wonderful apparitions, I surrendered myself completely to the sweet glory of a dream bejeweled from start to finish in “happy endings�... and this is how I visualise Buhari’s second “first 100 days� unfolding - no, exploding!

I am seeing a man whose voice, diction, mien, and moves completely unsettle his ministers and aides. His ministerial list had been a flick of jest amongst the once-powerful cabal members who now stand stupefied at the names and designations the boss is rolling out. They had all brought their well-manicured “agreed� list to the meeting (even the ‘Option B’ list was tucked in someone’s starched Babanriga)... the stubborn and uncouth ministers who needed to be cut to size...those who would be guests at the EFCC lodge before the end of June, and those to be disgraced at the security screening sessions when unimpeachable petitions emerge to castrate them comprehensively.

Now, Baba has somehow kept over 30 names away from them, all these months?! Only about four of the old ministers

THEFRONTLINES

are coming back; most were on their “Kill-It-List�. And yet, most of the new names are not “really� known to the cabal. “Mr President can’t be serious...� they chorused in guttural knowingness, winking at the president, who sits deadpanned, and reels out portfolios he wants each nominee to hold. Then, he requests any cogent reasons that can disqualify his picks.

The self-appointed members of the inner caucus of the president’s kitchen cabinet are so aghast that instead of making spirited remarks on any of the nominees, they simply nod their approval accompanied with dropping jaws and teary eye-lids. Not a few are sweating in the chilly air of the president’s office. Their eyes are fixed on a sheet of paper in between the Vice President and his principal. What can be so unique about this paper that middle-aged men have grown pale and fidgety?

From my exalted position, I can peer into any crevices, much less a small piece of paper right in the open. It is a list of 12 names simply titled “Senior Presidential Aides� - apart from two familiar names, none at the meeting is on the sheet!

The President subsequently commands that the ministerial list, profiles, security reports, associated notes on corresponding portfolios and justifications should be sent to the National Assembly. That will be the first order of business as soon as the legislature appoints its leadership.

As if driven by an unseen force, the President, alongside his vice and few others in his old cabinet, invites principal officers of the National Assembly to a parley. In a cordial atmosphere, spiced with eating, drinking and back-patting, the President lays out his economic plans; one tiny part is to reduce his emoluments, and that of his vice, and federal executives and agencies, by 40%, for the country’s economy is tail-spinning into irreversible recession. That it is now time for true leaders to step forward, make necessary sacrifices and lead by personal examples. The dumbfounded legislators are moved to tears, assuring that they will convince their colleagues in both houses to adopt the executive spirit, and deflate the ballooning welfare structure of national legislators.

In another meeting with governors, their deputies, speakers and principal officers of all 36 state assemblies...the swanky crowd from different political parties hurrayed the impassioned call of the President to cut “cost of governance� so that “dividends of democracy� may become tangible in our lifetime. They also agreed to terminate the capriciously

by late Chief TonyAnenih on road construction.

This time around, I would first split the 10,000 km of rail and road into two. Five thousand for the north and five thousand for the south.

In addition, the 10,000 km road and rail network would be divided among the six geopolitical zones with each zone having a minimum of 1,700 km of road and rail criss-crossing the entire states in the zone.

The financial model to adopt would be a Built Operate and Transfer (BOT) model with modifications. With the help of the World Bank, IMF and other multilateral finance corporations, I will launch an international bid inviting companies from across the world to bid for each bloc.

These companies that must have proven reputation in the construction of road, rail and electricity would agree with our model and have to source their own finances, build whatever bloc they have won, operate and later transfer back to government after a certain agreed period. The government on the other hand would give these companies comfort by providing them with federal guarantees to cover their risks.

The beauty of this model is that, it would record a zero budget for these key infrastructure that have remained a drain pipe and conduit for corrupt officials to enrich themselves. We are fun of reinventing the wheel every time even where it is so glaring that it is not working.

The benefits of this model are unquantifiable. First, Nigeria would no longer have to bear any debt burden which it is now currently experiencing by borrowing to fund infrastructure. The problem of borrowing to fund infrastructure in this era of an opaque contract awarding system is that the borrowed money often gets stolen at the end of the day by the same government officials.

Second, this initiative would attract international construction companies with pedigree in road, rail and electricity development globally. They would not only deliver quality infrastructure that would stand the test of time, but also lay a solid foundation for the future. It would make a remarkable departure from the shambolic privatization of PHCN carried out by former President Goodluck Jonathan where companies with no proven track records were gifted our national assets. Today, because they lack the capacity to perform, Nigeria is still in darkness and the power situation is gone from bad to worse.

Third, the model would be implemented in such a way that the concessionaires would recoup their investments through tolling on the roads, ticketing by rail and prepaid meters for electricity supply.

The accounting system would solely be their innovation or creation by them. From government side, it would ensure that concessionaires for the roads develop a template for revenue sharing between government and them.

Readers can continued online www.thisdaylive.com

COUNTERPOINT

FEMI

AKINTUNDE-JOHNSON fajalive1@gmail.com 08182223348 - (SMS Only)

designed and recklessly implemented “severance package� for governors, legislators and other political appointees. The country explodes in indescribable joy and astonishment. Yet, the dream has just started!

Gripped by the state of insecurity across the country, the President suddenly backtracks on merely encouraging the military hierarchy to escalate the complete mop-up of dissidents, insurgents and terrorists. Younger, hungrier and fit substitute officers are pencilled down to revamp the image, morale and vibrancy of the three arms of our armed forces, with a vehement mandate to get the job done ASAP! The current uninspiring bunch is therefore given two weeks to shape up before being pulled out.

Suddenly, the Sambisa forest has been leveled...the entire echelon of power structure in Boko Haram, IS-West Africa and other infidel-crazed mushrooms are laid prostrate, with their foot-soldiers fleeing our borders, seeking survival in far-flung caves.

In the same week, the newly confirmed Inspector General of Police has reverted to his�acting capacity� mode, pending a review of the security apparatus and current status of criminality in the country. The Vice President reads the “riot act� to the IGP, the heads of ‘Civil Defense’, Immigration and Customs - berating them for the recent ungodly surge in kidnapping, abductions, Yahoo-Yahoo killings, ritualist binge, human trafficking, smuggling, farmers-herders mayhem, proliferation of small ammunitions, and a general sense of fear blotting the veins of the populace.

The security officers are given timelines and ultimata, according to their across-board service review and reports.

Instantly, the streets, hideouts, havens, dark spots, illegal joints, rogue routes and cartels begin to unravel, shrivel, crumble, disband, surrender. The shocking results, even before the deadline is reached, make the government pause on their resolve to sack and replace incompetent and inactive service commanders.

Zzzzzzzzz...and the dream goes on....

25

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ͚˜ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

EXPRESSION MEDIAGAFFES

‘Armed Banditry’ Wrong

“C

onfirming the incident, a senior security personnel (official) at the university’s security department‌.â€? (SOUTH EAST NEWS, May 15) ‘Personnel’ is a collective noun. “Ekene reiterated to Daily Sun, yesterday, that his focus is (was) to get scholarship and go abroad to study Chemical Engineering at the‌.â€? “Ekene‌said if he does (did) not get admission or any scholarship, he would prepare for the 2020 UTME.â€? â€œâ€Śthat the resources sent to the state for the presidential election was (were) not accounted for by the chairman aided by the deputy chairman.â€?

From INTERNATIONAL NEWS of May 15 comes the next headline blunder: “Court halts Guatemala ex-dictator’s daughter presidential bidâ€? A rewrite: Court halts Guatemala’s exdictator’s daughter’s presidential bid DAILY Sun Editorial of May 22 takes over with two juvenile misapprehensions: â€œâ€Ś underscored the major achievements of the nation’s anti-graft agency at (on) the occassion (occasion).â€?

Politics & Power of May 22 misprinted: “Why kidnapping, armed banditry is on rise� A rewrite: Why kidnapping, banditry are on the rise�

There cannot be banditry without arms/implements/sharp objects/dangerous weapons—if any of these items, among copious others, is not circumstantial, then it is not banditry, but just robbery (not armed robbery). “Royal fury in Imo oil producing (oil-producing) communitiesâ€? (Oriental News Headline, May 22) Abuja Metro of May 22 offered readers this headline mistake: “We feed, shelter, cloth (clothe), give them sex free, victims lamentâ€? “Sudan (Sudanese) army, protesters dispute on‌â€? “Malawi go (goes) to polls to elect president, parliamentâ€? Alternatively: Malawians go to polls‌ â€œâ€Śwho stormed the telco’s (telecom’s or Telco’s) corporate headquarters at about (about) 4pm (4 p.m.).â€? (THISDAY Front Page, May 25) “THISDAY gathered that the EFCC team demanded for documents in connection with

the share listing which were promptly provided to them.â€? Alleged share manipulation: delete ‘for’ from the extract. “A stockbroker, who spoke on the matter last night said the astronomical rise in the MTN shares few (a few) days after the listing‌.â€?

(Source: as above) “I pray God will keep you in good health and gave (give) you a long life�

Wrong: unparalled Right: unparalleled “The immediate area for results remains agriculture which has limitless potentials (potential or potentialities) for growth and expansion.�

(DAILY Sun Editorial, May 29) “Yoruba hunters vow to stop Fulani herdsmen (herdsmen’s) attackâ€? “Instructively, while two of the three political parties at the onset (outset) of the current democratic journey‌.â€? â€œâ€Śespecially as it relates to micro, small and medium-scale enterprises , should be prioritized.â€? (DAILY Sun Back Page, May 29) Rebooting Nigeria’s economy: either micro and macro or small and medium—no mix-up! “Nigeria has the second largest crude oil reserves in Africa with 37.2 billion barrels out of the total 126,847 billion barrels in the continent.â€?

For ‘the most widely read newspaper’: on (not in) the continent. “Senate demand cash withdrawal limit report from CBNâ€? Senate demands, but senators demand... “This may not be unconnected with the moral-cum-political pedestal on which the old man stood for sometime (some time).â€? “It is a pity that Nigeria has had a history of self-governance, brought about by the regular incursion of military to (into) power.â€? â€?From the onset (outset), let me declare that I pulled out of Economics immediately I scaled the hurdle at the advanced level.â€? “Now you are on (in) the saddle.â€? “From all intent and purpose‌.â€? No extinction of the English language: to all intents and purposes. “The singular word that has eaten very deep into the fabrics (fabric) of the Nigerian nation‌.â€? “It has gradually destroyed the foundation of most people’s lives, removed their trust and believe (belief) in hard work, diligence, honesty, and excellence.â€? ‘Hard work’ and ‘diligence’ cannot co-function.

“In a country where innocent children lack assess (access) to one good meal a day‌.â€? â€œâ€Śbut what is the sense in embarking in (on) such wasteful projects when salaries have not been paid, and majority (a majority) of Nigerians are hungry and angry.â€? “What is more distressing is that while the government is urging the poor masses...â€? The dictionaries inform me that ‘the masses’ are the poor members of the society. Therefore, no poverty of expression (‘poor masses’) “Yet they are expected to put in their very best.â€? ‘Best’ is a superlative point, which requires no intensification or amplification (very). “Thus, even regular payment of workers’ salaries alone cannot be a panacea of (to) the present societal scourge known as corruption.â€? “Permanent secretaries poise (poised) to fight corruptionâ€? “Introducing a new body will usher in competition between the two bodies.â€? Why not competition between the bodies? “Apology or bribery to ensure that ‘handouts’ from the state house is (are) not stopped‌.â€? â€œâ€Śthe dignity of a matured (mature) politician....â€? “For those who may have forgotten, the legislators tore at each other’s (one another’s) throat and flung chairs at themselves (one another), forcing the governor to beat a hasty retreat‌.â€? “Experts assure on prices of Nigerian debt instrumentsâ€? Who did the experts assure? “The wild, drunken and licentious sessions that precede many of these attacks in (on) the island are often ignored....â€? “Since assuming the reign of power after the unexpected death of‌.â€? Restoring Nigeria’s lost glory: assume/drop the reins of government.

Got the point? “Like (As) I said earlier at the beginning of the programme‌.â€? “And it is such an appetite that predisposes the officers into (to) scheming for political power.â€? “You will not fail to shade (shed) tears when the story of the death of the ex-banker....â€? “Apart from the mayhem rival cult members unleash on themselves (on one another)‌.â€? “The objective then was to put pressure on the colonialists, shake off colonial mentality, assert the identity of true independence and to instill university culture into (in) members.â€?

EBERE WABARA

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

“But while the governor was savouring the euphoria of his new office and putting (getting) his acts (act) together for the tasks ahead....â€? “There was a unique feature of that day which I would not easily have overlooked even if others do (did).â€? “The same man that was singing Hosanna in the synagogue yesterday had suddenly became (become) a cheer leader among the Ogboni confraternityâ€? “Will the Igbos (the Igbo) be convinced that even with an exclusion of one of their own in the country’s top political leadership‌.â€? “Indeed, the most endangered specie (species) since movement in the area returned‌.â€? “These inscriptions are to make (mark) them out from destruction during clashes between (among) these three ethnic groups of Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo.â€? “And that was manifested in the magnitude of white elephant projects and unexpected contracts that littered the whole place during that era of graft and institutionalized corruption.â€? A syntactic surgery: white elephants (which imply projects) and unexpected contracts. â€œâ€Śto get to the safe point, all the groups concerned must sheath (sheathe) their swords and give peace a chanceâ€? “Why did INEC obey those injunctions and rulings, knowing fully (full) well that it had the legal powers to ignore them?â€? “The 1999 constitution simply reverted back to the provisions as contained in the 1979 constitution.â€? Delete ‘back’ in the interest of all stakeholders!

LASTENTRY:

SOMEONE observed last week that I left out the identities of some newspapers. It was deliberate. I mention only a few publications at the beginning to show the time frame of the entire extracts. Mentioning all of them will take a lot of limited space. This also explains the superficial treatment of the errors. If I had a full page, this column would become as comprehensive as possible. Over to the Editor!

ChineseCompanytoFund$2bnGhana’sRailwayConstruction Babatunde Olaoluwakitan

F

ollowing a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Ghana’s Minister of Railways Development on 21st March 2019 with China Railways Construction Corporation (CRCC); the leading Chinese Construction Conglomerate, the Ghanaian government has been offered a way to rehabilitate and construct a 560 km standard gauge railway line. The

Mr. Ghartey and CRCC representative

proposed railway line will run through designated stations, including the terminals at Aflao and Elubo, when completed.

Three years ago when the Government of President Nana Akufo-Addo came to power, it determined to pursue a programme of infrastructural developments throughout the length and breadth of the country, particularly in the rehabilitation and/ or construction of the country’s moribund railways infrastructure.

In addition to the rehabilitation and construction of the 560 km Eastern Region railway line, the Government plans to establish Assembly Plants in at least two regions of Ghana for the building of locomotive coaches and wagons that would constitute the rolling stock for Ghana Railways in the future.

The Minister of Railway Development, Hon. Joe Ghartey, Mr. Dou Yisuo representing CRCC and Mr. Henry Djaba Jnr, the Managing Director of Lakeland Group of Companies, who are the local content partners of CRCC, all agree that the construction of the Assembly Plants will involve the investment of over a billion US Dollars in Ghana over the period of construction of the Assembly Plants. The

Minister of Railways was quick to point out the many benefits of the planned Assembly Plants for the employment of Ghanaian Engineers and others as a welcome boost to the country’s economy.

In several meetings held by the trio recently regarding the funding of the construction project, CRCC did confirm to Hon. Joe Ghartey, that they are ready to mobilise to site.

The good news for Ghana is that the Ghanaian Government will not be funding the railway projects as a result of the understanding they have with CRCC concerning the funding for the Railway line construction, as the funding is to be arranged by CRCC. Besides CRCC, another Chinese Company, Sinochem, one of the largest Oil Companies in China, is equally prepared to provide up to $3 billion as funding of railway construction projects throughout the country, backed by Crude Oil futures.

Interestingly, analysts are comparing the fact that Nigeria and CCECC, a subsidiary of CRCC, had also signed a $2bn Agreement to build a 156 km railway line between Lagos and Ibadan, in 2016, which faced some delays, until march 2017, when a ground breaking ceremony finally took place. Meanwhile, Ghana has signed an MOU with CRCC to build a 560 kilometer railway line in Ghana for the same contract price of $2bn, which Nigeria is spending on 156km of railway line, more than twice the cost of building similar rail tracks in Ghana.

Upon the invitation of Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi recently, Hon. Joe Ghartey, Ghana’s Minister of Railway Development visited his Nigerian counterpart to specifically inspect and assess the railway construction projects that the Chinese Conglomerate has completed and that are currently being undertaken in Nigeria, as they are strikingly similar to those proposed by Hon. Minster Ghartey to be constructed in Ghana. He was evidently impressed by the very high standard of construction achieved by the Chinese construction company. There have also been inspections and approvals of the proposed sites following the inspection and assessment done.

26

˜ ˞ JUNE 1, 2019

PERSPECTIVE GOtv Deepening Local Content Access in Nigeria ‘Fisayo Ogundipe

W

ith the television broadcast industry undergoing a transition from analogue television to the initial test-running of digital television (DTT) in 1998, there was a huge expectation globally that a more refined digital television would be within the reach of all and sundry.

Pay television service-via satellite- had, a few years before, debuted in Nigeria and had introduced to the public a new television viewing experience marked by top-class programming and considerably better audio-visual quality than what they were used to.

However, access to satellite television service was restricted, as many found it less than affordable, forcing them to depend on public broadcasters to provide television service, which was routinely susceptible to variations from either the amplitude or frequency of the analogue signals transmitted, thereby making viewing largely unpleasant for many.

But all that changed in 2011 with the launch of GOtv in Ibadan, the birthplace of television in Africa. The introduction of GOtv, a digital terrestrial television (DTT) service, immediately widened access to digital television broadcasting that Nigerians had wished for since being exposed to satellite television.

GOtv arrived the market, with the stated intention of providing quality digital television programming at an affordable rate and was an immediate hit among Nigerians in the lower and middle-income categories. The marker laid down by the operator went beyond affordability, as GOtv also announced an objective of assisting the Federal Government in its efforts to ensure quick transition from analogue to digital broadcasting.

This objective was implemented right from launch, as GOtv began transmission in digital broadcasting format four years before the June 2015 deadline set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for television broadcasters and operators to switch from analogue to digital broadcast signal.

GOtv has now taken its pioneering status further with the expansion of its local content offering across the country. It recently added nine local channels for subscribers across six

cities in the North-West, North-Central, South-East and SouthSouth geo-political zones of the country. The channels rolled out on the GOtv MAX and GOtv Plus packages are Spice TV, MiTV, WAP TV, ITV Benin, BISCON, Liberty TV, Tiwan Tiwan, R2TV and Rave TV The implementation of the expansion occurred in phases, starting with Jos (Plateau State) on 7 April, Kaduna (Kaduna State) on 11 April and Asaba (Delta State) on 14 April. It continued in Onitsha (Anambra State) on 16 April, Enugu (Enugu State) on 21 April and Aba (Abia State) on April 26.

With the inclusion of the new channels, GOtv subscribers in those six cities and their environs now have access to more local content offered in digital format.

According to John Ugbe, Chief Executive Officer of MultiChoice Nigeria, the nine stations rolled out provide an uncomplicated indication of the company’s commitment to the promotion of the country’s heritage by making locally created content available to Nigerians. “One of our value propositions is to ensure that we have a varied range of local channels that cut across different genres for a more wholesome viewing experience for our customers.

These channels offer originally produced programmes that cater to the different tastes and preferences of our customers,� he explained.

Subscribers in those six cities and their environs can, therefore, enjoy the luxury of choosing the best of indigenous movies, music, sports, lifestyle and other general entertainment programming they desire to watch from a host of local stations.

The addition of the channels will also allow Nigerians to be constantly updated about happenings in the country via several news bulletins.

Furthermore, the expansion of the local channels has also demonstrated GOtv’s commitment as a technological-compliant operator bolstering the digital switchover (DSO) process, as advocated and implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Being part of the global community, the government earnestly wants Nigeria to be counted among the comity of nations that has honoured the 2006 Geneva agreement to migrate from analogue broadcasting technology to digital technology.

Upon its launch in 2011, GOtv introduced a new broadcast

technology, the DVB-T2 decoders, making Nigeria the first country where it was deployed. The DVB-T2 is a major upgrade from the DVB-T1 technology, which the first digital broadcasters deployed.

The expansion of GOtv’s local content offering has, therefore, broadened the reach of this pioneering technology across the country. More Nigerians in different parts of the country now have access to quality programming on terrestrial television in digital format, in line with the policy directive of the government. Currently, GOtv’s service is available in over 50 cities across 26 states, thereby making it the widest DTT network coverage in the country. Such a large scope of coverage also augments the Federal Government’s DSO process, which continues to be implemented in phases across the country.

Investment for such a massive accomplishment has been gargantuan. Between 2014 and 2018, a total of N8.17 billion was been expended on the maintenance of GOtv transmitter sites.

Broadcast industry experts have acknowledged that the financial outlay for the digitization project could be a hurdle towards its successful implementation. But as Ugbe explained, Nigeria is on the path to achieving the DSO and GOtv, as a major industry player, will play its part to ensure its successful attainment. “We are also excited to offer these channels as part of our efforts in enabling Nigeria achieve a speedy digital switchover,� the MultiChoice Nigeria CEO, Ugbe said.

More importantly, a successful switchover from analogue to digital broadcast signals will make Nigeria the largest digital television market in Africa. It will also have a significant impact on the country’s economy as more jobs will be created and more persons employed, just as GOtv has achieved through its expansion. GOtv, which prides itself as a proudly Nigerian company, has expressed its commitment to support the Federal Government’s objective of ensuring Nigerians have access to high-definition digital television without breaking the bank.

Millions of Nigerians are already connected to the operator’s platform, and it is expected that GOtv would continue to work towards the expansion of its offerings and operations across Nigeria to ensure more accessibility. ––Ogundipe, a creative content creator, writes from Lagos

Using Cartoons as Learning, DevelopmentTool for Children Thomas Ejike

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artoons have been a part of cinema history since the first motion pictures were made in the late 1800s.

Cartoons were initially very short because they were shown in movie theatres before their feature film, but became longer when cartoonists could put their shows on television, creating the sort of half-hour block shows that are today found on Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and the Disney Channel.

Many Nigerian children have become very interested in cartoons and the genre has become a primary source of entertainment to them. Asurvey by the American Academy of Pediatrics revealed that children watch television for up to six hours daily, much of the viewing unsupervised and intended for adult viewers. The rise in the number of hours children devote to television viewing, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, is attributable to the growth of satellite and digital television, which have brought new channels devoted to cartoons. Astudy conducted by psychologist Steve Hossler of Bowling Green State University in the US, about 60% of children in the US have television sets in their bedrooms, exposing them to approximately 18,000 hours of television from kindergarten to high school graduation.

But such tailor-made research results are quite sparse in Nigeria.

However, one of such readily available reports in the country released by researchers at Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, states that 57 per cent of Nigerian children watch cartoons between one and three hours daily, while 24 per cent watch between four and six hours three days a week. The study, which used pupils of Kingdom Heritage Model School and The Bells Primary School, both in Ota, as respondents, also stated that 19 per cent watch cartoons between seven and nine hours once weekly, with 66% of children watching cartoons for between one to three hours a week.

Therefore, there is little, if any, doubt that cartoons have considerably grown in popularity among children of all ages, notably through the growth in digital television penetration abetted by easy affordability. The development has unloaded its numerous influences on Nigerian children. There is a consensus among psychologists that cartoons influence children’s behavior in many ways.

Educational psychologists, for example, are united in the view that children learn faster through cartoons than via conventional class teaching because the former makes absorption of academic content easier through a combination of audio-visual effects and acting.

These, being the backbone of cartoon shows, experts believe, is why children can sit still for long hours watching animated series on television. This is also thought to apply to adults who, for example, can easily recall the scenes and the situations that they have watched in a documentary on National Geographic than a situation rendered with no visual or vocal effects.

Experts believe that children who watch educational program-

ming are more likely to have higher grades, read more books, place greater value on achievement and show more creativity than children who watch violent or purely “entertainment� television.

Many cartoon and educational programmes teach things directly related to education, including colours, shapes, and life facts.

According to a 2014 study conducted by Jessica Taylor Piotrowski, an Associate Professor in the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR), after watching an educational children’s television program, toddlers can learn to count to five and learn to read a simple map presented on the show. Cartoons and kiddies’oriented shows also help children’s imagination by assisting them to comprehend lessons more clearly, so they might imagine different themes and think about the imagined stories of different cartoons.

So, while children are watching cartoons, there is a form of learning process that is going on and whatever children learn while watching cartoons, they tend to act out thereby influencing their mode of socializing with other children and with the world in general.

Cartoons have also been found to improve children’s language and speech by providing access to new words they might not have heard, making them learn faster and know how to express their feelings appropriately and with better vocabulary. This particular benefit is heightened among children, who do not have English as their first language. In addition, these programmes also help improve children’s social interaction. Conversations between their favourite characters assist children to know how to respond to questions and provide better feedback during interactions. Mrs. Amaka Babalola a mother of three, said this was true of her son, who was largely withdrawn. She explained that through the son’s frequent exposure to cartoons and other educational programmes, he overcame the shyness. “My husband and I were worried about how withdrawn my son was. He was close to his fourth birthday, but hardly interacted with his peers in school. His teachers complained, noting that it was unusual and certainly not healthy for kids of his age to have such nature. We spoke to a few friends and one of them recommended a child psychologist, who advised that we should expose him more to cartoons and educative programmes on television. The changes have been impressive. He has loosened up considerably,� she said.

These benefits are being enjoyed by many more Nigerian children through GOtv packages, which have a variety of internationally renowned kiddies’ channels. Available on GOtv Max and GOtv Plus is the world-famous Disney Junior and the recently added PBS kids. On GOtv MAX, GOtv Plus and GOtv Value, children have access to Nickelodeon, while Jim Jam is available on GOtv MaX, GOtv Plus, GOtv Value and GOtv Lite) It is, however, a major finding by experts that cartoons may also predispose children to aggressive behaviour, which is thought to arise from sustained exposure to a media diet of cartoons with violence as opposed to those with pro-social and educational content. Studies indicate that children of pre-school age, who have

been exposed to cartoons with violent content, develop building blocks for aggressive conduct like bullying, shoving, yelling and destroying things when they start school and such could remain with them later in life.

Programmes aired by channels on GOtv packages are pro-social and educational in nature, teaching positive attributes such as sharing, cooperating and sensitivity to each other’s challenges as well as assist in the development of communication skills and ability to make important decisions and understand the consequences.

Monchhichi, aired on Jim Jam, centres around a dream tree factory. It teaches children about the value of teamwork and how the sweetest dreams are made possible in a magical place.

Also offering entertainment and education is Robocar Poli, which also airs on Jim Jam. The animated TV series teaches children that law enforcement agencies such as the police and emergency services like the fire and rescue services are important in difficult times, especially during car accidents.

It further explains the perils of dangerous driving and advises viewers to be responsible motorists while on the road.

The Thundermans, a series that airs on Nickelodeon, teaches children to be virtuous. The story revolves around a mythical superhero family and counsels children to be kind when in positions of advantage and use such an advantage to the benefit of the society. It also impresses on them the need to live a simple life free of opulence.

Providing much more than just fun to teens by stimulating their minds about today’s evolving hi-tech revolution globally is I Am Frankie, which airs on Nickelodeon. The drama series depicts how technological simulations like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) have revolutionised occupations tasks and how machines assist in securing an environment. It, therefore, helps to unlock viewers’ imagination.

In a world dominated by negative impulses such as hostility, bloodshed and vengeance, Vampirina teaches kids the importance of diversity and kindness. Although it makes use of scary characters, this musical children’s series, broadcast on Disney Junior, challenges the prevalent worldview of resentment and rejection and stresses the importance of accepting people notwithstanding their status.

In addition, it also emphasizes to kids from a young age to urgently learn how to adapt to and survive in their environment, irrespective of the circumstances.

Elena of Avalor, which airs on Disney Junior, educates kids on the theme of leadership and the qualities a leader needs to govern his or her subjects in order to excel: thoughtfulness, resilience, and compassion. It also underscores the importance for children to seek guidance and follow instructions given to them by their elders, particularly in challenging times. ––Ejike, a creative content creator, writes from Enugu.

Readers continued on online www.thisdaylive.com

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Ëš

Laja with some of her students

Dr. Abiodun Laja: An Accomplished Educationist Ferdinand Ekechukwu

“T

o everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die...� reads Ecclesiastes

chapter 3:2.

For Dr. Abiodun Laja, who passed on Sunday, May 26, aged 69, hers was a time well lived and fulfilled, owing to her remarkable contribution to society, imparting knowledge and moral values via education. What better way to live a mark and lasting memory in the sands of time, other than this invaluable contribution to humanity.

For such contribution was priceless and had earned her a place in the annals of our time, as an accomplished educationist and administrator per excellence. Until her death in the United States of America days after

a surgical back operation, Dr. Laja the Founder and Executive Director of Lekki British School, Lagos, was one of Nigeria’s most celebrated matriarchs. Reports quoting a family friend of the deceased, said “She had a back injury, which had been disturbing her for a long time. “She had difficulty walking because of the problem and had oftentimes visited hospitals for treatment. She travelled to the US for corrective surgery. She had the surgery on Friday (May 24) and it was successful; she had even returned to the hotel where she lodged and had been talking to people. But two days after, there was a complication and she was rushed to the hospital, where she died.�

To Dr. Abiodun Laja, education had always been her passion. After running her school for 25 years, she took a bigger challenge to own a secondary school at the highbrow area of Lagos State. Her vision was to stop Nigerians from going abroad at an early age to school, as they tend

to lose the culture, which a lot of parents were not too happy about.

Survived by two sons and grandchildren, Dr. Laja devoted her entire professional life to raising academic standards. Laja, who started a private school at the age of 27 and recently celebrated her 42nd anniversary in education, was a pioneer in Nigeria’s educational sector. She started off with one school, and in a span of three years, she had expanded her school to four in different locations in Lagos.

She was the first young person to start a private school at that time, as private schools used to be managed by retired teachers. She had her Primary and Secondary school education in Nigeria, after which she proceeded to England and obtained two Diplomas in Education at St Nicholas Montessori Knightsbridge London. Upon her return to Nigeria, she took up employment at a top school, Adrao International School, Lagos.

Not feeling fulfilled, because the school was not using British curriculum, which she was trained in, she moved to St. Saviours School which had British curriculum setup to continue her teaching profession.

With her vast experience and knowledge in education at a very young age, Ms. Laja founded her own school named ABC Nursery Land, a Montessori Nursery and Primary school which eventually evolved into the Lekki British School (LBS) as it is known today.

As an accomplished educationist, Dr. Laja’s network of friends cut across all facets of human endeavor, and quite remarkably so, owing to her overwhelming success in her chosen career. At the occasion of her school’s 40th anniversary in 2017, which this writer reported, she had distinguished friends and guests that graced the occasion from various sectors, including banking, judiciary, politics, culture, academics, medicine, arts, and the media.

Group Calls for Recall of Retired NNPC Top Shot Sam Ekpe

T

he Okpontakasi Youth Vanguard in Rivers State has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, requesting for his directive to recall Mrs. Esther Nnamdi Ogbue the former Managing Director of NNPC Retail Ltd. In their letter to the President dated 30th May, 2019 titled case of Premature Retirement of Mrs Esther Nnamdi Ogbue, Former MD NNPC Retail Ltd, signed by his National President Prince Jovan J.I the group asserted that Mrs. Ogbue was retired prematurely for a matter she was investigated and absolved of any wrong doing. They recalled that sometime in 2017 there was a case of diversion of Petroleum Products belonging to the NNPC.

The report was made to the EFCC, DSS and other relevant Government Agencies by Mrs. Ogbue the Managing Director. They alleged that after due investigation the contractor was found culpable and compelled to remit over N2 billion to the account of the NNPC. The group further claimed that the National Assembly also conducted an investigative hearing into the disappearance of the products and recommended that Mrs Ogbue should be recalled from suspension while the EFCC and DSS did not indict her in their reports.

They regretted that instead of commending Mrs. Ogbue’s patriotic action she was prematurely retired from the services of the company and requested the President to recall her in the interest of fairness, equity and justice. “Mrs. Ogbue should not suffer for her whistle blowing efforts� they concluded.

Baru

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 1, 2019

POLITY

Kola Animasaun, A True Journalism Icon, Says Tinubu Bennett Oghifo

A

ll Progressives Congress National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has described Alhaji Kola Animasaun who died on Thursday in Lagos at 79 as a true icon of journalism.

He said the late Animasaun who he fondly called uncle played vital role in the development of journalism in the country and shaped moulded opinions through his weekly column in the Vanguard newspaper, Voice of Reason.

In a statement by his Media Office signed by Tunde Rahman, the former Lagos governor charged Animasaun’s colleagues in the media to not allow his ideals of true and purposeful journalism die with him in this age of fake news and hate speech.

The statement titled “Animasaun- A True Icon of Journalism” reads: “I’m deeply saddened by the death of Uncle Kola Animasaun.

“A true journalism icon, a columnist of great repute, Alhaji Animasaun played important role in the development of journalism in Nigeria. He was also a pro-democracy activist, lover of human-

ity and devoted Muslim.

“The devotion, dedication and commitment he gave to the service of Allah and humanity, he brought to bear on his journalism practice. His column in the Vanguard Newspaper, ‘Voice of Reason,’ was a compelling read for many of us, for in it radiated his belief in truth and justice.

“He mentored many of us. He was an indispensable guide to many top journalists of today and indeed many other Nigerians.

“With his death, the nation and the journalism profession have lost an illustrious fellow. In this age of fake news

and hate speech, what his colleagues in the media can do for the nation and indeed the profession is to not allow his ideals of true and purposeful journalism die with him.

“My condolences to Alhaja Animasaun, the children and family members, the publisher and management of Vanguard Newspapers and indeed all those he left behind.

“I also commiserate with the Nigerian Union of Journalism and Guild of Editors. “May we all find the strength to carry on after Alhaji. I also pray that Allah grant Alhaji Animasaun Alijanna Fridaus”.

CBN Charges Microfinance Banks on Self-regulation Samuel Ajayi

T

he Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), have charged Microfinance Banks, MFBs to embrace self-regulation and consolidation to enhance performance and sustainability of the sector.

The charge was made during the Fifth Annual Symposium organised by the Nigerian Association of Microfinance Banks, NAMB, with the theme, ‘Self- Regulation for Sustainability and Development of the Microfinance sector’, and hosted by the La Fayette Microfinance Bank in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Microfinance Banks, NAMB, has called for standardised performance measures and requirements for operators in subsector.

The Deputy Governor, Financial Sector Surveillance, of the CBN, Mrs Aisha Ahmad, in a keynote address at the event stressed the need for self-regulation in the MFB sub-sector.

“A comprehensive oversight mechanism is required for effective supervision of microfinance activities of over 900 licensed MFBs. This is where the relevance of a self-regulatory organization comes into play,” she said.

Stressing the expectations of the CBN from MfBs operators in terms of self-regulation, Ahmad, who was represented by Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, Director, Other Financial Institutions Supervision Department (OFISDs) said: “We believe that the effectiveness of self-regulation in driving performance of the microfinance sector depends on an effective and efficient mechanism for addressing non-compliance, standardized performance measures driven by the best performing operators in the microfinance sector.

Also speaking, the Country Director of IFC, Mr. Eme Essien noted while self-regulation is important it will not happen immediately but gradually as operators and regulators work together.

She however, stressed that in addition to self-regulation, there is need for consolidation in the MfB sector, noting that most of the MFBs in the country are small and their viability is fragile.

NAMB President, Mr. Rogers Nwoke, averred that self-regulation has been one of the cardinal objectives of the association since inception, adding that there is huge prospect for self-regulation in the sector. The Managing Director, Advans- La Fayette MFB, Guillaume Valence, appreciated all practitioners present, CBN and participating banks and tasked everyone to act on the agreed ideas resulting from the discussions to ensure a successful outcome.

R-L: Alhaji Aliyu Ndabawa, Dr. Hassan Jibril, Major Gen. Usman Mohammed and the Chief Launcher, Alhaji Awwal Garba A.D. at the launch of ‘The Legend of Buratai’ recently in the Auditorium, Merit House, Abuja.

PHOTO NEWS

L-R: Winner, Leadership Empowerment And Resource Network (L.E.A.R.N) and student of Baptist Girls’ Academy, Obanikoro, Miss. Araduwa Odusina; Founder, L.E.A.R.N, and wife of the former Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola; first runner-up and student of Igbobi College, Yaba, Master Akinteju Daniel; and the second runner-up and student of Honeyland College, Magodo, Lagos, Miss Jadesola Oguntowo, after the quiz competition organised

by L.E.A.R.N to mark the 2019 Children’s Day in Lagos... recently SUNDAYADIGUN

L-R: Vice Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law, Ayuli Jemide; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwolu; Chairman, NBA-SBL, Seni Adio, SAN; and Chairman, Conference Planning Committee of the 13th Annual Business Law Conference, Dr. Adeoye Adefulu, during a courtesy call on the governor to officially inform him of the forthcoming conference in Lagos... recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

R-L: Deputy Treasurer, Risk Management Association of Nigeria (RIMAN), Mrs. Funmi Adewole; Executive Secretary, RIMAN, Mr. Victor Olannye; Treasurer, RIMAN, Mrs. Grace Ademola; President, RIMAN Mr. Magnus Nnoka; Managing Director Bank of Industry (BoI), Mr. Olukayode Pitan; Chief Risk Officer BOI, Dr. Ezekiel Oseni; and first Vice President, RIMAN, Mr. Kola Ajimoko, j at RIMAN’s courtesy y visit to BOI... recently y

L-R: Pastor-in-Charge, RCCG Christ The Cornerstone, Pastor Ireti Sholola; assistant Pastor, RCCG, Christ The Cornerstone Zone; Mrs. Ifeoma Nwosu; her husband, Pastor Peter Nwosu; and Pastor-in-charge of RCCG Region 20, Pastor Iluyomade, at the Evening of Discovery 2019, held in Lagos... recently

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ APRIL 24, 2011

GLOBAL SOCCER A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

01.06.2019

NEWS

Liverpool, Tottenham in Blockbuster Decider PAGE. 32

Tammy Abraham Answer to Chelsea’s Striking Problem?

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GLOBAL SOCCER

Tammy Abraham Answer to Chelsea’s Striking Problem?

With Alvaro Morata having failed to live up to expectation and Gonzalo Higuain only managed ďŹ ve goal in 18 matches for Chelsea, Tammy Abraham, having helped Aston Villa to the Premier League is set to return to his parent club to help resolve the goalscoring problem the Stamford Bridge club is experiencing. With 26 goals in the kitty for Villa and The Blues facing transfer ban, Abraham’s return is more likely

A

fter firing Aston Villa back into the Premier League, Tammy Abraham has declared his intention to the egg heads of Chelsea he is ready to lead the line for The Blues next season. The striker moved to Villa on loan last summer and on Monday he capped off a dream season at the club by helping Dean Smith’s side to beat Derby 2-1 in the Championship Play-off Final.

After securing a return to the Premier

League for the first time since 2016, Villa would like to keep hold of Abraham, who scored 26 goals this season, most likely by taking him on loan for another year.

However, Chelsea face the prospect of a transfer ban for the next two windows, meaning the club may opt to keep the 21-year-old at Stamford Bridge.

When asked by Standard Sport if he

believed he was ready to lead the line for the Blues next season, Abraham said: “I do. I am still young, I am still improving. “The aim is to be at the highest level and playing the best football, and if Chelsea say they need me there, I will put 100 per cent in. “Every player wants to start. Obviously, it is always difficult at a club like Chelsea because they have got

world-class players. But, for me, it is about believing in myself and just keeping doing what I do. I do believe in myself, so wherever I am I believe I will score goals.�

Abraham would have to fight with Olivier Giroud, who has signed a new one-year contract, for a starting spot, but Gonzalo Higuain’s loan move from Juventus is not expected to be made permanent.

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GLOBAL SOCCER

That would present Abraham with the Premier League football he desires and the England Under-21 international is determined to play in the top flight next season. “It wasn’t my first choice to come to the Championship, but it has been a fantastic year,� he said. “First of all, I just need to enjoy my night with the boys before I think about the future.�

Abraham however remains uncertain where his future lies, with the England striker not ruling out staying Chelsea or a return to Aston Villa.

There has been talk of him returning to the west Midlands to aid the cause of Dean Smith’s side among English football’s elite.

Abraham is, however, tied to a contract at parent club Chelsea and still harbours ambitions of becoming a firstteam regular at Stamford Bridge.

He told reporters after tasting playoff final success with Villa at Wembley Stadium: “I am still young, I am still improving. The aim is to be at the highest level and playing the best football.

A team like Chelsea is always difficult because they have got world-class players. It is always going to be difficult to bring in youngsters and bring in people like myself - it is a big role. But for me, it is about believing in myself and just keep doing what I do.�

Abraham is eager to test himself at the highest level after missing out on a Premier League move last summer and again during the winter window.

He added: “It looked like I was going to Wolves in January. “I think certain situations happened with the FA, something about playing for three teams in one year or something like that‌ but the coach spoke to me he said: ‘Listen, stay here, we believe in you, the boys believe in you, the fans

believe in you and we’ll get promoted’.

I am glad I did. “It wasn’t my first choice to come to the Championship, but I don’t look back on it badly. It has been a fantastic year for me and the boys as well, and to clinch it off we got promoted.�

With Villa now a top-tier outfit once more, Abraham admits that he could be tempted back to the club if he is forced to look outside of west London for minutes once more. “I love being here. It is a massive club. It is an honour to wear the badge, so I am proud. I just need to enjoy my night with the boys before I think about the future. I have got the U21 Euros coming up as well so I have to focus on that.

You can never say never. You never know what could happen,� he said.

Meanwhile, former Blackpool and Hull City boss Ian Holloway believes that striker Abraham is good enough to lead the line for Chelsea from next season after playing a key role in helping Aston Villa win promotion to the Premier League this season.

Though the youngster did not score during the final, he went on to score an impressive 26 goals and register three assists in the second-tier this season.

Villa will naturally be wanting to keep Abraham on their books for next season as they prepare to return to the Premier League.

Chelsea may just opt to retain him.

The Blues are set to face a two-window transfer ban. While Olivier Giroud is set to remain with the West London club for at least another season, the future of Gonzalo Higuain is uncertain. The Argentine arrived at Stamford Bridge during the January transfer window but has failed to set the league alight. He may be sent back to Juventus this summer. If Higuain departs, the Blues may have to

re-integrate at least one of their strikers out on loan into the first-team.

Holloway told the Daily Express: “Thank God they’ve got a transfer ban; who else are they going to buy who’s over 30? Seriously, that ain’t the way to run a football club. If you buy someone who’s over 30 then you’re never going to get your money back. “I believe, now, he’s proven at Championship level, he’ll go back to Chelsea and he will score goals in that top side. “Particularly a side like Chelsea because they will dominate the ball and create a lot of chances. Put him in the Man City team up front with a number 9 on his back – would he score? Course he would. “It’s about time Chelsea got rid of these mercenaries coming over there, trying to keep their manager in a job. Build a club, build a team. “And if you’re not going to do that, stop stacking and racking the best young players around. Let other people have them and let them play.�

The dream is to have youngsters of Nigerian origin doing well in England and other leagues, wear the Super Eagles colours.

Abraham two years ago poured cold water on suggestions that he could switch international allegiance to Nigeria after Nigeria Football Federation President, Amaju Pinnick, had initially said the former England Under-19 and Under-21 player had agreed to play for the Super Eagles.

Born in London, Abraham is still permitted to switch allegiances as he is yet to play for the senior side, and qualifies for the Super Eagles through his father, who is Nigerian. “Clearly, he understands he stands a better chance playing for the Super Eagles. With his talent, he has the ability to fight for a place in the Nigeria

squad,� Pinnick had said then.

Since assuming office as the President of the NFF, Pinnick had never hidden his intention to woo players with Nigerian background who have featured only in age-group competitions for foreign countries. So far, he has not done badly with his moves. “The initial plan was to take our players in the various clubs, but now, what are trying to do is what we call VIP scouting – talking to these young players that are playing abroad to play for their father land.

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 appropriate time,� Pinnick had said.

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

THISDAY ON SATURDAY EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE DEPUTY EDITOR CHIKA AMANZE-NWACHUKWU THISDAY NEWSPAPERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE

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UCL FINAL Liverpool, Tottenham in Blockbuster Decider Premier League rivals Liverpool and Tottenham HotSpurs meet in a hotly-anticipated UEFA Champions League ďŹ nal at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid today, having both come through dramatic semi-ďŹ nal encounters

T

he final match of the 2018-19 season brings perhaps the most unexpected Champions League final match-up possible. At various points during the campaign, it looked impossible that both Liverpool and Tottenham would be competing for Europe’s top prize in Madrid today.

Liverpool were dead and buried, 3-0 down after the first leg to a Barcelona side led by the world’s best player in Lionel Messi‌ but here they are. Tottenham only made it through the group stage by the skin of their teeth, and then trailed 3-0 to Ajax in Amsterdam before pulling off their own miracle‌ they too are still alive.

This edition of the Champions League has brought some of the most inexplicable drama possible on a football field – it’s tough to imagine how on earth this showpiece final can possibly throw up

anything that could top the semifinals that preceded it.

Once again, Europe’s top competition has captivated the world, and now there’s one final matter to be decided: who will be crowned champion.

For just the second time in the current era, it’s two English sides facing off for the silverware, and the subplots are fascinating. In the dugouts, the two trophyless wonders of the elite football scene battle with one to extinguish their greatest critique in one fell swoop.

Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino are both credited with masterminding incredible club transformations and have relied on culture and personality to craft a winning team. But for all their success in the Premier League, neither boasts a major honour on their CV in England.Klopp’s Liverpool were here 12 months ago, only to fall in the wake of Cristiano Ronaldo

and Real Madrid’s relentless surge to an unprecedented third straight crown.

They return battle-hardened, on the back of a season that seems scarcely believable. An astonishing 97 points in the league, but still no title thanks to the freakish finish of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

Nothing short of a triumph in Madrid will be acceptable, otherwise their historic season will be consigned to a mere footnote and yet another painstaking heartbreak. If they get it done, they’ll go clear of powerhouses Bayern Munich and Barcelona to become just the third side in history to win this competition six times or more.

For Spurs, it could be the single greatest night in their history. In the Champions League era, they’ve never even been close to these heights. The quarter-final stage has been the limit of their success, but Pochettino’s never give up brand has changed all

that and steered Spurs to the pinnacle in jaw dropping fashion.

He continues to assert that a victory here would bring about his exit, although many remain sceptical of whether he’ll follow through on the threat. Meanwhile, Klopp is as comfortable as they come at Liverpool, having steered the club back to the top of the sport.

When he took over they were 8th, and seemed miles away from a European final. Under the German, they’ve reached the Europa League’s final game, and now back-to-back Champions League deciders. All that’s left is to christen the trophy cabinet.

But if he fails, comments made during his first press conference as Reds boss could come back to haunt him. He all but promised to bring a trophy to Anfield in his first four years in the job – this is his last chance before that window expires.

To do it, he’ll rely on star strike

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GLOBAL SOCCER African Stars Take Centre PASTWINNERS Stage in CL Final The power ofAfrican football will be on display today, when Liverpool take on Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the UEFA Champions League, the world’s most prestigious club competition.

The match billed for Atletico Madrid’s 67,000-capacity Wanda Metropolitano Stadium and scheduled for live broadcast on all DStv packages as well as GOtv Max and Plus packages, will see Africa’s biggest soccer exports on both sides.

Liverpool boast the trio of Egypt’s Mohamed ‘Mo’ Salah, Senegal’s Sadio Mane and Cameroon’s Joel Matip, who will lead the charge for what will be the Reds’ sixth victory in the competition and the second since being renamed the UEFA Champions League.

Mane and Salah, who both got 22 Premier League goals, form two-thirds of Liverpool’s dreaded front three, while Matip is the other half of the much vaunted central defensive partnership with Holland’s Virgil van Dijk.

On Spurs’ side will Cote d’Ivoire’s Serge Aurier and Kenya’s Victor Wanyama, who have not been used regularly in the Champions League this season. Aurier, a vastly experienced right-back, has played only five Champions League games, while Wanyama, a defensive midfielder, has been on the pitch for only 292 minutes, but may get a game today as he will be expected to keep Mane.

The UEFA Champions League final broadcast will include half hour highlights of the four semi-final games; the official UEFA Champions League preview show at 6:00pm; the studio build-up including crossings from Madrid at 6:30pm; and then the live match from 8:00pm.

Football action will continue for DStv and GOtv after the UEFAChampions League final when the much-anticipated 2019Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on 21 June.

FIXTURES LIVERPOOL V TOTTENHAM

Day: Today Time: 7:30 Venue: Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain.

HEAD TO HEAD

Played: 172 Wins: Liverpool 82 Draws: 42 Wins: Tottenham 48 MEETINGS THIS SEASON

15/9/2018: Tottenham 1-2 Liverpool 31/3/2019: Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham ROAD TO FINAL

Liverpool (from knockouts): 3-1 vs Bayern Munich 6-1 vs FC Porto 4-3 vs Barcelona TOTTENHAM (FROM KNOCKOUTS):

trio Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino for the goals, while defensive rock Virgil van Dijk has transformed the Reds defence in his 18 months at the club.

Fullbacks Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson have also emerged as key attacking weapons, with the pair providing a whopping number of assists throughout the campaign. They only player miss-

ing is midfielder Naby Keita — who has been ruled out with a groin injury.

Spurs have also received favourable news from the treatment table, with superstar Harry Kane declared fit to take his place. He’ll be joined

by Son Heung-Min and semi-final hero Lucas Moura up front, and could hold the key to his team’s chances.

WHAT THEY SAID

Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp “I have never been part of a final with a better team than this.â€? “I am not so surprised by this because our boys mix our potential with attitude in the best way I have witnessed. I don’t like to blame my other teams. I love them all. They all gave everything.â€? â€œâ€ŚI remember standing in the queue at Kiev airport after the final in our tracksuits with our heads down and everyone was disappointed. There were a lot of different emotions but the plan was we come again; we will be there again.â€? â€œâ€ŚIn the five, six days between Barcelona and Barcelona, nobody believed more than the team themselves.

4-0 vs Borussia Dortmund 4-4 vs Manchester City 3-3 vs Ajax

SEASON

WINNERS

2017-18 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 2001-02 2000-01 1999-2000 1998-99 1997-98 1996-97 1995-96 1994-95 1993-94 1992-93 1991-92 1990-91 1989-90 1988-89 1987-88 1986-87 1985-86 1984-85 1983-84 1982-83 1981-82 1980-81 1979-80 1978-79 1977-78 1976-77 1975-76 1974-75 1973-74 1973-74 1972-73 1971-72 1970-71 1969-70 1968-69 1967-68 1966-67 1965-66 1964-65 1963-64 1962-63 1961-62 1960-61 1959-60 1958-59 1957-58 1956-57 1955-56

Real Madrid Real Madrid Real Madrid Barcelona Real Madrid Bayern Munich Chelsea Barcelona Internazionale Barcelona Manchester United Milan Barcelona Liverpool Porto Milan Real Madrid Bayern Munich Real Madrid Manchester United Real Madrid Borussia Dortmund Juventus Ajax Milan Marseille Barcelona Red Star Belgrade Milan Milan PSV Porto Steaua BucureĹ&#x;ti Juventus Liverpool Hamburg Aston Villa Liverpool Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Liverpool Liverpool Bayern Munich Bayern Munich Bayern Munich ReplayBayern Munich Ajax Ajax Ajax Feyenoord Milan Manchester United Celtic Real Madrid Internazionale Internazionale Milan Benfica Benfica Real Madrid Real Madrid Real Madrid Real Madrid Real Madrid

WHAT THEY SAID

Tottenham Manager Mauricio Pochettino

“Today no one is more important than the game we have ahead.â€? “Tottenham deserve for us to be all 200 per cent focused on preparing in the best way for the game. We can make history, we can write our history and provide our fans and people and family with the best happiness in football. “Today, to think about individual things is a little bit embarrassing and a shame.I am not important. What happens in the future with me — I think we have bigger things aheaÂşd to think about. “To play the final of the Champions League, to play with all the emotions that this competition generates, I am nothing to worry about. I am not more important than the Champions League or the possibility to win a trophy, or the club. “The rumours are out there. You ask about me but today the focus is 200 per cent on the final. Rumours are rumours and are there. After the final we will have time to talk. Today my commitment to Tottenham is 200 per cent.â€?

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L-R: Group Managing Director, VFD Group Plc, Mr. Godwin Nwanagu; Managing Director, World Trade Exhibition (WTE), Mr Felix Lee; Chairman Feet and Tricks International, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo; during the press conference heralding the commencement of the 3rd edition of African Freestyle Football Competition 2019, VFD, WTE in Lagos‌recently

Ugo Udezue

CBL Initiative Gave Birth to NBA Africa League – Ugo Udezue Ugo Udezue is a former Nigeria international basketball player who worked in the USA developing African players after he retired professionally. He resigned his lucrative job in the USA and returned to Lagos where he is helping the African continent with Continental Basketball League and AFA Sports products. He spoke with a group of reporters in Lagos...

What are your thoughts on the new NBA League in Africa BAL? I am excited about the NBA coming toAfrica. It quite obvious the CBL (Continental Basketball League) initiative showed the opportunity for a private basketball league in Africa, so in a way we are happy to be part of the process. Basketball serves as a catalyst to empowerAfrica which has the youngest demography in the world.

How do you think the NBA/ BAL will benefit Africa?

We hope it drives the local sports industry not just a talent acquisition plan for the NBA, and revenue generated is used to push a holistic local sports industry around the BAL. I understand it is a business and most investors will rather look at the bottom line than alongtermopportunitydrivenby a social empowerment approach

versus profits.

the grassroots better.

What’s the latest plan for the CBL? We will announce the commencementofourleaguesoon.We havebeenfocusedininfrastructure developmentandlongtermstrategies and partnerships. As matter of fact we have added up more teams and more countries and so the expansion continues.

Haveyouresolvedany issues with FIBA? In my opinion I don’t see any issues between us and FIBA. We are a private sports enterprise that’s not affiliated with government or federations.

We have approached them for help in the past. The CBL has brought attention to the opportunities of a league in Africa and I believe with more support from the federations and FIBA the opportunities will continue to grow for all parties. In most continents we have multiple leagues and most recently the BIG3 in the United States and Africa is a fairly untapped sports market.

Howdoyouintendtocompete with the NBA? WedonotseetheNBAasacompetition. I believe our directions and opportunities are different.

Africa needs about 10 leagues to tap into its vast resources. I think its myopic to look at it in terms of competition. There are 54 countries in Africa and the NBA cannot cover it all, I think our league should be encouraged and not looked as a competition.

Our only advantage is that we are first in the market and understand

And what about your relationship with the Nigerian Federation?

As you must have noted, there

wasnoissueswitheventheformer NBBF board during our second season and so everyone is getting along now as they now see a bigger picture.And you know that a board is in place now with Musa Kida as the president.

I can say there is greater understanding and partnership than we had. We are confident that CBL willhelpNigeriabasketballleague develop greatly in terms of the game and business and this the new board understands.

What is the future of CBL? We have actually garnered a lot of support in the past couple of months. We intend to escalate our investments. We are focused on markets that are the hardest to develop in terms of opportunity but lucrative in terms of the love of the game and social engagements. After the euphoria and exfoliation we will have a clear advantage of been Africa owned and Africa focused.

Curtain Draws on Zenith Tennis Championship at Ikoyi Club Today After grueling tennis from over 100 players, the 2019 Zenith Bank Tennis Championship which is the fifth edition will come to a close today at the tennis section of the Ikoyi Club 1938.

The championship which started on May 22 will end today after witnessing some thrilling game of tennis from the participants.

In a chat with the Chairman of the Tennis Section, Bimbo Okubena said he was thrilled by the standard of play displayed by the participants, promising more excitements on the final day.Okubena however said the essence of the competition is to have fun and camaraderie together.

One of the high point of this year’s championship is the use of an electronic scoreboard

donated by Zenith Bank, which is the first by any club in the whole of West Africa. “Beyond the electronic score board we hope to do more as we expect to continue with the relationship for a very long time because the section

share some of the values of our bank- good health and happiness, representative of Zenith Bank, Mr. Lanre,�

Oladimeji said.

The Group Managing Director of Zenith, Peter Amangbo, who is also a member of Ikoyi

Club 1938, is expected to grace the closing ceremony of the event on Saturday.

Winners will go home with trophies and vouchers which can be redeemed at Mega Plaza.

Debutants Pharaohs Academy in Winning Start The 17th edition of the MOFC is organized by Trem is enjoying another round of beautiful football artistry with all teams promising tough duels during the competition.

In the first game in what could be described as a game of two halves, Adenose FC set off with a two goal lead in the first half as Samuel Edward had

a brace but by the second half Maryland FC jerked back to life with the introduction former league side players who took charge of the game which produced spot kick for Emmanuel Agali to score an Hat trick and game end in 3-2 And yet another game played at the a National Institute of Sport (NIS) pitch at the National Stadium, debutant

the Pharaohs academy FC crushed MFI Intl. Fc 4-2 in fantastic first leg of the two match knockout stage.

In a chat with The pharaohs Academy Fc Coach Yemi karim, “No team can be tag as under dogs because they also came with a game plan. We have players that can do it and we believe in them,� he said.

Feet ‘n’ Tricks Set to Host 2019 African Freestyle Football Championship Lagos.The World Freestyle Football Association (WFFA) has re-appointed Feet ‘n’ Tricks International Limited as host of the 2019 edition of the African Freestyle Football Championship, and also for another three years. This is coming on the heels of the successful hosting of the 2018 edition by Feet ‘n’ Tricks.

Chairman of Feet ‘n’ Tricks, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo disclosed this on Wednesday during the press conference held at the Federal Palace Hotel to herald the 2019 edition of the African Freestyle Football Championship The championship began in 2017, and the 2018 edition hosted a list of sponsors including: MTN Nigeria, Heritage Bank, GAC Motors, Sprite, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Eko Disco, amongst others and was laced with a row of exciting freestyle football activities.

Freestyle football is described by the WFFA as “the art and sport of juggling a football using all parts of the body to entertain audiences and outperform opponents; a fusion of tricks with a ball, dance and music.�

Registration for this year’s tournament is currently open to both male and female freestylers of African descent who wish to attend, and registration can be done via the company’s website www.feetandtricks.com.

Lagos Heineken House Reopens for Champions League Final Global Champions League sponsor, premium international beer brand, Heineken this past weekend reopened the upgraded Heineken House in Lagos.

This reopening of the Heineken house is expected to open the door to the top-notch parties that Heineken has been known for, the first being the Champions League Finals match viewing which Senior Brand Manager, Mfon Bassey announced will be happening on Saturday, June 1 at the Heineken House.

The Lagos Heineken House was first opened in 2016 as the first Heineken Champions Planet in Africa and later gave way for smaller pop-up experience centers across the nation in December of that year.

As a brand, Heineken has been at the forefront of providing premium entertainment for fans, with football events and other lifestyle themed parties. The Heineken House serves as a melting point for sports lovers and fun seekers, to blend and share the excitement of new friendships.

Mr. Mfon Bassey described the reopening of the Heineken House as the return of premium entertainment and stated that the brand plans to make it a comfortable spot for everyone looking to feel the Heineken experience.

He added that; “As a brand, we are keen on the type of experience we provide our consumers, that’s why we have made this spot better. By next weekend, we will be here again at the football arena to watch the UCL Finals, and that would be an even bigger party�.

Kwese to Air Joshua, Ruiz Jr Bout Live The international boxing community will hold their breath on Sunday as they witness Anthony Joshua defend his world titles against Andy Ruiz Jr in a heavyweight boxing bout slated to be held at the Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Joshua, the Unified World Heavyweight Champion with the IBO, WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles, returns to the ring following his victory over Alexander Povetkin in September 2018.

AJ will be fighting on American soil for the first time as he defends his titles against Ruiz Jr aka “The Destroyer�. This will be another big night for British boxing, one that boxing lovers will not want to miss. “The Destroyer� replaces Jarell Miller who failed several drug tests to lose his shot at heavyweight gold.

Ruiz Jr is no walkover with 33 bouts under his belt. Of his 32 wins, 21 were by TKO. Since his only recorded defeat against Joseph Parker in a WBO world title fight in 2016, Ruiz has been on a winning streak which he hopes to maintain. Joshua makes his US debut with a record of 22-0, 21 by KO.

͸͚˜ ͺ͸͚Π˞ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

35

GLOBAL SOCCER

Kelechi Iheanacho Hoping to Salvage Career with AFCON After an unimpressive season with Leicester City where he failed to register a goal in 24 matches culminating in his being ignored in most of Super Eagles Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches, Kelechi Iheanacho was surprisingly included in Gernot Rohr’s team to the biennial showpiece in Egypt. The former junior international has however vowed to prove his critics wrong in the land of the Pharaohs

N

igeria soccer fans still blame Kelechi Iheanacho for Super Eagles early exit at the 2018 World Cup, while fans of Leicester will find it hard to forgive the Nigerian for missing a late seater against Manchester City culminating in Leicester’s loss to the English champion.

Even the former U17 winner received the wrath of Super Eagles Manager, Gernot Rohr, yet when the roll call for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations billed for Egypt was released Iheanacho still wriggled his way in.

Iheanacho has however come out to say he does not feel under pressure ahead of Nigeria’s upcoming Africa Cup of Nations campaign after the Leicester City striker links up with his country ahead of the competition, which is being held in Egypt next month.

Iheanacho returned to Rohr’s squad having previously been left out, with the manager questioning his professionalism in March.

Former Manchester City striker Iheanacho cost City ÂŁ25million when he moved to the King Power Stadium two summers ago and has netted just eight times in the Premier League for the Foxes. He ended the season on a barren run of 24 League games without a goal, so is he feeling the pressure to perform for his country? “I am relaxed, just being focused and ready for the task ahead. I will be in camp hopefully, to start preparations for AFCON proper. I am not under any pressure to deliver. I have been scoring goals for the Super Eagles and I want to score more.

There are drought times for every striker and I am not an exemption but I will keep my head up, stay focused, determined and ready for the task

ahead.�

Iheanacho came under criticism in City’s penultimate match of the season when he spurned a golden opportunity to level matters at 1-0 down after Hamza Choudhury split the champions’ defence but the striker shanked his effort wide against his old side. “My critics always spur me to do more, I have nothing to say about that I just want to stay focused on my set goals and be professional to the core. People have opinions about me but my opinion should be supreme,�

Iheanacho added. “My opinion about myself is that, I believe I can and I hope to score goals for the Super Eagles.�

According the U-17 winner of best player of the 2013, on being given the opportunity to be in the field of play, why not? I am a striker, I want to score goals, I should be able to prove myself as regards that.

I am a player who believes in my God given talent, I believe I can do it and that has always been my source of inspiration right from my formative years.

The former Manchester city player concluded by saying, “I will hit the camp this weekend in Asaba.�

Earlier this year, Nigeria coachGernot Rohr had questioned Iheanacho’s commitment and professionalism to the national team.

The 22-year-old was overlooked for the Super Eagles’ two matches in March after failing to score a goal for club or country since September.

Rohr scathed Iheanacho on the eve of his team’s Nations Cup qualifier against Seychelles. “I think he must be more professional,� the German coach said. “We’re not satisfied with his performances the last time he was with us. “There’s a new coach at Leicester

City (Brendan Rodgers) and it his omission will be an opportunity for Iheanacho to show during this international window that he wants to get back into the starting team of Leicester. “Personally, I think it’s a good thing for him to stay back at his club to prove this.�

Asked whether he expected more from a Nigeria international and he responded thus: It’s not good enough to be funny all the time.

You must show that you are serious by working hard every day in the training sessions. And show that you seriously want to come back into the team at the club and also with us.�

However, in a swift reaction to Rohr’s criticism of Iheanacho Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers praised his professionalism following a scathing assessment of the Nigerian striker by his national team manager.

Rodgers said Iheanacho has shown a “wonderful appetite� for learning at City’s Belvoir Drive training ground, contradicting the criticism from Super Eagles boss, Gernot Rohr “When I saw him at Manchester City, he was always a young player that could come in and affect the game,� said Rodgers ahead of Leicester’s meeting with Bournemouth. “Then he’s come here with a big price-tag. “From what I’ve seen in training and when I’ve spoken to him, he has shown a wonderful appetite and enthusiasm to get better. “We have a culture where we want to improve players and make them better and he’s responded very well to that.�

Iheanacho did not score a Leicester City goal in more than seven months, but his opportunities to end the lengthy goal drought have also dried

up.

He has not started any of City’s last 20 Premier League games, while he played just seven minutes since Rodgers took the reins “It’s difficult for him because he’s up against one of the best strikers in this league, in Jamie Vardy, so that’s always going to be difficult unless the system changes,� said Rodgers. “But he’s a great boy to work with and he’ll want to play more I’m sure. “At this minute, it’s creating the confidence because he’s scoring goals in training and working very hard and adapting to how we want to play. “And I’m sure when the time comes, if he gets a chance to play consistently, he will take that chance.�

Rodgers was however forced to eat back his words after Iheanacho missed a golden chance to give Leicester the equaliser against Manchester City. “We had probably the best chance in the game with young Kelechi, which unfortunately he didn’t take,� Rodgers said.

It however remains to be seen if Iheanacho can cash-in on the AFCON in Egypt to find his scoring boot.

Iheanacho has 10 goals in 58 matches for Leicester City since joining the former Premier League champions from Manchester City in August 2017.

At international level, he has scored eight goals in 24 appearances for Nigeria since making his senior debut against Swaziland in November 2015.

He starred as Nigeria won the 2013 Under-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates for a record fourthtime and emerged as the tournament’s outstanding player, being voted the Most Valuable Player.

He scored six goals to secure the Silver Boot as the competition’s second-highest goal-scorer.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t +6/& , 2019

FAIRGROUND

Mariam Okunola Weds Femi Bakre

with

AZUKA OGUJIUBA

azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

O

n the 25th of April, 2019, Kraks TV CEO, Femi Bakre tied the knot with his heartthrob and comic content creator, Mariam Okunola aka Mory Coco.

Femi Bakre, a graduate of Electrical & Electronics Engineering from UNILAG met Mariam, a graduate of Mass Communication from Babcock University in 2016 through a mutual friend and they began dating shortly after.

After two years, the couple had an intimate wedding in the company of friends and family.

Present at their wedding were parents of the groom, Alhaji & Alhaja Olufemi Bakre, parents of the bride, Alhaji & Mrs Sulukannal Okunola. Also in attendance were celebrities, Tobi Bakre of BBNaija Double Wahala, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Queen Salawa Abeni, and Yoruba actress Lizzy Anjorin amongst others.

Femi Bakre, Mariam Bakre, and Alhaji Olufemi Bakre

Alhaji Olufemi Bakre and Alhaja Funke Bakre

Alhaji Sulukannal Okunola and Alhaja Fausat Okunola

Mariam Bakre, Femi Bakre, Alhaji Olufemi Bakre, and Alhaja Funke Bakre

Mariam Bakre and Tobi Bakre

Mariam Bakre and Queen Salawa Abeni

Alhaji Sulukannal Okunola, Alhaja Fausat Okunola, Prince (Dr) Feyisayo Soyewo, Alhaja Funke Bakre, and Alhaji Olufemi Bakre

The Play 3SOME by Jude Idada

3

SOME the excitingly provocative stage play written and directed by Jude Idada is hitting the Agip Recital Hall of the Muson Centre this June 8 and 9. The Plays Ececutive Producer EDGAR Joseph has stated that this second showing would be much more robust as the issues the story sets out to address are more profound in our society today.

The play centres on emotional infidelity, lust and challenges faced in relationships especially marriages in the internet years.

Supported by over 20 corporate bodies including Pay Attitude and Sapphire Scents 3some promises to be a watershed moment in the Nigerian theatre calendar.

Parading a strong production suite led by iconic Olisa Adibua and legendary Alibaba this production comes with gilt edge technical inputs including some of the most extravagant and robust lighting and sound ever to be seen on a Nigwrian stage. Furthermore, VIP ticket holders would be treated to a graceful after party at the Elizabethan themed bourgeois watering hole - Kohinoor.

L-R: Kemi Bickersteth; Patrick Diabuah; Marvelous Dominion; Jude Idada and Maryjane Ugbaja

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t +6/& , 2019

37

FAIRGROUND

Regina Daniel's Traditional Wedding

Ned Nwoko and his wife, Regina Daniels

The Bling Lagosians - A Nigerian Actors Kick Bolanle Austen Peters Film against Killings in Country Have you ever thought about what it would be like to walk in the shoes and delve into the lives of the 1% of the 1% even for just one day?! #TheBlingLagosians are here; Bolanle Austen Peters has her directorial debut with “The Bling Lagosians” having successfully showcased critically acclaimed stage plays such as Saro the Musical, Wakaa the Musical, Fela and most recently, the Kalakuta Queens.

The movie is a powerful story and gives us a glimpse into the lifestyle of Lagos’ high society; the “big men”, “big madams’ and their inner circle of the ruling elite. They are super rich and they do not feel guilty about it one bit! In the film, we step into the world of the elite who are truly in charge of Lagos; these folks have immense power.

These are the 1% of the 1% in Nigeria and they put everyone in the shade with their lavish display of wealth. They may have the wealth, the luxuries and of course : “The Bling” lifestyle, but have they mastered their pursuit of happiness?

Austen-Peter's vision for this film is to create something reflective of her experience in Lagos The Movie tells the story of “The Holloways”, a powerful Lagos socialite circle whose matriarch never disappoints when it comes to flaunting her families extreme wealth. She is resolute on having her 51st birthday become the year’s biggest society event – however things take a turn when her family’s huge debt verges on being exposed – How will the family cover it up when she is 100% reluctant to cut back on her extravagant lifestyle?

The trailer reveals the party preparations, showing the formidable cast which includes: Elvina Ibru, Toyin Abraham, Jide Kosoko, Bisola Aiyeola, Denola Grey, Monalisa Chinda, Osas Ighodaro Ajibade, Sharon Ooja, Helen Paul, Alex Ekubo and more.

While it doesn't give too much of the plot away, it's clear that the film is going to be very scandalous, and if you live in Lagos, this should come as no real surprise to you.

The movie is a must watch with enough drama,

Peters

twists and turns, giving us a detailed in road in to ‘the magic circle’ with whom on the surface everything seems to work for, everything they touch turns to GOLD, until it doesn’t. Even though they may hide behind very high walls, exclusive estates, tinted cars and security details, for how long will they continue to keep up appearances?

Watch the Trailer: About FilmOne FilmOne is an independent distributor of filmed entertainment providing top-end film release services with emphasis in Nigeria territory. We distribute a wide-range of mainstream, commercial pictures including international and indigenous titles, and maintain international strategic alliances and relationship with studios/distributors across the globe.

The FilmOne team possess sound expertise and extensive experience, gained in the United Kingdom and Nigeria, in theatrical and non-theatrical distribution of feature films.

Actors under the umbrella body of ‘Concerned Actors And Seasoned Nollywoood Stars’ have raised their voices against the incessant senseless and political motivated killings in North West Nigeria as well as other parts of the country.

The film practitioners led by veteran Nollywood star Ejike Asiegbu at a rally held recently in Lagos decried the spate of killings which it described as a ‘horror movie’. “We have watched the horror movie in Zamfara State and concluded that our politicians have thrown the sanctity of human lives to the dogs with the way and manner that they have carried their political activities which have resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives and destruction of properties,” Asiegbu said.

He said actors will no longer fold their hands “and watch politicians continue with their nefarious activities that have brought untold sorrow and blood to numerous families” adding that “the worrisome aspect of the whole issue is the fact that these politicians have been dramatizing in public and on pages of newspapers condemning the killings when in truth, the entire world knows they are the ones behind the senseless killing of innocent women and children because of their vested interest.”

Asiegbu berated the political elites for “turning their back against the people” they swore to protect.

“We know gold is a precious stone but to make the mistake of equating gold with human life is an anomaly that must be resisted by all and sundry in the interest of peace and tranquility in Northwest Nigeria.

“These gold miners are not spirits, they have names, and they reside among the people, and above all, they have sponsors. But they must realize also that the same people sponsoring them to kill

Nollywood actors Ejike Asiegbu, Frank Dallas, Uche Ayamele and Frank Chike

innocent people today can decide to turn against them and order their elimination tomorrow.”

While hoping that people behind the Zamfara killings as well as other killings across the country would see reason and stop it, Asiegbu stated that “the ‘Concerned Actors And Seasoned Nollywoood Stars’ have reviewed the situation critically in North West Nigeria and concluded that unless urgent and proactive measures are taken, the killings will not abate especially with the level of desperation exhibited by the main players behind the carnage.

And this as well is extended to other parts of the country and we state categorically that the gold in Zamfara State is not for a group of individuals or people but belongs to all of us Nigerians just as the oil in the Niger Delta belongs to all Nigerians.”

Veteran Nollywood stars such as Paul Obazele, Sonny McDon, Emeka Ossai and producers Chico Ejiro, Zeb Ejiro, Tony Ani, Mike Nliam among others were present at the rally.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t +6/& , 2019

AUTO

All-new BMW 1 Series

All-new BMW 1 Series Outstanding FRSC Deploys Design Distinguishes it from Others 36,000 Personnel Stories by Bennett Oghifo

T

he all-new BMW 1 Series is in the market, with its outstanding design and progressive design language distinguishing it from the crowd at the very

first glance.

This new machine can be ordered through Coscharis Motors, the sole representative of BMW in Nigeria.

According to the automakers, the same distinguishing features hold true for its interior with a modern atmosphere

that inspires through premium quality and openness. “Efficient engines, the front-wheel drive now premiering in the new BMW 1 Series and state-of-the-art chassis technologies guarantee driving experiences full of dynamics and agility, while innovative technologies and driver assistance systems ensure that you always reach your destination safely and comfortably.”

Fuel consumption in l/100 km (combined): 7.5, CO2 emissions in g/ km (combined): 171. The BMW 1 Series has sporty exterior and interior design.

Authority that is instantly recognisable: the design of the all-new BMW 1 Series

leaves a powerful impression both inside and outside.

Starting with the dynamic front with its large double kidney grille and broad front apron, clearly defined contours run parallel to the flowing roof line through to the distinctive rear.

The premium character of the BMW 1 Series continues into the interior. Here passengers can enjoy a generously proportioned and open atmosphere of well-being.

The cockpit impresses with ergonomically optimised equipment features and its systematically implemented driverorientation.

Jaguar Land Rover Develops Sensory Steering Wheel to Keep Drivers’ Eyes on the Road

J

aguar Land Rover has developed a sensory steering wheel developed that could help keep drivers’ eyes on the road – by using heat to tell drivers when to turn left or right.

According to a statement by the automaker, the research, in partnership with Glasgow University, has created a ‘sensory steering wheel’, parts of which can be quickly heated and cooled to inform drivers where to turn, when to change lane or to warn of an approaching junction. This could be particularly useful when visibility is reduced through poor weather or the layout of the road.

The technology has also been applied to the gear-shift paddles to indicate when hand over from the driver to autonomous control in future self-driving vehicles is complete.

Driver distraction is a major contributor to road accidents around the world and accounts for 10 per cent of all fatal crashes in the USA alone*.

Jaguar Land Rover’s research suggests thermal cues could be a way to keep drivers fully focused on the road.

The cues work on both sides of the steering wheel, indicating the direction to turn by rapidly warming or cooling one side by a difference of up to 6°C. For comfort a driver could adjust the range of temperature change.

Studies have shown** temperature-based instructions could also be used for non-urgent notifications, where vibrations could be deemed unnecessarily attention grabbing, for example as a warning when fuel is running low, or for upcoming events, such as points of interest.

Thermal cues can also be used where audio feedback would be deemed too disruptive to cabin conversations or media playback.

Alexandros Mouzakitis, Jaguar Land Rover Electrical Research Senior Manager, said: “Safety is a number one priority for Jaguar Land Rover and we are committed to continuously improving our vehicles with the latest technological developments as well as preparing the business for a self-driving future.

Range Rover Velar has the new generation Head-Up Display

“The ‘sensory steering wheel’ is all part of this vision, with thermal cues able to reduce the amount of time drivers have to take their eyes off the road. Research has shown people readily understand the heating and cooling dynamics to denote directions and the subtlety of temperature change can be perfect for certain feedback that doesn’t require a more intrusive audio or vibration-based cue.”

The Jaguar Land Rover-funded research is part of a PhD study undertaken by Patrizia Di Campli San Vito at Glasgow University as part

of its Glasgow Interactive Systems Research Section (GIST).

Jaguar and Land Rover models already boast a wide range of sophisticated Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) designed to improve driver and vehicle safety, including the new generation Head-Up Display in the Range Rover Velar.

The Velar also features capacitive steering wheel controls for common functions that combine with the Interactive Driver Display to help reduce driver distraction.

for Eid El Fitr Special Patrol

T

he Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has commenced 2019 Eid el fitr special patrol with deployment of 36,000 of its personnel.

A statement by FRSC Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem this was in line with its tradition of organising special patrols during festive periods to avert road obstructions, crashes and deaths due to heightened traffic movement.

According to him, the special patrol was to put necessary measures in place to ensure that the 2019 Eid el fitr celebration expected to take place early next week is observed under an atmosphere of peace, safety and free movement of people and vehicles across the country. Kazeem further stated that the special operation was to ensure free flow of traffic, provide prompt rescue services and timely clearance of obstructions on all major roads and critical corridors across the country during and after the festive period as well as minimising the occurrence of road traffic crashes on the nation’s highways.

He added that the focus would be on light sign violation, overloading violation, driver licence violation, fake/expired; lane indiscipline, removal of rickety vehicles on the roads and other obstructions as well as driving with expired/worn out tyre and without spare tyre.

To ensure the effectiveness of the operations, 52 critical corridors across the country have been identified to be covered within the period, while commanding officers operating along such corridors were given specific directives to ensure that the routes are properly manned. As part of the strategies, mobile courts would also be in full sitting to promptly try traffic violations.

The FRSC spokesman enjoined all motorists to cooperate with the personnel of the Corps and other security agencies who would be engaged in traffic management to ensure free movement of traffic.

The special operation, which began yesterday, will end on June 8 with active participation of regular and special marshals, while monitors from the FRSC National Headquarters Abuja would be deployed to Field Commands to ensure compliance to the operational order. The Corps Marshal of FRSC of the FRSC, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi is the overall Commander of the special patrol.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t +6/& , 2019

39

AUTO

Some Agencies Fight FG’s LongTermView of Auto Industry , Says Aromolaran Stories by Bennett Oghifo

T

he Federal Government has a long term view of the nation’s auto industry but there is a cog in the wheel, particularly from some government agencies.

The Managing Director of VON Automobile Nigeria, Mr. Tokunbo Aromolaran, stated this during a chat with journalists in Lagos, recently.

Aromolaran said, “The same government agencies in its finance system, largely the Ministry of Finance and Customs, don’t see this long term vision; they just see a short term revenue scope. They complain that the budget of Customs will not be achieved because government has given the assemblers lower tariff.

“They’re not seeing what we expect to add to the GDP of this country by local production.

They’re only seeing short term revenue, so they put everything possible in the way to hinder the growth of this industry.

“Our goods stay in the ports for two to three months and they wouldn’t let them out because they must check everything since they come in with special rate of duty as conferred by the Auto Policy. What we don’t pay in duty, we pay in demurrage, because at the end of the day, they don’t want to understand why your goods were delayed; they will still levy their charges. This is because one arm of government cannot understand the other, that all of this is towards the same end of moving this country forward in industrialisation.”

Aromolaran explained that the revenues of Customs and the Ports come short not only because of the dictates of the Auto Policy on special duty rates for assemblers of vehicles but also because other vehicles come into the country completely knocked down in boxes,

VON’s local auto assembly plant

not on four wheels, which is why they don’t attract the mandatory duty, since they cannot be counted as fully built vehicles. “The question is, are we going to keep the Japanese factories running for ever, when our people are looking for jobs?

“People give me their children’s CV for jobs

and I tell them to talk to the government to make us produce and your children will find work here.

If the government keeps having this myopic view that if we increase duty on second hand cars, then poor man will suffer. Poor man will continue to suffer the way they are going,

because they are not putting in place things that are sustainable for the poor man. It is not the duty on second hand cars that will make the poor man to become liberated; it is putting in place a nice public transport system.

A good mass transit system is what the poor man needs, not a second hand car.”

The Mercedes-Benz EQC: Electric Intelligence

T

he new Mercedes-Benz EQC (combined power consumption: 20.8 - 19.7 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km)[1] is the first Mercedes-Benz under the product and technology brand EQ, the automaker has said.

At the press driving presentation in Oslo, the European “capital of e-mobility”, the EQC is dynamically demonstrating its all-round qualities for the first time. It systematically embodies the principle of “human-centred innovation”, and makes e-mobility simple, reliable and convenient for the customer. The EQC combines the knowhow from more than 130 years of automobile engineering with the mobility requirements of the future, and stands for Electric Intelligence, the automaker said in a statement.

“The Mercedes-Benz EQC is not just a vehicle with electric drive, it combines hallmark attributes of the brand such as quality, safety and comfort. Its progressive design, unique driving comfort and an operating range absolutely suitable for day-to-day needs emphasise that the EQC is the Mercedes among electric vehicles.

This is also shown by its services - from optimised navigation to charging management. It all comes under the heading “Electric Intelligence” – a mobility package that goes well beyond the vehicle itself,” says Britta Seeger, member of the Board of Management of DaimlerAG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Sales.

Optimum planning before a journey Individual services relating to e-mobility have been around for a while. The EQC takes a new, comprehensive approach: the intelligent networking of services and functions considerably simplifies use of the vehicle. With its intelligently coordinated drive system, battery management, charging management, recuperation strategies, digital services and the infotainment system MBUX, the EQC is a new departure in e-mobility.

The experience already begins before the journey. EQC drivers can plan their destinations from the home or office, enter a departure time and bring the interior to the desired temperature.

They receive an intelligently planned route including necessary charging stops and an arrival time.

The new Mercedes-Benz EQC

Mobile Phones and Brain Cancer

r Biodun Ogungbo is a brain and Spine Surgeon.As an expert, must trust the information contained in the piece which he graciously forwarded to me and permitted me to publish for which I am eternally grateful. Read it. Internalize it and take a second though on how you use your mobile phones - Mobile phones can cause brain cancer .Okay, this is not a joke. This is not a topic to profess ignorance about or say, ‘I did not know’. Just go with the flow and say, ‘Mobile phones can cause brain cancer’.

Simply because you don’t want to find out the hard way! Experts believe there is a strong association with prolonged usage of mobile phones especially people who have been using the phones for over 10 years. The risk is also significant in children with their growing and immature brains. It had been predicted that the numbers of patients with newly diagnosed brain cancer and other tumours will almost double by the year 2025. Many countries are seeing an increasing incidence of these horrible tumours now and it’s a worrying trend.

Okay, this is not a joke. Glioblastoma Multiforme - We have and are seeing a rise in the numbers of people suffering from high grade brain cancers. These are the types of cancers that defy cure. These cancers especially the horrible one called Glioblastoma Multiforme or GBM for short is incurable and kills 100%.

This cancer kills the young or the old though it appears more common in patients in their early 60’s. The numbers of sufferers increase with age and it is more common in men. The

D

SAFE DRIVING with Jonas Agwu amnipr, mcipr,mprsa,arpa (Corps Commander) Corps Public Education Officer Federal Road Safety Corps. + 2348033026491

risk is real and prevention is the main treatment for cancer. Cancer prevention is action taken to lower the risk of getting cancer. This can include maintaining a healthy lifestyle and taking medicines or vaccines that can prevent cancer from developing. Avoiding exposure to known cancer-causing substances such as sugars, cigarette and now mobile phones is vital.

Studies upon studies Okay! studies are conflicting and contradictory. Some will find a link and others will not. The risk may be tenuous at best but so what. The American Cancer Society Exit Disclaimer (ACS) states that there could be some cancer risk associated with radiofrequency energy, but the evidence is not strong enough to be considered causal and needs to be investigated further. Brain tumours are particularly difficult to study, for example, because of their high death rate and the short survival of people who develop these tumors. Similarly, patients who survive initial treatment are often impaired, which may affect their responses to questions. Furthermore, for people who have died, next-of-kin are often

unable to accurately describe their patterns of phone use to an interviewer.

Prevent cancer- Individuals who are concerned about radiofrequency energy exposure can limit their exposure, by using an ear piece and limiting cell phone use, particularly among children.

The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has suggested some steps that concerned cell phone users can take to reduce their exposure to radiofrequency energy: Reserve the use of cell phones for shorter conversations or for times when a landline phone is not available. · Use a device with hands-free technology, such as wired headsets, which place more distance between the phone and the head of the user. Hands-free kits reduce the amount of radiofrequency energy exposure to the head because the antenna, which is the source of energy, is not placed against the head. Exposures decline dramatically when cell phones are used hands-free.

Okay, this is the score -The decision to limit the use of phones and especially to use a hands free device is entirely yours. You must take the decision to prevent mobile phone causing you a brain cancer. Other issues- There is now strong evidence that the rate of fertility is reducing in many communities around the world. The volume and quality of sperms produced by men is reducing and some feel that it may be not unconnected to mobile phones and computers close to the genital areas in men. Certainly, fertility centres such as Nordica Fertility centre in Abuja have found an increase in the abnormal sperms seen in specimens and a decrease in the motility. Mobile phones are a great resource and a necessary evil but you have got to take care.

Okay, now you know. Here ends the piece by Dr Ogungbo which I find too rich and interesting.

I must thank Dr Ogungbo for his quick approval to use his lovely and timely piece which is an eye opener for me even though I feel very guilty for procrastinating on the use of this information since last year when my friend and brother Patrick Adenusi of Safety Beyond Border, a Non -Governmental Organization on road safety alerted with me on a news item on CNN on the same subject. I told myself I must share the stuff but missed out until Dr Ogungbo sent me the material. The decision to limit the use of phones and especially to use a hands free device is entirely yours. I must confess that I got fascinated yet scared when I read through the section on Gliobladtoma multiforme which he said is incurable and kills 100percent. More scarier is the information that it appears more common in patients in their early 60’s and that it is common in men.

I do hope that men, those in their 60’s and drivers generally will take special interest in their God sent information. For me I have taken lessons that will no double guide in my usual use of ear piece or blue tooth which in our clime is seen is show off. Now I have a better understanding of why nine out of ten mobile phone users in some climes outside our shore have become addict in the use of hands free. I hope you will not mistake me for recommending that you go about driving and using hands free since the National Road Traffic Regulations does not allow the use of hands free while driving because of the inherent risk involved. The provision is meant to guard against the risks inherent in distracted driving which is a leading factor in many crashes, and cell phone use and texting are two of the most common distractions.

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SPORTS XTRA

Pinnick Claims Victimisation over Alleged Misappropriation of Funds The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick says he and four other top officials are being “victimised�.

His comments to BBC Sport after the officials were ordered to appear in court on 1 July to face charges over the alleged misappropriation of funds.

The case has been brought by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel (SPIP) for the recovery of public property. “The motive for this media trial is purely destructive, it’s a deep-seated emotional, obsessional and delusional hatred,� Pinnick insisted. “This is not the first time, we believe all the false allegations are aimed at destroying our credibility and what we’ve built.�

He went onto explain that none of the officials have been personally informed of the court summons and feels that the country’s Attorney General should be involved. “The prosecution lawyer claimed he couldn’t serve the NFF officials and was given permission to serve at the NFF office, while the case was adjourned to 1 July,�

Pinnick added. “We are not ordered to appear before a court in a case that is before the Attorney

General of the Federation (AGF) for an independent review.�

Pinnick alongside NFF vice presidents Seyi Akinwunmi and Shehu Dikko, general secretary Mohammed Sanusi and board member Ahmed Yusuf have denied all the charges and that they have no case to answer.

The charges being pursued by the SPIP include failure to declare their assets, the alleged disappearance of US$8.4 million paid by Fifa to Nigeria for participation in the 2014 World Cup and arranging international friendly matches that do not take place.

Prosecution lawyer Celsius Ukpong, from the SPIP insisted on Thursday: “We are expecting the accused persons, the defendants, to come to court and take their plea.�

Pinnick is adamant that the problems away from the pitch will not affect Nigeria’s preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations. “We don’t want to lose focus. Their plan is to get us distracted and get us destroyed but we are resilient,�

Pinnick added. “We are not telling you we are saints, we are humans and we can make mistakes. But

the good news about us is that our mistakes we turn to learning process. “It’s human to be intelligent to learn from mistakes and be resurgent enough to bounce back. That’s what we’ll do.�

It is not the first time officials of the NFF will be involved in corruption allegations.

Back in 2010, four former officials were arrested amid accusations that some $8m went missing during the World Cup finals in South Africa.

It took eight years for the quartet to be acquitted by the anti-graft agency.

Meanwhile, a separate court case involving the NFF has been adjourned until June 27 in what the country’s antigraft agency - the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) - says is ‘judicial time wasting’.

The High Court in Abuja on Thursday adjourned the corruption trial involving three NFF accounts staff - director of finance, Christopher Andekin; head of finance and accounts Jafaru Mamza and Rajan Zaka, a cashier.

The trio are standing trial for embezzling $9.5 million being grants from FIFA and CAF for the development of football in Nigeria.

Joshua Dismisses Concerns over Swollen Eyes ahead of World Title Fight Anthony Joshua has played down concerns about his swollen eyes ahead of his world heavyweight title fight against Andy Ruiz Jr in New York.

Britain’s unified champion makes his US debut against Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports Box Office, and a punishing training camp appears to have taken its toll on Joshua, who has an inflamed right eyelid, a swelling under his left eye and a cut on his nose.

But the unbeaten 29-year-old

dismissed the significance of his facial injuries, joking about how he sustained them during a sparring session. “What happened right, I was sparring a lion, because I really want to take this camp seriously,� Joshua told Sky Sports. “It’s just been tough, difficult training. I’m a fighter so the scars and stuff - look at my hands and stuff. “That’s just another added war wound to my list of scars so that’s all it is.�

Trainer Rob McCracken

insisted he was pleased with Joshua’s preparations, despite Ruiz Jr being introduced as a replacement after Jarrell Miller failed a drug test. “It’s been a good camp. He’s in good shape,� McCracken told Sky Sports. “The Miller change was difficult, but Ruiz is a better fighter I think. “A similar style, comes forward, puts pressure on, but AJ adjusted. He’s worked hard. Good sparring and good sparring partners as well. He’s focused on the fight.

WAFU Cup: Eagles B to Play Togo in New Format Nigeria will square up to neighbours Togo in the 2019 WAFU Cup of Nations taking place in Thies, Senegal from September 28 to October 13.

The new format means a first round straight knockout, withthewinnersproceedingto challenge for the trophy while the losers go on to contest for the Plate.

The Eagles B, who lost to host nation Ghana in the final of the last edition in September 2017, will battle

Togo’s Sparrow Hawks on September 29.

Matches will then proceed in the same knockout format until the winner emerges on October 13.

Organizerswerecompelled toinviteNorthAfricannation, Morocco as a result of the subsisting FIFAban that bars Sierra Leone from partaking in international football.

Although the ban may be lifted before the tournament kicks off, Sierra Leone’s footballers have again been

denied of much –needed exposure and excitement due to the FIFA ban, occasioned by harebrained and ridiculous corruption allegations against FA President Isha Johansen and Secretary General Chris Kamara.

Earlier in the week, after about one year of empty frenzy termed trial, the High Court in Sierra Leone discharged and acquitted the duo, stating that the allegations were frivolous, and restored them to office.

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MARKET PLACE with Omolabake Fasogbon... 08155131874

L – R: , Managing Director; Willao Nigeria Limited, Arch. Jacob Olufemi Williams; ; Managing Director, Ibile Holdings Limited , Mr. Abiodun Amokomowo;and Commissioner for Commerce Industry and Cooperatives / Representative of FormerLagos State Governor,Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, at the commissioning of The Campbell Centre in Lagos ... recently

Legal and Corporate Affairs Director, Otunba Michael Daramola, Marketing Director, , Tolulope Adedeji both of International Breweries, Managing Director Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya and Mrs. Yetunde Daramola at the Inauguration Ball organized in honour of the Executive Governor, Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun…recently

Legend Hotel Marks Hilton 100th Anniversary Amid merriment, Legend Hotel Lagos Airport, a curio collection by Hilton, has celebrated with Hilton, a leading global hospitality company, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.

The colourful ceremony saw guest, families, and friends throng the Muritala Mohammed International Airport venue of the event, in all smiles, to grace the august occasion.

The event also provided an opportunity for the seven months old company to reintroduce and connect more with its numerous guests in a more relaxed atmosphere, while restating its essence and services as well as gathered feedback on how to deliver better.

Speaking at the occasion, General Manager, Legend Hotel Lagos Airport, Peter Idoko, stated that it was important to celebrate the milestone

not just because Hilton is 100 years but because of its track record in the transformation of hospitality business worldwide.

He said: “Hilton is renowned for several pioneering feats and innovations. Therefore, we are celebrating the vision of the founder, Conrad Hilton, who believes that as hoteliers, we are to fill the world with the light and warmth of hospitality, and so far, this has been our guiding principle.

“We are also celebrating the fact that the company has gone round the world and transformed travels. With 17 world class brands, comprising more than 5700 properties in 113 countries and territories, the company has delivered a century of unique experiences to more than three billion guests (89 million being

Hilton Honours members).

“The company has had a continuous presence on the African continent since 1959 and is ever committed to growth, innovations and opportunity”.

Idoko added that Lagos curio collection is happy to celebrate and be part of a brand with admirable antecedence especially as Legend is the 60th curio collection by Hilton property, 1st Curio Collection by Hilton brand in Africa, 500th Hilton hotel to open across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA); 1st global brand hotel at an airport in Nigeria with customs desk for private jet passengers as well as first Hilton property in Nigeria.

“For us, this is worth celebrating as we are committed to keeping the Hilton legacy which

is reflected in our services and facilities. We are lucky to be in a place where the infrastructure has already been built by both the owners of the Hotel and airport authorities, all of these combined to enhance our priority in making travel easy for our guest, provide convenience for them and satisfy their needs.

“If it is for our guests be able to do a convenient transit within the airport or a need for oasis where they would have to do a retreat or a place where they do not have to battle traffic as we always work in the opposite direction of traffic, then, this is the place to be”, he boasted.

Like every other business in the country, idoko disclosed that the firm has been challenged by epileptic power supply and urged government to make it a priority in the new dispensation.

‘Live Abundantly’ Unveils Children’s Empowerment Initiative In celebrating Children’s Day this year, a non- government organisation, Live Abundantly, has launched its Children’s Awareness Initiative to strengthen its cause in pushing for a saner society and advancing the girl-child rights through awareness creation, advocacy and education.

The initiative was brought on board in collaborations with National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person, NAPTIP; International Organisation for Migration, IOM and the Nigerian Police Force.

According to the organisation, the initiative sought to drive its vision for a safe and healthy society that would in the end, translate into

socio-economic development.

At a panel of discussion that addressed the theme: ‘Equality, Peace, Migration and Justice’, the panelists comprising IOM official, Opeyemi Kolawole; Principal Intelligence Officer, NAPTIP, Rosemary Ndulie; a Chief Superintendent of Police, Rasaq Oseni; Acting Tutor General, Education District 1V, Lagos, Mr. G. O. Oshodi and Founder of Live Abundantly, Dr. Ama, pointed to economic factor, youthful exuberance, lackadaisical attitude of parents and wrong exposure to technology as the source of social vices in the country.

Kolawole, who talked tough against human trafficking, noted that trafficking is a crime

that has a grave effect on the country.

She disclosed that it was the third most lucrative illegal business in the world, adding the most effective solution lies in the ability of government agencies to synergise with private institutions and stakeholders, in order to arrest the menace Speaking in the same vein, Ndulie, stated that trafficking was a socio-economic and cultural issue that could be battled through aggressive awareness creation.

The Chairperson of Lagos State Teaching Service Commission, Mrs. Olabisi Ariyo, urged children to help the society get rid of untoward acts by speaking up in cases where

their rights were being violated.

Represented by Oshodi, she drew attention to the essence of suggestion boxes and guidance and counselling department in schools and advised students to report through those channels, especially when they were being molested by teachers, parents or any other person.

On her part, Ama warned children against misuse of Information Communication Technology and urged them to commit themselves to contents that would improve them intellectually and morally.

She also advised children to avoid irregular traveling but travel through legal means if they needed to travel.

Honeywell Cook-Off Competition Lafarge Enters Market with ‘Supafix’ Excites Foodies Online Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, a subsidiary of Honeywell Group Limited, has launched a ‘Cook-Off ‘Competition to thrill food enthusiasts online.

According to the company, this is its first cooking competition to be executed in the country and has so far been received with great enthusiasm going by the level of participation.

It explained that contestants were chosen via an online chef hunt contest where they shared their dishes on social media while qualified ones were later invited to the Honeywell Kitchen for the final round of the competition, which will be in five different phases.

The competition, anchored by renowned social media influencer and 2018 Big Brother Naija finalist, Tobi Bakre, is presently engaging fans and keeping the food industry agog.

Speaking on the show, Managing Director of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc,

Mr. Lanre Jaiyeola, explained that the competition provided a platform for upcoming chefs to showcase their talent and introduce distinctive Nigerian and international dishes to a wider audience.

He said: “We have put together the contest to engage food lovers all over the world and introduce them to delicious, creative and nutritious meals that can be made using our food products.”

He added that contestants were expected to prepare delicacies made from the company’s products with an emphasis on creativity and taste .While at the end, they get rewarded with cash prizes and other consolation prizes.

The contest is currently airing on all video support platforms across the digital landscape.

Judges for the show included Oreoluwa Onanuga, Christine Obute Otigba and Rotimi Alabi, all of who are renowned chefs.

Lafarge Africa Plc., a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim, has launched its new ready to use tile adhesive, ‘Supafix’, into the Nigerian market.

The new Supafix is a cementitious tile adhesive made of cement, aggregates, organic and inorganic additives.

According to the company, the product is designed for placing of ceramic tiles, flooring and walling applications, as well as indoor coating solutions.

Its noted that its latest was in line with its continuous drive for excellence in the building industry as well as company’s strategy 2022, ‘Building for Growth’ , which aimed to drive profitable growth and simplify its business, to deliver resilient returns and attractive value to stakeholders.

Speaking at the launch in Lagos recently, Head of Mortar, Lafarge Africa, Jumoke Adegunle, informed further that its latest move was in response to customer needs and global construction trends in the craft of tiling.

“We launched Supafix because we have a unique understanding of our customers’ needs.

With our access to best in class, innovative solutions, from across the group worldwide, we were able to identify and introduce the right

tiling adhesive that will satisfy the needs of our local customers.”

“For 60 years, Lafarge Africa has been at the forefront of technological advancement in the Nigerian construction sector. Our global presence and research centre in Lyon, France, allows us to share best practices and create innovative solutions that deliver more to our customers.

The new Supafix tile adhesive is one of such solutions and it is certified by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON. “Beyond its value of reinforcing buildings, quality tiling enhances the aesthetics in any construction project at no additional cost. Supafix is the ultimate tiler’s choice because it is fast and easy to use. Simply add water to the ready to use mixture and the tiler seamlessly gets to work. The product also has a very neat, strong finish when compared to existing solutions in the market,”she said.

Earlier, the firm had organised a sensitisation market storm and application demonstration as part of activities to introduce the product to the public.

One of the participants at the demonstration,Mr. Dosu Togbe, commended the company’s initiative adding that it was the best choice for tilers.

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Bolanle Austen-Peters Unveils ‘The Bling Lagosians’ MC LIVELY I Didn’t Study Law Because I Wanted to Practice pg. 48

MARVELOUS DOMINION Going Naked on Stage Has Nothing to Do with Religion pg. 52

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Bolanle Austen-Peters Unveils ‘The Bling Lagosians’ Ferdinand Ekechukwu

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he wait, considerably, is worth the while for Nollywood buffs and fans of famed theatre practitioner Bolanle Austen-Peters, following her feature directorial debut ‘The Bling Lagosians’, which will start screening across cinemas nationwide from June 28.

The star studded movie has shortly after been completed last year remained one of the Nollywood movies poised to come out this year and one of the more fun ones. According to Bolanle, viewers should “get ready to laugh, cry and see Nigerians living large.”

The Bling Lagosians tells the story of a powerful Lagos socialite who prepares for her extravagantly flamboyant birth-day party. While she is planning the party of a lifetime, her husband fights to prevent foreclosure of their family company for billions of unpaid loans. The storyline chronicles the societal induced pressure of keeping up appearances and maintaining a lifestyle and image that is sometimes in contrast to what is sustainable.

This is a story about the fake lifestyles of many Lagosians.

Telling this story, AustenPeters had to rely on her knowledge of the Lagos high society. “This movie idea came to me by just watching… you know I kinda like to watch a lot. So it’s about my friends, it’s about me, it’s about high society Lagos, lifestyle living large, but in this case it’s a lampooning of society; people who pretend to have, but in reality, they don’t have any more and they are struggling to keep up with the jounces.

“So, it reveals a lot of the fake underbelly of Lagos, a lot of people who pretend to be what they are not. But in doing that, I showcased very, very beautiful homes, fancy cars, and fancy lifestyle. A lot going on and the messages are very, very strong.” Austen-Peters had revealed that she wanted the film to mirror the reality of her Lagos experience, which the movie trailer shows in detail. It reveals party preparations, showing the robust cast, as they carry out their day-to-day. Notably, more and more, parties are becoming the props on which recent Nollywood movies – The Wedding Party, Chief Daddy (Party) – and now The Bling Lagosians (Party) - take some hold.

In the background, Niniola’s recent song ‘Designer ’ plays, and got one thinking if the sound was originally done for the movie, been that the trailer follows the music video shortly after release, showing

Bolanle Austen-Peters (2nd right) with some of the lead cast; Elvina Ibru and Monalisa Chinda

just as glamorous and lavish the party scenes where the guests arrive in flashy cars and automobiles (Roll Royce, Ferrari, Bugatti) connoted in same fashion as in the song’s lyrics, featuring dancers and an opulent wardrobe.

The ‘Bling Lagosians’ (party) is magnificence and materialism, in such that Elvina Ibru’s character envisioned and says to her acolytes, “My party must be unrivalled in the land of Eko partydom. If any party should top mine, then we have failed woefully”, with a brag that left them perplexed. From the beautiful scenery and display of class in the clip, the two other above-mentioned ‘parties’ got nowhere closer to the ‘Eko’ shindig, a statement kind of.

While the trailer doesn’t give too much of the plot away, the Bolanle AustenPeters Film production in

collaboration with Swirl Films, Ornament Productions, Misa Productions, and B2B Integrated Media and distributed

by FilmOne Distribution and Productions, is sure to be a great watch as Austen Peters has shown that she has a knack for creating compelling stories that showcase Nigerian culture with plenty of humour and social commentary.

The much anticipated movie draws big names from the new and the old actors such as dapper fashion consultant, model and TV presenter turned actor, Denola Grey, Battleground’s Gbenga Titiloye, Sharon Ooja, Monalisa Chinda Coker, Jimmy Odukoya, Bisola Aiyola, Bamike Olawunmi (Bambam, BBN 3), Denola Grey, crazy Broda Shaggi, Jide Kosoko, Helen Paul, Toyin Abraham, Osas Ighodaro Ajibade, Tana Adelana, Elvina Ibru, Alex Ekuboh among a host of other known names.

This happens to be Austen-

Peter ’s directorial debut after she distinguished herself in stage directing and production, with her theatre company Bolanle Austen Peters Production behind award winning stage plays such as Saro and Wakaa, the latter becoming the first Nigerian stage play to ever be featured on London’s famous West End. Austen-Peters had earned accolades when she co-produced her first movie on the deadly Ebola virus, ‘93 Days’.

Her productions outfit has only existed for some few years, but on the account of its successes, Austen-Peters says she feels like it has been in existence for decades. Part of the successes she ascribes to the abundance of talents in the country. From the records, it is almost impossible to talk about Nigeria’s vibrant art and entertainment scene today without mentioning Bolanle Austen-Peters.

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Murello Wins Hearts with His Horn At the unveiling of his first music video, System, Temitope Ojudu aka Murello, didn’t leave anybody in doubt about his determination to carve a niche in the nation’s growing entertainment industry. Raheem Akingbolu reports

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hough an upcoming artiste, Temitope Ojudu aka Morello, who recently hung his wig and gown for music, appears to be coming into the industry with a bang. With his debut music video –System, coupled with live performance, Morello didn’t only convince a cross section of Nigerians in business, politics, media and entertainment that have thronged the Lekki House Party in Lagos last Saturday evening; he was able to take care of all interests.

As observed by music critics in the house, the beauty of what Morello, son of Babafemi Ojudu, was bringing into the market is the democratisation of his music. Within few minutes of watching the video, one can feel its homely setting, mature language and quality production.

President and Executive Producer of the Prestigious All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), Mike Dada, aptly captured Morello’s style when he described his music as a musical basket that parade all that would make an upcoming artist rule the world.

“Perhaps because of his background, Morello has shown taste and class. The musical video though sophisticated, is culturally inclined as well. The setting is African and the message is not lewd. In short, it appeals to both old and young,” Dada said.

The gathering, which was a mix of youths and older generation in the creative industry, especially literature and music lovers, were thrilled to scintillating live performances of four tracks by Morello as well as screening of System, which drew applauses from the audience. Present at the premiere include his mother, Mrs. Omotola Ojudu, Journalist and Author of Jail for Life, Kunle Ajibade, SIFAS Boss, Taiwo Afolabi and scores of Ojudu associates in politics, business and journalism.

Morello, who also won the hearts of the audience with his dexterity on the horn, while rendering one of his tracks, said he had lots of songs for every generation. He recalled that, at seven, his father, Ojudu, who is the Special Adviser to President Buhari, bought him a keyboard, while his mother, Omotola never allowed him to veer off. “I came to Lagos from Abuja for this screening of System because Lagos is where the market is. My dad was actually my inspiration because he bought the keyboard with which I first learnt how to play,” he said.

Now that he has pitched his tent with Music, will he combine it with Law? Responding, Morello admitted that it would be tough combining the two because of enormous reading and research that come with Law. “You don’t need any distraction.

So, I guess as a brilliant guy I had to combine the two while in School and I was able to make it out of law school but practice may be a different ball game.”

He also admitted that being an upcoming artiste, there were still a lot of hurdles to cross before getting to the top. “Different things will come that you have to conquer so i’m expecting any challenge and I think i’m strong and brilliant enough to handle whatever that comes.”

If there is anything Morello loves to talk about, it is the place of his father and Don Jazzy in his career. He is always eager to speak about his journalist father’s contribution to his Music and the influence Don Jazzy and Wizkid have on his career.

According to him, for now, his father remains a major game plan for him (Morello) in the industry. He pointed out that he has gotten a lot of support from him, adding that he hasn’t known yet what might come tomorrow.

Morello

Speaking about his kind of Music, he stated that he has different kinds of sound.

“I play different instruments, so I play all sort of genres of music. I won’t say this is my particular sound. Anything that sounds good to me is music so I do anything that sounds good that people will accept,” Asked if his parents didn’t frown at his decision to take to Music after Law School, Morello said he was able to convince his parents through his commitment to music.

“Of course, there was initial resistance but I was able to convince them because of my seriousness. As parents and role models for decades, they understand the fact that I’m not a frivolous person. The moment I said I wanted to do music, they knew it would be tough talking me out of it. At that stage they could only support me,” Speaking on why he gave his nod to his son’s decision to go into music, Senator Ojudu said he was not shocked that his son took to music after graduating as a lawyer from the United Kingdom (UK) and the Nigerian Law School. “We are a liberal family when it comes to choosing courses. We allowed everyone to follow his or her heart and passion. When my children were younger, I used to buy them different instrument, which inspired them into music. When he arrived UK for his study, within a year of his study he had set up a band. But when he completed his degree in UK, he wanted to stay back. We had to convince him to return to Nigeria and attend Law School even if he wants to go into music full time,” he said.

Asked how he would support his son grow as a musician, the veteran Journalist said: “I will give him as much support as I can because it is his life and not mine to be a musician. It will interest you too that I also rebelled against my dad. He wanted me to study law and I told him I was going for journalism. And when I ran into troubles in journalism, he would say ‘but I warned you’.

My favourite music includes Afrobeat by Fela, reggae by Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.”

Morello with parents

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t +6/& , 2019

SHOWBIZFLAIR MC LIVELY

I Didn’t Study Law Because I Wanted to Practice it

Sani Michael, popularly known as Mc Lively, is one of Nigeria’s distinctive comedy brands. He has created a niche for himself with his very comic skits that address current issues in the country. His social media platforms have been a takeoff point for his works, which have been heavily celebrated. Mc Lively talks to Tosin Clegg about how he started, studying Law, becoming a renowned comedian and much more Growing up in Ile Ife grew up in Ile Ife, Osun State, and it was a family of seven, five kids and our parents. I had my primary and secondary school education in Ife. I was a very stubborn child, there was even a time my mother used a razor blade to cut my body and rubbed pepper on the wounds. I got that punishment because my brother and I left our youngest sibling, who was a baby unattended to, after our mum had left him in our care. Unfortunately for my mum, the more beatings she gave me, the worse I became. My mum beat me so much; I thought I was an adopted child. I sat her down one day and asked her if she was actually the woman who gave birth to me. Amongst my siblings, I was the only one who attended a public school; I used to feel bad so I asked my mum why it was like that. Her reason was that it was going to be too expensive to put me in a private school.

I

Why I studied Law In year 2007, I wrote JAMB and failed woefully and I picked English then, because I just wanted to study. I didn’t know what it was like but I just wanted to go to school, but I failed.

In the second year, I failed and it was after the second failure that I sat down and thought of what I wanted to do with my life and it was then I realised that my talent revolved around talking and that whatever I studied had to revolve around talking. I decided to study Law, because I wanted to get more exposure and meet more people, as I wanted to speak more and put my talent to test. I didn’t choose Law because I wanted to be a Lawyer, I just choose Law because I wanted some exposure. As a kid I didn’t have dreams to be a Lawyer, as I wanted to be a broadcaster; I used to watch Cyril Stober a lot and I wanted to be like him and when radio came along I started listening to Splash FM and I just knew I wanted to be on radio. Next, it was acting, and I thought I wanted to act, but it was while growing up I realised that all my dreams were in one direction and that’s me speaking for a living. Since I couldn’t do Mass Communication, the closest thing for me was Law and I wasn’t going to do Theater Arts, as I didn’t have passion for it.

MC Lively

How comedy started for me It started in my early years when I used to watch comedy tapes such as Night of a Thousand Laughs way back in 2004 and I loved what everybody was doing in those clips, but I didn’t think I was good enough to do what they did, especially standup comedy. I loved watching them but I didn’t know how to link it to me; it was very confusing growing up.

However, when I got to OAU I started MCing occasionally, and I was doing free events just so I could brush up my talent and that was going well. When I was in 500 Level, I tried to do standup comedy and that didn’t go well at all. It was almost an untimely death to my career before it started. When I was done with university, I went for the compulsory Law school programme.

There, I decided that I had to show the talent that I had or forever remain silent. It was during that one year period that I eventually worked on my craft. I found every opportunity

to make people laugh, as it was a do or die affair, as it was dawning on me that I didn’t want to practise Law and that if I practiced law, it wouldn’t really favour me. I looked at myself and asked what I’d like to do at 50 and the answer wasn’t close to law at all. So, I knew I had to figure it out myself and that was when I became really disturbed, and from then I started doing comedy skits on Instagram, and luckily for me, they went viral and I turned it into a craft.

It wasn’t so difficult putting Law aside for comedy and that’s because I never wanted to be a Lawyer in the first instance. In fact, I chose comedy despite the fact that I could practice Law, and it wasn’t too much of a big deal for me.

Coming up with contents was challenging at the beginning Sticking to very legitimate funny content was the first real challenge I had and, of course, growing my followership as it wasn’t growing in the beginning. The real growth happened in 2018 when it picked up.

How I came up about my name It all happened in my 100 Level in OAU when hostel blocks come together, during power supply outage, to insult ourselves to kill boredom. I was the champion of my hostel Block B and I was the one who was always disturbing everybody. So, my bunk mate then came to me and said ‘you are too lively and always disturbing’. That’s how I got the name and when I started MCing I just put MC and Lively together and that’s how the name came about.

My style of comedy is observational I started with rants and after about a year, I moved to the Barrister Mike character as the guy who poke-noses and disturbs on the street.

I modelled my style of comedy around the average Nigerian male that had gone to school, finished but hasn’t been able to get his feet on the ground. So, my style is observational and I do a lot of other styles, as I haven’t been able to show them yet, but in the coming months and years, people will get to see more of that.

Anger is the special vibe I bring to my acts and there is this anger that I have that people like to see. People walk up to me on the road and try to get me angry so that they would laugh. But, ultimately, my inspiration is God and after God my other inspiration is my mum whose attributes reflect in my style of comedy, as she is an angry person. She is a vibe and if you are looking for vibes it’s her, as she has it a lot. And Nigeria is also a vibe, as I like to do things about what’s happening in Nigeria.

Performing on stage makes me feel better The highest level of performance I feel is when I perform on stage, and I get to make people happy. It makes me very very happy when I make people laugh. The camera doesn’t give me as much joy as performing on stage.

Recounting success and achievements The fact that I’m having this interview in Saturday THISDAY Newspaper alone is a major achievement and I grew up reading newspapers and having to be on one is a major achievement for me. And the fact that I have been able to carry my career to this point, and the fact that I go to places and people tell me they like what I do. So, these are the things I regard as achievements, but I’m not close to being done. When I started the craft, I set out goals for myself as I planned five and 10 years goals, but I’m still pushing. We are not there, but I have quite a number of achievements and I’m happy about that.

Comedy won’t stop paying at any point If one is good at what he does, just as I am, then you don’t have to worry. The only reason I chose comedy was because when I become 50, I would still do comedy. So, when I’m 50 years, I will still be doing comedy and for as long as I’m alive and I have God. By the way, I’m not doing comedy to pay the bills; because that’s the problem we have in Nigeria. Most people do it to pay bills and not because they love it. But when you are doing something you love and you are excellent at it then you won’t have a problem.

In five years I see myself as one of the biggest comedians in the world. When it comes to awards, I don’t set my sights on anything local, as I have always wanted to be an international comedian. I have always wanted to win the Oscars and to own a TV show on an international television station.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t +6/& , 2019

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SHOWBIZFLAIR

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

Gists

Sparrow Records Unveils New Artiste Sparrow Records has signed a new artiste to its growing label.

The latest to ink a deal with the label is Onyekachi Vincent, popularly known as “Smart Khiddy. He is an Afro highlife music artiste, who was born in Ebonyi State, but spent most of his childhood in Kano State.

Smart Khiddy started music in 2012 and has since taken his time to further improve on his sound and brand.

The young harmonious singer and producer was

presented to the press on Wednesday May 22nd 2019 in Lagos alongside female Dj Weisy.

Speaking at the unveiling, the CEO Sparrow Records, Okoro Christian Nndozie and GM, Ibrahim Kabiru said Smart Khiddy is going to take over the music industry in few months’, having gathered top industry players to work on his talent.

“It’s a record label established to discover and promote talented upcoming artiste in Nigeria,” he said.

Forbes Africa’s ‘My Worst Day with Peace Hyde’ Goes Global The leading talk show, My Worst Day with Peace Hyde, on the number one business magazine platform, Forbes Africa, is set to launch its third installment and, this time, the programme has a lineup of powerhouse business tycoons from the global business world.

The show, which is renowned for interviewing the African continent’s billionaires and millionaires on their most challenging day ever in business, has raised the bar by venturing into global business world to assemble a league of some of the richest and most successful African American moguls.

Some of the guests on this line up include, Eddie Brown, one of the wealthiest philanthropists in Baltimore and founder of Brown

Capital Management investment firm with over $9 billion of assets under management; Janice Bryant Howroyd, founder and CEO of $925 million ActOne, provider of workforce solutions including temporary staffing; Cathy Hughes, media mogul and founder of TV One and Urban One launched in partnership with Comcast with 53 stations across 16 markets and Bishop TD Jakes of TD jakes Enterprises to name a few.

From London, the prestigious shortlist includes the most powerful person of African and Caribbean heritage for 2017 and 2019, Tom Ilube and Ric Lewis, respectively. Tom Ilube is a millionaire tech entrepreneur and education philanthropist who is the founder of AIM-listed Crossword Cybersecurity and also a non-executive

director of the BBC and sits on the Royal Ban of Scotland’s technology Advisory Board. Ric Lewis is the CEO of Tristan Capital Partners, an independent London headquartered real estate investment management boutique with $10 billion of assets under management.

“We have interviewed some of the most powerful people in Africa and for this season, we decided to seek out people all over the world with African heritage and explore how they overcame their most challenging day in business. When we started three years ago, we didn’t realise how big the show will be and we have had overwhelming feedback from all over the world and hence the reason we are going global with this season,” says Peace Hyde.

Funmiade Bank Anthony Celebrates Children’s Day: Bethesda Plans with Kids of Aiyetoro Community Big for Less Priivileged Children It was all fun and party for the kids of the Aiyetoro Community, Yaba as one of Yoruba leading female actresses, Funmiade Bank Anthony came with food, gifts and games to host a very delightful Children’s day celebration. She was accompanied by several friends from the industry such as Kemi Afolabi, Ronke Oshodi Oke, Adediwura

Blackgold and a host of others who spent time with kids dancing, taking photos and joining them in making a day to celebrate with them.

The event was put together by her charity platform, Rough Diamonds Charity and they gave out school kits, clothes and many more to the children, who were over 1000.

Bethesda Child Support Agency, a nongovernmental, non-profit organisation, has for the past 18 years been working to ensure that every less privileged child has access to quality education. Bethesda, through the assistance of partners and sponsors, has spearheaded efforts to provide free quality education, school supplies, nutrition, and healthcare to over 5,000 Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Lagos and Ogun States.

One of the campaigners said, “We can take the next potential area boy, armed robber or prostitute off the street by lending a helping hand. For the past 18 years, we have impacted the lives of over 5,000 orphans and vulnerable children through the provision of free quality education.”

The foundation has kicked off an art impression activity that runs till June 27. This is to further push the course of their programmes and give it the audience it requires.

Several notable names such as Olu Jacobs, Ajoke Silva, Banky W, Adesuwa Wellington and other per-

sonalities have joined this growing initiative.

Bethesda currently has over 1,000 children on its admission’s Wait List and another 500 children who are at risk of dropping out of school. They believe that these children deserve the opportunity to complete their basic education and a chance of achieving their dreams. The Bethesda Lend a Helping Hand campaign seeks to create awareness about the growing scourge of out-of-school and less privileged children in Nigeria, and seek collaborations with philanthropists, the government and private institutions in order to strategically address these issues.

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SHOWBIZFLAIR

Nollywood Big Girls Hold ‘GirlsCot’ Reunion The four leading actresses in the 2006 Nollywood hit movie, “Girls Cot” - Uche Jombo, Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic and Ini Edo, held a re-union party last weekend. The film released 13 years ago, was produced by Sylvester Obadigie and directed by Afam Okereke. Jombo, who shared the photo on the social media over the weekend, captioned it ‘a little Girls Cot reunion’

L-R: Ini-Edo; Genevieve Nnaji; Rita Dominic and Uche Jombo

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t +6/& , 2019

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Kenneth Omeruo and Family Super Eagles defender, Kenneth Omeruo, shared a lovely photo of his wife (Chioma) and baby girl (Chairein ) on Instagram. Omeru, on loan from Chelsea, plays for CD Leganés in Spain.

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SHOWBIZFLAIR MARVELOUS DOMINION

Going Naked on Stage Has Nothing to Do with Religion Sultry Nollywood actress, Marvelous Dominion stunned theatre audience last year when she bared much to the imagination of all during a stage play titled ‘3Some’. The psychoerotic drama, written by award winning playwright Jude Idada, will be staged again at the Muson Centre Lagos on June 8 - 9 on the platform of Duke of Shomolu Productions, helmed by Joseph Edgar. The much anticipated play, which has ace broadcast personality, Olisa Adibua and foremost comedian, Ali Baba as its co-executive producers, is expected to surpass the height it reached last year, with the “adventurous and open minded” Marvelous Dominion still as its provocative lead cast, miming squirts and orgasmic reaction to the words live on stage. In an encounter with Ferdinand Ekechukwu, the London trained actress bares her personality and more

There’s the Need to Break Boundaries… The World is Evolving

A

time?

s regards the upcoming play ‘3Some’, it is believed you still taking same role and in same fashion like you did the previous

Absolutely

It is not often that you see a Nigerian act take up such daring and seemingly controversial role. In fact never before seen on stage play in Nigeria, what is the motivation?

Awww thank you. I know. I feel there’s a need to break boundaries. The world is evolving, so why wait? Why not evolve with the world? A lot of people are scared to break the norm. Might be because of religion or society issues, but I always say the society did not create you, and religion has no say in my life in this matter. Allow me preach the gospel for a second, and God created us, we came out naked with no fears, no shame until Eve ate the Apple, then shame was introduced to us. They said I showed the world my body, oh yes I did - my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. I am a Christian; God himself sees my heart- I worship him from the depth of my heart, so going naked has got nothing to do with religion to me.

I know sometimes going a little bit out of the norm could be a bit precarious, but if you got the mind for it, then why waste time? You see, Art is beyond fine art. It’s beyond painting on canvas; it’s even beyond sculptural making. Art is something that we seem to know when we see it or hear it or experience it. My own definition of art is the sharing of one’s inner thoughts, feelings, emotions, visions, and struggles through multiple mediums. To me, art is everywhere - it surrounds us on a day to day basis, which takes us to the story that surrounds ‘3Some’. You feel me?

Feeling you could be saying you are pretty much adventurous because that’s a step too far considering your definition of art?

Yes, I am absolutely adventurous and very open minded. I am unapologetic.

And how about the financial motivation and inducement in making you bare it all live on stage?

Of course, I am coming back for a second show after a year plus, means the financial motivation is well stimulated. I would also like to correct something here. In as much as this is partially right. To be honest, I could never get paid enough to bare it all live. It’s the passion and love for what I do that matters more to me than the money. Like I said, art can be expressed in many ways. Money is never the motivation for an artist.

Any Nollywood appearance?

Yes, absolutely. I am an Actress.

Take us through your acting journey?

Since my return from England, I have featured a couple of movies and sitcom before and after the stage play ‘3Some’.

Movies like: Love of a Daughter by Sarah Donald Onyeachor; Girls by Iyke Olisa; Hustle TV Series; Girls Quarters TV Series; Linda Ikeji Prank; Crazy People by Moses Inwang (Sneeze Films); Abiku, Soldier Story 2 by (Frankie Ogar Production); Almost Perfect by Yinka Ogun; Battle Ground (MNET TV series), amongst others I can’t even remember.

Take us through your childhood growing up?

I was born and bred in Lagos; attended my primary and secondary school here in Lagos, before going to the UK to study film acting.

How did your acting journey start?

I started acting at the age of 15 or 16. But I had my major gig at 17, and then I went further to study ‘Acting for Camera’ in London. After this, I studied ‘Contemporary Art’. After my studies in England, I returned to Nigeria to continue with my career, but ventured more into Art- being that I got to really love art plus I was working for an art and film company.

But now, I am more focused into my acting career.

Dominion

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t +6/& , 2019

SHOWBIZFLAIR Going Naked on Stage Has Nothing to Do with Religion Which was your first acting gig?

It was with Sarah Donald, titled Love of a Daughter. I played one of the leads in the movie, alongside Chika Ike, Ngozi Ezeonu, Ken Erics etc

How was it like the first time on set of a movie?

It’s something I’ve always loved and very excited about. So it was all fun for me, then I began to take it more seriously.

If you weren’t an actor, what other career choice would you have taken?

Hmmm....that’s a really good question and I love it, you know why? Because I’ve always thought to myself ‘Marvie you would love to produce this and that’ - which was/is why I ventured into Perfumery and that’s a topic for another day. Fashion, I love fashion so much, I would definitely love to create my own wears, looking forward to that.

Film making is also where my heart is, someday soon, all these dreams of mine will come soon. I’m working towards all of these and many more. Fingers crossed.

Nollywood is replete with cases or allege cases of sexual harassment.

What’s your experience if there had been any?

Yes. I’ve had countless cases of sexual harassment related to film acting in this country. Studying abroad or being well trained doesn’t take the fact away that most of these movie directors only see you as a piece of meat in bed, all because they feel like you must be desperate to be on camera or looking for fame. I have rejected those stupid offers and turned deaf ears to them saying ‘xyz” actors do this, so why can’t you?’ I am like, ‘bro you are not even worth my body or my investment,’ and then they call me rude. Besides, to be honest, ain’t really doing this for the fame at all – I am not desperate for this. I am a real artiste and I’ve got strong passion for my craft, so if they can’t see it, then they can as well go to hell. Most of all, I am very grateful for the ones that see beyond sex and work with me. Let’s see how far those nymphomaniacs go. I had planned to expose these people in the future, but I recently had a change of heart, because I am worried for their innocent wives.

I only pray that nemesis catch up with them at some point. I believe that nature will take its course.

Who was/is your Nollywood crush?

I have got none to be honest. I have not even done crushing on my man

Are you in a relationship now because the last time I heard you speak during a chat with online platform you said you are single?

Yes o! I was very single last year; I guess all the Lagos men ran away from me. But hey....yes I am in a beautiful relationship now.

Wasn’t he aware of your highly erotic role on live stage and what was his reaction seeing you have taken up the role again for the second time?

There’s an excitement of him seeing me performing that role live, as he didn’t get to see it the first time I performed.

And he’s someone that appreciates art and understands my work.

Describe for us your man, and is he in the industry?

Dominion

Nyongo, Charlize Theron

What keeps you busy/up when you are not on set?

Oh my darling, I’m working on a bunch of stuff. I’ve got a Perfumery line I plan to start up when the time is right, so when I am not on set, I am working on the logistics of that project and other things I cannot reveal for now until time is right.

Have your parents been supportive or opposing of your choice of career especially that it takes you playing nude on screen and on stage?

Oh my parents have been super supportive. My parents are very liberal, so it was very easy for them to understand that concept of art

You got the role to play 3Some when the first girl contacted wanted more than just stripping on stage and asked for cunnilingus. Should the script be tweaked a little to have you go more practical live on stage than just erotic body display would you turn it down?

I actually think the script was just perfect the way it was. The writer Jude Idada is a fantastic artiste and I applaud his creativity with all that surrounds the story, just too good. He has my respect forever.

Should you found yourself in reality in the shoes of the wife whose husband was too busy to satisfy her sexually as in the 3Some script and so she resorted to online pleasure with another man, what would you have done?

Yes and even more. He’s just everything

I would try to understand what his reasons are and see possible ways of changing his notion or most probably teach him how to satisfy me sexually to keep our marriage intact.

Who were those that influenced you in the movie industry while growing up?

As an ‘open-minded and adventurously’ sexy being, have you ever engaged in the sexual act of 3Some?

Oh no, he’s not. He’s an amazing soul

Does he really fit your ideal man?

Actors like, Sharon stone, Lupita

I have never engaged in a 3Some act.

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NEWS

Residents Groan Amid Massive Security Cordon in Abuja Magu calls for inter-agency collaboration, wants CBN to track terror fund inflow Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

There was massive security cordon and deployment of soldiers and policemen at major entry points to the Federal Capital Territory yesterday.

This is coming as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, called for collaboration amongst security agencies in order to contain terrorism.

He also called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other relevant agencies to track inflows of funds used by sponsors of terrorism.

The deployment of soldiers snarled traffic along the Abuja-Nyanya-Keffi entry point to the city and the LugbeCity Gate axis, causing commuters to wait long hours as soldiers scanned and conducted checks on vehicles and passengers.

The presence of soldiers, policemen and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) were also noticeable in other parts of the city. “Before I came out of Nyanya today, it took me a long time because soldiers were everywhere and vehicles were moving at a snail pace because of the stop and search�, a civil servant, Linus, said.

When contacted, Army Spokesman, Col Sagir Musa, denied knowledge of the deployment. “Why would soldiers be deployed?

I am not aware of that�, he said.

The FCT Police Commissioner, Bala Ciroma, said the deployment was part of the security beef up that accompany impending festive periods.

He said the security beef up was in place before the presidential inauguration. “You know this is a festive period and we usually put measures in place to ensure security of the residents. “The measures had been in place since before the inauguration and we intend to sustain it until June 12 Democracy Day inauguration�, he explained.

THISDAY checks however showed that there was security intelligence pointing to a likely breach of security in the city.

This was based on intelligence information provided by a western power.

Prior to the inauguration of President Buhari, the military had raised the alarm that some groups and individuals were plotting to scuttle the inauguration prompting the initial security arrangement.

Meanwhile, the EFCC Chairman has called for greater collaboration amongst security agencies in order to curb terrorism.

He said it was an essential ingredient needed to effectively combat corruption and terrorist financing in the country.

He made the call at the Inter-Agency Cooperation and Coordination Seminar, which held at the Army War College, Abuja, as part of the eight-month study

programme for 66 senior officers of the Nigerian Army. “Synergy among agencies will no doubt go a long way in ensuring that our country is

safe, and there is need for more efforts in the investigation of where funds are gotten from,� he said.

Magu, who was represented

by Chidi Chukwuka Boniface, a Director with the EFCC, enjoined other agencies and bodies such as the CBN to curb inflow of foreign currency.

GETTING SET FOR EGYPT...

L-R: General Manager Production, HotSport Media Group, Ufuoma Osusu; the company’s Finance Manager, Meghan Obadiaru; Nigeria’s comedy legend, Atunyota Akpobome (well known as Alibaba); President/CEO of HotSports Media Group, Taye Ige; and the company’s Executive Director, Felix Ideh, during a visit by AliBaba to HotSports head oďŹƒce in Lagos in preparation for the broadcast of Egypt 2019 Africa Cup of Nations of which the company is the OďŹƒcial Exclusive Marketers

Ebie is New Delta SSG as Okowa 105 Graduate with First Class in Bayero University Makes First Appointments Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

Edevbie is Chief of Staff Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Primary and Secondary Education Commissioner in the immediate past State Executive Council in Delta State, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, was on Friday appointed the new Secretary to the State Government (SSG) by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

Ebie, who is a lawyer, is one of the three first appointments

by Dr. Okowa barely 48 hours after being inaugurated for a second term as Delta State Governor.

Others the governor announced in a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Government House, Mr. Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje, include Olorogun David Edevbie as the new Chief of Staff and Mr. Funkekeme Solomon as Senior Political Adviser.

Edevbie was immediate past state finance commissioner while Solomon, who waas the state PDP 2019 campaign director-general, is a former state lawmaker and commissioner under the Uduaghan administration.

Ogidi-Gbegbaje in the statement noted that Governor Okowa stated that the appointments would take immediate effect.

Okowa dissolved his cabinet at the state EXCO valedictory meeting a week before he was sworn in for a second term on May 29, 2019.

Nonetheless, the three appointments made by the governor are across the three senatorial districts as Ebie, Edevbie and Solomon hail from Delta North, Delta Central and Delta South senatorial districts, respectively.

Boko Haram: FG Urged to Refocus Rehabilitation of Victims The key stakeholders working to Counter Violent Extremism in Nigeria’s Northeast, have urged Federal Government to refocus its Rehabilitation and Reintegration(R&R) Programmes to address the needs of both perpetrators and victims of Boko Haram insurgency rather than the current attention on repentant terrorists and suspects.

This was the outcome of the workshop in Abuja on the validation and public presentation of baseline findings of the survey on mechanisms in rehabilitation and Reintegration vis a vis legitimacy made available to journalists on Friday by the National Coordinator, West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP)-Nigeria, Mrs. Brigdet Osakwe.

The event was organised by the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism in collaboration

(ICCT) and WANEP-Nigeria in collaboration with the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research with participants drawn from the Office of the Vice President, Nigeria police Force (NPF) , Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Local Government, Traditional and Religious Council, CSOs, as well as women and youth leaders.

Osakwe stated that rehabilitation and reintegration was most crucial to women and vulnerable individuals who are mostly affected by violence across the world. “Internally we are looking at women returnees, some women come back pregnant and then they have children. So how is the community accepting them and the women they came back with and we are very pertinent in that aspect of it. To this we are

going to factor it very strongly in the report,� she said.

In the same vein a researcher at the WANEP, Ms. Isioma Nkemakolam, said the stakeholders noted that the focus of R&R initiatives was solely on the perpetrator, while the rights of victims and citizens were placed in competition with the rights of former extremists.

Nkemakolam said the stakeholders called for a community-based, victim-centered approach to R&R. In Countering Violent Extremism ( CVE), She urged government to ensure all ratified international and regional legal instruments are incorporated in any R&R framework.

Nkemakolam also called on government to work in close cooperation with NGOs and CSOs in the development and implementation of national R&R frameworks.

The Vice Chancellor of the Bayero University Kano, Professor Muhammad Yahuza Bello has said 105 out of 6, 174 first degree graduates would be graduating with First Class from the University during its 35th convocation.

Professor Bello said the number was made up of 6, 174 first degree graduates, 107 PhD graduates, 2, 269 Masters Degree graduates and 1, 039 post graduate diploma degree graduates.

The convocation is scheduled to hold between 10 and 15 of June 2019 at the University convocation arena. =Bello told reporters in his office on Friday that a total of 9, 571 graduates would partake in the convocation ceremony.

The Vice Chancellor added that there was 11 per cent increase compared to the number of students that graduated last year which was put at 8, 634.

According to him, a blind undergraduate of the department of Special Education, Abdullahi Umar Abdullahi was graduating with a Second Class Upper, while the University had spent N17 million for awarding scholarship to indigent students.

He said BUK also lowered UMTE cut-off marks from 180 to 150 for the blind so as to encourage them to embrace tertiary education. =He also stated that, “the university Senate and Governing Council had decided to honour four individuals during this year’s Convocation ceremony.

Emeritus Professorship would be conferred on Professor Abdulkadir

Damgambo who retired from the services of the University in 2010 (after serving meritoriously for 37 years), but who had continued to serve the University through teaching, research and supervision of postgraduate students.� =He further stated that Honourary Degrees would also be conferred on Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo, Mr. Tony Onyemaechi Elumelu and Dr. Folake Solanke (SAN) for their outstanding performance in their various fields of endearvour, as well as service to humanity.

He said the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Prof. Suleiman Elias Bogoro was billed to inaugurate a number of new projects in the old and new campuses of the University on Friday, June 14.

I Bear No Grudge Against Anybody, Says Ogun Governor Femi Ogbonnikan in Abeokuta

The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has disclosed that that he had forgiven all those who offended him before and during the electioneering campaign and noted that he bear no grudge against anybody.

Abiodun, who made this known yesterday during a thanksgiving Jumat Service held at Egba Central Mosque, Kobiti, Abeokuta, the state capital, as parts of activities marking his inauguration as the fifth democratically elected Governor of the state said, it was only God who put people on the throne.

According to him, his administration would be fair, just, equitable and respect the rule of law and added

that his government would be an all-encompassing, and not a family affair.

While reeling out some of his administration’s programme of actions for the people of the state, the governor assured that good governance would be his administration’s watchword, adding that Local Governments would be empowered and granted full autonomy as stipulated in the Constitution. “Our workers under our “good governance principle� would be paid salaries as at when due, regardless of whether the State receives allocation from Federal government or not.

All salary arrears, deductions and pensions would also be paid�, he said.

On infrastructure, Governor

Abiodun said during the campaign, all bad roads discovered especially in rural areas would be fixed and promised that his administration would resuscitate and rebrand Ogun State Road Maintenance Agency (OGROMA) to be in charge of road repairs, noting that this would give local contractors opportunity to supply materials, which would provide job opportunities to the youths.

While shedding light on education and healthcare delivery service, the governor promised that at least one befitting primary school and primary health care centre would be located in every ward across the state and said that the health care centres would take care of minor cases such as typhoid, malaria, high blood pressure and others.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 1, 2019

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‘With Digital Technology, Nigerian SMEs can Become Global Giants’ Bennett Oghifo

PROVIDING INFRASTRUCTURE...

L-R: House committee Chairman on Education, Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdul Yanga; Executive chairman, Plateau SUBEB, Prof. Matthew Sule; Programme Manager, OANDO Foundation, Tonia Uduimoh ; Deputy Governor, Plateau State, Prof. Sonni Tyoden; and Commissioner for Secondary Education, Jude Dakur, at the commissioning of 2 Blocks of Classroom donated by Oando Foundation at LEA Primary School, Bungha Gida, Mangu, Plateau State recently

Appeal Court Okays Final Forfeiture of N1.4bn NGF Consultants Davidson Iriekpen

The Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal yesterday okayed the request of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the final forfeiture of the sum of N1.4billion which a firm, Melrose General Services Limited, obtained from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) through false claims.

Melrose is allegedly linked to outgoing Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, whose two aides Gbenga Makanjuola and Kolawole

Shittu - are being prosecuted by the EFCC in respect of the matter.

Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court in Lagos had on April 27, 2018 ordered the final forfeiture of the said N1.4billion to the federal government.

Dissatisfied with the verdict of Justice Olatoregun, Melrose General Services approached the appellate court for redress, asking it to set aside the pronouncement of the lower court.

But in its judgment on the matter yesterday, Justice E. Tobi dismissed the appeal of Melrose

(the appellant) and resolved the four contentious issues in favour of the EFCC (the first respondent).

The appellate court further held that Melrose appeal lacked merit and ordered the firm to pay N100,000 cost to the EFCC. The appellate court also held that Melrose could not show that the said funds were lawfully earned by it.

It added that section 17 of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act, 2006, which the EFCC relied on to seek for the forfeiture of the said funds was constitutional.

According to the Appeal Court, Melrose was not denied fair hearing in the matter.

Justice Tijjani Abubakar wrote the lead judgment, Justice E. Tobi delivered the judgment, while Justice O. A. Obaseki-Adejumo concurred with the verdict.

Counsel to the Melrose, Mr. Olawale Akoni (SAN) argued that his client was not given fair hearing during the proceeding at the lower court But counsel to EFCC, Mr. Ekele Iheanacho, agued to the contrary.

The EFCC had claimed that

Shiites Burn Trump Effigy, US, Israeli Flags in Abuja Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN ) genetically known as Shiites, Friday burned a caricature of the US President Donald Trump, during a protest march in Wuse, Abuja.

They doused the effigy with petrol before setting it ablaze. They also burned the national flags of the United States and Israel during the protest march.

The incident which took place at the junction of the popular Wuse market caused a traffic gridlock in the area and forced many people

to scamper for safety.

They labelled the Americans as enemies, accusing them of deliberately suppressing the rights of the Palestinians to self-determination. They also accused Israel of occupation of Arab territory and oppressive tendency.

Abdulahi Musa, who is the Secretary of Academic Forum of group, said the burning the flags was to show their solidarity for the Palestinian cause.

Musa said the Shiites decided to organise the march to pressure President Muhammadu Buhari

to release their spiritual leader, Ibraheem El-Zakyzaky and his wife, who have been detained since December 2015, following a fatal clash in Zaria between the group and the Nigerian Army.

He said that the decision of the President to keep El-Zakyzaky in custody was a violation of rule of law especially after several courts of competent jurisdiction had ordered his release.

The group vowed to continue with the protest irrespective of the intimidation by the security agents.

Also three coffins wrapped with Palestinian flags were on display

which signified the three children of El-Zakyzaky who were killed by the security operatives during a protest in Zaria.

Palpable tension gripped Abuja on Friday morning as a roadblock by the military at the Nyanyan area on the Abuja-Keffi Road to deter the Shiites from grouping, created a traffic snarl along the route. It will be recalled that clashes involving the adherents and security operatives in Abuja in October last year resulted in several casualties on the part of the Islamist group and disrupted public order.

Obaseki Says He's Not a Weakling as NULGE, NLC, Pensioners, Endorse Him for Second Term Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has warned some persons he described as political detractors not to mistake his humane disposition for weakness.

Governor Obaseki also said he was not a weakling, adding however that he would respond to opponents of second term with positive works just as he noted that "never again will the food of the children be given to the dogs" The Edo Governor spoke when the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC), National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), National Butchers Union, Market Women, National Union of Road Transport Workers

(NURTW) youths and students held a solidarity march to endorse him for second term.

Represented by the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Mr. Paul Ohonbamu, Obaseki said the social contract he entered with the people in 2016 was being fulfilled across the state.

According to him, “Obaseki is a development warrior. He wants to create an alternate society where honour will be given to men and women who deserve it and not those who bought them. That is the society he wants to create where there will not be primitive accumulation. Where there will not be wastage.

“Obaseki believes that the wealth of a state is not measured by the

opulent of rulers of that state but the productivity of the people of the state. People are not comfortable with the process he is adopting.

“The process of changing the fortunes of Edo people is being opposed. It is s system that can create winners and losers in the political arena and economy market place. They are not comfortable because the type of politics Obaseki is playing is too sophisticated for them.

“Obaseki has said he will continue to be an agent of the people.

You must see the government as your agent to do that which you desire in line with legitimate expectation. Those who threatened that they will let hell loose, I want to tell them that no Governor is

a weakling. Every Governor can sting, every Governor can strike. We are fortunate to have a governor who is an unwilling serpent.

“This fight is not Obaseki’s fight. The people put him there.

He has the legitimate votes from of the people and he cannot betray the trust. The goodwill cannot be squandered.”

Chairman of NURTW, Comrade Odion Olaye, said the massive road network was beneficial to the drivers who would support Obaseki for second term.

Two factions of NULGE leadership in the state led by Comrade Lazarus Adorolo Comrade Gideon Akpata were also in agreement in their support for Obaseki.

Globacom has said the right application of technology could assist Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country to overcome present limitations and leapfrog into the global business arena.

Based on the observation, Globacom’s Head, Oil and Gas, Business Solutions, Adekunle Adeleke, therefore called on the small and medium enterprises to adapt the various digital solutions offered by the company to improve their businesses and position themselves for competitiveness even outside the country.

Adeleke said this at the African Food and Products Exhibition held over the weekend at the Continental Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The event was organised by the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce and supported by the telecommunications operator.

He said Globacom acknowledges the role of SMEs as drivers of the economy, and had therefore put in place affordable and innovative products and services which could promote them.

“We understand that no two businesses are alike and that each has its own unique needs.

To address these needs, we of-

fer a range of customized and community-driven voice and data connectivity solutions that help to manage different networking systems. These include internet connectivity, mobile money solutions, Wide Area Connectivity (WAN), credit check for postpaid subscribers, and mobile solutions for establishments,” Adeleke said.

“So, we have an extensive infrastructure that covers the entire country, a reliable network, the platforms and connectivity for digital transformation that will make small and medium businesses competitive all over the world,” he asserted.

He said Globacom was ready at all times to collaborate with businesses to design specialised ICT solutions that would address their requirements, and described the theme of the exhibition “Sustainability and Innovation: Pathway to Business Success for SMEs” as important to the efforts to increase trade relations between Nigeria and other countries.

Adeleke stated that with the nationwide Glo 4G LTE service powered by the Glo 1 submarine cable, Glo is in a very good position to meet the communication needs of SMEs and design relevant solutions for their business growth and sustainability.

Kogi East Should Allow Power to Remain in Central or West, Pleads Group Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja A Group known as Citizens for Equity, Fairness and Justice yesterday pleaded with the people of Kogi east to allow power to remain in either central or west.

The President of the group, Mallam Mohammed Abubakar made the appeal during a press conference held at Nigeria Union of Journalist in Lokoja.

According to him, under the law, marginalisation was illegal and under God, marginalisation was injustice and immoral.

He noted that number one requirement for the governance of Kogi State today was competent leadership stressing that the second requirement was the need for equity, fairness and justice.

The President added that if voting power is the only qualification or criteria for ruling, how come it is not only the people of the Northern part of Nigeria that produces the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? Nigeria has had Presidents from the North, South West, South East/South South, who were all voted for by all Nigerians in the past twenty years of democratic experience from 1999 to date.

"Equally, Kogi State is the only state in Nigeria where the Senatorial areas are divided along the major tribes in the state, just like Nigeria as a country. " Kogi State is the only state where a particular Senatorial Zone has not produced and Governor where then is the fairness and equity.

"If Nigeria can rotate and shift power for fairness, justice and equity, for peace and unity to reign, it is time for equitable opportunity to govern Kogi State," he said.

According to him, for the past 20 years, Kogi East has ruled for 16 years and Kogi Central for 4years stressing that fairness demands that Kogi West or Central be given the

opportunity unless there are no competent people there.

"There is no monopoly of competence anywhere, the Nigerian Constitution recognises Nigeria ethnic diversity and the fact that majority numbers only lead to injustice and unfairness, enshrined federal character for equitable distribution of positions and opportunities to contribute to national development. " Kogi State is part of Nigeria and injustice to one is injustice to all. It is time to stop the injustice in Kogi State.

Saturday, June 1, 2019

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Price: N250

MISSILE Lawan Shuaibu to Oshiomhole “It is my honest opinion that your ability to ensure this party flourishes is deficient as you lack the necessary composure; you also don’t possess the capabilities/requisite experience to run a political party.”

– Deputy National Chaiman of the APC, Senator Lawan Shuaibu, asking the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole to resign.

PENDULUM DELE MOMODU

dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com

The Great Lessons Life Has Taught Me At 59 (II)

F

ellow Nigerians, last week, I wrote copiously about the importance of education in my life, and how it turned things around for me. This week, I will write about the importance of goodwill in a man’s life. You can go to the best schools, bag all the top and esoteric degrees available, but if your human/public relations is hopeless, you are likely to end up a useless human being, even if you attain a little measure of success. The ability to make friends, retain friendship and maintain excellent relationships, will ultimately help you beyond your dreams.

I read a lot of books as a young man, spanning psychology, sociology, philosophy, biographies, religion, world literatures, history, and so on, and I discovered the meaning and power of personality, charisma, presence and aura. Your presence alone can attract favours to you, based on your carriage, appearance, comportment, choice of words, and general demeanour.

Conversely, the same presence can make you a source of ill-will, hatred and opprobrium if not properly managed.

One of the biggest assets I believe God has richly endowed me with is the ability to make friends at first contact and keep them for as long as it takes and even for a lifetime. Let me put it another way. I had an uncommon talent to meet older people and feel instantly comfortable in their midst and they in turn begin to relate to me like we are peers and trusting that I will try my best to respect, support and protect them. Even in very rare cases that we had misunderstandings and we almost fell out totally, we always came back closer and stronger.

They have come to understand, appreciate and accept my worldview and independent opinions on issues, without fear or favour, and vice versa.

Now that I am older, I find that I have a similar kind of attraction for the younger folk. I do not discriminate or treat them condescendingly on account of their youth. I remember life’s lessons and kindness to me and the opportunities I have been afforded as a result.

I discovered this gift very early in life. As young as I was when I started school in 1966, at the age of six, I was very close to my Headmaster who sometimes offered me a ride on his motorbike, a Lambretta, which in those days was like driving a car. Chief Isaac Olagbaju, as he later became known, must have imbued me with so much confidence because there was never a time that I felt timid or intimidated by anyone thereafter.

I just flowed freely along my own path basking in the awesome relationships that I garnered and engendered along the way. I enjoyed some informal intimacy with my teachers and later my own students as well. I realised that more knowledge was imparted both ways when such interaction exists. In 1982, at the age of 22, I had become a graduate and taught A-level students for the next one year at what was then known as the Oyo State College of Arts and Science.

My students loved me to bits because of my unique style of getting them fully relaxed and we established a bond of a lifetime since then.

From that young age, I had access to much older mentors who discussed very freely with me on virtually every subject. I was blessed with the distinguished company of Chief Oyeladun Oyemade, Chief Abiola Ijiwoye, Professor Wande Abimbola, Professor Akinwumi Isola (he supervised my B.A dissertation), Chief Orayemi Orafidiyan Chief Funmilola Olorunnisola, Chief

Late Olubuse II

Akinrinade

Olaniyan Alawode, Professor Adeniji Adaralegbe, Chief Akin Omoboriowo, Lt. General Alani Akinrinade (his country home in Yakooyo was home to many youths who aspired to greatness) and several others. The foundation for today was laid about that time, many decades ago.

It was never fortuitous. It came from meeting and seizing opportunities, momentarily. You had to be sharp and eagle-eyed. Big men have no time for frivolities.

They have the capacity to scan you and analyse you in a jiffy. Once you pass that first test, the litmus or acid test as it is sometimes called, you are on your way to becoming somebody from nobody.

I later worked for His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II, in 1996, and it afforded me the opportunity to understand the awesomeness of networking. Wow, Oba Sijuwade was one of the greatest networkers that ever lived!

Now, please listen to this tale very carefully.

Ooni Sijuwade had the talismanic ability to be friends with sworn political enemies in equal measure. He was able to discern what most of our younger politicians fail to realise – that politics is not mortal combat and that at the end of the day, in politics you can never have permanent friends or foes, but permanent interests. Just imagine a man who was friends of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and President Shehu Shagari, two arch-rivals and proudly decorated his palaces with their portraits. Every time I visited the powerful Yoruba King, I marvelled at his wealth of friends across political divides and the deep affection and camaraderie they shared. He was a super charmer and everyone crowded around him, in hate or in love. Ooni Sijuwade was a thoroughbred royal with an inimitable style that is difficult to replicate.

It was while I was with Oba Sijuwade that I met an exceptionally brilliant journalist, Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo, of blessed memory, who would later drag me to a life I never planned or envisaged in Lagos. My dream was to be a teacher, probably marry a teacher and father and foster teachers, and live happily thereafter.

For us, in those good old days, teachers were like demigods, viewed with awe and treated with fear and trepidation. That’s another story entirely.

From my stint working for Oba Sijuwade, I

returned to the University of Ife for my Master’s degree in Literature-in-English. Even that was a tough call. I had applied to study Law, in atonement for my Mum’s disappointment in my studying Yoruba in the first instance but the Faculty of Law rejected me. My Mum wept bitterly wondering if I was a victim of African jazz or witchcraft. Little did I know God’s plans for me. I had to meander through that bitch of a life to arrive at my glorious destination. The University’s Faculty of Arts also initially rejected my application on the pretext that it had never admitted someone who had read Yoruba as a first degree for a Master’s in Literature-in-English despite the fact that I had taking courses in Literature till the third year during my Bachelor’s degree. It took the intervention of Professor Adaralegbe who told them there is always a first time in everything and advised them to make me do pre-requisite courses at undergraduate level alongside my Master’s, if need be. It was totally unheard of, but the Faculty eventually buckled under immense pressure. I agree to the tedious terms. I was a trail-blazer and that has been the story of my life, because that is God’s will.

Again, I was fortunate to have some of the most liberal teachers in Literature and I was particularly close to Dr Biodun Jeyifo, one of the most brilliant human beings I have ever encountered. I sauntered in and out of his campus home like I was the landlord. I was also inspired to know a famous African novelist, living nearby on Road 20, Dr Kole Omotoso, whose house was a rendezvous for lovers of creative writing. Dr Ropo Sekoni was the best supervisor I could ever have. Dr Chidi Amuta, Dr Adebayo Williams and Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi were already contributing masterpieces to newspapers and magazines. I was inspired by the writings of Dele Giwa, who grew up in the same Atiba quarters of Ile-Ife like me, and my childhood friend, Dele Olojede, who lived in Modakeke. Unknown to me, I was born to write but this did not occur to me until I was hit by joblessness and the penury that is associated with it.

It took my best friend, Prince Adedamola Aderemi, to open my eyes to the possibility of writing and contributing to newspapers. Even then, I was still lukewarm in attitude and quite reluctant to follow that trajectory. We decided

to explore job placements at publishing houses like Evans and Heinemann Books but arrived at a dead end along that route too. Eventually, I started making contributions to The African Guardian magazine, and co-authored an essay on the Olojo Festival of Ile-Ife with Kwesi Sampson.

It was submitted by Onukaba, now of blessed memory. Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi helped to take one of my articles to the op-ed page of The Guardian newspaper itself. However, my first article was sent directly to the famous Odia Ofeimun in reaction to his controversial article on the decision of Kenyan writer, Ngugi wa Thiong’o to stop writing in English. Seeing my byline in The Guardian was like walking on the moon. I also wrote for The Sunday Tribune and the wonderful Editor, Mr Folu Olamiti, remains my big Brother till this day.

The Guardian paid me N25 per article while I contributed to The Tribune gratis. I’m grateful for such exposure, and I remain indebted to these great journals of our time for the part they played in my journalistic emancipation.

I began to make friends in literary circles. I worshipped Professor Wole Soyinka, like an idol.

How I wished I could write like, if not better than him. That remains a tall order. He is not one of the few African literary Nobel laureates for nothing. I cherished every opportunity I had to meet with him. I loved the giants at The Guardian and bonded with them one after the other. The list included the giants of our profession like Stanley Macebuh, Olatunji Dare, Patrick Dele Cole, Andy Akporugo, Edwin Madunagu, Amma Ogan, Sonala Olumhense, and others. Their influence remains indelible.

But I never managed to secure a job at The Guardian. My job came from a place I least expected, The African Concord magazine, where I was interviewed by the Editor, Lewis Obi, and was employed on the spot.

My exploits at Concord newspapers were the stuff of fiction or thrillers. Within months, I was moved to another publication, Weekend Concord, as a pioneer staff, alongside legends like Mike Awoyinfa and Dimgba Igwe (now of blessed memory). Within two months of starting the paper in 1989, my Editor, Awoyinfa, shot me into prominence with a double promotion.

He would regularly tell me how orgasmic he felt my writings were. Six months after that, I earned another promotion and became the number three man in the hierarchy at Weekend Concord. Without being immodest I had helped to transform that Weekend paper and made it the number one weekend paper in Nigeria. It had grown larger and bigger than the wildest dreams of those who envisioned the publication and where they wanted to position it at inception.

Six months later, exactly two years of arriving Lagos from Ile-Ife (1988 to 1990), I was rewarded for my hard work, diligence, but above all good nature and goodwill, and I was pronounced the highest paid Editor in Nigeria by Classique magazine, owned by May Ellen Ezekiel (God rest her beautiful soul). And that was it! The sky, and what lay beyond it had become the limit!

Not just that, I was already close to my erstwhile Managing Director at the Concord Group, Dr Doyin Abiola, and my extraordinary Chairman, Chief Moshood Abiola, which was unusual for a “Journey Just Come” like me …

To be continued

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