Gowon warns of looming danger

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Cross River State Governor and member of Nigerian delegation, Professor Ben Ayade 1st from right standing). President of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Kadre Desire Ouedraogo(1st from left sitting), with other participants, at the "1st ECOWAS - Japan Business Forum 2015" in Hyatt Regency Tokyo. Japan.... ?

Governor David Umahi (4th left) with members of Ebonyi State Internal Revenue Board after their swearing- in at the Government House, Abakaliki.

Russian airliner with 224 aboard crashes in Egypt’s Sinai, all killed Lagos shuts

BY TONY NWANKWO with agency reports

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Russian airliner carrying 224 passengers crashed into a mountainous area of Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, yesterday, shortly after losing radar contact near cruising altitude, killing all aboard.

A militant group affiliated to Islamic State in Egypt, Sinai Province, said in a statement it had brought down the plane “in response to Russian airstrikes that killed hundreds of Muslims on Syrian land”, but Russia’s Transport Minister told newsmen the claim “can’t be considered accurate”.

The Airbus A321, operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia under the brand name Metrojet, was flying from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St Petersburg in Russia when it went down in central Sinai soon after daybreak, the aviation ministry said.

“I now see a tragic scene,” an Egyptian security officer at the site told journalists by telephone. “A lot of dead on the ground and many who died whilst strapped to their seats.

“The plane split into two, a small part on the tail end that burned and a larger part that crashed into a rockface.

We have extracted at least 100 bodies and the rest are still inside,” the officer, who requested anonymity, said.

Egyptian and Russian authorities said it was too early to draw any conclusions about the cause of the crash.

Bodies were being removed from the scene and transported to various hospitals with 34 arriving in the Zeinhom morgue in Cairo early in the evening.

The Islamic State, in a statement said it had brought down the aircraft.

“You who kill will be killed.”

Russia, an ally of Syrian

President Bashar al-Assad, launched air raids against opposition groups in Syria including Islamic State on Sept. 30, this year..

Security sources said they had no indication the Airbus had been shot down or blown up. But in an illustration of sensitivity of the crash, Egypt invited

Russian authorities to take part in the investigation.

Sinai is the scene of an insurgency by militants close to Islamic State, who have killed hundreds of Egyptian soldiers and police and have also attacked Western targets in recent months. Much of the Sinai is a restricted

military zone.

Islamist fighters in Sinai are not believed to have missiles capable of hitting a plane at 30,000 feet.

Islamic State websites have in the past claimed responsibility for actions that have not been conclusively attributed to them.

he police in Abia State have foiled an attempt T to steal a two-week-old

baby in Amaede village, Isiala Ngwa South local government area of the state.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that two armed men had invaded the residence of one Uzoma

Nweze and made to steal the baby boy. The gang shot and dealt machete blows on the baby ’s mother, Glory, on her left hand, as she struggled with them.

The hoodlums later fled the scene without the baby as residents alerted the police who stormed the area. However, luck ran out on the gang as one of the attackers was identified as hailing from

neighbouring Umuokoro village.

Police Public Relations Officer, Abia State Command, DSP Ezekiel Onyeke, said when the suspect’s house was searched; two locally made single barrel gun, a live and two expended cartridges, an iron rod and a photograph potrait were recovered while one locally made double barrel

Gowon warns of looming danger Continued from page 1 country. Gowon, who was speaking at the 25th Anniversary of the Scripture Union (NIG), Abuja Area, and the presentation of a Book; ‘Acts Of The Pilgrims’, noted that the future of the country appears gloomy if “we do not rise up” to the issues.

His words: “May I challenge every participant and invited guest here that today’s celebration calls us into deep reflection of our lost Godly values and virtues, particularly, as christian men and women, and seek to recover them. “This occasion

must therefore compel us to reflect deeply on the state of the nation, particularly the issues relating to moral decadence, sexual perversion, restiveness, precarious security challenges and corruption.

“We must rise up to deal with various issues of moral burdens in our educational institutions and labour to arrest the tide through massive prayer campaign and action.

“If we do not arise to bring our youths into the path of rectitude, then their future will appear gloomy, and, therefore, we cannot build a virile nation of trust, integrity and good governance.”

While extolling the contributions of the SU to the course of humanity, Gowon said: “I can testify that SU as is popularly called has stood the test of time for several decades, and in particular Nigeria, in the pursuit of rugged evangelism and christian perfection.

“I am indeed proud to identify with the work of the Scripture Union as it has proved to be a strong evangelistic force on our University campuses, across various institutions and has actively provided the spiritual foundation and needs of our Nigerian Christian youths with significant proofs.

“Many of you seated here today can testify to the

immense impact and influence of the SU upon your lives in your respective campuses and institutions as young christian students.

“I have no doubt that the purposeful and strategic influence of Scripture Union will continue to impact the church and our nation.”

Speaking on the Book: ‘Acts of the Pilgrims’ to mark the Jubilee Anniversary, Gowon described the book as an appetizer that will make the people to seek for more through God. According to him, “this will deeply and further inspire us to remain steadfast and resolute in our walk with God on the ancient path with Him.” The Vice President, Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented at the occasion by Pastor Steve Oyatayo from the Aso Villa Chapel said the government associated with the Union in view of its achievements in the country.

In his remarks, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, quoting from the Book of Daniel 11: 32, said: “ the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”

He admonished Nigerians to always stand by the truth, honesty and uprightness in all their dealings to promote the country.

Also, the Presidential

BY MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO

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gun, one machete, two expended cartridges, a mask, two handsets, a pair of rubber slippers and two sets of head torch were found at the scene of the incident.

The police spokesman further stated that the victim had been admitted at an undisclosed hospital, stressing that efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspect.

agos State government, yesterday, declared zero tolerance for environmental nuisance in the state, even as it shut Marina Workers Mosque, Lagos Island over poor sewage management.

While monitoring the October edition of the monthly sanitation exercise in Mainland and Lagos Island Local Governments, Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Samuel Adejare, added that any filthy market and motor park in the state would be shut indefinitely.

He noted that the declaration of zero tolerance for environmental nuisance in Lagos metropolis was to save the state from disaster resulting from unkempt environment.

Adviser on Media, Mr Femi Adeshina, while contributing, said the Scripture Union (SU) over several decades in the country had continued to preserve the originality of the word of God. He urged other faith-based organisations to emulate the body by truly propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ to have a peaceful nation. In his welcome address, the Chairman of the SU Abuja Area, Mr Emeka

Orji, said that God had been faithful to members since the launching of the SU in the FCT, in spite of daunting challenges.

According to him, “it has indeed been an awesome journey that could only have been conceived, developed, guided and established by the Lord God Almighty. It is a journey that has the unmistakable imprints of God,”

Police foil attempt to steal two-week-old baby

BY UGOCHUKWU ALARIBE, Aba

Marina mosque over pollution

God has hand in Nigeria’s affairs—Pastor Adeboye

BY OLAYINKA LATONA

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he General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, has described mercy of God as one of the major reasons the country has not witnessed another civil war amid the challenges confronting Nigeria.

Adeboye, who spoke during a special programme for the country, held under the theme, ‘Free Indeed,’ at the national headquarters of the RCCG in Ebute-Metta, Lagos, said that despite the frustrating circumstances in Nigeria, the country is still united due to God’s grace.

The cleric said it was possible for a country to witness freedom while its

citizens would still be in bondage.

His words: “It is possible for a country to be free, but its citizens are not. Nigeria has been free for 55 years, but many of us are not free.

If not for God’s intervention, Nigeria would have been in another civil war. Without His intervention in this land, we would not be experiencing peace. We should keep praying for His peace to reign.

“We should also keep praying for the President and the Vice President so that in the next one year, in a way we cannot explain it, Nigeria will be celebrated among the nations of the world. We should also pray for all states in Nigeria so that in the next one year, all of them will also be celebrated.”

PAGE 6 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

From left: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode with C.E.O & President of Laing Consulting and Research Group, Mr. Zhivargo Laing and Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello ,during the State Leadership Retreat, held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, FESTAC, Lagos

Advertising Practitioners’ Association, Abuja chapter (APAAC) IDP Visitation Team Coordinator, Mr Chris Tion, with Vanguard Advert Manager, Abuja, Office and Treasurer of APAAC, Mrs Ethel Igboeche and other members of the APAAC, presenting relief materials to the Chairman of Gwoza and Bama Internal Displaced People, Mr Ibrahim Hamadu and Women Leader, Liayatu Ayuba, at Durumi , FCT Abuja at the weekend. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan

No let off in attacks between APC and PDP Metuh: Lai Mohammed is quarrelsome Mohammed: Metuh lacks decency, and is untrainable

BY HENRY UMORU

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ATIONAL leader ship of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday took a swipe at the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Lai Mohammed, alleging that with his quarrelsome nature, he was not fit to hold any public office.

But in a swift reaction, Alhaji Mohammed charged that the resort to crude, personal attacks by PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh , in his latest statement is a clear vindication of APC’s stand that the PDP should urgently rebrand or go into extinction.

PDP on Mohammed In a statement yesterday by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh urged the confirmed Ministerial nominee to address critical issues that have been raised, rather than resort to personal attacks of persons.

Metuh said, “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) describes the spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, as a quarrelsome and misguided individual completely unfit to hold responsible national office in a democratic government.

“The party advised the APC spokesman to shed his offensive narcissist tendencies even in his desperation not to end up being a minister without a portfolio.

“The PDP counseled Lai Mohammed that having been a beneficiary of the benevolence and forgiving spirit of the Senate President, one would expect him now to be mature, decent, civil and more organized in his responses to public comments.”

PDP needs rebranding APC insists In a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday by its

National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said with a combustible and out-of-control spokesman like Metuh, there is no way the PDP will survive in opposition. ‘’Metuh has shown, time and again, that he lacks the temperament, presence of mind, sobriety, analytical mind, decency in the use of

language and panache needed for anyone to be the face of any organisation, not to talk of a political party. ‘’It was the realization of this obvious fact that made us to offer to provide the excitable Metuh a crash course on how to function as an opposition spokesman. Unfortunately, it is too

late now as he seems to have become totally untrainable. ‘’Instead of reacting to our sincere advice to his party to urgently rebrand or go down, Metuh chose to unleash his vitriolic tongue on the APC spokesman, just as he has done to the judiciary and many agencies of government in recent times.

‘’In what is surely a looming tragedy for the PDP, a spokesman who helped write the party into opposition is now poised to further write it into extinction,’’ it said.

APC insisted that the PDP should stop wailing and insulting the judiciary for the electoral tragedy which it brought upon itself by en-

gaging in mindless rigging and violence in the last general elections. ‘’The doomed opposition should also immediately stop its failed strategy of trying to distract the Buhari Administration, which is busy cleaning up the mess left behind by the 16 years of locust of the sinking ‘PDP,’’ the party said.

Ex-Delta Commissioner, PDP supporters defect to APC

BY EMMAAMAIZE

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MMEDIATE p a s t Commissioner for Youth Development in Delta State, Comrade Omolubi Newuwumi, led thousands of his supporters and members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC, barely a month after the ex-Chief of Staff to the Delta State Government, Chief Paulinus Akpeki, led two other commissioners to decamp.

Newuwumi, an activist and President of the Iwere Development Association, IDA, an umbrella body

of Itsekiri People Worldwide, said at Koko, Warri North Local Government Area, that he was leaving PDP because the party had failed to bring dividends of democracy to the communities.

Speaking at the mini rally, Newuwumi said, “I am a product of change and because I am a product of change, I have to join the party that has the ‘propeller and the engine’ to drive that change and bring the much needed development to my people.

As a man who craves for change, I cannot be left out.”

“Politics is about bringing developmental changes to the people, especially at the grassroots level and the rural communities, but I am sorry to say that for 16 years now, that development has eluded the people of my community. PDP

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But at the rescheduled primary on September 30, Alaibe, whom many had tipped to be the candidate, withdrew from the primary in the interest of peace and unity.

Alaibe, in a statement at the weekend, while calling on his supporters to support Sylva, said “It is exactly one month that I had to step down from competing in the just concluded Bayelsa governorship primaries.

“This was one of the numerous personal sacrifices I have had to make since my venture into politics. I stepped into the race to give further bite to my burning desire to extricate Bayelsa State from abysmal leadership failure.

“The decision to withdraw from the race may have attracted various meanings

developmental change that the party has began from the federal level down to the state to the local government and all the way to the wards and every communities and I believe I humbly qualified for that job”.

Emir of Borgu for burial today

BY WOLE MOSADOMI

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he remains of His Roy al Highness, Alhaji Haliru Dantoro, Kitoro lll, Mai Borgu of Borgu

Bayelsa 2015: Alaibe rallies support for Sylva former Managing Di rector of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Ndutimi Alaibe, has called on his supporters and party faithful to throw their weight behind Timipre Sylva, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the December 5 governorship election.

Alaibe was Sylva’s strongest rival for the APC ticket but the party primary held on September 22, 2015 was marred by violence orchestrated by suspected loyalists of Sylva.

Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who was Chairman of the party’s election committee, was held hostage for hours and was rescued from the venue of the primary by combined men of the Joint Task Force and the Department of State Security.

cannot pinpoint one project that brought development to my ward in Warri North local government area.

“Because I believe in change; because I believe in development, I am joining the APC to drive that

across Bayelsa State and beyond with some understandably expressing misgivings and disappointment.

“All the same, it had to be done for purposes I had clearly indicated to be in the overall interest of the APC and Bayelsa.

“We retreated to have the opportunity to further test our acceptability which we believe is still wide and solid, in the future.

“My dear friends, supporters and loyalists, my previous forays into the political arena ended amicably on the negotiation table. The negotiations were not of particular pecuniary benefits to me alone. So many persons have become senators, members of the House of Representatives, State House of Assembly, commissioners and so on.”

Kingdom of Niger State is to be laid to rest in New Bussa, Niger state today.

The first class Emur and one time Senator and Minister of the Fededral Republic of Nigeria died in a German hospital on Friday after a brief illness at the age of 78.

The Corpse was flown in from Germany yesterday night to the country for burial.

In a condolence message by Governor Abubakar Sani Bello and signed by the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Mr. Jide Orintunsin, the governor described the death of the mornach at this critical period of our national life as a monoumental loss, to the country in general and Niger State in particular.

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello lamented that the demise of the first class traditional ruler has denied the country from benefiting from the wealth of experience of the late seasoned public administrator, lawmaker and a cerebral businessman.

“The demise of the esteemed and highly reverred father, Alhaji (Senator) Haliru Dantoro, Kitoro lll, Mai Borgu of

Borgu Kingdom is a great loss of inestimable quantum. The country, Nigeria and indeed Niger State where he hailed from, will miss his wise counsel and wealth of experience as a seasoned administrator.

“A dogged and grassroots politician who built bridges across the length and breath of this country, his demise at this crtical period of our national life when his wealth of experience is required will be greatly missed. Niger State and indeed Nigeria has loss a political collosus, whose vacum maybe be add to fill.

“Our solace, however is in the fact that from Allah we all came and Unto Him we shall return”.

The governor commesirated with the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, the people of Borgu Emirate Council and members of the family of the late mornach and prayed that Allah grant the late mornach Aljana fridaus The late royal father was the first Chairman of Borgu Local Government, when the council was created in the old Kwara State.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 7

•From left: Osondu C. Nwokoro,NTEL Director External Affairs; Nkechi Newton-Denila, Director, Legal Affairs; Kamar Abass, CEO; Inusa Bello, Director Marketing & Sales; and Basit Arogundade, Director, Information after an interactive parley NTEL hosted for media executives in Lagos.

•From left: Supt. Apostle S. O.Adekurolere, SP/AP/Pro. J. F. Opetusin (Minister-in-charge), Rev. Pst. Akinola Adeboyeje (JP), Guest Preacher, M/ SP/AP/DR S. O. Ikupolusi (JP), Lagos Conference Chairman, and M/SP/AP/ PRO. S. A. Akinkuotu (JP), Lagos Conference Supervisor at the 2015 Anniversary Service of Holy Cross Church of Cherubim & Seraphim, Redemption Parish, Idimu Lagos, last Sunday.

Army Chief, Buratai, gives automatic promotion to soldiers for gallantry

By Kingsley Omonobi, Abuja

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HIEF of the Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, has visited troops of 21 Brigade at Bama, Borno State where he not only hailed their performance against Boko Haram but also gave automatic promotion to two soldiers for gallantry.

The troops from the brigade had liberated Bama from Haram terrorists after a fierce battle leading to the killing of scores of the terrorists while a cache of arms and Improvised Explosive Device, IED, making materials were recovered.

According to a statement

by Lt. Colonel Aminu Illyasu, the COAS, while addressing troops, reminded them of their mandate and deadline to clear the pockets of Boko Haram terrorists within their area

of operative before the end of December which he strongly believes is possible looking at their high spirit.

He also urged them to always be alert, noting, ‘Nigerians are proud of you, Mr President is proud of you, we must continue to make them proud as you are better trained and better equipped than the terrorists’.

“Highlight of the visit

HERE was visible ex citement on the faces of residents of Enugu, Abakpa Nike, 9th Mile Corner and Nsukka when they saw heavy duty equipment of construction companies moving into various sites of the eight roads recently awarded by the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration.

This came as the members of the Enugu Urban Renewal Committee, led by its Chairman, Chris Offor, yesterday, visited some of the sites in the Enugu-East Local Government Area of the state to ascertain the level of commitment of the contractors in mobilizing to site to commence work.

Addressing the residents of the area, the Committee Chairman told them that their visit was in line with

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AGOS State Gover nor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday, urged the state Police Command to step up its surveillance and come up with new strategies to tackle the wave of criminal activities in the state.

The governor, who spoke at the closing session of the four-day Leadership Retreat for the State Executive Council, Body of Permanent Secretaries as well as some heads of parastatals, urged the police to improve on their mode of operations to ensure the safety of lives and property.

Ambode spoke shortly after the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, addressed participants,

pledging the support of the state government to effective policing of the state. He, however, said the resources ploughed into securing the state must reflect in the reduction of criminal activities”, he stated.

“We’re not yet where we want to be. We have only just 33, 000 policemen in Lagos for a population of over 20million. Again, we don’t have control over these police officers.

“We need to let the Commissioner of Police leave this retreat believing that the Police need to own their own business just the way we have told ourselves that we want to own the business of governance. We need to see some things change,

Kogi 2015: Buhari absent at APC ‘grand rally’

By Kennedy Mbele

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RESIDENT Mu hammadu Buhari was absent at the All Progressives Congress (APC) grand rally in Lokoja, Kogi State to drum support for the candidature of Prince Abubakar Audu in the November 21

Excitement in Enugu as contractors move to site

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was the promotion and decoration of two soldiers of the brigade for their gallantry, dedication and loyalty from the rank of Lance Corporal to Corporal, an event that further lifted the morale of not only the beneficiaries but the whole Brigade.

“The elevated soldiers are Corporal Thomas Orim of 202 Battalion and Corporal Abubakar Usman Usman of 150 Task Force Battalion.”

Ambode tasks police on crime prevention strategies •’Only 33,000 officers for 20 million Lagos residents’

the directive of the state governor to ensure that contractors handling the roads mobilize to site to commence work immediately.

He disclosed that the governor is in a hurry to commence action on the roads and is equally committed to develop the entire state through aggressive urban and rural development programmes that will open up economic opportunities in the state as well alleviate the sufferings of the people.

Committee Chairman noted that the early commencement of construction works at the eight awarded roads was a welcome development which goes a long way to showcase the seriousness of the present administration to bring meaningful development to the doorsteps of the electorate.

governorship election.

The rally, held at the Lokoja International Stadium, was also not attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo or any representative of the President, although it drew some national leaders of the party and some APC governors from the North Central.

Buhari was expected to present his party’s candidate to the electorate by raising his hand at the rally in line with political tradition.

The rally, earlier scheduled for Saturday, October 24, was shifted to yesterday after the President had reportedly asked to be excused because he was indisposed.

There was, however, no official communication on why

Buhari did not turn up at the rescheduled event yesterday.

Some APC members linked Buhari’s absence at the rally to the six-year-old case against the governorship candidate by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. In a related development, a group calling itself Kogi APC stakeholders in an advertorial, yesterday, accused the President of vendetta against Audu.

In the advertorial signed by Elder Okpanachi Ameh Obulo, the group accused Buhari of trying to settle old scores with the governorship candidate.

“We know our President as the father of all will not give

a listening ear to sycophants and fifth columnists desperately trying to force him down the path of vendetta”, it stated.

“But we are a bit apprehensive over some conflicting signals that tend to validate the speculations that there are scores to settle in high places. “The most recent was the cancellation of the grand rally planned for last Saturday in Lokoja.

“Mr. President was not able to attend and perform his traditional role of presenting the candidate to the electorate. There were reports in the media alleging that the absence of Mr. President was actually a premeditated retributive boycott”.

Okowa’s victory is for Deltans — Onuesoke

By Ephraim Oseji

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chieftain of the Peo ples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Sunny Onuesoke has described the victory of Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, at the election tribunal as a victory for the people.

Onuesoke, who spoke to journalists in Asaba, the state capital, immediately after the tribunal delivered the judgment, said the case could not

have been decided otherwise because there was huge evidence during the election that the people of Delta, in need of prosperity, cast their votes across ethnic, zones and religious divide for Okowa.

He said the jubilation across the state on the heels of the judgment is a testimony that Okowa is the choice of the people. “I do not see any reason to celebrate because I know ab initio that there is no case against Okowa. We do not have any other party in Delta. We cannot be deceived. Evidence

boundsthatOkowawonthegubernatorial election across the state. Delta is a PDP state.

Even if all of Nigeria switches to APC, this is one state that will not switch,” he vowed.

Congratulating Okowa on the victory, he wondered why a party which had only 60,000 votes and the others won, few wards in only two local government areas would want to unseat a candidate who won across the state through the back door by applying legal technicalities.

there has to be some form of paradigm shift, we want to see our police officers patrol in convoy between 12 midnight and 4am.

“There should be presence; we want to show presence, security agencies must also show presence. We need to enforce, we want to see patrol vehicle moving, we don’t want to see stationery police men, they don’t have to stay in the vehicle, we want to see something different from what it used to be in the past.

“It’s still the same style, but people must see improvement on it. That’s why we on our own part, we have gone out of our budget limits, using our resources from the Security Trust Fund, to say that, yes, it might not be within our budget, but we would spend money to support the Police because if the state is safe, the economy will thrive”, he said.

Agric varsity gets 44 new professors

By Emeka Mamah

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HE Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, MOUAU,Umuahia, Abia State has announced the appointment of 34 new professors and 10 associate professors.

According to a statement from the Office of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Hilary Odo Edeoga, those promoted professors included Dr Patricia Etuna Mbah (Home Economics and Hospitality Management), Dr Yusuf Ndukaku Omeh (Biochemistry), Dr Innocent Ajah Okoro (Chemistry) Dr Chukwuemeka Eze (Microbiology) Dr Nkanikpo Ibok Ibok (Marketing) Dr Chukwukere Austin Okezie (Agricultural Economics) and Dr Maxwell Kechukwu Ezeja (Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology).

PAGE 8—SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

Usman Jibril, the land administrator in Buhari’s cabinet

BY HENRY UMORU

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on September 30, sent a list of ministerial nominees to the Senate through the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, for screening and subsequent confirmation.

The list, which was the first batch with twenty one names, had Ibrahim Usman Jibril as one of the nominees.

Ibrahim Usman Jibril, who was born on January 27, 1958, hails from Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, started his educational pursuit in Nasarawa before graduating from Bayero University, Kano, with Bachelor of Arts/Education in Geography Education; and a Masters degree from same University with MSC in land Resources, specialising in land administration.

Jibril started as a primary school teacher and then secondary school teacher where he taught geography and later as a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, before he joined the core civil service.

1. Jibril joined the then Ministry of Federal Capital Territory, MFCT, in 1999 as L and Officer, posted to the Abuja Geographic Information Systems, AGIS as Assistant Chief Land Officer between 2003- He worked with Manjib and Company between 2006-2008. He later returned to the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, as Deputy Director, then as Acting Director of Land Administration in the Department of Land Administration and Deputy Director, Logistics and ICT, at the Department of Development Control at the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, AMMC. Jibril, who parades a very intimidating resume, with his experience in the day to day running and management of the Federal Capital Territory, as the Land Officer in the defunct MFCT, also served as the secretary of the Ministerial Committee

Lose not your confidence

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•Ibrahim Usman Jibril

for the Appraisal of Physical Planning and Development Issues within the FCT in 1999, during which a comprehensive report was produced on the f o l l o w i n g areas:Resettlement issues within the FCT, Status of Neighborhood Centers within the FCC, Status of district centers within the FCC, Status of Green Areas/Parks/Recreational centers within the FCC, Activities of Traditional Rulers over land issues within the FCT and distortions of some of the provisions of the Master Plan of the FCT. After he was promoted the Assistant Chief Land Officer, Jibril became responsible for the general coordination of the computerization of all the FCT Area Councils’ title documents, data capture, data cleaning and quality control of all FCT Area Council’s land data, coordinated the Cadastral cleaning of all the FCT Area Councils’ Cadastral Plans and development of GIS, coordinated the harmonization and development of Land Information Systems (LIS) for the FCT Area Councils, coordinated the preparation and implementation of budget for the Land Department, and he assisted the Director of Lands and Secretary of the FCT Land Use and Allocation Committee (LUAC) in running the Secretariat of the LUAC. As Deputy Director, he coordinated the

harmonization and development of Land Information Systems (LIS) for the FCT Area Councils as well as coordinated and supervised the production of new computer based certificate of occupancy for over 155,000 files.

As Acting Director of Land, Jibril was the head of the department and was responsible for general administration of both human and material resources for the entire department; he was responsible for issuance of title documents to land within the FCT as well as ensuring the general security of those documents and was Secretary of the FCT Land Use & Allocation Committee where he was responsible for the processing of all land transactions and perfection of all title documents arising from such transactions.

As Deputy Director, Logistics & ICT, Jibril was saddled with the responsibility of ensuring the general coordination of the computerization of all Development Control records that were in hard copy/paper format since 1980 and was also responsible for general coordination for the creation of a new Spatial Data Infrastructure to ease the problem associated with analog system of record keeping within the Department.

Until his nomination as a ministerial nominee, subsequently screened and cleared by the Senate and fit to be assigned a portfolio, Jibril was the Senior Special Assistant to Nasarawa State Governor and Project Manager, Nasarawa Geographic Information System, NAGIS. As the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor and Project Manager, NAGIS, Ibrahim Usman Jibril was responsible for general coordination, planning, development and supervision of the entire Nasarawa Development Platform, NDP, programme and the day to day project management and coordination with the Ministry of Land and Urban Development MLUD.

his week, we will share the stories of some of our readers who wrote to Joyful Home.

The essence is to build our confidence and further assure ourselves that our God is able.

In a recent sermon, Rev. Dr. Moses Iloh, of Soul Winning Chapel, reminds us of how to worship the Lord.

He made reference to John 4 verse 24, which states, “ God is a Spirit : and they that worship Him must worship him in spirit and in truth”.

In other words, we must worship Him with the totality of our being.

Of course we know that those who have chosen to serve the Lord must do so fully. It is God alone and nothing else.

It is indeed true that some of us have challenges that have shaken our faith. Often times, the one who is troubled is tempted to ask, “Am I not serving God? Why have I not had my prayers answered?.”

This, among others, is the question that props up when one is low in spirit, but those questions hardly bring solution to our challenges.

The holy Bible admonishes us to remain confident.

Be confident Rev. Iloh made reference to Hebrews 10 verse 35 and 36, “ Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward .

For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise”.

Iloh ‘s emphasis is that we must be confident and expectant of our reward.

The one who has lost his home cannot be expectant.

People facing one challenge or the other must remain confident and that confidence must necessarily be based on the assurance of God. Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, in his daily devotion manual, Open Heavens, of October 26, emphazised the importance of hope .

He referred to Ecclesiastes 9 verse 4, “ For to Him that is joined to all the living, there is hope: for a living dog, is better than a dead lion”.

Pastor Adeboye ended the lesson, titled, “ Help after losing hope,” with an action point,” Don’t lose your hope for any reason: but if you do, look up to God and He will restore it”.

From our mail bag For obvious reasons, names and telephone numbers of the writers are protected.

Lady S. wrote: “ I read your column with intense interest. What really got me is that every article seems to be a reflection of me!

Sorry for asking, have you had a personal experience of all you’ve been writing so far?

Well , if you have not, you would not truly understand that these things exist and they are mind blowing. I have enough of all what is going on in my life and I truly don’t

know anymore what to do.

I have done every thing but am inclined to think that my problem is more spiritual than what the eyes can see. I am going in cycles right now, and truly want to know you and hope to be able to open up to the right person.

For now keep writing way out for people like us.

What do we need to do because the pain of being denied the joy of motherhood is beyond understanding. Thank you.”

Seek God the more Dear Lady S, I understand what you are going through. I went through it for over 20 years and the Lord gave me a breakthrough. He is still able. Just remain focused, seek God intensely. The word of the Lord reminds us to seek and we shall find; it says we should ask and we shall be given. No matter how long you have been waiting, there is still hope. I have seen a woman who had a baby after 30 years of waiting.

Please, keep hope and

Being a believer does not mean that scientific efforts should be discarded.

The point one is making is that, no one should allow medical science to write him or her off faith alive. Don’t lose your confidence.

Mr. Andy wrote: “I’m a regular reader of your column. I thank the Almighty God for using you as a vessel of joy in our homes. Please, how do I get in touch with Pastor Oso of Laughter Foundation?”

Mr Andy, I have published the address of Laughter Foundation but may I state that several churches also have special programmes of women trusting God for the fruit of the womb.

I’m aware that RCCG has Shiloh Hour for such women apart from regular services.

However, for Laughter Foundation, every service addresses this issue.

But may I make it loud and clear that it is God Almighty that does miracles.I remind you of Pastor J.T. Kalejaye’s popular saying, “ There is nothing any man of God can do without the God

of man”.

Mr. P, wrote: “ Hi. I am a Christian and 23 years old.

Ma, what do I do to overcome sexual urge. Do I really need deliverance?”

Mr P, Yes you need some form of deliverance but you can begin it yourself.

How? Find time to fill your life with the word of God. I mean create time to read and study the holy Bible. As you do this, you are bringing yourself closer to the Holy Spirit and, within a short time, you will discover that your sexual urge is reduced .

Re- God is beyond science Remi A. wrote: “I was moved by your story on the above subject matter.

I was actually going through related pain and confusion when I stumbled on your story.

Please I will like to talk to you if possible. I hope you don’t mind giving me your telephone number”.

Sister Remi, I still maintain that God is beyond science and that is why miracles cannot be explained by the logic of science.

How do we explain that women considered barren, who were directed to touch the garment in a church, became pregnant and became mothers.

However, being a believer does not mean that scientific efforts should be discarded.

The point one is making is that, no one should allow medical science to write him or her off.

Let me share an experience. A young lady had her womb removed after a surgical operation and doctors told her she would never have children.

True to the word of her doctors, she began to experience delays in having children.

The lady then made up her mind that since she was created by God and not doctors, she held on to the Lord in a very determined way just like Hannah. God had mercy on her and she not only had a child but a set of twins.

The physical explanation is that another womb grew in he, and the truth is that only God had the answer.

If this woman could make it, you too can. Let me remind us of a quote of Pastor Adeboye during one the services held at the RCCG headquarters at Ebute- Metta.

He told the congregation, “A house is not a home, until it has children”.

At all times, we must always remember that is God that gives children.

Psalm 127 verse 3 -5 says, “ Lo , children are an heritage of the Lord ; and the fruit of the womb is his reward . As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man man; so are children of the youth.

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them : they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate”.

Let’s continue to remain hopeful even as we take the necessary physical and spiritual steps.

Editor ’s note - Let’s share your experience to encourage others.

Send yours to us via joyfulhomes2015@gmail.com.

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015 — PAGE 9

PAGE 10—SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

Wike’s removal: Matters arising “At a glance at Exhibit A11 (result of the election), you can observe that the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2010.”

Justice Ambrosa, nullifying the Rivers State Governor’s Election, Saturday, October 24, 2015. n the face of it, the P e o p l e s Democratic Party, PDP, has not lost and the All Progressive Congress, APC, has not won in Rivers State yet. The Election Tribunal merely ordered for a fresh election to be conducted.

But, if the Tribunal’s decision is upheld by higher courts, then another election will take place.

For now, it is anybody’s guess regarding the person who will emerge as governor of Rivers State.

However, several issues would follow from the

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former election being nullified. In fact, one could write six columns and not exhaust the infinite possibilities. So readers would permit me if only a few are discussed. As usual, pardon me for a slight diversion. It will assist in putting the situation in which the PDP and our nation Nigeria increasingly in focus.

“It is the loser who finds the horrors of war on his very doorstep”. Phocion, 402317 B.C, Athenian General and Statesman, in Plutarch’s AGE OF A L E X A N D E R .

VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTES, VBQ p 139) Phocion was, to me, one of the wisest men in public life. Plutarch remains in the front ranks of the world’s greatest historians.

His works which were required reading in the history course I undertook

Be careful what you wish for "Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others.

And having no respect he ceases to love" — Fyodor Dostoyevsky hen you think that you know how politicking goes on in Nigeria, you must admit that you really don't know, not at all. There have been a lot of to and fro from the last general election and subsequent ruling seems to have claimed the scalp of another.

One must admit the drama has kept people spellbound as the dust had not settled in the Rivers State Government House and now the governor has been given the boot. The governor has hardly got used to his newly elevated position. Others may argue that it was just a matter of time and that he was not a governor material anyway.

Well, it seemed the writing was indelibly on the wall, but, Wike refused to take notice. He actually did not

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want to respond to the allegations that he did not win a clean contest.

As far back as May, this year, the Election Tribunal for Rivers State, that seated in Abuja, proceeded the hearing on the election of Nyesom Wike. This man, Wike was a Teflon Don, they tried to subpoena him, but his security men won't allow the summons to be delivered to him and on many occasions and they really did try. Due to the protraction, the ruling on the petitioner's counsel's motion, Justice Pindiga, ordered that the court processes be pasted on the wall of Wike's house. He said that "I have gone through the motion exparte and it is hereby granted; all the court processes are deemed valid." You cannot make this up even if you try, only in Nigeria, things like this happen.

Justice Pindiga then ordered that substituted service be effected against Wike either by pasting the court process on Wike's house or at the office of the PDP secretariat in Rivers State or in Abuja. After failing to serve Wike, the

election. Why, you are probably asking?

Mayhem in Rivers State elections in March and April topped those of all the other states.

Dozens of lives were lost and accusations are pervasive that it was all orchestrated by the ruling party. Several people might be arrested and detained before the next election holds. If you are thinking “It can’t happen here”, then you must have a very poor knowledge of Nigerian political history. Rivers State and

in my third year on the Hellenic Age, made you feel as if you were there on the scene. Phocion was a master at advising his people not to engage in war until they have considered the consequences of winning or losing. When, sitting President Jonathan and his wife became combative during the campaigns, they certainly never thought of losing the election. Furthermore, when the election results were announced and Jonathan gallantly accepted the results, it never occurred to him that he had virtually knocked the nail of the coffin of the PDP. Henceforth, Jonathan, whoever remains in PDP and their associates will feel the lash. As another sage had told us, “For every folly of their [political leaders], the [Nigerian supporters] feel the lash.”(VBQ p 61). Despite his braggadocio, Mr Nyesom Wike must be deeply disturbed.

First, he must remember how with the backing of the former President and a c o m p l a i s a n t Commissioner of Police, the former Governor was held hostage in his own state. Jonathan is quietly hoping that his successor would not move against him. So, in the event of a new election, the last person he should expect in Rivers State to campaign for the PDP is Jonathan.

Mrs Jonathan will probably not be present also. The last time she stormed Rivers State to campaign, it was with a

battalion of the best shots the Nigerian Army could deploy – ably supported by thousands of police officers, armed and hooded DSS men, as well as a generous supply of Local Militia (thugs if you can’t understand “English”). It was intimidating enough to keep Governor Amaechi indoors for days. The man was aware of the consequences of losing his life to an “unknown” soldier.

If Mrs Patience Jonathan ever considers repeating that trip, she will arrive Portharcourt without a

single police officer to welcome her.

That is a long route to our destination. But, it is designed to tell Mr Wike that his salvation lies in the courts – Appeal and Supreme. Only if the courts rule that he won the last election will he be temporarily out of danger – for his political and his real life. It is not clear if the man realizes that the two have become inextricably linked.

If he loses the appeals and steps down, he might not even contest the re-run

Akwa Ibom State have become the first tests of strength by the two leading political parties.

Politics and war being related (“War is the continuation of politics by other means”, Karl von Clausewitz, 17801831), every General wants to win a war. That was why Obasanjo told us the unpleasant truth that winning “is a matter of life and death”.

The PDP went into the last election with a Commander-In-Chief, C-

presiding Justice Muazu Pindiga approved the request by Mr Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu (SAN), the counsel to Dr Dakuku Peterside of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to grant an order for substituted service on the Governor-elect because Wike kept evading the service of court summon and any other processes in the petition challenging Wike's elections. Of course, it was Dr Dakuku Peterside, who sought for the tribunal to nullify the election of Nyesom Wike.

Peterside argued that though, Wilke was declared winner as governor in the poll held on April 11, 2015, the outcomes in favour of Wilke was fraught with malpractices and noncompliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act; the election was marred by intimidation of voters, non-availability of result sheets, snatching of electoral materials, noncollation of results at wards and local government levels.

In reaching a decision, the tribunal adopted only one issue for determination - whether the petitioners had proven their case. Of course, Nyesom Wike was very vocal in opposing the allegation and more so that the tribunal had to be held in Abuja and not in Port Harcourt. The president of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachawa, threw out Wike's protests and held that the the tribunal should sit in Abuja, simply they said it would be safer. They may be right as the last election in, Rivers State was not safe at all and it was very much a garrison zone

as the previous administration flexed its might and had police and military invading the area.

The Rivers governorship election, by all standards, was criticised by local and international observers that it was fraught with widespread violence before and after the elections.

Seriously, it was not the only election petition that was held in Abuja: Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

So now with the nullification of Rivers State governorship election of Nyesom Wike, by the tribunal, it is surely not over as Wike said he will definitely appeal the ruling

destabilise the state and have their own man installed in the government house. They seem to be forgetting the crucial ingredients here: the peoples' choice. They should let the people of Rivers State go and vote without intimidation or pressure for who they want and who will best serve the people. It has got to stop being about do or die politics, about time they got the change they needed and the delay of this saga will not be good for anyone.

There have been allegations made that the judge heading the governorship election tribunal was in the pocket of the Wike. It was said that the Rivers peoples’ mandate was stolen by Wike's supporters, godfathers and people.

Whatever the case, it is hoped that the ordinary people of Rivers State will use their votes and maybe justice will prevail and democracy will at last be restored.

Perhaps things will change for the better and the bullying tactics and intimidation will dissipate and the spirit of intimidation, thuggery, criminality and fraudulence will eventually leave its stench out of the state and its people. Here is hoping.

From my archive: The aggressor will fall on his own sword on June 09, 2013: "Couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article titled; Jet, ladies and all things tasteless (12.05.13) which mentioned Rotimi Ameachi and the trouble between him and GEJ. So,

Rivers State and Akwa Ibom State have become the first tests of strength by the two leading political parties. Politics and war being related (“War is the continuation of politics by other means

Whatever the case, it is hoped that the ordinary people of Rivers State will use their votes and maybe justice will prevail and democracy will at last be restored

of the tribunal. In the meantime, the election tribunal ordered Governorship election rerun in Rivers State within 90 days immediately after the day of the ruling.

Some may say that Wike is the victim here and others will say that he got what was coming to him. After all, he was a favoured choice of the former president, GEJ and the fragrant lady. The PDP is up in arms as to why its man has been given the chop and they think it is the oppositions' hatchet job to

I-C, who had not developed the “killer instinct” – which often makes the difference between winning and losing. He will watch from the sidelines as a real General leads his troops to battle. As General George Paton, 1885-1945, said before his American troops destroyed the Germans in North Africa, “I feel sorry for the [PDP] already; they will soon taste [APC] firepower and many will not live to tell the story.”

Jonathan, a weak leader and “general”, not only led his troops to defeat; he has left them at the mercy of their enemies.

Should Nigerians rejoice? Certainly not.

Jonathan also left us with the possibility of a one party nation in a short while. And one-party nations soon degenerate to one-man polity. So we are all in trouble.

MYTH OF PARTY SUPREMACY IN NIGERIAN POLITICS – 2 Part one of this series was published last week.

Ordinarily, the series should continue uninterrupted. But, the Tribunal verdict on Rivers State governor’s election as well as the confusing decision with regard to Akwa Ibom State had opened the real possibility that those states might turn to APC. In that event, we are gradually moving to oneparty nation. DANGER!!!

The first thing to go under a one-man autocracy is Party Supremacy….

To be continued… fast forward two weeks, it does not look as if the fight is abating anytime soon. On the contrary, it seems that the fight has been nudged up another level; to isolate, intimidate and humiliate Governor Rotimi Ameachi.

The assault is reaching a crescendo of an enormous magnitude that only can be imagined taking place in the dark, shady and mucky dealings of the political occult. This audacious gerrymandering and devilmay-care attitude by the so called movers and shakers of the PDP is been played out in full view of the Nigerian public. I am sure that the heavies and bullies think that they are untouchable.They must feel so confident that the power they have mustered to coerce and usurp an incumbent governor is fair game. This in-fighting is a distraction happening daily in the ordinary lives of a Nigerian household.

What use is it to the man on the street that there is a split in the PDP and that Rotimi has been suspended from the party? Not a lot, unless it can quench their thirsts, fill their bellies, make them feel secure at home or on the roads or put clothes on their backs, it means nothing. Nothing at all. So what do we make of it? That it is all about power and money and not about the people they serve.

To the PDP, I remember, a quote from late Chinua Achebe: "We cannot trample upon the humanity of others without devaluing our own. If only they heed the sagacious maxim and concentrate on themselves and not try to disrupt others".

SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 11

Enugu State, its workers and Prado Jeeps

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ast week, workers in Enugu State, under the aegis of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, formally kicked against the alleged decision of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to procure Toyota Prado Sport Utility Vehicles, worth N11.5m, for each of the commissioners and House of Assembly members in the state. The workers conveyed their displeasure over the subject in a letter dated October 22, 2015 signed by their union chairman, Mr. Chukwuma Igbokwe, who is equally the leader of the Trade Union Congress in the state, and the Secretary, Mr. Theo Obasiani. If the allegation is rather grave as it suggests that over N500m would be spent on the purchase considering that the cars were supposedly meant for no less than 48 officials.

This appears condemnable by almost every citizen in view of the hard times the country is going through.

Luckily, room was not given

for such provocative analysis as the government and workers met and reportedly resolved issues thereby preventing the losses which the state would have incurred as a result of workers’ strike.

This column would ordinarily have commended both parties for what looks like positive dialogue prevailing over chaos and violence. We are however hindered from doing so because none of the issues raised in the original protest was in our view fully resolved. The only thing that seems obvious is that there was a meeting called to resolve the issues at which the workers were persuaded to drop their hatchets. Thus what the workers say assuaged their feelings are unknown. To make matters worse, the union leaders claimed that at the meeting, they were properly briefed and thus saw the truth which suggests that their previous PhD,Depar tment of Philosophy, University of Lagos 08116759758 opuruiche2000@yahoo.com

The University of Lagos...in deed and in truth! (2)

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r. Baruwa and especially the girl he allegedly raped deserve to be pitied because they might be, in different ways, victims of warped psychology and epistemology of sex from childhood which tend to obstruct cultivation of healthy sexual relationships between man and woman devoid of the mumbo-jumbo of religious superstition. Thus, there should be a paradigm-shift away from narrow-minded and obscurantist attitude towards sex to a more open, rational-scientific understanding of sexuality.

Now, although stringent measures by the University of Lagos can minimise sexual violence on campus, on a general level public institutions and nong o v e r n m e n t a l organisations that deal with social and health issues can incorporate in their programmes imaginative strategies for promoting civilised scientific attitude towards sex. As I pointed out earlier, most sexual aberrations, including rape, are largely due to the dominant antiquated sexual morality propagated by psychologically thwarted moral prudes who uncritically regurgitate unscientific doctrines contained in scriptures and hide under the smokescreen of "fighting indecency" to unleash their sexual frustrations on others. So, unless the old sexual morality is replaced with

rational sex education distilled from genuine knowledge of the emotional, physiological, intellectual, ethical and aesthetic dimensions of sexuality, rape and other forms of sexual perversions will continue to blight erotic relationships between human beings.

Another issue that has attracted undue negative publicity to the great University of Lagos is the tragic and unfortunate electrocution of Ms. Oluchi Anekwe, a brilliant 300level student of Accounting.

According to reports, on Tuesday September 8, 2015, Ms. Anekwe was walking into the New Halls Complex around 7 pm with her sister when an 11kv overhead transmission cable belonging to Eko Electricity Distribution Plc (EKEDP) fell on her. She was rushed to the Medical Centre of the University where, upon examination by the medical personnel on duty, she was found to have been brought in dead owing to the huge quantum of electric current that passed through her body, which caused massive irreparable damage to her vital organs.

It is unfortunate that several unfounded falsehoods have percolated around that tragedy. For example, it was alleged that Miss Anekwe's life could have been saved if staff of the University's Medical Centre handled her case professionally, and that she was not attended to immediately she was brought in because the staff

position was premised on falsehood or at best rumours. In other words, it would not be uncharitable to say that the workers were initially impatient if not mischievous since they did not seek to be briefed before raising false alarm.

If so, the union must desist from such uneducated conduct and toe the line of collaboration with the government for the betterment of society. On the other hand, we are also free to suspect that the union leaders were settled to keep

Exactly 40 years ago, the progressive Murtala/ Obasanjo military government opted for a low profile official vehicle that suites the times. The Enugu State Government ought to have acted with such economic wisdom

quiet.

First, the meeting did not deny the purchase of the cars. Why then are cars being bought for legislators?

Is the expenditure captured in the Assembly’s budget? If so, why was the assignment handled by the governor instead of the Assembly’s on duty insisted on seeing her Student Identity Card first before commencing treatment - thereby wasting valuable time that should have been used to treat her.

A high-powered panel set up by the University to investigate the incident, comprising Professors M. Danesi (Neurology), F. Okafor (Electrical & Electronic Engineering) and A. Banjo (Anatomy & Molecular Pathology), concluded that Miss Anekwe was professionally handled upon arrival at the Medical Centre; that although she was brought in dead, the nurse and doctor tried their best to resuscitate her; that the request for her ID card afterwards was to prepare the necessary documents for transferring her body to the mortuary at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH); and, finally, that Miss Anekwe's sister who was mildly affected received treatment for shock at the Medical Centre. In keeping with global best practices, an autopsy was conducted on the deceased.

The pathologist concluded that her death occurred within seconds to few minutes of contact with the lethal 11kv cable.

Findings of the panel set up by the federal government indicate that the faulty cable which killed Ms. Anekwe belongs to EKEDP. The panel directed the company to replace all its high-tension wires on campus with properly installed underground cables.

Interestingly, the panel praised the electrical distribution network belonging to the University of Lagos, particularly because the cables were installed underground and the distribution panels and other equipment are

administrative framework?

Does the policy of monetization not operate in Enugu State? Put differently, do Enugu legislators not have allowances such as housing and transportation added to their salaries? If they do, then perhaps the Prado Jeeps in question are a few vehicles allocated to the House in a pool as official cars to carry out some committee and incidental functions. If so, it does not seem to make sense to hear that the jeeps are 24 which is the same number of legislators in the State House of Assembly meaning it can easily be shared at one per lawmaker.

Second, the workers had originally reckoned and appropriately too, until they retracted that considering the precarious economic situation across the nation, it is economically unwise to procure expensive Jeeps for officials. What this suggests is that if it was expedient to buy official vehicles, the type to be considered ought to be the one which reflects the state’s dire economic position. As the workers aptly put it “the harvest of Prado jeeps at this point of economic recession, caused by the crash of oil price, does not speak well of the state in economic management and austerity regime more so as the governor even described the state as a ‘kwashiokor’

state.” Exactly 40 years ago, the progressive Murtala/ Obasanjo military government opted for a low profile official vehicle that suites the times. The Enugu State Government ought to have acted with such economic wisdom. More importantly, the workers had earlier alleged that the value of the procured Jeeps surpassed the amount approved for same purpose by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). According to the workers, “the car loan for state legislators as listed by the RMAFC is N5.3m per Assembly member,” If the appropriate authority had fixed cars for state legislators at such a figure, it appears inexplicable for Enugu legislators to be given N11.5m cars.

Interestingly, the workers claim to be satisfied with their governor ’s explanation. Could it be that they were also shown an invoice which convinced them that the jeeps were not as costly as they previously alleged? Again, they were silent on their original claim that “ whereas a civil servant that served the state for over 30 years and retired over five years is yet to be paid his/her gratuity, political officeholders, who worked for four years, get jumbo salaries and other allowances, free Prado jeeps (N11.5m) and severance allowance.” So have gratuities of retirees

being paid now? If not, what persuaded the union leaders to drop their protest? No one knows except that some incoherent points were made. One of them being that the jeeps were not given out free; rather they were according to government merely “allocated.” While waiting to appreciate the difference, it is also noted that the government expects the legislators to “return” the vehicles at the end of their tenure. We dare say that based on precedents, neither the government nor the legislators and the workers have any faith in the claim of retrieval of the vehicles after 4 years.

As expected, the Enugu State Commissioner for information Godwin Udeuhele, like the average government’s spokesman, has swept the entire issue under the carpet by suggesting that the whole problem was caused by the media. Indeed, Udeuhele reportedly admonished the media to “always crosscheck facts before going to the press; if you had done that this would not have happened.” Interestingly, the workers merely retraced their plan to protest the jeep issue without denying the plan.

On its part the press only reported the uncontroverted workers’ statement. So, who did the press misquote and where is the provision for the workers’ keke-NAPEP?

modern. Therefore, the University should not be blamed for the tragic incident that occurred on September 8. Now, in a letter dated August 26, 2015, the University requested EKEDP to ensure that all its cables are buried underground in line with safety standards. If EKEDP

the consolation is that Ms. Anekwe, from all indications, must have made a positive impact on those she came in contact with, including her classmates in the Accounting Department.

For members of her family and those of us still alive, the best we can do when someone we know or love dies - or, indeed, at every occurrence of death - is to resolve to live a more authentic productive life devoid of self-deception, given the precariousness, preciousness and irreplaceability of the individual. It is by transcending our finitude through honest work, love and solidarity with fellow human beings that the inevitable sorrow necessarily connected with death can be ameliorated, not eliminated, because as long as there is life there will be death, and as long as there is death there will be sorrow also.

inequality between the number of students seeking hostel accommodation on campus and the number of bed spaces available - the estimated ratio being about 4 to 1. Management of the University, in concert with the alumni association, has the capacity to build new hostels and attract private developers to do the same based on terms congenial to all stakeholders.

Unfortunately, existing regulations by the federal government do not allow that. Hence, unless the relevant laws are amended to allow federal universities more autonomy to manage their affairs, the problem of inadequate hostel accommodation for students would persist and probably worsen with time.

There is another challenge: the character profile of students that populate our universities. A large percentage of students in institutions of higher today learning are not properly brought up by their parents and guardians. They are lazy, uncouth and bereft of the finer habits necessary for maintaining clean and healthy surroundings. That said, the hostels in our universities need urgent rehabilitation and cleanup.

Presently, the University of Lagos authorities have taken measures to improve sanitation by distributing beautiful waste disposal equipment everywhere on campus and by implementing a more efficient waste management system.

Although there is room for improvement, other universities should borrow a leaf from what authorities of my upwardly mobile alma mater are doing to provide conducive environment for teaching, learning, research and recreation.

Concluded.

It is by transcending our finitude through honest work, love and solidarity with fellow human beings that the inevitable sorrow necessarily connected with death can be ameliorated, not eliminated

had treated the request expeditiously, the cable that electrocuted Ms. Anekwe would have been safely under the ground. Let us not forget, no public university in Nigeria surpasses University of Lagos in the supply of stable electricity, a clear indication that it is the University of First Choice and the nation's pride indeed!

As a highly responsible and humane institution, a delegation from the University has visited the Anekwes to commiserate with them on the sudden death of their young, promising daughter. I wish them the fortitude to bear their irreparable loss with dignity and fortitude. Of course, no amount of tears or pecuniary compensation can bring her back to her family and loved ones. But

On the issue of students' protest concerning bedbugs in their mattresses, I believe that the protesters have a point, although some mischievous students who were unprepared for examinations orchestrated the problem, hoping that examinations would be postponed longer than necessary. The University periodically fumigates hostels and staff quarters to kill insects and diseasebearing rodents.

In addition, mattresses in the hostels are replaced occasionally to mitigate the accumulation of germs and insects. Unfortunately, for financial and logistic reasons, the frequency of fumigation is inadequate, given the geographical location of the University, which renders it mosquitoinfested. But the greatest problem is the huge demand and supply

PAGE 12—SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015 rexmarinus@hotmail.com

Time to abolish the monarchies

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t its inauguration as a free nation, Nigeria established itself as a federal democratic republic.

The founding fathers of this nation thought hard, and long about the options open to a multi-ethnic society such as Nigeria, and knew that it could not, like the Kingdom of Swaziland, be a constitutional monarchy, run on a unitarist model. In 1960, the federation of Nigeria secured political independence as a free nation under the British Commonwealth.

By 1963, it established by its own act of parliament, its republican charter, and announced itself as a federal republic outside of the British commonwealth of nations. It abolished the office of the Governor-General, which hitherto was her majesty’s representative officially, and established the office of the President as the Head of state and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic. The implication of the Republican constitution seems even now to confound Nigerians, including many who even as lawyers, do not seem to have had really good grounding in both political and legal theory, and constitutional history.

Under the Constitution of

the Republic, Nigeria stopped being an appendage of the constitutional monarch of Great Britain. Nigerians stopped being “subjects” of the English monarch, but “citizens” of a free Republic of Nigeria. There is a material difference in status in those definitions. British people theoretically as “subject” people have limited citizenship. They are loyal subjects of her majesty ’s government, not free citizens of a republic.

In other words, theoretically, the government of Great Britain belongs to the monarch, but is run, especially after the restoration of the Stuart monarchs by Charles II, following the death of Oliver Cromwell who had attempted to establish a republic under what he called the British commonwealth, by a House of the Commoners, also known as the Commons, based on an intriguing powersharing premise with the monarchy. So in effect, while the monarch left the commoners the happy illusion of running their common affairs, while the monarchy took long vacations, nothing happened in the land without the consent of the monarchy. The position of the Prime Minister in the House of Commons as leader

of the business of her Majesty’s government was basically as chief representative or spokesman of the common people, and the Queen’s chief adviser on matters of the life of the commonwealth.

It is not the Prime Minister that has power, but it is the parliament which he leads, for as long as he has the support of the highest number of the MPs. The monarch was still head of state, and the Parliament served always at her pleasure. There are of constitutional restraints that have subtly limited the extreme power of the monarchy, still, under the British Parliamentary system, the English monarch has regnant powers.

It was this power that was transferred to the President of Nigeria at the inauguration of the Federal Republic, very symbolically on Dr. Azikiwe’s birthday on November 16, 1963. The Republican constitution placed power in three institutions: the office of the president, the parliament of the Republic, and the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Executive power was vested in the president, and the Prime Minister became something of his Chief adviser, and leader of government in parliament under the Parliamentary system. I have heard even educated people talk about Zik as a “ceremonial president” – there was no such president. Azikiwe, as president, had invested in him the Executive power of state as provided for by the Republican Constitution of 1963, and Nigerians stopped being “subjects” but “citizens” of a republic. Sadly, all what I have written I realize, is possibly lost to an entire generation of Nigerians who have never been taught the

history of their country, of West Africa, or of the World, just to enable them get a bearing of the thrust of the contexts of their existence as people.

A nation is a systematically conditioned space, and lies within the frame of how modern societies, having examined all kinds of social and historical imperatives come to organize for more efficient, more productive and more coherent social orders. Because

If Nigerians are sincere about creating a federal democratic republic, they must as a matter of legal obligation, stop the perpetuation and proliferation of these pseudo-monarchies

Nigerians have largely been socially conditioned to regard each other as alien, for instance, the prospects of building a common nation, with an organic value is impossible.

Without that kind of common ground, given its diversity, it would be inexorably constrained by forces of hate and extreme difference; it would be impossible to create and sustain a common goal or vision. It was the intention of tyrannical governments in Nigeria to dumb-down the nation in order to exercise control over its population.

Therefore they failed to provide real historical and civic education to the people. An educated and enlightened population is the basis for

progress, and for the sustenance of democracy. An ignorant, miseducated population is the devil’s workshop. It will create Boko Haram and such other movements whose aims would be to hobble the nation. It will also create tyranny and alienation. It will create an oligarchy of interests that will subvert the basis of individual freedom founded on equal citizenship. Among the oligarchic interests that have been prodded up by the wide ignorance of the population are the monarchies and pseudo-monarchies still in existence in a republican nation like Nigeria.

Let me re-emphasize this: Nigeria is a Federal Republic. It is therefore a profound contradiction that the Nigerian National Assembly has continued to allow, and even preserve, the antiquated institutions that have served mostly to emphasize the disunities that make Nigeria profoundly chaotic. Most Nigerians have no loyalties to the Republic, because their loyalties have been seized by primordial loyalties. They do not inhabit the Nigerian identity fully.

If Nigerians are sincere about creating a federal democratic republic, they must as a matter of legal obligation, stop the perpetuation and proliferation of these pseudo-monarchies. We must abolish the kings; the kingdoms and principalities that continue to claim a place in this republic. It is time to abolish the titles of the Obi of Onitsha, Emir of Kano, Ooni of Ife, Eze Nri, Sultan of Sokoto, Oba of Benin, Shehu of Borno, Oba of Lagos, etc, and such

claimants to titles because it is antithetical to the meaning of a republic. These offices are unconstitutional under Nigeria’s laws.

A central feature of the Republican idea is the principle of the equality of citizenship, and the idea that sovereignty belongs to the people. No other offices or titles must be permitted to impose on the sovereign. Any claims of title above the title of citizenship, other than the titles conferred academically is both a fraud and an aberration under a republican order. In the East of Nigeria, for instance, which had a traditional republican ethos, the emergence of these false and new monarchies have destroyed once stable and progressive communities.

Where communities once elected their town union governments, the creation of new Ezes and Igwes, have alienated most of the people, and established a very antinomic order in the East, so much so in fact, that the development initiatives once championed by democratically elected town union governments have disappeared. There is a new power cult; a move towards hereditary governance, that is at loggerheads with the real trend in modern societies where individual freedom is linked to the development of modern democratic societies.

The irony is that these backward medieval institutions are being supported by elected Assemblies in Nigeria, who have sort of established, at public expense, the equivalent of the Privy Purse to maintain these frauds. But we must follow the example of India, which by 1975, abolished its own, even more powerful Rajs.

“AT 40, EVERY MAN SHOULD GO FOR PROSTATE TEST” The way out with HRH Oba (Dr.) Qumas, Onidun of Igbo Idun, Kwara State

P

rostate enlargement is on the prowl, taking its toll on the health of the menfolk. The prostate Research Institute in the United States of America, in a report, said that among every six men, two are likely to suffer from the disease which, if not diagnosed early and effectively treated can degenerate to prostate cancer. Research has also confirmed that in Africa, the rate of prostate enlargement and cancer is relatively high.

Apparently worried by the dangers of the ailment, orthodox medical practitioners have been able to achieve maximum result.

But the Managing Director of Qumas Herbs Nigeria Ltd, a tradomedical expert, Dr. Olasunkanmi Azeez says that herbal medicine has a quick remedy for the disease. In this interview, Azeez, who is the chairman, Herbal Therapy Society of Nigeria, Lagos state chapter, stresses that application of special herbal therapy against prostate enlargement and prostate cancer can provide remedy for the ailments.

PROSTATE ENLARGEMENT, A KILLER DISEASE This ailment is common among the male folk and very dangerous to their health because of its complications and effects. It affects the male organ known as prostate gland which produces semen, the male coloured fluid that nourishes and transports sperms during ejaculation. Prostate gland is located beneath the bladder and surrounds the urethra that is the tube that drains urine from the bladder. Whenever it becomes enlarged, the prostate would begin to wield pressure on the urethra and

make urination difficult. This is common among men in their 40s and above when they witness prostate growth. This is when prostate gland enlargement occurs mostly because of the rapid growth of the central portion. The major implication here is that as the tissues in the central area enlarge, they compress the urethra and partly block the flow of urine. Men who have difficulty in urinating most likely have prostate enlargement problem.

Suffice it to say that prostate enlargement is a disease of elderly men. It causes severe pain, anxiety, discomfort and loss of consciousness. It has posed a global challenge to medical experts.

A prostate case not detected early enough can degenerate to prostate cancer. Reports have confirmed that men in their 40s and 50s are dying of prostate problems. Men in this age bracket are expected to go for tests particularly prostate scan, to confirm their status and go for early intervention if it is confirmed that they are having prostate enlargement challenge.

CAUSES Diverse causes account for prostate enlargement.

In most cases, doctors find it difficult to diagnose the causes. But it cannot be unconnected with ageing and changes in the ratio of male hormone testosterone level that stimulates prostate growth. It has been medically established that one of the major causes is hormonal imbalance, especially among men who use drugs to enhance their sexual wake up in the morning and night and not be able to urinate due

to enlargement of the prostate gland which puts pressure on the urethra, making it difficult for urine flow.

SYMPTOMS There are different symptoms of prostate enlargement. The sufferer is unable to maintain flow of urine till the end- that is stopping and starting while urinating. Another symptom is dribbling at the end of urination. Other symptoms include frequent pressure to urinate, increased frequency of urination at night, urgent need to urinate, inability to empty the bladder, blood stained urine, weak urine and urinary tract infection. When symptoms are noticed, it is advisable to avoid condiments and alcoholic beverages. This helps to lessen bladder irritation which may promote infection. It is also important to avoid cold conditions or allow urine to accumulate before passing it.

DIAGNOSTIC METHODS These include PSA test (Prostate Specific Antigen test) and DRE (Digital Rectal Examination test) which is a simple clinical procedure for detecting prostate enlargement through the use of finger digits.

PROSTATE CANCER Prostate enlargement worsens when the sufferer can no longer empty the bladder and must start using a catheter to draw urine. But the danger of this is that bladder infection is most likely. Prostate enlargement can lead to death, especially if it is left untreated and becomes chronic. At this level, it can degenerate to prostate cancer.

Cancer can spread faster in the body system than other infections or

viruses. When it gets to this stage, death can occur. But no matter the magnitude of the ailment, herbal medicine has a sure remedy for it.

MANAGEMENT OF PROSTATE ENLARGEMENT Though orthodox medicine has discovered conventional drugs to tackle the ailment, reports have confirmed that herbal remedy is more effective. Qumas herbs Special Prostate Therapy can effectively help to diminish the size of an enlarged

By Yommy Dauda prostate. It dissolves different levels of prostate enlargement. Due to its anti-cancer function, herbal medicine can be used to stop the spread of the cancer cells in other vial tissues and organs of the body. The medicine also has the potential to enhance better night sleep, stop frequency of urination, relieve pains, enhance healthy urinary function and also improve libido.

Call Dr. Qumas 08033017350.

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 13

PROLOGUE

The politics of the

Amaechi confirmation

BY HENRY UMORU

F

rom the time President Muhammadu Buhari submitted the name of a former governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, to the Senate as a ministerial nominee alongside 36 others, it was one issue after another, up till the time his nomination was confirmed by the upper chambre, last Thursday..

The screening of the former Director- General of the All Progressives Congress, APC 2015 Presidential Campaign Organisation generated accusations and counter accusations.

It was like the Senate building was going to fall and Nigeria will break. From politicians to academicians, commentators, critics, everybody appeared interested.

To the former governor’s political opponents from his home state or those in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers, the party on whose platform he was elected the state’s chief helmsmen and Speaker for eight years, and subsequently defected to the APC, it was time to exact their pound of flesh.

The Senate became the locale for the pro and antiAmaechi forces to flex muscles. The Anti-Amaechi forces filed a petition, written by one Livingstone Wechie on behalf of group called Integrity Group and presented to the upper legislative chambre by Senator George Sekibo and the other two senators from Rivers State, alleging cases of fraud against the former governor.

Senate President Bukola Saraki, relying on Order 41(3) of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 , as amended, referred the petition to the Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.

The committee invited Amaechi who appeared before it, and where he was told it was subjudice to handle the petition since a case on the petition was in court.

Other members of the committee are Senators Bala Ibn-Na’ Allah; Omotayo D. Alasoadura; Binta M. Garba; Olaka J. Nwogu; Muhammad U. Shitu; Dino Melaye; Peter O. Nwaoboshi; Jeremiah T. Useni; Ogba J. Obinna and Omogunwa O. Yele.

According to Anyanwu, PDP, Imo East, it was not proper for the committee to look at the petition as the issues raised there were already in court, adding that, in line with the Senate Standing Orders, senators will not attend to it.

Anyanwu stressed that the Senate will not want to run foul of the law. On that note, the committee brought the sitting to a close on the day Amaechi appeared.

Section 41(7) of the Senate Standing Orders 2015, as amended, reads, “ The Senate shall not receive any petition on any matter for which there is a judicial remedy”.

The day the committee report was slated for consideration at the Senate plenary was the day the former governor was scheduled for screening according to the Order Paper. But, curiously, Amaechi’s name disappeared in another Order Paper released later as one of the ministerial nominees to be screened

that Wednesday. Meanwhile, with assurances from Anyanwu that the report will be ready, hopes were high, even as PDP senators took a combative position that the nominee will not be cleared.

Interestingly, the report of the Ethnics, Privileges and Public Petitions Committee was signed by members from the APC and PDP. The signatories from the APC are Na’Allah, Melaye and Alasoadura.

On the PDP side were Anyanwu, Yola, Nwaoboshi, Useni and Ogba. Those who did not sign were Garba, APC; Shitu, APC, and Nwogu, PDP. The reports said, “Following from the discovery that the matter before the Senate is actually before a competent court of law, the committee accordingly recommends as follows: That since the ministerial nominee had gone to the Court of Appeal, to challenge the content of the petition and the white paper of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry, the Senate is

unable to recommend the consideration of his confirmation. That the Senate should consider and adopt the recommendation as proposed by the committee.”

In its observations and findings, the committee said, “ As investigation of the matter progressed, additional important documents, which viewed the case from various positions, were also tendered before the committee, and these were also taken into consideration in drawing the recommendations of the committee. The documents include: A letter from the Office of the AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice of Rivers State forwarding the report (White Paper) of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the administration of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi on the sale of valued assets of Rivers State and other related matters under the chairmanship of Honourable Justice George Otakpo Omereji, dated October 8, 2015; the ruling/judgment dated 20th August, 2015 of the Rivers State High Court by Honourable Justice S.C. Amadi(Judge) which rejected the relief sought( to declare that the Judicial Commission of Inquiry lacks the powers to investigate and make findings known, and therefore dismissed suit; three different letters from Edward and William( a firm of legal practitioners) on behalf of the ministerial nominee as follows: “ A letter that the ministerial nominee, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, could not appear at the committee hearing because of the constraint that the matter was in court, since whatever he might say at the committee hearing would be seen as prejudicial to court judgment. The letter was dated 8th October, 2015; a

The Senate became the locale for the pro and anti-Amaechi forces to flex muscles letter to counter the contents of the petition by Mr. Livingstone Wechie, dated 9th October, 2015; notice of summons from the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory submitted to the committee on the 20th of October, 2015, summoning the Senate President and the Senate of the National Assembly to appear before it. The suit seeks to clarify the position of the law as to whether the Senate can screen, consider, ratify, accept, approve or confirm an indicted ministerial nominee”.

The committee went on: “ Neither the Senate nor the presenter knew that the matter being presented on the floor of the Senate was already a subject of litigation in an Appeal Court in Port- Harcourt.

“Since the matter is already a subject of litigation in a competent court of law, and since the Senate could not work contrary to its own rules (Order 41(7), it is constrained in taking any further action.”

Amaechi appeared at the Senate floor for screening, the following day, Thursday, October, 22, the day Anyanwu laid the report on the table. But PDP senators refused to ask the nominee questions.

The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, spoke the minds of his party members. On hand in a show of solidarity for Amaechi was the Continues on page 14

PAGE 14 —SUND AY —SUNDA

Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

The politics of the Amaechi confirmation Continued from page 13 APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, who was at the chamber with other members of the ruling party’s National Working Committee, NWC. Fireworks The climax of the Amaechi screening came last Thursday when he was listed as one of the 18 ministerial nominees to be confirmed. Confirmed before him, because his name was last on the Order Paper, were Adebayo Shittu, Khadijah Abba Ibrahim, Heineken Lokpobiri, Cladius Omoleye Daramola, Baba Shehuri Mustapha, Ocholi E. James and Adewole Isaac Folorunso.

Others were Bawa Bwari, Geoffrey Onyeama, Zainab S. Ahmed, Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali, Usani Usani Uguru, Okechukwu Enyinma Enelamah, Anwukah Anthony Gozie, Mohammed Musa Bello, Adamu Adamu and Aisha Abubakar.

Signs of what was to come that day began to show shortly after the Senate plenary started when senators of the PDP told the Senate President Saraki that the exercise could only be carried out if the report of the Anyanwu Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on Amaechi was considered.

Speaking through the Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Biodun Olujimi, PDP, Ekiti South, the PDP senators said it was necessary that the Senate considered the Anyanwu report before going into the confirmation of the nominees.

Olujimi, who raised a point of order, under Order 43 of the Senate Standing Rule, told the Senate President to suspend all the processes leading to the confirmation of the ministerial nominees until the consideration of the report on Amaechi was carried out by the senators in line with the Standing Rules.

But she was ruled out of order

by Saraki who noted that the Senate would first screen those appointed as National Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Saraki said the issue raised by Olujimi would be handled when the red chamber went into ministerial confirmation.

At this point, the Senate Leader,Ali Ndume, introduced the first item in the Senate Order Paper, which was the screening and confirmation of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman and others as National Commissioners of INEC. Division Soon after the confirmation of the INEC officials, the Senate President called for a closed-door meeting. Ahead of the confirmation of the screened nominees, senators had entered into caucus meetings of the APC and PDP, just as they also went into an executive session apparently to cool frayed nerves. But this appeared not to have produced a positive result as the issue of Amaechi sharply divided the lawmakers along party lines.

After the closed-door session, which lasted almost two hours and during which issues on how best to approach the nomination of the Rivers former governor as

*Senate President Bukola Saraki

A source told Sunday Vanguard that, at the executive session, the Senate President had tried to bend backwards to allow a fresh debate on the matter of the Amaechi nomination even after the screening had been concluded

minister was discussed, the report of the Anyanwu committee, which recommended that the Senate should not consider the nomination, was presented.

The committee had recommended that since the ministerial nominee had gone to the Court of Appeal to challenge the petition and the White Paper of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Rivers State affairs under his headship, the Senate should not proceed with his confirmation.

That was a real test for Saraki whose frantic efforts to prevail on his colleagues from both camps to allow peace to reign as they pushed their cases for or against the nomination of Amaechi at the closed- door session failed.

A source told Sunday Vanguard that, at the executive session, the

Senate President had tried to bend backwards to allow a fresh debate on the matter of the Amaechi nomination even after the screening had been concluded.

According to the source, senators opposed to the former governor were promised to be allowed to publicly vent their grievances before a final voting, just as this was the demand of the PDP caucus and it was agreed to

by APC senator.

Back in plenary, trouble started when Senate Leader Ndume moved that the chambre should jettison the report of the Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions Committee against the backdrop that it had confirmed that the Amaechi matter was pending in court, and that the lawmakers proceed with the confirmation of Amaechi.

Soon after, there was protest from Akpabio, who accused the Senate Leader of attempting to mislead the chambre from debating the report.

The Minority Leader, who cited Order 43 of Senate Standing Rule, reminded the chambre of an earlier agreement that when the Senate got to a nominee against whom there was a petition, the issue should be discussed before the Senate President would put a question on whether the nomination should be approved or not.

At this point, Senator Babajide Omoworare, APC, Osun East, observed that the part of the Senate Standing Rules the committee relied on to arrive at its recommendation was no longer relevant.

Not satisfied with Omoworare’s explanation, Senator Joshua Lidani, Gombe, told senators that the Section of the Senate Rule used by the Anyanwu committee was still in force, adding that it was in line with a Section of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the Senate to regulate its affairs.

Scheme When it became obvious that the

senators were poised for a showdown, Olujimi, who told her colleagues that, against the backdrop of the unfolding scenario, it was crystal clear that the APC senators were out to scheme out their PDP colleagues, stressed that the majority will always have its way.

The senator urged her colleagues to note that there was a moral burden, not just on the Senate but also on the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, voted into power based on its commitment to fight corruption, saying, “There is a moral burden on President Buhari. Although the majority will always have its way, Nigerians will know that this government is not willing to fight corruption but will condone it all the way.”

According to her, what the Senate ought to do from the point of moral view was to allow the court to decide on the matter and probably absolve the nominee before he could be confirmed.

In his reaction, Sekibo, who presented the petition against Amaechi, cautioned the APC senators on the implication of their action as the world was watching how events would unfold, especially against the backdrop of the morality on the Amaechi ministerial screening, adding, “We represent our people and the Nigerian people we represent are the majority. The majority is not APC, the majority is the Nigerian people. The true judges are the Nigerian people.

So, we must respect the Nigerian people.

“The report that was laid here talks of weighty allegations of corruption and the sale of government assets, mismanagement of funds and, above all, a standing issue on petitions.

And you are magnanimous enough to refer the matter to the Ethics and Privileges Committee. There is no way a senator can amend the report.”

A former National Chairman of PDP, Senator Barnabas

Gemade, APC, Benue, who spoke, said that the role of democracy was that the majority will always have its way while the minority will have its say, adding that, consequently, Saraki should ignore the PDP senators and go ahead with the question to senators as to whether the nominee should be confirmed or not. At this point, PDP senators, led by Akpabio, stormed out of the red chambre.

At a press conference later, the Minority Leader said, “ We were shut out when the we wanted to react to the report when it was laid. There was a little bit of something we don’t think is in conformity with morality there.

Once a case is before a competent court of law, any action on that matter is subjudice and the committee was able to establish that the issues that were brought against the nominee are already issues that were adjudicated upon by the Court of Appeal and other courts of competent jurisdiction.

So the issue of taking further action on his nomination, whether by way of appointment or otherwise, did not exist . We tried to make this point but they felt as a majority party there was no need to comply with the law.

“The law is very clear that, once a matter is before a court of competent jurisdiction, you can take no further action. So there was nothing wrong with suspending the issue of confirmation until those cases are disposed of and, in this case, I understand it is the nominee that went to court.

“It could have been a good idea for the nominee to withdraw his cases from court to allow the Senate to go into the matter, but, when that did not happen, we felt that, as lawmakers, we have a responsibility to Nigerians not to partake in that kind of charade.”

When asked if the action of Saraki will not affect loyalty, especially against the backdrop of the support the PDP gave to him before his emergence as Senate President, Akpabio said, “The Senate President was returned unopposed. There was no voting, so you cannot say that anybody supported the President. He was a sole nominee; nobody contested against him and there was none of us here that indicated interest in contesting for the position of Senate President . So when the CNA invited people to bring nomination for the post of the Senate President , Bukola Saraki was the sole candidate; so he was returned unopposed and you cannot say anybody supported him.”

On whether PDP senators will continue to walk out when not happy with issues, he said, “It is not normal for PDP senators to stage a walk out. This is the first time and it is because we feel very strongly that there is a total breach of the law; in this case, that where a matter is before a court of competent jurisdiction, any action you take will be subjudice.

Our colleagues did not allow us to air our views, they were bent on what they had already discussed and performing an illegality and we will not be part of illegality.

Walking out will not be constant in the Senate, but this was very clear.” At the end of the day, the minority had its say, but the majority had its way. Amaechi was screened and confirmed without input from PDP senators.

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 15

Ministerial screening

as antidote to APC crisis •How legislative intrigues paid off

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

D

E S P I T E disappointing nay sayers with a surprisingly seamless ministerial screening from inception, expectations that the last phase of the exercise would be an anti-climax were still palpable.

It was so as a result of the controversies triggered by various petitions written against some nominees from their home states, with the alleged primary aim of stopping their confirmation.

Prominent among the petitions, which bordered on allegation of corrupt practices and incompetence, were those written against former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi and Sokoto State nominee, Aisha Abubakar.

Of the two, the controversy that trailed Amaechi’s nomination was literally reverberating to the extent that it dealt a blow to the relative cohesiveness among senators.

Since the previous screening did not widen the presumptive gap between the Presidency, APC leadership and Senate leadership, many had thought that the delayed screening of Amaechi would make real the expectation of a face-off between the parties.

Indeed, analysts believe the drama and tension that marked the screening largely put to test, the loyalty and patriotism of the lawmakers.

On the one hand, the loyalty of the senators to their respective parties was on the

spotlight, given the fact that the matter had gravely polarised them along party cleavages.

On the other hand, their patriotism to a national cause was also being questioned in that process, bearing in mind the brinkmanship that had taken the centre stage.

The tension-filled confirmation exercise commenced after the legislators concluded the screening and confirmation of five National Commissioners and the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and finished a closeddoor meeting.

After moving for the confirmation and getting approval for all 18 ministerial nominees, Senate President Bukola Saraki asked the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to present his report on the petition against Amaechi.

However, after some drama, the Senate confirmed the former governor amid protests, marking the end of an exercise that many had thought would mar the relationship between the Presidency and the legislature.

Indeed, the walkout, staged by the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, senators threw up a dicey and decisive situation that would have affected what had been a pleasant exercise since its commencement. But the Senate leadership rose to the occasion with its mastery of parliamentary intrigues.

In fact, observers attributed such to what they termed the

Of the two, the controversy that trailed Amaechi’s nomination was literally reverberating to the extent that it dealt a blow to the relative cohesiveness among senators sagacity and objectivity of Saraki, who subtly ensured that APC’s position prevailed even while encouraging quality debate on issues and adherence to the Constitution.

Little wonder, the display of uncommon cohesion by the APC lawmakers to the admiration of many.

It was such that the APC said that the confirmation of all the ministerial nominees by the Senate, despite some misgivings by the opposition, showed clearly that there is no longer any division within the APC family.

‘’The cohesion exhibited by the APC senators on Thursday has shown that our legislators are ready to work with the executive and the party to ensure that the agenda of the party are implemented for the benefit of all Nigerians,” the party said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. ‘’We commend all our members and leaders in the Senate and indeed the leadership of the APC for this show of unity.”

Making particular reference to the Amaechi scenario, the party said democracy was clearly at work in the Senate despite the decision of the senators of the PDP to stage a walkout over the confirmation of former Rivers State governor. ‘’It is part of democracy that while the minority can have their say, the majority will have their way. Therefore, the decision of the PDP senators to walk out is nothing but democracy in action,” APC noted.

In line with the mood of most Nigerians, it enjoined the entire National Assembly to continue to work with the executive arm of government in the overall interest of Nigeria and its people. ‘’With the stage now set for the federal cabinet to be in place, we implore all Nigerians, irrespective of their party affiliation, to support President Muhammadu Buhari in his onerous task of making Nigeria great again,” APC said.

However, the impressive mannerism displayed by the APC legislators was not restricted to the last screening exercise alone, as it prominently featured at every phase of the process.

A source told Sunday Vanguard that Saraki had rallied all APC lawmakers together and pleaded with the PDP leaders to support him in ensuring that all ministerial nominees were confirmed.

The source added that it was the determination to get all nominees confirmed that Saraki overruled what some termed as pronounced nay votes during confirmation of Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Gen Manir from Zamfara without objections from the PDP senators.

To ensure that the screening was better than what used to be, the source told Sunday Vanguard that Saraki embarked on wide consultations with stakeholders to get an aggregate of opinion on how the people want the exercise to be conducted. He was also said to have reviewed recordings of past screenings and commentaries on them.

Another move believed to have resulted in the seamless outlook of the screening, particularly Amaechi’s was the decision to postpone deliberations.

It was gathered that the Senate President deliberately ensured that his screening was delayed, as well as not allowing the debate of the report on the petition against him go along with his screening.

This, was to buy more time to appeal to his colleagues in the PDP and ensure that the tension trailing the matter did not affect confirmation of other nominees.

Nudged by these, the aggregate opinion across the country is that Saraki provided leadership to the entire Senate and APC members in particular, to achieve party positions with the confirmation of the President’s nominees.

That this came at a time when the Senate President is being tried by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, in a trial perceived as politically motivated, informed calls for an end to the frosty relationship between the Senate leadership and the Presidency.

In pushing forward this argument, observers posited that whatever the past mistakes or sins of Saraki, the President and all APC leaders should forgive him and move ahead.

The Senate President, is generally seen to have shown commitment to the party judging by the manner the ministerial screening had taken place to the admiration of the APC. He is believed to have shown loyalty, capacity to make the Senate work for the Nigerian people and ability to strengthen the NASS as an institution.

Therefore, many are convinced that the outcome of the screening is simply a new vista that should be positively exploited by the APC in going forward with its change agenda.

Page 16 — SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

LUCY BISI -- ONABANJO'S 90TH BIRTHDAY The widow of the Second Republic Governor Bisi Onabanjo of Ogun State, Lucy, celebrated her 90th birthday, last week. Faces at the occasion:

•Celebrant with bishops

From left: Chief (Mrs) Doja Otedola; former Vice President Alex Ekwueme; his wife, Beatrice; Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chairman of the occasion with the celebrant seated.

From left: Chief Bisi Akande, celebrant and Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun

From left: Gboyega Onanwijo, Chief (Mrs) Derin Osoba, Aremo Segun Osoba and Chief Niyi Adebayo.

Senator Gbenga Kaka (left) and Chief Akin Odunsi

Senators Lekan Mustapha (left) and Iyiola Omisore

The celebrant; Olori Iyabo Adetona; and Mrs Funso Amosun

Midwestern Oil and Gas launches logo

U

ndaunted by the global slump in the price of crude oil in the international market, Midwestern Oil and Gas, which operates OML56, recently launched a new logo as a means of re-asserting the brand. At a colourful ceremony which held simultaneously in Lagos and in Kwale, Delta State, the new logo was unveiled.

That would be the third time the 12year old company will be rebranding.

Its first logo which was created in 2005 was changed in 2008. In turn, the 2008 logo which had a lemon green background, recently gave way to the latest logo which is a simple combination of a red droplet and a blue word mark.

Speaking at the occasion, the Managing Director of the company, Mr Charles Oditah noted that while the "the droplet symbolises our operation as a key player in hte hydrocarbon exploration and production sector, the word mark is bold and assertive, (as) it projects our confidence and professionalism while showing our determination to pursue our goals with passion and commitment" He pointed out that while the Blue colour shows the company's strength, stability and professional integrity, as "it depicts the limitless nature of human and natural resources", the red colour "projects the passion in our people, (just as) it depicts opur com-

L-R: Victor Okolo Executive Director Technical, Midwestern Oil & Gas Company Limited; Charles Odita, Managing Director/CEO, Midwestern Oil & Gas Company Limited and Christian Erhi Omoru, Executive Director Services, Midwestern Oil & Gas CompanyLimited during the unveiling of the company's new logo both in Kwale and Lagos recently. mitment and zeal and our energy to succeed."

Earlier, Oditah remarked that the company has gradually grown from its modest feat of producing 3,000bpd at inception to the present mark of producing over 25,000bpd, "with a safety record of 8.8 Million Man hours LTI free" As part of its re-positioning scheme, MidwesternOil and Gas had last year,

L-R: Christian Erhi Omoru, Executive Director Services, Midwestern Oil & Gas Company Limited; Victor Okolo, Executive Director Technical, Charles Odita, Managing Director/CEO, Midwestern Oil & Gas Company Limited and Blessing Ayemhere, General Manager, Commercial & Finance,, Midwestern Oil & Gas Company Limited during the unveiling of the company's new logo in Kwale, Delta State and Lagos recently

also reformed its vision and mission.

While its new vision is "to be a leading independent E&P company focused on Africa, with a diversified portfolio of hydrocarbon assets", its new mission is "to explore and develop hydrocarbon in a safe environmentally friendly and cost efficient manner" Also speaking at the Kwale centre of the event, the Executive Direc-

tor, Services, Mr Chris Omoru noted that the borderless design of the new logo means that the company is poised to expand beyond every frontier in such a way that its fortune and success story will soar freely and higher. He also commended the Midwestern team and urged them to show greater commitment to company's growth quest.

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 17

T

OP comedian, Teju Oyelakin, host of the popular comedy show, Teju Babyface, has never minced words when it comes to his feelings for his wife. He has never shied away from telling the whole world that he married the love of his life.

“I married the best woman on earth. Sincerely, I got much more than I deserve in this regard. She is the best of all women” he gushed in a recent chat with Potpourri.

“My marriage has improved my career and also made me responsible. My marriage is great and gets interesting as the day goes by. I fended and thought for myself as a single man.

I was also a bit reckless then. I am more

My most romantic experience with my wife — Teju Babyface responsible as a married man. I am an expert when it comes to women and I know a good one. She is one of the good ones and I will always appreciate her. She was kept for me“, he said.

Sharing his most romantic experience with his wife, the humour merchant laid it on the line with some mischievous smirk on his face.

“My wife is far from the traditional romantic woman, which is the exact

reason I married her. She is not the type who would jump at a gift without knowing the reason behind it. She is a very serious minded type who does not really need a man before getting things right. She doesn’t crave for attention like many women do.

There was a time we forgot our wedding anniversary and when we remembered, we laughed at it.

I would not have lasted with a woman who will nag or sob at things like that. She is a strong woman. And that is the best romantic experience I enjoy with my wife.

Genevieve on marriage: I am afraid of divorce D

ESPITE probably being the most popular name in Nollywood, screen goddess Genevieve Nnaji, is yet to find a man to call her own. One name that has been linked to the pretty actress is that of the self acclaimed ‘Koko master’, D’Banj. The Imo State-born screen diva is a singlemother who revealed in an interview that she is still single because she is afraid of divorce.

“If I get married, I really want to stay married and staying married is not an easy thing. It means you are completely in tune with your partner. It means you have found your soul-mate because you will have to be able to stand a lot of disappointments that would definitely come but then again you have to learn to forgive,” she said.

How I lost my virginity — Adediwura Blarkgold

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exy Yoruba actress, Adediwura ‘Blarkgold’ Adesegha has long been separated from her husband whom she bore a cute son. Recalling her most unforgettable romantic experience, Adediwura revealed that the most indelible in her mind was the one spent with father of her only son, couple of years back that led to her losing her virginity as a woman.

Laughing, she stated matter-of-factly, “My most unforgettable romantic experience was on a St Valentine’s Day when my pride as a lady went down the lagoon - I was deflowered!” she quipped “I can never forget that experience because it was a great turning point in my life and I smile each time I remember because it was earned by the father of my child” she added.

STOP PIRACY NOW! STOP BUYING PIRATED MOVIE AND MUSIC CDs, DVDs. IT IS KILLING THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. STOP! C M Y K

PAGE 18, SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

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hat is the best lesson life has taught you?

I have learned to thank God in every position I find myself. I also do everything in moderation.

You have seen it all; riches, fame and what have you.

What else do you look up to God for?

I want to thank God for sparing my life and for blessing my business.

I am not interested in politics — Kessinton Adebutu

Did you envisage that your lotto business would become this successful?

I am always optimistic. I aimed that it would grow big.

I always wish myself well.

How does it feel to give back to the society?

I have said it times without number that the only way I show appreciation to God is by giving out little from the blessings God has given me to the less privileged because some people work harder than I do but they don’t get results.

Apart from this, how have you affected humanity?

I have done quite a lot, I have built schools, churches, hospitals. I have also given out scholarships and reached out to orphanages. These are all to appreciate God for what He has done for me.

One would have expected you to be in politics?

I am not interested in politics and I don’t want to be in it.

What are your success strategies because many people have been in business and came out wretched?

The type of business I do needs a strategy which is being honest. Honesty does it

Successful business magnate and owner of the popular Premier Lotto aka Baba Ijebu, Sir Kensington Adebutu recently clocked 80 years of age.

He however used the occasion to give back to the society through gift items at an event, which held with pomp and ceremony at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos on Friday, 23 October. We used the opportunity to have a brief interview with the octogenarian, where he spoke about his business and other personal issues. myself, I thank God for it, which is what the Bible says.

all.

What is your advice for the young ones?

They should learn to crawl before they walk. These days, the young ones are too much in a hurry. When you have a baby, it must crawl before it walks. But, children of these days don’t want to crawl before they walk.

Has it always been so good.

Have you ever had any challenging moments in your business?

I have seen bitter periods, sweet periods, and all that. I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. But in whatever position I find

What is your philosophy of life?

Whatever position you are, thank God for it.

Most wealthy people marry young wives at old age. Is that the same with you?

Yes, I have a young wife and she is around, what else?

How do you feel at 80 ?

I feel very good. Thank God for me, because to turn 80 in Nigeria is not a joke considering all the stress we go through.

... Marks birthday with jamboree of gifts, music, stars parade J

UST like the slogan, “Dapada” which means ‘give it back’, the owner of Premier Lotto, popularly known as Baba Ijebu, Kessington Adebutu gave back to some members of the public at his 80th birthday celebration on Friday, October 23, 2015, at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos .

The celebration was spiced with the presence of celebrities, from Yoruba movie artistes: Femi Adebayo, Ronke Oshodi-Oke, Muyiwa Ademola , Funsho Adeolu and Faithia Balogun, as well as music superstars including 2face Idibia, Oristefemi, Sule Alao Maliaka, and comedian, Akpororo.

A total of 80 units of refrigerators, 80 LED televisions sets, 80 split-unit air-conditioners, 80 generating sets, and star prize of eight KIA CERATO cars were presented to winners.

Adebutu who was recently crowned by Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, as the new Asoju-Oba of Lagos, while presenting the C M Y K

car keys to three of the winners who were available at the event, said “what we are doing today is to show appreciation to our customers. The company cannot progress without their patronage and the little way to show appreciation is by giving back to them. The slogan of the company “Baba Ijebu dapada” (give back) is what I am doing today. I will be conducting this promo very often and we will let everyone know what the interval shall be.

Victor Chukwu, a footballer and one of the car winners said he won the car by playing with just N600 and advised many to join the clique”Some see people playing BabaIjebu as irresponsible; but is not as if we are not responsible or do not have anything doing but there is always a chance that in playing Baba-Ijebu, you can become a millionaire overnight. I will advise people to play Baba Ijebu too.

•Sir Kensington Adebutu

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 19 Onikoyi68@gmail.com

Five more contestants evicted from Glo’s Dance with Peter

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IVE more housemates have been evicted from the on-going Dance with Peter reality T.V show, sponsored by next generation network, Globacom. Their eviction followed a very competitive outing among the remaining 26 contestants.

Tension was rife in the house as the second eviction edition commenced. MX, Tom Tom, Neon and Prince of Team “Get Squared,” Mannaseh, Smiley, Paulette and Weezy of Team “Personally,” and Tjark, Yemi, L’Dee, and G-Xtreme of Team “Roll It” had been put up for eviction last week, but reprieve came their way as the judges comprising Peter Okoye of PSquare, Dance Queen, Kaffy, Dance Choreographer, Don Flexx, and M.I who made a guest appearance, gave them another opportunity to prove

themselves.

The focus on this week’s edition of the reality T.V show was the Hip-Hop genre. Before the contest began, the judges explained the concept of Hiphop and why it was the focus for the week. They also advised the contestants on what is expected of them during their performance.

After a careful but thorough collation of the votes, the judges re-appeared on stage to give a verdict. One could hear the heartbeats of the contestants as Ehis, who anchored the show, announced the evictees.

Unfortunately, Ambrose Idemudia (TJack), Prince Ajayi,

The five contestants evicted from Dance with Peter on Saturday, L-R: T’jark, Prince Ajayi, L’Dee, Tom Tom and Neon.

Love-Divine Ike (L’Dee), Eromose Ordia (Tom Tom), and Michael Adaikwu (Neon) could not make it to the next stage as they were evicted from the Academy. Chills ran down the spine of the audience who

were amazed at the eviction of Neon, Prince, and Tom Tom whom they felt performed very well. With this eviction, the Academy is left with 21 contestants.

After the Saturday ’s

Lagos Cocktail Week begins

BY ADERONKE ADEYERI

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Lara Rawa, the CEO of the organising company, with other participants at the event.

RGANISERS of 2015 Lagos cocktail week has concluded plans to showcase the second edition of the programme which was inaugurated last year. The one week event is scheduled to hold between 9th to 14th November 2015, providing individuals, businesses, corporations and global brands a platform to interact, connect and share brand values.

Lara Rawa, the CEO of the organising company, Eventi Cocktails disclosed that the sole aim is to inculcate the cocktail culture into Nigerians. Lara assured lovers of cocktails that the event is going to be educative, informative and entertaining.

She further said the company will organize master classes for bartenders, events planners and consumers who are interested in developing their soft skills. She said the cultural aspect of

Akpabio, Dickson, Oduah honoured for tourism initiatives at Agro-Tourism award S

performances, Malachi Alozie (Mali Hot Boi), Ernest Smiley, Lea Dibebe (Socrazy Cool), David Amaechina (Snipes), and Cynthia Njoku (Nekky) were put up for eviction in next week’s show.

ENATOR Godswill Akpabio, former governor of Akwa Ibom State; Hon. Seriake Dickson, Governor of Bayelsa state and Senator Princess Stella Oduah, former minister of aviation were recently honoured for their tourism initiatives at Tourism world interactive session and dinner held in Abuja recently.

According to the organisers of the event, Tourism World International and Savana Farms Limited, Chief Dr. Godswill Akpabio was recognied for transforming Akwa Ibom state into a tourist destination, while Hon. Seriake Dickson, was honoured for the establishment of an international Hospitality and Tourism Institute in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State and Senator Princess Stella Oduah, for the transformation and modification of the Nigerian Airports during her tenure as Minister for Aviation.

In his address, executive director, Tourism World International, Mr Uwakwe Solomon

cocktails and the mechanism behind its making will be taught. Aside the production of cocktail,s the business aspect of it should also be taught for those who want to go fully into it.

“Anyone who is interested in taking advantage of the promotions and offers happening during the week will have to purchase the wristband of #2,000 from the official hub, the Milano Bar at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos” She promised that new trends in cocktail business will be set at the festival. The event is going to be entertaining as popular entertainers have been invited to grace the occasion.

The grand finale will be a night of music and fun.

The event is proudly sponsored by Lagos State Ministry of Tourism and Intergovernmental Relations, Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos, Patron Tequila, Luxeria Spirits, Cool FM, Bella Naija, and Pulse Nigeria.

said the aim of the project was to showcase the hospitality, travel/tourism industries with special focus on the documentaries of Nigerian spectacular tourist sites and Agric-Tourism project that can rapidly improve Nigeria’s sustainable development standard which will lead to increase in national GDP growth, massive job/wealth creation and poverty alleviation.

This Tourism development project was launched at the prestigious TransCorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, on Thursday, January 22, 2015 in an epoch event which showcased the Appreciation of tourism practice, tourism documentary slide show and a comprehensive Agro-Tourism lecture with special recognition to some Tourism Development Meritorious Award being presented to Hon Mrs tourism legends.

Amaka Ebenebe, on behalf of Princess Senator Stella Oduah by Uwakwe Solomon, Exco Director Tourism World .

C M Y K

PAGE 20, SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015 Onikoyi68@gmail.com

about to sign with a popular record label.

I am not allowed to reveal it now till it happens.

I had to quit my job to do music

Which artistes inspire you?

The likes of Davido, M.I, Vector and Phyno inspire me Who is that one female artiste you have a crush on?

I will pick Eva. I love the way she raps. I will love to work with her

— Doxy

What are the challenges of being an artiste?

As an artiste, you have no choice but to always look good and be nice to people.

Budding Nigerian rapper, Dolapo Oyatomi a.k.a Doxy is no doubt a talent to watch out for in the music industry. The Computer Engineering graduate of Covenant University is a youngster who has been taking giant steps towards making his mark in the music world. He started out about six years ago and has since recorded songs like Road Block, My Baby and lot’s more. In this interview, he reveals his celebrity crush, why he believes in free- styling, the mistake upcoming artistes make and many more.

BY KEHINDE AJOSE

H

ow did you start out in music?

I am Dolapo Oyatomi. Doxy is my stage name. I started eight years ago, but took it professional six years ago. The journey hasn’t been easy. Every upcoming artiste has promotion issues to deal with.

You can’t just sing and expect manna to fall from heaven . One needs finance for promotion in order to be heard. That’s how I started.

Do you write your songs or you believe in doing more of freestyles?

What I do when I get to the studio is really more of freestyles. I don’t write my songs. I do the recording, then I listen to what I have done and from there it is mastered.

Don’t you think this is killing the act of songwriting?

The writing for me comes after I have listened to the freestyle. I will then start adding and subtracting some parts by writing and rewriting. After that, I try to internalize the lyrics so as to get it right whenever I’m performing.

Do you rap in Yoruba?

I don’t really rap in Yoruba, but with the new trend in the music industry, one has to go with the flow. In my new song, Road Block, I had to rap in Yoruba. It took me two weeks to write the Yoruba part of the song.

How do you finance your music?

Right now I go for shows and it’s been paying my bills.

How would you describe your kind of music?

My music is a blend of hip-hop and RnB. It depends on my mood. Whenever I am less busy, all I do is just rap.

Are you signed to a label?

No, I am not signed to a label. I do everything basically on my own. I thank God for my parents and my family. I thank God for their support because they have really been helpful to my career What is the biggest price you have paid for your music career?

I was working in an organization as an I.T officer. I worked there for a while. In December of that year, I had to leave the place because it didn’t give me time to

Are you in a relationship?

Yes, I am in a relationship and she understands that I am an artiste. She doesn’t complain because she knows I am doing my job.

Have you had any weird experience with a female fan?

I have not had any weird one for now. The ones I encounter just disturb me from time to time.

focus on my music. I didn’t inform my dad and my co-workers.

I didn’t tell anyone.

If I had told my dad, he would have told me to continue working there. The whole thing was just difficult and I couldn’t combine music and my job.

So I decided to take the risk.

Your dad supports your music, but still wants you to keep a job?

He actually wanted me to do the normal office job. I explained to him that music is what I love, but he disagreed. At a point my mum told some of her friends to help me in getting a job. If I work, I won’t have time for the music. I can’t keep asking for permission at work to go for shows every now and again. There was a scenario that happened when Cool Fm invited me for an interview. I told my boss at work then, but he prevented me from going. So I decided to choose between my job and pursuing my passion for music.

What will you regard as the costly mistake artistes make in the pursuit of their music careers?

A lot of fake promoters are out there who promise to do promotional jobs for artistes, but they don’t get to fulfill their promises. Most times, when artistes see pictures of these promoters with celebs, they tend to believe them without finding out if they are genuine or not. I have been a victim of that. Artistes need to find out who the real promoter is. If music is what you love, you have to strive to make a success out of it every day.

What will you regard as the highpoint of your career so far?

The high point will be the deal I am

Have you had any flop during a performance?

Yes, it happened during an event I was invited to perform in. My song refused to play and the organizers had to move on to the next agenda planned for the event.

What is that one thing people hardly know about you?

It’s been said that it’s until you work with a person that you get to know that person’s true character. I am a nice and cool person. I will also be starting my own foundation very soon. It’s called Foundation of Oyatomi Dolapo (F.O.O.D). It’s all about reaching out to the less privileged.

•Dolapo Oyatomi

There was a time I wasn’t getting the support I needed for my music. I sent a lot of mails and didn’t get any response. I was frustrated then and even thought about doing some crazy things.

Has there ever been a time you wanted to give up on music?

There was a time I wasn’t getting the support I needed for my music. I sent a lot of mails and didn’t get any response. I was frustrated then and even thought about doing some crazy things. The experience made me work more on my relationship with God. How far do you see yourself going in music?

I see myself accomplishing great things.

My songs are now being played in South Africa and in the U.S. They are also being played in some other African countries.

The comments have been encouraging so far.

Which Nigerian artiste will you love to feature in a song?

I will love to work with M.I. He takes music so serious, like it’s food he needs to eat to live. M.I is music and music is M.I. I listen to his songs and I see that he has a passion for his craft. He is someone I look forward to working with.

Do you have any final words for your fans?

Without my fans, there will be no Doxy.

Thank you for your support always.

Never give up on what you are doing and trust in God.

STOP PIRACY NOW! STOP BUYING PIRATED MOVIE AND MUSIC CDs, DVDs. IT IS KILLING THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. STOP! C M Y K

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 21

Sharing your feelings without pushing him away

BY ONOZURE DANIA

F

or a healthy and o p e n communication in a lasting relationship, and how to build this effortlessly into your relationship, a real man wants a woman who

makes him feel intense attraction men know, as well as women do, that it’s easy to find someone who makes you wild with desire at first and hard to find someone who makes you feel this way long into your relationship.

Here’s something you might not know about men, men aren’t as scared of commitment and relationships as they are scared of being in a relationship with a woman where there is no passion and

attraction.

Have you ever had a situation with a man where the passion or the attraction seemed to fizzle out, but you didn’t know what to do about it?

Do you know how to start off conversations with a man and build the

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08168866031 •Henry, 20, lovely caring honest and resides in Awka, needs a lovely and pretty female friend who resides at Enugu or Awka, for friendship, aged 17- 22.

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08131323112

PAGE 22, SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

BY EMEKA AGINAM

L

OOKING at new trends in today ’s schools, digitization , no doubt is transforming educational system, globally especially in Nigeria where solution providers are deploying smart classroom and education solutions Just as it was the case centuries ago, people still receive instructions today in schools through such tools as textbooks, notebooks, pens/ pencils, chalkboards, scripts, report cards/certificates, etc.

But the trend appears to be changing as Samsung, Educomp and other techy companies deploy smart classroom and education solutions around the world, Nigeria inclusive.

In line with this trend, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has phased out its old paper and pen Unified Tertiary Matriculation Exams (UTME) model for computer-based exam format.

Educomp launched its smartclass in 2004 in India, to kickstart a transformation process. In 2012 in the United States, Harvard and The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed EdX, a virtual university, in which Harvard and MIT offered classes online to millions of people around the world for free using multimedia digital platforms.

Similarly, the National Open University of Nigeria is largely run by correspondence. Today, there are thousands of online courses on offer on Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) or other institutions of learning.

These and many more attempts at transforming education have had tremendous impact on learning but little impact on how education is structured.

One company is, however, determined to make as much impact in the education sector, as it has done in mobile devices and other consumer electronics.

With this, Samsung’s development of the smart classroom and internet schools is a hint of the potential changes that the education sector will undergo in the near future.

In places like the US, South Africa, Brazil, South Korea, India, and other countries, the smart classroom and solarpowered internet school are beginning to gain footholds.

In Nigeria, the smart classroom solution was unveiled last year in Greenspring International School, Lekki, while an internet school was launched in Oban community in Cross River State.

Commenting on the development, the Director, Greensprings School in Lagos, Mrs Olayiwola Koiki, has said that “students of today are digital natives”.

Smart classroom: The next frontier in transforming educational system Similarly, Samsung Electronics West Africa’s Managing Director, Mr Brovo Kim, had said that Samsung was determined “to deliver the classroom of the future today.”

In line with this resolve, Samsung also recently partnered with Redeemer ’s University , Ede, Osun State, to install 30 electronic boards in the school.

With this deployment, Redeemer ’s University has joined institutions like Covenant University that have adopted technology to deploy

Smart classroom and education solutions will change learning landscape globally

education solutions.

Vice-Chancellor, Redeemer ’s University, Professor Adebowale Adeyewa, said that the partnership with Samsung is yet another step in fulfilling Redeemer ’s University ’s commitment to bringing new technology closer to students of the institution. “We believe that this collaborative learning environment will improve students’ retention rates.”

Adeyewa added.

“Finding new and relevant ways to engage students is very important to the learning environment,” said, Colm Keher, Principal of Loreto Kilkenny, the first school in Europe to experiment the smart school scheme. “We must go beyond the

blackboard and adopt new technologies into our teaching environments, and give our students easy access to technologies.”

Indeed, it is interesting to see how the deployment of esolutions will continue to transform the education sector.

Imagine you enroll your kid in a school via the school’s online portal, registration formalities are completed online and the kid is tested online.

The smart classroom is no doubt next generation.

Cutting-edge technology drives the smart classroom and allows better engagement between the educator and the learner.

The solution utilises e-boards and devices such as tablets, PCs and other new age technological tools to facilitate learning.

Samsung’s smart classroom, for instance, is a three-pronged solution involving the interactive management solution, the learning management system, and the student information system.

Essentially, in the smart classroom, there is an e-board, a large screen that delivers content to students and helps teachers to monitor students’ progress.

The smart school solution may just be the catalyst to kick start a fresh enthusiasm for learning among school age kids.

There is no doubt that new ways of teaching are required to pique the interest of the digital age students.

In the next couple of years, when the power situation improves, interventions such as Samsung smart classrooms will lead to many schools adopting the average school classroom in Nigeria will feature e-board, e-textbooks, e-notebooks, esyllabus, etcetera. There is the real danger that the school system, as it currently is, may become obsolete and unable to offer learning to today’s techsavvy school goers.

Alcatel OneTouch goes swag with Pixi 3 7" slate tablet

R

UNNING on the android operating system as the most widely used mobile platform on earth, Alcatel OneTouch which re-entered the smart phone ecosystem has gone swag with Pixi 3 7" slate tablet.

With its attractive and promising low cost and optional 3G/4G cellular connectivity, the product, according to market indicators is already making inroads in the emerging markets.

Display: Known for offering value for money, the smart slate tablet, primarily designed to be used as a hand-held tablet and not as a traditional laptop is equipped with a 7 inch TFT screen with a resolution of 1,024 by 600 pixels.

This measures out to 170 PPI pixels-per-inch (PPI), which is about average for a tablet display.

The OneTouch Pixi 3 7" 3G also has multimedia features like FM Receiver, GPS Navigation, and Phone/Call Capability.

Built of plain ol’ plastic and sport a non-glossy, textured finish for a nice grip, the product comes in many colors and can be paired with a

matching colorful case.

Battery Life Boasting a battery with a capacity of 2,820 mAh, a below average battery capacity for a 7 inch tablet, the battery capacity of the device is the most accurate indicator of actual battery life. Specifically, the tablet houses a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 system on a chip with clock speed of 1.1 GHz, which is slightly slower than average for a tablet processor.

With a quad core processor, it is interesting to note that this tablet will be more effective at multitasking compared to tablets with single core CPUs. With 1 GB of RAM, it’s a bit lacking in memory, and will not perform as well as tablets with more RAM The base version of the OneTouch Pixi 3 7" 3G houses 4 GB of internal storage, which makes it a poor choice for storing multimedia.

Camera: The smart device has two cameras, a 0.3 megapixel front camera and a 2 megapixel rear camera. Its camera doesn’t autofocus, which can hurt image quality.

Although all tablets have WiFi connectivity to connect to local wireless networks, this model also has a Bluetooth 4.0 connection to pair with various accessory devices.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 23

You must not equate excessive jealousy with love!

A

T a recent funeral re ception this male face tried catching my eye and when he did he would smile. I gave a tentative smile after a while and he sauntered over to my table. “Sunkanmi?”, I asked, the penny finally dropping!

I’d known him for ages. I got to know him through a very dear friend and we were often going out in a group. His girlfriend, Dora, worked with an airline and was always travelling.

In spite of having a thriving business, Sunkanmi seemed to have all the time for Dora. He was virtually her shadow - you seldom saw one without the other.

His attention was so stifling that Dora was getting fed up with his unfounded jealousy.

“His kind of love is turning into something sinister,” Dora confessed a few years into their being a couple. We were out to lunch, her treat, as she wanted my opinion on how to handle this dark side of her man. “I know he loves me”, she continued, “and treats me like a princess. The only problem is his jealousy. I daren’t keep in touch with male friends and colleagues as it is just not worth the interrogation.

Even in our group, being too friendly with our male friends was a total no-no. As you are well aware I hardly go out without him, yet I’d

never cheat on him because I love him. I’ve tried everything I could to prove that I love him and I’m at the end of my tether. Maybe you have some ideas on how I could handle this?”

Was she asking me how she could prove her trustworthiness as if she were the one at fault here?

Well she was! I assured her she wasn’t to blame for her man’s insecurity and that she was bending over backwards so as not to rock the boat. Her man might be her soul mate, but he was excessively jealous when he had no reason to be. It might have been acceptable for him to be a bit anxious at the start of the relationship, but after two years together, he ought to be feeling secure.

He might love her, but it was the possessive type of love. Because of him, she’s cut off most of her friends and given him far too much control over her life, all in an effort to make him happy. I reminded her that I’d walked down that path before and the fact we were sitting down to lunch and discussing it showed she knew her relationship wasn’t healthy.

The answer wasn’t to carry on tip-toeing round him. It’s to make him realize the reasons he gets so edgy were nothing to do with her or her actions. Perhaps in the past, other people had let him down; maybe family friends or previous partners had betrayed him - so he was extra wary in relationships. Or perhaps he didn’t feel he was good enough for her, was scared she’ll find

someone better, so he was overtly anxious all the time. In my thisagony-aunt-knowsbeat-tone, I advised her to reignite her friendship with her old male and female friends and let lover-boy know it was all above board by showing him texts or email she was sending.

As his trust grew, she should work her way up to being able to go to the occasional evening with friends without him tagging along.

This wouldn’t be easy as he may get anxious and insecure, making her

The Head-to-Knee pose Benefits: Technique: The head to knee pose tones IT down withINBOX feet stretched in front up the muscles of the back, of you and rather the arms and the hamstrings.

The effect of “doubling up” close together.

Now raise both hands lends a gentle massage to the over-head and gently digestive organs improving ease the trunk and hand the way the body handles as far down as you can nourishment.

In the womenfolk, this pose then return upright with hands still overhead and is said to help painful periods then go back down and eventually stop it again. Do this for a cou- completely. It’s also a great ple more times to limber exercise for long distance the back and hamstrings runners as the hamstrings are for the head to knee where the long distance pose. In the final stage runner is most likely to deof the posture you form a velop muscle pulls.

Physical benefits: ring with the fore-finger Powerfully massages all the and thumb around the big toes with the forehead abdominal organs, resting on the knees and the elbows touching the floor.

In the initial stages when it’s impossible to assume the full posture, it will do to hold as far down the legs as you can and lower the trunk as well. Stay in the position for as long as 10 seconds and eventually hit the target of two minutes in one stretch.

It ...... to allow the circulation to stabilise and also get in a little rest.

S

C M Y K

* Stimulates and tones the digestive organs, increases peristalsis, and relieves constipation and other problems. * Counteracts obesity and enlargement of the spleen and liver. * Regulates the pancreatic function, providing a valuable aid for those with diabetes or hypoglycaemia. * Mobilises the joints and increases elasticity in the lumbar spine. * Relieves compres-

feel like backing down so as to avoid friction.

She shouldn’t give up however but she must strive on building a relationship based on trust rather than jealousy.

It was months after that I saw Dora and she told me what she thought of all the advise I gave her. “He became insufferable as soon as I put your suggestions to him”, she told me sadly. “He followed me all over the place virtually taking apart my luggage whenever I returned from my overseas trip and checking for any sign that pointed to my sleeping around. In the end, it got to a point when I told him I

sion of the spine and sciatica. * Strengthens and stretches the hamstrings.

couldn’t take all the embarrassment of his jealousy, we were over. At first, he took it very badly, pleading he was prepared to do anything to change, and even telling me I could go out with as many men as I liked and he withdrew temporarily to show he was serious. That was when I knew it was truly over - his overtures were pathetic and he would never change.

“After a while, he left me alone and I heaved a sigh of relief - I could not go out without looking over my shoulders for fear of being caught. I was having a cosy eventing with a potential boyfriend weeks later when my door-bell went. Peering through a window, I saw it was Sunkanmi. I felt irritated but quickly thought finding a new man with me would be a good sign that I’d moved on. So, I let him in.

Big mistake. He eyed my visitor as a boxer would an opponent and was very hostile, irritating both of us with his remember-when stories of our past relationship. I wanted to ask him to leave but my date told me he had other engagement and I saw him off. He wanted to know if I would be safe with Sunkanmi the way he was and I assured him I would.

Sunkanmi was my exafterall, not a monster.

“As soon as I got back in,

he pinned me to the sofa, wanting to know what game I thought I was playing. He tried to kiss me but I bit him.

That enraged him and he tore my clothes and knicker and raped me, all the time wanting to know if the ‘wimp’ that just left knew how to satisfy me. I cried and pleaded and this seemed to urge him on. When he was done, he slunk out of the house and that was the last I heard of him. So much for undying love ... “.

So, here was Mr. loverman years later at the reception where I ran into him, with a woman in tow and whom she introduced as his wife. The woman was ugly - there was no kinder way of describing her. As if reading my mind, he took her back to their table before coming over for a chat. Defending his choice of a wife, he said he went through a lot of trauma when Dora dumped him.

With an ugly wife, he wouldn’t worry his head about where she was and who was bunking her. That left him free to face his business and even have the old fling when he felt like. It shows you how warped jealous minds could be and how their behaviour beggars belief most of the time.

Mental benefits: * Greatly enhances concentration and mental endurance.

* Invigorates the mind and nervous system, controlling many nervous complaints.

The Head-to-Knee Pose

Yoga Classes STARTED Physical Therapy Centre @ 32 Ademola,

Adetokumbo

Victoria Island Lagos.

9.00am — 10.00am on Saturdays

P AGE 24 — SUND AY Vanguard , NO VEMBER 1 , 2015 SUNDA NOVEMBER

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 08056180152, SMS only

Mobiles might boost your love life but they can also help you catch that love rat!

S

ending erotic messages from one cell phone to another has become liberating to the average enthusiast today. It is no longer news that a lot of mobile users now dabble in typed foreplay and sizzling erotic messages that make the mind boggle! The devil, they say, makes work for idle hands (thumbs?), so why not keep them busy by texting?

When the texting bug first bit, everybody thought it was a teenage craze but it looks like anybody that can master the technique of their mobile instantly becomes hooked! Only these days, there are some texting etiquette to follow, to make sure you get it right to a T! With testing going through the roof especially during festive periods, readers need a few tips.

“Before texting became popular, you had to make solid arrangement to see someone before you left the house,” commented a top mobile sales executive. “Now we’re a lot more flexible and spontaneous - you can be walking down the road, fancy a drink at your favourite spot, and text your mates to join you.

We can also keep in touch with a lot moire people, even if we don’t speak to them that much, they become text friends.” But texting has also changed our lives and not always for the better. A lot of affairs are constantly being discovered when a suspicious partner decides to investigate his or her other half ’s phone.

These

discoveries have given rise to the number of love-rats, making partners more suspicious than ever before.

“But think of the boost and freedom the mobile has given to our love lives!” enthused Muni, a 3 5 - y e a r - o l d businesswoman. ‘Thanks to the mobile, spicing up your sex life doesn’t have to involve elaborate new mattress moves. All you need to do, wherever and whenever the bug bites you, is pick up the phone. If you want to turn your man on like never, first send a couple of erotic texts to him, then seek a private spot to use your mobile - it could even be in the loo!

“Then let your imagination run wild, tell him explicitly what he does to you and how randy you are feeling.

You can so paint a picture of what you want from him that when you eventually meet, it wouldn’t be, for him to tell you some funny stories about what a hard day he’s had in the office ... “ Flirting expert, Pauline, believes texting is great if used wisely. “It allows shy people to make a move”, she says. “If someone replies, it probably means they want to take things further. You can also send tempting saucy messages. But it does have disadvantages. like letters and e-mails, it doesn’t have the support of body language. That can be dangerous because we use body language as our fmal detector of sincerity.

Without the language, a chat-up line could come

Y

OUR column to express your loving thoughts in words to your sweetheart. Don’t be shy. Let it flow and let him or her know how dearly you feel.

Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail: sunlovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope: “LOVE NOTES"

ADVICE TO SINGLE LADIES

As a woman, stupidity is when you sit back cross-legged and search for an already made man. In case you don't know, every already made man out there has a woman

across as tacky, particularly if someone doesn’t know you.

Texting has shortened what we say; as we shorten our words, we increase the chance of misunderstanding ... “ That’s a wisdom to remember this festive period if you’re tempted to send a message to an old lover or attractive boss in a moment of drunken ‘intoxication!’

Findings have revealed that a lot of men will text someone they fancy when they ’re drunk.

More than half of women confessed they have suffered from ‘extexting’ - sending an ill-judged message to a former partner and quite a number of users have experienced ‘mistexts’ accidentally sending a naughty message meant for a lover, to a ‘friend’ or, worse, a family’.

Careless texts can even cost lives. Some years

back, Phillips IMc Nulty of Leicestershire in England, strangled his wife, Yvonne, to death with a dog lead. He had picked up her phone and just read a message: “Good morning, my darling. I feel like I have just won the lottery. I love you very much”. He convinced himself that she was having an af to the wrong phone!

Constant messaging can also be bad for your health. Dr. Mark Collins, head of Addiction Unit at Celeb Tetox Clinic, The Priory says he’s seen a rise in ‘text addiction’ with some clients spending up to seven hours a day on their phone keyboards.

This leads to repetitive strain injury, sleep deprivation and eye strain - plus increased agitation when they can’t get to their phones. A study of children in Belgium also

who has been with him from when he had only a pair of shorts and a single shirt. That's why majority of well to do men, usually make you nothing but a sex- toy, for you mean absolutely nothing to them.

He might cheat on her with you, but truth is,he'll never leave her for you… If you are guilty of hunting for an already made man, then I tell you, my dear you are such a cow, you actually need horns. When a good healthy brain settles, yours floats!

He may not own a car.

He may not earn a lot of money.

He may not live in a posh estate.

He may not be able to shower you with gifts all the time.

He may not have a great job.

But it’s enough to know you are the only one he craves for and loves unconditionally If he has a heart of gold, he is honest.

He is very hard working.

He is humble.

He keeps that smile on your face.

He talks to you every day.

He actually listens to you.

He tolerates you when you're moody.

His family knows you.

revealed that 10 per cent of 13-year olds are disturbed by late-night messaging, leaving them tired and unable to concentrate.

“If you expect to be woken up”, reveals the study, “it changes your sleep. You sleep less deeply. It means you are effectively on call and more tired during the day”.

And the downside to the text revolution?

According to the report, ‘it’s annoying when someone’s messing around with their mobile all the time. We need to learn ‘text etiquette’.

And it is stressful when you’re contactable 24 hours a day. Maybe, we also need to learn to turn our phones off occasionally”.

The report concluded that life could be even moire difficult for text rats in future. “The

phone network can tell where you are, when you use your phone. In the future, you could use it to track down your kids or even your sneaky other half!” So the message is clear-think before you text!

What Grown-Ups Do! (Humour) A little boy wakes up in the middle of the night needing to use the toilet.

On the way back from the toilet, he hears a noise from his parents’ bedroom, he peeps round the door and sees them in the throes of lovemaking.

Quietly, the boy creeps back to his own bedroom and wakes up his younger sister. “Come with me,” he whispers and takes her to see their parents. “Look at that,” he says, “and we get smacked just for sucking our thumbs!”

Return To Sender? ( Humour) Late one night, the doctor was called out to the house of a woman expecting a baby.

Unfortunately, the weather was very stormy and by the time he got there, the electricity had failed. He realised he would have to deliver the baby by candle light so he was forced to ask for the help of the woman’s young five- year-old son.

30 minutes later, the baby was born and all was well, thanks in part to the young boy holding the candle. The doctor examined the new arrival and gave it a tap on the bottom to make it cry. At that point, the young son said forcefully, ‘I’d smack him harder than that, he shouldn’t have been up there in the first place.”

He tells you your beautiful all the time.

He sees you every chance he gets.

He appreciates the tiniest things you do.

He is there when you need him.

He respects you.

He is proud you are his and likes showing you off.

And he treats you like a queen…

My dear you are indeed lucky to have him.

He may not have it all now, but one day he will...

He may not be living his dream now, but one day he will...

And as he pictures all this… He pictures you. .

Ladies, there's no PERFECT MAN ON EARTH, never you forget this fact. Learn to appreciate that man in your life who strives to be all you need. That man who promises you nothing but tries his utmost best to give you everything.

Chris Onunaku 08032988826/08184844015

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 25 08116759757

TALE OF TORTURE

By Chioma Obinna

We saw hell in Libya

T

o Victor Davies, Osita Osemene and Anthony Imade, travelling abroad in search of the provertial golden fleece could be a good idea, especially while escaping from a county like Nigeria with its harsh economic climate. But the three young Nigerians got more than they bargained for.

At the hall of Sunfit in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, one of the returnees from Libya, full of regrets and broken dreams, narrated to Sunday Vanguard how he became a victim.

Victor, a business administration graduate, from Delta State, also narrated his ordeal in the journey that took almost two years.

In a vivid account of his harrowing experience in Libya, he said, “I was deceived by a close friend and I almost lost my life in the process.”

Victor was bound for Europe but changed his mind on sighting the Mediterranean Sea. Before embarking on the journey into the unknown, the returnee, was dreaming that, one day, he will become a successful international footballer. But little did he know that the decision to leave the country by all means may destroy his dreams for life.

“I didn’t expect it the way it came. I earlier had dreams of travelling abroad to continue my football there but, today, all is a mirage,” Victor said.

He explained that he was at home, after graduating in 2011 without a job, when one of his friends came and told him about someone who was looking for somebody to take abroad. Victor jumped at the offer. He and his friend quickly arranged and left for Kano from where they boarded a lorry to Niger Republic.

On getting to Niger, his socalled friend abandoned him.

“My friend accompanied me to Niger. When we got there he told me he was going to get a

— Davies, returnee passport for me to use in Libya.

But he never came back. Few minutes later, some people came threatening me and took away the little money I had in my front pocket.” It was then that it dawned on him that he had been deceived.

Meanwhile, at that point, Victor could not return home as he had already gone too far.

Also, he could not sacrifice his dream of becoming a great footballer once he got to Europe. Later, a lorry came; Victor and 69 other illegal migrants were ordered to enter the lorry. His plea that the lorry could not take 70 people at a time fell on deaf ears.

•Victor Davies

We are on a mission ttoo heal the world

— Tola Olukilede rue to its name, the Heal The to hospital management.

T World Mission Incorporated, According to the President, the a non-denominational charity mandate of the mission is ‘to organization has continued to make impact in the lives of the less privileged in the society.

Established by Pastor (Dr.) Tola Olukilede, the organization complements the efforts of the church by touching lives.

At a press conference to announce the annual charity lecture and partners luncheon as well as its annual covenant believers’ convention which will be taking place in November, the President of HTWM informed that the movement is not a church but a Christian oriented charity organization established through God’s inspiration. In attendance was his wife Pastor Mrs. Wumi Olukilede and other members who have tirelessly contributed to the growth of the mission. The members include Pastor Kayode Kolawole who doubles as the Secretary General of the mission and Director of Foreign Missions, Pastor Henry Idaewor, the coordinator of the mission’s Third Hand of God; Pastor Damilola Bankole who is in charge of corporate affairs and Pastor Dayo Omotoun who sees

trade covenant secrets to raise prosperous families and people for kingdom exploits’, by teaching people to give and how to give so as to receive from God. “As stated in our name, we are on a mission to heal the world, so our activities are not limited to Nigeria. We have established our presence in Uganda, Kenya and South Africa among other African countries and we are working to establish our mission across major parts of the world.

We have discovered that most people have not inculcated the act of giving while some don’t know how to give, so we go about teaching people the covenant secrets in giving so as to become friends of God. As read in the Bible, God gave his only child, Jesus Christ to die for the world which is the greatest love of all.

From the story of Jesus, it can be deduced that their is love in giving and God expects us to show love to our neighbors through giving”, he explained.

He disclosed that the charity lecture and partners luncheon of

the Third Hand of God which is holding on November 7 at the mission’s secretariat is a platform to bring together its partners and present to them what the mission has been able to achieve in the past one year so as to further encourage them in their commitment to the mission.

While the covenant believers’ convention holding between November 17 and 21 is aimed at teaching the covenant secrets in giving, creating awareness about the activities of the mission and raise better Christians who will become covenant partners for the kingdom of God. The President who was recently awarded the Christian Author of the Year by La Expose in USA informed that the mission has touched the lives of over 5000 people since it came into existence from 1999 to date through its various arms. They are Women of Grace and Virtue International headed by Pastor Mrs. Wumi Olukilede, World Changers (a leadership training arm for youths), Covenant Blessings Businessmen Fellowship International and the Third Hand of God (partners who give to the ministry).

The journey begins From the outset, Victor was to travel to Spain through Libya but little did he know that he was to make the trip through land transportation, specifically, through the desert. Half way into the journey, the vehicle broke down. The passengers were told to disembark.

According to Victor, many of the travellers died as they ran out of food and water.

“In my presence, people were dying like fowls for lack of water and food. We were begging for urine to drink because we met rebels on the road who took all our money and belongings.

The rebels did not spare anyone as they collected everything we had and it was then I knew you could even hide money inside your anus”, the returnee said.

“If the rebels asked you questions in Arabic and you didn’t respond, they will shoot you.” Out of the 70 migrants that boarded the lorry for the trip in Niger, only 30 made it to Libya. But on getting to Libya, Victor could not continue the journey on sighting the Mediterranean Sea. “When I saw the Mediterranean Sea and 30 of us were asked to enter into a canoe that could carry 10, I knew I was not ready for that. It was hell.” He decided to return home.

Stay in Libya In the meantime, he arrived in Libya at a time Nigerians were having it rough with Arabs.

According to Victor, at that time, Nigerians there were committing all sorts of crimes.

“They would steal from Arabs while praying right in the open because these Arabs do not talk during prayer. Many

Nigerians caught were given to crocodiles to eat.”

Faced by the situation, Victor tried to live a life free of crime but could no longer continue to live like a slave in a strange land. “To be honest, I did not find it easy watching my people being killed” .

He was among the lucky Nigerians who returned home alive.“I had already lost hope that I will come back alive. But luck smiled on me when I was sent back in 2012 back to Nigeria. I spent over a year trying to get to Libya and not Spain as original planned”, the returnee stated.

Advice to Nigerian youths “There is nothing you can do there now and if you go there you will only suffer. Stay here and do something.”

He urged the Federal Government to increase awareness on dangers of illegal migration especially in states like Edo and Delta as many of the young people there have been brain-washed.

“There is also the need for government to create jobs for young graduates. I left this country out of frustration in 2011 which almost destroyed my life. I am happy that I am back and today trying to survive. Many Nigerians have died in the process but I thank God I made it back alive.”

Project Coordinator, Patriotic Citizens, PC, an organisation that creates awareness on the dangers of illegal migration, Mr. Osita Oseneme, accused government of neglecting returnees. According to him, abandoning the returnees could pose serious security threat as many of the victims’ emotions have been bastardised by the Arab rebels.

“If returnees are abandoned, they can pose threat to the security system. They can do anything in order to survive.

They are no longer humans.

Some have gone into drugs in the process of travelling. These people can convert their negative experience to affect the nation”, Oseneme said.

“You can imagine someone eating someone’s flesh in a bid to survive. Can you imagine drinking someone’s urine in order to survive? These are real because I also experienced it.

And that is why we must do something to rehabilitate them when they return into this country before reintegrating into the society.”

PAGE 26—

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015 08116759757

Lagos ‘pastor’ in homosexual, serial rape scandal!

•How we escaped sexual assault, alleged victims narrate

BY KENNEDY MBELE

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n alleged self-confessed pastor, Sadeeq Mustapha, is facing trial at a Lagos State Magistrate Court sitting at Ogba, Agege where he has been charged with alleged attempt to rape two men.

Sadeeq (27) allegedly attempted to forcefully have sexual intercourse with a transporter, Oladimeji Taiwo, and a teacher, Yusuf Idowu, on October 9 and 10. The incident allegedly took place at No 9 Disu Akogun Street, Dopemu, Lagos.

The two-count charge against the suspect read: “That you, th Saseeq Mustapha, on the 9 day of October, 2015 at 9, Disu Akogun Street, Dopemu, Agege, in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace by forcefully wanting to have sex with one Oladimeji Taiwo ‘m’ and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 166 (d)

of the Criminal Laws of Lagos, Nigeria, 2011.

“That you, Sadeeq Mustapha, on the 10th day of October, 2015, at about 02.30hrs, at the same place and magisterial district, did forcefully wanted to have sex with one Yusuf Idowu ‘m’ by ordering him to pull off his clothes and

Sadeeq (27) allegedly attempted to forcefully have sexual intercourse with a transporter, Oladimeji Taiwo, and a teacher, Yusuf Idowu, on October 9 and 10.

committed an offence punishable under Section 166 (d) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos, Nigeria, 2011".

The suspect pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

In his statement to the police, Oladimeji, one of the alleged victims narrated that the defendant met him in Dopemu area of the state, introduced himself as a pastor and then asked him for road direction around the area. After directing him, the alleged victim said the suspect requested to pray for him and that, since he liked associating with men of God, he took him (the pastor) to his house where he introduced him to his fellow tenants as a brother.

Oladimeji explained that they went into prayer session after the suspect had “blessed a table water he bought” on their way home, saying the prayer, which

From left: District 404B-2 Governor, Lions International, Lions Funke Adebajo; new President, Ikeja Lions Club Lion (Mrs.) Florence Oshofisan; and the past President, Lion Bola Ibrahim, at Oshofisan’s presentation.

started late in the night, lasted for some time. He alleged that while the prayer lasted, the suspect ordered him to pull off his trousers and shirt, which he did.

He added that, at a point, he started noticing some moves by the suspect and, as such, decided not to close his eyes anymore.

Oladimeji further alleged that the suspect’s mood changed as he asked him to lie down flat because, according to the suspect, the level of prayer they were about to go into required that he (the suspect|) lies on top of the person receiving the prayer. But that on noticing that the suspect was about to sleep with him rather than pray for him, he stood up, directed his gaze at the suspect, who had noticed a resistance to his intention, and warned him sternly against the attempt. He said he called off the prayer and sat down wondering with disbelief the alleged attempt to rape him.

He said that because he didn’t

want to disgrace a man who said he was a man of God and the fact that he had already introduced him as a brother, he allowed the suspect to go in the morning, unmolested, but told him never to come to his house again.

Oladimeji said that after that, he left for work and did not return till the following morning. Upon his return, the alleged victim was amazed to still meet the suspect in his house. This was because the second victim, Yusuf, who only saw the Sadeeq and his co-tenant the previous night, did not know what had happened and, as such, had admitted the suspect into his apartment the second night during which the defendant allegedly attempted to rape him in the same manner he tried to rape Oladimeji the previous night. On sighting the suspect, the latter said he ordered him to leave the house immediately but that Mustapha refused, prompting him to pick up a machete to attack him but for the intervention of neighbors who were later shocked to hear what the suspect allegedly did to his two victims. Still reluctant to leave the house, Oladimeji said he called his uncle, who instructed him to get the suspect arrested, which he did.

Guest Lecturer, Faculty of Paediatrics, 2015 Day of National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria, Lagos, Prof Olufemi Jaiyesimi (5th right); and the Acting Chairman of the day, Prof Joshua Owa (4th right), among other old Fellows of the college at the event held at LASUTH auditorium in Ikeja, Lagos.

Kwara Council Chair denies suspension story

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI, ILORIN

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he Chairman of Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State, Abdulmaruf Thanni, has dismissed a report that he has been suspended for three months by his councilors over alleged misappropriation of funds, attributing it to the handiwork of the opposition.

Thanni spoke at a meeting attended by all the 11 councillors in the local government including the Speaker and chieftains of the All Progressives Congress in Ilorin. The Speaker of the

local government, Hon Julius Ayantola Jolayemi, and the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Hon Bisi Adebayo, corroborated the claim that the Chairman was never suspended. Thanni explained that he was embarrassed when he traveled to Abuja and started receiving several calls that a report claimed he had been suspended for three months, saying there was nothing like such. ‘’This is the handiwork of the opposition. Why are they dabbling into a matter that doesn’t concern them. I

’This is the handiwork of the opposition. Why are they dabbling into a matter that doesn’t concern them. I was never suspended

was never suspended. What we had was a mere family issue, which is common among the councils, and was resolved. There was no sitting anywhere. No allegation was raised concerning me. I was not invited by anybody. So where was the issue of my three months suspension decided?”, he stated. He said that Isin local government had been grappling with financial crisis like others across the country, as a result of the drop in allocations to the local governments which led to the non-payment of salary for two and a half months to the staff.

Thanni also said while the state government had received its bail out as promised by President Muhammadu Buhari, the local governments in Kwara had not received theirs, a development that prompted Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to ameliorate the suffering of the councils by arranging funds for them. He added that when he received the fund for his local government, he called the councillors, and other stakeholders to brief them of the development, and then paid the two and a half months staff salary.

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 27 08116759757

Dispute over Edo cement

plant site deepens •Community blames monarch for crisis

BY KENNETH MBELE he Komunio community, in T Okpella, Edo State, took a step further, at the weekend, to

prove that the land on which BUA Cement Group is sited belongs to it and not Iddo or any other village in Okpella as being claimed in certain quarters.

It also refuted the claim that the agitation of the community has to do with the discovery of mineral resources in the area, stating that the issue is about the attempt by a monarch, the Okuokpellagbe, to re-draw of Okpella and excise it from its motherland.

“We are part and parcel of Okpella; in fact, we are part of Oteku, which is one of the two ruling houses in Okpella; we are no settlers; we are children of the direct son of Okpella. The Okuokpellagbe has been doing all sorts of things for over 40years, going into our lands and doing whatever he likes with it, but this claim that we are no longer Okpella by him is what has fuelled our agitation, nothing else,” Chief Charles Adogah, SAN, President of Komunio Development Union, said. He explained his community’s involvement in the crisis tearing apart the cementproducing town of Okpella. Apart from the proof of the January 28, 1965 Mid West Gazette, entitled: ‘Public Lands Acquisition Law’, which read: ‘Notice is hereby given that the following land at Kominio-Okene Road, Komunio, in the Afemai Division of the Benin Province, Mid-Western Nigeria, is required by the government for public purposes absolutely’, to show that it is the officially recognized owner of the land, Adegah presented a copy of a 2014 judgment in the community’s favour by the High Court, Agenebode, Edo State, in which the court declared the revocation notice of the land, dated December 24, 2013, irregular, unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect whatsoever. According to him, Komunio’s entitlement to adequate compensation for the land before it could be compulsorily acquired and the setting aside of the purported revocation notice was published in the Vanguard Newspaper of January 11, 2014.

Stating that the Justice V.O.A. Oviawe judgment of November 18, 2014 is yet to be challenged or set aside, Adogah and counsel to the community, Dr. Ayuba Giwa, of A.O. Giwa & Associates, said Komunio was represented as claimants in the suit it filed against the Governor of Edo State and the Attorney General to ask for the reliefs by four of its illustrious sonsHon. Charles Ikhumesomi, Johnson Afemikhe, Pastor Eshioramhe Eshioguemue and Magnus Odion Philip.

“What they are claiming now is the land close to the cement factory the Mid-West gazette earlier mentioned to have been

published on January 28, 1965, clearly showing that the land belongs to Komunio. It did not mention Iddo or Imiegiele.

Therefore, the lands, where you have the mineral deposits, are behind, towards the North-East.

Their allegation that Iddo and Imiegiele own the land is not true.

Ogriga is part of Komunio; they have no existence of their own.

Ogriga is just a settlement in Komunio, they are right if they say that they are co-owners of the land because all of us are Komunios”, Adogah and Giwa stated.

“Iddo, now issuing threats to Komunio, was not captured by the origin and genealogy of Okpella documented by the colonial masters in November 1931. The colonial masters, who authored the document, had no interest of their own to serve and there was no issue of mineral deposits then. If they care to know also, four years after the documentation of the Okpella genealogy, precisely 1935, the clan map of Kukuruku was drawn by the colonial masters. It showed Okpella to be made up of two sub-clans, Ogute and Oteku. Imiegiele was in the Ogute sub-clan while Kumunio and their brethren, who migrated from Ituri-egba, close to North Ibie and now call themselves Iddo, were

in the Oteku sub-clan. Only this year also, the Ogiriga people reaffirmed, in a letter, that they were part and parcel of Kumunio. Then, you ask, at what stage did Imiegiele, from a different sub-clan and Ogiriga, that is part of Komunio and Iddo that was not in the1931 genealogy of Okpella, miraculously together now become overlords to Komunio?

“That apart, in the statute defining the traditional ruler ship of Okpella, two ruling houses were recognized by law, Ogute and Oteku Ruling Houses. Imiegiele is in Ogute Ruling House. The Oteku Ruling House has two component parts, including the Kuminio part, which comprises the Ogiriga and Iddo component.

It, therefore, beats imagination how a legally recognized component part of a ruling house can be a tenant of another component part within and outside that ruling house. If these have not sufficiently put a lie to their claims, the gazette Declaration of the Customary Law of Okpella still exists for all to see.

Kumunio had, at no time, taken

Jack Oba to court for calling them tenants and lost the case. We challenge anyone in possession of such a court judgment to come out with it. In fact, we are aware of a judgment in a case between Dirisu Aliu of Imioko-Ukhuomunyio and Alhaji Sumaina Aruna of Iddo and another between Aliu and Osuma Audu, decided on November 22, 1994 by the Ukpilla District Customary Court. The court, in that case, decided that the land, occupied by the Nigerian Army along the New Road, belonged to the plaintiff’s father, Aliu Unuakhe (Agbadamachi), of ImiokoUkhuomunyio. What happened these past years is that the Komunio people were interested in peace and good neighbourliness and did not bother over Okuokpellagbe,

Alhaji A. Y. E. Dirisu’s actions, including the signing of concession papers. Now, he wants to drive us out of our land. We can’t take that and we decided to boycott activities at his palace and he has now gotten a section of Ogriga, Iddo and Imiegiele to say they own our land. You cannot call people slaves and expect them to be quiet.

How do you call aborigines tenants and you expect them to fold their hands?”

Adogah restated the observation of the Kumunio people, at their conference, that the BUA Cement Group, which they commended for its huge investment in the area, was discriminating against their youths in its recruitment exercises.

The community, in accordance with its resolution at that conference, he said, had mandated a 10-man delegation to deliver a protest letter to the firm’s management, arguing that employment for youths by the BUA Cement Group ought to be a corporate social responsibility to its host.

As the community has resolved to take its destiny in its own hands in a process of self-determination and among others pursue with the Edo State Government the creation of its own separate clan out of Okpella, the Kumunio Development Union President said the community will pursue this goal side by side with massive development of the place, beginning with an education programme for its children to raise the Human Development Index (HDI) of the community.

Amnesty Programme has transformed N’Delta Youths — Muturu

BY ABEL KOLAWOLE In this interview, Delta State Chairman, Phase 2 of the Amnesty Programme, Mr. Kingsley Muturu, explains the benefits of the scheme for ex-militants. Muturu asks President Muhammadu Buhari to extend the termination date of the programme among other issues.

How would you say the Amnesty Programme has fared?

There is much improvement.

Youths are on training within and outside the country, some have been successfully trained and are waiting to be engaged. So far so good; we are progressing.

So, you are saying the programme is going in the right direction?

Yes, because the programme has produced pilots among others for Nigeria, skilled labour in various sectors. There are others still being trained in schools abroad. So, this is a plus for our country and economy, and we hope that, at the end of the programme, Nigeria will have reason to rejoice over the youths.

Are you sure President Buhari will review and extend the programme as being clamoured for in some quarters?

We hope so, and that is why we have

made calls on him to allow the goodwill of the Federal Government to continue, considering the achievements of the programme. Yes, there is the need for the extension of the Amnesty Programme seeing the facts that a lot of training is ongoing, coupled with the dedication of exagitators to the maintenance of peace in the Niger Delta. We are okay with the way President Buhari’s government is handling the programme as he rightly promised in his inaugural speech.

On the handling of issues in the Amnesty Office, would you say you are satisfied with Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh’s (retd) approach?

Yes, Boroh is a technocrat and he is handling the issues well. This year’s training was supposed to commence earlier but, due to political reasons, it did not. So, I urge Boroh to fast-track the training process because that is our expectation, as we are concerned with the training of our boys which has also drastically re-oriented the minds of a good percentage of them.

We should also join hands with Boroh to make the programme a complete success. We should avoid dissenting voices and work together to achieve the goal of the Federal Government.

Can you highlight the extent of your much-emphasized orientation

of youths in the Niger Delta through the programme?

The difference is very clear. The Amnesty Programme has transformed the lives of a good percentage of Niger Delta youths; their orientation has drastically improved, their perception of issues affecting the region has improved and the approach to issues affecting mature. I call on the Federal Government to implement the programme to the full to enable beneficiaries contribute meaningfully to the growth of the nation. Personally, I also give scholarships to youths for training abroad, as well as financial care to the elderly back in my community, to complement the Amnesty Programme.

On President Buhari’s administration We Niger Delta ex-agitators mean well for this government, we want it to be a success. We urge Buhari to look into issues affecting the region. I would also like to use this medium to remember the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, who initiated the Amnesty Programme for exagitators in 2009; Niger Deltans remember him for his passion for the region. We

urge the Federal Government to treat Niger Delta and ex-agitators fairly as Yar’Adua did, for the benefit of all.

•Kingsley Muturu

PAGE 28 — SUNDAY

Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

PDP was in disarray ahead of presidential election —Mafindi, ex-member of former ruling party’s BoT

By Babatunde Jimoh

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lhaji Tafida Isa Mafindi, the Yeriman Muri, was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) as well as a member of the campaign organisation of former President Jonathan in the last general elections.

In this interview , Mafindi explains why he dumped the PDP immediately after the presidential election in March, President Muhammed Buhari’s fight against corruption and the ministerial nominees, among other issues.

Are you still a PDP member?

No. I left the party immediately after the presidential election. I left the party because I was involved. I saw how they bastardized the party. I saw how they used hypocrisy to derail what we put forward as a party’s program and campaign.

Virtually all the leaders of the party were hypocritical.

What they were advocating was that we should vote PDP from the state House of Assembly to the House of Representatives and Senate; then, for presidency, vote APC. Who were these people?

I am talking about highly placed people in the party.

There was nothing hidden there. But for me, whatever I do, I do it out of interest, not because I derive material benefits from it. I am a professional accountant. I have a farm which I am running. I have a processing factory where the best meat in Africa is C M Y K

Virtually all the leaders of the party were hypocritical.

What they were advocating was that we should vote PDP from the state House of Assembly to the House of Representatives and Senate; then, for presidency, vote APC

processed. So there is no reason for me to see where change is being given attention and I will continue with somebody who is not sure of who he is supporting. Is he supporting the common man or his President or his party?

Everything was in disarray in the PDP. I saw how people were spending money as if we have the oil wealth of Saudi Arabia and Brunei put together.

So why did you wait until after the presidential election before leaving the PDP? And, are you now in APC? As for my staying till after the presidential election, let us leave that and move on.

But I am a member of the APC now. I am supporting the APC in Taraba to move the state forward.

What is your assessment of the APC government so far?

The party is going to fulfill its promises to Nigerians as it has all it takes to do things properly. It has a President that is honest, has focus and the followership that is ready to give the government the patience needed for the adjustment and change it wants to

provide. You have seen how President Buhari took his time to select the best brains in terms of advisers, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, in terms of pursuing the Boko Haram insurgency, in terms of selecting ministerial nominees. Japanese people say good products come from good thinking.

But many Nigerians are talking about the re-cycling of some of the ministerial nominees?

It is not a matter of recycling. The problem is the Nigerian factor. Some people are comfortable criticising those in authority without providing alternative. The President took his time to study every ministry during the waiting period and brought out a blue print of how things will run properly. At the same time, he was scouting for the people to head the ministries.

There is the claim that government is selective in the fight against corruption as many PDP members are the targets of the anti-graft campaign. seen to be interrogated If somebody is being investigated in Nigeria, he

is a free and innocent man until the matter is taken to court and a verdict indicts the person. So, the question of some people saying the President is selective in the fight against corruption is neither here nor there. It is not something I expected from Nigerians who saw what happened from 1999 to this year under the PDP which I was part of .There is nothing people can say now that has not been said before and people are very good at arm chair criticism, and given the opportunity, they will do worse things.

PMB has started doing his job as expected of him. For the Niger Delta, he gave the headship of the Amnesty Program to General Boro; for INEC, he appointed Prof.

Yakuq, who is a tested person and for the Immigration, he appointed a North Central person from Nassarawa. For the NNPC, he appointed Kachikwu, a director in an international oil company based in America, now a ministerial nominee. So, people who thought Buhari will go to the Onitsha market to pick cobblers as ministers so that their brothers will bring applications and tenders to

Continues on page 29

SUNDAY

Continued from page 28 win contracts, whether there is fund or not, are the ones criticizing. Those who think he will bring palm wine tappers to the cabinet and not tested people like Fayemi and Fashola are those making noise. If Fashola is given any ministry to head today, will he not perform based on what he did in Lagos? We should not cut our noise to spite our face; let us hold our breathe and allow this government to gather steam.

Already, a Single Treasury Account (TSA) has taken effect. Though there was semblance of that in capital expenditure, today the revenue is part of it.

And now, TSA is not only a matter for the ministries, it is also for all parastatals like where I worked before I retired, the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA). At the NPA, we spent 80% of our revenue on things that, if we talk about them, people will laugh. There are more fire equipment and shoes as well as clothes that can cover the whole of Nigeria at the NPA’ stores. People kept ordering, because the money was there to pay, whether there was need for them or not.

There are some things purchased that we can line up from Badagry to Calabar and if there is a new management, they will order for new ones. It got to a level that the NPA did not know what to do with money that they started creating subsidiaries. They created channel management in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, even when the subsidiaries were just to spend money. When we say the port is concessioned, it is not right. There is no port that is concessioned, That is the situation with the parastatals. Now, the revenue generated will go directly to the TSA and let me see the MD that can come to the Ministry of Finance to say he wants $35 million to pay for the dredging of the Calabar channel. And after one year, we won’t have vessels of $20million berthing there to discharge cargo. So let see who will say the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, will be spending 80 or 90% of its revenue on giving contracts to people to secure open sea that there is no need to secure. We have forgotten that NIMASA was made to handle cabotage so that Nigerians can own new vessels; and Nigeria does not have a single ship.

So for government to be criticized, one has to look at the antecedents. What has

Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 29

‘Some PDP leaders campaigned against Jonathan’ cassava bread, processing zones, crops processing units, value added chains , but, at the end of the day, none of the bills he sent to the National Assembly saw the light of day. And as long as there is no Act of parliament, they are just verbal intentions; so we have to give this government the chance to redress all these anomalies.

I believe by the time PMB has spent a year, Nigerians will see a President that will give food to every school child and will do more than they expected.

At the end of the day, those complaining today will be the ones lining the street dancing.

Mafindi...NPA did not know what to do with money this government inherited?

The rot, can you tell me the power we are generating today is why we spent all the billions from 1999 to date. Just generating 5,000 megawatts?

If Mabilla hydro had been constructed, it can produce twice of those megawatts.

Can we say the small power generating stations we created are still producing?

Why did we decide not to use solar for areas where we have sun shining for 18 hours a day? What about agriculture? Can we say Nigeria is represented in agric when we cannot produce meat? We are still slaughtering our cattle in a dirty environment. We drag cows as if we are dragging logs of wood to the shredding machines. Is that how we are going to produce our meat to compete in the world? What of rivers Niger and Benue?

Can they produce enough fish for the people without us buying a single kilo from outside?

In the last regime, we saw a young man in the Ministry of Agriculture that came up with good dreams like

In Nigeria as of today, the only people paying tax correctly are the civil servants; all others are marginal and, if we are able to turn agriculture into a tax unit that can contribute effectively, Nigeria would have reached its destination

What expectations do you have from the ministerial nominees when they are assigned portfolios?

Let me talk about the agricultural sector where I am a stakeholder. I expect the minister to come up with a good program of creating farm lands first as the agric season is already over. You cannot start even dry season agriculture in November and December; besides all the equipment we are using in Nigeria today are obsolete. If this is the case, there is no way you can move agric forward.

I expect the minister to start from land clearing and surveying to see what crop can grow , what sort of equipment is needed, because if agric is not mechanized, it is just a waste of time.

Mechanization is the way to go and you can only do this if the farm land is available, because you cannot use private capital to clear land.

You can not clear land privately to plant and get something back in terms of profit in three years. There has to be venture capital that will come in to clear farm land and be recoverable over a long period of time, so that the farmer will not be burdened with too much of interest on his productivity.

I am looking at a minister who will come with a deliberate policy to organize, standardize all

the crops produced in Nigeria so that they can create a genuine market for the farmers to sell their products and get good values so that they re-invest against next season.

So that they will not allow middle men to buy the crops from the farmers when there is good harvest and make profit off the farmers and the middle men become richer while the farmers remain poor. I expect to see an agriculture minister that will encourage the youth to take to farming; I want to see young graduates from the various fields taking into agriculture as business. I want to see a minister of agric that will turn around the livestock sector, so that the hidden resources in our goats, ram, chicken, peacocks and cows can be exposed.

I expect to see a minister that can create an agricultural sector that is capable of paying 80% of the tax collected in Nigeria as 70% of Nigerians are farmers and if all the tax they generate can be harnessed, it will rebase our economy and the economy will change from eight trillion per annum to about 250 trillion per annum which we are capable of doing.

In Nigeria as of today, the only people paying tax correctly are the civil servants; all others are marginal and, if we are able to turn agriculture into a tax unit that can contribute effectively, Nigeria would have reached its destination.

Our expectation from the agric minister is to forget about the importation of rice to exportation of livestock, cassava chips, and rice. We need to harness our exportation strength in major crops. We need a minister that will network feeder roads for farmers to take their produce to the markets, just as we need a minister for agric that will provide storage facilities for all our perishable items and be able to standardized them at the airports for cargo to be taken to countries that we are having trade with. We will also be happy to have a minister of agriculture that will create a market for a well processed meat that will be sold in well preserved conditions.

C M Y K

PAGE 30 - SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

AYO ONIKOYI 08052201215

ys, Bella Naija Baileys, Lolade Ogunde hooks Akinkunmi Akinola Baile hold wedding fiesta

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folakemi Ololade Ogunde and Akinkunmi Akinroyeje continued their blissful journey into matrimony with the exchange of nuptial vows at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, City of David, Lagos, penultimate Saturday.

The nuptial journey began earlier with the traditional marriage, also in Lagos. Many prominent Nigerians graced the occasion.

Photos by Diran Oshe

.

B

aileys Bella Naija Wonderland, held on the 10th of this month, was an initiative of Bella Naija Weddings, sponsored by Baileys Nigeria, where over 30 brides from across Nigeria were chosen to experience the feel of bridal luxury.

The event was attended by star actors; O.C. Ukeje and Osas Ighodaro Ajibade, leading wedding vendors in Nigeria Funke Bucknor, Chris Ogbeh and April by Kunbi, Banke Messhida Lawal of BMPRO, Banky W and Bovi to mention a few.

The couple, Mr & Mrs Akinkunmi Akinroyeje Akinola in a group photograph with their parents, families and friends.

Bovi (Event Anchor) and brides-to-be during the cocktail competition

L-R: Mrs Yewande Zacheaus, Chief (Mrs) Olufunmbi Akinola and Mr Teni Zacheaus.

L- R: Prince. S .Adedoyin, Mrs Yemisi Ogunde (bride's mother); and Princess Funke Adedoyin.

L-R: Lara Rawa; CEO, Eventi Cocktail, Ufuoma Udjoh; Baileys Nigeria Brand Manager, Christine Ogbeh; CEO, The Wedding Guru and Ink Eze, BellaNaija Weddings

L-R: Mr. Ainyinka Akinola, Mrs Bosede Akinola, Dr. (Mrs) Funke Thomas and Mrs Yewande Zacheaus.

L- R: Chief Dele Akeredolu (SAN), Chief (Mrs) Bosede Akinola (groom's mother); Mrs Taiye Auran, and Chief Bode Mustapha.

Alex Alino becomes CIBN Southern Sun 5th hallenge’ ‘offf shore cchallenge’ ‘of Fello w ellow BANKING and Finance specialist, Alex Alino has become a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria. His decoration took place at the Institute’s 2015 investiture ceremony held recently.

Mr AlexAlino (l) and friend, Mr Chinedu Ekeocha

HOBIE Fleet emerged1first place winner at the 5th Annual Southern Sun Ikoyi Offshore Challenge 2015, held at the Lagos Yacht Club, Victoria Island, recently.

L-R: Amina Maufta, Member, Lagos Yacht Club; David Kruyt Commodore Lagos Yacht Club and Ubong Nseobot , Sales and PR Manager, Southern Sun Ikoyi; participants and 1st Place Winners, Hobie Fleet.

L-R:O.C. Ukeje; Nollywood actor, Ufuoma Udjoh; Baileys Nigeria Brand Manager; Christine Ogbeh; CEO The Wedding Guru, Funke BucknorObruthe; Founder,Zapphaire Events and a guest.

L-R: Ufuoma Udjoh; Baileys Nigeria Brand Manager, Banke Meshida-Lawal; Head Makeup Artist & CEO of BMPRO MAKEUP, Adenike Adebola; Regional Marketing Manager, Non Alcoholics at Diageo and a guest.

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015 — PAGE 31

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

M

ajekodunmi Fasheke, aka Majek Fashek, is a household name in Nigeria and many other parts of Africa. For several years, he was the rave of the nation’s fledgling entertainment industry. His songs were creative, rational and delightful, but everything changed not too long thereafter when he suffered a mental breakdown.

Majek had an encounter with schizophrenia, but has been through series of therapies and is determined to prove that he is truly on the rebound as shown by his performance at this year’s Felabration in remembrance of the late Afrobeat maestro, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

Following his intensive rehab in the US and Nigeria, the “Send Down The Rain” and “So Long, Too Long” crooner is almost completely back on track.

On Wednesday, his appearance at the main auditorium of the University of Lagos, Akoka, elicited excitement. The event was the 46th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Association of Psychiatrists of Nigeria. The theme was “Mental Health as a Driver of Positive Change”.

Local and international psychiatrists as well as other mental health specialists gathered to discuss the relevance of mental health in the current Nigerian context. Majek, who put up appearance as special guest, stole the show. Not even the scholarly presentation by Prof Ibidapo Obe, who gave the keynote lecture, could eclipse the reggae legend’s presence.

Dressed in the same oversized jacket, jeans and signature cap that has been the hallmark of his musical career over the years, Majek stepped up to the podium in his typical “rumba style” walk, exuding a semblance of the aura of confidence and appeal with which he held sway in the 80s.

But just before the rehabilitated Majek took the microphone, his psychiatrist, Dr. Vincent Udenze, the CEO of Synapse Services, an Abuja-based centre for psychological medicine that helped in his rehabilitation, observed that the reggae legend was undergoing serious rehabilitation.

Udenze spoke glowingly about the reggae star. “He is really on the rebound and has become an advocate for mental health rehabilitation.”

Majek gave a short but powerful speech, topping it with a rousing performance of his famous hit track *Send Down The Rain.* Describing people living with mental illness as geniuses whose talents should never be neglected, Majek admitted being C M Y K

•Majek Fashek

People living with mental illness are geniuses, says Majek Fashek Majek had an encounter with schizophrenia, but has been through series of therapies and is determined to prove that he is truly on the rebound

helpless with his situation at a stage, requiring him to seek expert help.

He noted that it was normal practice for the mentally ill to seek rehabilitation but abnormal to be allowed to roam the streets without care.

He tasked the Federal Government to step up rehabilitation of mental health patients in the country. Even as he and Ibidapo-Obe called for the introduction of mental health screening for politicians and public health officials in general, he was emphatic that government should not ignore mental health patients because many of them are geniuses.

“Mental health is very important,” he stressed repeatedly. “Mental health is very important in the lives of people and the nation. It (mental health) should not be the yardstick to appreciate or disregard

people. Government should not ignore mental health and should look into rehabilitation of mental health patients as most of them are geniuses with great potentials and talents”.

Majek was emphatic about the need to create a system to manage or rehabilitate mentally ill people while creating avenues to mitigate mental health challenges in the nation in general.

The most commonly diagnosed mental illness in Nigeria is mood disorders.

Misuse of psychoactive substances is also significant while neuropsychiatric disorders contribute towards the total national burden.

It is fact that one out of every four Nigerians will have a mental health disorder during their lifetime even as at least 25 million people who would benefit from mental health services in Nigeria are not being reached.

Earlier, the Acting Medical Director, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Dr Richard Adebayo, urged the Federal Government to institute a Mental Health Act. He said mental health is integral to the stability of every nation and that in the Nigerian context, much of the negative socio-economic issues have severe mental health concerns.

“Health impact is unquantifiable; there is no health without mental health, but it is regrettable that there is no workable and realistic policy direction, and no mental health Act to guide us and protect the rights of our patients.”

The aim of the conference was to facilitate the change process, drawing experience from globalisation as to how change in governance can affect the mental health, productivity, quality of life, allegiance of the citizenry, etc.

PAGE 32—SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

Heaven over hospital:

Dying girl, aged 5, makes a choice Michelle: Julianna, if you get sick again, do you want to go to the hospital again or stay home?

Julianna: Not the hospital.

Michelle: Even if that means that you will go to heaven if you stay home?

Julianna: Yes. Michelle: And you know that mommy and daddy won’t come with you right away? You’ll go by yourself first.

Julianna: Don’t worry. God will take care of me.

Michelle: And if you go to the hospital, it may help you get better and let you come home again and spend more time with us. I need to make sure that you understand that. Hospital may let you have more time with mommy and daddy.

Julianna: I understand.

Michelle: (crying) - I’m sorry, Julianna. I know you don’t like it when I cry. It’s just that I will miss you so much.

Julianna: That’s OK. God will take care of me. He’s in my heart.

Excerpt from Michelle Moon’s blog.

J

ULIANNA Snow is dying of an incurable disease. She’s stable at the moment, but any germ that comes her way, even just the common cold virus, could kill her. She’s told her parents that the next time this happens, she wants to die at home instead of going to hospital for treatment.

If Julianna were an adult, there would be no debate about her case: She would get to decide when to say “enough” to medical care and be allowed to die.

But Julianna is five years old.

Should her parents have let her know how grave her situation is?

C M Y K

Should they have asked her about her end-of-life wishes? And now that those wishes are known, should her parents heed them?

Missing milestones, and a medical mystery When she was nine months old, Julianna’s parents noticed she couldn’t sit up steadily, something most babies can do around six months. At her first birthday, when children typically start to walk, Julianna couldn’t even pull herself up into a standing position.

This worried Michelle Moon, as a mother and a neurologist. “The

worst thing in the world for a neurologist is to not hit your milestones,” she says. “But I tried really hard not to overreact and freak out.”

Julianna’s pediatrician said she was likely just a late walker and would catch up soon. Five percent of children, he noted, don’t walk until they’re 18 months old.

Michelle wanted to believe him, but her mother ’s intuition, or perhaps her neurologist’s training, told her this was something more worrisome. She set out to do her own research, which was a lonely work, because her husband, Steve Snow, an air force pilot, was on a three-month deployment to Korea.

With Julianna’s symptoms — her developmental delays and her somewhat floppy arms and legs — this is what kept popping up: spinal muscular atrophy, a hereditary disease where neurons in the brain and spinal cord are progressively destroyed. Many children with the disease don’t live to see their second birthday.

To get spinal muscular atrophy, a child must inherit a defective gene from both parents. Michelle had herself tested and didn’t have the gene. She was relieved, but stumped. By now Julianna was one and a half and couldn’t walk without the help of a walker, and then only for short distances. Her doctors were mystified, too.

Then Michelle remembered her

If Julianna were an adult, there would be no debate about her case: She would get to decide when to say “enough” to medical care and be allowed to die husband’s funny-looking feet.

A diagnosis, inherited In spring 2004, after flying fighter jets over Baghdad and Kuwait, Air Force Capt. Steve Snow was assigned to Osan Air Base in South Korea. On his first day, not knowing a soul, he headed to the officers’ club in search of company.

That’s when she walked in: Capt.

Michelle Moon, the flight surgeon for his squadron.

Michelle expected Steve to be

wary of her, as pilots often don’t trust the doctors who have the power to ground them. But unlike some other pilots she’d met, Steve was friendly. As they got to know each other, she found him dependable and trustworthy. She sensed in him, she says, a genuine goodness.

The two fell in love and were married in 2006. Two years later, their son Alex was born, and Julianna came along two years after that on August 25, 2010.

Over the years, Michelle had never given her husband’s feet much thought, except to occasionally notice that they were sort of odd looking, with high arches.

But as Michelle searched for the cause of their daughter’s slow development, Steve’s funnylooking feet became the key to solving their daughter’s mystery.

High arches, Michelle remembered, can sometimes be a sign of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a neurodegenerative illness awkwardly named for the French and British doctors who discovered it nearly 130 years ago.

Poor reflexes can be a sign, too, so Michelle took her reflex hammer to her husband’s Achilles tendon. His foot should have responded with a little jerk. But it didn’t move at all. “I thought, uh-

Continues on page 33

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 33

Continued from page 32 oh. You can not have reflexes at 60 or 70, but in your mid-30s?” she remembers.

Michelle brought her husband into her office during lunch hour and attached electrodes to his arms and legs. She found his nerves were slow at sending impulses to his muscles. Another neurologist confirmed her findings and diagnosed Steve with CMT. At first it seemed unbelievable — Steve had been athletic his entire life and now flew fighter jets for a living. Countless doctors had examined him over the years for flight physicals. How could he possibly have nerve damage in his arms and legs? But CMT can sometimes be so mild that it goes unnoticed, even by the person who has it and the doctors examining him.

By some awful quirk of genetics, Steve’s mild case of CMT had manifested as a severe case in his daughter.

In fall 2012, just after Julianna turned 2, Steve and Michelle brought her to the University of Iowa to see Dr. Michael Shy, one of the world’s leading experts on CMT. He explained that the myelin sheath covering her nerves had never formed correctly, and so underneath, her nerves were degenerating, as a wire frays if the insulation around it breaks down.

The severity of CMT depends on the specific genetic mutation that has caused it. Shy tested Julianna and couldn’t find anything amiss, so he sent her DNA to a specialized genetics lab at the University of Miami for a wider search. They couldn’t find anything definitive, either.

This didn’t mean Julianna didn’t have CMT; scientists just haven’t discovered her particular variation. Without knowing what genetic mutation was causing her disease, it was hard to give Michelle and Steve a prognosis.

Maybe, just maybe, she would walk by age 3, in about a year. He had seen it happen.

Watching her daughter ’s decline, Michelle doubted it. But she prayed he was right.

The ‘slow-motion horror story’ By longstanding tradition, when an air force pilot takes his final flight, his colleagues douse him with champagne in celebration as he emerges from the cockpit. Steve had decided to leave the Air Force and his “fini flight,” as it’s called, was set for Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, where the Snow family had recently moved from Texas. It was January 30, 2013, about three months after their visit in Iowa with Shy. Steve didn’t want to stop flying, but being an Air Force pilot means working long hours and transferring frequently from base to base. Steve’s family needed him and it would be much better if they could live in one place, near extended family who could help.

Julianna was getting sicker and sicker and required more attention. Alex, a 4-year-old bundle of energy, needed attention, too.

Julianna...A girl in the throes of death

Dying girl's 'slow motion horror story' Later, Michelle would write in a blog that Steve “sacrificed a career he loved to become Julianna’s main caregiver. ...(He) is simply the most decent human being I know. ... He is my rock star.”

As the last bottle of champagne rained down, Steve became sad, thinking about how he would never again fly the A-10 jet, his favorite aircraft.

He looked out into the crowd for a supportive smile from Michelle, but he couldn’t find her.

He did see Alex and his babysitter, who explained to Steve that Julianna was in the hospital.

Steve ran inside to change out of his wet uniform and drove straight there.

Inside, Julianna was having trouble breathing. What had started as a cold had turned into something more sinister. The doctors assured Steve and Michelle that after a round of antibiotics and some supplemental oxygen through a tube in her nose, she should be back home soon.

But that’s not the way it turned out. In Michelle’s words, a “slowmotion horror story” unfolded as Julianna spent 11 days in the hospital struggling to breathe, most of it in the intensive care unit. She needed more than just a tube of oxygen in her nose; she needed a pressurized mask pumping air into her.

Up until that point, the CharcotMarie-Tooth disease had weakened only Julianna’s arms and legs. Now it was attacking the nerves that controlled her breathing muscles.

The Snow family will always remember Steve’s fini flight as the beginning of a new and horrible chapter in their lives.

The worst was yet to come.

The start of tough choices Dr. Sarah Green was nervous to meet with Steve and Michelle.

Just 33 years old and only four years out of her training, she was relatively new to the delicate task of talking to parents of dying chil-

dren. For difficult discussions like this one, she and her colleagues usually worked in pairs, but on that October day in 2014, there had been a scheduling problem and she was on her own.

Julianna was now 4 and in her third stay in 10 months at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon, where Steve and Michelle had moved to be close to Steve’s parents.

Up until this point, the family had been action-oriented, getting Julianna fitted for a back brace to fix the scoliosis that had developed as a result of her weak muscles, arranging for braces on her ankles and feet in hopes that she might walk one day, making appointments for physical and occupational therapy.

But none of this was helping her get better. In fact, she was getting worse. At 2, she could sit up unsupported and walk with a walker, but now, she couldn’t do either. She once had nearly full use of her arms, but now couldn’t even hold a small toy without help.

At one point she ate food, but now her chewing and swallowing muscles were so weak, she was fed through a tube in her stomach.

In Michelle’s words, a “slow-motion horror story” unfolded as Julianna spent 11 days in the hospital struggling to breathe, most of it in the intensive care unit

Most significantly, it was getting harder and harder for her to breathe and cough. Repeatedly, mucus was settling in her lungs and causing pneumonia.

The doctors had been able to pull Julianna out of it each time, but by definition, because CMT is a progressive disease, her breathing muscles would only get weaker and weaker. If she got another infection, her doctors weren’t sure they’d be able to help.

Green proceeded with the conversation slowly and carefully.

She asked Steve and Michelle: If Julianna were to get another infection, would they want to bring her back to the hospital?

There was a reasonable chance Julianna would die there after being subjected to painful procedures. Even if she lived, it would likely be for a short time, and she’d likely be sedated, unable to think and talk as she could now.

The other option would be for her to stay home and forgo treatment, in which case Julianna would most certainly die. But she would be dying at home and without painful medical interventions.

There was no right or wrong answer, Green told them. The choice was up to them.

Enduring difficult treatment For several months after Julianna was discharged from the hospital, her dolls kept needing to be admitted. Julianna assured them there would be no shots or IVs there, just Band-Aids and new toys.

It was the wishful thinking of a four-year-old, and even she knew it wasn’t real. Over and over, she told her parents how much she hated the hospital, especially “NT,” or naso-tracheal suctioning.

Several times a day in the hospital, a nurse would put a tube down her nose and throat, forcing it past her gag reflex and into her lungs to suck the mucus out of the tiny pockets in her airways. It was too dangerous to sedate her for the procedure, so Julianna had to feel everything.

The task of doing NT suction often fell to nurse Diana Scolaro, who took care of Julianna during all three of her intensive care unit stays at Doernbecher in 2014.

Stronger children usually scream and have to be restrained when someone tries to put the tube down

their nose. But Julianna was so weak all she could do was cry.

When she was done, Scolaro would say to Julianna, “Rest now, baby. Maybe you can make it two hours before we have to do it again.”

But she seldom lasted that long.

“It’s not for the faint of heart to take what she took,” Scolaro says.

When Julianna told her parents how much she hated NT suctioning, her mother tried to make her understand why they’d done it. “I told her that even though it was really hard in the hospital, it let her get better and come back home to us, so wasn’t it worth it?”

Michelle remembers.

Julianna would never answer.

That’s when Michelle decided to have a conversation about heaven.

Michelle asked Julianna, then four years old, if she were to get very sick again, did she want to go back for more treatments, or did she want to die at home?

Julianna’s answer was loud and clear. She chose heaven over the hospital.

Now Michelle and Steve had to decide: Would they abide by her wishes?

Debate The five-year old has never been healthy enough to attend Sunday school at the City Bible Church in Portland, Oregon, where the family belongs; so most of what she knows about heaven, she knows from her parents.

They tell her that heaven is where she’ll be able to run and play and eat, none of which she can do now. Heaven is where she’ll meet her great-grandmother, who shared Julianna’s love of shiny, sparkly, mismatched clothes.

God will be in heaven, too, they tell her, and he will love her even more than they do.

But Michelle and Steve explain that they won’t be in heaven when Julianna arrives there, and neither will her big brother, Alex.

She’ll go to heaven before them because of her incurable neurodegenerative illness.

Her coughing and breathing muscles are so weak that the next time she catches even a cold, the infection could settle in her lungs, where it could cause a deadly pneumonia. Her doctors believe that if they can save her under those circumstances — and that’s a big if — she will likely end up sedated on a respirator with very little quality of life.

There’s no debate about the medical facts of Julianna’s condition. But there is debate about something her parents have chosen to do: They asked their daughter, at the age of 4, if she would want to go to the hospital the next time she becomes dangerously ill, or would she want to stay home, where she would die.

Julianna has said she doesn’t want to go to the hospital. She wants to go to “heaven.”

Before having these discussions with her daughter, Michelle looked online for guidance about end-of-life talks with a 4-year-old.

Finding nearly nothing, she started a blog of her own in hopes of helping other families in the same situation.

•Source: CNN Health Section

PAGE 34 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

Whither the Nigerian economic direction?

BY ABDUL RAZAK ODUNLADE

I

t is not in doubt that Ni geria is in crucial eco nomic times. Any keen observer must therefore be concerned about the prospects of Lagos State which controls the largest share of the Nigerian economy. Lagos is, in many ways, the nation’s gateway to global business.

On a general note, the economic situation in the country has clearly worsened over the last few years for a variety of reasons. First is the decline in crude oil prices from $120 per barrel in June 2014 to the current $48 per barrel, which invariably has exposed the weakened structure of the Nigerian economy. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, GDP growth slowed to 2.35% as at this year’s second quarter, compared to the 6.54% in the corresponding period in 2014.

The violence and acts of terror in the North-East part of Nigeria has also created an unprecedented instability, without forgetting the concerns relating to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which also added to the uncertainty in the country.

These issues have resulted in, amongst many things, the funding crisis among the State governments, from which, remarkably, Lagos has been spared. Consumer demand is weakening according to our retailers and this suggests that we may not return to high single digit growth quickly, let alone the double figures that we desire.

This current downturn just adds to the existing problems of inadequate power supply, poor infrastructure, more than half of the population living in poverty and significant levels of unemployment. The effects of the crisis are being felt at all levels of society but as is often the case, it is the poorest that are particularly vulnerable.

However, Lagos appears to be enjoying the presence of a strong private sector which is poised to consolidate the state’s clear edge over others especially in the key areas of job creation and thereby allow hundreds of thousands of young graduates and youths to enjoy brighter future prospects.

It is pertinent to stress that while it is not the role of government to create employment directly - especially in a country like Nigeria with a small tax base and reduced oil receipts, there is still much that the government can do.

The first important consideration, therefore, is the need to make Nigeria more competitive. The cost of doing

business in Nigeria is high.

We often think we are a low cost economy because wages are low but the truth is that businesses here face very high costs. The most obvious high input cost is power where manufacturers and other businesses have to pay twice the rate per kilowatt hour than the grid in order to provide the continuous power they need. There are other high costs too relating to infrastructure which means logistics are incredibly difficult for business. Even our wage costs are deceptive because we have low productivity.

Foreign investors have a choice and if we don’t measure up, the investment and jobs will simply go elsewhere.

Similarly our companies struggle to export with a high cost base - and if the Naira is strong this makes exports still less competitive.

Another issue is that of our currency. The Naira has been under pressure since the oil price collapsed and has already suffered a 25% devaluation. The Black Market rates are suggesting a further devaluation could take place and that business is difficult to do at the official rate. This is causing problems for any company that deals with the world beyond Nigeria - not just foreign companies. And new investors will not buy into the country if they fear a sudden devaluation. It makes sense for them to wait. Business leaders are saying that we cannot delay the inevitable and unnecessary pain is being caused in the meantime.

Equally important is the need to do something about the ease of doing business in Nigeria. The World Bank ranks Nigeria at 170th in its index. This is not good enough for a country with our level of ambition and expectation. This is another factor weakening our competitiveness. In some crucial areas we are even worse –for example, on registration of property, we rank 185th. This is one of a number of areas where Lagos must revolutionize the current position through an ambitious investment in a new digital land administration system.

We need bold moves like this to make a difference. It will pay for itself in extra land taxes and very quickly too.

And then there is the issue of security. The perception of our country is tarnished by terrorist attacks and violent crimes. The public sector has a non-negotiable duty to protect its people and government must not tolerate unacceptable behaviour.

Yet, we can glean from some foreign investors that Nigeria appears to be adopting an attitude which is too insular and protectionist. But opin-

•Governor Ambode

We need to institute economic policies that engender an allinclusive growth. An estimated 70% of Nigerians, 125million people, live below the poverty line. This is an important consideration for any economic activities to be instituted by the managers of the Nigerian economy ions from other local producers favour protectionist policies such as tariffs and banning the importation of some products. However, in some cases rather than protecting local industry it can protect inefficiency, poor quality and high prices which create a significant cost for us all as consumers. Trade barriers are usually met with more trade barriers from neighboring countries, thereby increasing everyone’s costs.

What then should government do differently? We need the investors to come into our country. This will create jobs and wealth at all levels of the economy and all over the country.

In the longer term we have a range of areas in which to

invest to help drive the economy. The obvious ones, of course, are: more reliable power supply and the need to reduce the chronic traffic problems by investing in the transport system. Then concerted efforts must be made to lower the current interest rates. The average lender borrows at interest rates of upwards of 20% per annum, which really is not sustainable.

The recent introduction of the Treasury Single Account by the Federal Government and some states like Lagos is a step in the right direction.

We need to institute economic policies that engender an all-inclusive growth. An estimated 70% of Nigerians, 125million people, live below the poverty line. This is an important consideration for any economic activities to be instituted by the managers of the Nigerian economy.

We must applaud and support the President’s drive to end corruption which has a corrosive effect on business at all levels. It is a critical weakness that makes it hard for everyone to do business in Nigeria.

Equally we must not forget the long term drivers. Our youth is our future. Our demographics are seen as favourable as we have an increasing proportion of the population at working age and a smaller dependent population. We must invest in our youth - their education, their health and improve the security of the society in which

they live so they are ready for the opportunities on offer.

However, we cannot only invest in the long term. While we must be far sighted, we must also brave and take action now where we can. We must think globally and start now to build our capability to compete globally. We must listen to what business leaders are saying about our economic policies including our attempts to protect our indigenous producers and our currency. Some are saying the negative side effects of these policies are worse than the ills they are meant to cure. We must listen and look at the big picture and take such views into account. Fundamentally we should look out to the rest of the world and compete with it - not look inward. We have the biggest population and the largest economy in Africa.

Having risen to the initial challenge of traffic management occasion apparently by the heavy downpour and recalcitrant officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Governor Akinwunmi Ambode must now work with his new cabinet to fulfill his recent promise to take action in the short term to improve security, further reduce traffic congestion and work with the private sector to create jobs. The desirable quick-wins are to improve the lives of citizens while at the same time investing for Lagos and Nigeria of the future.

Odunlade, a public affairs analyst, lives in Lagos

SUNDAY

Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 35

ECHOES OF BIAFRA WAR

How Nigeria repaid Egypt for her support, 48 years after — Ambassador Salama •Says his country can help host-nation boost tourism, tame Boko Haram

By VICTORIA OJEME

A

shraf Salama is the Ambassador of Egypt to Nigeria. In this inter view, Salama speaks on the relationship between both countries spanning several decades, but says so much can still be done.

Tell us the state of the relations between Nigeria and Egypt The relationship between Nigeria and Egypt is very strong and old; historic.

Egypt has always been on the side of Nigeria since independence. During the civil war (started in 1967), Egypt was one of the countries that supported Nigeria and, recently, when Egypt had problems with the African Union during which her membership was suspended, Nigeria was one of the countries that supported Egypt to go back to the African Union.

We really have a lot to share together on the economic front, we are encouraging investors to see the opportunities and potentials between the two countries. On culture, Egypt and Nigeria have so much in common because we have the same texture of population; we have Christians and Muslims coexisting in Egypt which is also the same in Nigeria.

What areas of the relationship is the Egypt government looking at improving?

When you look at the strategies and procedures to improve the relationship between the two countries, they are integrated. For example, we always take common stands at international fora. People say both countries support each other in many fields. Having found that our opposition to certain crises in the continent or the world is that we do not have coordination and political consultation, we had the first round of political consultation between both

•Salama...Nigeria, Egypt can collaborate to tackle insecurity ministries of foreign affairs in both countries two years ago.

And on the economy, there should be fora, seminars and a lot of official visits from both countries for each other to explore the possibilities.

Nigeria is yet to be known by many countries for what it can offer apart from oil to the world. My position as an ambassador is to also introduce my country and my countrymen to see how great this country is. One important thing that I want to happen is incorporation in the health sector. We have a lot of factors and experienced doctors and nurses in Egypt and we have some of them here in Nigeria.

How many Egyptian doctors do we have in Nigeria?

I can’t really say this is the specific number, but we have over a hundred doctors in many states and there are more needed because Egyptian doctors are very qualified and worldwide known for their expertise.

They are highly professional and it is very good for Nigeria to share this to improve the health sector.

What is the trade volume between Nigeria and Egypt?

Not very high because the

declared volume is not significant, but there are private investments going on that are not declared, but it is like 152 to 100 million dollars a year; so we need to work on it more in a more pragmatic way.

Tourism in Egypt is a money spinning venture.

How can Egypt assist Nigeria to develop its tourism

We have a lot of security and training courses and Nigerians can benefit from this

sector?

Nigeria is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited in my life. It has potentials for tourism, culture and many aspects that a tourist will like to come and visit, but the point is the rumour about Nigeria, and so tourists don’t come; so we need to work on that; the media should improve on the image of Nigeria to give Nigeria its real image and play down on the shortcomings because every country has its shortcomings.

What happens in Nigeria is completely different from what you hear when you are abroad. So we really need to correct this. The media has a great role to play in improving the image of Nigeria. It needs to improve beautiful but unexplored places like Yankari, Kainji Dam, the reserves parks in Obudu mountains and the cattle ranches there. Lagos is a beauty; with its lagoons, it is something I have never seen.

Akwa Ibom has beautiful places that are not known to anybody. When you go on the internet and look for tourist attractions in Nigeria, you don’t find anything. But if you look at Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania, you find a lot of touristic places and Nigeria has a lot more to give to the world.

Nigeria really needs to do that and ensure peace, credibility and security for the tourist coming.

So we could help in that but we need Nigeria first to do its homework, by showing its real image to the world. Also we have canals, we are the oldest country in the world in irrigation. We can bring engineers from Egypt for irrigation.

Talking about insecurity that Nigeria faces at the moment, is the Egyptian government seeking to assist Nigeria in any way?

Every country has its security challenges and Nigeria is not an exception.

There are so many countries around Nigeria, there are so many countries around Egypt as well which have security challenges. We will be very

happy to coordinate in tackling the challenges because Egypt can help Nigeria and Nigeria can help Egypt with information, knowledge, experience and training. We have a lot of security and training courses and Nigerians can benefit from this.

Nigeria just celebrated its 55th independence anniversary. What areas do you think the administration should focus on?

I am very glad with what has occurred in the Nigerian political arena in the last few months. It showed the whole world how Nigeria could develop its democracy and in a very transparent way.

This is not only a thing of pride for Nigeria but also for the whole of Africa; the peaceful transfer of power from PDP to APC was a very impressive action that I really praise Nigeria for. I think Nigeria is moving in a very positive way; corruption that has always been around is going to minimize in many ways; there is good vision of how to improve the lives of Nigerians and that is what Nigerians need. It is a very big task but I am sure that the new administration is capable of handling the situation.

Your government has been accused of human rights violation. What do you have to say about this?

After our revolution in 2011, we have been confronting so many challenges from terrorists or the big powers that don’t want Egypt to progress but Egyptians have made history in politics.

Egyptians chose a ruler and, when the ruler was going to take them down, they couldn’t wait for another three years and they just asked him to leave. This made some people unhappy, and they attacked Egypt in many ways. We had another election which produced a new president who is loved by everybody. I can’t say we have violation of human rights at the moment compared to many countries that claim democracy and transparency, they have a lot worse.

PAGE 36—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

MAN TACKLES DISCOS

‘Electricity tariff hike breaches review provisions’

clusters nationwide. Nigerians are very hard-working and productive people. Even on a competitive basis. We have actively, about 2000 manufacturing companies today, in Nigeria that are MAN members in various areas of the manufacturing. The average capacity in our factories presently is about 53 percent. But it has dropped because of the recent challenges we had on the foreign exchange ban on about 41 items by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), that affected some basic raw materials required by manufacturers to power the industries. So if a manufacturer does not have the basic material required definitely capacity will drop. Just imagine our people producing full capacity to what is already here, our contribution to the Gross Domestic Products GDP will jump to about 40 percent.

*Says manufacturing plunges deeper

BY YINKA AJAYI Amid the fall in global oil price, the Director General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria MAN, Mr. Remi Ogunmefun, in this interview, says there is need for President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to hit the ground running by initiating infrastructural projects. Excerpts:

H

ow do you rate manufacturers’ performance on the economy following the crash of global oil price?

It has been difficult since the price of crude oil dropped.

Manufacturers can no longer afford to bring in the basic raw materials needed for our industries due to high exchange rate. Many manufacturers are going through very difficult times. However, we in the sector will continue to give our best to help the economic agenda of government. We are committed to providing goods required for our factories, so as to rely less on importation. The drop in oil price is adding to the numerous challenges we face as an industry.

How do you mean?

Initially, we had a challenge of electric power which everyone is aware of. We don’t have the required power to run industries.

So our people have had to rely on alternatives such as generators or gas.

There is also the lack of infrastructure. The rail service is not efficient enough. There is the problem of bad roads, inadequate water supply required for industries and then security. These are very serious problems. Yet, we are committed to making Nigeria one of the best countries in the world.

There is the clamour, even from your quarters, urging government to implement policies that would discourage importation. What actually propped this agitation?

We are a consuming nation, and, most times what we don’t produce, we import. But the goal of MAN is to make sure that what we need in Nigeria, is produced locally. From toiletries, to furniture, iron rods, roofing materials among others, products that are produced in Nigeria need not be imported. I have had argument on this in the past, particularly if those products can be manufactured here in sufficient quantity. If we have improved infrastructure and there is accessibility to funds at about 22-25 percent interest rate, single digit like seven to nine percent maximum, these could help manufacturers who plan to expand their factories as well as attract new investments into Nigeria.

But many investors shy away because of infrastructural

deficiencies and other issues which we are all familiar with.

Recently President Muhammadu Buhari laid a foundation for infrastructural development in Rivers State.

How can that help in global competitiveness among Nigerian manufacturers ?

It would definitely take time.

Those importers we are competing with, have infrastructure that are well developed. They don’t have problem of power, or rail system in transporting their products, they don’t have any problem with their ports, be it air or sea. Goods are cleared within a day or two.

They don’t have the problem or shortage of skills required for their industries. They don’t have all these problems and we are competing with them. So you can understand the reason many of

Mr. Remi Ogunmefun Nigeria, you create jobs for our teaming youths and unemployed graduates.

Every indigenous manufacturer should be exporting to the world. We ought to see Nigerian products all over the world

us are crying for the development of our infrastructure. I make bold to say, if we improve on our infrastructure today and we have access to sufficient power supply, which is very critical, and our roads are good, and we have effective rail system, security and water, then Nigerian manufacturers can compete with any others in the world. But with the situation on ground, it will be difficult for us to compete and many manufacturers will be force to shut down their factories, if it continue in this manner. What many importers don’t understand is that anytime they import products into Nigeria, they are shifting Nigerian jobs abroad.

Naturally, once you produce in

But there is a make-believe that made in Nigeria products are inferior to imported ones.

What do you say to this?

It’s a thing of the mind. As a DG of MAN, I still use locally made toilet soaps and cream that are of superior quality to that of foreign manufacturers. So, Nigerians should start taking their minds away from that paradigm of imported products being better and start looking inwards to appreciate the benefits of our made in Nigeria products.

This is what will make Nigeria great.

What do you then make of building collapses in recent times traceable to substandard building materials in Nigeria?

That is the make believe of some people and I feel very bad about it. Nigerian steel industry is still developing and we have a responsible steel industry. The iron rods manufactured in Nigeria are very good and are certified by Standard Organization of Nigeria SON and other international organizations.

I feel it’s high time Nigerians started looking at iron rods imported into the country to see if they are of good quality. We observe that some of them are even lower in quality to Nigerian made iron rods.

The just concluded Nigeria Economic Summit, NES, has come and gone. How will you describe its impact so far?

It was a good conference but manufacturers were mere participants. Nevertheless, it had a great impact particularly in reawakening Nigerians about the economic difficulties and opportunities in Nigeria, as well as the way forward. The essence

of every conference is to share ideas and be able to proffer solutions on how to solve these problems. We hope it would continue.

You have been part of many fora on national discourse on leadership in Nigeria. What is your view concerning the need for economic restructuring in Nigeria?

Economic restructuring in Nigeria for me is a way to go. We have been so dependent on oil, thereby running a monolithic economy. The issue on ground presently is the continual fall of oil price which has brought us to where we are. The oil price is volatile. So what we need to do as a nation, which is what we have been talking about over the years, is to diversify our economy.

But how do we diversify? By going to the real sectors. Where is the real sector? Manufacturing and agriculture. They are the productive sectors. These are the sectors that are the future of Nigerian economy. These are the sectors that need to be developed and empowered, so that people could be producing. What we should be doing is what Chinese people did. They don’t have oil, India does not have oil, and yet they are exporting to the world and are making money for their country. That is exactly what Nigeria should do. Every indigenous manufacturer should be exporting to the world. We ought to see Nigerian products all over the world.

Do you think Nigerian manufacturers have the capacity to export to the world like her counterparts overseas?

Why not! We do have the capacity. Once we get the fundamentals correctly. With the basics for manufacturing on ground, like infrastructure, sufficient electric power supply, good roads, industrial zones

How achievable can manufacturers under your umbrella make up to 40 percent of the nation’s GDP? If manufacturers in China can be adding about 46-50 per cent to the country’s GDP, why can’t Nigeria achieve it! We are very hard-working people. Today, Nigerian manufacturers are contributing about 9.2 per cent to our GDP. We can have a progressive match to the target of 40 per cent if we are determined.

China had this exact challenge 34 years ago. China was in shambles too. No roads, infrastructural decadence stirred at them in the face. In fact, people used to call it a grey country because they had nothing. It was a country full of bicycle riders, but they made their country what it is today by working first on their infrastructures and opened their country for investments.

That was how American and European companies went there.

They built factories and industries sprang up all over the place.

They had very friendly investment policies and the rest is history today. I am one out of a million that believes it is achievable in Nigeria, once infrastructure and other basic requirements that will make manufacturing convenient are put in place. If all government policies are well defined and are friendly to manufacturers, the sky will be our starting point in Nigeria.

What do you make of the decision by electricity distribution companies to increase tariff?

As far as MAN is concerned, we have an existing tariff that is not due for review until 2017. Then we can discuss either to increase or reduce tariff because you can never know what the situation will bring. People keep saying they should increase tariff; why can’t it be reduced! It baffles me and I don’t understand how it came about. The DISCOs should not take Nigerians for a ride because we are operating under difficult times and difficult environment. The issue of increase in tariff on electricity is unacceptable and Nigerians should not tolerate any situation where an increase is forced on us.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 37

Bailout, economic recession and the way forward

BY YOMI OBADITAN “The non-oil Nigerian economy has become a slumbering colossus which would now awaken. “ he above quotation made

by Paul Collier, a professor of development economics at Oxford University ought to stir our political leaders into actions to dig deeper into other areas of economy, apart from oil, so as to fully exploit God-given potential resources, tap them with all urgency, in order to avert the economic downturn that is already knocking at our door steps. The Republic of China is the most populous nation in the world.

China Independence was 11 years ahead of Nigeria. Despite the population and needs, the country is more like a nation that granted us independence from the success it has recorded all round, which made her the third best economy in the world.

A critical analysis of Nigeria’s infantility could be laid at the doorstep of absence of good leadership. After 55 years of our political independence, we remain a toddler, trailing behind countries such as Singapore, South Korea, Iran Soth Africa, India and Ghana who were at the same level of development with us then. The failure of leadership robbed us of the benefits that came calling in the last 30 years, when oilproducing nations were harvesting oil wealth. It is true that we have elite billionaires among us, but the truth of the matter is that a great number of them robbed the nation of the financial benefits that ought to have been utilised for the good of all. A nation that once boasted that money was not its problem, is today castrated by external and internal debts. Just as the states could not afford paying their workers, Federal workers are suffering from the same malady. Our currency is almost becoming an ordinary paper when compared with American dollars or British pound sterling.

While the world were mocking us and sending aids to us for water and light as Fela Ransom Kuti once predicted, our economic managers under former President Goodluck Jonathan were deceiving the nation with blatant lies that our economy was growing and the best in Africa and the tenth best in the World. In the middle of the so-called vodoo economy, seventy percent (70% )of our youths were either unemployed or some under employed. 90 % of our industries have been closed down or moving totally from our country to our neighbouring countries with more stable power supply. Yet, it is on record that over $70 billion had been spent on power without any improvement. The Ndidi Elumelu Committee on Power at the then House of Representatives, while probing $16 billion investment on power sector, recommended that former Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, former Cross River Governor Liyel Imoke and the then CBN Governor, Professor Charles Soludo and former Governor of Gombe, Ibrahim Dankwanbo, as well as Special Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mr. Joseph Makoju should be tried. Nothing

products are competing with major industrial countries globally. China Indepence is 11 years older than ours. If China is not a bankcrupt nation despite her population of about 1.3 billion, we have no excuse to fail either.

T

•President Buhari was done till date.

While the oil boom was here in the 1980s under the regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, the excess crude oil gain were wasted. The sum of $12.8 billion were said to be missing. The Pius Okigbo report indicted Babangida, but till date, nothing monetary was recovered. The outsted regime of Jonathan did worse over the missing oil money; instead for the then President to investigate the allegation, he went after the whistle blower, the then CBN Governor, now Emir of Kano, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. Today, the American government, who Jonathan vowed would have exposed the thief, if the sum of $20 billion was missing, has since given names and documents to President Muhammadu Buhari over the oil thieves in Nigeria. It is an irony that in 1961, when world oil price was $1.57, we were living comfortably as a people, than in 2010, when world oil price was 109.45. It is a painful experience which must be told that the more money we make, the worse the condition of the citizens.

In 1980, 25% of Nigerians live below poverty level. In 2007, 78% of Nigerians lived beyond poverty level and in 2010, 69% of Nigerians lived below poverty level. In 2011, 89% of Nigerian lived below poverty level. 70% of our youths are affected by this poverty.

CONSEQUENCE OF OUR POVERTY The failure of our leaders aided the high numbers of jobless ablebodied men and women that can still contribute their own quotas to the economy. The national income of Nigeria is said to be around N4 triliion. However, the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, declared that if every adult that are above 18 years of age is gainfully engaged to earn N20,000 per month, at the end of the year, they will be able to contribute N16 trillion to the nation’s treasury. But the issue of unemployment has not been

taken seriously.

This unemployment that the former President Olusegun Obasanjo sees as a time bomb that may trigger revolution, similar to the Arab springs that could consume the political elites.

It was Nehru Ghandhi that stated: “Poverty is the mother of crime”. Our nation is fighting crime of various kinds. Instead for the government to address the root cause of crime, such as abject

A lot of noise have been made about diversification of economy, but no serious step has been taken. Some see agriculture as alternative to oil . But how far have we as a nation gone over the diversification exercise? poverty, unemployment, shortage of power, closure of industries, urban migration, and over population, as well as increase of illitracy caused by nonavailability of education. In the North West and North East of Nigeria, a high percentage of the school aged have no access to western education. That gave room for pools where the Islamic fundamentalists got their recruitment. Almost a daily occurence, bomb goes up, killing innocent citizens, even in their homes and at work places. The economic and social implications of this insurgency will take another ten years to reorder. The numbers of the displaced persons are growing daily, with the economic recession, that part of the country may for a long time to come not witness development.

BEYOND BAILOUT

The Buhari administration has given over N700 billion out to salvage the states that could not pay their workers’ salaries, despite the financial intervention, the workers are still groaning over non-payment of salaries. Even the governors have returned to the President that the bailout is not enough.

The question is what is the way out? Apart from oil revenue, is there other thing that can lift the nation and the people out of the economic recession? Although the CBN Governor has told the nation that we may be heading for economics recession, while the truth is that we are in the economy recession already.

A lot of noise have been made about diversification of economy, but no serious step has been taken. Some see agriculture as alternative to oil . But how far have we as a nation gone over the diversification exercise?

Comparatively speaking, nations like Japan, which has 1% oil that contribute to their economy.

Japan’s major revenue are derived from minerals such as iron, silica sand, pyrophyllite clay and limestones. Japan produces 60% ot its foods. However, its technology has developed to a higher degree that they are among the best in automobile, medical equipment, Electronics and in chemical production. It is these products that have been the source of their revenue. The leadership they have gave them the impetus that made them ahead of their former adversaries after the 1948 bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Some other nations that diversified their economy include; China, India,, Mexico, and Indonesia.

CHINA has nothing less than 171 mineral resources namely; coal, iron,copper, aluminium, stibium, molybdenum, maganese, tin, lead, zinc, and mercury to mention a few. China is among the top three economies in the world today because they utilised maximally their mineral resources. Their industrial

NIGERIA MINERAL RESOURCES Nigeria is blessed with many resources these include; tin, oil, copper, zinc, coal gold marble, celica, clay limestone. Etc. The locations of some of these mineral resources are as follows; Abia state- has oil and salt Akwa Ibom- has petroleum, salt, iron, coal, gold, clay, limestone, laterate.

Anambra- has iron ore, limestone, ccoal, marble, and celica.

Bauchi has columbites, gold, cassilitrite, coal, limestone and marble.

Embonyi has cement,, lead, zinc and salt Ogun has limestone, chalk,, phosphate, clay, koolne stones.

Osun has marble, tin, gold and columbite Oyo has tin, gold, columbite and marble Plateau is said to be the cradle of tin, and the mining has long be on, almost all the other states have various mineral resources.

Ironically, just as Russian poet, Nekrasov described Russia as “ wretched and abundance” Nigeria is wretched in abundance. At the beginning of oil drilling in Ghana, Ghanians stated that the discovery of oil will not be a curse like that of Nigeria.

TOURISM The tourist centres that offer recreational, leisure and resort facilities are all over Nigeira. In Yankari Games Reserve and tourism. Rojenmy Tourist and Game village in Oba, Anambra, Olumo Rock, Abeokuta, Ikogosi warm spring, Whispering Palms, Obudu Mountain resort Tinapa, the Olumirin water fall,, the Osun Osogbo annual festival and a host of others. All the aforementioned could be the best option, if we will diversify timeously. Although, a lot has been said of agricultural investment, we need to cultivate rice if we are serious in banning its importation in two years time.

ENTREPRENEURS Now that our economy can no longer provide jobs for the large number of army of youths, the alternative is to create avenue for enterprise, where the government both at the states and at the centre train and provide funds for youths to start businesses on their own. Within a short time the economy will not only be awaken, but unemployment will be wipe out of existence.

The artisans should be assisted through the micro finance operatives in collaboration with the governments.

Tax payment must be done or carry out. Nations all over the world have made tax payment a compulsory duty. Every adult must pay tax. In other developed economies, tax evaders are treated as criminals. Tax laws must be reviewed. Experts have told us that world oil price cannot rise above $50 per barrel but the likelihood that it might fall as low as $20. We must look beyond the bailout fund into how we can get out of the woods timeously.

PAGE 38—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

THE CBN/SANUSI NAIRA DEVALUATION DEBATE

Apex bank’s forex regime creating more problems for the economy – LCCI DG STORIES BY UDEME CLEMENT

J

ust few weeks after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) raised alarm that Nigeria’s economy was sliding into a recession, and may hit full recessionary period in 2016, if measures were not put in place to boost the rate of growth, the former governor of CBN, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has called for further devaluation of the Naira.

While Sanusi stressed that further devaluation of the local currency becomes necessary to absorb shock in the system, as the economy is currently in a slow down, the current CBN’s governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, said earlier that another devaluation of the Naira will bring a telling effect on the economy and severe hardship for the citizens.

He explained that the CBN initially devalued the naira by using monetary policy to address the seeming economic crisis in the country, as a result of falling oil prices. He added that the local currency was devalued in an attempt to manage exchange rate, in order to ensure stability in the system.

In the same vein, the World Bank has raised alarm over the state of Nigeria’s economy, saying pragmatic steps must be taken to shore up the economy, in order to prevent it from going into a recession.

Expert’s opinion: In a chat with Sunday Vanguard in Lagos, the Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Muda Yusuf, said, “My view is that the CBN’s approach to management of the forex market has created more problems for Nigeria’s economy than it has solved. The reason being that, it has not resulted in transparency issues in forex allocation; stopping of round tripping because of the huge disparity in rates; liquidity problem, as it is very difficult to access foreign exchange, even for items that are valid for forex.

There is absence of a level playing field and there is uncertainty in the system, as the forex market has become very unpredictable.”

He explained, “Our country’s risk rating has also taken a hit. It has had a profound negative effect on many businesses in the country.The CBN had fixed an exchange rate, which the apex bank itself lacks the capacity to support in terms of supply. Its policies also represent a major obstruction to inflow of autonomous foreign exchange.

It is a very unusual model. The CBN got itself needlessly entangled in a complex web of trade policy issues, which have caused varying degrees of dislocations for investors in the economy across the broad spectrum of large, medium and small enterprises.”

“My submission is that the CBN should return to status quo and focus on creation of a foreign exchange market that is efficient, transparent, predictable and market driven, to enhance economic growth and development. The apex bank should thereafter work in concert with other economic ministries like Finance, Trade and Investment, Planning

Commission and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to articulate fiscal policy measures to fix sectoral, productivity and competitiveness issues in the economy”.

Naira devaluation and investments outflow: Moreso, the economy has experienced huge investments outflow following declining oil prices and devaluation of the naira. Already, investors have pulled investments estimated at a monetary value of N4.9trillion from the economy, even as more foreign investors withdrew N846.53 billion investments from the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), due to what they described as uncertainty in Nigeria’s economy.

Naira devaluation and exchange rate: When Sunday Vanguard visited some Bureau de Change (BDC) outfits within Lagos metropolis, it was observed that the naira currently exchanges for between 215 and 220 at the black market, while the inter-banks rate is about N197 to 1$. The CBN carried out the first stage of Naira devaluation in the last quarter of 2014 fiscal year, as oil prices fell at the international market and

• Mr. Muda Yusuf the government announced austerity measures to tax people enjoying luxury goods in the country. The CBN then devalued the Naira from N155 official exchange rate to N168 per dollar, increased lending rate from 12 to 13 per cent and the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) for private sector deposit from 15per cent to 20 per cent.

Naira devaluation and economic implications: The economic implication of the Naira devaluation was instant depreciation of the Naira, as exchange rate increased from N155 to about N230 per dollar at the black market, and people

The CBN fixed an exchange rate, which the apex bank itself lacks the capacity to support in terms of supply. Its policies also represent a major obstruction to inflow of autonomous foreign exchange began to pile up dollars in their houses. Also, entrepreneurs, especially manufacturers dealing with imported raw materials experienced high cost of getting materials for production, following the depreciation of the Naira.

World Bank/IMF perspective: It could be recalled that in the last quarter of 2014, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had predicted slow growth rate for Nigeria in 2015. The IMF prediction was based on

events that surrounded the economic front, from the drop in oil prices to declining foreign reserve and insecurity in some parts of the country, preventing inflow of Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) into Nigeria.

Statistical overview of declining oil prices from 2014 last quarter to 2015: The crude oil prices declined from over $120 per barrel in the last quarter of 2014 to $100 pb; from $100 to $85pb; from $85$pb to $80; from $80pb to $73pb and from $73 to $54pb.

Another resultant effect of falling oil prices on the economy was a slash in 2015 budget by N235 billion, from N482 trillion to N466 trillion, as against N4, 724.69 in 2014. The Finance Ministry also approved $5 per barrel reduction in 2015 budget benchmark from $78 to $73 per barrel in line with the economic realities. At present, there is so much uncertainty in Nigeria’s economy.

The way forward: For economic experts, the way forward is to diversify the economy into non-oil sectors to develop the real sector, saying that the shock the economy is experiencing now is the aftermath of the drop in crude oil prices, which started in the last quarter of 2014. Government has also been advised to ensure proper coordination of fiscal and monetary policies to move the economy forward, even as government should begin to address fiscal imbalance in the system.

‘Government has master plan to develop Delta’

I

ndigenes of Delta State have been called upon to support the efforts of the incumbent governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, in turning around the economy of Delta State for greater prosperity.

The Special Assistant to the governor on sports, Mr. Adode Godwin, made this known after the election tribunal judgement on Delta State governorship election in favour of Okowa, saying the governor has mapped out a master plan to develop the state, in order to create jobs for the people.

He said, “It is time for Delta State to move forward and focus on more important economic issues needed to ensure rapid development for all the

• Gov. Okowa indigenes, irrespective of political party affiliation to benefit. All stakeholders including opposition politicians should join hands and work towards the progress of the State.

It is a known fact that there can only be one captain in a ship to pilot the affairs, so, Delta must be stable for investors to harness the vast natural resources abound in the state, apart from oil. The governor is already working very hard and putting measures in place to develop the state, by opening up the area for economic activities as well as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to thrive.”

He added, “One of the ways through which the government will enhance human capital development in Delta will be by improvement of technology and full engagement of youths in sports activities, capable of making them productive to the

State and the country at large.

Economic growth and development of Delta is the top priority of this government, all hands must be on deck to ensure that Delta central politicians work together for the greater good of the State. The era of a non Urhobo man as governor is over, as Delta belongs to all of us irrespective of ethnic background. Okowa is ready to fast track development in the state.

The earlier he gets support of all the people in Delta, the better for the entire state.

Okowa has extended a hand of partnership to all other opposition parties in the state, to join him in moving Delta forward for greater economic growth and development.”

DHL launches new facility in Port Harcourt

I

n a bid to expand its operational capacity to meet the increasing customers’ demands, DHL Global Forwarding Nigeria has launched 1,029sqm bonded warehouse in Port Harcourt area of Rivers State.

Speaking during the launching where numerous customers from oil and gas sector of the economy turned out to witness, the Port Harcourt branch manager of DHL, Maureen Adibuah, said that Port Harcourt is the nerve centre of oil and gas business in Nigeria, and as a result, all the International oil and gas companies doing business in the country have their operational headquarters in the city, that the new facility would be utilised by these firms. “The facility would house Customs personnel and other officials, thereby reducing the time-frame for oil and gas sensitive shipments. With its team of oil and gas experts, DHL

From left: Mrs. Heather Frankle, Managing Director, DHL Global Forwarding Nigeria: Mr. Olusola Pearce, Director DHL Global Forwarding and Otunba Adenike Wole-Ajibode Chairman of the company, at the launching of the new bonded warehouse in Port Harcourt. customer-centric is committed to easing the solutions to Port clearing process for its Harcourt”, he said. customers. DHL is known He added, “With subworldwide as a trend setter in Saharan Africa logistics industry and is bringing continuing to emerge as about innovative as well as

a growth market, and Nigeria playing a major role in this, DHL is committed to concentration on organic growth by investing in the continent. The launch of the facility in Port Harcourt would accelerate Customs clearance of customer’s shipments, reduction in our customer’s operating expenses, weekly transfer of shipments from handling companies (SAHCOL & NAHCO) with constant security updates. We are here to serve our customers and this would guarantee speedy transactions in an otherwise tough business environment.

DHL commits its expertise in international express, air, ocean freight, road/rail transportation, contract logistics and international mail services to its customers. It has a global network with more than 220 countries and territories. The company has a workforce of over 285,000 employees worldwide offering customers superior service quality to satisfy their supply chain requirements. DHL accepts its social responsibility by supporting environmental protection, disaster management and education.”

SUNDAY

Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 39

My pact with Nigerians,

by Prof. Yakubu, new INEC Chairman

BY HENRY UMORU

A

new Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, and five National Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), last week, scaled the Senate screening.

The National Commissioners are Amina Bala Zakari, who was acting INEC chairs as representative of the NorthWest; Dr. O Taiye Okoosi (Kogi), North-Central; Alhaji Baba Shettima Arfo (Borno), North-East; Dr. Mohammed Mustapha Lecky (Edo), South-South; and Mr. Soyebi Adedeji Solomon(Ogun) South-West.

The nominees appeared before senators at the red chambre where Yakubu pledged to Nigerians some of those things he will do as the chief electoral umpire.

Excerpts from the question and answer session with the new INEC Chair.

A bill to the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act and ensure candidates of political parties emerge a year to elections.

The success of elections depends on the ability of the electoral body to plan and in advance. But in this country, we have this culture of last-minute rush. And, as a result, things are not done early. If six months is the time limit under the law at present, definitely we will look at the possibility of coming back to the National Assembly for an appropriate amendment of the Electoral Act to enable us have longer period of time that will allow longer period of

preparation.

Coming to consolidate Prof. Jega has done a marvelous job in reforming the electoral system of this country. I’m not coming in for experimentation. I’m coming for consolidation.

Will power In the service of this country, I can’t be intimidated. It is too late. I have the character of doing the right thing.

On e-voting It is desirable and inevitable. If you look at the trajectory from the last 10 years, the voters register comes in an electronic form.

Initially, it was just a register, then photographs were added. And in the last elections, photographs and biometrics were added.

So, it is inevitable that one day, we will go into electronic voting. But the experiences of other nations show that we have to tread cautiously. It is technology, if untried, untested, we may get bugged down. Is it pure electronic voting or electronic voting paper like they do in Venezuela?

We are still grappling with the problem of infrastructure either for simple ICT use in our institutions or in our places of work and homes.

So, it’s desirable, inevitable, but we need to think through the implications of what we do. Otherwise, we may rush into it and just get bugged down.

There must be no room for experimentation. As far as I’m concerned, something happened in this country in 2015. And we need to consolidate on that rather than to begin new

Prof. Mahmud Yakubu

In the service of this country, I can’t be intimidated. It is too late. I have the character of doing the right thing experimentation with longer span of testing the validity of the process.

Fortunately for us, at governorship level, we have staggered election by default. Very soon, it will be Kogi and Bayelsa.

Thereafter, we will have Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Edo and Anambra.

There must be a guiding principle: The workability of the technology and adequate consultation with stakeholders, the tested card reader and the challenges.

Anything that is not tested will come up with challenges. The problem of technology is that it always comes with challenges.

On diaspora voting

That is inevitable. As a student of history, I know that there was a time in this country in the First Republic when political parties had branches overseas. And we have a large number of Nigerians overseas, one estimate put it at 15million.

They remit $20billion annually in returns to the country. So, it’s desirable to have diaspora voting. We have to quicken the process for Nigerians in diaspora to vote.

On direct and indirect primaries I will like to see a commission which consults widely rather than a commission which sits in judgement. There are mechanisms for consultation with the parties through quarterly meetings and the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC).

So, instead of making a commitment on direct or indirect primaries, we will throw that up for consultations with the political parties, at the end

of which we will come up with what best method we should adopt. I have a problem with international best practice because we can’t adopt the experiences of other jurisdictions, we can only borrow.

On PVCs About 70 million Nigerians registered for the 2015 elections. 56.3 million PVCs were distributed, 500,000 unprinted at the time of the elections, while 12.3million were not distributed.

Instead of finding fault on why they collected PVC in Borno and they did not collect elsewhere, I will ensure that, by this time next year, all the 12.3 million PVCs that were not distributed and the 500,000 unprinted are distributed.

Ahead of 2019 presidential election There will be no issues with regard to PVCs collection as we will ensure that all eligible voters get their PVCs. People have the right to take the PVCs and not vote.

PAGE 40—SUNDAY

Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

L

ike in the game of football where the winner of any match burst into frenzy of jubilation and the loser into painful mood, the recent announcement of the headship of the Standing Committees in the House of Representatives by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has, once again, shown that the relative peace witnessed after the election of presiding officers and selection of principal officers by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has remained the peace of the grave yard.

The election of Dogara as the Speaker of the eighth House of Representatives, against the choice of the leadership of the APC, Rep Femi Gbajabiamila, and the rancorous selection of the principal officers for the party, have since polarised the ruling party in the House along two camps.

Dogara’s emergence, like that of Senate President Bukola Saraki, was stoutly opposed by the leaders of the APC, but the Speaker was embraced by the opposition parties in the House, especially the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who ensured his election to ward off external forces dictating to the parliament though with the alleged promise to compensate the PDP for the support.

For sometime now, it appears that the dust raised by the election and selection of principal officers in the APC fold has settled, but the recent composition of Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the 96 Standing Committees in the House has shown that what had been witnessed since has been the peace of the grave yard.

Before the announcement of the Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the committees, Dogara had inaugurated the Selection Committee made up of one person each from the 36 states and Abuja saddled with the responsibility of making the selection of members based on professional backgrounds.

On the list of the Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen, announced by the Speaker on October 22, 48 APC members were allotted the headship of committees. 45 PDP members also got chairmanship positions while one each from the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and Social Democratic Party, SDP, also emerged as Chairmen of committees.

Meanwhile, since the announcement, there have been jubilation among some members who were considered worthy to either be Chairmen or Deputy

STANDING COMMITTEES

Rebellion in House of Reps

Chairmen in the 360member house, while there have been accusation of betrayal of the ruling party by the Speaker and the alleged external influence in determining who gets what in the House.

Although majority of members of the opposition party have commended Dagara for being fair to all members, some members of the APC have accused him of favouring the PDP against his party, while also some members both from the APC and PDP have lamented what they described as the influence of the presiding officer of the 7th House in choosing the Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the committees.

For instance, some members accused the former Speaker of the House and now governor of Sokoto State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, who allegedly played a prominent role in the emergence of Dogara and the former Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, of being behind the selection of some members to head the committees as well as the exclusion of other members including those that worked for the emergence of Speaker.

Some of the aggrieved members told Sunday Vanguard that the exclusion of Rep Nnanna Igbokwe, who represents Ahiazu Mbaise/Ezinihitte Federal

Constituency and a very ranking member of the House, despite his contributions to the emergence of Dogara and his legislative competence, was due to what has been alleged as the politics of power supremacy between him and the former Deputy Speaker who incidentally is from Mbaise as Nnanna.

The aggrieved members also alleged that because of the influence of Tambuwal, six of 11 Representatives from Sokoto are Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of juicy committees.

Some members of the APC, who claimed that the party was not fairly treated in the composition of the headship of the committees, have written to the Speaker to reject their appointments, while some made their own rejection open on the floor of the House during plenary.

In fact, the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Yussuf Lasun, who presided over the plenary on Thursday, averted what could have been a serious crisis in the House when Rep Sunday Adepoju, representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency, made attempt to reject his selection as the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Special Duties.

Adepoju had relied on Order Six, which is about privileges of members, to announce his rejection of the position, but the

presiding officer referred him to Rule 20 of the same Order 6, which states that, in as much as the matter was not urgent, he should have written to Gogara to announce his rejection to be the Deputy Chairman of the committee.

Even as the drama was going on in the House, Rep Hassan Saleh, from Benue State, who eventually is of the opposition PDP, had reportedly written to the Speaker to express his rejection of his appointment as the Deputy Chairman of Committee on Local Content.

Sunday Vanguard was reliably informed that about five APC members, heading some of the newly constituted committees, had planned to openly announced their rejection of the selection on the floor of the House.

It was also gathered that members of the Loyalist Caucus of the APC, especially from the SouthWest, had met and reviewed the recent composition of the headship of the committees and agreed to announce their rejection over the number of committees given to the PDP. Some APC lawmakers from the South-West caucus, after a thorough evaluation of the selection process at a closed door meeting, described the exercise as a spite on the caucus who played a major role in the emergence of Dogara in the keenly

contested election that involved the zone’s political leader, Gbajabiamila (exMinority Leader).

From the list of the Chairmen, as announced by the Speaker, South- West APC members got eight chairmanship slots as against the six allocated to Kano State alone.

Garba Datti (APC-Kaduna) had the first shot during the plenary, last Thursday, when he declined the chairmanship of the Committee on Solid Minerals.

Datti, a former Chief Whip, who raised a point of order, explained that he was not consulted prior to the announcement, and was subsequently replaced by Sumaila Suleiman (APCKaduna).

Other aggrieved APC lawmakers also chided the Dogara-led Selection Committee for failing to reflect the ruling party’s leadership in the formation of the Standing Committees.

Accordingly, the lawmakers, who met to discuss the way forward, directed colleagues who were given the chairmanship, to formally write rejection letters to the Speaker.

But reacting to the allegation that Dogara favoured PDP members, an APC member, representing Ideato North/ Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Rep. Austine Chukwukere, said that the Speaker only tried to be fair to all the political parties.

SUNDAY

Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 41

Dakkada: Akwa Ibom on the verge of renaissance, says Umanah

By Princewill Ekwujuru “AKWA Ibom is once again on the verge of another renaissance.” Now it’s the Akwa Ibom ‘Dakkada’ a brain child of the incumbent Governor, His Excellency, Udom Emmanuel.

This were the words of Aniete Umanah, Former Information Commissioner of the state, when he looked into the new step being taken by the new helmsman in the state.

Dakkada, a campaign, which means Arise, is a clarion call to all Akwa Ibom people. “It is a spiritual, moral, social, cultural and indeed political ethos,” said Umanah.

Definitely however, the campaign is all about attitudinal rectification, mental reformation and economic regeneration. On the 23rd of September, 2015, The governor set sail with this new crusade, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, declaring “we stand today at an intersection where a glorious past meets a hopeful future.”

“He didn’t just wake up and put this out of his hat. Rather, it has been the very spine of his mission statement when he offered himself to serve his people as their governor.

Leading from the front, Governor Emmanuel had set a discernible tone during his inaugural his address on May 29.

In the speech titled: ‘Sustaining Superior Performance’, he said in part. “I place a demand on all Akwa Ibom people, at home and abroad, to come with hoes and shovels, and let us bury the twin evils of ethnicity and tribalism, which could slow us down in the race of development.”

Thus addressing the work

ethics of a people known for their industry and creativity, he diagnosed the impediments to achieving their full potential to greatness. He noted further, “At the same time, let us sow the seeds of brotherhood, love and unity, which will energize us to maintain our current momentum and leadership position. Let us remember that with the spirit of brotherhood, love and unity, no foe can defeat us, and no rival can overtake us”.

In spite of daunting challenges, the Governor is steadfast in his belief that a greater Akwa Ibom is possible, as such, he told the people, “A s t h e ‘Dakkada’ campaign starts today. The walls may not come down today, but from where the sun now stands, we will not

retreat nor surrender until every wall comes’ tumbling down, and we step into the dreams of our forefathers. The beauty of the sunset is a proof that the end of this our well thought out Dakkada Initiative shall be beautiful. We will march together and sing the ‘Dakkada’ song, and live its creed.

We will encourage each other in this journey of faith, and join our hands together. We will not break our ranks nor break our steps. Akwa Ibom is on the march, and there is no stopping us Inspired by the strong determination to consolidate on the gains of his predecessor, especially, the free and compulsory education, which has effectively eradicated the house help

syndrome Akwa Ibom people were known for all over Nigeria, Governor Udom Emmanuel envisions an Akwa Ibom where her people will aspire to the highest echelons of scholarship, discovery, engineering, science and technology as indeed, all fields of human endeavour.

A people, potentially great and imbued by nature with the talent, intellect, will and capacity to excel and stand out, it is an error that, Akwa Ibom people, have for too long, lagged behind, stayed redundant and untapped without exploiting such boundless God given innate energy they possess.

The dream of our forbears who were outstanding for their vision, creativity and sense of

destiny is being revived. Governor Emmanuel has given that rebirth the wings to soar with the ‘Dakkada’ campaign.

The exhortation is simple: Arise!

Of course, the moral and spiritual significance of ‘Dakkada’ must not be lost on us. Governor Udom Emmanuel is only acting consistent with his principle of making God the foundation of his every pursuit.

‘Dakkada’ immediately summons to mind that inspirational text of Isaiah 60:1, which reads, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”

For every Akwa Ibom person, it is an urgent impetus to respond.

Two words are key. The first is a solicitation to action, Arise!

Then comes a positive prompting to shine, for your light has come. It is the right season, and under the watch of the right man for every Akwa Ibom person to arise, do something, excel, advance, improve, glow, take charge and reach the zenith in any chosen endeavour.

Inside Okowa’s SMART agenda, by Okiemute, political aide

By Fredrick Okopie

C

HIEF Akigho Kent Okie mute is Special Assistant on Political Matters to the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State. He spoke to Sunday Vanguard on the agenda of the Okowa administration.

“There is no doubt in the mind of those who knew Okowa prior to when he became governor know that he is a strategist, an educationist, a visioner, an enterpreneur, and a health administrator. All these qualities were pronounced in him because he had served in various capacities with people that cannot question his assiduity,”Okiemute told Sunday Vanguard.

“Okowa has outlined a fivepoint-agenda encapsulated in the acronym : S.M.A.R.T. which means : Strategic wealth creation project and provision of jobs for all Deltans, Meaningful peace building platform aimed at political and social harmony, Agriculture reforms and accelerated industrialisation, relevant health education policies and Transformation environment through urban renewal”.

He continued: “Weeks after assuming office, the governor set up a 12-man adhoc committee on job creation as well as the agricultural reforms and Accelerated Industrialisation Agenda under SMART. The committee came out with six job creation intervention programmes, the first two be-

ing to curb youth restiveness, robbery and kidnapping. The programmes are Youth Agricultural Entrepreneur Program (YAGEP) ; Skill Training and Entrepreneurship Program(STEP) ; Production and Processing Support Program(PPSP) ; Tractorisation Scheme ; Farmers’ Cooperative and Commodity Associations Program(FCCAP) ; and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Loan Scheme (MSMELS).

“I can tell you categorically that the SMART agenda has been maintained throughout this short time in office and has yielded a large result which has been visible and can be attested to by Deltans from various parts of the state.

“As an astutue administrator,

Okowa has been able to ensure a balance in the dynamic of the different peoples in the state by the appointments he made so far. This has helped him to sustain peace, security and development in Delta. The government is also using this medium to appeal to the communities to key into community based development, which tends to bring about development in the rural areas which is the utmost concern of the present administration.

“All the governor is trying to do is to bring peace and prosperity to Delta and Deltans, but, like we all know, Rome was not built in a day. We all have our own quota to contribute for a better society, because government cannot do it alone.”

Enugu Primary Debacle: Police send probe report to DPP

By Kingsley Omonobi, Abuja

P

OLICE authorities in Enu gu State disclosed, at the weekend, that following the conclusion of investigation into the allegation of forgery of election result sheet in the PDP primary for Igboeze South/Nsukka Federal Constituency, held on December 6, 2014, and levelled against Hon. Patrick Asadu, by Hon. Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, the onus has shifted to the Enugu State office of the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.

A senior police officer in the Enugu State Command, while disclosing that the outcome of the investigation remained ‘inconclusive’ until the state Director of Public Prosecution advises otherwise, urged the parties in the alleged forgery to maintain the status-quo.

According to the police report, signed by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Iwara Ibiang, officer in charge, SIB, Enugu State, a copy of which was made available to Sunday Vanguard, investigation into the

matter was extended to the Peoples Democratic Party secretariat, at both the national and state levels in Abuja and Enugu and INEC, where relevant documents were obtained.

On the allegation, Ugwuegede disclosed that he won the primary, having scored the highest number of votes cast and was issued a result sheet form with

serial number 0000324.

On his part, Asadu denied the allegation of forgery against him, insisting that he won the primary election.

He claimed his result sheet with serial number 0000324 from PDP is the authentic result sheet that returned him to the National Assembly through the primary.

Ijaw congratulate new Ooni of Ife

By Tony Nwankwo

T

HE Ijaws of the Niger Delta has congratulated the New Ooni of Ife, Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi for ascending the throne of the cradle of Yoruba nation peacefully.

A statement by Comrade Joseph Evah, on behalf of the Ijaw Monitoring Group, said the reign of Oba Enitan Ogunwusi would enhance the glory of the Yoruba race, adding that his ascending the throne of Oduduwa without politics of bitterness has further confirmed Yoruba nation’s value for tradition and culture.

Evah noted that the late Ooni,

in his lifetime, strengthened the influence of Yoruba culture and tradition across the globe, adding, “It is our belief that this new development shows that a young visionary and committed prince will continue from where the late Ooni stopped.”

He noted. “The Ijaw people of Niger Delta celebrate with the people of the South-West for this great achievement. The popular acceptance of the new Ooni is a thing of pride and a lesson to the rest of the country to uphold their culture and tradition in spite of the influence and politics of western education as lifestyle.”

•Mr. Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, the Executive Chairman of Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, and his management team with Alhaja Folashade Ojo, the Iyaloja General of Nigeria (middle) during a courtesy visit to the Iyaloja on Friday.

Ayade seeks closer ECOWAS, Japan ties

C

ROSS River State gover nor, Professor Ben Ayade, has made a case for closer ties between countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Japan.

Ayade made the call in Tokyo, Japan while addressing the maiden edition of the ECOWAS -Japan Business Forum.

He recalled how as a graduate student, his thesis won him

a grant of about 6.5 million yen from the Japanese government.

He described the Japanese as very warm people who are also ever willing to share knowledge with those who need knowledge.

According to him, strengthening ties wit h Japan will be most beneficial to the ECOWAS countries who are seeking to close the technology gap with the developed world.

PAGE 42 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

BY FRANCIS IGATA

D

ilapidated

infrastructures in Enugu State health sector have become worrisome to the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

The governor set out to confront the challenge in his first 100 days when he laid the foundation stone for the building of a 200-bed specialist hospital at Orba in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State. A peep into the rationale behind the siting of the hospital showed that Enugu-North, comprising of seven local government areas, had no secondary or tertiary hospital, forcing patients to embark on a one-two hours travel to Enugu metropolis to access medical service.

The situation stretched medical facilities at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, teaching hospital to a breaking point.

The proposed specialist hospital will also serve as training centre for nurses and other health workers. Based on frequent accidents on the busy Enugu-Opi JunctionObollorafor-Benue State Road,trauma patients and accidents victims can access medicare from the Orba facility.

It will serve as a referral centre for primary health centers in the senatorial district.

Further findings revealed that Enugu-North has been margnalized by successive administrations in the state even though the zone contributes over 50 percent of the entire votes in Enugu State.

The governor had expressed

Ill-health no longer a

death sentence in Enugu

•Ugwuanyi laying the foundation stone for Orba Specialist Hospital his concern over the state of medical facilities in the state when he visited the construction site of the world class diagnostic centre situated on Abakiliki Road. Ugwuanyi condemned the delay in the completion of the project already at an advanced stage even as he warned the contractors to use standard materials for the project.

The diagnostic centre,investigation revealed,is paramount to the Enugu administration following the challenges faced by the ESUT teaching hospital. A source said the government is determined to expand medical facilities in the

state in such a manner that will be a reference point for medicare in the South-East.

The governor is determined that all ongoing projects inherited by his administration are completed in record time.

This, he demonstrated by striving to complete the abandoned Enugu International Conference Centre,ICC, and diagnostic centre among other projects.

The National Assistant Secretary General,Nigeria Medical Association,NMA,Dr. Tony Onyia, believed the diagnostic centre will go a long

way to ease the burden of patients in Enugu State. He enumerated the benefits of the facility to include cost,accessibility, standard procedure,facilities,research and revenue.

“On cost,usually,a standard diagnostic centre goes a long way to cut down cost to patients.

This is because individual outfits attach exorbitant charges to these diagnostic tests so much so that the poor masses can barely afford it. But a state owed diagnostic centre will do these tests at a subsidized charge. In 2010 JAMA report,it states that imaging accounts for sixty-seven percent of the cost of Cancer care. Many cannot afford this.

But with subsidy attached to government owed diagnostic centre,it will be more affordable to a lot of people”, he stated.

“Facilities in such a diagnostic centre will provide services like;CT scan,MRI,modern Xrays digital machines,3D ultrasound scan machine,mammography,echocardiography,doppler studies among others. These facilities are not very common in Enugu State. The few that are available in University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital,UNTH,are not functional. This prevailing situation has thrown patients and doctors into diagnostics

dilemma and where available,patients pay from their nose to access the services.

“Accessibility of the diagnostic centre is key. Being that it is at the centre of Enugu,people from different parts will come to access it. It will also reduce the patients load and pressure on ESUT and UNTH. “Standard procedure for which the diagnostic centre was established will be optimal. The diagnostic centre will thrive on standard manual of procedure with quality assurance. This will reduce the high rate or incidence of false positive and false negative results usually gotten from roadside laboratories.

“In the area of clinical research,very few clinical researches are done in laboratories in the tertiary hospitals in Enugu State. But with the advent of the world class diagnostic centre in Enugu, a lot of clinical researches will be performed in the centre. Health workers and students can be trained on the use these high tech facilities and medical students can also be allowed to be part of these clinical researches thereby promoting knowledge and

professionalism.

“Revenue will equally be boosted as patients confidence on the centre will peak to an all time high regarding the quality of tests performed at the centre. Its affordability will also pave way for a large number of patients to troop to the centre to have their medical problems diagnosed. With this expected large number of patients turn out,the state will enjoy increased revenue from the diagnostic facility.”

100 yyear ear om Uk earss of the spread of Anglicans fr from Ukee

BY LEKAN BILESANMI

I

t was a season of celebrations in Anglican and Catholic families in Niger/Onitsha area. First, it was St Mary ’s Catholic Parish, Alor, in Idemili South Council of Anambra State that celebrated 100 years of the gospel. It was the turn of the neighboring St Luke’s Anglican Parish, Uke last week.

At Uke, it was awesome as gaily dressed residents, especially those of the Anglican Communion family, sang and danced their way into the church auditorium, praising God for making them see the day. The special service saw enthusiastic guests besieging the church from far and near.

The once in a life time gathering became an opportunity for families from across the globe to come home. Retired and serving clerics and Ideani, Alor,

Abatete, Umuoji, Ojoto, Obosi, Ogidi and Onitsha communities were all fully represented.

In his sermon, the Anglican Bishop of the Diocese on the Niger, Rev Owens Nwokolo, noted that what started about 100 years ago as a mustard seed through one man, Chief Edward Mbaneme, who got the vision in an open-air crusade organized by the CMS Church(Anglican)in Onitsha in 1912, has, today, blossomed beyond the imagination of early Christians of the era.

Significantly the Catholic Church in the community was introduced by Chief Okaa Omee, who was reportedly the warrant chief of Enugo-Uke, while the other warrant chief of Uruani-Uke was Mbaneme.

Both remained the leaders of the two zones of Uke and equally of both Christian denominations till they transited. Mbaneme died in 1923 with many good works to

St Luke’s Church building today his credit.

After 100 years, St. Luke’s Parish has really come of age.

Before it rose to a district, it operated under various districts. From 1914-1917, it was under Nnewi District; 1918-1938, Obosi District; 1938-1967, Ogidi District while, between 1968 and 1970, it came under Eziowelle District. And, on Friday, January 30, 1970, shortly after the civil war, it became a one-parish district with Rev C.A Onyiagha as Superintendent. When there was a reorganization in the

administration of the Diocese on the Niger and Uke was brought under the Alor District supervision, the Superintendent was posted out.

The achievements include the establishment of primary schools in 1946, church choir, women organization, youth fellowship, children ministry, Boys/Girls Brigade, Knight and EFAC. No fewer than 20 couples have been inducted into the knighthood and ladies auxiliary of St Christopher while 18 parishioners have become recipients of the

distinguished diocesan merit award for exemplary contributions to the growth of the church and spread of the gospel.

The church has also produced about 50 priests and licensed lay-readers.

Remarkably, two fast-growing parishes, St Mary ’s Parish and The All Saints Parish, have since been created out of St Luke Parish.

Little wonder that at the service, to mark the 100 years of the gospel in Uke (Obodo Oma), were Governor Willie Obiano, represented by his wife; the Bishop of the Niger Province,-Owen Nwokolo; Bishop of Ihiala, Rev Ralph Okafor; many other clerics; lawmakers, and top politicians, among others.

The celebration lesson was taken from Luke 10 vs 1-19.

In his sermon, Nwokolo charged the congregation to work harder to surpass the achievements of the last one century.

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015 — PAGE 43

Audu, CBN Governor Emefiele frustrating bailout money for Kogi — Wada The governor of Kogi State and the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the November 21 election in the state, Idris Ichalla Wada, has accused the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele of working in collaboration with the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Abubakar Audu, to frustrate the bailout package for the state, thereby, compounding the woes of workers and pensioners in Kogi for political gains.

He disclosed this in an interview, in his office in Lokoja, the state capital.

By Abiodun Alade Bailout funds HERE are three categories of bailout out money. One is commercial bank exposure of the state governments debts over the years that is impacting on the revenue of the state governments and limiting their capacity to pay salaries. Mr. President approved the resolution of the National Economic Council to extend some funds to states to restructure their commercial bank debts.

Kogi is one of the lowest states in terms of commercial bank debt exposure in the country. Our debt at that time was N816 million, less than a billion naira. Even as at today, it is about N700 million, that has now been restructured by the FG. The second category was salaries of workers. So, we compiled the outstanding salaries of our primary school teachers, local government employees and civil servants. Let us recognize that in Nigeria that there are three tiers of government, FG get their money directly from the Federation Account, state governments directly from the Federation Account and local governments directly from the account.

In our case, they are supposed to remit N1.32 billion local government money every month for the payment of teachers’ salaries, while the balance is used to pay their workers as well as develop their areas. The state government has no interference in this, we have total autonomy in the operation of our LG system. There is a joint allocation meeting chaired by the Commissioner for Local Government, but the key members are the LG chairmen.

What brought all this problem was the introduction of minimum wage. The FG agreed with the National Union of Teachers, the National Union of Local Government Employees and Nigerian Labour Congress to operate minimum wage. This minimum wage led to a phenomenal increase in Kogi salary liabilities. So when the money coming in could not meet the salary obligation, we reached an arrangement with our local unions that we couldn’t pay 100% but only 60%. So, since 2011, we have been paying 60% of the agreed minimum wage.

So when the FG brought out this bailout package, they said states could apply to pay over 20 years period at 9% interest rate. We aggregated all our exposure in the outstanding percentage payment to our local government workers and teachers and applied for the bailout to clean it all out and give confidence that, it is because the money coming was not enough, that we could not pay full salaries. Kogi was one of the first states to apply with complete documentation, but many states that applied after us, some of them even copied our presentation, they have been given. I have gone to see the CBN Governor three times and I went to the President to complain that are we being delayed.

We also applied for fund to cover pension liabilities and outstanding gratuities of our government. These liabilities are things I inherited, some of them existed from the creation of Kogi, but when this window

T

was opened, the sensible thing to do is to use it to clean up the liabilities and move forward.

We applied for the bailout and supplied all the documentation. The CBN approved and advertised the entire amount they have approved for all states. They said they approved N50.8 billion for Kogi in the following structure: N 4.9 billion for civil servants, about N23 billion for LG employees and about N21 billion •Wada for our teachers.

They advertised it in the newspapers. They didn’t call us to say this is what they had approved. They started releasing to various states and didn’t release to us. So I went to the CBN Governor and asked that what is going on, he said they will soon get to us. At a critical meeting, he committed that within the following week, they were going to release the money, but up till now they have not.

The next thing we know is for the APC governorship candidate in the state to be boasting in his campaign that they will not release the money until he becomes the governor; that he is going to win the next election and that APC is in charge of the Federal Government, that they have blocked the release of the money to Kogi.

This is shocking because this country belongs to all of us; whether you are in APC or PDP, the interest of the people is why we come to public service. So, if you say you want to be governor of a state, why will you block what will improve the lives of the workers of our state? It will improve the economy because everybody that collects salary will buy one thing or the other, and that is how the money circulates to improve the lives of the people.

I have done everything I can, which include seeing the President, who said he had no problem authorizing the release of the money, but why the CBN governor has refused to release the money is what I don’t know. They asked us to bring biometric verification of the teachers and local government employees. We have done it.

They asked us to bring BVN verification of these people, we collected those that have done their and told them that others have not because the time frame for BVN registration has not elapsed. Immediately, we wrote a circular to our employees and unions that they should they get their BVN as they will not be able to receive their money without it. I challenge the CBN to tell Nigerians, which other state they put through this type of process? This is injustice, it is unfair.

Do you think this is political?

It is political and unfortunate because how long we in the APC government see something like this? Nobody has taken the trouble that I have taken to get this money

for our state. This is not the money that can be mismanaged or misappropriated because the names of people, with the amount due to them, their account numbers and their BVN are there with biometric verification so how can you take out of the money except someone willingly gives you his own money?

So, why this is being politicized? It is unfortunate because I am confident it is not the intention of Mr. President. The clear intent of President Buhari was to help Nigerian workers; so I don’t want anybody to drag him into it. This mischief is between some APC leaders, especially from Kogi and the CBN Governor, who should explain to Nigerians why he (CBN Governor, Emefiele) is holding the money due to Kogi. Honourably, the CBN Governor should come out and tell the world what we have done wrong so that we can correct it; we are not infallible. But to tie it to election is bad for the democracy of this country.

We have been meticulous here. All outstanding pension and gratuities have been paid. We are also paying all current pensioners in the state. All these we are dealing with are historic, they are things we inherited.

Improving IGR and infrastructure development When I came into office, the state was

This mischief is between some APC leaders, especially from Kogi and the CBN Governor, who should explain to Nigerians why he (CBN Governor, Emefiele) is holding the money due to Kogi

generating between N150 and N180 million a month because Kogi is a civil service state with two major companiesDangote Cement and Ajaokuta Steel.

Ajaokuta Steel has been dead for 30 years; so Dangote is the main industry we have.

We are encouraging people and other new industries are coming up; hopefully, in the next five to ten years, we will be able to leverage on solid minerals.

When we came in, we said we needed ways to survive as a state without federal allocation and we started taking steps.

One was to clean up manual tax clearance. We decided to digitalize the process to manage our revenue generation; so, now, we are generating between N550 and N600 million a month, which is about 300 percent increase of what we met. We have blocked many of the loopholes where people were stealing money and we are continuing to improve. We have also widened the tax net; so it is ongoing reform which is improving our IGR strength.

Some of the infrastructure projects our government is doing is also tailored to improve the IGR of the state. We are building an 11-storey Kogi House in Abuja right in the Central Business District which will be a major income earner for the state. By next year, the building will be th completed because they are on the 11 floor.

We are rebuilding what we called Kogi Hotel which will be a major comfort centre for tourists and visitors to the state.

It will also serve as a revenue earner. We are also building a mega motor park, the first of its kind in northern Nigeria to tidy road transportation in the state. The terminal looks like an airport and our estimate is that about 10,000 people will go through that terminal and that will generate revenue for Kogi. It will be private sector driven so that it can survive.

We are building a modern abattoir to also generate revenue.

We are building a golf course and renovating our Confluence Beach Hotel, to boost tourism in the state. We are building 500 housing units which we are going to sell and generate revenue to build more. So, many of the projects we are doing are to improve the income generation of the state, and we are not engaging in white elephant projects to impress anybody. We are doing practical projects that add meaning to the lives of the people.

We are building a modern diagnostic centre, a four-storey building close to our specialist hospital with modern and sophisticated equipment along with a laboratory, that will make this place a centre of excellence in medical care and diagnosis of illness; so instead of people rushing to Ilorin, Abuja, Enugu, Lagos, our people will be willing to come here, thereby generating medical tourists into the state once the facilities are launched.

Attacks from opposition You will not expect the opposition to praise us, even if we paint everywhere in Kogi with gold. It is normal in politics.

Prudent management of meager resources We have done a lot and you have to compare what we have done to the resources available. Our average income per month over the last two years is about N3.5 billion; the salary of the state is about N2.6 billion. The money we need to pay pension, support our tertiary institutions, subventions to ministries is about N500 to 600 million a month.

Pension alone is about N467 million because it is from 1991 till date, so what is left? Every month, I have maybe N200 million, sometimes N400 million or N500 million to execute projects. I also inherited about 30 projects ongoing which I am committed to completing for the benefit of the people because, once your predecessors have put money in a project, if you abandon it; it is the people who will lose. So we made a policy that we will complete ongoing projects and we have completed several.

PAGE 44—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 1, 2015 sam.eyoboka@gmail.com

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How Adeboye, Oyakhilome, TB

Joshua inspired me—Prophet Fufeyin

BY SAM EYOBOKA PROPHET Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin is the founder/ General Overseer of fast growing Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry based in Warri, Delta State. In an interview, the Ijaw-born prophet and revivalist from Ojobo in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State reveals how he acquired his spiritual powers, stating that his spiritual prowess increased when he embarked on 21-day dry fasting during which a lot of things were revealed to him.

During the fast, he said great men of God, such as Bishop David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel, Pastor Adejare Adeboye of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy and Prophet T.B. Joshua appeared to him on several occasions teaching him the word of God. He noted that, while others appeared to him five times, T.B Joshua appeared to him 10 times, adding “he really spent a lot of time during the fasting period, teaching me more on spiritual things in the realm of the spirit.”

Prophet Fufeyin who is fondly called Junior T.B Joshua and tireless general

by his admirers also revealed how he joined the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, where he started as a prayer warrior.

On why he left the MFM, the prophet said his problem began when he started organizing morning devotions outside the church, explaining that the move was not taken lightly by the church authorities.

“But today, like the rejected stone that later became the chief corner stone, the same church leaders who drove me away are now appealing to me to come back.

“I quite agree that my foundation started from the MFM”, but here I am today superintending over the Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry with over 20,000 members from within and outside the country,” he maintained.

Asked about his most challenging period since he started ministry four years ago, Prophet Fufeyin said: “The most challenging moment I encountered from the onset was when a woman brought her dead child from Port-Harcourt to be revived after almost four hours. I decided to seek the face of the Lord and God Almighty answered my request and

after fervent prayers, I sprinkled the anointing water on the lifeless baby and the child came back to life”.

On the relationship between him and Prophet T.B Joshua, the Warri-based cleric said after meeting with great pastors in the spiritual realm, he paid him a condolence visit in Lagos when part of his church collapsed, adding that he (T.B Joshua) was delighted to see him.

“During the brief visit Prophet Joshua asked why I love him so much and I revealed to him the way he taught me some things in the spirit realm”, explained Fufeyin.

He admonished upcoming clergy to guide against materialism, enjoining them to remain faithful and steadfast to God Almighty.

“It is unfair for a man of God to criticize his counterpart.

God says we should not condemn each other because unnecessary condemnation of fellow clerics can be catastrophic,” he noted.

Asked the secret behind his power of healing and casting out demons, the church overseer explained that he does not eat always and does not take any strong drink just as he avoids criticizing fellow pastors.

•PROPHET Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin

Commenting on his source of wealth to finance the ongoing gigantic 18 projects in the church, the cleric debunked the rumor that he is being assisted by government, explaining that the money is coming from goodwillers who know the importance of paying tithe after being healed through

prayers and supplication to God Almighty.

On the future of Nigeria, he posited that the country will become greater, stressing, “I am seeing a better Nigeria in the nearest future. I am also confident that Nigeria will not disintegrate, rather we will wax stronger as a great nation.”

Church protests rising wave of sexual assaults

BY OLAYINKA LATONA AS part of activities marking Nigeria’s 55th independence anniversary, Harvesters International Christian Centre, Lagos staged a walk to create awareness about rising incidents of rape, urging governments at all levels to save future generations of women by enforcing relevant laws and punishment against rape offenders.

Participants carried placards with various inscriptions like: “No to dehumanizing of rape victims”, “Let’s unite against rape”, “Speak out, the next victim might be your sister or friend”, “We stand against rape” and others to press home their stand on the issue.

The peaceful walk with the theme; “It is not okay” started from Gbagada to Anthony and back to the church in Gbagada. According to the senior pastor of the church, Pastor Bolaji Idowu, it is

meant to drum up support for victims of the anti-social crime by speaking out against it and draw attention to the country’s legal system that makes it difficult to prosecute rapists.

Calling for stronger support for rape victims and stiffer punishment for rape offenders, the cleric lamented that at least, three ladies, including minors, are raped every day in Lagos, adding that the trauma of rape can be life-long as many survivors often feel like they have no options, rights or choices after such assaults.

Pledging that the church wants to assist rape victims with counsel on how to overcome the hurt and legal action in prosecuting rapists, he said: “The march is a campaign against social injustice and we are advocating a stronger support for rape victims. As we celebrate Nigeria, we cannot just allow some people rape

our sisters, children, cousins and get away with it.

“As a church, we have a counsel line that rape victims can call for counseling and we partner with rape centers in Nigeria to assist them in what they are doing. Government should put in place laws and

policies that will curb rape offence in our society,” he stated, noting that the high incidence of rape cases is alarming to the extent that fathers even rape their teenage daughters.

Idowu also advised victims not to die in silence or allow

such incidences to define their life but rather seek help from relevant authorities.

Also speaking, Pastor Adedayo Ogunronbi said: “Today we are saying enough is enough and we urge government to expedite action against rape offenders.”

L- Bishop Zukka Bonet International President of Christian Ministers and Ministries Network International (CMIMNI), Ms Margaret Adimbite, one of the the newly ordained Evangelists and Bishop (Mrs) Alice Bonet after the ordination of 17 men of God in Kubwa, Abuja recently

SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 45

SLY Stone was a big popstar. He was lead singer of the Sly and the Family Stone; an avant-garde soul and rock band of the sixties and seventies. He went about with a big entourage; lots of hangers-on who hung on his every word. Sly was clearly fed up with these people licking his boots at every turn. So he cracked a deliberately lousy joke.

Then he looked round to see their reaction.

As usual, they all laughed hysterically at his joke, acting like it was the best joke they ever heard. Sly looked around at them with unfeigned disgust. Then he said to a side-kick: “These people are morons.”

However, there is a more scripturally appropriate description for Sly ’s sycophantic entourage.

They are “men-pleasers” who specialise in eye-service.

The scriptures warn against such tendencies: “Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” (Colossians 3:22).

For God’s sake Jesus, our good shepherd, is a God-pleaser. His righteousness is of God and not of men. Jesus says: “I always do the things that are pleasing to (God).” (John 8:29). Jesus came to reconcile us back to God. We learn from his example that, in every situation, we should say to God: “Not my will but yours be done.” (Matthew 26:39).

Jesus enjoins his disciples to be servants of men for God’s sake. He says: “Whoever desires to be great among you,

men. He only sought the glory of God. God testified of Jesus: “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17). That was enough for him.

Tested by praise

MEN-PLEASERS AND GOD-PLEASERS let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be chief among you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26-28).

Accordingly, God-pleasers are people who serve men out of love for God. They don’t expect gratitude from men and are therefore not disappointed when it is not forthcoming. They are content in the confidence that God is well-pleased with them. God-pleasers cannot be men-pleasers because they don’t expect men to love them.

Jesus forewarns his disciples: “Everyone will hate you because of me.” (Matthew 10:22).

Men-pleasers, on the other hand, are not concerned about God. Because man is more immediate physically while God is invisible, menpleasers are mindful of the things of men and not of God. Thus, they swear falsely because of the fear of men and in blatant disregard for God. Instead of serving men for God’s sake, men-pleasers use men even when pretending to serve them.

Men-pleasers are determined to be seen, recognised and approved by men. They justify themselves before men. (Luke 16:15).

If God be for us, only fools would be against us. But if man, and not God, be for us, then we are in trouble More often than not, they are hypocrites. They seek the approval of men through false pretenses. Inevitably, they get very frustrated because it is in the nature of the men they seek to please to be ungrateful.

Jesus healed 10 men of leprosy but only one had the decency to come back to say thankyou.

Because men-pleasers “appoint” the wrong people they end up getting disappointed. The same people who shout “hosanna” to them today will shout “crucify them” tomorrow.

God or man It is not possible to be both a man-pleaser and a Godpleaser simultaneously. A man-pleaser can never please God. Jesus says: “That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15). But he that is acceptable to God is approved of men. (Romans 14:18). Accordingly, “Jesus increased in favour with God and man.” (Luke 2:52).

Solomon says: “When a

man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” (Proverbs 16:7). This is because: “The king’s heart is in God’s hand like the watercourses. He turns it wherever he desires.”

(Proverbs 21:1). In short, if God be for us, only fools would be against us. But if man, and not God, be for us, then we are in trouble.

Ask the Egyptians. They did not know how and why they gave the departing Israelites everything they asked for. The Israelites asked them for their cellphones and iPads and they gave them to them. They gave them their Rolex wristwatches and jewelleries.

Everything the Israelites asked for, the Egyptians gave them without knowing why. So much so that the scriptures report that the Israelites “spoiled the Egyptians.”

Public opinion Jesus had a healthy disregard for public opinion. He says: “I don’t

care about human praise.”

(John 5:41). According to him, one of the things objectionable about the Pharisees was that: “They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:43). Even when men were drawn to his gospel, Jesus remained wary of them. John says: “Jesus had no need that anyone should testify of man, for he knew what was in man.” (John 2:24-25).

When he walked into a synagogue, a demoniac loudly acknowledged him as “Jesus of Nazareth, the Holy One of God.” Jesus promptly shut him up and cast the demon out of him.

This shows the praise and flattery of men is often satanic. When Peter tried to dissuade Jesus from the cross, Jesus chastised him sternly: “Get behind me Satan! You are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things that are of God, but those that are of men.”

(Matthew 16:23).

Jesus healed people and then instructed them to tell no one about it. When he wanted to raise the dead, he would sometimes tell bystanders to leave. When the person is raised from the dead, he would tell onlookers to see that no one knows about it. Clearly, he did not seek the glory of

Kumuyi on spiritual voyage to Ogun, Osun

BY SAM EYOBOKA AND DAUD OLATUNJI AS the whole world await the official installation of the Ooni-designate, Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi as the 51st Ooni of Ife, Ogun and Osun stated in South West Nigeria are to witness a spiritual overhaul of the entire system through the instrumentality of the man of God, Pastor William Folorunsho Kumuyi.

Pastor Kumuyi is billed to hold ground-breaking crusades across 12 communities of Ogun State which began on Wednesday through November 8 and commence another in Osun State from November 17.

Briefing newsmen in Abeokuta recently, the Ogun State overseer of Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor Edison Daminabo said no fewer than 50,000 rural dwellers were being expected at each gathering with free registration for all participants, noting that it was part of the church’s efforts at taking the gospel to the interior and subsequently win more souls into God’s kingdom.

He said, “Our General

Superintendent will be coming to Ogun State for the third time this year but his time around, he is coming to the grassroots. He has gone around 27 locations in Lagos.

According to him the targeted areas include: Agbado, Oke-Aro, Ijoko, Ota, Atan, Ifo, Ilaro, IjebuImushin, Ijebu-Ode, IjebuIgbo, Sagamu and Aiyetoro.

He said “we are focusing on those places because some of them can’t come because of transportation and some are old. By going into the remote areas, they will be able to gradually join us.”

Commenting on the state of the nation, the state superintendent opined that only God could rid the country of the menace of corruption, stressing that the ministry was trying its best at organising programmes that would mould the Nigerian youth towards becoming better citizens.

“So many churches today don’t care about the word of God. But in our church, we don’t have sacred cows. I pity pastors who pamper these (corrupt) men, who normally bring money to them. A pastor that does that is not called of God. He is for money and that

will destroy them,” the Ogun overseer stated.

In a release signed by Mark Debo Taiwo on behalf of the Osun State overseer, Pastor John Biola Adeniran, stated that the Pastor Kumuyi, will tour the whole state to hold crusades in major towns and cities, that will offer lifeenhancing opportunities to the people of the state.

The crusade that has “Total liberation for total man” as its

theme is being viewed in many circles as panacea to the myriad of problems and situations facing the people of the state at this material time, and it promises salvation, healings, breakthroughs and lots more to the participants in particular and Osun State in general.

According to Pastor Adeniran, Pastor Kumuyi, anointed with signs and wonders, will kick start the

crusade at St. John’s Anglican Grammar School, beside Police Station, Ikire on November 17, then he will be at Ipetu-Ijesa Grammar School, Ipetu-Ijesa the following evening.

He will be at Deeper Life Camp Ground, Ejigbo, Oduduwa College, Ile Ife, Garage Olode, Ipetumodu, Ilesha, Ede, Ibokun, Ikirun, Ila-Orangun, Oke Ejigbo, Iwo and the state capital, Osogbo will play host to the grand finale of the crusade at the City Stadium, Ikirun Road on November 28 and 29.

Why we came up with DIVCOM —Okoh

By CALEB AYANSINA

T

HE Primate, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh has said that the church came up with the Divine Commonwealth (DIVCOM) Conference to ensure development of Christianity in the country and beyond.

Okoh, during a press conference on the forthcoming fifth edition of Divine Commonwealth Programmme DIVCOM, in Abuja, noted that people no longer practise what they believe and preach, stressing the need for spiritual rebirth, explaining that it was designed to develop

authentic Christianity that will embrace peace, honesty as well as renewal of spirituality of saints.

“This conference is not an administrative conference, it’s purely a spiritual conference.

Emphasis will be built on the man called Daniel in the Bible, who goes beyond Jewish man, who performs wonderfully in foreign land through courage and sacrifice.

“In our society today, there is a very serious disconnect between what we claim to believe and what we serious ur day-to-day life. That yearning gap is what we aimed at bridging that will help to transform our society.

“The church will like to make its

Be careful how you react to men’s praise. Men’s praise is devious. The devil uses it to lead men astray.

When the Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus into treason against Caesar, they tried to set him up with praise. (Mark 12:14).

But Jesus refused to take the bait.

Solomon warns: “The purity of silver and gold can be tested in a crucible, but a man is tested by his reaction to men’s praise.” (Proverbs 27:21).

Don’t complicate your life by the desire to please men.

The world makes unnecessary and ungodly demands on people. It will entrap you by insisting you get married by a certain date to a certain type. It will tell you to have a child by a certain time. It will dictate the number of your children. It will stipulate you should aspire to a particular position or drive a specific type of car.

Don’t give in or make ungodly compromises. Let your terms of reference always be God and the ways of Jesus. Jesus says: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16).

Let them see your good works and yet not glorify you. Let them only glorify your father in heaven.

own contribution to the development of the country by building the people spiritually to support the positive things that this present government has put forward.

“This administration key programme is the fight against corruption in its entire ramification. We hope to join the government to speak to Nigerians generally and the Church in particular, to make a contribution to the development of our country and toward the edification of the church and building of the character of individual Christian,” he said.

Page 46 — SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

VIEWPOINT

By Tekena Dokubo

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

The end of handouts from people with access to our common wealth

T

HE defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan at the polls last April did not just represent a personal humiliation, it also marked a reversal of fortunes for the Niger Delta which had had a golden opportunity not only to permanently change its fortunes for the better but also to orchestrate a paradigm shift in the direction of the nation’s politics.

Sadly no one has yet begun this appraisal of the reasons for the failure so that appropriate lessons will be learnt should another opportunity arise in future. Where any analysis has been made it did not go beyond lamentation and hand-wringing as to how the North had ‘betrayed’ its former(?) natural allies in the South- south and how Alamieyeseigha was allegedly hounded to his death and

VIEWPOINT

By Boniface C. Amadi

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

Issues in the annulment of governorship poll

I

F former President Goodluck Jonathan had simply walked away from the Otuoke polling station, after the card reader failed, twice, to recognise his biometrics as a prelude to accreditation for voting in the presidential election of March 28, the general elections might never have taken place as scheduled. And we can only speculate about what the full consequences might have been.

The country was already on tenterhooks, literally waiting to implode. The curious distribution of permanent voters cards (PVCs) had created some tension of its own, with grave insinuations of deliberate disenfranchisement of heavily populated parts of the south of the country, while states reeling from Boko Haram insurgency in the north were said to have recorded, incredulously, far higher collection rates of PVCs, notwithstanding that hundreds of thousands had long since been displaced from their homes by the terrorists.

VIEWPOINT

By Joseph Amaoru

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

The way forward for the Buhari govt

W

HEN the Presidency was inaugurated on May 29, many observers would not believe it would have taken President Muhammadu Buhari this long to form a government. By October 30, we would have been on the first day of the sixth month. If you are reading this piece on Sunday, November 1, 2015, then you are reading it on the third day of the sixth month of this government. We heard of the search for competent, trustworthy and corruption free individuals to assist the President carry out his campaign promises of fighting corruption, fighting insecurity and fixing the economy by providing jobs.

The vindication of Seriake Dickson how Jonathan’s legacy is being deliberately rubbished.

While there may be some truth in some of the allegations, the more fundamental question is the injustice Niger Deltans, particularly our leaders, have done to the region.

Jonathan was president for six years but did the fortunes of the region change one jot and in spite of the stupendous amount of resources that flowed to it on account of high oil prices, derivation proceeds, the Ministry of the Niger Delta and NDDC? Hardly.

Jonathan’s naivety while in power whereby he neglected his support base and those who truly worked for his election in 2011and sought instead to cultivate and reward his enemies is only one dimension of this failure. It was expressed in his appointments and even in the projects he paid attention to. While the government of his home state of Bayelsa was grappling with the high cost of infrastructural projects,

including a much needed flyover for traffic control in Yenagoa and the absence of which was a damning indictment of all previous administrations in the state including Jonathan’s, he was on the eve of the presidential electioning commissioning a multi-billion naira Federal Governmentfinanced flyover in Kano.There was a rather pathetic attempt to cultivate electoral support in Kano, a hotbed of opposition to him and which his political handlers, had they any modicum of political intelligence,would have known was an utterly futile effort.

Contrast Jonathan’s neglect of his home region such that the road to his house in Otuoke is a splurge of mud to President Buhari’s unabashed and unapologetic favouritism for his own kith and kin such that his is already being labelled a government of family and friends.

Do not get me wrong. I am by no means saying that Buhari’s approach is right. No. Infact so

early in the day Buhari is already deeply alienating other parts of the country and especially those who staked their political capital on him. Rather my emphasis is that Jonathan did not ensure that his region enjoyed true transformation beyond the cultivation of a few warlords. Thus the NDDC remained the boondoggle that it was - only worse. The East-West Road which could have transformed the fortunes of the region had it been given needed priority was under the superintendence of presidential acolyte Godsday Orubebe mired in inaction.

The larger issue however is not the failures of Jonathan but of the elite of the region. The prevailing mindset was that power in their hands conferred in them the prerogative to ‘chop’. Afterall the oil was their own. This indeed, to them was the meaning of ‘resource control’.

This was the mindset that Governor Henry Seriake Dickson

Wike and the Card Reader In the end, election monitors and stakeholders alike acknowledged the transparency value in the use of the card reader, but noted its shortcomings as well. Equally acknowledged were the options, offered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in the event of card reader malfunction, in order not to disenfranchise eligible voters. In the circumstance, it was somewhat unthinkable that an election petition would succeed in part because a tribunal decided that only the card reader was valid for accreditation of voters in the elections. But what was unthinkable now stares all in the face as what one can accurately describe as the card reader magic against Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

That is both the import and purport of the judgment of the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja. The tribunal held that INEC had issued guidelines for the conduct of the elections, in particular, the use of the card reader for accreditation, before voting. If the card reader did not

work, the tribunal held, the election in the polling units ought to have been postponed to the next day.

That not being the case, the Rivers governorship election, which took place on April 11, was nullified and a re-run ordered.

The gaping hole in the tribunal’s decision lies in the partial, rather than holistic, consideration of the INEC election guidelines. In its partial appreciation of the guidelines, the tribunal relied on the press statement issued by the Secretary to the commission, as well as on the testimony of an INEC Assistant Director in charge of ICT, who testified that the card readers in Rivers State recorded only 293,072 accredited voters in the governorship election. That means there was over-voting. But the principal point to note, however, is that the tribunal held that because accreditation and voting were not postponed to the next day, in places where there was card reader failure, INEC had failed to comply with its own Guidelines, and therefore the governorship election was a nullity. The tribunal held that there was no discretion in the matter of the Guidelines.

Yet, the whole world knew, through various television and other media appearances by INEC chiefs, including the Chairman at the time, Prof. Attahiru Jega, that, in the event of the card reader malfunction, election officials were mandated to proceed with manual accreditation of voters.

However, Incident Forms were required to be completed, evidencing the resort to manual accreditation. What was expressly forbidden was the accreditation of persons holding Temporary Voter Cards. This was the crucial link in the voting process. Thus, it was not simply a case of, where card reader failed, then accreditation as well as voting was automatically postponed to the next day. Why did the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal fail to consider this crucial aspect of the guidelines?

Certainly, if the tribunal had taken a broader and holistic view of the election guidelines, it would not have annulled the Rivers governorship election on the ground of card reader failure.

What this means is that the tribunal glossed over the

We Are in the Sixth Month The President has kept faith with the fight against insecurity and insurgency especially in the NorthEast.

While we get reports that the capacity of the insurgents have been degraded and they have been stopped from taking territories and hoisting their flag, they have continued to be of grave concern by their nefarious activities of suicide bombings. We are looking forward to a December deadline to finally defeat them.

However, a final and conclusive solution to the social and political agitations in our nation is to find out the causes of these agitations and find lasting solutions instead of solving them as the occur. Right now, Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra is another fly distributing the ointment which

must not be ignored. Prevention they say is better than cure.

The second item this administration promised and has tried to tackle is the war against corruption. We have seen lots of motion but very little movements maybe because of the magnitude of the problem. The most significant suspect today is the Senate President who is standing a 13-count trial at Code of Conduct Tribunal. Not much can be said now until there is a pronouncement by the tribunal.

But the general feeling is that government is slow in its fight against corruption.

The area of most concern to majority of Nigerians is the economy that appears to be slowing down. The growth in the gross domestic product has gone from 7% last year to 3% this year.

The inability of the government to form is a good reason for the economy to be in limbo as there is no economic team to enunciate the policies of this government.

Business owners are worried and confused because of the long wait for clear direction. This is hoping that we are soon to see the end of the waiting now that the Senate has concluded the screening of ministerial nominees.

It is also time for government to speedy up its implementation of its promises of reviving the economy by exploring other available resources in the nation. The coal mines in Enugu must start working, also is the tin mines in Jos. The Ajaokuta Steel Complex must immediately go into production. Without steel production there is not much industrial production we can

of our neighbouring state of Bayelsa came up against when he upstaged Timipre Sylva nearly four years ago. He found a culture where people believed in freebies, did not want to pay tax and depended on generous handouts from those with access to the common wealth.

With such a prevalent culture and which unfortunately had become deep grained over several decades, it is no surprise the rough ride the likes of Dickson have encountered in Bayelsa with cynics rather than critiquing the level of development spout such questions as “ na road and bridges we go chop?” and “na dead body go walker for road?”

For the sake of the Niger Delta and its people who must be made aware that the age of oil is passing by with, for them, nothing to replace it, we must insist on leaders who will battle this mindset of lazy entitlement and drag our people kicking and screaming into a new era of political and economic consciousness and development.

•DOKUBO lives in Harcourt, Rivers State

Port

important place of Incident Forms in the voting process, hence the tribunal insisted that only 293,072 voters accredited by the card readers legitimately took part in the April 11 election. Otherwise, to invalidate that election the way the tribunal did, it would have been required to consider the Incident Forms polling unit by polling unit (more than 4,000 of them) and if satisfied that the Incident Forms were not in compliance with the election guidelines, then it could void the election, or part thereof.

But no such consideration took place.

It is important to also note that the tribunal held that the alternative use of manual accreditation was a window created solely for the presidential election following the fiasco when polls opened on March 28. The question to ask is: why did INEC supply Incident Forms for the Governorship and House of Assembly elections on April 11? It is instructive that the Rivers Tribunal did not find or hold that the Incident Forms that were available on April 11 were a forgery. What purpose were the Incident Forms intended to serve?

• Amadi, a public affairs commentator, is in Port Harcourt.

make. All efforts must be made to increase our electricity power generation. The promises of providing some social security payment of N5,000 per month for the poorest 25 million Nigerians should be implemented. Also is the free meal for students.

The new ministers must be encouraged to make their policies open to public scrutiny and participation. If serious work is done on our roads for the next six weeks, there will be improvement.

Remember, December is a festive month when Nigerians do a lot of traveling.

In November, we finally expect the government of Buhari to hit the ground running after spending over four months looking for people to work with and clearing the augean stable and laying the right foundation for change.

•Amaoru is a public affairs commentator

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, Page

VIEWPOINT

By Gabriel Adeseun

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF The case for more lower denominations of the Naira

I

received a pleasant surprise penultimate Thursday when I visited one of the very busy shopping malls in Lagos located at Alausa, Ikeja, just beside the seat of power of the Lagos State Government.I visit malls very rarely as I am a retiree living at the outskirts of the city of Lagos and may have to travel and wind through so much traffic to do so.

But on this very day, I was out on an appointment on Lagos Island.

It was on my way back home that I thought of experiencing the mall one more time.

I waded through the groceries section of my favourite shop and after my picks of fruits, frozen food items and drinks. I proceeded to the cashier to make payment in cash. My bill was such that I needed to collect a ‘change’ of N38.00. The cashier dutifully handed me the change in N20, N10, notes and the rest in N2 coins.

Nigerian coins! I looked at the cashier bewildered, and I asked

VIEWPOINT

By Richard Udo

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

Why a statesman should exercise caution

D

ONATUS Obot Etiebet is known enough in Nigeria to save one from spending time and space for introduction. As a politician and entrepreneurial businessman, he has got to the apogee of career long before turning a septuagenarian about a year ago. Before delving his hands into founding and funding political parties in the 1990s, he had made name for himself through ICT that he records pioneering role in Nigeria through his Data Sciences.

His appointment as Petroleum Secretary by former military President Ibrahim Babangida was a crowning glory.

There is hardly any known political figure in Akwa Ibom since 1999 that has not directly or indirectly reaped from Etiebet’s benevolence.

Politics has been his lot among all his dealings. But the powers-

VIEWPOINT

By Muhammad Nura Yunusa

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

Easing the burden in the education sector

P

OVERTY has become a global phenomenon over the years but a responsible society should not watch abject poverty eat deep into its system.

Indeed, Nigeria is blessed. In fact, it is ‘the a giant of Africa’.

Being the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria has huge human and mineral resources, vast fertile land as well as surface and underground water that could boost its economic activities if properly utilized.

Yet, it is disheartening that abject poverty is a threat to the population.

The economic condition of

Let the coins circulate him why he’s doing this. When did we start spending coins again in Nigeria? It’s been about two decades or so now that we have dispensed with the use of coins! In his response, he asked if I have not visited the mall in recent times as this has been going on for quite a while now. I was highly surprised but not convinced of the development.

My curiosity took me to a fuel station not too far off from the mall and I decided to fill my car’s tank.

The fuel I bought amounted to N3,453.91 and I reached out for the coins I collected at the mall to make up for the amount I needed

No one could pinpoint precisely what led to the disappearance of coins from circulation

to pay. The fuel attendant rejected my offer and insisted on receiving N3,455.00, N3, 460.00 or N3,500.00 as he had no “change” of N20.00, N10.00 and N5.00 notes to give me. He was not ready to let go of the N3.91 but would gladly take my own 46.09 on the excuse of “no change”. When I told him I have just been paid these coins elsewhere, he was nonchalant saying that the coins are no longer in circulation as legal tender. I shared this experience with colleagues and neighbours and they were all surprised and amused about the development.

Our informal discussions yielded a few rationalizations that I want to share on this page.

No one could pinpoint precisely what led to the disappearance of coins from circulation. There was no official governmental or monetary authorities’ directive to discontinue the use of coins that anyone could remember.

The expressed or implied “ rejection” of coins by the populace and its scarcity had taken its toll on pricing of goods and commodities generally. In

Etiebet at his apogee that have hardly been comfortable with his presence. When he was the founder of National Centre Party of Nigeria (NCPN), the late military dictator, Sani Abacha, was on his neck for daring to throw in his hat into a ring he was warming up to enter with his military khaki.

Etiebet’s business has been the opportunity cost of his political activism. Not a few hold the view that he would have made Forbes list of billionaires had he not ventured into active politics. That he has not been miserably thrown off balance in his professional and business constituencies make bold statement that he may be a cat with nine lives.

After failing to clinch the presidential ticket of the PDP in December 1998, he, alongside former Vice President, Alex Ekweme and other presidential hopefuls in the PDP visibly teamed up in support of former President Olusegun Obasanjo who emerged the party’s candidate and went

ahead to win the 1999 presidential election. At different times, his fellow kinsman, Ime Umanah, was Etiebet’s arch rival in politics and at another time his ally. In fact, at the time Umanah died recently, Etiebet was in alliance with him in squaring up against former Governor Godswill Akpabio’s alleged malfeasances.

In 2007 governorship primary of the PDP in Akwa Ibom, Etiebet and Akpabio were among the 58 aspirants that jostled for the party’s sole ticket. Those privy to what went on in the intra-party contest keeps mentioning that Etiebet deployed his resources and energy to fighting Akpabio’s predecessor, Obong Victor Attah who was bent on making his son in-law his successor, than prosecuting his governorship adventure. His priority revolved around stopping Attah from making Akwa Ibom a family hegemony. Attah was defeated, as his anointed candidate lost. Akpabio, considered a greenhorn won,

order to avoid the need to receive or search for coins, retailers started pricing their goods in multiples of quantities that currencies in notes could pay for. Sweets, matches and biscuits for example, may sometimes be quoted at 2 for N5.00 or 3 for N10.00. Other goods and food items have so far been quoted in like manner. Even the lower currency denominations of N5, N10 and N20 notes were quite often also scarce forcing retailers to price their goods in quantities that go for up to N50 or N100.

From the foregoing, it could be deduced that a portion of prices we pay for goods in Nigeria represents a premium charged for the absence of “change”. This may mean that the level of inflation in the country is partly attributable to this method or style of pricing all in a bid to cover up for the absence of or the unwillingness of people to relate with or accept small denomination naira notes and coins. It could only be imagined how much more we have had to pay for goods and services,

perceptively by default.

Some pundits hold the view that Etiebet inadvertently fought Attah to Akpabio’s favour. Given that Akpabio could not secure required electoral percentage to be declared the governorship candidate of the PDP, he had been going on his knees before Etiebet for a cease fire that eventually paid off in Akpabio becoming the candidate of the party.

In the same primary, two nephews of Etiebet – Aniekan Etiebet and Samuel Akpan – who have been reaping bountifully from their uncle, also contested.

Aniekan, on losing, returned to Data Sciences where he has been holding sway as the Managing Director. The scenario has not affected the cordiality often seen in the larger Etiebet family. The Canada trained ICT guru is still keeping the flag of the family flying.

He has huge capital that history would rely on in his place in history. That is why he needs to be extra careful in his romance with the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC. Those who really

Students and Poverty Syndrome Nigeria has turned the people to survivalists. And when people can do anything to survive, there will be the tendency for vice to erupt in the system.

As the sector is an integral part of the society, the poverty that we talk about is equally commonplace there. It manifests in our tertiary institutions particularly among indigent students. Imagine what students will be without food and adequate educational materials and financial support.

One of the problems faced by many students is rising cost of tertiary education. Many of them find it difficult to pay exorbitant school fees. Consequently, there is the rate of drop outs from higher institutions. The high cost of education also affects the quality of teaching in the institutions. I

has led to some teachers aqnd students cutting corners. As students to pass-at-all-costs.

In the past, it cost an average students little amount of money to pay through a course of study of four or five years in a university.

This includes tuition, accommodation, departmental and faculty charges. Nowadays, even tuition fee for just a year of study in such institutions proves prohibitive.

The high cost of books and other educational materials are other pressing issues. Many students hardly buy text books due to the high cost. The libraries and laboratories mostly are substandard. Ordinarily, the libraries and laboratories should substitute for students to reduce their burden in the area of purchasing books

and other materials.

Upon these, now imagine students who cannot afford three square meals a day. Some even go to class on empty stomach. Many of them live from hand to mouth and this affects their physical and psychological stability necessary for academic pursuit. For students who live off campus, transport fare is a big problem.

As the saying goes “poverty is the root of all evils”, nowadays the crime rate among students in higher institutions is alarming. We often hear cases of students involvement in armed robbery, prostitution, cultism and drug trafficking just to make money to help them pursue their education.

On the other hand, some students lack contentment. They don’t appreciate their humble family

47

needlessly, over the years. We have ‘lived the lie’ for a long time that it appears unthinkable that anyone could hope to reverse the trend again. But I believe it could be done. And I praise the initiative of the mall and a few trading places that have commenced the reintegration of coins into our portfolio of currencies in circulation.

This effort will need to be given official backing. CBN should give priority to minting more of lower level naira denominations and coins to facilitate transactions.

The CBN effort should also be complemented by public service social re-orientation and announcements to reinforce the need for the people to see coins as acceptable means of exchange.

Current efforts of government and the monetary authorities at managing cash and liquidity should give the needed impetus for the receipt and use of coins in transactions as people seek to effectively manage the cash available to them for their needs.

Let the coins circulate!

•Adeseun is a Lagos based economist.

love him are not the politicians who used him like caterpillar to bulldoze their way to the seat of government and thereafter considered it dangerous allowing him access the bulldozed tract.

Those who really love him are the common people that take pride in his illustriousness.

Those who are at the receiving end of political fiefdom in Akwa Ibom today solely rally round him to tap from his enormous political deposit in fighting entrenched establishment. His joining issues with those who ride on the collective wishes of the people and turns Akwa Ibom to a colony of a family is certainly commendable.

Having got to the apex of his life, it is time he realized that the law of diminishing returns strikes most at equilibrium to topple one from the ladder of history and plunge into perpetual jeopardy. That he has been successful in making others kings without making himself one does not mean that he would not be recognized in the kingdom of king makers and statesmen.

•UDO is resident in Akwa Ibom background. They are involved in social vices just to measure up with those who are born with silver spoons in their mouths. This is foolishness. Students should work hard, live the right way and believe in their ability. God will help them to realize their goals.

In the meantime, government should subsidise fees in our higher institutions to make education affordable. Also, government and public spirited groups should give scholarship to brilliant students.

Government should pay attention as well to improving infrastructures in the institutions as it will equip students and reduce their burden in terms of purchase of books and other items.

•Yunusa is a Level 400 student of Mass Communication Department, Bayero University Kano. He can be reached via telephone number 08138829757

PAGE 48—SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

By JAPHET ALAKAM VISUAL

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fter series of successful solo and group exhibitions in and outside Nigeria, Auchi polytechnic trained painter, Emenike Ogwo is back on the exhibition hall with another solo tagged Life is beautiful, an exhibition of paintings. In his last solo in 2013,tagged Observation, he somehow observed the events in and around him and his journey into art, and in this show which is scheduled to open on 7th November at TerraKulture, Victoria Island, Lagos, the artist who is noted for his high textured impastro form concluded that life is beautiful. The exhibition which is premised on positive social ethos, ethos always dignified, from time to time will run till 14th.

According to the artist, who is also using the show to celebrate his 50th birthday, the world is a beautiful place. God created it and made it so, but along the line man failed and things changed, but despite the ups and down a critical look at the world tells all that the world is beautiful.

It will feature 50 works, signifying one work for each year of

By PRISCA SAM-DURU

W

LITERATURE

ITH the increasing number of children having Cardio-Vascular Disease (CVD) arising from overweight, children story writer and author of popular Ola & Bisi Adventures of Health book series, Mrs Edirin Metseagharun, has called for proactive measures to prevent obesity in children.

While insisting that more attention be given to children’s eating habits and lifestyles, she urged parents and caregivers to impact in their wards, healthy eating habits to prevent overweight and health complications.

Given her experience as the founder and Co-ordinator of Passion for Healthy Kids Initiative (PHKI), the author observed that childhood and adolescent overweight is a current public health

By JAPHET ALAKAM REVIEW

T

here was a time when tra ditional storytelling was an essential part of family life. Then, the family storyteller would sit on a stool slightly elevated from the mat on which the storyhearers sit.

But with the advent of television and radio, computers, mobile devices, especially smartphones and tabs, in the mix, the traditional once-upon-a-time stories were relegated to villages, and thus the messages that follow is lost. Though many have tried in their little way to revive the culture, but one man that is bent on doing that in a special way is Frederick Mordi, a past winner of the Commonwealth Short Stories Competition, who recently came out with a new book entitled:The Familiar Stranger and Other Stories.

Frederick Mordi, has joined the growing list of Nigerian authors that are championing African literature, with his recently released collection of short stories.

Mordi’s debut anthology, The Familiar Stranger and Other Stories, is a collection of eight short stories that reveal his ver-

Emenike Ogwo marks 50 with Life is Beautiful his life. The works which are in his preferred media, Oil and acrylic on canvas and rhapsody on paper , a new innovation he is improving on that are characterized by an intrinsic aesthetic individuality. It features mostly works that capture the typical Nigerian market scenes, masquerades, keke napeps and mountain and trees. Some of the works include, Ososo, Okene ,

The works depicts some of the good and beautiful things around the country which the artist captured in his journey of life

One of the works to be displayed by Ogwo The Shepherd, Going up, Idumota, Ekpe masquerade, Last Bust stop, Marina car park, The Yellow Tricycle, Ijele masquerade and others.

With Life is beautiful, Ogwo who is also a painter and documentary photo artist enriches his impressive exhibition pedigree with new works that will affords art lovers another opportunity to

own new works.

The works depicts some of the good and beautiful things around the country which the artist captured in the course of his journey of life. Ogwo confessed that some of the works were the offshorts of his journey to Abuja by road. He stated that as he drove, he saw the beautiful trees, landscapes, the mountains and

Children story expert harps on healthy lifestyle for kids year’s World Heart Day and Niconcerns in Nigeria.

“Reports indicate that an increasing percentage of children are suffering from heart related diseases that are acquired as a result of their lifestyle. Childhood overweight/ obesity can lead to heart disease in later life,” Mrs Metseagharun said.

Moved by this worrisome observation, the author said, through PHKI and her books, she is committed to promoting healthy lifestyle in children which is the reason she has taken the campaign on the benefits of healthy eating habits and lifestyle to over 200 public and private schools in Lagos State within the last years.

Mrs Metseagharun spoke at a three-day programme themed ‘Healthy Living’’, held to mark this

• L-R, The author, Mrs Metseagharun, Mrs Udofia and Ola & Bisi Ambassador, Miss Best Jerry Nnajiofor

geria’s Independence Day celebrations. The event was organised by Greater Scholars International School, Lekki/Ajah. In spite of the yearly celebration of the World Heart Day, Metseagharun, who was guest speaker, decried that too little attention has been given to the impact of heart disease on children.

According to the writer, factors fuelling the obesity epidemic in children include increased consumption of energy-dense, highcalorie foods and drinks, and decreased physical activity. “The risk factors for Cardio-Vascular Disease (CVD) are determined to a great extent by behaviours learned in childhood and continued into adulthood – such as dietary habits. Hence, parents and

Mordi debuts with true African st or stor oryy satility as a writer.

Mordi in the 135 page book published by New Africa Book Publisher tells the compelling stories of ordinary people trying to make ends meet and the not so ordinary people engaged in power play. In the beautifully designed cover book which features eight stories segmented into eight chapters, the author offers the reader an insight into what life is like in the two settings, weaving the stories around a tapestry of memorable characters and contemporary themes such as morality, integrity and romance in its pristine form. The locations of his stories oscillate largely between

Mordi’s debut anthology, is a collection of eight short stories that reveal his versatility as a writer

serene rustic dwellings and bustling cities.

In chapter one which is where the book got its title, Familiar stranger, the author narrates the story of how a stranger who happens to know the village paid them a visit with bad intention.

The story did not just go like that, rather the author fused it with many other incidents that caught the attention of the readers before finally arriving at the visit.

Chapter two, titled The Farmer’s Daughter, tells an interesting account of some of the happenings in the olden days. How a farmer, Mazi Achara refused to send her daughter Obiageli to school, how efforts by the Chief Inspector of Education, Mr Erastus Udoka to make him change his mind failed and how Erastus finally took him to court and won the case.

In The Political Spider, the author recounts the activities of politicians, how they come with sweet words, promise heaven on earth just to win elections.

Money Palaver, a typical scenario that happens in most poor

families. Here Pa Azuka has been trying with his little earning to cater for the family, but the wife will not allow him to rest as she keeps on demanding at all times.

Things went out of hand when Azuka picked an envelope containing huge sums of money in dollars, an amount that will automatically take them out of poverty, but as a good man instead of keeping it to himself, he decided to give it back to the owner, an action that made the wife and son to unleash all sorts of talk. But , as a man of integrity he returned it and as fate would have it, he handsomely rewarded, an action that made the wife to apologize.

Other short stories in the collection includes, How Oma Got a Wife, The Village Letter Writer, The Doctor’s Wife and The Senator ’s Car, one of the highly commended stories that won a prize in the 2004 Commonwealth Short Stories Competition, for the Africa region.

Though, the stories are presented in lucid language, it did not make it to lose their essence.

rocks along Ososo and Okene, the real gift of nature and concluded to showcase such to the world. “Nigeria is a beautiful creation by God, but it is quite unfortunate that many only see the bad side of it, corruption, kidnapping, bad roads etc but I decided to focus on the positive side of it. That is why I came up with these beautiful works to show to the world that Life is beautiful,” he added.

For an artist, who has an optimistic philosophy and undoubtedly wants the society that finds realization in his art to enjoy something of that optimism and collective grace, viewers will have course to take something home at the end of the show.

Born in Abia State, Nigeria, Ogwo received his Higher School Certificate from the Federal School of Arts and Science and later the Ordinary National Diploma (OND) from Federal Polytechnic, in Oko, Anambra State and Higher National Diploma (HND) from Auchi Polytechnic, specialising in painting. schools have a very important role in preventing obesity by providing more nutritious food, offering greater opportunities for physical activity, and providing obesity-related health services.

“It is imperative for the children to eat healthy breakfast, as breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That is why PHKI has launched her Mini-Kitchen designed to provide healthy breakfast for indigent children so they could learn better. There is more to be done; hence we are inviting support and partnership from all.”

On her part, the school’s proprietor, Mrs Comfort Ukpong, said choosing to celebrate the World Heart Day and Nigeria’s Independence Anniversary was a deliberate move towards achieving the dual-objective of teaching the children “to make heart healthy choices and nurture their patriotic spirit as the coun

Each plot is simple with logical lessons. Moreover, his use of proverbs and dialogue is also quite commendable. The stories, locations and texts are good, thereby making them ready scripts for stage performances.

There is no dull moment, the author made it so simple, in that it will hold the attention of readers to the end.

The Familiar Stranger and Other Stories. Frederick Mordi, New Africa Book Publisher, Lagos, 2015, PP. 135

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 49

The One That Got Away

BY SEGUN AYINLA

SHORT STORIES

A

s we all gathered at our friend’s funeral, one thought ran through our minds..a strong disapproval we all shared but nobody voiced out..Jide should have never gone back to the village! Not after everything that had transpired..Jide should have known better! You see, Jide’s village was one of those remote communities steeped in tradition and idol worship.

Jide grew up as the last born in a family of four..his father was a poor widower who died in his sleep leaving jide and his siblings to cultivate their overfarmed plot of land..one by one, Jide’s siblings died under mysterious circumstances until only Jide remained..The superstitious villagers avoided him as they patiently waited for death to claim the last survivor of the Ajanaku family..

However, divine providence stepped in, in the form of Jide’s school principal who had closely followed Jide’s brilliant progress in academics and recommended him for a local government scholarship.

Shortly afterwards, Jide left the village to begin school in the city. From college to the university, Jide performed excellently and quickly rose to positions of leadership.

Barely after graduation, he had a federal appointment waiting for him. Jide’s rise to fame and success seemed to be some sort of divine compensation for his unfortunate childhood as he recorded achievement after achievement. It was only a matter of time before word got back to the village that the unfortunate offspring of the Ajanaku family had cheated his fate and was living in affluence and wealth.

A delegation was dispatched to Lagos to meet with this illustrious son of the village..Jide Ajanaku..The one that got away. It was a pathetic sight that greeted Jide’s eyes as they filed into his office..their faces told a story of hardship and deprivation..their sunken cheeks and bony shoulders wailed of malnourishment..eyes filled with reproach, they accused Jide of abandonment..his father ’s house was in disrepair they said..his nieces and nephews were starving..how could he have left them to their misery?

“Haba Jide! “ they groaned..

A rainbow of emotions flashed through Jide’s mind..He felt pity at their condition..Joy that he had escaped their fate..shame that he had forgotten his blood relatives still wallowing in abject poverty..anger at their sublime rebuke..but there was one emotion that was stronger than the

others..even after he had sent them off with half of his savings..even after he had done all he could to improve the lot of his kinsmen..even though Jide knew he deserved to be happy..all the same this strange emotion haunted him..and drove him back to the village So here we were..at Jide’s funeral..The one we thought had gotten away..Sadly,Jide hadnt gotten away afterall..and as we grieved..we shared a little in what Jide had felt when he met his folks from the village..it was a feeling of shame mixed with selfreproach..a dangerous emotion which we knew we had no right feeling but we felt all the same..The fact remained..Jide didnt make it but we did..We were alive and well..Jide wasnt..So that nagging feeling remained..and it still afflicts many today..no matter how hard they try to fight it..regardless of how many times they remind themselves that they deserve to be blessed and happy even if others aren’t..Its a disease of the soul that afflicts the fortunate..its called SURVIVOR’S GUILT Are you suffering from Survivor ’s Guilt ? Is it something eazily noticed?

How do we recognize the signs? How do we fight it?

Or better yet, how do we avoid it in the first place?

Lets talk some more about this next week..See ya

Breaking up with Barbie

L

ast week,i got a call from Sophie. She said we needed to see and catch up on old times. I was delighted to hear from her. Who is Sophie? Ermh well, Sophie is not her actual name..its Sophia..but i call her that. Sophie..short for sophisticated..it was a private joke between us. You see, we had been quite close during our university days..Yea..but we never made it past that level of relationship. The friendzone is real,my friend..lol.

Anyway,when Sophie told me she was in town and would like us to rendevous,i was intrigued..it sure would be nice to see Sophisticated Sophie again.

So we met at an Ice Cream joint along Ikeja, GRA,Lagos. Chocolate was one of her pet indulgencies.

Oh she also had a thing for fashion,high society, movie stars and barbie dolls..she was that kinda broad.

Seeing her,i tried hard to conceal my surprise..Sophie had aged..considerably..

Time hadnt been particularly kind. She was pushing 30 but looked 45 already..

“You look great,Sophie” I lied as we embraced.

“Yeah right” She scoffed in reply “I heard you are married now?”

“Yes i am” I replied, waving my wedding ring “I wish i was too” She sighed Then she launched into a tirade about her love life..The failed relationships and ungrateful lovers. As she ranted,my mind wandered..back to when we

She had always lived her life on television and held on to her childhood fantasies. In the mean time,real life possibilities slipped through her choosy fingers first met..

It was during our 100 level registration on campus. We were Jambites..fresh off the secondary school boat..trying to act all savvy and unintimidated by our surroundings. We had been on the registration queue for quite some time patiently waiting our turn as the sun burned our temples and heated our tempers.Then this girl in skirts and high boots looking like she just escaped from a high school musical waltzed in and made straight for the front of the queue.Trust students na..she was bounced back with boos and jeers as she beat a hasty retreat.She obviously wasnt used to that kind of treatment. Her wounded pride wouldn’t let her join the tail of the queue and so there she stood..some metres away..lips trembling,clutching a huge barbie doll and looking like a lost little girl..*sigh*..boomsha to the rescue..lol.Guess,ive always been a sucker for damsels in distress. I beckoned to her and made room in front of me inspite of protests from behind. She gratefully

slipped into place and murmured a hurried thanks.

We struck up a conversation and so our friendship began..

Now here we were..many years later..some things had changed..some obviously hadnt..you see,Sophie had always had a crush on one movie star or the other while we were in school. She never had time for any of her toasters on campus.She was way out of their league. She would tell me about the latest celebrity wedding and how she got a follow back from Usher on twitter. She had always lived her life on television and held on to her childhood fantasies. In the mean time,real life possibilities slipped through her choosy fingers. She liked to be waited upon like a princess and only dated men who fitted in her dream world but they never stayed around long enough .Sophie no longer carried a barbie doll around but she still hadnt let go of other things..

As we parted ways that evening, she made me promise to do her a little favour..so here goes..This one is for Sophie..

ADERTISEMENT: Self-Employed Single Mother in her late 20’s seeks a serious relationship with A tall,dark and handsome male Must be very rich and famous Preferrably a movie star Helps with the dishes and writes romantic poetry Pls email: daboomsha@gmail.com Sophie’s waiting

Dividends of 1st African Catholic Television

BY CHRIS ONUOHA Lumen Christi Television is the first African Catholic Television Network with operational base in Lagos Nigeria. It celebrated her first anniversary in May, 2015 having started a year ago. In a chart with Vanguard, the founder, Prince Robert-Joseph Soji Olagunju, spoke on the idea behind establishing a Catholic Broadcasting station, first of its kind in Africa.

In the beginning umen Christi TV celebrated her one year anniversary on May 13, 2015. Many people in Nigeria are not aware of the TV station. It was established on the platform of educating the public about Catholic Church and doctrines. We used the opportunity of the anniversary to examine what we have done so far and also to let people, especially Catholic faithful, know the existence of 1st African Catholic Television Network in Nigeria. It operates on MyTV satellite platform.

The name, LUMEN CHRISTI, is derived from the act of lighting the candle during catholic celebrations, which usually goes with a chant- ‘Lumen Christi,’ meaning the light of Christ. Besides, we believe that the world is living in the dark – full of immorality, crime, confusion, sin, corruption, without embracing Christianity as it should be. We also believe that there should be a shining light in form of Catholic TV station to overpower such vices and bring some form of sanity to the world.

What informed the idea?

It was a divine provision from God. There were other projects I have in mind with a readily capital set aside.

When the calling became intense, I have to divert all the resources to it for it to materialize faster. As an economist, I already know the facts of investments and returns but in this case, I felt that nothing could be more rewarding in life than investing in God’s own project which is evangelism in any form. In any case, I feel this sort of project will bring dividends to my family, and people that will benefit from the programmes which to me is a divine dividend than the material gains in the secular world. To that extent, the urge became more defined for the reason of choosing this project. Besides, God made sure the funds are available to see it through.

With the resources available, we kicked off the station. Although it is not for profit making, rather for pure evangelization in the catholic way as the mother church has made it to be.

However, Catholic Church, being the first and foremost church in Africa does not have own voice on air.

When other denominations are leveraging on the massive broadcast units to disseminate, evangelize, preach, and showcase their programmes, the Catholic Church seems to be at the

L

• Prince Soji Olagunju back seat in Africa. For that reason, I believe we should have our own to do things the proper Catholic way, hence, the name Lumen Christi, meaning ‘the light has come to change things.’

What are you doing differently?

In Lumen Christi, we communicate, entertain, evangelize and educate like any other broadcasting station transmitting from MyTV free to air satellite platform. Of course, we are in the era of digitization.

Besides, our intension and vision is to be accessed and viewed globally. The difference and uniqueness is in our programmes, which is Catholic-based and endorsed by the Vatican.

However, we try to bring it to public knowledge, that there is nothing secretive about catholic religion and mode of worship as assumed by non- Catholics through our TV broadcast.

There seems to be a bias from the general public on Catholic doctrine - the way missal is celebrated, the Latin language usage and mode of worship like the kneeler and sign of cross which other denomination don’t practice. These are signs of sacredness and

We don’t condemn them. There is nobody God cannot change. Even Paul was changed but the most important thing is that we should not let them influence our children piety to God. In other words, issues of bad moral conduct and behaviour are individually based and not a religious practice. Some people who left the Catholic Church did that out of ignorance. I believe while watching Lumen Christi, one will realize that those things that made them leave to other churches are not real. Many have come back to Catholic while some are contemplating to do so.

Are your Programmes restricted to Catholics alone?

Lumen Christi is the only Catholic Television station in Africa that serves the interest of Catholic faithful and the public alike, apart from American-based Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) that serves same purpose in larger scale. We are non- partial in inter human relations with non-Catholics.

Our

programmes are universally enriching and cut across all human interests based on Catholic doctrine on moralities – issues of marital life, family morals, societal norms and others, which hinged on good conducts as professed by the church. We also feature special programmes that clarify those controversies people see as hindrance in worshipping with catholic.

Lumen Christi is in collaboration with EWTN as a sister station for exchange programmes and capacity enhancement.

With such exchange, EWTN which broadcasts from America has things to enjoy from us, such as our traditional mode of celebrating mass and thanksgiving in Africa, likewise over 30 million Catholic faithful in Nigeria, who will benefit from our services, right in their sitting room.

Our programmes are 70 percent indigenous and 30 percent foreign, structured to suit our viewers’ interest in tally with their day-to-day activities. Plans are in place to actively engage in other social media platforms like the mobile phone and computer software – apps, iTunes, YouTube etc, even TVs without having a satellite decoder. This is to enhance our visibility and millage for our numerous viewing audiences since Catholic Church is the most universal church with virtually dioceses in every community in African states and institutions.

We welcome viewers’ constructive comments to assist us grow and remain relevant to the society with the programmes we air.

Sponsorship from general public are welcomed since this is a not-for-profit outfit for evangelism. Assistance can come through material, spiritual, programmes exchange and financial contribution as the project is highly capital intensive ranging from content acquisitions, equipment maintenance and daily sustainability of the evangelization process.

Critical issue on same-sex marriage has been in the talk for some time now, what are your views?

To a pure catholic, it is impracticable. The church has made their stand known and set the rules of moral which no one should go against if truly the fellow is honest to himself and faithful to God. Same sex marriage is an aberration and it doesn’t make sense to me as a person. For Lumen Christi station, we have championed the cause to air every contrary opinion towards that. Whenever the church pronounces any statement, we make sure we air it not only that but we sustain and authenticate it.

For us, it is unethical and wrong.

Besides, we have continued to pray for them.

We don’t condemn them.

There is nobody God cannot change. Even Paul was changed but the most important thing is that we should not let them influence our children.

PAGE 50—SUNDAY

Vanguard , NOVEMBER 1, 2015

...All about the North

Benue killing fields!

•Suspected Fulani herders fingered in 262 murders •Gov. Ortom to the rescue

BY PETER DURU, MAKURDI

B

enue State has, in recent past, been in the rather unfortunate spotlight of states that had been bedeviled by alleged Fulani herdsmen invasion.

The incursion of the herders in the hinterland of Benue left in its trail tales of sorrow, tears and blood.

From Makurdi to Guma, Logo to Ukum, Gwer West to Agatu, several villages and communities have been sacked and razed, property destroyed, about 292 killed and several yet unaccounted for. The skirmishes left many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) without shelter and,, source of livelihood in the agrarian state.

Indeed, most rural communities in parts of Benue were turned into theatres of war with its attendant consequences in a crisis that seemed to have defied efforts by successive administrations to tackle.

Though the people of the state presently enjoy about five months of what many fear could be a reprieve, many, especially those who directly bore the brunt of the rampaging herders, fervently pray for a permanent end to the bloodbath that wrecked many families and set many others backward.

The fear of the people is obviously understandable especially when one recalls that a day before the inauguration of Governor Samule Ortom, over 100 persons, mostly women, children and the elderly,

were killed in one fell swoop in villages and TDPs camps located at Ukura, Gafa, Per and Tse-Gusa in Ukemgbiraghia Twarev Ward, in Logo local government area of the state. It was one of the bloodiest attacks on Benue communities by suspected herdsmen.

The besieged areas which, until the onslaught, hosted a large number of IDPs from previous attacks by the the herdsmen, included the hometown of former Governor Gabriel Suswam.

Sunday Vanguard learnt from a reliable source that some of the attackers, dressed in military uniform, stormed the affected villages in large numbers and, after sacking the communities, marched into the camps and opened fire on the IDPs. Just a month before that attack, April 28 precisely, close to 30 persons were allegedly slain with several others sustaining serious injuries when suspected herdsmen attacked and sacked three villages at Mbadwem district of Guma local government area where Ortom hails from.

That attack also left several houses, huts and farmland razed in the three affected villages:Tse Uosu, Gbudu and Branch Umenger.

A source, who craved anonymity, said the crisis was sparked by an alleged killing of two Fulani herdsmen by some youths in the area, two days before.

“Two days ago, two Fulanis were killed in that area for no justifiable reasons; so what happened is a reprisal of that dastardly act which may have claimed no fewer 28 lives and may haunt the people of that area for a long time because we know that the Fulanis are difficult to appease”, the source added.

April 1, 2015 was another day of bloodbath. It was day about nine persons were hacked to death by suspected herders who attacked Taser Tume and Agaraga villages, in Logo local government area.

The assailants razed over 45 houses and huts in that particular attack.

The invaders struck at about 8pm Tuesday, shooting sporadically and chasing the villagers from their homes.

The March 15 invasion of Egba village in Agatu local government area marked one of the bloodiest in the history of the area. On that day, over 90 persons were murdered by suspected Fulani insurgents.

The attack left many unaccounted for, while the villagers fled their ancestral homes for refuge in neighbouring Apa local government area.

It was learned that the

A day before the inauguration of Governor Samule Ortom, over 100 persons, mostly women, children and the elderly, were killed in one fell swoop in villages

insurgents, who arrived the village at about 4am, killed their victims, most of whom were fast asleep, in their homes after which they razed the community, destroying economic trees, food barns and farmland.

“They came in from Loko in neighbouring Nasarawa State, and started shooting and breaking into people’s houses and who ever they met, including women and children, they hacked or shot.”

Vaase in Ukum local government area was not also spared by the marauders in the same month where no fewer than six persons were killed in cold blood by the attackers.

That attack came shortly after Suswam visited Anyii, his home town, in Logo local government area which also came under heavy attack by herdsmen, few days before.

Sunday Vanguard gathered from an indigene of the area that the suspected herdsmen attacked Vaase late Tuesday, shooting and burning down huts and houses.

“They arrived Vaase in large numbers, last night, shooting indiscriminately and burning down our houses, but, unlike in Anyii, where they had their way, our people put up stiff resistance though six persons were killed”, the eye witness stated.

Early in February, suspected herders were at it again. On that day, at least 15 persons were killed with many sustaining injuries when the rampaging herdsmen sacked over 24 communities and villages in the area.

In January, Agatu was also not spared as about 12 persons were slaughtered by suspected herdsmen.

The then Senate President, Senator David Mark, while on tour of some of the affected communities in Agatu local government area, appealed to Benue and Nasarawa State governments to synergise in order to find solution to killings.

Meanwhile, in a move to bring the killings to an end, Benue State Executive Council has decided to send a bill to the state House of Assembly to compel cattle breeders in the state to establish ranches where their cattle could be confined for grazing.

Ortom made the decision of the government known when he hosted the Air Officer Commanding, Tactical Air Command of the Nigerian Air Force in Makurdi, Air Vice Marshal R. A. Ojuawo.

The governor noted that the initiative would be a permanent solution to the age long conflict, adding that the establishment of ranches remained the best practice for cattle owners across the world.

He took the campaign to the just concluded National Economic Summit in Abuja, urging northern states governors to support the move for the establishment of ranches in their states to tackle skirmishes between farmers and Fulani herdsmen.

SUNDAY

Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015, PAGE 51

Abuja killermanholes!

By Favour Nnabugwu

A

buja, as a model city envisaged by its founding fathers and the pride of Nigeria, has degenerated into a lawless city. Today, the paved and wide roads, boulevards and intersections, that once added to the allure of the city, have become death traps.

Potholes, manholes and indiscriminate refuse dumps are posing danger to commuters and motorists in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Potholes are usually caused by moistures that find their way into cracks in the roads and, while the roads expand and contract, the cracks become bigger. The holes on the roads become bigger as vehicles drive over them and the movement damages the roads below the surface layer.

But a twist to the potholes on

Abuja roads is that one wakes up each morning to find a freshly dug pothole on them.

It is surprising that the FCT authorities have dosed off, thus abandoning their primary duty of managing Abuja, the seat of the Nigerian government.

More worrisome is the increasing number of deep potholes in virtually every corner of the city that is causing damage to vehicles, and, in some cases, accidents that lead to untimely death of road users.

Whereas the potholes on the roads in Abuja city centre get deeper by the day, the ones in satellite towns are worse because of the substandard nature of the roads, as well as the neglect that some of the roads have been subjected to over the

decades of use.

Some motorists attributed the increasing potholes on the roads to the handiwork of robbers to trap their victims, street traders to slow down motorists and thus ensure patronage as well as contractors workers to earn more money for their firms through road repair contracts.

Driving from one end of the city to another, motorists are compelled to drive with utmost care to manoeuvre their way from the potholes.

A commercial motorists, Mr, Ayomide Salisu, said apart from the potholes on the roads at the city centre, there are other several bad portions of Abuja-Keffi Expressway and even the recently constructed AYA-Kubwa-Suleja Road, Arab Road, which caused accidents that claimed lives.

“Between Mogadishu

But for many residents of the capital city, the manholes are holes of death. Some of them have had deadly experiences with the dangerous holes

Barracks and Karu Junction, on your way to Nyanya, is a dead zone. Several potholes, which have received little or no attention by the appropriate persons, have resulted in loss of lives.”

Salisu expressed worry that the current city managers are not living up to expectations. “It may be because of paucity of fund, but no matter what, the maintenance of city that would result in improved health of the people ought to be given priority”, he stated.

Meanwhile, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) plans to redesign the manholes on the FCT roads against the upsurge of the theft of several of the manholes.

AEPB decided to redesign the manholes to concrete and of no value to vandals.

“The move is to make the manholes less attractive to the vandals who usually remove their metal components for sale to those who convert them to other uses”, an official told Sunday Vanguard.

Manholes are strong materials used to cover the top opening to a vault or underground public works or facilities. They are purpose-built ducts for maintenance of drainage facilities and for electrical and telecommunication cabling.

They are normally covered to protect underground workers against outside elements while they also protect vehicles from plunging into the deep holes on highways.

Sunday Vanguard findings revealed that the metal covers , made of 100 percent forged iron, are expensive to manufacture and so a natural source of attraction for petty thieves, who sell them for a fortune or a stipend.

But for many residents of the capital city, the manholes are holes of death. Some of them have had deadly experiences with the dangerous holes.

Many motorists have lost tyres and vehicle parts after bumping into the holes, some of which have rusty and sharp edges created by the removal of the covers by thieves.

As in most parts of Abuja, there are uncovered manholes at Area 1 roundabout, Jabi Lake and Utako. Residents are also worried that, besides falling into the manholes, hoodlums could use them as hideouts from where they could unleash terror.

A middle-aged woman, who gave her name as Beatrice, relived how the manhole cover on a road close to where she works disappeared. “On my way to work one morning, l saw some people with reflective jackets opening the manhole and what struck me was that they were technicians about to do some maintenance work that morning, but, curiously, on my return trip, I noticed the hole was open, as the cover was not there anymore. It was at that point that l realised l just witnessed a crime being committed,”she said.

PAGE 52, S UNDAY Vanguard SUNDAY Vanguard,, NOVEMBER 1 , 2015

Iheanacho has always been ready to play —Pellegrini

M

ANUEL Pellegrini claims he was ready to unleash teenager Kelechi Iheanacho on unsuspecting defences a year ago.

But the Manchester City boss was unable to call on the highly-rated Nigerian striker because of a combination of work permit and injury issues.

Iheanacho, 19, made a big impression on his first City start with a goal and two assists in Wednesday’s 5-1 Capital One Cup thrashing of Crystal Palace. He had previously shown glimpses of his talent by coming off the bench to score against Palace in the Barclays Premier League

in September while he also had a goal against Bournemouth harshly disallowed. Pellegrini, said: “He didn’t impress me because I work with him every day, so I know what he can give to our team.

Last season I think he was ready to do it. “We talked

about his work permits but unfortunately for him he had a very serious injury in his ankles. That is why he couldn’t play last season. Now he is ready and I am very happy for him to demonstrate what he can do. But it is just one game, he must repeat, he must improve.”

•Iheanacho in action.

Ramos still drinking beer Allardyce out to make Martinez — Benitez

R

EAL Madrid coach Rafael Benitez has rubbished several claims about his management at the club, including a report that he banned Sergio Ramos from drinking beer.

Benitez was frustrated about some of the reports

•Ramos

which have been published regarding his style of management and relationships with some of the players, including Ramos. Real Madrid are top of La Liga table, unbeaten after nine games, and Benitez said the stories about him have been “ridiculous”. “ I’ve read that Benitez measures the amount of olive oil in the salads, or that Benitez banned Sergio Ramos from drinking beer, that was another ridiculous story doing the rounds,” Benitez told Radio Nacional.

“Around my friends I act exactly the way I always have.”

“I’m surprised that despite all the good things happening, people have to focus on the bits we’re not doing so well,” he added.

“I always say the same things to the Madridistas.

We know where we want to be and we don’t want to veer off that path.

“We listen to voices outside the club but I have a team that advises me and keeps me focussed on our goals.”

Klopp happy with first EPL win J

URGEN Klopp in sisted that Liverpool were fully deserving of the three points after watching his side come from behind to secure a thrilling 3-1 win at Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime.

Liverpool fell behind in the fourth minute at Stamford Bridge when Ramires headed home Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross.

However, the Reds grew into the game gradually and equalised on the stroke of half-time when Philippe Coutinho fired a superb left-footed

shot past Asmir Begovic.

Coutinho then made it 2-1 when he drilled home a low effort in the 74th minute, and Liverpool substitute Christian Benteke made the points secure with an accurate finish.

The result – Klopp’s first Premier League win in charge of Liverpool – hoisted the Reds up to seventh place in the table.

And the German was thrilled with the manner of his side’s display against the west London side, who slumped to their sixth defeat of the

season in 11 top-flight games.

•Klopp

miserable again

S

AM Allardyce has called on Sunderland to make Roberto Martinez miserable again when they visit Everton in the Premier League.

Sunderland claimed a 30 win over arch rivals Newcastle United in Allardyce’s second game in charge last weekend.

Allardyce said: “We can’t overshadow that we have to play better and we have to do more. If we can’t win we have to make sure we don’t lose.

“We have to meet it head on but we have to enjoy ourselves. It can’t be all doom and gloom - it’s our job to lift the players.

“Our job on Sunday is to make Roberto as miserable as we did last season.”

And, after failing to capitalise on home advantage in last season’s corresponding fixture, Martinez is keen to ensure his side do not repeat the same mistakes this time around.

“They’ve (Sunderland) had a positive reaction under their new manager.

Winning the derby has given them a big boost,” Martinez added.

“They look galvanised.

We are aware of the strength of this Sunderland side. We are

•Lukaku facing a team that is clearly in fine form. But we are playing at home.

We respect them

immensely, but we have to make the most of playing at Goodison Park.”

We won 2018 WC bid fair and square — Russia

M

OSCOW has denied it colluded to win the right to host the 2018 World Cup after suspended FIFA head Sepp Blatter alleged a backroom deal saw Russia scoop the tournament.

“There was no collusion between Russia and anyone,” Russian news agencies quoted sports minister Vitaly Mutko as saying on Friday.

“It is absolutely not true. We deservedly received the World Cup.” Mutko’s statement comes days after Blatter claimed that there was a deal struck to award Russia the 2018 World Cup before voting for the host country had taken place.

Russia is set to host the 2018 World Cup, but the bidding

process for the tournament, as well as that of Qatar’s 2022 World Cup, has come under scrutiny as part of twin Swiss and US corruption investigations into FIFA’s practices.

Russia’s organising committee for the 2018 tournament said in a statement on Friday that it was not aware of any behindthe-scenes deals and maintained that its bid had been “competitive”.

“The Russian bid was open and transparent, completely in line with the best international manage-ment practices and had the thorough support of the Russian government,” the statement said.

S UNDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, NOVEMBER 1 , 2015 — 53

Kipsang set to defend NYC marathon crown K

ENYA’s Wilson Kipsang will aim to bring the curtain down on a disappointing season on Sunday with a successful defence of his New York Marathon crown through the streets of the Big Apple.

Former world record holder Kipsang began 2015 in buoyant mood after clinching victory in New York 12 months ago but the promise of that win failed to materialise over a frustrating year.

In April he was beaten into second place by

compatriot Eliud Kipchoge in the London Marathon and then touched rock bottom in August at the World Championships in Beijing where he was forced to abandon.

“I am well prepared.

Last year I didn’t know much about the race, but this year I’ve prepared with the course in mind,” added Kipsang, who has recorded six marathon times under 2hrs 5mins during his career.

Last year Kipsang clinched victory in New

Sharapova accepts WTA loss to Kitova ARIA Sharapo and when Sharapova M va’s voracious breezed through the appetite for victory round-robin phase with makes it difficult for her look on the bright side of any defeat but the Russian was trying to remain positive after her WTA Finals semi-final loss to Petra Kvitova on Saturday. “I was able to play quite physical matches and get through them. I think that was something that I wasn’t sure of coming into this week because I hadn’t played a lot,” the Russian told reporters after another injury-interrupted campaign.

Struck down by leg and arm ailments, the world number four arrived in Singapore without a match under her belt since July. Despite her lack of activity, some observers believed Sharapova was still the woman to beat.

That belief came from Serena Williams’s decision to skip this year ’s tournament to recover from her own ailments

a perfect 3-0 record, it was difficult to see anyone beating her. Kvitova, however, is a formidable opponent for any player and the Czech double Wimbledon champion reeled off six second-set games to stun Sharapova 6-3 7-6(3) and leave the Russian with just next month’s Fed Cup final to look forward to.

“I didn’t have expectations coming into this week. Of course it’s always tough to sit after a match and say you’re happy, especially after you lose it,” the 28-yearold told reporters.

“But it would be quite unprofessional of me to not take a lot of positives out of this week. I think there’s a lot to look forward to in the off-season and next year, as well as a couple of the matches in two weeks,” she said of the showdown against the Czech Republic in Prague on Nov. 14-15.

York with a relatively modest time of 2hr 10min 59sec, well down on his personal best of 2:03.23, his former world record set in Berlin in 2013.

“I think, when I compare my condition last year and this year, I think this year I feel well prepared. I think I can run faster than last year,” Kipsang told a press conference.

The biggest threat to the 33-year-old Kipsang’s hopes of successfully defending his crown could come in the shape of Ethiopian duo Lelisa Desisa and Yemane Tsegay.

In the women’s race meanwhile, Kenya’s Mary Keitany is also back to defend her New York crown. “I think it’s special to me to come back to New York. New York City is amazing to me,” Keitany said.

“I’ve had no problems.

Everything has been going well, and I hope to do well this Sunday,” added Keitany, a twotime winner of the London Marathon in 2011 and 2012.

Keitany’s threats are likely to come from Ethiopia’s Tigist Tufa, who finished ahead of her in London in April and compatriots Helah Kiprop, world championships silver medalist, and Boston Marathon winner Caroline Rotich.

*Nigerian Connection... Marathon enthusiasts, Esther Obiekwe and Tuedon Omatsola Morgon ready to run in the New York Marathon today.

Ighalo gives Watford reason to believe S

UPER Eagles strik er, Odion Ighalo continued with his fine goal scoring form as his club Watford beat West Ham 2-0 in the English premier league yesterday. Ighalo, scored twice to increase his goal tally to seven in the season so far. It was also Watford’s fourth win in their campaign to stay in the top-flight.

The former Nigerian youth international pounced on a mistake

from West Ham’s Andy Carroll to slot home from close range with just six minutes until half time before doubling the lead shortly after the break by smashing the ball into the top corner.

A late red card for James Collins finished off West Ham as moved Watford into the top half of the table and the hammers dropped out of the Premier League’s top four. The Hammers had started brightly and pre-

dictably, the first moment of class came from Dimitri Payet who bemused Ben Watson with some clever footwork before releasing Victor Moses, who had drifted marginally offside.

Of the game’s two physically imposing strikers, Deeney was the more prominent and used his body well to set

Ikechi Anya free down the right before the Scotland winger allowed Adrian to smother the ball with a heavy touch.

The Hornets had another penalty claim turned away after Collins appeared to handle Almen Abdi’s flick before Odion Ighalo drew a good save from Adrian at the near post.

RUGBY: Nigeria battle for Olympic ticket in South Africa

N

*Maria Sharapova... poster girl of women tennis

IGERIAN Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) has named a 14-man squad for November ’s Rio Olympics qualifiers in South Africa.

The Federation listed Nigeria’s Rugby golden boy, Christian Ogar, Nuhu Samaila, Alfred Oche, Onoru Oyiza Jat-

to, Samuel Ekpo, Hafis Ayinla, as well as captain Azeez Ladipo.

Three players were invited from the United Kingdom (UK), two from the United States of America (USA) and one from South Africa, most of whom were discovered at the President Cup.

*Flying High...Odion Ighalo

PAGE 54, S UNDAY Vanguard SUNDAY Vanguard,, NOVEMBER 1 , 2015

CHAN: Eagles know opponents Nov 18 T

HE draws for the 2016 CHAN championship has been scheduled for November 18, at the Kigali Serena Hotel.

Fourteen teams have already qualified for the championship including the host country, Rwanda but there are two more teams to complete 16, which is the required number for the championship.

The team that have made it are Angola, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia &; Zimbabwe joined hosts Rwanda. Two more countries are expected to join the above mentioned teams as Ivory Coast will battle Ghana face on October 30 while Congo host Cameroon on October 31 for the two available slots.

“The final draw for the qualified teams that will compete at CHAN 2016 will take place on November 18 at the Kigali Serena Hotel.” #CHAN2016 Media accreditation for the final draw of qualified teams opened on October 18 and will go on until November 8.

Arsenal pile pressure on City

A

RSENAL made it five Premier League wins in a row after gunning down Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium, thanks to goals from Olivier Giroud, Laurent Koscielny and Joel Campbell.

All three goals came in the second half as Arsene Wenger ’s side kept up the pressure on Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.

Garry Monk may feel aggrieved over some incidents but Arsenal were good value for the win at the Liberty Stadium.

VOLKER Finke is no longer the coach of Cameroon national team.

The Cameroon Football Federation’s Executive Committee on Friday decided not to renew the 67-year-old’s contract, which had expired last May. Finke recorded 12 wins, 9 draws and 7 defeats since his appointment at the helm of the Indomitable Lions in

out of friendly matches against DR Congo and Cameroon as a precautionary measure against injury.

“Oliseh was far from happy with Victor Moses when he withdrew from the friendlies against DRC and Cameroon in Belgium and that was why he left him out of the squad,” said a top official who was with the Eagles in Belgium.

“The player cannot

May 2013, leading Cameroon to the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

Local managers Alexandre Belinga and Bonaventure Djonkep will be in charge when the Lions face Niger in their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying tie, with the first leg scheduled in Niamey on 13 November and the return leg in Yaoundé four days later.

•Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh celebrating CHAN qualification with the players.

Enyimba won’t go unhurt –Onyeali A BIA Warriors attack ing midfielder, Ifeanyi Onyeali has said city mates, Enyimba will not go home unhurt in the ‘Abia El-Clasico’.

Warriors will host the People’s Elephant in the Nigeria top flight match day 36 encounter today at the Umuahia Township Stadium.

Onyeali said the oriental derby between both sides is usually explosive insisting that the Sunday’s clash will not be an exception.

“The clash involving Abia Warriors and Enyimba has never been brotherly but outright war on the field of play so Sunday’s clash will still follow similar path more so as Enyimba see the tie as the hurdle they must cross to be champions. However, we are not going out of our way to prepare for the clash but the normal preparations for any league match.

“I know for certain that

Why Oliseh axed Moses Continues from Back Page

Cameroon fire Finke

choose the games he will play for Nigeria.”

Victor Moses and his handlers have always tried to stay clear of friendly matches involving national team, preferring for the player to only be called up for competitive games.

The West Ham forward was outstanding when Nigeria won a third AFCON two years ago, but he has now not featured for the Eagles for several months.

the better side on match day will carry the day and we are hoping to be the better side at the end of the day. Enyimba must sweat to their panties to be champions so there will not be a soft ground for them on Sunday.

“We may not be champions in the ongoing league season but we are not completely outsiders for the continental tick-

et. So the three points at stake in the clash is even more important to us than it is to Enyimba as well as the remaining matches on the calendar,” said the former Bussdor United star to supersport.com. Abia Warriors are 10th on the 20-team top flight on 50 points 15 points behind guests and league leaders, Enyimba.

•League action between Enyimba(blue) and Giwa Fc.

Liverpool Continues from Back Page

as his side suffered a sixth defeat in 11 games.

Klopp and Mourinho each berated the officials from their technical areas, the Chelsea boss treading carefully given his recent disciplinary run-ins with the Football Association.

Mourinho had the most legitimate complaint, though, when Lucas avoided a second yellow card for a challenge on Ramires with more than 20 minutes to go and the

score 1-1.

Coutinho’s second followed and Mourinho tried to lift his team amid chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” from the vocal visiting support, who were able to enjoy Benteke’s strike.

Chelsea now have one win in eight games and Mourinho, who was subject to the first managerial vote of confidence in Roman Abramovich’s 12year ownership on October 5, will be wary of what the future holds.

*Finke

Women football: Amalgamation of Nigerian Football Coaches plan big

T

HE new Executive Committee of the Amalgamation of Women Football Coaches have vowed to take development of the game to the zenith beginning with the forthcoming women football carnival at the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos in January, 2016.

Chief Goddy Esezobor who is president of the coaches association said the next Amalgamation of Women Football Coaches’ carnival is bound to be better as several women footballers from all states of the Federation and Abuja would feature.

He said it would be a platform for women footballers to be picked by

clubs and/or the various national teams Swiss Hans krammear who is Vice President of Amalgamation of Women Football Coaches disclosed that some corporate groups including the Embassy of China in Nigeria, E.W Abuja and Liebh Air have agreed to partner them towards a quality 15th carnival and general upliftment of women football in the country.

“We are indeed grateful that the Embassy of China in Nigeria, E.W Abuja and Liebh Air are now fully behind us and we are certain of doing more in discovering and nurturing quality women footballers.

FIFA U-17 W/Cup Continues from Back Page

Chile 2015.

Nigeria stand in the way of Carlos Amadeu’s men continuing their charmed streak in Vina, and the imperious Victor Osimhen will be giving Brazil’s defenders restless nights ahead of the quarter-final. The Nigerian No 9 has scored seven goals in four games.

Seven is also the number of titles shared between these sides, but this game is remarkably the first meeting between the two sides at this level, although the nations’

U-20 sides faced off in New Zealand earlier this year – with Brazil the 42 victors.

Nigeria coach, Emmanuel Amuneke said his boys are ready for the Samba boys. “We are candidates to win the title, but so are Brazil. We will work to put up a good fight.”

There is another clash between Mali and Croatia and the winner of that encounter will make history in the competition. It would be either side’s inaugural semi-final at this level.

S UNDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, NOVEMBER 1 , 2015 — 55

Osimhen

Winning Golden Boot is not my priority –Osimhen N

IGERIAN Striker Victor Osimhen has taken the world by storm after netting 7 goals in four matches at the ongoing 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Chile indicating he is ready to wear the big shoes of the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Osimhen, who is the last child of a family of six said he struggled on the streets of Lagos as a child even though he had the ambition of becoming a World Champion “I really hustled on the streets of Lagos and toyed with the idea of doing so many things initially,” Osimhen told Cafonline.com.

“I sold things like sachet water in the traffic but I knew the only thing I wanted to do was playing football though I have other talents.

“I love music; I can compose and sing very well too but playing football is all that I have wanted to do. I like rap music and one of my favourite artistes is Olamide and I like this particular track sitting on the Throne,” noted Osimhen, whose name means ‘God is good’.

To say that fate has a hand in the budding career of Osimhen is perhaps stating the obvious. He came from a humble family and had to hawk in the ever busy Lagos traffic along with his siblings in order to augment the purse of the family. However, he was determined not to let go his first love.

“Though I was born with the talent, I also learned playing football by watching my elder brother,” the forward who stands 1:85m revealed.

“He (my brother) used to play as a striker for the senior team of a neighborhood club. I joined the club later and I aspired to be better than him.

“He didn’t play football for long because he was also a newspaper vendor on the streets in Lagos. Nothing interested me than playing football and I really thank God for where I’m today.”

Since he broke into the Nigeria U-17 team, when he scored a brace in a friendly in June 2014, Osimhen has been the soul and heart of the team scoring goals with prolific efficiency.

At the last count, he has remarkably scored a total of 45 goals, in all matches for the coach Emmanuel Amuneketutored side.

“Victor is the kind of player any coach would be proud to have in his team because he is always ready to give his best

appreciation for all what I have learned under him,” he noted. “He has so much belief in me though he had never told me before until the game against the USA and thank God, I scored in that match.”

Apart from the strike against USA, Osimhen netted brace in the 5-1 crushing of hosts Chile, and the only goal in the 2-1 loss to Croatia. Against Australia at the Round of 16, the teenage forward roared loudest netting a hat-trick as the Golden Eaglets eased past the Aussies 6-0.

Prior to coming to Chile, he emerged amongst the top scorers at the continental championships in Niger last February, with four goals in six matches.

His biggest guide rest on the words of former England c a p t a i n ‘football’s not just about

for the common good of the team,” noted Amuneke, the 1994 CAF African Footballer of the Year.

“It is not my style to talk about a particular player in a team but Victor gets his job done for the team.”

The admiration between coach and player was there for all to see at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago on October 17 when Victor struck the second goal in the 2-0 defeat of USA, going on all four before his mentor.

“I prostrated before coach Amuneke after the goal against USA to show

scoring goals – it’s about winning’.

“Playing for the Golden Eaglets has boosted my confidence but I don’t see myself special amongst my team mates. I dreamt about playing for the national team and gradually, I have settled down into the U-17 team.

“I really thank God for helping me to be part of this team. In school, I played in some competitions but there is nothing like playing for the national team.

“Success of the team comes first and it is always my aspiration to always

“When Nigeria won the tournament in 2013, the top scorer was not from Nigeria”

score goals for the team when I’m given the opportunity to play,” noted Osimhen who has a fond admiration for former African Footballer of the Year and Ivorian legend, Didier Drogba.

“Drogba has always been a source of inspiration for me because he is the type of player that doesn’t give up and I like his fighting spirit. He is very passionate; always serious on the field and whatever circumstance, he would try and score for his team.”

Osimhen too can score goals in the company of anybody; and his goals for the Golden Eaglets has come in different shades, but reckons his second goal for Nigeria in a 3-1 defeat of Zambia at the 2015 African U U-17 Cup of Nations in Niger as the pick of the pack.

“I think the second goal I scored against Zambia in Niger was very good because it was a good example of what coach Amuneke had been telling us in training: accuracy before power. It was great tournament for us because we achieved our objective of qualifying for the World Cup in Chile.”

Nigeria will next face old foes Brazil at the quarters on Sunday in Vina del Mar, and the forward is looking forward to star yet again, with no special focus on the Golden Boot prize for the top scorer of the tournament.

“My priority is not to be the top scorer at this FIFA U-17 World Cup. When Nigeria won the tournament in 2013, the top scorer was not from Nigeria.

Rather, it would be a thing of joy if Nigeria can retain the title,” he concluded

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 1, 2015

Ighalo's brace sink West Ham — Page 53 Arsenal pile .54 P pressure on City —

FIFA U-17 W/Cup:

Nigeria, Brazil in titanic battle

Kick off: 8pm

A

ARROW HEAD: Eaglets' leading scorer, Victor Osimhen

Why Oliseh axed Moses C

HELSEA loanee Victor Moses has been left out of a 2018 World Cup eliminator against Swaziland after

he skipped Nigeria’s recent friendlies in Belgium, officials have disclosed.

Victor Moses has been

flying at London club West Ham, but he did not impress coach Sunday Oliseh when he opted Continues on Page 54

CROSS WORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1.Nobel-winning Archbishop (7-4) 5.Sailor (3) 7.Consumed (5) 8.Domesticates (5) 9.Ovum (3) 10.Electricity counting gadgets (6) 13.Highlander (4) 15.Poem (3) 17.One that contests (9) 20.Nigerian tribe (5) 22.Cereal (5) 24.Demoted (9) 27.Pig’s pen (3) 29.No one (4) 30.Sulks (6) 33.Away (3) 35.Presses (5) 36.Till (5) 37. Swine (3) 38. “The Man Who Saw Tomorrow” (11)

DOWN 1.Sleeping vision (5) 2.Possessor (5) 3.Tax (4) 4.Depressing (9) 5.Argentinian dance (5) 6.Wash lightly (5) 11.Greek letter (3) 12.Distress call (1-1-1) 14.English boy’s name (5) 16.Obstacle (3) 17.Bovine animal (3) 18.Mindfulness (9) 19.Alarm (5) 21.Help (3) 23.Village house (3) 25.Gnome (3) 26.Vast age (3) 27.Condescend (5) 28.Youthful (5) 31.Circular (5) 32.Trades (5) 34.Old Russian King (4)

FTER dismissing Australia 6-0 in their Round of 16 encounter at the Fifa U-17 World Cup in Chile, the Golden Eaglets will battle three-time champions Brazil for a place in the semi-final.

Carlos Nascimento’s boys sealed a place in the last eight after a late penalty gave them a 1-0 win against New Zealand.

The winner of this encounter billed for Estadio Sausalito will face either Ecuador or Mexico in the semi final at the Estadio Municipal de Concepción on November 5.

The Brazil versus Nigeria encounter is the star match of the opening day of quarter-final action at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015.

Vina Del Mar has been a kind venue for A Seleção in the past, playing host to four of Brazil’s games in their victorious FIFA World Cup campaign in 1962, with that trend continuing with two victories at the Estadio Sausalito during Continues on Page 54

CHAN: Eagles know opponents Nov 18 —P.54

Enyimba won't go unhurt —Onyeali See solution on page 5

-P.54

Ighalo celebrates his goal against West Ham

Liverpool compound Mourinho’s woes L IVERPOOL turned the screw on Jose Mourinho as Philippe Coutinho scored twice to help Liverpool recover

*Mourinho

from a goal down to win 3-1 at Chelsea.

Coutinho scored two fine goals after Ramires had given Chelsea a fourth-minute lead to pile more pressure on Mourinho, who only in May won his third Premier League title.

And Christian Benteke’s third allowed Jurgen Klopp to celebrate a second victory in his fifth game as Liverpool boss since replacing Brendan Rodgers.

It left Mourinho pondering his future and further perceived injustices at Stamford Bridge Continues on Page 54

RESULTS EPL

Chelsea C. Palace Man City Newcastle Swansea Watford West Brom

Bundesliga

Augsburg FC Cologne Hertha Berlin Schalke Werder Bremen

1 0 2 0 0 2 2

Liverpool Manchester United Norwich City Stoke City Arsenal West Ham United Leicester City

3 0 1 0 3 0 3

3 0 1 1 1

Mainz 05 Hoffenheim Moenchengladbach Ingolstadt B. Dortmund

3 0 4 1 3

FIXTURES Glo League Wikki Heartland Shooting Nasarawa Kwara Utd Abia Warriors Warri Wolves Sunshine Stars Rangers El-Kanemi

EPL

Everton Southampton

vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs

Dolphins Giwa FC Ifeanyi Ubah Sharks Taraba Enyimba Int’l Bayelsa United Lobi Stars Akwa United Kano Pillars

vs Sunderland 2:30 pm vs Bournemouth 5:00 pm

FIFA U-17 W/Cup Nigeria Croatia

vs Brazil vs Mali

8 pm 11 pm

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