Vanguard June 01 2013 Edition

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2—SATURDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 1, 2013

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SATURDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 1, 2013—3

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4 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013

NCC arrests 8 pirates, confiscates over N7m worth of goods

By EMMANUEL ELEBEJE

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HE Nigerian Copy Right Commission, NCC has confiscated pirated goods worth over N7 million with seven suspects arrested by operatives of the Commission in the course of the seizure in Kubwa and Zuba areas of the Federal capital Territory, Abuja.

The Acting Director of Enforcement, NCC, Mr. Augustine Amodu said the anti-pirated operations code-named “Kuwa Cleansing”, aimed at checking u n a u t h o r i z e d reproduction, possession and distribution of suspected pirated optical Discs.

He explained that the seized suspected pirated optical discs belong to various local and foreign right owners and are replicated illegally as 20in- one, 80 –in-one

DVDS AND CDs. While warning dealers of such items to steer clear, Amodu identified some of the titles as “Prison Break”, Cinderella”, Azonto”, Jewel in the Palace” among others.

Amodu further revealed that seven suspects were arrested during the raid and a total of 28,000 copies of optical discs, including movies and musical works removed with a breakdown of 19,000 and 9000 at Kubwa and Zuba respectively .

He noted that further investigations had been instituted to uncover the main sources of illegal reproduction of copyright protection works.

He assured stakeholders that the commission will continue in the fight against piracy and ensure that genuine creators benefit from the products of their creativity.

In a related development, the

commission has arrested a cable television pirate in Durumi area of Abuja.

The suspect, Mr. Godwin Onyeuka was said to have engaged in house to house connection of unregistered subscribers in his nebourhood without due process.

Addressing news men after the arrest, the agency Director of Enforcement, Augustine Amodu, said the arrest was made through an interim report, which revealed that the accused was engaging in illegal activities of redistribution of DSTV services to other people without due permission to do so.

He noted that the commission had severally warned the perpetrators of the illegal act to desist from doing so, as the actions impinge on the right of the intellectual property of the rightful owner of the product, describing piracy as a cankerworm that eats into the fabrics of the nation.

First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan flanked by the wife of former Head of State, Mrs. Ajoke Mohammed (2r) and the wife of Anambra State Governor, Mrs. Peter Obi while the Women Affairs Minister, Hajia Zainab Maina (r) and oil magnate, Hajia Bola Shagaya (l) watch during the special dinner organised for Nigerian women to mark the 2013 Democracy Day and the 2nd year of President Goodluck Jonathan in office at the Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida

Court orders PDP to stop further action on Amaechi

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME, PH

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USTICE Emmanuel Ogbuji of a Port Harcourt High Court yesterday stopped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP from taking further action against the governor of Rivers State, Mr Chibuike Amaechi pending determination of a suit filed

by the governor challenging his suspension by the party. Governor Amaechi had approached the court yesterday seeking an order to stop the party from taking further action against him until hearing on his suit challenging his suspension was concluded.

Justice Ogbuji further directed that the party be served through publication

in three national newspapers and by pasting the notice on the party’s secretariat.

Continuing, the court ordered the party to appear before it on June 6th. Lead counsel to the governor, Akin Olubumi, SAN lauded the action of the court, saying that the party had no right to suspend a sitting governor.

No faction in NGF — Jang

BY BEN AGANDE , ABUJA

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HE factional Chair man of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Jonah Jang yesterday said there was no division in the forum, noting that he is the only chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum.

Speaking with State House correspondents after meeting with President Jonathan, Jang said the meeting with the President was to “congratulate Mr. President and to consult with him on very serious national issues”.

He said some of the issues the governors consulted with the president on were the security challenge in the country and other sundry national issues.

He said the governors consulted with the president on “the security problem in the country and what we need to do in the coming two years to ensure that democracy stabilises and devel-

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opment continues in the country.”

Asked whether the issue of factionalisation of the NGF came up, governor Jang said “let me tell you, there is no factionalition of the NGF, NGF is one and I am the

chairman of the NGF”.

President Jonathan acknowledged Jang as the chairman of the NGF Thursday night when he publicly recognized him as the Chairman of the NGF at a dinner he hosted for members of the PDP family.

Ajah: Traders stage rally, urges adequate security

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ORRIED by the spate of violent attacks by hoodlums in Ajah community, a Lagos suburb, especially the recent violence that left no fewer than four persons dead with scores injured, some traders under the auspices of Association of Nigerian Market Women and Men of Ajah Ultra Modern Market yesterday staged a rally.

Commending the Lagos State Government for its intervention in the crisis, they urged police authorities to ensure ad-

equate security in the area.

The placard-carrying t r a d e r s , singing solidarity songs, stormed the Ajah market as early as 11 am for the rally. They bemoaned their fate in the hands of the hoodlums.

Their leader,who is also the Baba Oja of Ajah market, Ahaji Rasaq Odunlami, said:”We traders have been the target whenever violence erupts as a result of supremacy battle between the hoodlums,which usually results in looting, robbery and killing.”

SATURDAY

Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013 — 5

Herdsmen massacre 17, several hundreds flee homes in Benue •JTF hands over 68 released sect members to Yobe, Borno govts •Hunger hits Boko Haram members •Atiku advises FG on Emergency rule

BY PETER DURU, Makurdi, KINGSLEY OMONOBI-Abuja, NDAHI MARAMA, Maiduguri,CHRIS OCHAYI

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ESPITE efforts by security agencies to stem the recurrent invasion of parts of Benue state by armed Fulani herdsmen, no fewer than 17 persons have been killed in Akough village in Guma local government area of the state by suspected Fulani mercenaries.

The armed herdsmen also razed Akough market, where some persons were also killed.

Saturday Vanguard gathered from eyewitnesses that the armed attackers stormed the village three days ago at the early hours of the day, burning down houses and huts, leaving several persons dead while many others sustained varying degrees of injuries. The development has forced several hundreds of people to flee their homes for fear of being attacked in another onslaught.

Also, former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, yesterday, counselled the Federal Government that dialogue with the members of Boko Haram sect and other aggrieved elements in the country remains the only solution to resolving the current impasse.

Alhaji Abubakar who made this known at the Rotary International Conference, organized by District 9125-Nigeria, at the Yar ’Adua Centre, Abuja, said, there was need to engage aggrieved groups in dialogue while taking decisive security measures to protect innocent people.

Meanwhile, the intensive cordon and search operation being conducted on members of Boko Haram by the troops

of the Special Forces received a major boost as the Defence headquarters announced yesterday that a group of terrorists moving from village to village in search of large quantity of food were tracked and apprehended at Daban Masara with weapons such as AK 47 rifle, single barrel shotgun, double hand shotgun and various calibres of ammunition recovered from them, following a tip-off from civilians.

The Defence Headquarters in its statement said: “The group which was moving around in a Toyota Land Cruiser Jeep with registration number Borno XA 428 ADM which is suspected to have been stolen. They were eventually arrested at Daban Masara with weapons such as AK 47 rifle, single barrel shotgun, double hand shotgun and various calibres of ammunition.

“In other locations, a total of 56 identified insurgents were apprehended with the help of Military Police dogs.

“Items recovered from the arrested insurgents include, 7 packs of IEDs, 2 rocket propelled gun chargers, a rifle magazine, and 2 machetes.

“Others are bomb detonators, camouflage and other military uniforms as well as medicines, equipment, charms, 7 vehicles including a Jeep and 8 tri-cycles”.

68 Sect members released to Yobe, Borno govts

Again, as the campaign to rid the nation’s territories of the insurgents continues and in compliance with President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive on the immediate release of some members of insurgent group, the Joint

Task Force (JTF) has handed over 20 pardoned sect members to Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state, while 17 women and 21 children were handed over to Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe state yesterday.

The suspects who are made up of six women and 14 young men were handed over to Governor Shettima by the Commander 23 Armoured Brigade at the Government House Council Chambers, while 17 women and 21 children were handed over to Governor Gaidam at the Wawa Hall by the JTF Spokesman, Lieutenant Lazarus Eli respectively so that they will in turn be handed over to their families for rehabilitation and reintegration.

In his remarks shortly before the handover of the suspects, the spokesman of the JTF in Borno, Lt. Col Sagir Musa who accompanied the Brigade Commander said, “ on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Saad Ibrahim we are handing over the six women and 14 children arrested by our men, so that they could be rehabilitated and reintegrated with their families and become useful members of the society”.

Responding, Governor Kashim Shettima said, “we most sincerely thank Mr. President for his magnanimity. This marks a milestone in our quest for peace and to restore normalcy to Borno state and the country at large”.

He commended the security operatives for keeping the detainees hail and hearty and promised that they will be rehabilitated and reintegrated back to the society, so that they may become good members of the society, adding that they will be trained in various vocational training centres to acquire skills while the young

Factional Chairman, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Governnor Jonah Jang of Plateau State responding to questions from Correspondents at the Presidential Villa after a closed-door meeting with President Goodluck Joinathan at the Aso Villa, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida men will be sent to schools and the sum of ten thousand will be given to their parents if they agree to enroll them into schools.

The governor then urged them to be good citizens and not to retrace their steps into the Boko Haram sect, as no religion allows the killing of innocent citizens in the name of fighting the cause of Allah.

In a confessional statement, one of the released teenagers said that he used to spy for the sect on the movement of the JTF and that he was being paid N5,000 after any successful operation.

Another teenager who also confessed said that he was given petrol and matches to burn schools and that after every operation,he was being paid N5,000, adding that when he was arrested, he revealed his sponsors to the JTF and they were promptly arrested.

In the same vein, Gaidam promised to train the released suspects to acquire skills so that they will become useful citizens in the future.

Residents flee homes in Akough, Benue

Saturday Vanguard learnt that the attack on Akough village in Guma local government area has left several hundreds of people fleeing their homes.

According to our source, “the fulani herdsmen attacked the village at the bank of the River Benue which is bordering both Benue And Nasarawa

states shooting sporadically and burning down houses and huts.

“From there, they moved to the Akor market which resulted into a stampede amidst confusion. They opened fire on those they found at the market, killing and maiming them.

“At the end of the operation which lasted close to nine hours, over 17 persons were killed while many sustained injuries.

“The heavily armed herdsmen did not stop there, they went further to set the market ablaze after which they retreated to their canoes and moved back to Nasarawa state.

“But as they left, they took some of the natives captive, and since then, they’ve been using the cellphone of the captives to communicate to the community, threatening to stage another round of bloody attack on the community in no distant time.

“As I speak with you, people are moving out from the community in droves for fear of being caught in a fresh onslaught.

“At the moment, hundreds of people who are fleeing the besieged village have taken refuge in Gbajimba, the local government headquarters and the situation is a sorry sight,” he stated.

Attempts to reach the Guma local government council Chairman, Hon. Usa Adii failed but the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Deputy Superintendent of

Police, DSP, Daniel Ezeala, said the Police had beefed up security in the community adding however that the command had recorded only four deaths in the attack.

Atiku Abubakar advises FG

The former Vice President in his paper regretted that, “the economies of Borno, Yobe Plateau, Kaduna and, increasingly, Adamawa states have been badly hurt by this wave of insecurity.”

Enumerating the critical development challenges, which are currently facing the nation, Alhaji Abubakar said, “peace and security are needed for these to happen. That is why the government must do all that is necessary in a democratic society to protect lives and property. Thus, there is the need to engage aggrieved groups in dialogue while taking decisive security measures to protect innocent people. I hope that the current emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states does not obviate the urgent need for such dialogue in that zone and elsewhere.

According to him, “our country is obviously going through very serious challenges, including the challenge of providing adequate security, reducing conflicts, narrowing the infrastructure deficit, providing gainful employment especially for the youth, and rebuilding our educational system.

6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013

2015:Anenih calls for automatic tickets for Jonathan, governors

BY BEN AGANDE, Abuja

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HE chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Tony Anenih yesterday canvassed that in order to avoid the wrangling that characterised party primaries especially for executive positions, incumbent president and governors who have performed well in office should be granted automatic tickets to contest election.

In a message at a dinner organised by the President for “PDP family” at the banquet hall of the presidential Villa, Chief Anenih said the internal problem of the party must be tackled urgently if the party wants Nigerians to take it serious.

According to him, the problems going on in the Nigeria governors forum which has two chairmen who are members of the PDP “ is an embarrassing situation which must be urgently addressed. ”I believe the challenges facing the party are temporary and at the end of the day, we will come out stronger. But if we want to continue to enjoy the support of Nigerians; if we create tension in the country as a result of the problems in our party and expect Nigerians to continue to support and applaud us, it is not possible. ”As party leaders, we must commit ourselves to repositioning the party. It is an embarrassment what is happening in the Nigeria Governors Forum.

It is an embarrassing situation which must be ur-

gently addressed. The leadership of the party will not tolerate a situation where it will preside over a divided house. ”We need a strong party. If a party is strong and there is discipline and those who work hard are rewarded, our government will be stronger. Our problems are not insurmountable. After the tour of the Board of Trustees, we will collate the opinions and make appropriate recommendations to the President as leader of the party. But what I would like to say is that the President and governors who are seeking their second term should be given automatic tickets to contest the second term” he said.

He also suggested the extension of the same gesture to performing members of the National Assembly, even though their tenure or number of terms they can enjoy is not circumscribed by the Nigerian Constitution.

According to him, “I do not see anything wrong if the PDP considers automatic tickets for the President and its Governors who have performed well and are seeking for a second term.

“It is my view that with the outstanding performance of President Jonathan in the areas of power, rail and water transportation, road construction, aviation reforms, education, agriculture, job creation, etc., the party should not find it difficult in granting him the opportunity to serve a second term, if he so desires.”

He said his proposition was made against the backdrop of the incidents of rancour and disunity that have always attended the party primaries.

“Since this gathering is all-embracing and fully representative of our party membership nationwide, I would like to repeat what I said in Asaba about our party primaries.

“I did say that, over the years, our primaries have been the most serious sources of rancour and disunity in our ranks, and, that we usually invest so much resources and energy fighting ourselves in the primaries that should have gone into the larger battle against our political rivals.

“I had admonished that we could not continue this tradition of internal warfare and hope that we would have enough energy left to win elections,” he stated.

He said he had consequently proposed the evolvement of a new system of selecting flagbearers at the presidential and governorship levels that would preserve the party’s unity and reserve its energy and resources for the greater battle for political power.

He told the gathering that

“Soon after my address, I read in the media the positive reception and reactions to my proposition by some of our members who believed that one of the ways to do that should be the granting of automatic tickets to sitting presidents and governors who are seeking their second term “I concur with them, provided that the sitting presidents and governors must have performed creditably with tangible results.

The same may apply to performing members of the National Assem-

The FCT Minister Senator Bala Mohammed presenting a letter of condolence from Mr.President to the Emir of Kontagora Alhaji Sa”Idu Namaska while Governor Babaginda Aliyu watches.

bly although they enjoy indefinite number of terms.

“The proposed arrangement would, I believe, help to forestall frictions and acri-

mony in the nomination process, in the overall interest of our party and the nation.”

He condemned what he called, the “persistent negative profiling

of the administration of President Jonathan” and urged PDP leaders to rally round and unite behind the president in the task of nationbuilding.

Court remands 15 rioters in Ile Oluji

BY DAYO JOHNSON, Akure

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IFTEEN suspects arrested over the violent protest in Ile Oluji area of Ondo state have been ordered to be remanded in prison custody by an Akure Chief Magistrate court.

The suspects were arraigned on 12 countscharge at the Magistrates Court 2 and were charged with felony, burning of the palace of the Jegun of Ile Oluji, Oba Stephen Suulade Adedugbe and attempted murder of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the town, Mr Olawoye Ezekiel and another policeman, Constable Olaofe Bamidele.

They include; Akinfesoye Akinfolarin, Sunday Agbeko, Julius Akinbayode, Christian Nnadi, Olatide Daniel, Akinro Adefulire, Olagunju Ismaila, Adebusoye Felix,

Dare Owa, Olatunji Oyetunji Bisiliu and Emmanuel Nweke.

Others are; Alhaji Taiwo Akinmadeyemi, Jayeoba Akinwale, Akinfade Stephen and Awodeyi Lateef.

The accused and others now at large conspired together to commit felony to wit arson, causing grievous harm, malicious damage and rioting by setting ablaze an office building belonging to the Jegun of Ile Oluji, Oba Stephen Suulade Adedugbe and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 443(a) of the

Criminal Code Cap 37, Vol.1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.

The suspects were also accused of setting ablaze a church building behind the Jegun’s office palace, malicious damage of the doors and windows of the palace of the Jegun and willfully damaging the windscreen and side mirror of Police Armoured Personnel Carrier with registration number NPF 6006 C, the extent of which could not be ascertained at the moment and thereby committed an offence punishable under 458 of the Criminal Code.

NIPRODEV holds peace dialogue

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HE Niger Delta Professionals for D e v e l o p m e n t , NIPRODEV, in conjunction with Secretary of Local Project Committee of Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, Mr Emiko Esiategiwa, held a dialogue on security issues with the Nigeria Police Force, Joint Task Force, JTF, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, at the Sol-Milk Hotel, Koko, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State recently.

The dialogue was focused on security challenges in the community, mutual suspicion and reticence .

The dialogue was declared open by Mr Emiko Esiategiwa who appreciated men of the security forces and other participants for the success of the dialogue,

and also thanked the European Union (EU, search for common ground (SFCG), and NIPRODAV for the programme tagged, “Tomorrow is a New Day” (TND) initiative and harped on the need for cooperation and constant private dialogue among the indigenes and security officials. He stated that it will enable the community leaders and members of the security forces to identify and share common interest and concerns, thus fostering better relationship.

The security officials who spoke through the Operations Officer of the Koko Barracks of the Nigeria Army, Capt.

Daniel Ogueri, recounted the challenges of intimidation and lack of cooperation from community members.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013 — 7

Ekiti guber poll: Fayemi floors Oni at S-Court

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI, Abuja

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HE Supreme Court, yesterday, dashed the hope of erstwhile Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to return to power through the instrumentality of the judiciary.

A five-man panel of the apex court in their unanimous judgment yesterday, struck out Oni’s appeal, thereby affirming the election victory of Governor Kayode Fayemi of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. Oni had approached the Supreme Court, challenging the nullification of his election and the declaration of Governor Fayemi as the validly elected Governor in the 2007 and 2009 elections in Ekiti State.

He specifically sought for a review of the Court of Appeal’s judgement in Ilorin which ousted him from office on October 15, 2010.

It was his contention that the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, PCA, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, was not fit to preside over the Appeal Panel that sat in Ilorin and nullified his election, insisting that he had evidence that Salami was engaged in an amourous convivial romance with a top member of the ACN. He maintained that it was that relationship that eventually culminated to the favourable verdict that was handed to Fayemi.

Besides, Oni, through his legal team comprising four Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs and 38 lawyers, applied for a consequential order reinstating him as the Governor of the state by virtue of a judgment that was delivered by the gubernatorial election petition tribunal that sat in the state on May 5, 2010.

He further beseeched the apex court to in the alternative, okayed the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly to take over the reins of governance in the state pending the determination of the controversy trailing the Appeal Court verdict that brought Governor Fayemi to power.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and District 9125 Governor (2012/ 2013) of Rotary, Mr. Felix Obadan at the 4th Rotary District Conference 2013 in Abuja on Friday.

It will be recalled that the appellate court dismissed Oni’s suit as lacking in merit, stressing that the reliefs he sought could not be granted.

Arguing through his lead counsel, Chief J.K Gadzama, SAN, Oni told the apex court that he only raised allegation of judicial bias after the appellate court delivered its judgment on October 15, 2010, saying it was then that he became aware of the relationship between Justice Salami and Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu who he described as “the alter-ego and financier of the ACN.” He prayed the apex court to determine “ whether denial of fair hearing to the appellant and the issue of bias is not enough ground to set aside the decision of the lower court,” contending that “bias or likelihood of it rendered the decision of the appellate court a nullity.”

According to him, “my lords, nobody filed an appeal against the appellate court judgment of October 15, 2010, because we were not unaware of section 246(1) and 246(3) of the Constitution which at that time provided that such electoral dispute must terminate at the Appeal Court.

“Our motion for setting aside the judgment of the appeal court was not a matter arising from the election but from radical dimension of judicial bias. The Appeal Court cannot claim to have finality on the matter except where its proceeding was validly conducted. There is no

finality when the proceeding is seen as wishy-washy.

The ordinary man ought to see that justice has been done.

“I urge this court to allow this appeal, set aside the ruling of the court of appeal delivered on February 27, 2012, and the judgment of October 15, 2010 which we had earlier sought to set aside at the lower court .

“I pray for a consequential order of this court reinstating the 1st appellant as Governor of Ekiti State by virtue of tribunal judgment delivered on May 5, 2010. In the alternative, the Speaker can come in pending the determination of the issues so as to overcome the problem of vacuum in governance.

“If this is done, legal history will be made by this court. More so, section 22 of the Supreme Court Act empowers this court to assume jurisdiction of the Appeal Court and do substantial justice in this matter,” Oni argued.

Nevertheless, Fayemi, through his lead counsel, Mr John Bayisha, SAN, maintained that the apex court lacked the jurisdiction by virtue of section 246(2) of the Constitution to entertain the suit, stressing that as at the time the cause of action arose, the appeal court had final say of such gubernatorial electoral dispute.

He told the court that sequel to a petition that was written to the National Judicial Council, NJC, by Oni, the appeal

court panel, on March 29, 2011, adjourned the proceeding before it sinedie, noting that it was not until February 27, 2012 that the matter resumed after an investigative panel that was set up by the Council to investigate allegations raised by Oni, exonerated both Justice Salami and other members of his panel.

“NJC sat on the matter and cleared all the justices. My Lords, even two Justices who participated in the matter have been elevated to this Court. This case is an abnormality. I urge this court to dismiss it as frivolous and grossly lacking in merit.”

Likewise, counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr Ibrahim K. Bawa, urged the apex court to dismiss the suit for want of jurisdiction, just as the Inspector General Of Police who was also joined in the suit, through his counsel Mr Femi Atte, told the court that he deliberately chose not to file any brief in the matter, saying he would prefer to take a neutral position.

While upholding Fayemi’s arguments, the apex court panel, led by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta held that the issue at stake was not whether the Court of Appeal violated Section 36 (1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended but whether the apex court has jurisdiction to entertain the appeal brought by Chief Oni as raised by the 1st and 2nd respondents in their preliminary objection.

“This court has consis-

tently refused to violate a provision of the constitution of the land; the Supreme Court does not hunger for jurisdiction and therefore, the appeal has been struck out and we abide by the consequential orders contained in the lead judgement of the lower court”, Justice Ngwuta added.

More so, the court held that Section 246 (3) of the Constitution gave the Court of Appeal the “toga of finality ” in election petition issues that have to do with Governorship and Legislative Houses.

“Section 246 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended says the decisions of the Court of Appeal in respect of appeals arising from the National and State House of Assembly election petitions shall be final.”

Likewise, the apex court noted that from the genesis of the matter, the ultimate aim was to return Oni as the elected gover-

nor of Ekiti state but “the Supreme Court has no jurisdiction to entertain the appeal because being an election petition matter, it terminates at the Court of Appeal.”

Meanwhile, Governor Fayemi who reacted to the judgement at the Ekiti State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, yesterday, said he welcomed the verdict with “relief mixed with indifference because I was not surprised. The judiciary is the final arbiter in matters of dispute and last hope of those who feel cheated in one way or the other.

“I had no issue with Oni going on an appeal but my problem is the deliberate ploy to take the judiciary on a wild goose chase knowing well that his appeal was an abuse of court process, frivolous and unwarranted, such case was right from the onset doomed to be thrown into the judicial dustbin of infamy.”

Baba Suwe: Appeal Court quashes N25m damages against NDLEA

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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HE Court of Appeal sitting in Igbosere, Lagos, yesterday quashed the judgement of Justice Yetunde Idowu of an Ikeja High Court, which awarded N25 million as damage to popular Yoruba actor, Mr Babatunde Omidina ( also known as Baba Suwe) over infringement of his fundamental human rights by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA. In its judgement, read by Justice Rita Pemu, the appellate court held that the NDLEA has the prerogative to keep the respondent in custody while investigation is being carried out.

The appellate court declared that the Lagos High Court does not have the jurisdiction to entertain in the first place the fundamental human rights suit filed by Lagos radical lawyer and rights activist, Bamidele Aturu on behalf of the comedian.

According to the appeal court, it is only the Federal High Court that has the right to adjudicate on same

more especially when it is a drug related matter.

The appellate court therefore held that the award of the damage sum by the trial judge is excessive and unrealistic.

“The constitution stipulates the right to personal liberty. The result of the CT scan carried out on the respondent were in consonance with the appellant’s suspicion.

“The appellant took note of the respondent’s rights and that was why it applied for an extension of time to keep the respondent in custody which the Federal High Court presided over by retired Justice Okeke rightly granted. The detention of the respondent is therefore not unreasonable” Justice Pemu added.

It will be recalled that NDLEA arrested Baba Suwe on October 12, 2011 at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport on his way to Paris, France and detained him beyond the constitutional provision of 24 hours without formally arraigning him before a court of competent record over alleged complicity in the ingestion of hard drugs.

8 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE1, 2013

Dana Air crash: Fashola to unveil cenotaph, lay wreaths at site •as Lagos, residents plan big to mark 1st year remembrance

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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O V E R N O R Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state will on Monday, June 3rd, officially unveil the cenotaph and lay wreaths at the site of the Dana air crash to mark the first year remembrance of the ill-fated flight.

It will be recalled that over 153 passengers and crew members on board died on June 3, 2012 when the Dana Aircraft crashed into a two-storey building on 12 Olaniyi Street, Iju/Ishaga, IfakoIjaiye Local Council Development Area, (LCDA), killed many and left many residents in pathetic condition.

Aside those who died on the ground, many who were lucky to escape lost their belongings which cannot be estimated.

Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed who disclosed this yesterday, at a press briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja, on the highlights of the first year remembrance, said that Fashola is fulfilling the request of the victims’ families who demanded that the state government must construct a cenotaph and lay wreaths in honour of the deceased for the first remembrance.

Earlier in the year, the commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Ben Akabueze had during the 2013 budget analysis said that the state government would

rehabilitate the network of roads linking the site of the Dana plane crash.

According to Ahmed, “Fashola will be at the site and he will be interacting with families of the deceased and commiserate with them, while prayers would also be made for the repose of the victims.”

The commissioner however noted that a lot of lessons had been learnt from the plane crash last year, saying “the state government has begun

to inaugurate Local Emergency Management in all the 57 Local Governments and Local Councils Development

•Call for African Renaissance

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GUN State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, his counterpart from the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in company of Nobel Laureate,

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HE Minister of Edu c a t i o n , Prof.Ruqqayyattu Ahmed Rufa’i, yesterday, disclosed that not less than twelve Federal and state Polytechnics in the country, have so far received the sum of N1billion each from the Tertiary Education High Impact Fund initiated by the Federal Government, saying that the fund was initiated with a view to strengthen the running of

Prof. Wole Soyinka, yesterday visited Igbale Aiye, a village believed to be the origin of mankind.

Igbale Aiye community, said to be 450,000 years old,

Gov Akpabio and his wife, Unoma, being assisted to cut the Democracy Day cake during the State Gala Night at the Banquet Hall, Uyo

Gunmen kill district head in Borno

BY NDAHI MARAMA, been killed by gunmen suspected to be members Maiduguri of Boko Haram sect.

District Head of Dala Liberty, as he is fondly Alamderi who is also called was a hardworking a protocol officer of the protocol man whose reBorno State Government sponsibility before his unin charge of Maiduguri timely death, was to arInternational Airport, range/book flying tickets to Alhaji Liberty Dala has Borno state Government,

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Polytechnics in the country.

She recalled that in 2012, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund granted a total of N9.3billion to Polytechnics and Monotechnics, adding that lecturers in the Polytechnics are also benefiting from staff development programmes which according to her is geared towards producing more lecturers with doctorate degrees.

She disclosed this during commissioning of the Philipa Idogho campus, Federal polytechnic

cases, take control of the emergency sites or scenes;control the crowd because this has been

the challenge facing emergency team in the state, as they respond to urgent situations.

Amosun, Aregbesola, Soyinka visit 450,000year old Igbale Aiye

12 Polytechnics receive N1bn each from TETFUND — Minister

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

Areas, LCDA.” He added, “They will act as the first respondent to emergency

Auchi, Edo state. While commending the efforts of the management of the institution led by the Rector, Dr Philipa Idogho, the Minister said in order to strengthen technical education in the country, the Federal Government also initiated the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), saying that “ this will enable the complete rehabilitation and upgrading of their laboratories , thereby helping to sustain students interest and learning outcome”.

its officials and politicians at the Maiduguri international airport.

He was also the District Head of Dala Alamderi, a position he inherited after the demise of his father some years ago.

Our Correspondent gathered that the gunmen on Thursday evening ambushed the residence of the District head in Dala Alamderi ward of Maiduguri metropolis and shot him dead before slicing his body with cutlass and fled without being arrested in the presence of his wife and children.

A resident who did not want his name mentioned in print for security reason told our Correspondent that the gunmen ambushed the protocol officer around 9 pm on Thursday, but due to the 6am to 9pm curfew imposed in Maiduguri and its environs, all residents and neighbours upon hearing the sound of gunshots could not come out to find out what was happening in the deceased house.

is in Apotoku, Ketu (Commune de Ketou), Republic of Benin.

Speaking during the Convention of ‘The City-Headquarters of Humanism’ (Igbale Aiye), organised by Africa-Cultures International Institute and the Government of Republic of Benin, the state governors and Nobel Laureate, according to a statement by Funmi Wakama, media aide of Governor Amosun, commended the vision of Olofindji Akande, the promoter of Igbale Aiye project.

They called for concerted efforts to promote African culture and values.

Amosun promised to support the project in line with his administration’s vision to promote the African culture. He said Ogun had

been associated with many firsts and “this project is first of its kind.”

Aregbesola said further research should be carried out on the link between the Egyptian Pyramids and Igbale Aiye.

For his part, Soyinka said the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding had adopted the Igba Aiye initiative because of its historical significance.

The visitors were conducted round the relics of the 450,000-year-old underground village said to host the first inhabitants of our planet world “where the builders of the pyramids of Egypt came from.”

The two governors and culture icon later planted banana trees to commemorate the 2013 Convention.

Uduaghan has recorded many achievements — Obielum

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chieftain of the Peo ples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, Chief Godwill Obielum has said Nigerians deserve to celebrate 14 years of uninterrupted democracy based on the level of development in the country.

Speaking in Asaba yesterday as the nation celebrated 14 years of democracy, Chief Obielum said that as a country, Nigeria’s democracy is developing very fast with the level of freedom being witnessed in the country.

He observed that the most important benefit from democracy is freedom, stating that Nigerians are enjoying freedom and called for support for elected and appointed representatives of the people in government.

“14 years is still young but, what we have witnessed in the country today deserves celebration.

People are free to even criticise government, people are free to call on government to engage in actions which ordinarily cannot happen during the military,” Chief Obielum

said, asserting, “as a people, we must support the government of the day. It is a duty to support the government because, with our support, those in government will see reasons to deliver on their electoral promises.”

On Governor Uduaghan’s administration, Chief Obielum stated that Governor Uduaghan has recorded achievements in so many areas, especially in the areas of job creation, ensuring good learning environment through massive infrastructural development in the education sector, good neighbourliness among ethnic nationalities, reiterating, “Governor Uduaghan has done well and we need to support him.

“In the area of security, we are aware of the commitment of the Governor to ensure a peaceful state and he has done a lot to check security challenges including kidnapping which became obvious as a result of the militant activities in the NigerDelta,” Chief Obielum said.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013 — 9

We are not involved in Hezbollah armoury saga — Lebanese community

BY ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD, Kano

T

HE Lebanese com munity in Kano has exonerated itself from the large consignment of arms uncovered by the Nigerian security agents in the troubled northern Nigerian commercial city that was linked to international terrorist organization, Hezbollah.

Addressing newsmen in Kano in its first official reaction since the Hezbollah cell in the city was busted by the security agents, Chairman of the community, Tahir Fadlallah said that the Lebanese Community ‘’unequivocally condemns crime in whatever form”, Tahir Fadlallah, who also doubled as the chairman of the Tahir Guest palace in Kano

said that, “ with almost 100 years of our stay in Kano, we have never been associated with any crime that threatened the peace of our host”.

Tahir Fadlallah said that, ‘’the community is ready and willing to cooperate with security and law enforcement agencies in their efforts to counter any act or activities associated or related to terrorists act”.

Fadlallah maintained that,” Lebanese community will not accept or associate with any criminal individual or group”.

The chairman further disclosed that the Lebanese community will give their full and unwavering confidence in the ability of the relevant authorities to carry out thorough investigations with a view to bring the

culprits to justice.

Tahir also condemned in strong terms, the purported newspaper report that linked him and his organization to Hezbollah armoury, stressing that, “I am not involved and I’m prepared to initiate a legal action for redress. I have been receiving calls within and outside the country over the purported story but it’s not true at all as you all can see now. I’m addressing you and will not leave the damage to go like this because I will sue them”.

Cynthia Osokogu: Absence of defence counsel with a copy of the stalls trial day stalled by the ab- Osita, 33, and Ezike served letter in the court.

T

HE trial of Cynthia Osokogu’s alleged murderers was on yester-

62-yr old man arraigned over N9.2m fraud

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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62-YEAR OLD man, Mr Patrick Lawrence, was yesterday arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate Court in Lagos over alleged N9.2 million fraud.

The accused, of No. 1, Allan Balogun Street, Agungi, Lekki, was arraigned on a two-count charge of fraud and theft.

According to the prosecutor, Insp. Stephen

Molo, the accused committed the alleged offence between Dec. 21, 2012 and March 22 at the stated address.

Molo told the court that the accused, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N9.2 million from one Mr Folorunsho Ogunwale.

“The accused obtained the sum with the pretext of selling a half plot of land to him, a representation he knew to be false,” Molo said.

Molo pointed out that the accused was also al-

L-R: shows a prominent Cleric of Wesley Cathederal Olowogbowo, Lagos, Reverend Michael Femi Adebanjo; the Presbyter, Very Reverend Sola Ala; Society Patron, Bro. Kemi Thomas; Archbishop of Lagos, Dr. Sunday Ajayi; a new Patron, Sir. Olusegun George and the recently installed Grand Patron, Senator Anthony Adefuye at the Light Bearers 2013 anniversary celebrations.

leged of dishonestly converting the sum to his personal use.

He noted that the alleged offence contravened Sections 285 and 409 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

However when the plea of the accused was taken before Magistrate F.O. Aigbokhaevbo, he pleaded not guilty.

The magistrate granted him bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum, as she adjourned the case to June 11 for mention.

sence of a defence counsel, Mr Victor Opara.

Opara, who is the Counsel to Nwabufo, sent a letter notifying the court that he was sick.

Four suspects: Okwumo Nwabufo 33, Olisaeloka Ezike, 23, Orji

Amaechi didn’t pay N50m into Oshiomhole’s campaign fund — Edo Govt

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

T

HE Edo State Govern ment yesterday, described as spurious, very rigorous and “another roguish claim by the PDP”, that Governor Rotimi Amaechi is being punished today due to his al-

Court fixes June 10 to hear suit against increase in practising fees by NBA They are seeking an or- case came up , the judge der of the court to stop the FEDERAL High Ola-Oni and Mr Tayo NBA from implementing Court in Lagos, yes- Arojo, had filed the suit the reviewed practising terday fixed June 10 for against the Nigerian Bar fees for lawyers. hearing of a suit filed by Association (NBA) and Saturday Vanguard some lawyers challenging some other defendants. gathered that when the the increase in practising fees payable by the practitioners. The date was fixed after Mr Tunji Gomez, counsel to the plaintiffs, informed the court of grated Development his ill health and prayed BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI Centre stated this when for an adjournment. the HIV/AIDS awareJustice Rita Ofili-AjuIVERS State has the ness center facilitated a mogobia, following the highest number of sensitisation programme request, adjourned the people living with HIV/ among staff of the Rivers matter to June 10.

AIDS with a total of State Ministry of Culture The plaintiffs, Mr Seth 145,236 adults and and Tourism .

Amaefule, Miss Amaka 15,000 children affected.

To curb the spread of Aneke, Mr Celestine Priscillia Shu, Co-ordi- HIV/AIDS, the awareNwankwo, Mr Charles nator, Rhema Care Inte- ness campaigner

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gave an interim order maintaining the old practising fees pending determination of the main suit.

Rivers has highest HIV/AIDS cases Over 145,000 adults, 15,000 children affected

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Nonso, 25, are standing trial before an Ikeja High Court for the alleged murder.

Mr Ade Ipaye, Lagos State Attorney-General, told the court presided over by Justice Olabisi Akinlade that he was

stressed the need for abstinence and faithfulness to one uninfected partner at the event.

She also advised on the need to avoid use of unsterilized sharp instruments and ensure that only screened blood are transfused.

leged donation of N50million to the Governorship campaign fund of Governor Adams Oshiomhole in 2012.

In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor, Prince Kassim Afegbua, the state government also asserted that “ we wish to state unequivocally that there was no time that the Rivers State Governor spent two nights in Benin City before, during and after the Campaigns of the Comrade Governor”.

According to the statement, “ We find it utterly misleading for anyone to deliberately raise unverifiable claims just to give the Rivers State Governor a bad name and portray the Edo State Governor in bad light with respect to campaign funds and management of same. The relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2006 [as amended] frown at such bogus donations by either an individual or corporate body for the campaign of any individual candidate running for election.

Following the development, the judge adjourned the matter to June 21, for continuation of trial.

We gathered that the defendants were arraigned on Feb. 8 by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions.

Ipaye had alleged that Osokogu was killed by Nwabufo and Ezike on July 22, 2012 at Cosmilla Hotel, Lakeview Estate, Amuwo Odofin, Festac Town, Lagos.

The Lagos AttorneyGeneral had claimed that Osokogu had met the duo through Facebook, a social networking site and was lured by them to Lagos where she was killed.

Ipaye also alleged that the suspects murdered Osokogu by administering Rohypnol Flunitrazepan tablet into her drink, chaining her hands and legs and strangling her to death.

They were also alleged to have stolen three blackberry phones valued at N150,000, Jewelries, an international passport, and a drivers’ licence, belonging to the deceased.

Ipaye also accused Osita, a pharmacist, of negligently selling the Rohypnol Flunitrazepan tablets to Ezike, without a doctor ’s prescription and without showing due care.

The attorney-general alleged that Nonso was charged for being in possession of three blackberry mobile phones belonging to Osokogu.

10 — SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, JUNE 1,, 2013

NGF:

The seamy side of Jonathan’s administration

•He is confused —Baralabe Musa •It is pure madness — Yerima •We have declared our

President Goodluck Jonathan

Support for Amaechi •Count us out—FG

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

I

t looked like a war and true, it was. With ev ery thing in its arsenal, the Federal Govern ment stoutly rose against the re-election of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF. In some quarters, it was tantamount to killing a fly with a sledge hammer. But when the election finally held on May 24, 2013, like the proverbial cat with nine lives, Amaechi against all odds, intrigues and permutations came out tops, winning the office for a second term. In this special piece, Saturday Vanguard documents opinions on the kudos and vexations that have continued to trail the election vis-à-vis its effect on 2015 general elections.

He is such an uncanny politician. And in some weird impressions, it has appeared as if his political fortunes are almost, always secured only through the hard way. That is the lot of Rotimi Chubuike Amaechi, the Executive Governor of Rivers State. He has had to face hurdles after hurdles in his determination to rise in what could be referred as the murky clime of Nigerian politics. But like the late literary Icon, Professor Chinua Achebe, there are those whose palm kernel has been cracked by their chi (god).

Apparently, it would not be out of place for one to say that Amaechi is familiar with the skewed political system and terrain of the country given the circumstances that brought him to the seat of power in Port Harcourt as Governor in 2007. Amaechi had been duly nominated by his ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the candidate in Rivers State gubernatorial election in 2007, but against all intents and purposes, his candidacy was swiftly dropped in a controversial circumstance and Mr. Celestine Omeha was dusted in his stead. It took Amaechi a hard prayer before the Supreme Court to get his candidacy restored in the later part of 2007 after the general elections had held and the

It would not be out of place for one to say that Amaechi is familiar with the skewed political system and terrain of the country given the circumstances that brought him to the seat of power in Port Harcourt as Governor in 2007 tenure had taken off. And with the judicial pronouncements by the Justices at the Supreme Court that Amaechi was wrongly substituted and as such should serve as the bonafide candidate of PDP in the election in the judgment, Omeha was sacked while Amaechi was crowned the Governor.

Yet again, the exit of Senator Bukola Saraki as Governor of Kwara State and Chairman, Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), in 2011 created a vacuum. To fill the blank space, the 36 Governors of Nigerian federating states chose Amaechi who many believed that his experience as the Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislators of Nigeria having presided as the Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker for 8 years would pay off in the Chairmanship of NGF. And true to reasoning, Amaechi while his first tenure lasted between 2011 and February 2013, dis-

played unfettered leadership qualities which analysts say perturbed and seemingly irked some powerful quarters.

These quarters believed that certain matters like the Sovereign Wealth Fund shouldn’t be challenged by the Governors. And so, to get at the Governors, their head was targeted. And that is Amaechi.

The Formation of NGF

L

ike every other association in a democratic set ting, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, was formed at the dawn of 1999. It is a conglomerate of Nigerian Governors across the 36 states of the federation. Its membership is automatic upon an election of an individual into Governorship office of a state.

Though it is not recognized by the Constitution of Nigeria, it is such a platform where Governors meet to cross-fertilize ideas on issues of governance. At its beginning, the association was not seen to be politically persuasive but as the practice of democracy in Nigeria permeates; NGF also, naturally assumes more powerful stance in the polity that successive Presidents especially first timers now entertain palpable fear that their second term is determined by the association. Meanwhile, since 1999, the Forum has produced four successive Chairmen thus: former Governors Abdulahi Adamu, Victor Atta, Bukola Saraki and currently Chibuike Amaechi. In the reckoning of many analysts, the Forum might not have witnessed the seasons of political storms as it is undergoing now due to incessant clashes of interests between the Presidency and the leadership of the Forum.

The first crisis An all time crisis obviously hit the Nigerian Governors Forum in February 2013 when an alleged Continues on page 11

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, JUNE 1,, 2013 — 11

NGF:

Governor Rotimi Amaechi

Governor Godswill Akpabio

Governor David Jonah Jang

Governor Shehu Shema

The seamy side of Jonathan’s administration Continued from page 10 renewed effort to boot out Amaechi reached its apogee. Many people considered the crisis artificial and so pointed accusing fingers at the Presidency.

Then, elections to get new leadership of the group at the expiration of Amaechi’s first term had been contemplated but got scuttled on the way. Instead, it produced another group called the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDPGF) led by Godswill Akpabio, the Akwa Ibom State Governor whose sole responsibility was to wrestle power from Amaechi. Since then, peace has eluded the Forum as the Presidency was alleged to have launched unusual attacks on Amaechi in a bid to stop his re-election as the Chairman of the Forum. Meanwhile, given both the political and security circumstances of that time, the election was postponed to May 24, 2013.

Events before the May 24, 2013 elections A plethora of events which had their roots on the NGF election sprouted up.

One interesting thing therein was that Amaechi and the Presidency were the dramatis personae. With this, almost all Nigerians insinuated that Amaechi’s dilemma was artificially created.

Grounding of Amaechi’s aircraft, his re-election and why he won The reality of Amaechi’s re-election at a point became unfathomable by the Presidency. Not even a few persons were skeptical of his success given the heavy high-wired politics that played against it. But that was the greatest undoing of the Federal Government which later gave an easy ride to Amae-

chi. In fact, there were these perceptions that if the NGF election were to be a public election with a general franchise, Amaechi would as well win.

The reason was not far-fetched.

The Federal Government move that grounded Amaechi’s aircraft, the seizure and the subsequent subtle move to impeach him coupled with various outbursts from President Jonathan’s apologists such as Ahaji Dokubo-Asari generated huge sympathy for Amaechi from many Nigerians which included the Governors. To the people, the

erratic and irrational choice of candidate. From Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina, to Isa Yuguda who were being projected, the Presidency finally wobbled to a stop at Jang. The outcome of their erratic behavior finally dawned on them when the DirectorGeneral of the Forum, Asishana Okauru announced Amaechi the winner of the election.

Unusual kicks by Pro-Jonathan’s Governors

Then, elections to get new leadership of the Group at the expiration of Amaechi’s first term had been contemplated but got scuttled on the way. Instead, it produced another group called the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDPGF) led by Godswill Akpabio move amounted to killing a fly with a sledge hammer. First, the Federal Government orchestrated his ousting as the Chairman of the NGF. Second, it facilitated the formation of PDPGF led by Amaechi’s arch rival and Jonathan’s stooge, Governor Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State. Third, it grounded Rivers State plane owing to controversial reasons of aviation rules.

All these, analysts said garnered support for Amaechi who eventually pulled 19 votes to floor the 11th hour Jonathan’s candidate and Plateau state Governor, Mr. Jonah Jang who got 16 votes in the NGF election on May 24, 2013.

The second mis-step of the Presidency in the series that facilitated the defeat of its candidate was its own

It was tantamount to spilt milk, put in another parlance, medicine after death, the hurried drama that greeted Amaechi’s victory as put up by the Governors loyal to the Presidency.

Led by Governor Akpabio, the governors after the scales had fallen off their eyes rejected the re-election of Amaechi and projected Jang as the new elected Chairman. Hear Akpabio: “We are rejecting the declaration of Amaechi as winner, because he cannot preside over an election that he is a candidate.” Also, while rejecting the outcome of the election in a briefing, Jang insisted that he is the winner, adding that there was no way Amaechi could have won the election because 19 governors have earlier

endorsed his (Jang’s) candidature. In fact, the pro-Jonathan’s Governors had literally announced a plan to set up a parallel Secretariat at Maitama area of Abuja as a way of starting off.

But to most people, that is one ridiculous step that caused a smear on the part of the governors.

Why Governor Jang took the offer, by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. James Manu Speaking exclusively to Saturday Vanguard, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor David Jonah Jang, Mr. James Manu said that the Governor reconciles the parties in the Forum.

He said: “Well, you need to appreciate it, first and foremost, from the background that he never looked for it. It was the dynamics of the unfolding situation that threw him up as a candidate, which you were very much aware starting from the Northern Governors’ Forum and was endorsed by the PDP platform. He is a person that believes that there are times you need to take up certain challenges when they beckon at you and you see it face-to-face. And one thing is clear; Governor Jang is not a man that is afraid of challenges. And of course, for the respect for his colleagues who saw something in him and trusted him, he accepted the challenge because he strongly believes in the platform. If it means offering himself as a rallying point for the platform, why not. He was not like the other Governors who turned down the offer. That’s why I said that there were scenarios that played out.

There were two candidates down and so, he was picked to serve as a consensus candidate out of the two others. So, you can see the scenarios that came. It was not like he offered himself. It was the same meet

Continues on page 12

12—SA TURD AY 12—SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, JUNE 1,, 2013

NGF: The seamy side of Jonathan’s administration

L-R Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomole and Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi . Photo

by Gbemiga Olamikan

Continued from page 11 ing that decided that since the two people were there, lets come out with somebody that will be a consensus candidate.

Will he seek reconciliation of factions?

“Top on his bill is reconciliation and he has said it that he is ready to work with everybody. He believes that whatever is happening is a family matter and it is not beyond them as governors to settle and he has stated his resolve and commitment to go all out to make sure that he brings the Forum together, brings up unity and integrity and true bonding.

Setting up a new secretariat “I don’t know what you are saying in terms of factions. One thing they have said in their inaugural meeting was that they were going to establish a secretariat. And if I may ask, do you know where Nigeria Governors Secretariat is? I would rather you see it in the sense that Governor Jang in his leadership qualities has seen the need to have an independent secretariat for every Governor to have a home.”

Amaechi’s Suspension by the PDP A maechi’s problems were far from being over even after the NGF election. As if the Presidency and the ruling PDP had many scenes in the drama, barely two days after the election, PDP suspended Governor Amaechi. The reason for his suspension was hinged on his failure to reinstate the executive of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council. In quick succession, the party announced the inauguration

of 11- member Committee headed by Chief Joe Gadzama (SAN), to probe Amaechi. Hear the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Oliseh Metu over the suspension: “The National Working Committee at its emergency meeting on Monday, May 27, 2013 considered the petition submitted by the PDP Rivers Executive Committee against His

solidating on Rivers of our Dreams” which took place at the Banquet Hall

of Government House, Port Harcourt, Amaechi said by God’s Grace, he will pull through all the hurdles.

“The way these people at the federal level are desperate, they may come after my life. So when you pray, remember to pray for me to remain alive.Who has

“If they are not guilty, then they

will re-instate them, but if they are guilty, then we will ask for the dissolution of the council. We have not even gone half, and the party (PDP) says re-instate them Excellency, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Executive Governor of Rivers State for violating Articles 58 1 (b), (c ), (h) and (m) of the PDP Constitution following his refusal to obey the lawful directive of the Rivers State Executive Committee to rescind his decision dissolving the elected Executive Council of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

“The National Working Committee after preliminary hearing, in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 57 (3), 59 (3), 59 (5) and 29 (2.b), hereby suspends the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as a member of the PDP and refers the matter to the appropriate disciplinary committee of the party.

“This is in furtherance of the determination of the leadership of the party to enforce discipline at all levels within the party.”

Amaechi’s reaction to his reelection and suspension from the PDP

In a confab with the youth of Rivers State on Monday on a theme “Con-

power to suspend Obio/Akpor council?

Now you see political witch-hunting; it is so ridiculous, my party must rise above political witch-hunting. The Governor did not suspend Obio/Akpor council, I hope you know. My power is to dissolve and remit it to the House of Assembly, but I have not done that yet, what the Assembly has said is ‘we are investigating corruption’ then the party says we should not investigate corruption, is that fair? I was not invited by the National Working Committee of PDP; I was not given fair hearing.

“What I heard was, ‘why did I refuse to reinstate the suspended Obio/Akpor Council executive? Who suspended them?’ His question received the enthusiastic response of the youths who chorused: “The Rivers State House of Assembly.”

Again the governor asked, ‘who has the power to investigate Obio/Akpor council executive?”. The youths again replied: “The State Assembly.”

“If they are not guilty, then, they will re-instate them, but if they are guilty, then we will ask for the dissolution of

the council. We have not even gone half, and the party (PDP) says re-instate them. It means that the party likes corruption. Let the Assembly resume and commence investigation, let’s see what goes on. Whether there is corruption or not, it is the business of the Assembly. I have been a Speaker, and I know the powers of a Speaker and the legislature. I used it when I was a Speaker. “What is the police still doing at the Obio/Akpor Council building? The court gave an order to the Police to vacate Obio/Akpor Council, they disobeyed, and the police are still stationed there. The Federal Government does not care, they only stationed police at Obio/Akpor council, even if everybody dies, they don’t care. Now, the whole state will be grounded, because the police have refused to vacate the Obio/Akpor Council Secretariat.

“They don’t want to know, we are not important to the federal government, we are not important at all.

“You know what it took for us to stop militancy in the state. But only last week, they now organized militants to return to the streets of Port Harcourt, is that not shameful? You all know how the militants spent our money, raped our women, killed our parents and young men. Immediately the militants stopped protesting, the police said, nobody should protest again.

“Internal democracy is important in our party, they fought me with everything, and I still won the Nigeria Governors’ Forum election, what should they do? They should have joined me to thank God. Because what it means is that God has spoken.

It happened when I was in Ghana, I fasted and prayed for six months, 6am to 6pm, and God made me Governor.

“I will not leave the PDP. I will go to court.”

SATURDAY

Vanguard, JUNE 1,, 2013—13

NGF:

BY EMMANUEL EDUKUGHO

T

here was an election held on Friday May 24, 2013, at the Rivers State Government House, Abuja by the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) to elect a chairman.

Against all odds, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, who was having a running battle with the presidency, got re-elected for a second tenure as he defeated Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, said to be the candidate of President Goodluck Jonathan by 19 to 16 votes.

According to media reports, the results were announced by A.B. Okauru, the DirectorGeneral of NGF, immediately after counting of ballots. All the 36 state governors apart from Yobe’s Ibrahim Gaidam participated in the vote conducted through secret ballot.

Feelers getting to Saturday Vanguard indicated that the results shocked President Jonathan who was said to be angry and fumed privately while at the African Union Summit of Heads of State and Governments marking its 50 th anniversary in Ethiopia. The President was so uncomfortable with the NGF election result which his perceived political adversary won convincingly but which the proJonathan governors later disputed, eventually splitting the NGF into two factions. He had to return home without addressing the summit, leaving that duty to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Many Nigerians are at a loss about the relevance or otherwise of the Nigeria Governors Forum judging from its existence since inception of this democracy in 1999. While some believed that they’ve not been constructive enough and development-oriented towards providing the muchneeded dividends of democracy to the people, others derisively termed them as looters. Jimoh Atere, an insurance C M Y K

GOVS CHAIRMANSHIP VOTE CRISIS:

Jonathan/Amaechi hidden stand-off worsens agent said the governors are not relevant to the development aspirations of their people.

“They’ve forgotten about governance and propagating their selfish interests. We need development. I’m disappointed with the governors.

They have seized the local governments and made chairmen and councilors to do their bidding, refusing to grant them autonomy. These governors don’t allow free and fair elections to be conducted in local governments in their states, preferring to appoint caretaker committees to run the affairs of the councils.”

A university lecturer who spoke with Saturday Vanguard, expressed dismay over Governor Amaechi’s pronouncement against autonomy for local governments and even against the recent declaration of state of emergency in three northern states to check the activities of Boko Haram.

“We don’t need the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

They are just playing politics to the detriment of national development.

How much change have they brought to their people. They are just holding the people to ransom and the forum should be disbanded. It’s a political pressure group being used by our presidents.”

According to the don who declined to give his name, “these governors forum don’t have any worthwhile relevance.

The forum has no basis in our constitution, only to protect interest of governors with penchant to loot and share public funds.”

In most of the states, no real development is going on. Bad roads, no drinking water, no functional hospitals or clinics, education system has collapsed, high rate of poverty, massive unemployment and lack of affordable housing scheme for

the people.

Between President Jonathan and Governor Amaechi, what is the grouse? Who is abusing the process of acquiring political power or misusing power? Political office holders at all levels are supposed to be holding power in trust for the people that elected them and not to regard power as individual inheritance for themselves. This ongoing feud has the capability to overheat the polity ahead of 2015.

The PDP has suspended Governor Amaechi, an

action he termed “political witch-hunting”.

Amaechi had said it was ridiculous for the PDP to suspend him on the grounds that he refused to reinstate the suspended Obio-Akpor Local Government Chairman and 17 councilors, claiming it was the state House of Assembly who did that.

The embattled Rivers Governor alleged there was no fair hearing as he was not invited to get his own side before he was suspended by the party, wondered why the PDP should victimise him for

what was a legislative action.

The crisis in NGF can be traced to the political ambition of some governors for the presidency which PDP is not ready to tolerate, as the party won’t compromise on discipline. “There is no vacancy in Aso Rock for any PDP governor in 2015.

Any governor with presidential ambition is free to leave PDP, and contest on the platform of any opposition party,” a Lagos State PDP chieftain told Saturday Vanguard.

In his own reaction on

NGF crisis, Mr. Femi Adeshina, President, Nigeria Guild of Editors, has said he had expected the outcome. “I expected the outcome. I expected a keenly contested election but not as messy as what we are seeing. I expected the victor to be magnanimous, the loser humble.”

Speaking on a radio programme – Fact File (Ray Power), monitored by this writer, he acknowledged there was election.

“Yes, there was an election. The Director-General of NGF came out to announce the results. He didn’t say there was no election. There is electronic proof. The organisation (NGF) is not recognized by the constitution, but it’s an influential association. Like the governors provided the Vice President for Jonathan. Everyone wants mileage. It’s about politicking, may not relate to governance, but peer group. Now, it has become do or die. “I am disillusioned, dispirited... the NGF is factionalised.”

Adeshina went on: “If 35 governors cannot hold election peacefully, how can we hold an election involving the entire Nigeria? Amaechi is not new to suspension., It’s second time around. PDP can say later it is a family affair and then re-unite.

Other parties are now having governors. The NGF is now a political tool. It is not just about Amaechi, but our democratic rule, exercising our democratic right.”

Barrister Ubani, Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Ikeja branch, described the NGF crisis as “very worrisome.” He called on the governors to lead by example. “It’s appalling, alarming if our governors who pontificate a lot cannot now show us how to lead. They are in disarray. The acting president, and later becoming President came from the governors’ forum.

“Our governors have lost focus. There is no good governance. They want to arm-twist the President, just as they scuttle the fuel subsidy effort. The Nigeria Governors’ Forum should die and not rise again.”

C M Y K

14 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013

Four years after military attack, Okerenkoko is still deserted

*Ex-militant leader, Tompolo renovates community hospital with N20m

BY EMMA AMAIZE, Regional Editor, South-South

F

OUR years after the once bustling Okeren koko community in Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri Southwest Local Government Area of Delta State was bombed, May 14, 2009 by the Joint Task Force, JTF, on the Niger-Delta during the manhunt for militants that reportedly killed seven military officers, the scars of the heavy barrage are still awfully visible.

A visit by Saturday Vanguard showed the Ijaw neighborhood is yet to recover from the consequences of the damage and the situation remains largely unpromising.

The bombing of Okerenkoko in 2009 was a masked vengeance on the founder of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the NigerDelta, MEND, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, whose overzealous boys in the long disbanded Iroko Camp killed the soldiers in question.

The JTF authorities at the time saw Okerenkoko, where Iroko Camp is located as one of the strong operational bases of Tompolo, and even though the ex-militant leader denied mandating his boys to kill a civilian, let alone soldiers, a decision was taken to attack Okerenkoko to teach him and the people a lesson.

While the army authorities claimed, their attack was on Tompolo’s operational base in Oporoza, the traditional headquarters of Gbaramatu kingdom, as well as the palace of the monarch, HRM Godwin Bebenimibo, allegedly built with the proceeds of militancy, the worse hit was Okerenkoko.

Nevertheless, the military denied demolishing Okerenkoko despite the fact that the soldiers set nearly all the houses in the community ablaze and remained behind to oversee the smoldering, while the bewildered villagers fled to Warri and other parts of the state for safety.

The near annihilation of Okerenkoko was after the popular Camp 5 headquarters of Tompolo’s former militant

group was overran.

However, Delta state government confirmed the hidden truth that Okerenkoko was destroyed, some months later, when it set up a committee to rehabilitate the community. In a meeting of the Delta State Vision 2020 council, held in Asaba, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan announced that a committee for the development of Okerenkoko and Ugborodo new towns, both in Warri South West Local Government Area would be inaugurated.

The federal government also promised to rebuild the community and consequently, the fleeing villagers were told to return home and their elation knew no limit. Nevertheless, four years after, Okerenkoko is still in ruins. Men, women and children, who hearkened to the call, were shocked at

The near annihilation of Okerenkoko was after the popular Camp 5 headquarters of Tompolo’s former militant group was overran what they saw. It was a total devastation.

Reptiles take over shattered buildings The villagers, largely anglers, have resigned themselves to their repulsive fate.

The community was in a desolate state, as neither the federal nor the state government has fulfilled its promise to reestablish the community.

The bits and pieces of the destroyed buildings were still conspicuous and most of them have been overgrown by bushes and abandoned. The

A Nurse attending to patient at the hospital. ‘tenants’ seen by Saturday Vanguard in the deserted buildings were snakes and other reptiles.

Saturday Vanguard, however, learnt the state government made initial efforts to rebuild Okerenkoko, but contractors later left the site following a sharp disagreement among some leaders over execution of the project. A source said the disagreement was almost leading to another crisis in the area and government decided to walk circumspectly.

However, the villagers said they did not know why the contractors were demobilized.

Gloom The people live inside water but they have no potable water to drink, as efforts by DESOPADEC, in the past, to initiate an air-to-water system were unsuccessful. Today, the people “import” sachet water from Warri to quench their thirst, as water from borehole dug in the area was said to be black and oily with crude oil substances.

There is also no functional electricity at the moment, as the power plant installed for the use of the people was destroyed by JTF during the onslaught, leaving the town in darkness at night.

Okerenkoko community is also displeased that over six years after the then James Ibori administration awarded the Okerenkoko/Peppe-ama/ Kokodiagbene road project, it had been abandoned and the contractor demobilized from site with some few decaying equipment on site.

Tompolo intervention Due to lack of basic amenities of life such as water, electricity and health facility, many of the villagers had relocated from the town. For the few who remained in makeshift homes in the town because they had nowhere to go to, the recent decision of exmilitant leader, Tompolo, to renovate the abandoned government-owned Cottage Hospital is like God hearing their

Photos: Akpokona Omafuaire

cry.

Chief Ekpemupolo had, last year, set up the Tompolo Foundation, a charity organization, to give back to the society. The group has been visible in the donation of educational materials to schools in the local government. The Foundation has as its executive secretary Comrade Paul Bebenimibo, an activist, who is one of the trusted lieutenants of Tompolo.

According to findings, Tompolo Foundation, piqued by the neglect of the the hospital, built by NDDC in 2008, burnt by the military in 2009 and managed until lately by the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), which also abandoned it, decided to restore the hospital to serve the health needs of the people in the kingdom.

The Tompolo Foundation spent a whooping N20million to renovate the hospital. The medical director of Tompolo Foundation, Dr Clarkson Agagha, disclosed that over 30 staff were recruited for Okerenkoko Hospital, including five doctors and six qualified nurses and midwives and pharmacists. Tests were carried out free of charge during the re-commissioning and the happy villagers came out to savour the moment with songs and praises of Tompolo.

However, there is need for government to take over the hospital, as the Foundation was not likely to to be able to foot the monthly N6 million wage bill of the workers in the long run.

Govt to rebuild structures – Otuaro Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Otumara, represented by Dr Alfred Ebiakofa commended Tompolo for the gesture, saying the Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan-led government was ready to collaborate with any individual who would make attempt to bring smiles to the face of the people in line with the threepoint agenda of the govern-

ment.

Also speaking, the commissioner representing the Ijaw in DESOPADEC, Mr. Kingsley Otuaro, assured that negotiations were ongoing at relevant quarters at DESOPADEC and state government levels to ensure that everything necessary was done, to rebuild and rehabilitate the structures devastated in the wake of the military 2009 invasion.

Otuaro commended the Tompolo Foundation for “this very laudable gesture of renovating, staffing and furnishing with state-of-the-art medical equipment” of the Okerenkoko Hospital, which serves a host of communities most of which are oil producing.

He nevertheless appealed to all well-meaning individuals and corporate organizations including oil companies “to emulate this wonderful gesture of the Tompolo Foundation, by providing basic facilities in communities since government alone cannot do it all.”

Executive Secretary of the Tompolo Foundation, Comrade Bebenimibo recalled in his address the genesis of the abandonment of the hospital and Tompolo’s compassionate spirit in bringing good health back to the people who were in dire need.

Community threatens to block waterways Vice-Chairman of Okerenkoko Federated Communities, Comrade Monday Mieyefa, expressed sadness that government has abandoned the people despite their immense contribution to the economic mainstay of Delta and Nigeria in general.

Mieyefa, while praising High Chief Ekpemupolo and describing him as “an individual who has taken upon himself the burden of making life meaningful for our teeming population”, accused the state government of not keeping to its promise to re-build Okerenkoko community following JTF invasion.

SATURDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, JUNE 1, 2013—15

A city without police A

retired senior police officer had this car sticker which read: ‘If you think the Police are not your friend, when next you are in trouble, call an armed robber’.

The message crudely summarises our love-hate relationship with the Police. We decry their incompetence and corruption, yet theirs is our first port of call when our houses are under siege or someone (or something) is generally threatening our sense of security. As bad as we think they are, the Police at the airports, at the banks, or on the streets, give us a sense of security and well being.

Imagine then, the panic that would grip us if we woke up to find that a powerful government had decided to scrap the Police because it found (or suspected) the Inspector General to be corrupt. Imagine therefore, a city without Police, where the boundaries of law and order are left to the inhabitants to determine; where the limit to the freedom of your hand as it relates to my nose is not determined by law. his is the same way we feel about our health security. We have learnt to live with the incessant strikes of doctors and health workers. We complain about the unprofessional attitudes in our teaching hospitals; yet we would all panic if, as a result of a government policy, the supervising body in charge of health was to be denied funds because of its boss. It would mean, among other things, that quacks would have a field day .People could even advertise coconut water as a wonder drug knowing that nobody would check.

Can we imagine how it would be if we could not dis-

N

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By GODWIN EKPETI

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tinguish the difference between a fake cheque and a real one? If wonder banks could spring up on a Monday and disappear at the end of the week? ; if the health of the banks was not

monitored because the governor of CBN had offended the powers that be?; or if insurance companies collected your premium but refused to pay claims?; and no regulating body to call

them to order?

Can we imagine the riots that would engulf the nation if the supply of fuel was not properly monitored?; ditto for all the things that must be con-

2015, Amaechi and NGF politics

ivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, is currently being

celebrated by members of the opposition parties and some critics of President Goodluck Jonathan over what they termed his “sweet victory” over the president and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership following his reelection, last Friday, as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). The celebration sequel to Amaechi’s NGF victory was rather multilateral, including the yet to be registered but badly fractured Allied Progressive Congress (APC) hoping to make an unprecedented political capital out of what is commonly felt in the Niger Delta to be Governor Amaechi’s growing opposition to the Jonathan presidency. And when it emerged, late Monday, that he had been suspended by his party following the charge of antiparty activities, the strident voice of 2015 no-hopers, together with their active collaborators and infantry soldiers in the media, rose in democratic theorising which is sadly not correlated by practice.

To all intents and purposes, Amaechi’s ongoing campaign is to install C M Y K

stantly monitored and regulated if we must have a semblance of security and well being.

I have used these slightly outlandish examples to show that our world is run by orderliness and controls.

The more efficient the arms that ensure these controls, the safer and more civilised the society becomes. ow the financial mar ket is the heart beat of any nation’s economy and where the financial institutions congregate is usually called the ‘City’. This body, the City, has its rules and those who monitor those rules. It is widely believed that the world economy crashed because some key financial institutions were not properly monitored or that certain controls were not enforced. In other words, the City’s police did not do their work properly.

Because the City is so important as a result of what happened to the world’s economy, every country has strengthened the capabilities of those whose job it is to police that financial body.

These policemen are usually highly skilled, highly motivated, and largely autonomous. They are not supposed to be subject to the egos of anybody.

This why we must be wary of the ego clash between the House of Representatives and the Presidency over Otteh who is the head of our Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) because it is a clash that could damage the economy.

What was the House thinking when it approved a zero budget for SEC? That the Presidency would blink? What if the Presidency did not as it is now the case? What next? Should the country’s investment climate be made cloudy because of one person?

himself as the next vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (in hopes of a Yar ’Adua scenario?) acting in concert with the northern oligarchy which brought the country to its present ruinous state in the first place. However, he is clearly working at cross purposes with the people of the South-South geopolitical zone. But there are quite a number of intricate issues that threaten to put a dent on Amaechi’s ambition in the context of geo-ethnic configurations and 2015 politics. This ambition,may be realised in the opposition to APC in the event that it fails to sail through in the PDP. Thus, in using the NGF platform to advance personal desires rather than promoting peer review mechanisms and the exchange of ideas for national development, politically legitimate insofar as it derives from an ambition, Amaechi’s forum has become an opposition to the PDP government, and this point was recently attested to by no less an individual than the Board of Trustees chairman of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih. This fact, taken together with the reality of strident opposition and legislative excess at the House of Representatives, means that

Jonathan, apart from the daily confronting Boko Haram terrorism in the North, does not have any reason to trust Amaechi. Therefore, assuming but not conceding that “Jonathan is proof that the charges preferred against him by the NACA authorities were false.

In Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi who is currently delivering lectures in the newspapers on the “undemocratic” action of the group of governors (the Jonah Jang group) in not accepting Amaechi’s leadership, Honourable Opeyemi Bamidele is under alleged serious as-

saults over his ambition to unseat Fayemi, with his loyalist recently rooted out from different political positions, while even the posters of PDP governorship aspirants are being mutilated by vandals. Another example: a certain comrade recently organised a sham election. However, in spite of the frenzied attempt by the opposition masquerading as disinterested judges to drag the president into the murky waters of Amaechi’s NGF, the president has maintained his non-involvement in the fracas, urging the governors to sort out their

Should the careers of many be put on the line because of one person? More importantly, should an institution as vital as SEC be made ineffectual because some people don’t like its boss?

I have absolutely nothing against the oversight functions of the Federal House of Representative because every arm of government should be held accountable one way or another (including the House itself).

But rules and regulations must be clear and unambiguous. Nothing that affects our national interest must be made personal.

And to deny an important agency like SEC of funds because of the perceived offences of its leader is taking political brinksmanship to a reckless, irresponsible and unacceptable level.

It is also worrisome that the House is seeking the power to hire and fire through the back door. Its victims are usually those who disagree with its ambiguous and amorphous standards. Institutions should be strengthened and allowed to do their work according to laid down rules; not brow beaten and victimised. very body suffers in the end when financial operators get away with sharp practises because the monitoring agency is starved of funds. The effect might not be seen now.

Maybe not even until Otteh and some members of the House have left their respective offices. But whenever this vital institution begins to malfunction and under perform, we should remember the genesis of the problem and put the blame squarely at the floor of the House of Representatives; at the very people we elected to protect and strengthen such institutions

E

differences in the interest of national unity. This remains a key challenge.

In the build up to the NGF election, governors in the South-East geopolitical zone had met, resolving to throw their weight behind whoever the PDP would present for the election, while the Northern governors had to settle for Plateau’s Jonah Jang after prolonged disagreement between Governor Isa Yuguda and Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) over who should step down for the other.

Eventually, Jang’s candidature came up as a consensus candidate, particularly against the backdrop of the rotation of power entrenched in the NGF constitution.A list of 19 governors had endorsed Jang ahead of the election. Indeed, an impromptu meeting presided over by Jang at the Benue Governors’ Lodge in Abuja on Saturday morning had 18 governors in attendance, effectively sealing Amaechi’s fate. Governors Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Isa Yuguda, Pater Obi and others who spoke at the meeting dismissed the Friday election as a sham, with Mimiko pointing out that the Amaechi group had even craftily nominated him for the deputy chairmanship of the NGF, after he had already been approached by the Jang group. It was thus no surprise that he (Mimiko) promptly withdrew from the sham election.

I

happened to attend a celebration of the so-called “Democracy Day” earlier in the week. It was held by a concert of elementary/primary/basic (suit yourself) schools which included one in which I have an abiding interest. The children marched with banners waving, after which formal ceremony, they settled down to dance. You never saw the like— or maybe you have! We are in a country where almost anything is allowed to pass muster, even the way our children grow up.

The pupils launched out with vim and vigour at the sound of the music, itself a repetitious horror denied of tune and short of melody. And then the gyrations began, among children of between five and eleven years old, in the style and disgustingly prurient manner in which they had seen the grown-ups dance on the TV. I could hardly believe my eyes. Some of the teachers too, though lacking the facility of a supple torso that makes such contortions possible, attempted to encourage their wards by following suit. When I tried to express my shock at such carryings-on, one of the teachers was surprised. “You should see them at their parties”, she panted. And, of course, the parents too would be present at such gatherings, obviously casting loving glances at the display of depravity. Some parents would probably not have been comfortable with such antics, while others may feel inclined to accommodate them, even if they do not fully accept them.

But isn’t that a description of our general attitude to so many deplorable circumstances of our life as a overwhelming. nation?

First is the constraint of poverty, which points one’s tart from the naming of desire in the direction of the that day as “Democracy next meal, especially in the Day”. What is the rationale for midst of available food if the purpose of an act that one can pay the price of deprives the nation of a whole acquiescence.

It comes working day, a nation whose people claim to be serious with an irresistible velocity about their over-all when others are seen development? What makes it benefiting from silence, deserving of that title in a while others are losing land which had celebrated its through resistance. The independence from colonial saying in Yoruba that the rule decades earlier? Into lure of food sometimes what other form of deprives one of wisdom ( government did we graduate Ohun ti yio je ni ko je ki 0 when we obtained our gbon) then assumes the full freedom? Granted that we force of its conviction. Have were subjected to the iron you not heard of the Ijaw heel of military rule for a alhaji who boasted that Goodluck considerable period, yet it President Jonathan had better be could not crush our spirit of retained in office, or else? liberty which kept us alive as Then is the awesome a people until we subsequently restored our power which those above rights. Was it at the point (Oga at the top) have when we had at last emerged acquired and are able and

nation and laisser-faire begins to dominate our psyche. That would permit decadence to bloom, and corruption to flourish, because rather than fight them one would be naturally inclined to join them, look around and see how the graph depicting the status of corruption is rising.

From the secondary schools to the tertiary institutions,

*what a shame

available in several other parts of the world. And we are unable to refine the petroleum products which a benevolent providence has bequeathed on us. In stead, we ship them to foreign lands to refine them at an arguably monumental loss to us, in the process of which we defraud our own resources. Nothing to be ashamed of in what brings in enough from which to give billions of naira in bribe, whilst millions starve for want of two square meals a

S

Granted that we were subjected to the iron heel of military rule for a considerable period, yet it could not crush our spirit of liberty

,

from the doom of military rule that anyone would discount the sacrifices that had been made and the victory that had been won, to impose a shabby landmark in our history for us — and least of all, by elements of those who had deprived us of our rights to proper governance?

B

ut we took it in, didn’t we? Just like we nearly take it all in. There were, we should not forget, people like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Aminu Kano, Osita Agwuna, Mokuogwu Okoye, Gani Fawehinmi, Wole Soyinka and his unique cousins, the Kuti brothers, Fela and Beko, Alhaji Balarabe Musa and several others who fought and continue to fight against taking it all in, hook, line and sinker. But the odds have always been

,

willing to use with devastating effect, to manipulate, to intimidate and to totally devastate institutions and personalities.

It is happening right before our eyes and voices are raised against it, but who pays much attention to toothless dogs, no matter how much they bark? When Obasanjo was going to impose Yar’Adua of the nation, no less than seven governors were said to have shown up, but not one of them eventually waited for the show down. They were not cowards; they were just cautious.

Finally, and the most dangerous aspect of this deplorable situation, is that world-weariness might spread through the articulate section of the

simple: she is a Nigerian; she has no shame.

We can perceive how much better the economy is in the last three years from what we see. We try to say it ought to be vastly better, but we are cowed by near-penury and brow-beaten by sheer apprehension at what may happen to us, if we were to raise too high a voice. For what might not happen to you if you shouted too much about your civil right when every attempt was made to overwhelm a State Governor at his own doorstep for trying to claim his right as a citizen to vote and be voted for in an open election? And it is all being done in the open by men of honour who no longer know shame.

T

•Governor Chibuike Amaechi from the commercial houses to the banks, from the police stations to the high courts and probably beyond, the filthy fingers of bribery, fraud, sleaze and all forms of impropriety have left their dark imprint on the face of all our endeavours, even within the gates of our religious establishments.

That is why we no longer seem to nurse the luxury of shame. We have gone beyond that.

W

e now adorn ourselves with its apparels. Is it not shameful that, after we had built scores of universities within our own country (and still counting) we still clamour to send our children and wards to universities abroad? And why not, when our universities are now regarded as little better than glorified secondary schools, even by ourselves?

And we now eagerly source for huge amounts to send our sick ones to India, and Pakistan, and South Africa — and maybe soon to Afghanistan — to receive standard remedial attention

,

C M Y K

16 — SA TURD AY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013 SATURD TURDA

hey know it is wrong, but they look at us boldly in the face and carry on all the same.

And in that, they are different from the children I saw dancing the day they call “Democracy Day”, though it fell on a season of heartgripping injustice. Those young minds did not know the full impact of their error, especially on themselves, because no one had told them that prurient excitement would lead to an immoral end.

But, at the end of the day, to grab that much-abused phrase, the two groups are on all fours with each other and

When Obasanjo was going to impose Yar’Adua of the nation, no less than seven governors were said to have shown up

day ... nothing, nothing at all!

And that is why supereconomists doubling as Finance Ministers will stand up and tell us about why we should not complain at all, because Nigeria remains the preferred “investment destination” of so many foreign countries. So you ask, “What has that done for the economic situation of this country when you remove it all from the scented pages of dry Harvard School of Business presentation? How many jobs does it provide?

How many mouths does it feed? How many poor lives does it relieve? How many roads does it repair? How much more energy does it provide? How can she stand there, from day to day, and tell us that the “economy” is not as bad as it is made out to be? Well, the answer is

,

every Nigerian — they have no shame.

However, the people of Rivers State are challenged today to throw off the cloak of ignominy that is being cast on their shoulders as a people in standing firm by the honour of their governor, Chibuike Amaechi, who is now the target of unmerited disgrace.

They have the opportunity of resisting the naked edge of implacable power and pointing the way of true Democracy to the rest of us.

They are called upon to uphold the dignity of their ancestors which history has marked down for them to follow. And they, too then may become the pathfinder for the true destiny of this nation.

Time out.

Vanguard, SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2013 — 17

C M Y K

C M Y K

18—SATURDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 1, 2013

Do I have erectile dysfunction?

Dear Aunty Julie, Recently, I realised that I have trouble getting an erection. I feel ashamed of this and I always make excuses whenever my partner wants sex. I explain away my inability with excuses of being too tired or working too hard lately but these are not really the issue. I fear, I have erectile dysfunction. I am 45 years old. What do I do?

Ray, Port-Harcourt.

Dear Ray, Either you’re not getting sufficiently aroused, or it might be time to get a prescription .

Erectile dysfunction is when a man can’t get an erection to have sex or can’t keep an erection long enough to finish having sex. It is also called impotence. Erectile dysfunction can occur at any age, but it is more common in older men.

However, erectile dysfunction doesn’t have to be a part of getting older. It’s true that as you get older, you may need more stimulation such as stroking and touching to get an erection. You might also need more time between erections. But older men should still be able to get an erection and enjoy sex.

Doctor ’s attribute erectile dysfunction to a number of things: Diabetes (high blood sugar),hypertension (high blood pressure), atheroscle-

rosis (hardening of the arteries), stress, anxiety or depression; alcohol and tobacco use; some prescription medications, such as antidepressants, pain medicine and medicine for high blood pressure; fatigue, brain or spinal-cord injuries, hypogonadism (which leads to lower testosterone levels); multiple sclerosis, stroke, some types of prostate or bladder surgery If you can’t keep your blood sugar or your blood pressure under control, you can get erectile dysfunction. It’s important that you take your medicines for these problems just the way your doctor tells you.

Sometimes your hormones get out of balance and this causes erectile dysfunction.

Your doctor will decide if you need blood tests to check your hormones.

Some medicines can cause erectile dysfunction. If this is true for you, your doctor may take you off that medicine or give you a different one.

Drinking too much alcohol, smoking too much and abusing drugs can also cause erec-

tile dysfunction.

Problems in your relationship with your sexual partner can also cause erectile dysfunction. Improving your relationship may help your sex life. If you decide to seek therapy, it will probably be most effective if your sex partner is in-

cluded. Couples can learn new ways to please one another and to show affection.

This can reduce anxiety about having erections.

Also, feeling nervous about sex, perhaps because of a bad experience or because of a previous episode of impotence can heighten

She is inconsistent Dear Aunty Julie My girlfriend is inconsistent. We have been dating for ten months and we are both in out 20s. We love each other and do everything like typical lovers. She told me she was a player before she met me and at first she was just trying to play me. She said the longest relationship she ever had before me was about two and a half month, and I’m the longest date she ever had. But she tends to speak from the two sides of the mouth. The problem is, she’s getting bored with me and even though she didn’t say so,

I am feeling so. The only thing that is binding us together now is sex. She said I’m good and I work hard to satisfy her sexually. But I want our relationship to be stronger than just sex. She ‘s always hurting my feeling while I pretend to be strong. I’m not a sex maniac and I want much more out of a relationship than just sex. What should I do?

Should I continue to date her or just give up on her. I feel insecure with our relationship. There is a strong missing link in our relationship and her feeling is not consistent. Sometimes, she’s affectionate and sometimes she is dull and so far away. What should I do?

Emmanuel, Ibadan Dear Emmanuel, Something is wrong somewhere with your relationship or your girlfriend and you must work this out if you want to continue with her. If your

He’s not using protection Aunty Julie, My lover doesn’t worry about safe sex? I have just started dating my boyfriend now for about two months . I have never had sex before I met him because I was scared and ashamed of what my partner would think or say. But now since I met this guy, I felt I could really relate to him and I opened up completely to him. We had sex with a condom twice but just three weeks ago, we did it without a condom, and he pulled out.

I realised that I’ve been sickly lately. I got out of bed throwing up, my breasts have

been really tender and sore.

I’m supposed to have my period next week. Could I be pregnant? I know that I have to take a test and find out afterwards, but from your knowledge,what would you say?

Vivien, Akwa Ibom Dear Vivien, You shouldn’t be having unprotected sex with anyone who is not your husband .Stop having sex with this person until he gets tested for STDs and also insists that he uses protection.If he refuses, dump him.

I want you to also understand that a girl can get pregnant at

it. Feeling stressed, including stress from work or family situations and being troubled by problems in your relationship with your sex partner can cause it.

Feelings of depression, being so self-conscious that you can’t enjoy sex also causes impotence.

any time of her period and if you don’t want the responsibility of a child, then contraception should be used.

Try the condom.

From what you said, it’s likely you may be pregnant but the best bet is to take a test . But wait for your period and if it doesn’t come, just go ahead now and get to the doctor.

Periods are not always like clockwork and can be off a fews days or even a week or more.

There are many factors that can cause a period to be late, early or even missed. So, getting a test is your best bet.

But you should also worry

about STDs. Anyone who has had sexual contact can get an STD. Men and women of all ages, regions, ethnic backgrounds, and economic levels can get them. However, STDs are most common among teens and young adults, with about two-thirds of all STDs occurring in people under age 25.

This is because young people are more likely to be more sexually active and take more risks, and the cervix of a female is more likely to get infected by chlamydia and gonorrhea.

So, stop having unprotected sex because many STDs are spread through contact with infected body fluids such as

girlfriend is a player like she claims, then you must understand that once a player, always a player. It’s possible your girlfriend is afraid of getting hurt, so in turn, she bails out of every relationship to save herself and in turn hurts others. But ultimately, she’s hurting herself. She may not ever be alone, but she will always be lonely. Her heart is guarded at a very early age, perhaps there is some emotional trauma in her young life or perhaps she has never been taught how to love. She has insecurity issues and that is affecting her relationships and making you feel insecure. My candid advice is, if your relationship starts out this rocky, chances are , it will continue. So, if you want a roller coaster ride, then hang on, but I think you deserve better.

So, if you cannot handle this, find happiness with someone who is willing to give her heart, someone that is ready for a relationship and not just a player.

blood, vaginal fluids, or semen.

They can also be spread through contact with infected skin or mucous membranes, like sores in the mouth. You may be exposed to infected body fluids and skin through vaginal, anal or oral sex. Anal sex is very risky because it usually causes bleeding.

Sharing needles or syringes for drug use, ear piercing, tattooing, etc. can also expose you to infected fluids.

Most STDs are only spread through direct sexual contact with an infected person. So, always use protection because he is not your husband and he may have other sexual mates.

C O C K - T A L E S Right answer

Jack wakes up with a horrible hangover and a throbbing black eye. The first thing he sees is a single rose on the side table and a note from his wife: “Dear, breakfast is made. I’ve gone shopping to make you your favorite dinner tonight. I love you!” He stumbles to the kitchen and, sure enough, there’s breakfast. “Joe,” he says to his son, “ what happened last night?”

“You came home so drunk and got that black C M Y K

eye tripping over a chair.” “So, why the rose, breakfast, and sweet note from your mother?” “Oh, that.

Mum dragged you to the bedroom, and when she tried to take off your clothes, you screamed, ‘Leave me alone, I’m married!’”

What’s that smell?

For a romantic touch, I washed our sheets with lavender-scented detergent. When my husband got into bed, he sniffed. “What’s this?” he asked. “Guess,” I

said coyly. “I have no idea,” he said. “It smells like the stuff you use to line the hamster’s cage.”

For the Mrs?

Even though there was a blizzard raging outside, I made it the half-mile to the bakery, where I asked the owner for six rolls. “Your wife must like rolls,” he said.

“How do you know these are for my wife?” I asked.

“Because your mother wouldn’t send you out in weather like this.”

SATURDAY

T

HE last time 1 called on a childhood friend, she told me how amazed she was at how some of our friends had simply let their figures go. “The fact that you’re over 50 doesn’t mean you have to get yourself ready for the role of a frumpy grandma,” she fumed. “Admittedly male suitors are not exactly falling like flies off the wall for some of us, but what about our general well-being? We need to boost our self-esteem by looking good. I ran into Risikat last month at a shopping mall and she looked so drab that 1 walked past her without recognizing her. When she tugged at my blouse, I almost did a double take at what I saw. Apart from looking frumpy, she looked as if she was bereaved, she might be a few years older than us, but she looked as if she was just marking time at life’s depature lounge.

“I was blunt with her. I told her to get a grip on herself and live the quality life she deserved. She must start by taking the much touted daily walks that were supposed to give your health a mighty boost. She lived near one of these estates with recreation areas, I told her to take advantage of the location for her walks. She gave the weak excuse of being scared of muggers and I encouraged her to take one of the sprawling young men in her neighbourhood to accompany her whenever she went for walks. She promised to give it a go.”

Vanguard JUNE 1, 2013—19

Middle age is when you settle for sloppy seconds!

children were in this country, she couldn’t have gotten away with such shameless behaviour!”

I gently reminded her that Risikat’ s siblings could never render the service this young chap was rendering—with positive results too. My friend had come in the company of Eno, who she said was her school mother in their secondary school days.

S

he agreed with me that our friend had always been a prude and I should just ignore her indignance. She then recalled an experience she had recently while waiting impatiently at the VIP lounge of the local airport, fuming at the unnecessary delay of her flight when she noticed this young chap in his late 30s saunter towards where she was. Eno is in her 60s. Curiously, she glanced at the seemingly shy man as he perched on a seat next to her.

The conversation was stilted at first until Eno let it drop that she had an engagement at the Port Harcourt branch of the motel she ran.

“He instantly became interested in what I had to say

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around me all the time. Not that I look stunning at over 60, but because they could get compensated for services well rendered .

At my age, you have to take what is thrown at you and men like Ebere are fit and strong, and quite better looking than men my age — and they appreciate you. Like a friend aptly put it, getting involved with younger men is like walking down a well stocked supermarket with an empty trolley. The goods on display are just begging to be snapped up...” Would she call what the men were doing prostitution?

“Call it whatever you like, but there is a clear an exchange of cash or gifts for sexual services.

T

he agreement may last an hour, a night or a week.

In some cases, it is a more informal long-term investment. The toy-boy’ s aim being to acquire benefits over a period — find an older woman, get involved and build

She agreed with me that our friend had always been a prude and I should just ignore her indignance

going price. I would be a fool to pretend I didn’t know where all this was leading to. I was a single woman, twice divorced, and men like Ebere (the man’s name) flocked

,

up a nest-egg for when he gets married. One thing is for sure, as long as you are loaded, you can be plain or fat or a pensioner — you will still be made to feel young and

,

beautiful and there are more than enough of those men to go round with their taut well exercised bodies. An added bonus is that they don’t need all that viagra stuff — unlike a lot of older men my age...”

“It is sad that what used to be a rarity now operates on an industrial scale”, observes a participant on our current management course who says she feels disgusted by some older women’s get-laid-whereveryou-can-get-it attitude.

“Some of them would sleep with their sons if they could get away with it! What was once exciting has tuned exploitative. Passion has been replaced by the predatory and caring has become a con to the opportunistic gigolos.

“And they have stupid well-worn lines they use on their victims that never fail: ‘you are my destiny’, ‘without you, I would never have made it in life.’ Sloppy words that send their victims reaching for their cheque books.” “Life is short”, Eno concluded dreamy-eyed.

“I’m rich, my two children are happily married,and in a decade or two, I might be history. With those younger men, it is a bargain. The married ones amongst my friends use my motel all the time, then go home and resume their normal life with their families. What the husbands don’t know can’t hurt them.”

Women outdo men when it comes to working hard...

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IT’s a suggestion that’s likely to ruffle some rather outdated stereotypes about the fairer sex but when it comes to office environments, women emerge as more hard-working than men, a study has found.

Contrary to old cliches about women being gossipy and unable to focus on the job at hand, it found they are more likely to stay at their desks and finish a task than their male colleagues are.

Women were also found to work for longer and were less likely to wander

and was chatting away as if he’d just discovered his tongue’, Eno recalled. “When we eventually boarded the plane, it was inevitable that we sat together. He was quite helpful really, with my suitcase and with making sure I was comfortable. When we arrived Port Harcourt, he asked tentatively if he could be put up in any of the rooms in my motel as it was too late to secure any decent accommodation. He said he would pay the

,

didn’t see my friend again until some months later. “‘Risikats been transformed,’ she told me after we’d caught up on a few gossips. “She’s positively glowing after she took my advice. Not only did she find a shop owner virtually next door to her place to accompany her on her walks, rumours have it that she’s now bunking the poor man!” So what was her problem? “How can you talk like this?” she fumed. “The man is young enough to be her son and he has a family.

Doesn’t she have any shame, disrobing in the presence of a shop owner!” “Heh! wait a minute” I continued, “I know the chap you’re talking about. He doesn’t look as young as you claimed and his family stays somewhere else.” “So what?” Continued my friend with a sneer. ‘’Her younger relatives are complaining and are bent on showing this gigolo the door.

Would you believe Risikat just moved to her new bungalow and gave all her old furniture to this man?

What for? When most of her siblings would be glad for such hand-me-downs. If her

,

I

I told her to get a grip on herself and live the quality life she deserved

,

Men by contrast got easily distracted

off.

Men by contrast got easily distracted, suggesting they did not have their minds on the job. The study on behalf of technology film 3M observed 274 workers —,53 per cent female and 47 per cent male— across US offices in a range of industries.

During a ten-minute trial, women worked for 4.9 minutes versus men’s 4.3 minutes. When given the opportunity to walk off, 38 per cent of women did so — compared with 52 per cent of men.

Interestingly, the men were also found to work less when women were around.

If the researcher and subject were female, the average time was four minutes. If the researcher and subject were both male, it was 3.6. But when the researcher was female and the

subject male, the time was 2.8 minutes.

Relationships writer jean Hannah Edelstein said: ‘Perhaps women work harder because we suffer more from “imposter syndrome;” society bombards us with messages that we’re not as valuable as our male colleagues, so perhaps we feel we have to be more diligent to prove ourselves. Some men may feel a sense of entitlement to professional success, as a result of living in a society where men are more valued than women in some work places.’

20—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1 1, 2013 Recently, I got a call from a woman who identified herself as Mrs Rosie Hassan. She shared her experience and demands counselling from the readers.

Read her story: My name is Rosie Hassan. I am 40 years old. I met my husband 12 years go when I was an undergraduate in the University. I already had an NCE before going for my degree where I met him.

He was also a student and both of us came from very challenged financial backgrounds. We had to do something to help ourselves financially on campus.

He later settled on selling drinks and running a business centre which was highly patronised by the students. I was into part-time catering, helping other students plan their birthday parties and other celebrations , cooking for the birthdays and being paid for my services.

I was also helping out in Hassan’s business on campus and along the line, introduced catering into the business. I began to fry meats, make pepper-soup and other things to encourage patronage and the business grew. It got to a point that our finances became inter-twined and we became partners as well as soulmates. Our getting married became inevitable and we waited for the right time for the marriage. Our families eventually got to know about our business on campus and encouraged us to wait until graduation.We continued our business on campus after graduation and we encouraged ourselves to go for Masters.

Half-way through the programme, I realised I was pregnant but Hassan insisted that I aborted the pregnancy since we were not yet prepared for it. He said and ever since, pregnancy has become then that the environment where we elusive. lived was not conducive for childMy husband later used his connection rearing. I decided against the abortion to get me a job in a ministry and with but on his insistence, I obliged. I was my two Masters, I am doing well in my already five months gone and people job. knew I was pregnant.

But my home-front is suffering. The Two months after the abortion, Hassan family of my husband has been blaming began to pressurise me for marriage and me for our childless status, alleging all that got me very angry because I kinds of things but my husband always wondered the sense in aborting our baby protected me. They began to allege that if we were to get married two months I bewitched their son and things were after. All the same, we went ahead with getting worse by the day. the marriage which took place in the Recently, my husband suffered losses Catholic Church. That was ten years ago in his business after being duped and

A woman’s experience

I have become a slave in my marriage

the banks where he obtained loan came down heavily on him. I forgot to tell you that he did so well in business that his businesses grew but when the trials came, it affected everything and his business empire collapsed.

I tried to help him out by obtaining loans from my office but a N3m loan was nothing compared to the amount he was used to counting. The repayment period for the loans I took always took tolls on my finances while my husband changes from bad to worse. I have been labouring under a very low salary due to the loans I was repaying in the office. My

husband no longer protects me from his family. As a matter of fact, he has bought the notion that I was the person responsible for his business misfortunes.

He says I have taken all his wealth to the witchcraft coven and had already had all my children in the mermaid world and have left him childless and poor.

At a point, I advised him to take another wife so that I can have reprieve from the side of childbearing but he refused. I told him another wife could give him all the children he needs but he doesn’t want to do that. He has subjected me to all kinds of rituals to destroy his enemies and believing that I am his number one enemy, he prays for my death and doesn’t hide it whenever we are together.

When his mother became very sick and had stroke, he and his siblings branded her a witch until she died. Then they threw a big party for her funeral.

He said more of his enemies are yet to die and he brings all kinds of spiritualists into the house and burns all kinds of candles. He collects all the remaining salary they pay me after deducting the loans I took which gave him. I don’t have any qualms giving him from the little I have but he collects it with impunity, saying he found the job for me. I work tirelessly without anything to show for it. I cannot help my sick mother or any of my siblings because each time I finish paying a loan I took either from the office or the cooperative, he always ensured I took another loan for him. I have tried to empathise with him but he is not doing anything to help his situation. He has abandoned what remains of his business to sales boys and said he wouldn’t want to become a laughing stock. Yet, he embarrasses my by following me to the office almost all the time and sometimes waiting till the close of work. I’m so stressed. My BP is high and I am suffering in silence. We don’t make love anymore because he says he doesn’t want further contamination from me but he uses me to masturbate, making me caress him until he ejaculates without intercourse.

My own sexual feelings is thrown overboard. How do I get out of this?

What is wrong with me?

M

y name is Richard. I am a 31 years. I have confidence in myself and other people see me as an outgoing, strong character and pleasing person. I have one problem though and that is commitment to my relationships. I have been in five ‘committed’ relationships but after the first couple of months, I get bored, become unfaithful and then find a way to get out of the relationship. I have always made certain that my partners get the blame and I make them feel guilty, although I know the problem is me. After I leave them, I miss them and feel bad about what I have done. I then contact them but in the meantime have a new ‘lover’. I end up in a situation of having a ‘committed’ relationship with a woman, and, also still phoning, visiting and having sex with my

previous partner. I cannot carry on like this anymore. Recently, I ‘dumped’ my partner only to be with someone new I met two weeks ago at a friends' place, and I am still uncertain about going back to my previous partner.

Please help!

Ans: I think I agree with you that there is a problem. But I’m glad you see the predictability of your pattern. Each person has some deep set of patterns which come out in relationships and love which can be limits to the depth of healthy, lasting intimacy that they can experience — despite their higher intentions. Each person ultimately must learn a way to evolve beyond their own self-limiting patterns.

Patterns like yours are originally developed in childhood. They are the

result of choices made while trying to figure out how to connect to others while protecting the self. These choices were made in the context of the family of origin and genetic predispositions. These choices were made long before you became verbally adept or cognitively proficient at thinking.

Therefore, you have a set of emotional patterns that operate in the attempt to self-defend yourself and deal with the core problems of vulnerability and connection. These patterns come up in relationships.

They come up the strongest in strongest relationships, i.e. with a romantic partner. And these patterns are, for the most part, way beyond conscious understanding. Because they were developed at an earlier

stage in your cognitive development.

Thus the field of counselling came to be as a study of such patterns and a study of how to assist people to navigate beyond the limits and pains that such patterns cause people in relationships. This is especially true now today and for the last few decades because society has lost most of its ability to influence couples to have stable, long-term marriages.

Since the 60’s, people have been influenced by the idea that how you “feel” is the most important thing in love. And since feelings are by nature ever-changing, especially when we let them operate on an unconsciously-driven level, then we end up acting out our emotionallybased patterns in relationships.

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G

etting dumped by someone you love is not the end of the world. It happens. Be ing dumped is rarely a pleasant thing. But you can get over the shock and distress that comes from rejection. Whether it comes out of the blue or is something you’ve been anticipating, being dumped is rarely pleasant. While for some people it might come as a relief, or be part of an amicable separation; for most, the shock and distress that comes from rejection can be difficult to cope with. This applies whether it’s a romantic relationship break-up, losing a friend, or family estrangement.

Although a cliché, the idea that ‘the only way through it is through it’ applies here. However, there are things you might consider to make the process easier to cope with. Getting over loss takes time and may be affected by several factors including: •The duration of the relationship and how much you had invested in it •How it ended, amicably or acrimoniously.

•Whether you had any sense of why things came to an end. Not knowing and knowing can be equally painful and disempowering.

•If you have additional connections e.g. children or a jointly owned home •If you’ve been affected by past experiences e.g. you witnessed relationship breakdown as a child, or have been rejected in previous relationships.

•Whether you have a support network of friends/family.

•The quality of your previous relationship.

Coping when a seemingly happy relationship has ended can be as distressing as when a primarily destructive/ unhappy relationship finishes. Common reactions to being dumped include: Physical responses – nausea and/or vomiting, loss of appetite or overeating, crying, sleep disturbance, problems with concentration.

Emotional responses – feelings of rage, grief, loss, powerlessness, shame, anxiety, panic, or depression , mood swings (from hopeful to despairing); and conflicting feelings (wanting your

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013—21 •The relationship featured or ended with emotional or physical violence.

•You have no clear idea why the relationship ended and your ex won’t discuss this with you.

• Friends/family members take sides or interfere in the break-up.

*How not to cope with a break-up

Standard advice says using alcohol to numb the pain of a break-up is wrong, yet many people temporarily do this as a coping strategy. If you find alcohol/drugs are causing problems you may wish to seek help.

Being fixated with your ex is common when a relationship ends. If this moves into consistent, repeated, unwanted contact with your ex, their family, friends or workmates, this is stalking. If you are very angry or distressed talk to friends or family, ask for help or refer yourself to a counselor rather than engaging in revenge behaviours where you try and harm your ex’s reputation, emotional well-being, or physical health.

You can get over being dumped ex back, wanting to hurt them).

It’s common to fixate on the past relationship; dissecting why it went ‘wrong’, or planning how to repair it, and to be preoccupied with memories of your relationship (good or bad). You may want to do anything to get your ex back, or may accept the relationship is over but still feel upset. Not being part of your ex’s life could make you feel disoriented and lonely.

These responses may vary in intensity and last for weeks, months or longer. They may be consistently present or flare up intermittently. These feelings may seem beyond your control, which can be distressing. Generally, you would expect negative and sad feelings to reduce over time, although there is no set period in which every-

ASK THE SEXPERT

I was dumped after sex: was I wrong to do it?

I was dating a man for a few weeks. I decided not to sleep with him right away and he agreed, knowing I wanted sex to be special. He was talking about our relationship, getting more serious so we had sex. Since then, he has blanked me. Was I wrong to have sex?

Were you wrong to have sex? No. You decided you wanted to wait to have sex because that made it meaningful for you. You explained this. You had sex when you felt it was right. None of these things are wrong.

The problem is that since you slept together, the relationship appears to be over. He is communicating fairly clearly how he feels. But as he hasn’t come out and said why things are over, you may well be feeling uncertain about what may have gone wrong and if the relationship can be salvaged. It might also leave you feeling powerless and wanting things to go back as they were, perhaps overlooking the hurt that has been caused to you in the interim period.

People in your situation often feel a mix of emotions. They worry they may have done something wrong, or feel undesirable and rejected. They doubt whether they made the right choices about being

*Ways to help yourself after a break-up

one should recover from a break-up.

While you cannot protect yourself from additional pressures during a break-up, consider getting additional support for yourself if the following apply: •Your ex continues to hint at there being a chance of you getting back together or sets ever changing targets for you to achieve as a means of ‘ winning’ them back.

•You continue to have sex with your ex or see each other for ‘dates’ while the relationship is still considered ‘over’ but you want to be together.

•You have to have contact with your ex because of financial/family commitments, or if you are legally separating/divorcing.

•The relationship ended with infidelity or some other breach of trust

We all experience break-ups differently. There is no ‘right’ coping strategy. Acknowledge the feelings you have. Many are led to feel there are correct, sanitised ways to manage a break-up where they must be reasonable and responsible. Behind the scenes you may wish to rage, cry and rant about what has happened. While living with emotional pain is distressing, some people find it cathartic or a necessary way to acknowledge their upset at losing something important.

Self care may seem obvious but try to eat, rest and relax.

If you have lost your appetite, small snacks may suit you better than big meals.

If friends/family want to help, ask them for practical support like doing shopping, housework, cooking or childcare. Or just to be there to listen to you if you need to talk, cry or need distracting. Don’t assume all breakups have to end with hostility.

intimate, perhaps believing if they hadn’t had sex at all or had had sex sooner the relationship would still be okay. They may fear this will happen with future partners.

The result is, you can spend a lot of time and energy worrying about what is wrong with you, or whether there are ways to win back a partner. Or wishing for a clear explanation about what happened.

You can ask for this if you wish but it is likely no answer will be forthcoming and any you get, you may find difficult to believe. Or it may hurt you further.

sex for them. In your case it might help to unpack exactly how you feel. Are you saying you really dislike it and just don’t want to do it? If so, there is no reason why you have to make yourself. You could say to your partner it isn’t something you like. This is easier said than done and he may feel rejected and you feel embarrassed, be careful how you present it.

‘I don’t like oral sex but don’t know how to tell him’

Whenever I have sex with my partner, I start bleeding. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I am 27.

My boyfriend is really keen to go down on me. I’ve made excuses as I’ve done it before and didn’t enjoy it much. I can’t believe anyone would really want to do it, but I do think I might be missing out.

Bleeding after sex is something that can cause us a lot of anxiety, although it’s not uncommon.

Starting with your sex life, is this pleasurable?

Do you get aroused during sex and feel able to communicate with your partner what you like and dislike ? These might seem like basic questions but they are important. If sex isn’t what you want it to be, this could be part of the problem. Ask yourself, ‘what do I like?’ ‘What would I like more of?’ ‘Does anything stop me knowing or saying what I want?’ Your answers might help identify where you could make changes

In reality people have preferences. Some love giving and receiving oral sex, others only one of the two.

Some dislike oral intensely. It can be partner specific. So you like it with one person but not someone else. Or be dependent on how you are feeling about intimacy at the time. Some times, you are into it more than others. Some people can only orgasm via oral sex, others find it enjoyable but it isn’t the best part of

I bleed everytime I have sex

22—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1 1, 2013

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SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013—23

24—SATURDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 1, 2013

men, women, teenagers, and mature clients.

What unwanted hair can be removed by threading?

Full face: eyes, upper lip, chin, forehead, and cheeks. You can remove hair from any body part as long as the hair is not very long.

What are the benefits of threading compared to other hair removal methods?

With threading you get perfect shape, quickly and easily, with no or minimal redness. The best part is its growth-it’s very slow and soft.

What should an interested client look for to find an experienced “threader”?

A client needs to find out how long the threader has been practicing threading and make sure they don’t pinch the skin. It is also important for them to be very good in shaping the brows, not just removing the hair.

Eyebrow threading

Eyebrow Threading How to make you eye brow beautiful without shaving

E

yebrow threading is a popular Middle Eastern and Indian method of hair removal for shaping and thinning brows.

Pareen Merchant, an expert eyebrow threader and co-founder of the Sanctuary Salon and Day Spa in Orlando, Florida, has been using eyebrow threading since 1981. She shares her expertise about this unique and amazingly effective technique in this exclusive interview.

Please describe the methods you use for threading.

The art of threading originated in the Middle East and South Asia.

We use special thread, which is twisted and pulled along the area of unwanted hair. The thread acts like a minilasso and lifts the hair C M Y K

follicle directly from the root. The process is very quick and it gives you control to either pick individual hair or a bunch of hair depending on the area. One needs to stretch the skin in that area so the hair can be removed easily.

Why is threading better than waxing or plucking?

It is found by many to be much less painful than waxing. Since threading only targets the individual hairs, skin irritation is kept to a minimum, unlike waxing, which often causes unnecessary stretching and exfoliation of the skin’s delicate top layers. Threading is also very precise and allows the threader to have greater control than waxing, resulting in a better brow shape for clients. Threading is 100

percent natural, and even those short stubbly hairs can be removed.

Are there any negative side effects to threading?

There are no side effects of threading.

Can threading work for anyone?

Yes, anybody can try threading including

Eliminating Unwanted Hair Eyebrow threading just might be the solution to your hair removal challenges. If you’re interested in trying it for yourself, contact local salons in your area to find out about services provided, being sure to find out about the experience and credentials of the facility ’s professional threader.

HAIRSTYLE OF THE WEEK

Vanguard, SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2013—25

anozieegole@yahoo.com

08116759764

KSB drops “Bragado” Remix

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he year 2013 is already looking good and rosy for veteran gospel artiste, Kenny St Best a.k.a, “KSB”. Just last month, she won the best gospel act of 2013 at the maiden edition of the Islanders Awards held in Lekki Lagos. Still in the mood of excitement for winning the award, she has just dropped the remix of her new hit single tilted “Bragado” featuring LKT. The new song which is fast becoming a street anthem and enjoying heavy airplay, has also crossed over to night clubs because of its melody and dance beat that has made it DJ’s favorite. A classy video for the song is in the offing. In her words, “I am really glad that the year 2013, has started on a good note for me. All I can say to my fans is to keep supporting me and expect the very best from me”. Recall that KSB still remains the only Gospel act to win “best Gospel Act” at the NMVAs back to back in 2010 and 2011.

Chidis Ubamadu unveils art gallery

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n line with his vision of providing an aesthetic art gallery, and educational solutions through visual arts, Chidis Black Passionate Koncept has stepped out with a one in a million art gallery. Situated in the ancient city of Benin kingdom, the gallery brings African works of art in a wide range of forms with up to three to four different generations of great Nigerian artists with local, national and international exhibition experiences. Some of the artists the gallery would exhibit include, Njoku Kenneth, known for his vintage and thought provoking bronze works, Festus Enofe with his mesmerizing wood carvings, Eddison Ekwueme, a prolific sculptor/painter, Ohiole Ohiwere, working in bronze, Simeon Ijoye in watercolors, Lawani Sunday, Paul Ehizelen, Femi Williams among others. The exhibition ceremony has been billed to kick off from next week.

A.O.E to host Nigeria’s centenary pageant

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ollowing months of preparations for the nation’s Centenary celebration come next year,a foremost entertainment outfit, A.O.E Entertainment, has vowed to make it unique with its plans to unveil the most beautiful Nigerian queen, tagged, “Centenary pageant”.

Proudly commissioned by the offices of the SGF and the Ministry of Women Affairs, the event aims at promoting the history and unity of Nigeria. The contest which is divided into three phases, also gives each of the states the opportunity to produce a worthy contestant that would represent the state, making a total of 36 contestants.

Billed to kick off in June, the competition will also expose the contestants who are able to make it to the second phase through a two week reality show. The grand finale comes up in August.

Speaking at the event, in Sharaton Hotel, Lagos, former Miss Nigeria and an ex Venus ambassador who is also the CEO of A.O.E Entertainment, Chief Nike Ochinowo said that, the centenary pageant will be done once in every 100 years. “ we are working towards making this contest a centenary thing,where the queen reigns for 100 years thereby making it different from normal beauty pageants,” Nike said.

The winner would be crowned by the first lady and stands the chance of attending institutions of higher learning anywhere in the world and many other amazing prices.

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Chuddy K quits SQN

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t is no longer news that the talented singer, Chukwudi, a.k.a, “Chuddy K” is no longer with SQN record label.What now is news is that the “gaga crazy ” crooner, Chuddy K left the label illegally as he still has 18 months left in his present contract with SQN. The scintillating singer last week in an interview said he left the label because of the way he was treated.

Addressing newsmen on the recent development in the industry, the SQN boss, Wale Kuku said that there was nothing like treating Chuddy K bad. He said he cares first about the feelings of the artistes under his label. “ No doubt, Chuddy K was a talented singer while with us and he is still talented. But saying that he was treated like a small boy here is what I know nobody did that to him. I care most about the feelings of my artistes. As I am talking to you now, his termination of the contract is illegal because, his contract is till December 2014.

It is either he comes and completes his contract with us or, he pays all that the label has spent on him,” Wale said.

Chuddy K

26—SATURDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 1, 2013

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SATURDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 1, 2013—27

28 — Vanguard, SARTURDAY, JUNE 1, 2013

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hen actress Uru Eke met with Showtime Celebrity in Lagos recently, she wore a maxi dress and no make-up. Apart from designer glasses and a British accent, she seemed like your regular girl next door. The catch is, not many girls next door have been featured on CNN or nominated for the Best of Nollywood awards. Phase 1: Playful, childish and silly romantic, Phase 2: Talented actress who left a successful career in IT to follow her dream. Welcome to Uru Eke’s world of make-believe!

quite close, especially because we have similar backgrounds. We both came back home to Nollywood from the U.K. most of my close friends are outside the industry; people that have known me from way back. Those are my true friends.

By LAJU ARENYEKA,

We learnt that you earned about ten times more in Information Technology than you do as an actress. Why did you leave your IT job for acting ?

It is all about passion. My job as an IT personnel was good. But if you’re doing something that you don’t find fulfillment in, then it’s not worth it.

It would only be a matter of time before you’d try and find something that gives you joy. That is how it was for me. I could always go back to IT if I wanted to because I was really good at my job. But I don’t think that I will, because I absolutely love acting. I enjoy it. It gives me a sense accomplishment to be doing something that I have always wanted to do. If I was still at my former job, I’d be wishing that I was in front of a camera.

a fight, then it should be between me and him, and not myself and the other chick.

Have you ever been in a situation where you boyfriend left you for someone else?

No I haven’t. I’m a lover. When I love someone, I am very sincere. I love with all my heart, so that endears the other person to me; so most of my relationships have ended because we both grew tired of each other, or there was an issue with distance and not because there was a third party.

How do you manage to avoid scandals?

It’s just the kind of person I am, that’s how I was raised. I am not controversial at all. I’m not dramatic and I’m not an attention seeker. You will not catch me in situations of strife.

I’m human, and there are times when people get on my nerves, but I hardly ever blow things out of proportion.

I’m not going to let the way people behave change me.

What kind of guy would you never get tired of?

I’m a day dreamer. The kind of guy I would never get tired of is someone who is very romantic. Not excessively so, but someone who really cares, someone who is goofy like me, because I’m a kid at heart, I’m overly goofy.

Sometimes, I’m way too playful for my own good.

So I’d like someone who has a playful personality.

My dream guy is also someone who is faithful, who sees only me in the room, no matter how many other beautiful ladies are around. I think that’s every girl’s dream.

Your character in the movie the ‘Dark Side,’ is she like you in real life?

In some ways, that character and I share similarities. I was the protagonist in that movie. I felt that my friend was not treating her man right; she was sleeping around with his friend and trying to get him killed, and I came around and felt it was my responsibility to expose her deception.

In real life, that’s what I would do, I would expose deception. I’m not the kind of person that would stand by and let somebody get taken advantage.

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hat other characters do you think are similar to you?

Well, I can say that I have played many characters that are not like me at all. I’ve played a bitch, and I’m not like that, I’ve played a princess, and I’m definitely not a princess. I acted as a money grabbing super model in ‘Forgive me Father ’ but I am not like that. In Catwalq, I was a bit of an antagonist because my boss wanted my man and I wasn’t having

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any of it, so I did everything in my power to make sure that did not happen.

hat has your experience been like in Nollywood so far?

It’s been adventurous working on different projects and I am learning a lot.

I’m relatively new here; even though I did my first Nollywood film here in 2007, I was not 100 percent in the industry until 2011 when I moved back to Nigeria.

Can you fight over a man in real life?

I don’t think I can do that. I can’t fight over a man. If I’m in a relationship, and the guy wants to quit, he can. If there’s

Who are you friends in the industry?

I don’t really have many friends in the industry, I’ve made friends in a lot of other sectors though: in music, in fashion, etc. I don’t really have close friends in Nollywood per say, Beverly and I are

With very few friends in the industry, it doesn’t seem like you’re likely to date someone in Nollywood?

I’d rather not. I just think that it is better to date someone who is not in the business because of all the pressures and the complications that could arise.

What if you meet someone who does not understand your love for acting and wants you to stop?

I’m sure I’ll meet someone who understands, whether the devil likes it or not. Anyone who really claims to love me should understand.

What languages do you speak?

I speak igbo, but it is really rusty.

My mum sometimes speaks to me in Igbo, but I usually reply in English, because trying to have a conversation in Igbo is like torture for me. My pidgin is also very good, but I try not to speak it except I have to. One of those times is when I’m bargaining in the market. I say things like ‘Madam, I no go gree o, this thing na 5 naira.’ But apart from that, English is all I speak.

Why Nollywood, why didn’t you pursue acting in the UK? Why not Nollywood? Like they say, charity begins at home. It would have been much harder to pursue for me to pursue an acting career in the UK. Nollywood provided a softer landing for me because I had already made some contacts here. It was a case of going to those contacts and letting them know that I was ready to come to Nollywood fully. You know how it works here, it’s who you know that determines the opportunities that come your way.

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ou’ve been away from the country for a long time, how are you adjusting to things here?

Nigeria is a tough country, but by the grace of God we survive here. It is not for the faint hearted, you really have to be dogged in Nigeria. I spent most of my life in the UK, so

Vanguard, SARTURDAY, JUNE 1, 2013 — 29

I’m a day dreamer. The kind of guy I would never get tired of is someone who is very romantic. Not excessively so, but someone who really cares, someone who is goofy like me, because I’m a kid at heart, I’m overly goofy some things take getting used to.

Like the power situation here. I’m not used to power outage at all. But I got an inverter and a generator set, so I can cope.

What are you future career goals?

Everyone loves progress, and I’m looking forward to the next stage; to star in a blockbuster movie, produce my own film. Right now, I’m

weighing my options and observing the goings on.

I’m keeping it real simple, but I can promise you that I won’t be on one spot for too long. There’s a script I’m working on, I’m working with a renowned script writer in the industry.

Even though we’ve just finished the first draft, I’m keeping it under wraps for now. When we’re ready to begin production, we’ll do publicity about the film.

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f you were to create a dream role for yourself, what would it be?

It would have to something emotional, along the lines of romance, because I’m an absolutely stupid romantic. Something like the Hollywood film The Notebook; I’m open to action thrillers and other genres but romance is my most preferred.

If you were to choose someone to star as your romantic interest in that film, who would it be?

Ramsey Noah. He can burst my bubble any day. I used to have a slight crush on him, but when I met him I got over him.

Also, he’s married so that’s a no go area for me. But on screen, I’d love to have him as a romantic interest.

Tell us about your family?

I have a twin sister, but she and I are not alike in any way. We don’t look alike, and she has nothing to do with entertainment at all.

She’s the introvert, I’m the extrovert, and she’s got a family of her own. But she’s very supportive of my career. I also have a younger sister who is very supportive.

My mum however, was a bit skeptical when I told her I wanted to leave my

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no love lost though, we’ve both moved on. My parents were never married; I just grew up knowing that my mum was a single parent. And she did a great job of raising all three of us. She was like a mother and a father to us and I don’t feel like we missed out on anything because my father was not around. I am already the best person I can be, and I don’t think things would have been any different if he was in my life. I, on the other hand, want to be married with kids, I don’t want to be a single parent. I want my children to have the joy of being raised by both parents.

What inspires you?

I’m driven by my goals, and I am very passionate. I don’t see any reason why I should be mediocre or ordinary when I can excel. I am the kind of person who wants something and goes all the way to get it.

I always get what I want. I believe that you should live life to the fullest, and take every opportunity that life presents you with.

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Nigeria is a tough country, but by the grace of God we survive here. It is not for the faint hearted, you really have to be dogged in Nigeria job for acting. She couldn’t understand it. But she’s coming around now. She’s even become like my publicist, always telling her friends about my latest film.

What about your relationship with your dad?

We don’t really have a relationship.

I haven’t seen him in ages. There’s

part from acting, what other aspects of entertainment interest you?

I love dancing. I danced azonto during a television interview and people have refused to forget it. My cousin called me yesterday and was talking about it. The presenter asked me a random question, and I just said I can dance azonto.

Ironically, there was a time I did not know how to dance azonto. I was at camp somewhere, and two of the people I was at camp with were dancing azonto. I kept on asking: “how do you do that?” and they were teasing me. That’s when I made up my mind to learn it, and I did, painstakingly so. But I really love dancing, I would love to star in a dance film. I also work as an ambassador to a fashion label, but I have no intention of being a designer. I sometimes work as an MC. Two things people don’t know about you?

People don’t know that I can stand on my hands. My sister and I took ballet classes when we were younger, so I’m quite flexible. I can also play the recorder.

30 — Vanguard, SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2013

Compiled by

Ephraim Oseji 08023542350

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eing a footballer isn’t all about Baby Bentleys and lucrative boot deals.

Former Arsenal and Tottenham midfielder Rohan Ricketts reveals the highs and lows of the transfer season from a player’s perspective.

For most of the public, 31st August is just the marking of the end of the month. But in the life of a professional football player this time marks a whole different reality, filled with both suspense and hope.

With the summer transfer window about to open on July 1 , I know there will be many players sitting at home wondering if they will be sold against their wishes or will they be forced to stay at a club. The worst part about the whole process is that its out of your control. In some ways you can say you are a slave to industry.

I can tell you personally, the closing of the transfer window may be entertaining to the fans who watch on, but its a time where players and their families are not guaranteed stability. Questions arise such as, will we have to send the kids to a new school again?! Do we have to sell our house again?!

Daddy, why do we keep moving?!

Just imagine going into training this week not knowing if the manager is trying to flog you behind your back. But when you get home after training you turn on the TV to see some random broadcaster who you have never met, telling the world where your future may lie in the coming weeks. Total madness!! But hey, they said its the best job in the world, so you just keep your chin high and keep rolling.

I remember one time in particular, I was playing for Spurs at the time.

Glenn Hoddle had just been sacked, which ended my regular role in the side. He had rang me up to let me know that David Pleat, who was caretaker manager at the time, will make it a very hostile environment, as he was not very fond of me. For reasons that we never really knew.

As time passed I began to see what Glenn had warned me about. I had gone from a regular in the side, England U21 call up and a phone

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Truth behind the transfer window

Why women and children suffer most

call from Sven Goran Eriksson to congratulate me on my progress, to someone who was not on the bench all based on what?

Many said it was because he had spent a £1 million on Jonathan Blondel and he wanted to justify his signing. While Paul Kemsley signed me for nothing and I was justifying

my worth. It was a real frustrating period. It got even worse when Pleat, suggested that I was not going to get games under him, so I should go out on loan.

I said to myself, ok let me speak to my agent Eric Walters (who is the most genuine agent I have met and I have met a ton ). Eric then sourced

a club who wanted me on loan, which was Reading at the time. It was 1pm on transfer deadline day and I was happy that I had an opportunity to go and get some games under my belt. Little did I know, Pleat had other ideas, contradicting what he had originally suggested. He had told me to call him if we found a club, so I gave him a call and you would not believe what this man said to me. He asked me why was I calling him, so I told him about the Reading interest. He then says, ” you ain’t going anywhere and how did you get my number ?”, like he was the damn Queen or something. I said, David you told me to find a club and now I’ve found one. He then says again, that I ain’t going nowhere and proceeds to hang up the phone.

That was a moment which really made me aware that the football business was as ruthless, if not more, than the dealings that happen on street corners everyday. It made me more thick skinned for other situations which were now inevitably visible. That’s just the very tip of the iceberg.

You can also find yourself used by the kind of ruthless agents who have now flooded football. I have seen agents love me and coveted my signature to guys who have not picked up the phone when you need real help finding a club. Anyone can move David Beckham or a Jermain Defoe, but its going to take a real grafter to find a deal for someone who’s CV is quiet bare but yet still he has potential.

Vanguard, SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2013 —31

Compiled by

Ephraim Oseji 08023542350

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Suarez offered £140k-a-Week contract by Real Madrid

Courtois is world best keeper — Waterreus

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helsea are in possession of the finest goalkeeper in the world today, according to former Rangers and PSV gloveman Ronald Waterreus. But they’ve loaned him out and and he doesn’t want to come back to Stamford Bridge because he might not be guaranteed first team football.

‘Thibaut Courtois who has spent the last two seasons at Atletico Madrid, impressing all and sundry with his between-the-sticksmanship.

Not least Waterreus, who was reportedly gushing in his praise of young Tibbles in an interview recently.

Quizzed if he rated Bayern Munich’s Champions League-winning Germany keeper Manuel Neuer as the world’s current boss cat, Waterreus replied: “No. Thibaut Courtois is the best and he is only 21 years old.”

Atletico boss in England for Chicarito

Real Madrid have offered Luis Suarez a four-year contract and he is ready to tell Liverpool he wants to go. Suarez’s agent, Pere Guardiola - brother of new Bayern Munich boss Pep - is thrashing out personal terms with the Spanish giants ahead of a possible £25million transfer.

Real have proposed a £140,000-a-week for the striker, with incentives and bonuses on top for trophies won, goals scored and appearances. Uruguayan Suarez will make it clear he wants to move to the Bernabeu, and has already laid the groundwork by admitting it “would be hard” to snub Real and blaming the English press for unfair coverage of his bans for racially abusing one opponent and biting another.

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tletico Madrid boss Gil Marin is in England for negotiations with Manchester Unit ed over signing Javier Hernandez. The Mexican has been linked with all the major Spanish clubs recently, who could afford him, and the league is probably one which would suit Hernandez but new manager David Moyes may not be keen to let him go.

According to sources, Marin wants either Luis Suarez or Javier Hernandez to replace Falcao and that the club understands both transfers would be very complicated. Hernandez would be cheaper than the Liverpool forward and so give the possibility of a future profit, which is something important to the Spanish club.

OSE MOURINHO wants Porto centre-half Eliaquim Mangala as his first Chelsea buy — but not at the £30mil lion asking price. The Special One targeted the 22-yearold after signing a four-year contract on Tuesday to become Chelsea boss. And he reckons he can land the French ace despite the player’s concerns about regular football. But Chelsea will not match the £30m buy-out clause in his contract and know from experience that the Portuguese champions drive a hard bargain. Asked about the Blues’ interest, Mangala said yesterday: “It’s flattering because Chelsea are a great club and Mourinho is a great coach. “I intended to stay in Porto but you never know what will happen in football, especially when big clubs are involved. “At Porto I play every week and I am involved in the title fight and the Champions League.

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Arsenal showing interest in Julio Cesar

elegated Queens Park Rangers’ keeper Julio Cesar has admitted he has had negotiations about staying in England with a Premier League club.

Cesar will be allowed to leave QPR on the cheap to get his £70,000-a-week contract off the wage bill now they are back in the Championship, and it is understood Arsenal have been sounded out - and shown an interest as they seek a new No.1.

The Brazil international, was set to face England in Sunday’s friendly in Rio de Janeiro, after the match was called off because of the safety of the Maracana stadium and also says there is interest from clubs elsewhere in Europe and in his homeland. “I am in negotiations with other clubs in England and from other countries but there’s still not been anything definitive,” said Cesar.

Lottery winner buys share in Norwegian defender

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orway’s record lot tery winner has splashed some of his prize money on a 25 per cent share of a soccer defender so that his struggling local club can hold on to the player. Yngvar Borgesen, who recently won more than 102 milC M Y K

lion Norwegian crowns ($18million CDN) on the Eurojackpot lottery, put up 2.5 million crowns ($400,000 CDN) so that Odd Grenland could keep promising defender Fredrik Semb Berge.

“I sat and thought about what I could do locally, and

the answer was Odd. They have a good profile and mean a lot for the local community,” Borgesen told the newspaper.

Odd Grenland, who are 14th in Norway ’s 16-team top flight, said in a statement that in return for his investment Borgesen would receive 25

per cent of any future transfer sum for Semb Berge, who made his senior international debut for Norway in January against South Africa.

The player told Verdens Gang: “He’s a very nice guy who thought it was good to help.

32— SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013

Rice, my ultimate meal— Adeyinka

Power Pasta with Mushrooms, Tarragon, and Goat-Cheese Sauce

He is the first comedian to be referred to as the “Comedian of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, CFR. Gbenga Adeyinka the first, is our guest on this edition of the Celebrity Tummy Talk. This time, the popular TV presenter cum comedian is not doing any joke, rather, he is talking about his special food and healthy lifestyle.

As a very busy comedian, how do you reconcile with your stomach?

I prefer food I can quickly pack into my mouth and that is rice. This is because I have a very busy schedule.

I can eat rice three times daily. I specialize in all kinds of rice recipes, from Ofada to Chinese rice. If I’m at home, I like to eat rice with vegetable. I make my vegetable specially, a little plantain and beans by the side. That is my ultimate meal.

Growing up, was it the same meal?

No, it used to be eba. Perhaps, that is why I like rice now. I can remember that, whenever we came back from school, we were always served eba.

It was only on Sundays (after church) that we ate rice and it was only Uncle Ben’s rice. Now, I like to eat rice as much as possible. But, If, I want to have a nice time, I would prefer to go for pounded yam and vegetable soup ,but rice is what I eat all the time.

You have mentioned rice, eba and pounded yam. Are you saying that, you don’t like beans at all?

I don’t like beans. I hardly eat it.

In fact, the only beans I’ve eaten in

my entire life is aganyin. That was when I was very young. I remember that, we used to mix it with garri. I can’t eat other beans besides aganyin beans.

Is there any prank you played to get your special rice.

The only thing I can remember was that, because I wanted more rice, I would choose to wash the pot. And because I know there will be some rice stuck to the bottom of the pot, so after eating my rice, I will go and scrape the pot, put stew on it and eat it again. Mum would come and scold me but it was all in the spirit of getting more rice. There was a woman in a place called Onile gogoro. She used to sell a special rice, so, I patronized her as often as possible as a child. Despite the fact that, we were strictly monitored such that, we were not supposed to eat outside, I still sneaked out to patronise this particular woman.

Was there a special way that woman prepared her rice?

The rumour was that the woman washed something inside the rice but I believe, it was the way she prepared her food. I think, she fried her

Adeyinka...I prefer food I can quickly pack into my mouth stew specially. There was a particular woman at Ogunlana Drive who fries her stew very black. I love her food too.

And if you were asked to make any joke on how much you love rice, what will it be?

It is going to be like, if rice could grow on people’s head, some of us would be a rice plantation, and that whatever rich people touch becomes so expensive. So, they should leave rice alone. Let them be eating all their imported foods.

Do you exercise?

I do some walking every morning. That is enough exercise.

Your kind of drink?

I love to drink star. I also like red wine because it is good for the heart. I also take water a lot. On the average, I take three bottles of water daily.

Today's menu

Health Tips Why you should drink red wine.

Drinking Red wine in moderation is good in the following ways: Good for Your Heart Red wine contains resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant compound which protects your heart and arteries against the effects of saturated fat in your diet, so drinking one or two glasses of red wine a day can help protect your heart and prevent cardiovascular disease.

Contains Antioxidants In addition to resveratrol, red wine contains a number of other antioxidants, which can slow the signs of aging and prevent a number of degenerative illnesses like type 2 diabetes. Drinking one or two glasses of red wine each day can help protect you from many of the diseases of the elderly, such as osteoporosis.

Prevents Cancer Mounting evidence suggests that drinking red wine in moderation can help prevent cancer. The many antioxidants in red wine can help prevent the oxidative damage responsible for the process of aging and for many degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Guercetin, one C M Y K

Ofada Rice with Ofada Sauce

of the many antioxidants in red wine, may help prevent lung cancer.

Research has shown that resveratrol, the same red wine antioxidant that helps protect your heart, can also kill cancerous cells.

Prevents Tooth Decay The polyphenols in red wine can also prevent gum disease, and even help to treat it by reducing inflammation in the gums.

Ofada rice is a locally grown rice in Nigeria. It is normally consumed with a specially prepared and unique sauce.

Recipes Assorted meat (ponmo, liver, beef, shaki, intestine, dry fish etc) Pepper, Onions, Iru (locust beans) Palm oil ,Ofada rice Preparations Wash the rice, put in a pot, parboil for 5minutes. Drain water and wash again, and then pour it in a pot with salted boiling water. Cook until rice is done. Wash and season the meat, cook until tender. Blend the pepper and onions. Heat the oil, fry the meat until is brown then take it out. In the same oil, fry the washed iru (locust beans) and then pour in the grounded ingredients.

Cook for about 15minutes, and then put back the fried meat and cook for a further five minutes.Allow to simmer and serve with the rice.

Pasta is a favorite comfort food—it’s quick, easy to cook and always tastes good. But with all those carbs can it be healthy too? You bet! The trick is to keep portion sizes under control and add more lean protein and vegetables so you feel satisfied •1 tablespoon(s) butter •2 tablespoon(s) olive oil •1 pound(s) mushrooms, cut into thin slices •1 teaspoon(s) salt •1/4 teaspoon(s) freshground black pepper •2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh tarragon, or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon •1/2 pound(s) mild goat cheese •1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan, plus more for serving •1/3 cup(s) milk •1 packet Power Pasta •2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh chives or scallion tops Directions *In a large frying pan, melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the pepper, and the dried tarragon, if using, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderately high and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown and no liquid remains in the pan, about 5 minutes. *In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese, Parmesan, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Stir until smooth. *Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the Power Pasta until just done, about 12 minutes.

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta-cooking water and drain. Whisk 1 cup of the pasta-cooking water into the goat-cheese mixture. Toss the pasta with the mushrooms, the goat-cheese sauce, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil, the fresh tarragon, if using, and the chives. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta-cooking water. Serve with additional Parmesan. *Variation: Use fresh basil instead of or in addition to the tarragon and chives in the recipe. *Wine Recommendation: Dolcetto, while beloved in Piedmont, is less appreciated in the United States. Yet its light tannins, cherry fruit and clean, dry finish are just the ticket to balance the full flavor of the cheeses here.

Facts about Pasta According to the National Pasta Association, Americans consume about 20 pounds of pasta per person each year.

Italians eat more than 3 times that amount.

VANGUARD, SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2013 — 33 are so many tribes and tongues like the Urhobo, Ijaw, Itsekiri and even the Delta-Igbo. So I had no choice than to acculturate although once in a while, you are faced with challenges.

Conquering these challenges I have always been a goal getter. When I have a passion for something, I go all out for it,

I am a voice for the ordinary people — Amb.Gabari maybe because of my faith. I strongly believe that God is always with me. Even if you are working in your local government, that does not mean you won’t have challenges and the challenges you encountered should not make you back out.

*Amb Emmanuel Gabari won the 2010 Youth Federation for World Peace (YFWP)

He is a selfless, determined, young on-air personali ty with a difference. He is de void of pride and superiority over the younger ones, the have-nots and he considers it a duty to assist the needy. From different roles as a radio presenter in Kano State to establishing African Focus for Youth Development (AFFYD), a non governmental organisation that is geared towards affecting the lives of African youths positively, his doggedness and commitment to youth development in the North is recognised and he was awarded one of the ambassadors for peace by the Youth Federation for World Peace (YFWP), an affiliate of the United Nations (UN) wing for peace in 2010. In this interview with OLAYINKA AJAYI, Ambassador Emmanuel Gabari speaks on how his passion for youths’development propelled him to roll-up his sleeves for humanitarian services. Excerpt.

Background My name is Ambassador Emmanuel Gabari. I am an Urhobo by tribe and I attended Mosco College of Commerce Enerhen in Warri. I later left Warri for the North where I sat for my West African Examination Council, WAEC. I also attended Kano State Polytechnic where I obtained a National Diploma, ND, in Secretarial Administration and I also obtained a Higher National Diploma, HND, in the same course of study in Katsina Polytechnic in 2006. I was privileged to bag a post-graduate degree in Mass Communications from Bayero University. I am presently an on-air personality and I work with Radio Kano FM. I present programmes three times in a

It was a big challenge

for me learning the culture that is far different from mine, different religion and tribe but I have always believed that we are all one Nigeria

week.

Getting acculturated It was a big challenge for me learning the culture that is far different from mine, different religion and tribe. But, I have always believed that we are all one Nigeria and people could choose to live anywhere they decide and it could be regarded as home for them. I was able to summon courage because even in my state of origin, Delta state, there

How African Focus for Youth Development (AFFYD) came about It came up as a result of my media work in Radio Kano FM, as an on-air personalty in 2005. Every time I speak on air, I address issues facing young people generally.

Then I noticed that a lot of people wanted a place outside the mass media where they could get together like a conference or seminar, where they could discuss personal issues that could not be discussed on air due to the religion and culture. So we started every month where we gather mostly students from secondary schools and higher institutions. What we discussed most times were youth empowerment and career guidance and in another month, we could speak about health issues and how young people could live a healthy life. So, we felt that we should make it bigger than usual. So, we started partnering with other non governmental organisations, and now, other NGOs in Lagos, Abuja and other places consult us when they intend organising youth conferences or seminars in Kano and the North.

Majorly, the focus of AFFYD is youth development because we observed that young people in Africa are being relegated to the background and are sometimes used as political thugs during elections, while the young girls engage in prostitution that most times result to unwanted pregnancy.

We believe if we can change the mindset of young children, half of the social vices would be solved. So, we go to secondary schools, because we believe in catching them young, where we talk to them about taking their studies seriously, discouraging bullying attitudes, teenage pregnancy and how to avoid it.

Sometimes, we go to primary schools where we do sensitisation on culture, values that are embedded with respect for self and other

people.

Basically, the major challenge

which other organisations face too, is finance and also the fear of insecurity in the north. It takes courage and compassion for us to carry out effective projects in these areas. Due to the security situation of the region,voluntary donors will think twice before coming.

Sometimes, we get support from other passionate organisations.

The UPF/YFWP UN Ambassador for Peace Award The Award was given in the month of June, 2010 at the ECOWAS Secretariat Abuja and organised by UPF/YFWP, an umbrella body of the United Nations (UN) for Peace. I was one of the over 20 people that were awarded that day. Madam Sarah Jibril, now the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Ethics and Values was the Chairperson at the ocassion. It was a wonderful experience for me.

When the nomination letter first came, I was shocked and surprised because I least expected it.

I am just someone who loves touching the lives of people in my own little way by using my radio program to reach out to people in Kano and make them happy. I never felt I would be recognised some day. I am a very quiet person who believes my work should speak for me. I engage in a lot of voluntary community service, like polio vaccination, capacity building/skills acquisition for young people, youth participation in governance and public enlightenment campaigns. I never thought a day would come when it would pave way for me in life to be awarded an Ambassador for Peace. If it were to be for eloquence only, I know there are other broadcasters in major cities who are equally very good, but maybe my direct commitment to impacting meaningfully and positively on the lives of young people and my community development activities gave me a cutting edge over other people. During the roll out polio campaign in the North, I volunteered myself for the work and ignored the fact that I am an onair personality. I rolled-up my sleeves and worked selflessly by going from street to street and from house to house, administering polio vaccines to children and many of my colleagues faulted my action, claiming it is unnecessary to stoop that low for the sake of affecting lives through community service and I made them realise that I am a voice for the ordinary people in the society and my plan is to affect lives directly.

My inspiration Maybe, it’s the fact that I come from a polygamous background where my dad had a lot of children and everyone had to struggle really hard to make a living for himself. I know a lot of people that had their dreams shattered due to their polygamous background. My inspiration has always been believing in God and the goal- getting ability He puts in me. I have always believed that with God all things are possible.

34—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013

BY MOSES NOSIKE

D

r Samuel Valerie believes that when a woman is well empowered, she can do exploits. She has worked internationally for over two decades and has remarkably impacted Nigerian education sector since 1994. She has a doctorate degree in Phonetics with teaching qualifications and decades of teaching and administrative experience. In this interview, she reveals how her divine calling and love for children has earned her a remarkable success in her career despite attempts by some Nigerians to deprive her the reward of her labour.

Apart from the rich teaching and educational qualifications, versatile teaching experience at all levels and administrative leadership experience that she has, her divine calling and love for children have earned her remarkable success in her career wherever she has worked . According to her, “it is my stern belief that education is a legacy that lasts a life time which cover his potential and guide him/her can never be stolen and therefore eduto fulfill his/her dream. cational standard cannot be comproHow long have you been in the busimised. What you sow in children today ness of educating children in Nigeria would determine the brighter future of and what have been the achievements a nation eventually”. Excerpts: so far?

How did you develop the passion To be precise, I have impacted the for child’ training?

Nigerian education sector since the year I never knew I had the calling of God 1994. Though all my achievements upon my life for the teaching profescannot be quantified, as a principal of sion until I was offered a job by a presa low-profile school, I worked relenttigious school in India to fill in a leave lessly to bring it up to the standard of a vacancy of a veteran teacher. To my uthigh profile school in every aspect. ter surprise, I not only fit in beautifully Standard Organization of Nigeria can but enjoyed teaching teens. Even vouch for the fact that I even helped though I furthered my education after the school attain the ISO certification that wonderful experience, I decided to for primary, secondary and adminiswork on a project on “learning without trative departments as their managetears” while acquiring my Post Gradument representative. I was largely inate Diploma in teaching. Moved by my strumental in reshaping and work, I was invited by one of the Rerecreating the school to meet covertgional Institutes of English equivalent ible standards in curriculum, facilities, to a university in Nigeria, to be a memquality of teaching and learning and ber of the team of professors/trainers on structure. their “Train the trainers Campaign”. We All the children I have worked with were moving from one southern state so far have been amazingly wonderful to another organizing two weeks in-serand achieved what they were set to vice training for primary and secondachieve. This has been possible because ary teachers, exclusively touching variI set high standards and higher order ous areas of teaching in primary and of thinking skills for gifted students secondary schools: “Specialized Teachthrough “Enrichment Classes and ing from Primary-3”, cross-curricular apcorresponding assessment practices”, proach to Teaching”, “Thematic apwhile helping the struggling students proach to teaching, Best ways to plan to achieve their targets by developing lessons”, “Class & Time Management”, interest in learning through exciting “Application of modern principles, interactive teaching and learning methods and technology in teaching”, methods and constant motivation.

“Pro-active teaching and learning withI can proudly affirm that out tears”, “Education for all”, “Reach“Special Children” have brought out ing all students alike” and other topthe best of my calling through paics arising from the teachers in the field. tience and endurance in making them Our training the trainer programme was learn and acquire life skills. Given the a practical one with the students of varchild-friendly atmosphere, tools and ious levels from the local community individual attention, the special chilpresent in class while teachers observed dren have always exceeded the exthe professors demonstrating the stratpectations of their parents and wellegies live and proving to the trainers wishers. They can act and work like first hand on how to achieve the set normal children when their mates stop goals for every lesson. I witnessed the differentiating them. Wherever I have seasoned professors becoming little kids been, I have always ensured that all while on this mission. This further fuchildren are treated alike and my emelled my burning desire and passion to phasis has always been on “mutual tolimpact lives through the noblest proerance and respect for all in the school fession of teaching. community.”

I was convinced then that God created all children alike and every child can am very familiar with both the Ni be successful in what he/she is called gerian and British curriculum. I to do provided teachers and adminishave equally been associated with trators take time to help the child disschools offering the American curriculum. This has greatly enhanced my integrated approach to teaching and learning to fill the gaps in curriculum and focus on subject competence of a child according to age and levels.

Being an Indian, married to a Nigerian, what has been your major challenges of educating kiddies in this part of the world?

As an Indian married to a Nigerian, I faced a lot of opposition in my own country. In Nigeria too, I had to work very hard to rise to the top despite all ordeals but I faced it all with my husband by me. After my husband’s death, even though we have two children and I have been in Nigeria for two decades, I began to face such serious discrimination and reproach of widowhood by some defaming Nigerians that I could not understand why.

Indians are generally well known worldwide for their expertise in the

We should develop passion in training children—VALERIE

I

God created all children alike and every child can be successful in what he/ she is called to do provided teachers and administrators take time to help the child discover his potential and guide him/her fulfill his/her dream.

C M Y K

Valerie: A teacher fails when a student fails. education and medicine. Training students to achieve their target has never been a challenge. One of my major challenges has been making teachers teach academic discipline to students by being disciplined themselves. I strongly believe in the slogan, “A teacher fails when a student fails”. Most of the Nigerian teachers do not like to be held accountable for the performances of their students. These days, most of the teachers demand extra money for every effort and would not want to go an extra mile to train the child to succeed. They like to give hundred reasons why a child did/could not meet his/her target for the faults of his or his parents rather than working to improve on their teaching mechanisms by reflecting on their lapses or learning from their past mistakes. Success can easily be achieved when gaps are identified and efforts are made to close the gaps for better successes ahead.

Every teacher has to take accountability for the children entrusted in his/ her care not only in his subject area but in students’ attitude towards learning, time management skills, meeting deadlines that are key to learning to succeed.

Another major challenge is business men being allowed to commercialize education. The schools I have been a part of both as an employee and as a partner taught me a hard reality that “education is a business ” . “Betrayal of Trust” and “Politics” exist in educational institutions more than anywhere else. A teacher who can make believe and overlook students’ lapses and cover-up are

considered commercially good teach-

ers by the owners than those who work hard and believe in doing things right.

B

usinessmen have severally used my brain and strongwill to build the best institution and have stolen my vision to help set up or build on the standard but have bitten the finger that built it by castigating me and tarnishing my image. As they know nothing about education, they do everything possible to eliminate the educator to sustain their commerciality instead of working hard to improve on the quality. Establishing a standard school to them is a “good business.”

As the owner of Milhills School, which area would you want government to help you while training children for future leadership?

As the owner of Milhills Schools , government should support me and my children who have given so much to Nigeria by assuring us of our safety and security in Nigeria to practice education effectively and make a visible impact on the educational future of Nigeria for future leadership without being discriminated upon us as I am a widow.

I have always believed in creating a brand; teaching children from the age of two to 18 and equipping them to uphold Christian and moral values, acquire specialist learning and life skills and sending them to the world to affect all walks of life in their future careers. It is my desire to make Milhills Schools the best and complete Christian school at all levels,that stands out for its Christian cum moral values, excellent standard of education and for molding compassionate world leaders.

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013 —35

A

A

s a Nigerian living in

Nigeria I feel exposed and vulnerable, and what’s the hot button issue of the day? Jonathans catfight with Amechi. Really?? That’s what we’re talking about right now, above the state of the union, above the state of emergency,

Dear Sir,

M

y aim for writing you is to solicit for your immediate help in solving my immediate problem.

The problem is: I can becoming fatter and having big tummy (belly). I have been doing different types of exercises, instead of reducing I am increasing. So I am confused, I don’t know what to do, hence I decided to write you.

Sir, what exactly will I do, that will drastically reduce my big tummy and fatness (i.e types of exercise, food and if possible tablets to be taken). I need your advice and support to overcome this problem.

I will be very grateful, if this letter is given a quick and

The land of absurdity above the collapsing infrastructure,really?

I was listening to the radio the other day and the presenters were making a huge meal out of it and the Governor ’s forum election and the fact that it was rowdy and almost juvenile. .(duh!

Put three or more politicians in the same room and of course, it will be rowdy. .as for the other adjective — no,comment) and PDP’s shenanigans through it all.

What is the issue? Someone is suspected of having Vice presidential ambitions come,2015 (I’m not even going to talk about the sheer arrogance and presumptuousness of having

,

s it is I am running out of headlines and not just the body of the piece! Same shit different day and oyinbo say we do not u n d e r s t a n d the process of recycling! Huh! They should come check us out. We recycle so tey, we dey recycle our problems join! It’s one absurdity after the other. Plus our leaders have perfected the art of elevating the mundane to a high level of national discourse. And we the good people of this great nation just get swept along.

I mean just look at the state of our nation...on top of our usual perennial problems we are literally under siege. And though we like to lay it all at the feet of ‘BokoHaram’. I suspect they are not the only ones.

I was listening to the radio the other day and the presenters were making a huge meal out of it and the Governor’s forum election and the fact that it was rowdy and almost juvenile

,

political ambitions in 2015 when you’ve achieved crap all in the here and now — and I am referring to the collective here) and the ‘oga at the top’ has sworn he would die first.

Big deal. See what I mean?

Same shit different day. Even the bullying tactics haven’t changed. As for my ‘Oga at the very top’ all I have to say is well,well, how the meek have become mighty! This ‘man of history’ (abi isn’t that one of

The case of a big tummy favourable response.

Attached is a self address envelope for your reply.

Thanks and God bless for your co-operation.

Yours sincerely, K.O. Benin City.

N.B: I don’t drink beer, I have never taken beer or anything alcoholic. I occasionally drink crest (better lemon) and NESCAFE always.

This is for your information!

This is very likely the case of an sxiomorphic (natural fat) individual. But regardless of what cards nature has dealt out to you, no case is entirely

hopeless.

If you tend to put on weight rather easily, one of the things you can do is to eat smaller quantities of food albeit more often. With smaller portions of food your digestion will be a

lot more through and elimination more efficient.

Of course, you might have to overhaul the eating habits, eat less fatty and sugary stuff.

Shore-up on fibre to add bulk for satiety while achieving an overall lower calorific intake.

You should eat lots of whatever fruits that are in season that you love without overeating them. Fruits digest very q u i c k l y leaving you with more energy for m o r e enthusiastic living.

the titles you people bestowed on him? Yes, you people!) has forgotten recent historical facts and the circumstances that brought him to power.

I

guess its true what they say about that exalted seat in, Aso Rock. . . It does bad things to you. .messes up your insides. And I beg let nobody attempt to sell me that old sob story that he’s incapable of intrigue and that its the people around him causing the katakata; that cheque bounced a long time ago.

My question is the ruling party is throwing all this smoke in our faces and the opposition is busy recruiting all manner of political rejects as ‘part of their strategy’ for 2015. . What are we the people doing? Are we going to remain a willing and spellbound audience to this theatre of the absurd or are we going to shake off the shackles that have kept us bound and impotent all these years and take decisive action? 2015 is round the corner. . .everybody is thinking up some sort of strategy — what will ours be?

To overcome the burden of overweight you’re going to have to be committed. Want of seal will be your undoing; While tenacity of purpose will bring you results.

On the exercise front there are various postures to help give you a slimmer waistline.

Below are a few.

The Rocking Technique: Sitting on your exercise mat with legs outstretched infront of you, draw up the knees and place the hands at the back of each knee.

Now, slightly titting back and raise both legs off the floor and thrust them forwards and draw them backwards without scraping the heels on the floor.

Keep this forward and backward motions of the legs continuous. In the beginning it will be a bit of a job keeping the rhythm going but practice will make you perfect in its execution.

Leg and Trunk Raise Technique: Lying flat on your back interwine the fingers at the back of the neck. Keep the elbows spread out. Take a deep breath and lift both legs

Yoga Classes @ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola, Victoria Island Lagos. 9.00am — 10.00am on Saturdays

C M Y K

36—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1 1, 2013

08111813022

The angels in BBA 8 house!

Beverly

Annabel

Nairobi-born student and fashion designer, Annabel , 24, says she doesn’t have any children but considers her pets to be her babies. She enjoys reading philosophical literature. She has three siblings – all brothers, and all older - and lists her late father as her role model, because he taught her the art of tolerance and hard work.

Huddah

Huddah, 21, is a model from Kenya. She has a Diploma in Programming. She loves Chinese food, ugali and fish. Her favourite books are Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson and A Man of the People by Chinua Achebe and she enjoys watching The Oprah Winfrey Show and America’s Next Top Model. Her favourite musicians are Rihanna and Prezzo and her favourite actress is Angelina Jolie, “because she is beautiful, hardworking, a great actress and very charitable”.

Dillish

Windhoek, Namibian-born Dillish, 22, is a third year Psychology student with a fondness for seafood. Her favourite TV shows include Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Idols and her favourite films include, The Stoning of Suriya M and For Coloured Girls. She enjoys the music of Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, DJ Zinhle and Busisiwe and her favourite actor is Kevin Hart because he is so funny and lifts her spirits whenever she’s down.

Fatima

TV presenter and MC, Fatima,30, is from Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. She enjoys seafood and her favourite book is Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code . Her favourite TV shows are Game of Thrones and Sex in the City. She describes herself as “unique, daring, nurturing, fun and loud” and says she makes friends very easily. Fatima is looking forward to the exposure offered by Big Brother and believes that appearing on the show will be an important stepping stone in her TV presenting career.

21 year-old Beverly hails from Delta State and she is the only daughter of her parents.

She describes herself as “smart, sexy, humble, loyal and crazy ”. One of her favourite qualities is her sense of humour.

In other people, she values “maintenance, consistency, cleanliness, truth and humility” and dislikes unkept promises, lies and pretence. Beverley said, she entered Big Brother because she believes that her everyday life is entertaining, even when she’s sad. She says also that viewers can expect “a total packaged African young diva to command the right qualities and characteristics of a blunt, sexy go-getter”.

Selly

An actress with a certificate in Broadcasting and Journalism, Selly, 25, is from Tema in Accra, Ghana. She entered Big Brother because of “the mouth-watering prize package” that she says would change her life, and also because she wants more drama in her life to “spice it up more”.

Natasha

Self-employed mom, Natasha (26) also from Malawi entered Big Brother because she looks at it as being social, educational, entertaining and a platform for fame. She describes herself as “fun, adventurous, flirtatious, crazy and sweet” and says that the qualities she likes most in herself are her patience, calmness, jokes and tolerance. She values patience, tolerance and kindness in others, but despises control freaks, liars and unfaithfulness.

Betty

26 year-old Betty is a translator and teacher from Addis Ababa, with a BSc in Applied Biology. She says she is brave, confident, committed and able to make the right decisions at the right time. She likes punctual, reasonable, and confident people, but dislikes people with “big mouths”.

Her favourite food is pizza and favourite book, The Notebook. She enjoys watching Friend Zone and Disaster Date and her favourite movies are The Vow, The Notebook and Flight. She enjoys the music of Adele, Rihanna and Bruno Mars and her favourite actor is Denzel Washington, because “he can really act”.

C M Y K

Koketso

Johannesburg-born Koketso, 26, is an entrepreneur, currently studying towards a Law degree. She says she enjoys eating “most African dishes, but to watch my weight, I eat Thai for indulgence”. Her favourite book is The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and her favourite TV shows are Grey ’s Anatomy, Basketball Wives and Game of Thrones. Koketso says the best thing about Africa is it’s potential – “it’s like a young bright kid with endless possibilities”.

Motamma

Scientific researcher and student, Motamma, 26, from Botswana has a BSc in Agriculture and is currently furthering her education. Her favourite foods include pasta dishes and sorghum cooked in milk, her favourite books are Secret of Fascinating Womanhood by Helen Andelin and Letters to My Children by Jonathan Jansen. She says it feels ‘great’ that Africa’s eyes will be on her 24/7. She hasn’t watched previous seasons of Big Brother, but her friends and colleagues always kept her up to date.

VANGUARD, SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2013 — 37

08111813022

At last, NFC new boss resumes

When Patience Ozokwor stormed London for son’s wedding

T

he newly appointed Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) Dr. Danjuma Wurim Dadu finally assumed duty last Wednesday, with a pledge to re-engineer the corporation for the transformation of the Nigerian film industry and make it one of the very best in the world.

Consequently, he is to pursue sustainable programmes and activities that will reposition the NFC to tackle trends in film development. In this direction, the NFC will work towards the production of cartoons in the three major Nigerian languages and pidgin English.

Dadu accepted with humility, the magnanimity and kind consideration of President Goodluck Jonathan on his appointment to the exalted position of Chief Executive of the Nigerian Film Corporation.

Speaking at the handover/takeover ceremony, Dr. Dadu assured that his tenure as Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Nigerian Film Corporation will witness tremendous improvement in the service delivery of the Corporation’s mandate. Dadu acknowledged the giant strides recorded by his predecessors in office, and stressed that no stone will be left unturned to ensure that he (Dadu) contributes his quota to the growth of the Nigerian Film Corporation and the Nigerian Film Industry.

Staff, the new NFC boss said, is the basic asset of any organization that seeks to succeed and deliver on its mandate, and as such, he would in the execution of the mandates pay attention to staff welfare, skills development, capacity building, training and re-training, so as to enhance and improve on performance output of staff for better efficiency and productivity.

Operations of the Corporation, Dadu further said, were going to be “Business in Character”, within the frame work of the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan. He assured filmmakers, members of the various industry guilds and associations, including other stakeholders of better days ahead.

N

ollywood iron lady, Patience Ozokwor was all cheers last Saturday, as her son, Uche Ozokwor tied the nuptial knot with his longtime friend, Gloria in London.

Expressing her joy, Patience said, “I am in love with the couple. I thank God for them and my family. Although the wedding is taking place outside the shores of Nigeria, Ibo customs and traditions shall govern the marriage rites.”

Ozokwor lost her husband a few years ago to a terminal disease. Since the death of her beloved hubby, Mama G as she is fondly called by her fans has never looked back as she continued to enlarge her profile in the industry. The proud and caring mother of four, also has an adopted child among her family members.

Uche who is a graduate of the Enugu State University of Science and technology met his wife to be in London and both of them hail from Ngwo, Enugu State.

P

opular Nollywood actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde who travelled to the United States for the 2013 TIME 100 Gala held in New York, returned last weekend into the waiting arms of her hubby, Captain Matthew Ekeinde.

Captain Ekeinde had waited patiently at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, for his wife’s arrival. She was welcomed home by a few friends and fans.

At the airport, she said that she was really excited about being listed on Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2013.

According to her, she was a bit apprehensive, as she thought the list could have been fake but when she found out the authenticity of the list, she was elated.

Omotola returns into the arms of her hubby

Ailing filmmaker Ogundaisi needs N8m to stay alive A

*Danjuma Wurim Dadu

iling veteran actor, producer, filmmaker and architect of the distribution framework of the NFVCB, Yinka Ogundaisi who has been on admission at the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for over two months now needs about N6 million to undergo urgent treatment in India or the UK in order to stay alive.

Ogundaisi has been living mainly on liquids and can hardly walk without aids. Recently, he was literally ‘carried’ to attend a forum on distribution. He is said to have lost so much weight and even struggles to engage anyone in a discussion these days.

Medical experts both in Nigeria, India and the United Kingdom who have been on Ogundaisi’s case since February, when he observed that his health condition was becoming life threatening, said Ogundaisi needs about N8 million to get back on his feet.

38 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013

Julius Agwu launches YouTube Channel O

ne of Nigeria’s top comedians, Julius D’Genius Agwu, brings his catalogue of hilarious sketches, skits and stand-up shows online, with the launch of his brand new YouTube channel.

Julius’ new YouTube channel features some of his best, laugh-out-loud sketches, musical videos, stage performances and footage from Crack Ya Ribs, Humour Mongers, Laff 4 Christ’s Sake and many more.

The comedian says: “I want to keep my fans around the world laughing and I am

Cr ystal a wards se o hold Crystal aw sett tto

BY OPEOLUWANI OGUNJIMI

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so happy to be sharing all of my work online, in one place – I am looking forward to welcoming everyone to the Julius Agwu YouTube channel.”

2013 has been a busy year for Agwu, who, upon turning 40 on April 7th, launched his auto-biography, Jokes Apart: How Did I Get Here? He also found time to record and release two new singles; Rejuvenate and Mama Soup. He is also taking his wildly popular international stage show, Crack Ya Ribs, to the Indigo O2 in London on Friday 23 August 2013.

e g a v a S Tiwa s e r a p e pr for album launch

ll hands are on deck and the organizers are set to stage the first ever gospel awards in the whole of Africa, Crystal Awards.

This being the maiden edition to hold on the 21st of June at Muson Center, the host for the day, will be no other person than Mr. Femi Jacobs, with Mr.Igbinigin heading the panel of judges.

Speaking at a press parley, the Chief Creative Officer of the awards, Mr. Timi Adegoke, enlightened guests on the need for gospel artistes to take their rightful place in the music industry. According to him “the Crystal Awards is a platform for rediscovery. Gospel music should be the standard, the reference point.”

On criteria for artistes to qualify in any category, he said, such act must have an album produced within the last two years, and there must be good use of technology.

BY OPEOLUWANI OGUNJIMI

Budding artiste, Novo drops Friday video

F

ast-rising hip-hop artiste, Babatunde Awoderu better known as Novo in the music arena has released the video of his latest hit single, Friday. The awe-inspiring video which was shot at choice locations both in Nigeria and United Kingdom was officially released penultimate week. Prior to the release of Friday video, Novo already has two videos; Lil Star and Stuntin rocking the airwaves.

Though, the previous videos are still enjoying ample airplay, the artiste’ record label, Giant Music claimed that the new video was released based on fans’ requests.

However, some top music artistes namely, LKT Fuji, Jaywon and DJ Boombastic of Star FM have tipped the young artiste to be the next revelation in the growing Nigerian music industry.

Speaking uniformly, the three established artistes remarked that “Novo is a kind of musician that has got the lyrical touch that will remain indelible in the minds of listeners.”

When asked about his musical secret, the Human Resource Management graduate from the University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom divulged that he is always in the studio creating new sounds and lyrics soothing to the ears. *Novo C M Y K

M

arvin Records artiste, Tiwa Savage is all out to give her fans value for their money.

Last Sunday, Tiwa who recently got engaged to her manager, TJ, held her album listening party at WheatBaker, Ikoyi.

The event which had media practitioners, fans, family and friends in attendance, had the songstress decked in a mini patterned gown. She sat on top a high stool all through, introducing each track and moving to the beats to the delight of her guests.

Tiwa explained that the album titled, ‘Once Upon A Time’, is one that tells how she rose to fame right from the stage of America’s X-Factor.

The album swallows 19 tracks plus bonus tracks like Kele Kele and Without My Heart featuring Marvin Boss, Don Jazzy.

Tracks like Wanted, Ileke, Middle Passage, Olorun Mi, Why Don’t You Love Me, Eminado, Folarin, Oh Yeah, Shout Out, Written All Over Your Face, Love Me Love Me, IfeWa Gbona among others will be gracing her upcoming album, Once Upon A Time.

Sponsored by Pepsi, Baileys, Marvin Records and 323 Entertainment, she said, Ileke is a track written for the ladies. The track has Kukere master, Iyanya’s voice screaming ‘ Ileke’ at the background. Another track worthy of note Eminado featuring Don Jazzy.

It’s about beautiful African ladies. Tracks likeWanted, Middle Passage, Olorun Mi, Folarin, Oh Yeah, Baby Mo, Eji Ma Fia also got nods from fans.

Speaking at the event, Tiwa said, “I took my time to deliver my heart in this album. I wanted to touch every aspect of this country and make everyone feel at least one track. So my album is a combination of many genre. This gathering is important to me because I want to get your opinion before it comes out. “ In attendance were Waje, Banky W, DJ Jimmy Jattz, General Pype among others.

*Tiwa Savage

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013

*Brymo

Brymo still with ChocolateCity, says label boss

BY OPEOLUWANI OGUNJIMI

F

ollowing the action of one of Chocolate City Record’s finest acts, Brymo who tweeted recently that he had left the label, founder and chief Executive Officer of the label, Audu Makori, has refuted the claim, insisting that he’s still with the label.

He said this during a press conference held at the label’s Lekki office on Wednesday, May 29 this year.

According to him, Brymo is on a three year contract to produce three albums with them so, there’s no way he’s going to leave the label without completing his contract deals. At the moment, Brymo has

Armed robbers attack fuji star Pasuma F

uji star, Pasuma was attackedlast Monday night by armed robbers along the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway while on his way to a show in Ogun State.

The robbers reportedly made away with his money, mobile phones and metallic Range Rover with number plate Lagos MUS 830AP. They also robbed his friend who was in the car with him.

Although Pasuma was not injured, the bandits were said to have forced their way into his Range Rover, drove him and his friend around for over three hours before dumping them in a bush at Itele in Ogun state. The robbers didn’t identify Pasuma because he hid his face from them through out the ordeal They made away with Pasuma’s Range Rover with number plate Lagos - MUS 830AP. The case has been reported to the police who say efforts are on to recover the vehicle and apprehend the robbers.

C M Y K

Nigerian Idol gaining wider att ention acr oss attention across the world — Pedro T

Fak ayode K abir st eps out with aka Kabir steps Alujo and Gbabi p and coming hip-hop artiste, Fakayode Babalola Kabir popularly called Blaqprinx has dropped two- track songs, ‘Alujo and Gbabi’ with a message to youths to keep striving in legal businesses until they achieve the desired result.

In a recent chat with Showtime, the 400level student of the University of Ilorin , Kwara State, was enthusiastic about his breakthrough in spite of the prevailing competition in the industry. “ I decided to go into music

just one album out in the market.

As for what transpired between the label and Brymo, Audu explained that as a lawyer, following the rule of law is his priority, and would like artistes to work within their contract terms too. According to him, it was impossible for Brymo to have decided to quit his contract without following due process.

He has to either “play or pay”.

But he stressed that there’s no personal war going on between the label and Brymo.

Citing himself as an example, M.I who was also on ground, supported Audu saying, loyalty, humility and hard work are qualities expected of an artiste

under any record label.

According to him, artistes are expected to be loyal to their labels and team, humble and hardworking as that’s what stood M.I out and promoted his career.

Further questioning revealed that upon Brymo posting his smoking picture on instagram, Audu had asked him to remove the picture but Brymo refused which amounted to insubordination, a move not good for the brand. In all, Audu stressed that he isn’t interested in painting anyone black but that both parties should sit at a round table and talk matters over to their advantage.

By WILLIAM JIMOH

*Pasuma

U

— 39

professionally because I wasn’t feeling complete. Music has always been a part of me and before now, it was as if a part of me was missing.’

The message in my music is inspirational in the sense that it drives you towards success. It is how you started from the bottom and eventually rose to the top. And it also to encourage youths to be good at whatever they do with or without the help of government of the day.

Asked how he has been able to combine his studies with music, Kabir said, he draws strength from God.’Ultimately, my support has come from the Almighty God and my loving and devoted father.’

he Chief Executive Officer of Optima Media Group (OMG), Mr. Rotimi Pedro has described the Nigerian Idol reality TV show as one that is gaining more audience both in the country and across the world.

Mr. Pedro noted that season 3 is the biggest and the most widely watched and distributed show compared to the previous two seasons, adding that the show has provided a platform through which Nigerian culture has been projected to the world.

Speaking during a visit by Moses Obi Adigwe winner of the just concluded season 3 of the show to SevenUp Bottling Company’s Head Office in Lagos, he affirmed that with the introduction of the platform, Nigerians have shifted from being consumers of foreign culture, as the country now exports its rich and enviable culture through movies and music to the international community.

His words, “With season 3, we have achieved what we hoped to achieve in four years in just three years.

It is well distributed, people look forward to watching it not only here in Nigeria, but across West Africa most especially in Ghana where people cannot do without watching it.”

Expressing his gratitude to Seven Up the official sponsor of the programme Moses said, “You have changed my life, you have helped me to finally have my dream, I owe all I am having to my sponsor. I will surely see to the development and promotion of the brand and to ensure that this company is always at the forefront.”

In his welcome address, Mr. Femi Mokikan, Executive Director, Human Resources, Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc urged Moses to see the opportunity as a challenge. Continuing he said, the little thing you have done will change the lives of many Nigerian youths most especially in the area of generation of employment.”

“A lot of Nigerians are looking up to you, you are no longer alone, Seven-Up is with you to support you but still we value our image,” Mokikan added.

40—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013

Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj leaving “American Idol”

Madonna Sells NY City apartment for $20 Million

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his used to be her playground but no longer.

Six months after pop icon, Madonna first listed her lavish Central Park West apartment in New York City for $23.5 million, the Material Girl has finally found a buyer.

According to reports, the 54-year-old pop icon sold her 14-room duplex to hedge fund manager Deepak Narula last week for millions less than the original asking price.

The 6,000-square-foot co-op, housed in the 1911built Harperley Hall, had been lingering on the market since November. In February, the “Give Me All Your Luvin’” singer cut the price by 15 percent, to $19.995 million. And brokers said that Narula paid even less than that.

Madonna purchased the apartment nearly three decades ago with then-husband Sean Penn, whom she married in 1985 and then divorced in 1989. At the time, it was a single unit; she later combined it with two other units on the fifth and sixth floors to make a duplex.

Nicki Minaj

Mariah Carey

F

ollowing veteran “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson’s only slightly surprising resignation announcement earlier this month, and Fox reality chief Mike Darnell’s resignation last week, Randy’s Season 12 co-star and former client, Mariah Carey, and Nicki Minaj have both confirmed that they too won’t be returning to “Idol” next year.

The pop star’s publicity firm, PMK BNC, tweeted last Thursday that Carey isn’t returning to the Fox series and is planning a world tour because of the success of her

new single, “Beautiful.”

Carey became a new judge on “Idol” last year along with Keith Urban and Nicki Minaj. She and Minaj bickered on the show, creating a feud that was uncomfortable for both viewers and contestants.

Fox said in a statement that the network is “extremely fortunate that (Carey) was able to bring her wisdom and experience” to the show.

Randy Jackson announced that he was also leaving the show.

Carey’s new single, a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot

100 chart, features Miguel.

Nicki equally broke her resignation news on Twitter herself, posting: “Thank you American Idol for a life changing experience! Wouldn’t trade it for the world! Time to focus on the Music!!! Mmmuuuaahhh!!!.”

Fox and FremantleMedia issued the following statement: “Nicki Minaj is a superstar who brought a level of honesty and passion to ‘American Idol’ and who had a tremendous positive impact on so many contestants this season. Given her extremely busy career, we understand and respect her decision and wish her the best.”

Madonna

Justin Bieber hit with another baby claim L

•Justim Bieber

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ATEST gist gathered recently was that a 25-year-old unidentified woman fan alleges Justin Bieber the teenager who was once hit with a false paternity claim in 2011 fathered her daughter during a one-night stand following a concert in February 2010.

She claims the pair met at TGI Friday’s in Miami and then went back to his hotel room in Gansevoort South, where she claims they slept together , and in October 2010 she gave birth to a baby girl.

A source also disclosed “She gave birth to a baby girl later that year, and Justin didn’t know anything about it.

The publication also printed text messages allegedly sent by Justin to the mystery woman, in which he thanks

her for their night of passion and describes it as “our little secret”.

However, sources close to the singer claim the woman’s story is completely fabricated.

A close friend of the pop star told a website: “It’s just sad that anyone would bother with this BS.” This comes after Justin, 19, was hit with a paternity case in 2011 when 20-year-old US woman Mariah Yeater claimed in court papers that he had fathered her child after the pair allegedly had sex backstage at one of his gigs.

Justin said he would submit

to a DNA test to prove he wasn’t the father, but the case was later thrown out of court.

The Canadian star is currently back together with on-off girlfriend Selena Gomez. Justin landed another speeding ticket for racing around his neighborhood in California yesterday. He is also under investigation after NFL hero Keyshawn Johnson reportedly confronted him on Monday night over his dangerous driving at their gated Calabasas community.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013 — 41

How we’ve been bulldozing the nation’s roads

By Tony Ikpasaja

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he story of road development will never be told in Nigeria without giving special credit to President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. He, not only put road infrastructure at the front burner for economic acceleration, but also harnessed some of the finest human resources to initiate viable reforms for the sector.

These milestones by Federal Government are however prompted by the fact that the importance of good roads can never be over-emphasized to any nation. Chairman of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur giving credence to this noted some time ago that roads are like arteries which carry blood to all parts of the human body, same way roads convey economic activities to all parts of the country. So, these roads are essentially required to be in good condition always for good economy to flourish.

The spirited determination in driving repairs of many of the nation’s decaying roads in the past two years is obviously what has resulted in the busy nature of many project sites across the country. For those that quickly forget the past (many do anyway), the deplorable conditions of Benin-Ore-Sagamu expressway and the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway, before now,were part of what amplified the clamour for the declaration of state of emergency on the nation’s roads.

The perennial failed spots at Ore axis which troubled that road for many years deteriorated to such a gory sight that motorists had to abandon the road and meandered through bush-paths.

Armed robbers feasted on many of them at will. The journey from Lagos to Benin which ordinarily took three and half hours suddenly became nine hours or more.On Enugu-Port Harcourt highway, vehicles sometimes got submerged in deep potholes that once littered the expressway.

Following the political will from President Jonathan and not any state of emergency, the Federal Ministry of Works under the leadership of Arc Mike Onolememen gave these roads and many others astonishing succour. Motorists who used the Benin-Ore-Sagamu expressway, the Enugu-Port Harcourt Highway and many other highways have been short of words in lauding government’sintervention which some have equally described as a dose of ‘fresh air’in the road sector.

Since road developments are tangible for all to see, Nigerians based on what they have seen have appreciated efforts at improving all the nation’s major road corridors. Impressive records have been achieved on the dualization of Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja road in FCT and Kogi State and the dualization of Kano-Maiduguri road in Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Yobe and Borno States. As at 2011, these roads awardC M Y K

Mike Onolememen, Minister of Works

The journey from Lagos to Benin which ordinarily took three and half hours suddenly became nine hours or more.On Enugu-Port Harcourt highway, vehicles sometimes got sub-merged in deep potholes that once littered the expressway ed in 2006, were already wearing the garb of abandoned projects. Because of the drive to have unbroken dual carriageway across the six geopolitical zones, Arc Onolememen gave the fillip for value-added work on them.

Works have also started on the dualization of Lokoja-Okene-Benin road alignment in Kogi and Edo States,which is described as the ‘missing link’ in the comity of dual carriageways in the six geopolitical zones. It is hoped that in the next two years, Nigerians will be able to drive from Maiduguri to Lagos on an unbroken chain of dual carriage ways through Kano, Kaduna, Abuja, Lokoja, Okene, Auchi, Benin and Sagamu to Lagos. It is the same from Kaduna through Abuja, Lokoja, Benin, Asaba, Onitsha, Enugu to Port-Harcourt!

A critical section of the ApapaOshodi Expressway, from IjeshaBeachland Estate in Lagos State is now

wearing new looks and the Trailers’ Park, intended to keep over 400 trucks out of Lagos roads is nearing completion.

There is also the ongoing works on Loko-Oweto Bridge, over River Benue with approach roads in Nasarawa and Benue States and the dualization of Suleija-Minna Road in Niger State.

Apart from these, a record of 32 other roads have been completed in the past two years. Among them is the dualization of the Section I of Ibadan-Ilorin road, (from Ibadan to Oyo), repairs of Third Mainland Bridge (Phase Two) which was completed 10 days ahead of the scheduled date, Otta-Owode road in Ogun State, old Oyo-Ogbomoso road in Oyo State, Omuo-Ifaki road in Ekiti State, reconstruction of the Lafenwa Bridge in Ogun State, Gbogan-Iwo road in Oyo State, Ijebu Igbo-Ajegunle-Araromi-Ife-Sekona road in Ogun State and Rumukurshi-Chokocho road in Cross River State.

The Ministry has also rehabilitated the Uba-Mbalala road in Borno State, reconstructed and commissioned the Vom-Manchok road in Plateau State,repaired the Funtua-GusauSokoto road (from Gusau to Talata Mafara) in Zamfara and Sokoto States, Katsina-Daura road in Katsina State, Anka-Daki-Takwas-Gummi road in Zamfara State, Langtang-Lalin-Tunkus-Shendam road in Plateau State, Numan-Gombe road in Adamawa and Gombe States, MararabaPambeguwa road in Kaduna State, Jebba-Lafiaji road in Niger State, Takai-Albasu-Gaya road in Kano State, Nafada-Gombe Abba Road in Gombe State and Hong-Mubi road in Adama-

wa State.

The dualization of Onitsha-Owerri road with Onitsha Eastern bypass, in Anambra State was also accomplished by this administration. Other newly completed roads such as the Obiozara-Uburu-Ishiagu road in Enugu and Ebonyi States, the AbakalikiMbok (Ogoja Junction) road in Ebonyi and Cross River States, OwerriAba Road in Imo and Abia States, Okpala-Igwurita road in Imo State and Ikom-Mfum Road in Cross River State are great landmarks in the history of road development in Nigeria.

The Ministry has also done very well in responding to wash-outs and gully erosions that have eaten up many federal roads in the recent past. Three wash-outs along Onitsha-Enugu dual carriageway in Anambra and Enugu States, the collapsed sections of Wukari-Mutum Biyu road in Taraba State,wash-outs on Gombe-Potiskum road in Gombe State and the massive gully erosion that cut off the OkeneBenin roadin Auchi, Edo State were all reinstated in record times.

Flooding occasioned by global warming also had adverse effect on many roads and the Ministry quickly intervened to bring succour on the Kano-Katsina road in Katsina State, Enugu-Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway in Enugu State, the Yenegoa-Kolo-Nembe-Brass road in Bayelsa State, Shendam-Yelwa-Ibiroad and Langtang-Lalin-Tunkus-Shendam road, both in Plateau State.

Part of the transformational agenda is to link all economic centres with good roads. As a result, the ministry completed the rehabilitation of access road to Kaduna Refinery in Kaduna State, access road to Warri Refinery in Delta State and the access Road to Onne Port in Rivers State.

The novel Operation Safe Passage of 2012 which has remained unparalleled in the history of road development was aimed at recovering several deplorable sections of our major roads to ameliorate the sufferings usually experienced by road users at the end of the year when there is massive movement of people across the country for festivities. Some of the roads rehabilitated by the Ministry under the Operation Safe Passage include; Lokoja-Okene road, Ilorin-JebbaMokwa-Tegina-Kaduna road, SulejaMinna road and Lafia-MakurdiAliade-Oturkpo-9th Mile road.

Others include the Jalingo-Kona-Lau road in Taraba State, Kano-ZariaKaduna road, Kano-Bichi-KatsinaJibia Niger border road, EnuguOkigwe-Umuahia-Aba-Port Harcourt road, Aba-Ikot Ekpene road, Odukpani-Itu road, Okene-AuchiBenin road, Irrua-Ilushi road, LagosIbadan expressway, Ibadan-Ilorin road and Apapa-Oshodi road.

On resumption of office in July, 2011, Onolememen quickly proceeded to upgrade the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Unit to a full department. As a result, Nigerians are on the verge of benefiting from PPP for road development since budgetary allocations alone are grossly inadequate to satisfy the nation’s appetite for modern roads like other nations of the world.

Tony Ikpasaja, Special Assistant on Media to Minister of Works, writes from Abuja.

42 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013

TRIBUTE

Kehinde Cletus Idemudia, mni, JP:

A life devoted to the service of others

BY OKOS MOZIMO

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or I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.—Mathew 25:35–40

A

MERICAN Civil Rights advocate, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. once declared: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” I have come to understand that more often than not, human beings are prepared to contribute to the progress of another only when they expect to benefit from that progress. Kehinde Cletus Idemudia, my father, was a different kind of man. He was a man of immeasurable excellence and a lone star in a clear dark sky. He was one of the few who genuinely and unreservedly devoted his life to the betterment and progress of others. He never thought about what benefits he might receive, neither did he ask for anything in exchange for his service. He was simply happy to be of service to anyone, anywhere.

The true essence of a man is measured by the manner in which he treats those who can be of no possible service to him, but for whom he does something or everything. You know that such a man is not seeking himself, but simply, genuine benevolence sways his heart. Without reservation, my father always opened the door to his house to everyone and welcomed everyone with open arms. One example of his benevolence occurred in 2012. He owned and managed a University Student Hostel located at EDPA Ugbowo Housing Estate, Benin City, Nigeria. He was approached by a parent of a resident-student who had complained of being bullied by other residentstudents. Rather than remain indifferent to the plight of the resident-student in question, my father offered the residentstudent a room in his own private home. This was my father. Naturally, a landlord is not a parent, nor is he one who concerns himself with the private lives of his tenants.

C M Y

However, as televangelist, Joel Osteen, explained, “People of excellence go the extra mile to do what is right.” My father is a man of excellence and his decision to go out of his way to protect the student-resident is evidence of his excellence.

In addition to protecting those who were oppressed, my father also devoted his life to mentorship. According to the preeminent leader of Indian Nationalism, Mahatma Gandhi “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Throughout his life, my father maintained personal developmental relationships with many individuals whom he helped, guided and advised. On one Saturday morning, he had the pleasure of meeting a young boy, now Mr. Festus Oni. At the time, Mr. Oni was fifteen (15) years old and had come to my father’s private home with several other children. They had come to ask my father if they could do some work around his house and receive monetary compensation for the work. My father agreed and permitted them to do so. When the work was completed, my father paid each of them for their work.

After that weekend, Mr. Oni would return to my father to ask for permission to work around my father ’s compound. My father was very impressed with Mr. Oni, admired his work ethic and positive attitude. As a result, my father took Mr. Oni under his wings and began to mentor him. Mr. Oni explained: “ when I met ‘Daddy,’ I simply came to work in his property. But he never treated me as just a worker. In fact, I remember, the first time I worked for him, he paid me significantly more than the work required. He took me in as his own child and asked me to come to his house whenever I wanted, as if it were my own home. He told me that he wanted me to improve my life

not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?” This was the manner in which my father lived his life, and during his travels to evangelize in rural areas, he came to recognize that several churches in rural areas were either structurally underdeveloped, or incompletely furnished. As a result, he became a steadfast proponent for church construction and furnishing.

He was emphatic in his belief that Christianity is much more than oral evangelism; it includes service, compassion and charity. Due to this position, my father spoke to his children, nephews and nieces on multiple occasions and encouraged us to participate in fundraising specifically for the purpose of building churches in rural areas and providing pews to churches. s a father to his children, he was also unparalleled.

Baptist pastor, Charles Stanley, explained that “in giving us children, God places us in a position of both leadership and service. He calls us to give up our lives for someone else’s sake—to abandon our own desire and put our child’s interests first.” Throughout our lives, my father always put the interest of his children before his own interests. I remember, as a child, when we went to purchase shoes, my father always purchased shoes for us that were three-to-four times more expensive than the shoes he wore. There were also many instances in my life when I knew he did not have what I needed, but he went out to look for it, just to make sure we always had what we needed.

Even in his last days, when he could barely speak, his worry was not for himself or his condition. Rather, his worry was for me. “How are you

A

*Kehinde Cletus Idemudia through education because that was the only way I will be able to take care of my family, as an adult. Consequently, he paid for my enrollment in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE). After I had concluded the SSCE, he hired me to work with him at his office¾The Ministry of Education, Benin City, Nigeria. For several years, he would also employ my friends to work with him at his office and always treated us like we were his own children.” Now an adult, Mr. Oni looks back on his life and is very grateful to have met my father. Over the years, not only did he gain a father, he also gained a family.

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nother of my father’s mentees, Mr. Otaren Aimiuwu, remembers him fondly: “‘Uncle K.C.’ was kind, honest and passionate.

He told you what he believed to be right and not what you wanted to hear. He was a father, a very good friend and a true mentor. I am very fortunate to have been a student of his wisdom and I also appreciate his friendship and encouragements over the years.” Another mentee, Mr. Nworah Nwajei also had this to say about his mentor: “Dear Uncle Kehinde, the world needs more of you, your life was indeed devoted to serving

others. I remember how you encouraged me to pick myself up and return to school, directing and assisting me back to the right path. You were a complete gentleman.”

My father’s devotion to his fellow man and his community was also evident from his desire to serve the Catholic Church through evangelization in rural areas of Edo State, Nigeria. Evangelist, Billy Graham, explained that “the highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless.” My father was an unselfish Christian. He spent the last years of his life traveling to villages around Edo State, Nigeria, preaching the Christian gospel to others. As well as providing love and compassion to those who had lost their belief in Christianity.

My father ’s passion for evangelism went further than mere evangelism. Through his dealings with people he met, he seemed to draw on the preaching of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who preached that “the first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’

But...the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do

doing?”

He asked consistently, worried that his illness was taking a toll on me.

I write this article devastated at the loss of my father, my best friend.

However, and more importantly, I write this article comforted by the thoughts that my father ’s life was meaningful. Not just meaningful to his family, but meaningful to many he positively influenced. I am honoured and humbled to call him “my father and my best friend.”

SATURDAY, Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013 — 43

Lebanese girls’ night out in Lagos

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ko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos temporary turned into an exotic land in Beirut when some Lebanese ladies under the aegis of Lebanese Ladies Society gave their countrymen and some Nigerian friends a taste of Lebanese culture and hospitality at a gala dinner.

Some of the dignitaries at the event include top notch Nigerians from the business and government sectors, high profile Lebanese in Nigeria and other expatriates close to the Lebanese communmity in Lagos. Photos by Lamidi Bamidele

From left: Chief Tunji Braithwaite; Dame Abimbola Fashola, First Lady of Lagos state and Dr (Mrs) Grace Braithwaite

Cross section of Lebanese ladies during the gala night

L-R: Mrs Rita Amuka; Mrs Wunmi Ogunbiyi and Chief Yemi Ogunbiyi

From left; Mr Hassan Fawaz; Aremo Olusegun Osoba and wife, Chief (Mrs) Derin Osoba

From left; Mrs Dima Haddad, Consul General of Lebanon and Mr Francois Sastourne, French Consul General

Award ceremony and Islamic book launch in Abeokuta

Awk a-Etti community wka-Etti fêtes members

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he Awka-Etti community of Anambra state celebrates some members of their community that have distinguished themselves in their chosen field of endeavours. The award ceremony took place in Lagos penultimate weekend.

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op Muslims in Abeokuta, Ogun State gathered at the Secretariat Mosque in Oke-Ilewo for the launch of a book titled “ Iwe Itan Islam Ilu Abeokuta”. The book which chronicles the history of Islam in Abeokuta was launched in conjunction with a merit award for those deemed as pillars of Islam in the state. Photos by Wumi Akinola

L-R:Alhaja Riskat Ogunfemi, Chairperson (OGSIEC), Alhaji Nurudeen Oyedele, Alhaji R. Ola Bello, Alhaji M. Ola Yusuph "Baba Adini Tijaniyat"and Imam Razak Adelakin, Chief Imam of Crescent University, Abeokuta C M Y K

L-R:Alhaji Akeem Akinsola, awardee, Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. Amosun, Alhaji Shuaib Salisu, Who represented the Gov. at the event and Engr Ahmed Sambo, Publisher

L-R:Chief Sir Innocent Anoliefoh, chairman of the occassion; Mrs Ify Anoliefoh and Ichie G O Akajiobi

L-R:Alhaji M. Ola Yusuf, Imam Liadi Orunsolu, Chief Imam of Egbaland and Taosir of Egba and Alhaji Razak Adelakin.

L-R: Barrister (Mrs) Nchedo Obi; Princess Ada Muoh and Chief Tony Muoh

44—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013

Here comes the girls!

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here’s not long until she ties the knot with other half Lin coln Townley. So it’s no surprise that fun-loving Denise Welch wanted to make the most of her last few weekends of freedom, jetting off to Majorca with her girlfriends last week for one last hurrah.

Clearly in the mood to let her hair down, the 54-year-old spent the entire day on the beach in a bright orange bikini as she partied with her pals, proving that she could still have fun despite the fact that she’s given up the alcohol.Not long now! Denise and Lincoln, pictured at the Hello! Magazine party last week, are set to wed in July.

Update

Chinese baby 'accidentally flushed down a sewer pipe

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newborn baby boy plucked alive from a sewer pipe was flushed down a toilet ‘by accident’, police have said today. They have also confirmed the young mother, who is reportedly also recovering in hospital after experiencing ‘birth complications’, will not face prosecution.

The 22-year-old woman is believed to have raised the initial alarm but only confessed to police after they searched her rented room and found toys and blood-stained toilet paper.

Inside America’s luxury bomb shelters I

t is the latest boom in real estate to sweep the nation complete with all the features of luxury living such as indoor pools, gyms, basketball courts and in some rare cases room for your private airplane. The only catch is that the property is buried deep underground in bomb shelters designed to escape the apocalypse. Once thought of as spartan concrete tombs where heads of state and concerned families could wait for the nuclear fall out to drop, bomb shelters have over the past 15-years become highly desirable — with developers rushing to offer custom installations.

The 128lb, 18ft Python

gth sures 18ft and 8in long . Previous len Record-breaking 128lb Python that mea ke sna ale fem The . in Florida was 17ft, 7in for for the longest Burmese Python ible ons resp are s hon s said. The Pyt was not carrying eggs, researcher Burone million acre Everglades. The the in s mal ani ll nd killing many sma fou was , to the Florida Everglades mese Python, an invasive species mi.

Mia l area southeast of and killed by Jason Leon in a rura

C M Y K

Girl, 2, implanted with new windpipe irl, 2, implanted with new windpipe after doctors grow organ from her own stem cells in innovative G procedure. Hannah Warren was born without a windpipe in 2010 and has been unable to breathe, eat, drink or swallow on her own since then. Doctors in her home country of South Korea told her parents that she wouldn’t live. Stem cells from Hannah’s bone marrow took less than a week to multiply and were created into the windpipe. The pipe, resembling a 3-inch tube of penne pasta, was implanted in a nine-hour surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois on April 9.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1 , 2013 — 45

O-Meal: Banishing hunger

BY GBENGA FAYEMIWO

F

or many political office-holders, delivering on promises made upon occupying the golden stool is not only an arduous task, it determines the operations of the time-tested principle of recall. Once when an office-holder forgets or neglects the pact he made with the electorate, amnesia results consequent upon which the people determine his destiny by their voting power.

A Yoruba maxim says “when a man wakes up hungry early in the morning, under the pangs of an unsparing empty stomach, approaches a food seller to buy food on credit, he would appeal to all earthly authorities to bear him witness that he would pay before the setting of the sun”.

Hunger is an essential part of nature. It hastens a man’s appetite both for food and other great things of life. Hunger can be of the stomach or of the mind depending on the state of need.

My first contact with the pernicious acts of hunger was during my reading of “The Reluctant Rebel” written by Lt. Fola Oyewole on the Nigerian Civil War. The Army Officer who was initially arrested as part of the group that planned and hatched “Operation Damisa” the January 15, 1966 putsch was detained in the Eastern part of Nigeria at the outbreak of the civil war. He was forced to fight on the Biafran side against his will and under Colonel Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu.

Things were moving fine until the arrest, trial and execution by firing squad of that highly cerebral Colonel Victor Banjo alongside Majors Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Alelenwa and Agbam in Enugu. Oyewole alongside others like Major Wale Ademoyega who were Yoruba officers fighting on Biafran side were consequently withdrawn from the war front, returned to prison and sentenced to hunger that went for days. Oyewole initially did not realise the sentence until a Biafran prison warder told him to “manage”; a euphemism which he was later to learn meant that he had to be without food in detention.

Speaking about hunger, it was Mother Theresa who, while calling attention of the world community to the plight of the poor in Calcultta, India, insisted that the poor should no longer be neglected, abandoned and despised as the wealthy are wont to do. The nun pleaded that hunger had many dimensions and had remained, since history, human being’s long term enemy. Hunger is the enemy of knowledge. It is the enemy of education.

It is also the foe of civilization. A hungry man can neither take nor understand instructions. No one whistles to the household that he is hungry and expects to be taken seriously.

The great American thinker, Benjamin Franklin once said “Hunger is the best pickle”. Yes, it is the greatest morass and predicament confronting humanity. Many go to bed hungry every night not having an idea of what the next day would bring.

God had to intervene directly in Samaria in the Biblical days when famine gripped the city and there was nothing for the people to eat. This saved the situation until the rains came and food became surplus in the city. Bob Marley sang his evergreen track “Them belly full but we hungry. A hungry man is an angry man oh … ” What Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the unstoppable Governor of the State of Osun is doing with providing free, daily meals to primary school pupils in the state’s public primary school classes one to four

been using to serve the pupils under the O-Meal scheme just as 35 heads of cattle are slaughtered weekly to produce beef for the children.

Observers have been wondering why Governor Aregbesola has gone this whole length to feed the children of ordinary members of the society who attend public primary schools in the State of Osun. The reason is not far-fetched. Enrolment figures jumped geometrically since the inception of the programme.

Juju maestro, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey sang that “when food is no longer in the contentions of the poor, the bag of poverty is exhausted”.

The imperishable words of the former President Dwight D. Eisenhower who told a Food Vendors gathered listening to comments ofstunned world during the Monitoring Team from O’MEALS maddening armed race that

Osun pupils in public elementary schools who now enjoy O-Meals as one of the benefits of a government voted for by their parents are relishing in the joy of democracy, good governance and government unusual is very instructive. For seven-and-half years, the preceding PDP administration led by retired Brigadier Olagunsoye Oyinlola played politics and monkeyed around with the school meals project.

Feeding less than 10,000 pupils across the state at a cost of N3 million per school day, our people got the short end of the stick; a pure, raw deal to put it mildly.

Today, Governor Aregbesola has turned around the concept and made it a reality by providing meals freely to 254,000 pupils in Primary One to Four in all public schools across the state. To actualise this, the employment generating capacity of the scheme was enhanced as 3,000 caterers were empowered, trained and kitted to cook sumptuous meals for the children.

The project is developing on an impactful trend as poultry farmers across the state whose pens had hitherto gone empty were re-stocked to produce broilers at twelve weeks to service the O-Meal scheme.

Every week since the Aregbesola administration began the O-Meal (School Feeding) programme, the state has been able to locally source 15,000 whole chickens from local poultry farmers in Osun who rear the broilers and sell directly to the O-meal officials to be used in preparing food for the primary school pupils. Things have never been so bright for poultry farmers in the State of Osun as they are also producing 254,000 eggs weekly which the government had been sourcing to service the pupils.

In the same breadth, catfish farmers are already producing 400 tonnes of catfish (clarias gariepinus) which the state has

“every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signify in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed” clearly comes to mind. Whatever assets the society acquires without thinking of what will happen to our children and their future will constitute a worthless and crass liability against the future.

Whatever a society does that leaves the youthful and endangered generation behind will not last and is doomed to fail.

Good food for our pupils in public primary schools will enhance their learning capacity and capabilities, guarantee the society against the scourge of truancy, achieve improved literacy rate, contribute to national manpower development, improve productivity, reduce the burden of dependency ratio, assure improved autonomous savings by households, ease the challenges of learning while also assuring that the pupils develop resistance to and immunity from debility and consequent mortality.

Governor Aregbesola ought to be commended for seizing the initiative and turning the programme which suffered notorious abuse and obtuse manipulations under the last PDP administration into a worthy achievement for which others now go green with envy. Attempts made to run it down have been largely unsuccessful.

O-Meal is another first and will continue to serve the interest of the masses of our people to the shame of those who exploited them for 90 reckless months of wanton ravage and plundering that shall never come this way again.

Osun pupils in public elementary schools who now enjoy O-Meals as one of the benefits of a government voted for by their parents are relishing in the joy of democracy, good governance and government unusual. Things cannot be the same as it were anymore. Aregbesola has demonstrated his love for the people by the O-Meal scheme to which he has committed huge public resources for the benefit of members of the public. That, to me, is good governance as opposed to selfaggrandizement of the past.

Fayemiwo is in the Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Governor’s Office, Abere, Osogbo.

By Olayinka Ajayi

Court dissolves 11yr-old marriage as hubby accuses wife of fraud The Ajegunle Ifelodun Custom ary Court grade “A” on recently dissolved an 11-year-old marriage between Enest Ayim, a business man and Ngozika Ayim.

The court noted that the marriage, though blessed with a child- Master Victor Ayim was full of wrangling and fighting, adding that there was no sign of love present in the relationship anymore.

The petitioner Ernest, however accused his wife of defrauding his friend of N10million and also selling his two cars when he was a banker. He said:“I am no longer interested in this marriage because she is tarnishing my name by committing atrocity that is not worthy of a good wife."

"She comes home drunk and she brings men into our matrimonial home,” he revealed. In her reaction, the respondent Ngozika, however pleaded not liable to all the allegations levelled against her.

The Court President, Mr.C.O Majekodunmi slammed the respondent for using delayed tactics by not showing up for about 70 percent of the hearing. However, the court dissolved the marriage and gave the custody of the only child to the mother for up keep. The court further ordered the petitioner Ernest Ayim to be paying the sum of N10,000 monthly for the welfare of the child, after he ruled that both parties should go their seperate ways peacefully without quarrel or molestation of any kind.

Wife files divorce suit against hubby who threatens to kill her Recheal Buhari, a petty trader has dragged her husband Muliaminu Buhari a transporter before the Ajeromi Ifelodun Customary Court for dissolution of their 21-year-old marriage. In her submission she stated that her husband stabbed her with a bottle and had threatened to kill her several times.

She narrated thus: “there was a time he came home late at night after leaving home for two months and demanded to sleep with me but I refused him and he brought out a blade to cut me but I had to run out for my dear life,” she said.

She however insisted the marriage be dissolved claiming that there is no more love to sustain it the relationship. She that her life is seriously threatened by her husband. She further accused Muliaminu of coming to her church, beating her to coma and warning her not to worship in the church again because he is a Muslim Reacting to the allegations against him, Muliaminu Buhary replied that everything she said before the court was not true adding that she was the one that attacked him in the Church with a bell, hitting him on the head which made him unconcious as he was bleeding profusely. He however brought the photograph and the shirt he wore the day the incident took place as evidence before the court.

The president of the court however adjourned the case till 5th June 2013 for judgement.

46 — Vanguard,

SATURDAY JUNE 1, 2013

Seven docked over sale of fake Orange Drugs products

arrested traders are handed over to the police for prosecution at the end of the day”.

H a r m f u l components used in manufacturing some of these fake products: Continuing, Akpoku decried the effect of the fake product on unsuspecting users , stating for instance that

S

EVEN traders were recently arrested at the Agege market in Lagos, for allegedly selling fake Orange Drugs Products to unsuspecting members of the public, using the company’s seal.

Information made available to Crime Guard revealed that the suspects were arrested following a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar that a group of persons were selling fake products of the brand, consequent upon which some of the products were traced to Agege market.

However the suspects were reportedly released on bail, with a promise to show up whenever they were needed, only for them to allegedly jump bail.

Rather than turning a new leaf ,the suspects allegedly continued in the illicit business. “The next thing was that the company received calls from some unidentified persons; some who claimed to be journalists, said the traders were just being victimized. Some of them even claimed that the police asked these traders to bring an undisclosed amount of money so that the case would die,the case was charged to court.Consequently, the police went after them again and was able to arrest the trio: Sabinus Ikejube (48), Innocent Nwanedo (52) and Mustapha Badamosi (35) out of the seven that were initially arrested”, a representative of the company told Crime Guard at the Yaba Magistrate’s Court last Thursday.

D r u g s manufactured in Germany and Benin Republic However, the traders told the court that some individuals based in Germany and Cotonou in Benin Republic, manufacture the products and import them

•Some of the suspects into the country, admitting that they only bought the products from them in whole sale price and sell to members of the public.

They however could not mention names of the p u r p o r t e d manufacturers.

Legal counsel to Orange Drugs Limited,Chinonso Akponu said after a drastic drop in sales of the products was brought to the notice of the company’s m a n a g e m e n t ,

investigation was carried out to ascertain its cause, during which it was discovered that some products were being packaged with the Orange Drugs seal and sold in the markets.

Some of the products included Delta Soap, Tempovate Cream and Neutrotone. “Currently, it has not been made known how these manufaturers managed to smuggle the Orange Drug products into the country. What we noticed is that these

products, are being packaged with the Orange Drug seal but written on the pack that it is manufactured in Germany.

Also some of our marketers have been helpful in supplying us with these information, because they are on ground at the market places. Aside this, we also have our task force personnel who visit market places based on information, to raid these traders. These task force personnel make sure that

•Some of the seized products

,

BY UJU MBANUSI

and full corporation from our loyal marketers, this challenge will be curtailed”,Apkoku stated.

In spite of these moves, Crime Guard findings show that some of these counterfeit products are still being sold in the markets.

On his part, a director in the company, Dr. Ugochukwu Ezenna said:

For a product to be faked, it simply means that product is doing well in the market. Otherwise those who engage in counterfeiting our brand will not be doing so in the first place

fake Tempovate products contain component believed to be very harsh to the human skin.

“Following this discovery, the company has embarked on moves to inform the public about the existence of these fake products through the use of bill board advertisements and distributing fliers at rallies. We also educate them on the dangers of using these counterfeit products.

“The company has been given the sole right to the ‘Orange Drugs seal’ in Africa, this registration was recently concluded.

With this move, we will be able to monitor these infiltration, not just here in Nigeria but in other African countries. I believe that in no time, with the help of the police

,

“For a product to be faked, it simply means that product is doing well in the market. Otherwise those who engage in counterfeiting our brand will not be doing so in the first place.But these activities is affecting our reputation.

You cannot compare the substance used in manufacturing these fake products to the quality we use in manufacturing the genuine products. On the other hand, it is affecting sales, because when the market is flooded with these cheaper fake products; some of the whole sellers and retailers who are still oblivious of the activities of these impostors, will naturally shift base.

Police arr aign fuel dealer ffor or allegedly ssttealing 33,000 arraign litres of diesel BYBARTHOLOMEW MADUEKWE and MICHAEL NWOPOKE

D

ETECTIVES from the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Yaba, Lagos, have charged a 44- year-old petroleum dealer before an Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, on a two- count charge of stealing a

trailer load of diesel and issuing of dud cheque.

The dealer, Adeyefa Akeem, of John Tome filling Station, Badagry, was alleged to have stolen the petroleum product valued at N3.9 million, belonging to Weirdo Divine Investment Limited, on August 29,2012.

He was also alleged to have issued a WEMA Bank cheque with number 06175078, to

Waido Divine Investment Limited, which was dishonoured when presented for payment due to insufficient fund in the account.

The prosecutor, Inspector Richard Odigie, said the alleged offenses were punishable under Sections 285(8) and 319(b) of the criminal laws of Lagos State 2011.

However,the accused

pleaded not guilty to the charges.

During the arraignment, the prosecutor called the trio of Inspector Oladele Oyekunle, the Investigative Police Officer; the complainant, Mr. Popoola Olakola and Daniel Oladapo, as witnesses in the matter.

Counsel to the accused, Mr. Ola Ogunbiyi, pleaded with

the court to admit his client’s bail in liberal term. Consequently,the presiding magistrate, Miss S.O. Solebo, admitted the accused bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in the same like sum.

The Magistrate also ordered that the sureties must be residence within the magisterial district.

The matter was adjourned till June 19, for mention.

Vanguard, SATURDAY JUNE 1, 2013

Fish out killers of my husband, widow cries out to police

BY ANAYO OKOLI according to her, ought to be the chief security of the community, had not shown interest on the issue, accusing him of not making any attempt to inquire what happened, considering the manner Ukatta was killed and coupled with the fact that his death was the first of its kind in the community.

She however, expressed gratitude to the Amizi Development Union,

,

F

OR Mrs. Anna Ukatta, widow of late Andrew Onwuebuibo Ukatta of Amizi in Ikwuano council of Abia State, who was murdered in cold blood in his farm on January, 10, 2013, life can never be the same again.

Life, was snuffed out of Andrew Ukatta by yet- tobe identified persons in his farm land. However, his widow alleged that his death could not be unconnected with a dispute her late Andrew had with his kinsmen.

She told Crime Guard that her husband had survived several attempts on his life before his assailants eventually got him. She attributed the hatred for her husband by those she suspects,were not comfortable with his uprightness, saying there were occasions when her husband was allegedly cajoled by some persons in the community to give false evidence on land issues which he refused; an action she said did not go down well with those involved. Little wonder she is suspecting some persons in the community for her husband’s death.

Specifically, the widow points accusing fingers at those she alleged had land dispute in the past with her husband.

She recalled how in the past a native of the community she simply called Chikwe, allegedly wanted to kill her husband while he was on top of a palm tree. She has therefore, called on the police to fish out Chikwe and interrogate him on what he knows about the death of her husband.

The widow has also expressed displeasure over the position of the traditional ruler of the community on the matter, accused him of being adamant. The traditional ruler who

•Late Andrew Ukatta

Life, was snuffed out of Andrew Ukatta by yet- tobe identified persons in his farm land. However, his widow alleged that his death would not be unconnected with a dispute he had with his kinsmen

,

Lagos branch, for ensuring that her husband was given a befitting burial.

It would be recalled that youths of the community in a petition to the Abia State Command of Directorate of Security Service, also complained that their traditional ruler had not shown interest or put in any effort to unravel the killers of Andrew Ukatta ,despite the N300 levy paid by members of the community to pursue the matter.

The widow who is currently saddled with the responsibility of catering for eight children alone, spoke amidst tears with Crime Guard: “I am still crying everyday. My husband was a peaceful man. His only sin was that he never lied or cheated people.

Wherever h e was called to testify, especially on land and other issues in this community, he had always said the truth as he knew it and attempts were made to force him to lie, he rejected such moves and this never went down well by those involved. Please, I urge the police to be serious with their investigation”.

Attempt by Crime Guard to speak with the

•Mrs. Anna Ukatta, widow

traditional ruler of the community, Eze Eugene Ndimele, on efforts made by his cabinet to aid investigation and also measures put on ground to avoid a repeat of such gruesome murder, proved abortive as the royal father was not willing to give this writer audience. He stated emphatically that he would not speak because he was angry.

According to him, “ “Vanguard has already written rubbish about me in its report after the burial of the slain man” However after much persuasion, he scheduled an appointment in Aba, where he resides and later to the village, on a day he had a meeting with his cabinet. But when this reporter called him to confirm the appointment before proceeding to see

— 47

him in the village, he (Eze Ndimele) cancealed the appointment. He simply stated that it was not necessary, adding that the incident had been overtaken by events .

However, sources at the Abia State Police Command said investigation into the murder was still ongoing and urged the community to be patient and also avail the command with useful information that could lead to the arrest of the killers.

Spokesman for the command, Geoffrey Ogbonna, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP, informed that the command was still searching for a man believed to be the prime suspect. He added that some arrests were made earlier but that at the end of interrogation, the suspects were released, following discovery that they were arrested on mere suspicion... ”Those people were just arrested on mere suspicion because they had quarrel previously with the murdered man.

How we burgled jewel store and realised N150 million — Suspects

BY IFEANYI OKOLIE

W

HEN a popular jewel ry shop at Yaba market in Lagos State was burgled January and gold jewelries worth over N150million carted away, nobody thought the police would catch up with the perpetrators of the crime given the sophistication with which they carried out their operation. Traders and residents of that area were thrown into disarray. They believed the bandits may have gone far away.

The owner of the shop, identified simply as Alhaji, had reported the incident at Yaba police station on January 20, 2013, after receiving a phone call from his employees that his shop had been burgled the previous night and one of the safes which he used in storing gold jewelries was taken away. At that time the police at Yaba, was left with no clue to who might have carried out the burglary. They transferred the case to the Special AntiRobbery Squad, SARS, for further investigation.

Crime Guardgathered that the officer- in- charge of SARS, Superintendent of Police, Abba Kyari, sent a decoy team into the market

•The suspects to snoop around for information and after some days, the operatives received an intelligence report that a goldsmith identified as Ali Mohammed, a Nigerien, has made sudden wealth and was set to travel to his home country, Niger Republic, to get married and build a house.

The operatives swiftly went after Mohammed and apprehended him at the park as he was about boarding a bus to his country. Mohammed was taken into custody and upon interrogation, he confessed to have taken part in the burglary. He also gave the operatives information which eventually led to the arrest of five others identified as, Kingsley, Adekunle Morufu, Victor Ugwueze, Livinus Onuoha and Friday Ochi, while some of the stolen jewelries were recov-

ered in Benin Republic and Ghana.

During an interview with Crime Guard, the suspects gave chilling details of how they planned and carried out the burglary. They also intimated Crime Guard on how they shared and disposed off the stolen jewelries.

How we planned the operation Mohammed, 28, disclosed that one of his friends who is also a Nigerien sold the idea to him and he accepted because he saw it as an opportunity to become rich. “ I am from Niger Republic and I came to Nigeria in 2006. I was formerly carrying load at the Lagos Island market before I got an opportunity to work at Yaba market as a goldsmith. I usually make gold rings, bracelets and I amend broken necklaces. I made

more than N3000 daily.

Last January, one of my friends Idrisi, who is also a goldsmith told me that Alhaji had just returned from Dubai with lots of gold jewelries worth millions of naira and that if we can get people who could steal it, then we will be rich. I contacted another friend of mine known as Babana, who brought some of his boys to join us.

“The first day we went, after cutting the padlocks on all the doors, we discovered we couldn’t carry the box containing the jewelries.

We left and came back few weeks later and discovered that Alhaji had upgraded the security by using a much sophisticated padlock that would be difficult to cut with a saw. So we used a burning torch and gas to burn off the padlock before entering into the shop. I sold part of my share in the market for N750,000 and I kept the remaining. I decided to travel to Niamey to get married and probably build a house when I was arrested. I immidiately owned up when I was asked if I took part in the burglary because I didn’t want them to maltreat me . I also gave them the phone numbers of all other members of our gang”, Mohammed said.

48—SATURDAY

Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013

leader Chief Anenih, they abandoned the party for the ACN. Sadly, when they started portraying elements of failure, they reasoned that they will not be given the ticket of the PDP again, they ran to the market square to decamp to the broom party. By their recent conducts, they are afraid that Edo People will use the same broom to sweep them out of the state, and the umbrella will not accommodate them because they are hypocrites. But you will see them coming back again very soon because they are not principled politicians. On the 2015 presidential election, the PDP will rely substantially on the overall performance of President Goodluck Jonathan to succeed.

Interestingly, the president has not officially announced his intentions. If infrastructural development and inclusive leadership is what makes a leader, Jonathan would be re-elected come 2015.

In Edo State for instance, we are enjoying Federal presence and Edo people will vote for Jonathan again.

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

M

r Sunny Aguebor (Bibi) is a chieftain of the Peoples

Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state and a well known business man and philanthropist. In this interview with Saturday Vanguard, he commends the decision by the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in three troubled Northern states. Bibi who is celebrating his 50th birthday, also spoke on the politics of Edo state and other national issues.

Excerpts: You have always been known as a quiet person, but you just celebrated your 50th birthday in a grand style, how do you feel being 50?

You know, fifty years of existence is generally regarded as golden jubilee, so after reasoning through all my experience in life from where I started in life to the level I am today, I and my wife decided to give great honour to God and appreciate the society by marking my 50th birthday in four parts. First, we give immense thanks to God and bless his work on earth. Then as a philanthropist, I had to visit again and celebrate with the less privileged members of our society. Thirdly, as a sports enthusiast and a good tennis player I sponsored the 1st Annual BIBI Open Tennis Tournament as the Benin Recreation Club. And the fourth part was to recognize the BIBI annual lecture series to reflect on the wellbeing of Edo State and Nigeria as a country.

You just mentioned the well being of your state (Edo) and Nigeria as part of the issues you reflect on, what is your assessment of the level of insecurity as we have it now under the Jonathan Presidency?

For me, as much as insecurity is multi faceted, the most precarious one is the insecurity of life and property.

A constructive examination of this dimension of insecurity would suggest that its manifestations and symptoms may appear sudden, but it is a creation of years of decadence, maladministration, corruption, ineptitude and disregard for democratic values by the military and politicians alike. From the overthrow of the Shagari regime in December 1983 till May 1999, we never had a democratically elected and inaugurated president. The attendant nuisance and corruption have seriously affected the citizenry, especially when their rights are trampled upon with impunity by successive civilian and military administrations. The cumulative effect has now reared its head in the form of organized crimes against the state. So cases of kidnapping, armed struggles by Boko Haram sect in the North, wanton cases of armed robbery in the South East, and militant threats in the South South are connected to misrule. So when Dr. Goodluck Jonathan assumed office as the elected president of Nigeria, he inherited these situations and has been tackling them headlong. I am also happy with his decision to declare state of emergency in Borno,Yobe and

* Aguebor

PDP will bounce back in Edo in 2015 —Aguebor

Adamawa because we cannot sit down and allow miscreants take over the affairs of this nation. They were granted amnesty and if they don’t want to accept it they should be flushed out for the interest of the nation. We must avoid what happened in Mali where militants took over some parts of the country and I am sure that was why the President declared emergency in those affected states.The loss of life or death of any Nigerian by an act of crime is something that disturbs Godly minded people including Mr President.So his offering of amnesty to the Boko Haram insurgents is thus necessitated. I know the clamour of the Northern elite also encouraged Mr. President to toe this line. But it is sad that the offer is being rejected by those who ordinarily should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. It is indeed very unfortunate.

What is your assessment of the ACN- led government in Edo State as a chieftain of the PDP? As a democrat and proud member of the largest party in Africa the PDP, I must say that Edo State is suffering under a heavy weight of deceit and insincerity of the ACN -led Government. All we have in the state as we speak is the elevation of mediocrity, ineptitude, lies, tribalism, diabolism and use of brute force to a new level in governance. You know the ACN is very good at cheap and desperate propaganda, and window dressing development, but the people of Edo State are wiser now because they

can easily compare the genuine, sincere approach of the PDP to the deceit of ACN evil administration.

But your party the PDP is still in comatose, is there any hope for the party in the state?

I have always maintained that the only true party in Edo State and Nigeria is the PDP, all those who voted against our party in the last gubernatorial election have come to terms now with the reality of deception and jaundiced political propaganda of the ACN. They have seen that in the last local government elections. The whole sing-song of ‘one man, one vote’ is after all a ruse and political mischief. We have received back over ten thousand of our hitherto defect or members especially at the grassroot who were lured by the carrot of the state. With utmost humility, I sincerely commend the indefatigable national leader of our great party, my political mentor and father, Chief Tony Anenih, an enigma with uncommon courage, long tempered, compassionate and consummate grassroot politician. He is the focal point and the quiet foundation of the party in the state.

Members decamping from PDP to ACN I make bold to say that most of those who left the party in 2007 were ungrateful politicians who never had the party in mind. They are not party men but only looking for positions and after they went to the House of Reps, senate and even House of Assembly through the assistance of our National

What are those those you feel has changed in the PDP to make the people want to vote for them in the state?

Today, the party in the State enjoys about 70 percent of the sympathy and support of the general electorate. This is because under the present chairman of the party Chief Dan Orbih, the party is being proactive in generating awareness against the wicked policies of the ACN government. For instance, a lot of businesses are folding up in the state and new ones are not being established because of the heavy tax burden by way of multiple and arbitrary taxation policy. Also, the unprecedented mode and level of corruption, stealing of local government funds and selling of state government property across the country to the members of ACN are all issues Chief Dan Orbih has exposed to the public. The people now see PDP as providing a sincere, genuine, transparent leadership and have thus vowed to return the party to power in Edo State.But the PDP leadership must only identify and engage other very vibrant persons who will be able to work with the same zeal and vision of Chief Dan Orbih in reclaiming power. These must be people whose loyalty and sincerity to the party is unquestionable. The truth is if we all work with the same spirit of our national leader Chief Anenih, we cannot miss victory.

Are you not scared that the formation of APC will lead to the end of PDP at the Federal level?

Expectedly, the so called coalition is dead on arrival. Politicians with eagle

eyes have clinically analyzed the insurmountable challenges that lie ahead of the party. For instance, in Edo State, during the last local government election, one of the most formidable stalwarts of the alliance Chief Solomon Edebiri of the ANPP was assaulted with impunity by thugs of the ACN, his vehicles, four of them were brazenly vandalized. Till date, no one has bothered to apologize to the easy going politician. The squabble for control and dominance of the new coalition will be the first litmus test, which they will not likely survive.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, JUNE1, 2013 — 49

S

ipho Mseleku is the President, The Global Business Roundtable, a trade mission and business networking which began in South Africa to create awareness on the need to urgently look into the numerous untapped natural endowment meant to launch the continent among the biggest economies of the world.

According to Mseleku, the network tends to bring Africans together for investment opportunities that abound in African region and the rest of the world.

In this interview with Moses Nosike, he listed vision, negligence, corruption, poor planning as major reasons why most African countries are poor in the midst of abundant resources. Excerpts: Why does most African countries still remain under-developed in spite of their abundant natural resources?

I think the key problem we have in Africa is leadership. And if we do not help decide the type of leadership we need in Africa, we will not be able to explore the opportunities. So, it is very important for our leaders to surround themselves with people that have capacity, expertise that would enable them make a proper decision. These opportunities available to the continent would help it grow its economies – to create jobs and eradicate poverty and also free the continent from debts. We want to ensure that countries in Africa trade with one another because there is a lot we have in the continent, and only if we work together that we can achieve more in terms of general development.

How to tackle underdevelopment of Africa —MSELEKU

You mentioned earlier how colonialism affected Africa’s growth and development, where it tends to believe that it needs the western world before it succeeds, in what way can African continent overcome this challenge?

It is very important that Africans learn how to take charge of their own decision

and not blaming colonialism. We need to get out of that mind-set of thinking that western world is beautiful and better and that Africa can’t succeed without them. We need to

adopt a mentality that says, Africans can do it for t h e m selves, it doesn’t matter if you are a Nigerian, Kenyan, South African, we need to hold hands to deliberate so as to create solutions for the infrastructural decay, the food insecurity, energy problem and all kinds of problems

When an economy grows, you create jobs and eradicate poverty. Government should set the pace and ensure that it provides economic policies that allows business growth, eliminate bureaucracy posing as threat to Africa’s development. If we work together with one mind and purpose, we can make a big difference in the continent.

It was discovered that some African leaders make good economic policies but the implementation is poor, what is your take on this?

The continent has gone a long way in putting in place polices, especially economic policies that would create conducive business environment. But in spite of this, there are countries that are lagging behind and if you don’t create a healthy business environment, then the economies of those countries will not grow, and poverty will persist because it’s the people that create jobs and stimulate economic growth. When an economy grows, you create jobs and eradicate poverty. Government should set the pace and ensure that it provides economic policies that allows business growth, eliminate bureaucracy, corruption, long processes of registering new companies, and create a free and quick environment that allows new businesses to set in and investment in those companies and more importantly protecting those investments.

ern Union, its ffoundation oundation par tner estern partner A CSC, MultimixAcadem ask business West MultimixAcademyy ttask UNICEF on quality education for youths owner ade compliance ownerss on tr trade expanded commitment to

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or trade in Nigeria to help develop the nation’s economy as obtains internationally, African Centre for Supply Chain, Multimix Academy has revealed the need for trade compliance among industry players during their 1st National Trade Compliance Summit tagged, “Turning Trade Compliance into Competitive Advantage.”

Chief Executive Officer and Programme Director, Multimix Academy, Obiora Madu said at the event that the global business suffers financial loss due to non compliance measures. To further buttress his point, he cited a recent study by Oracle revealed that, “many large businesses in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) are at risk of significant financial loss because of inadequate compliance measures”.

He said, in the research, 38% of MDs, CEOs and owners admit their organisation have been non-compliant, as do 44% of risk and compliance managers and 43% of supply chain managers. According to the survey, 677 senior decision makers in large organisations across nine regions in EMEA, to assess how businesses are currently managing their value chains.

Madu in his address said, due to lack of access to reliable statistics in Nigeria, we may not be totally aware of the magnitude of non-compliance and its attendant adverse effect on the economy and the organisations/companies that are involved and affected. Based on this he said, there is need for trade logistics practitioners to deepen their knowledge of the ever dynamic international trade rules and technicalities in order to realign the paradigm, streamline their practice and engender professionalism and profitability in the international trade/shipping sub-sector of the national economy.

In the same vein, Honourable Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom, in his keynote speech, said, he had emphasised the need to rapidly and radically transform the economy through a structured revival of the ailing industrial sector, an aggressive

drive for local and foreign direct investment and an improvement in Nigeria’s share of world trade.

According to him, our economic transformation as a nation hinges predominantly on the establishment of a conducive environment pillared on strong corporate governance as well as predictable and sustainable policies and strong regulatory framework.

He said, compliance with these policies and enthronement of ethical business practices on the part of all those who deal, conduct or engage in commercial activities within the Nigerian business space will ensure that competitive advantage becomes the hallmark of business in our country.

Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Dr. J. I. Odumodu, said, the trade compliance theme of this summit would require that operators play by the rules and as member of ISO, I want to assure all participants that every necessary standard required for global competitiveness in the aspect of product quality across sectors and management systems are available to support businesses.

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he Western Union C o m p a n y (NYSE:WU), a leader in global payment services and global partner of the UEFA Europa League, and Western Union Foundation, had announced recently their collaboration with UNICEF, to provide quality education for youths.

The PASS initiative is fronted by former international football star Patrick Vieira. It started during the Group Stage of the UEFA Europa League Season 2012/13, which kicked off on September 20, 2012.

The season concluded May 15, 2013 with the UEFA Europa League Final 2013 between Chelsea FC and SL Benfica at the Amsterdam Arena.

The PASS initiative is expected to run for the three years of Western Union’s sponsorship of the UEFA Europa League until 2015.

Through the programme, Western Union is committed to supporting education in selecting countries around the world.

The partnership will focus on education programmes in Nigeria, Jamaica and Turkey. The Western Union Foundation’s grant will enable UNICEF to scale these interventions, aiming to provide access to one million days of education for children.

According to International Fundraising Director at UNICEF, Tim Hunter, “We are grateful for Western Union’s continued support of UNICEF. This

education will help UNICEF invest in training teachers, and provide vocational and life skills guidance to improve young people’s chances of completing school and successfully transition into the workplace as adults.

“We are proud to work with Western Union to help more children access a quality education and transform their lives.”

Executive Vice President, Chief Product and Marketing Officer, Western Union, Diane Scott, enthused that moving money for better is at the heart of what we do, and education is one of the main reasons our customers send money,” and a member of the Western Union Foundation Board of Directors.

Tax dividends: Lagos tak es students tto o sit e-seeing takes site-seeing

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t was all day thrills and fun for schools on children’ day as Lagos state government reminded parents through their children in schools the benefits of tax compliance while pupils were taken around the state to see for themselves several projects completed by the government to actually convince them on what the government of Lagos state is able to achieve with tax payers money in the state.

According to the chairman, Lagos Internal Revenue Service, Mr Babatunde Fowler, the reformed tax administration in the state has immensely benefitted Lagosians and schools in the state are not left out as many of them had won scholarship awards, cash prizes, computers etc. that could enhance their educational career through essay competition on taxation in order to keep them abreast on the importance of tax payment so that when they grow up as leaders of tomorrow, they would not forget to pay tax.

However, schools joined in the entourage with LIRS tour in the state were schools that performed well during the essay competition. Among places visited by the schools on Children’ day were, Lagos Traffic Radio 96.1 where pupils were briefed on the essential activities of the corporation. They were excited with the way government has used tax money judiciously on the modern facilities that has enhanced the corporation’s operation. As if that was not enough, the next place was Government Technical College, Agidingbi, where Lagos State government partnered Sang Sumg to ensure that schools acquire IT skills for their future.

At Gbaja, Randle Specialist Hospital, Chief Medical Director, Dr. Femi Onanuga, told the visiting pupils that the health service they are providing for the environs in Surulere are supported by

LIRS through tax money diverted for hospital project. The pupils visited Iponri Water Corporation where the Production Manager, Balogun Kamar explained to the schools different stages of processing drinking water and how the environs are enjoying water supply and this project was achieveable through tax payers money in the state.

In addition to the above, Mr Fowler said at Teslim Stadium, where the children celebrated, that this is not the first time of doing this because they believe that the children of today are tomorrow’s future. The students here are those that came out first, second and third position and their colleagues from their schools. We are taking them around to see actual government projects that have been completed and those in progress so that they can see what government revenue is being used for.

50 — SATURDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 1, 2013

Eritreans to run Nigeria, Namibia clash

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IFA has named Mensur Maeruf Kherseed from Eritrea as referee for the 2014 FIFA

Ahmed Musa chases Russian double at Eto’s expense

World Cup qualifying match between Nigeria and Namibia, slated for Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek on Wednesday, June 12 2013 .

Maeruf Kherseed, 40, became an international referee in 2008.

He will be assisted by compatriot Berhe Tesfagiorghis O’Michael, 38, who is Assistant Referee 1, and who became an international

S

UPER Eagles’striker, AhmedMusa is hoping to beat former African player of the Samuel Eto’o’s Anzhi to the Russia Cup today when his club CSKA Moscow clash with Anzhi.

CSKA have already won the league title and Musa says that wining the Russian Cup will only make his season complete.

Musa, who is CSKA leading scorer with 14 goals, 11 in the league and three goals in the Russia Cup. “It is going to be good and tough game but we are battle ready to win the trophy. The double is my target and I will do my best to see that we win the cup at the expense of Anzhi.

Eto’o is an African legend and I have learnt from him but I hope to beat him to the trophy,” Musa told MTNFootball.com Compatriots Ogenyi Onazi and Efe Ambrose have won the cup in Italy and Scotland respectively and Musa said he hopes he could also follow suit.

“I congratulate them for the success. God is in control, I will do my best to follow suit by winning with CSKA Moscow,” he said. He said after the Cup clash he will join the Eagles for the crucial world cup match against Kenya. Kenya.

YSFON Secretary lauds MTN on football development

By SIMON EBEGBULEM

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•Striking Distance.... Ahmed Musa aiming at goal during a match

Premier league clubs chase Ikhana’s signature F

ORMER coach of Enyimba Football Club Kadiri Ikhana is on the shopping lists of two Premier League clubs seeking his service towards beefing up their technical crew. Ikhana, according to a reliable source, is likely to return

his familiar terrain because of the enticing offers being dangled at him, adding that what is left is for the award winning coach to finalise negotiations with the club and possibly pick the one that is more favourable.

The Edo-born tactician

Sports can reduce crime, poverty — Pastor Owumere

BY EDDIE AKALONU

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PORTS has been identified as a good instrument for poverty reduction and the fight against crime in society.

Sole Administrator of Okigwe LGA of Imo State, Pastor frank Onwumere, said this while receiving a cup donated by Chief Osita Offormezie for a new football cup competition among all communities in the area. He said the LGA has now adopted sports as an instrument to help fight youth crime

assistant referee in 2004.

Hassan Egueh Yacin from Djibouti will be the Assistant Referee 2, with another Eritrean, L u e l s e g h e d Ghebremichael as Fourth Official.

Ghebremichael, 41, became an international referee in 2004. FIFA also appointed Mady Kanoso Bora from Madagascar as Referee Assessor and Abbasi Ssendyowa from Uganda as Match Commissioner.

The match has been slated to kick off at the artificial turf of SammNujoma Stadium as from 8pm Namibia time.

and invigorate poverty alleviation efforts “because it is cheap, efficient and popular. ” We have put in place a functional sports policy that will give our youths a sense of belonging.

“This football competion will no doubt boost government effort,” he said. He commended the cup donor for the gesture, stating that “ with this competition, sport is going to take a big place in the area noting that “if this was made to be successful , it would compel other philanth-

ropists, well meaning indigenes and organisations to follow Offormezie’s foot-steps.

On his part, the cup donor said it was intended to help renew sporting rivalry among the youths in all communities noting that “this will also help people of Okigwe regain their pride of place in the sporting world.

Meanwhile youth teams in in the area who have taken up the challenge are bracing up for action ahead of the a new football competition.

who was in charge of technical matters in Kwara United, Sharks and Kano Pillars Football Clubs at various times in the past is said to have turned down offers from Ghana and Niger because of the demands of the Nigerian club sides.

Ikhana, a member of the 1980 African Cup of Nations winning Green Eagles squad is said to have agreed to return to the sideline this month but his involvement in a motor accident in the ancient city of Abeokuta three weeks ago delayed the process.

He was involved in a head on collision with his latest black Honda Accord car in front of the Abeokuta stadium,with the tactician ending up in a local hospital where he stayed for almost two weeks.

When contacted,coach Ikhana said though he is not ruling out the possibility of his return to the sideline soon but his primary concern for now

•Kadiri Ikhana is to thank God for saving his life in the accident that almost claimed his life few weeks ago.

“You will be the first to know when the deal is struck. I am committed to the development of the Nigerian league and football in the country. If people have confidence in my ability and there is the enabling environment, why won’t I return?

ENIN CITY— SECRETARY of the Youths Sports Federation Of Nigeria (YSFON), Prince Harrison Iyonoma has commended the efforts of MTN Football Scholar in discovering educated Footballers in the country.

Speaking during the ongoing trials for the MTN Football Scholar Academy at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, Iyonoma hailed the initiative by the telecommunication outfit to search for talented footballers at the grassroot and urged other multi national companies to emulate MTN. According to him, “we must give kudos to MTN for this laudable land mark , the programme is a developmental programme aimed at picking the kids from the grassroots, nurture them so that they can act as replacements for our aging players.

“And it will also give them what to fall back on after their football careers”.

Meanwhile, out of hundreds of young talents that thronged the stadium, only about twenty persons will be selected to continue in the scheme.

MTN Football Scholar is a soccer camp that focuses equally on football and academics. It provides a platform for Nigeria’s best students athletes/ soccer players who are academically sound, to earn scholarships to US universities.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 1, 2013 — 51

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52— SATURDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 1, 2013

Gumel scores Abdullahi high Okagbare, Fraser-Pryce, Felix rumble in Oregun on sports initiatives N A

S the Nation marks the mid-term anniversary of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Nigeria’s minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has been commended for the new vision and positive initiatives that he has brought into the management of sports in the country.

The commendation came from the International Olympic Committee, IOC Executive committee member and Nigeria’s representative in the IOC, Engr. Habu Gumel during a press interaction recently, in Abuja.

Speaking to journalists on the evaluation of sports administration in Nigeria, Gumel stated that since the coming on board of Mallam Abdullahi, sports development has witnessed tremendous impact, especially with the new initiatives that have been introduced by the NSC. According to Gumel, before the appointment of Abdullahi, sports administration in Nigeria was almost declining to an embarrassingly abysmal level which manifestation got to a height with the poor performance of Team Nigeria at the 2012 London Olympics. Gumel, a former president of the Nigeria

Bolaji Abdullahi Olympic Committee (NOC), was full of praises for the sports minister for the strength of character with which he admitted the failure of Nigeria at the London Olympics saying that “it only takes a leader with serious vision and strong conviction to accept full responsibility for the performance of his Team”.

Engr. Gumel added that the position of the minister of sports over the outcome of “Team Nigeria” was instrumental to the convocation of a Retreat on sports which was hosted by President Goodluck Jonathan to re-evaluate the

prospects of repositioning Nigeria sports. The IOC member cited the reinvigoration of the Nigeria Academicals Sports Committee (NASCOM) Board, the constitution of a League Management Company (LMC) as very laudable initiatives of Bolaji Abdullahi.

In the case of the League Management Company, Engr. Gumel posits that the introduction of the body to take charge of the Premier League was responsible for the peace which currently pervades football management in Nigeria today.

School sports ‘ll be priority, says Elegbeleye

By EDDIE AKALONU

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IRECTOR General, National Sports Commi-ssion, NSC, Gbenga Elegbeleye, has said he would make School Sports and grassroots development the focus of the Commission’s policy stating that these were the bedrock of sporting excellence in Nigeria in the past.

Speaking on a foreign radio station, Elegbeleye said that because schools were breeding grounds for athletes starting from very young ages, “there is now the need to go back to the schools because of their proximity to the people. Schools remain our best hopes for real sports development, being right in the heart of the people. There would be

focus on the grassroots with schools as centre of activity. That was the basis in times past when sports flourished. Nigeria’s participation in international sports would be pursued with renewed vigor and enhanced resources. That is the basis to ensure discovery of athletes and be in pole position to maintain a rich bank of athletes on a long term,”he stated.

Meanwhile former Nigeria Tennis Federation, NTF vice president, Yemi Owoseni, in a congratulatory message described the new Director-General as a man whose wealth of experience puts him in a good position to add more value and direction for sports. He however, urged him to via off from past

practice by being fair to all sports practiced in the country and ensuring even distribution of resources and amenities without football taking all the shine.

Owoseni, who is also the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) Zone Two Vice President, called the new DG’s attention to the need to evolve a strong sports policy that will foster rapid development of all sports in a way that national federations become more functional and result oriented.

Elegbeleye, the former chairman of Ondo State Table Tennis Association and former member of the House Committee on Sports, was also former Permanent Secretary, Ekiti State Civil Service Commission.

IGERIA’S Blessing Okagbare will get the chance to rub her shoulders against world women 100m greats including Olympic champions Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Allyson Felix today at the Diamond League meet in Eugene, Oregun USA. Okagbare has made a good start to her season jumping a wind assisted 7.14m at the Doha leg of the Diamond League, she also did 11.00 seconds at the Shanghai meet.

However, these performances have not put her in the commanding position in the league. She needs to come up with a big performance this afternoon to increase her points haul. She has garnered just two points compared to FraserPryce’s four.

Olympic silver medalist Carmelita Jeter of the U.S. has withdrawn due to injury, but there is still a stocked field, including Jamaicans Fraser-Pryce, Kerron Stewart and Veronica CampbellBrown who claimed bronze. There is also Olympics 200m gold medalist Felix and Cote’d Ivoire’s Murielle Ahoure.

USA’s Justin Gatlin and Jamaica’s Nesta Carter

are among those to line up in the men’s 100m, while Walter Dix contests the 200m, the distance for which he holds the meeting and stadium record.

Another set of London 2012 Olympic medallists are

in action in the Bowerman Mile, which annually closes the Prefontaine Classic. Olympic 1500m cham-pion Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria will be making his US debut as he takes on the mile distance for the first time.

Allyson Felix waiting to flex in Eugne, Oregun.

Cross River schools athletics championships set to roll A THLETICS inclined primary and secondary schools pupils in Cross River State are set to thrill as the 2013 Cross River Schools athletics championships begin on June 4, 2013.

The championships which is in its third year has produced a pool of junior athletes, some of whom won medals at the maiden Africa Youth Athletics Championships in Warri, Delta State. Apart from shining at the continental scene, these athletes have also dominated local meets much to the admiration of other states.

The four day championships will see pupils of all the local government areas in Cross River State competing for honours and all the best finishers will be selected and camped for further grooming by coaches of the Cross River athletics youth development programme.“Our

programme is on-going.

We are happy that athletes discovered here at the championships are doing well at the national level and in the continent.

“Certainly we are looking forward to discovering new

talents to provide competition for the ones we already have. Our coaches are working extremely hard to bring out the best on the athletes,” said Bruce Ijirigho, coordinator of the programme.

Gebrselassie getting too old for speedwork

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ISTANCE legend Haile Gebrselassie reveals he is leaving out faster sessions as they make him too tired It seems time may finally be catching up with arguably the most prolific distance runner ever as Haile Gebrselassie has claimed he no longer does any speedwork because it leaves him too tired the next day.

The Ethiopian, who turned 40 in April, explained it was the reason he was outsprinted into third at last Sunday’s Bupa Great Manchester Run, a

race he has won five times in the past. The double Olympic 10,000m champion said after the defeat: “My problem right now is doing speedwork.

If I do a speedwork session, the next day it’s hard. That’s why I didn’t have enough kick today.”

Pressed later on the subject, he confirmed: “I can’t do the speedwork anymore. It’s not an easy job. I don’t do it at all.”

However, despite apparently feeling his age, he is embracing his veteran status surprisingly warmly.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 1, 2013—53

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54—SATURDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 1, 2013

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SATURDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 1, 2013 — 55

Pini Jason: A generation has lost a beacon of hope

By MAX AMUCHIE Several times I tried to write this piece but each time my emotional strength failed me. The reality, however, is that I cannot continue to delay it even if I have to do this mistyeyed as is the case now.

But there is a background to the void this sad event has caused in my life.

One evening around 2001 or thereabout, when I was features editor in Thisday, Paul Odili, currently media aide to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, walked into the Thisday newsroom in Apapa, Lagos and came straight to me. “Max, Pini Jason wants you to see him”, he said.

Paul Odili was then assistant political editor at Vanguard, where Pini Jason was a columnist. Pini Jason wants to see me? What for? Our paths had never crossed though I had known him by reputation right from my days in secondary school.

He was writing for the Londonbased New African magazine and being an avid reader right from my formative years, I had come to appreciate the beautiful prose of the man called Pini Jason. But I never knew he was my kinsman. The name Pini Jason sounded Jamaican to me then.

But as I finished youth service and became a journalist I encountered Pini Jason more often through his column in Vanguard but during the June 12, 1993 crisis, I disliked the position he took though I had no opportunity to let him know my feelings at the time.”Why does Pini Jason want to see me?”, I asked and Paul said I should go and find out. I told him that I did

not like the role his man played during the June 12 crisis.

Paul said I should honour the invitation and use the opportunity to let Pini Jason know my mind about the issue.An appointment was fixed and Paul and I met Pini Jason in his house in Surulere, Lagos. I thank God for that first encounter with Dee Pini Jason. He lectured me on June 12,and explained to me what informed the role he played in the struggle. I felt intellectually enriched.More importantly, I felt proud to be associated with him and felt honoured that he singled me out for a meeting in his house just by reading my write-ups in Thisday.

The reason why Pini sent Paul to fetch me was to seek media support for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), which had just been formed.

He was in the team that did the intellectual work for the formation of APGA. I later learnt that he worked on the project with the iconic Professor Ben Obumselu.Today, only very few people know the role played by Pini Jason in the formation of APGA because unlike the politicians, he was given to neither noise making nor self-adulation.

He told me the initial name for the party was to be United Progressives Grand Alliance (UPGA) but that INEC refused to accept that name because there was UPGA in the first republic and the electoral body didn’t want any controversy over nomenclature.

In the years that followed after this first meeting in his house, my relationship with Dee Pini blossomed. He be-

came a father figure, and on one occasion, I needed money to complete the purchase of a piece of land in Ogun State. I mentioned it to him and he assisted me with N50,000 to acquire the the land.

He was a complete gentleman, a detribalised Nigerian but yet someone who loved roots. In the struggle for the de-annulment of the June 12, 1993 election won by the late MKO Abiola, Dee Pini stood up to be counted.

When the lid on party politics was lifted and democracy returned in 1999, the southeast wanted a platform with which to be relevant in the scheme of things in Nigeria, Dee Pini put forward his talent, time and treasure at the disposal of APGA. In all these he took no personal credit, made no political capital and reaped no political dividend.He once told me that with the world increasingly becoming a global village, where one could operate from anywhere with the touch of a button, he might relocate to his hometown in Mbaise, Imo State and work from there. He had become disenchanted with his Surulere environment which had become chaotic. He always talked about his f a m i l y .

However, not long after

this discussion, he was invited by former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim to serve in the state government but after Ohakim’s tenure ended, Dee Pini was staying in Abuja.I planned to pay him a visit but before that could happen the unforeseen took place.

It was with deep sadness and for me a great personal loss that Dee Pini died.

Nnanyiukwu Pini Jason was a great man, a writer of no mean proportion and a brilliant essayist. He was a mentor to not a few younger journalists like me, and many more drank immensely from his measureless fountain of knowledge.

Above all, he was generous man and a good man who loved his family, his people and his country.

Adieu Dee Pini Jason.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2013

Bayern target treble in German Cup final B

AYERN Munich can make themselves ‘immortal’ by clinching an historic treble in today ’s German Cup

final against VfB Stuttgart, according to chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

The Champions

tance be lowered and treated as ground for testing more players, team blending, achie-ving harmony,strategy and strike ability of players.”

In another development, Nwosu has urged Super Eagles players to be dedicated to the cause and endeavour to show

more commitment by raising their game higher in the remaining qualifiers, noting that a world cup can never be quantified by money value “ players need to put in more effort and more energy into the qualifying campaign so that we can make it a success.”

Don’t toy with our World Cup hopes, Nwosu tells NFF

By EDDIE AKALONU

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X- I N T E R N A TIONAL Henry Nwosu has made a passionate appeal to the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF to channel resources and energy into the 2014 World Cup qualification campaign, saying “ to me the world cup ticket is more important, more prestigious and commands bigger rating.

Nwosu, who added his voice to current debate emphasis should be on the picking an world cup ticket to be in Brazil next year for the Mundiale proper or win the FIFA Confederations cup next month.

Both competitions are important but I feel that the World cup carries more weight, prestige and honour,” he said.

“Everyone knows that Confederations Cup is dress rehearsal for the world cup proper, that enables the world cup host test every aspects of preparations, from logistics to organisation ability and other aspects such as crowd control and full preparations in part for next year.”

He maintained that picking a ticket to the world cup would place the country on greater pedes-

tal” “lets plan how to beat Kenya and Namibia and Malawi clean and land in Brazil because there are going to be 32 countries vying for the coveted cup over a full one month than. Nigeria will play Kenya on June5and Namibia away 12 in crucial World Cup qualifying

Firing...Super Eagles striker, Sunday Mba firing home the winner at the 2013 Nations Cup. Nigeria must win in Kenya for any hope of qualification for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

CROSS WORD PUZZLE

TODAY’S MATCHES INTERNATIONAL Mexico Panama

v v

Real Madrid Barcelona Granada Levante Mallorca Rayo Vallecano Real Zaragoza

v v v v v v v

Nigeria Peru

02:00 am 21:30 pm

SPAIN Osasuna 4.00pm Malaga 5.00pm Getafe 8.00pm Real Betis 8.00pm Real Valladolid 8.00pm Athletic Bilbao 8.00pm Atletico Madrid 8.00pm

GERMANY FC Bayern Münich v

matches before heading to Brazil through South Africa. Indeed, the Confedera-tions cup pitches eight continental champions against each other played over two weeks.

Nwosu sugges-ted that the though the June competition has top teams in attendance, it’s impor-

VfB Stuttgart

League winners are bidding for a historic treble of European, league and cup titles at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, as they look to lift the domestic cup for the sixteenth time.

Bayern won the Bundesliga, setting or equaling 25 German league records, but can achieve the treble, which no other German team including the Munich side which won the European Cup for three consecutive years in the 1970s has achieved.

“This team has already entered the history books, but they can make themselves immortal now as the most successful Bayern team of all time,” said Rummenigge.

“The generation including (Franz) Beckenbauer, (Gerd) Mueller and (Sepp) Meier in the 1970s, never managed to win the lot. “The only mistake we could make, and it’s doing the rounds in the media at the moment, is to think we’re approaching the easiest part and we’ll easily beat VfB Stuttgart.

“We won’t! We have to concentrate 100 per cent.

“Stuttgart didn’t have a great Bundesliga season, but they can salvage the whole thing by beating the Champions League winners. Stuttgart will be totally motivated.”

In the euphoria of their Wembley triumph, Rummenigge showed a lack of respect when he told the Bayern squad they should enjoy the post-Champions League celebrations as they can beat Stuttgart, even if tipsy.

7.00pm

Across 1 Burkina-Faso “Stallions” Striker, Jonathan – (8) 5 Flying Eagles U-20 Coach, John – (4) 7 Former PDP Chairman, Solomon – (3) 8 Greek Goddess – (4) 9 L.G.A in Edo State – (4) 10 Super Eagles Midfielder, Ogenyi – (5) 12 L.G.A in Oyo State – (9) 15 Secretary To The Federal Government of Nigeria, Senator Pius – (5) 17 Ethnic Group in Nigeria – (5) 18 Senegalese Capital City – (5) 20 Former Nigerian Bar Association Chairman, Chief Rotimi – (9) 23 L.G.A in Benue State – (5) 26 L.G.A in Ebonyi State – (4) 27 Former NFF President, Sani Abdullahi – (4) 28 Entrap – (3) 29 Notion – (4)

30 Secretary to Benue State Government, Audu – (8) Down 1 Colombian Currency – (4) 2 L.G.A in Niger State – (4) 3 Edo State Governor, Adams – (9) 4 Former Bayelsa United coach, Karika – (5) 5 L.G.A in Edo State – (5) 6 German “Bundesliga” Premiership Club-Side – (8) 11 Reverend Sister – (3) 13 Borno State Capital – (9) 14 Dismiss – (4) 15 Iraq’s Prime Minister, Nuri – (8) 16 State in Nigeria known as “Pride of The Sahel”? – (4) 19 Inquire – (3) 21 Spain and Liverpool Goalkeeper, Jose – (5) 22 Greek Alphabet – (5) 24 NAFDAC Director-General, Mr. Paul – (4) 25 Traditional Ruler of Ife – (4)

SOLUTION on page 55

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