What OBJ told PDP Govs

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2 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

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APC governorship primaries:

El-Rufai, Bindow, Abubakar, others clinch tickets •Atiku’s candidate loses in Adamawa

By Clifford Ndujihe, Luka Binniyat, Peter Duru, Umar Yusuf, Abel Daniel , MarieTherese Nanlong, John Mkom & Mayen Etim

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ORE governorship candidates emerged yesterday from the All Progressives Congress (APC) nationwide primaries.

Among those who picked the party’s tickets are Akinwunmi Ambode in Lagos, former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, who won the primaries in Kaduna; Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi); Dr. Nyere Anyim (Abia); Senator Mohammed Umaru Jibrilla Bindow (Adamawa); and Barr. Simon Lalong (Plateau).

This came on a day that a Benue High Court ordered the cancellation of the rescheduled governorship primaries in the state and former Vice President and APC Presidential Aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar failed to get his preferred candidate elected in his home state, Adamawa.

Among the 31 states where governorship elections will be held next February, the APC is yet to produce candidates in Imo and Ebonyi (South-East); Bayelsa and Cross River (South-South); Benue and Kogi (North-Central); Gombe (North-East); and Katsina, Jigawa and Kebbi in North-West.

El-Rufai grabs Kaduna APC ticket

In Kaduna, El-Rufai defeated four other aspirants in a primary election that started on Thursday and ended at 8.30 am yesterday.

The exercise was peaceful, free and fair.

The Zaria-born El Rufai polled 1,965 votes, Isah Ashiru had 1,379 votes, Haruna Sa’eed scored 127 votes, Shamshudeen Abdullahi Ango got 25 votes while Salihu Mohammed Lukman polled 22 votes.

Announcing the result at the Kaduna International Trade Fair Complex venue of the primary, the Returning Officer, Prince Ekenyem Orizu, said accredited delegates were 3557, total votes cast 3546, valid votes 3518 and invalid votes were 28.

While declaring Mallam Elrufai as the winner, Orizu commended the delegates for their comportment and urged the unsuccessful aspirants to rally round the winner to ensure that the party emerged victorious at the 2015 general elections.

In his acceptance speech, Mallam El-Rufai thanked all who supported him and particularly those who contested with him, saying: “I commend the transparent, free and fair manner

From left: Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo; Chairman Governing Board of the Nnma Prof. Etim Moses Essien and Prof. Niyi Osundare 2014 Nigeria National Order of merit award recipient; during the presidential dinner in honour of the body of Nigeria national order of merit a ward laureates at the Presidential Villa in , Abuja the election was conducted and I’m calling on other aspirants to join me in the struggle to make Kaduna State great again as a big family. I will visit other aspirants so that we can unite to vote out PDP in 2015.

“My priority among others will be to fix the education sector by providing free education from primary school to junior secondary school level, just as the APC government will bring to an end the insecurity not only in Kaduna State but in the country at large.”

Adamawa: How Bindow beat Atiku’s candidate

In Adamawa, Senator Mohammed Umaru Jibrilla Bindow, representing Adamawa North won the ticket with heavy bruises from his opponents.

Bindow beat three other aspirants with 1,880 votes to emerge winner in the primary elections concluded yesterday morning.

His closest rival, Alhaji Ibrahim Mijinyawa Yayaji, who was the candidate of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar scored 1,183 votes to come second.

Immediate past Secretary to the Adamawa State Government, Mr. Kobis Ari Thimnu, got 85 votes, while former Director General of the Nigerian Law School, Dr. Tahir Mamman scored 17 votes.

A total of 3316 votes were cast and 24 invalid votes were recorded.

The Chairman of the State Primaries Election Committee Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Yawe returned Bindow as the winner “having scored the highest votes in the election.’’

This is the second time in three months that Atiku Abubakar is suffering a similar defeat in a

party that he is regarded as the political godfather of Adamawa State.

During the aborted October 11, 2014 bye-election to complete the tenure of the impeached Governor Murtala Nyako’s tenure, Senator Mohammed Umaru Jibrilla Bindow equally beat Ibrahim Mijinyawa Yayaji and emerged as APC candidate before the election was scuttled by a law court that sacked the then Acting Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri and reinstated Barrister Bala Ngilari.

Court cancels primaries in Benue

A Makurdi High court presided over by Justice Ada Onum, yesterday, ordered the cancellation of the rescheduled APC governorship primaries in Benue State.

Justice Onum’s order was premised on an ex-parte motion brought before the court by Prof.

Steven Ugba who was allegedly excluded from the race by the top hierarchy of the party in the state.

Ugba had in his “suit No. MHC/1996M/2014 sought an interim order to restrain the respondents, Comrade Abba Yaro, State APC chairman and the party itself from conducting the party primaries to nominate the flag bearer of the party to contest the governorship election in the Benue state.”

According to his counsel, Mr. Simon Orkumah, the motion also challenged the propriety of his purported exclusion from the exercise.

Ruling on the motion, Justice Adah Onum said: “I see profound merit in this interim order sought to restrain the

respondents from conducting the party primary scheduled for later in the day or at any other time pending the determination of the application’s motion.”

Meantime, at press time, there were confusing signals from top party officials in the state as the accreditation of delegates was still going on at the Makurdi IBB Square, venue of the exercise as party officials claimed that they were not in receipt of any court injunction restraining them from conducting the primaries.

A member of the Benue state Governorship Primaries Committee told Vanguard that the primaries would go ahead, maintaining that he had not been served with any court injunction.

However, it was reliably gathered that some court officials had gone to the venue of the primaries to serve the party with the injunction.

Lalong wins on the Plateau

The Plateau State Chapter of the APC has announced Barr. Simon Lalong as the winner of its governorship primary election held Thursday night in Jos. Lalong, a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly won by a landslide as he scored a total of 2,222 defeating four other contestants.

A total of 2,960 delegates were accredited for the exercise, 2,909 of the delegates voted and 2,869 of the votes were valid while 40 were invalid.

Speaking with Saturday Vanguard, the Chairman, Plateau State

Gubernatorial/House of Assembly Committee, Mr. Sunny Moniedafe who came from the Party’s national headquarters to monitor the exercise said he was impressed with the delegates’ conduct. “Despite the stress, delegates conducted themselves peacefully, all those who lost congratulated the winner and pledged their support. This is the spirit Nigerian politicians should imbibe” Also speaking, an elder statesman, Amb. Yahaya Kwande reiterated that Plateau people are clamouring for power shift hence, Barr. Lalong from the southern zone of the state is not only APC candidate but Plateau candidate.

Kwande charged Lalong to be true to himself knowing that “if he fails the people, he has failed himself ” and called on all stakeholders to support the candidate at the polls.

It’s Abubakar in Bauchi

Barrister Mohammed Abubakar, who polled 930 votes beat former Minister of Police Affairs, Dr Ibrahim Yakubu Lame (806 votes) to win the tightly ran race conducted at the Zaranda Hotel, Bauchi on Thursday.

Anyim emerges in Abia

In Abia, Dr. Nyere Anyim emerged as winner following the voluntary withdrawal of Barr.

Nans Ikeocha from the race.

Addressing newsmen at the venue of the primaries, the chairman of the National Primaries Committee of the party, Hon Joseph Umoru said following the voluntary withdrawal of Ikeocha, Dr. Nyere had no aspirant to contest with.

However, the 108 governorship delegates still went ahead to cast their votes for or against Nyere and at the end, Umoru declared him as the winner of the primaries.

APC GUBER CANDIDATES State Kano Lagos Plateau A/Ibom Rivers Kaduna Kwara Sokoto Niger

Candidate Abdullahi Ganduje Akinwunmi Ambode Simon Lalong Umana O. Umana Dakuku Peterside Nasir El-Rufai Abdulfatah Ahmed Aminu Tambuwal Abubakar Sani Bello

Nasarawa Zamfara Delta Oyo Yobe Ogun Enugu Adamawa Taraba Borno Bauchi Abia

Tanko Al-Makura Abdulaziz Yari O’tega Emerhor Abiola Ajimobi Ibrahim Geidam Ibikunle Amosun Okey Ezea Unaru Jibrilla Bindow Aisha Arhasan Kashim Shettima Mohammed Abubakar Nyere Anyim

6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

Fayose calls for suspension of Obasanjo from PDP

By Gbenga Ariyibi, Ado-Ekiti

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KITI State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has called for the immediate suspension of the former president,Chief Olusegun Obasanjo from the Peoples D e m o c r a t i c Party(PDP)for alleged anti -party activities He urged the party to constitute a panel to probe Obasanjo’s antiparty activities.

Fayose who spoke with newsmen in Ado Ekiti yesterday, was apparently reacting to the visit of the five PDP governors to the former president at his Abeokuta country home on Thursday, said Chief Obasanjo was working against the interest of PDP and by extension,the president,Dr Goodluck Jonathan,as he was secretly working for the success of APC at the poll.

Fayose described the visit of the PDP governors to Obasanjo as unwarranted, unnecessary and uncalled for,as he,(Obasanjo) has already made up his mind to work against the president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

The governor said PDP as a party must stop condoning indiscipline, saying; “nobody should be treated as being bigger than the party.”

He added that Obasanjo who does not appreciate others deserve no respect, adding that, “no amount of mudslinging from him will stop President Goodluck Jonathan’s reelection.”

The governor said visiting Obasanjo to plead with him to rescind his decision not to participate in the party ’s activities was capable of encouraging

other members of the party to openly disrespect the office of President and Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces of Nigeria as being done by Obasanjo.

“A man who has refused to respect the office of the President of Nigeria that he once occupied does not also deserve respect from anyone.”

The governor, who

described Obasanjo as one of the major problems of Nigeria, added that the former president’s open castigation of President Goodluck Jonathan was unbecoming of someone who led the country for 11 years and wasted billions of naira in his attempt to perpetuate himself in office beyond the constitutionally recognised two-term.

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HERE are indications that reprieve may come the way of the Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal with regards to providing him Police security following his triumph as the All Progressive Congress governorship candidate in Sokoto State.

Sources disclosed that the provision of Police security for Tambuwal, is

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By Soni Daniel

S the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, gets set for its gubernatorial primaries on Monday, President Goodluck Jonathan and the son of the former military head of state, Mohammed Abacha met behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa yesterday, apparently to strategise on how to secure victory for him and the party.

The PDP is presenting the junior Abacha, who was freed from corruption and theft charges by the Federal Government last June, as its governorship candidate for Kano, apparently based on his assumed influence and popularity to be able to dislodge the All Progressives Congress candidate backed by Governor Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso.

Although the details of their discussions were not made public, Abacha told State House correspondents shortly after emerging from the parley with Jonathan that he was confident the PDP would ‘recover Kano’ from the APC.

Dangote emerges as Forbes Africa Person of the Year

By Peter Egwuatu

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From left: Former Military Governor of Ondo State, Group Captain Ita Ekpeme (Rtd), President, Lagos Island Club, Ademola Dada; President, Lawn Tennis Club,Barrister Sam Egbuchunam; his wife, Chinwe; Representative of Lagos State Governor, Enitan Oshodi; Chairman of the occassion, Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Obateru Akinruntan; Olori Iyabode Akinruntan and acting Managing Director, IGI Insurance, Rotimi Fasola at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club Gala Nite in Lagos.

Nyanya bombing: Ogwuche’s N100m demand a big joke — FG •As court orders AGF to appear Dec 17

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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HE Federal Government, yesterday, described the N100million demand by Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, the alleged mastermind of the April 14 bomb blast that killed over 75 persons and wounded 100 others at a crowded motor park in Nyanya Abuja, as a big joke.

Consequently, the

government sought an outright dismissal of the fundamental right enforcement proceeding that was initiated before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court by Ogwuche.

Ogwuche had in the application he filed through his lawyer Mr. Ahmed Raji, SAN , urged the court to compel the Federal Government to pay him N100m as compensation for his

Tambuwal may get police protection as APC guber candidate

By Kingsley Omonobi, Abuja

He said; “Have you ever heard a former president of the United States of America (USA) openly abusing a sitting president of the country?

“Does it mean that former USA president, Bill Clinton agreed with all the policies of George W. Bush and the incumbent president, Barack Obama?

“Obasanjo is behaving unpresidentially and he must be told to respect himself.”

2015: Jonathan, Abacha meet to dislodge APC from Kano

however borne out of the duty by the Police High Command to ensure that all such successful candidates of all the political parties, are given security protection because of their status before and during the 2015 elections.

Saturday Vanguard was told categorically that the provision of security for the Tambuwal had nothing to do with the withdrawal of his

security details as Speaker since that was a separate issue that is in the law courts.

Confirming the development when Saturday Vanguard sought to know if Tambuwal’s security will be restored as Speaker, Force Public Relations officer, CP Emmanuel Ojukwu said, “The Police will do the needful in protecting Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and all other contestants”.

continued detention in the custody of the Department of State Security, DSS, over his alleged complicity in the bombing incident.

He told the court that he has been in detention since July 15, 2014, when he was arrested in Khartoum, Sudan and extradited to Nigeria through the help of the Interpol, saying the government has neither arraigned nor filed a valid charge against him.

Ogwuche accused the Nigerian government of violating his fundamental human rights as enshrined in section 34, 35, 36, 41 and 43 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as Articles 2, 6, 7(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Right (Ratification& Enforcement Act).

Aside asking for damages against the government, Ogwuche further urged the court to invoke it’s powers and order his release from detention pending whenever the government is ready to conduct his trial.

IGERIAN business man, Aliko Dangote has emerged as the Forbes Africa Person of the Year 2014. Other finalists of the most coveted award were Thuli Madonsela, South Africa’s Public Protector, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian author, Arunma Oteh, Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria and Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank.

In selecting Dangote, the panel of judges noted that “Aliko Dangote is a lion of Africa in terms of business. He is second to none when it comes to investing in Africa, not just Nigeria. He is also a capitalist with a big heart. He puts his money where his mouth is and his foundation is a step forward for a man who wants to make a difference on the continent,” This was Dangote’s fourth nomination for the prestigious awards. Other past finalists include his Highness Dr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (2011), James Mwangi (2012) and Akinwumi Adesina (2013). Also feted during the event was Donald Kaberuka, president of the African Development Bank.

Kaberuka, who received the lifetime achievement award.

Jonathan appoints new Comptroller General of Prisons

By Kingsley Omonobi, Abuja

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RESIDENT G o o d l u c k Jonathan has approved the appointment of a new Comptroller General of Prisons. He is Dr Peter Ezenwa Ekpendu.

The new Comptroller General of Prisons hails from Ibeku Okwuato in Mbaise Local Government area of Imo state.

Before his present appointment as the Controller General, he was Deputy Controller General (Administration) since 2012.

•Dr. Ekpendu He has held various positions in the prisons including Deputy Commandant Prisons Training, College,Lagos1991-1994; Officer-inCharge of Umuahia-19951996; Officer in charge of Owerri Prisons-1997-1998 and Deputy Controller of Prisons Training, Prisons Headquarters 1999.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014—7

REVEALED: What OBJ actually told PDP governors •As Jonathan parleys with Mohammed Abacha on 2015 elections

By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

ISCOMFORTING D news for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-

election bid broke out from former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Hilltop Mansion, Abeokuta, yesterday evening, indicating that the outcome of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governors who had gone there to plead for the President’s support was initially played down. We can authoritatively disclose today that Obasanjo flatly refused to support Jonathan although Obasanjo had publicly said that he only explained to the governors his position on national issues. But we gathered that it was more than that as he maintained his stand against Jonathan’s style of administration which didn’t deserve his support.

This was even as Jonathan and the son of the late former Head of State, Mohammed Abacha met behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa yesterday, apparently to strategise on how to secure victory for him and the party in Kano and other States..

The PDP is presenting the junior Abacha, who was freed from corruption and theft charges by the Federal Government last June, as its governorship candidate for Kano, apparently based on his assumed influence and popularity to dislodge the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate backed by out-going Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

However, the five governors; Mallam Isa Yuguda of Bauchi, Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Liyel Imoke (Cross River) and Godswill Akpabio(Akwa Ibom) had approached Obasanjo on behalf of Jonathan and the PDP and pleading with him to not only tone down his verbal attacks on the president and his administration but back him in the forthcoming election.

The governors, who spent at least three hours discussing with Obasanjo, however were said to have left his mansion without any strong promise from the former president, who sounded rather defiant, claiming that it was clear to all Nigerians that Nigeria under Jonathan was in a bad shape.

Obasanjo was, however, said to have given his visitors some words of consolation, saying, ‘the situation in Nigeria today is bad but is not beyond

redemption’. “That means that something can still be done to change it, if there is courage and determination to do so.”

A source close to the Abeokuta meeting told Saturday Vanguard that Obasanjo accepted to receive the five governors because of his respect for them as individuals and politicians who rode to national limelight through his instrumentality and not because of Jonathan or PDP. The source told our correspondent on Friday that although Obasanjo was disappointed by the action of most of the governors who visited him, he did not want to vent his anger and disappointment by turning down their request to visit him.

The source, who is close to Obasanjo said: “But the truth of the matter is that ‘Baba’ did not give them any promise of word of comfort throughout their stay in Abeokuta because he is very upset with most of them, who have betrayed him in many ways since he helped them to clinch power in 2007.

“He told them the truth as it is that Jonathan’s leadership had really hurt the image of Nigeria at home and abroad and that they themselves should help him to change course so as to help Nigeria and Nigerians out the doldrums.

“Obasanjo made it clear to the visitors that he was not just speaking out for the sake of bringing Jonathan or his government down but to draw his attention to the urgent need to rise up and fight the monsters of insecurity and monumental corruption that are fast eating away the fabric of the nationhood and making Nigeria a mockery before the international community.

Asked if Obasanjo had tabled any demand as a condition for backing Jonathan in next year’s presidential poll, the source hinted that the former head of state did not give any condition and was not keen on any since he was not ready to back down on his position.

“Look, let me tell you the truth; Baba stands on his position concerning Jonathan and his administration and he is not ready to change whatever he had said or written no matter who comes to him or not.

“I can tell you that if the mission of the five governors was successful, one of them, who likes to talk at every event, would have been the first to speak.

What happened was more of a mission not accomplished to say the truth,” the source said.

A source close to the Presidency said that the visit by the five governors to Obasanjo might have been sanctioned by the Villa as a means of staving off lingering criticism of President Jonathan by Obasanjo ahead of the crucial presidential poll fixed for the first quarter of next year.

Obasanjo had last month described Jonathan’s performance so far as ‘below average,’ a rating that received an instant bashing from Jonathan’s aides, who descended heavily on the former leader, calling him names.

Meanwhile, although the details of the discussions between Jonathan and Mohammed Abacha were not made public, Abacha told State House correspondents shortly after emerging from the parley with the president that he was confident the PDP would ‘recover Kano’ from the APC. According to him, Kano was stolen from PDP and the party is on its way to recovering the stolen ticket. Abacha was also

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right) registering for his National Identity Card at the National Identification Number Registration Centre, Osogbo, State of Osun. With him are, his Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori (3rd right); Director Operations, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Abuja, Mrs Yahaya Cecilia (2nd right); Officer, NIMC Osun, Akinlabi Olusola (left) and others.

optimistic he would emerge the party’s gubernatorial flag bearer, saying, “We are hopeful; I wouldn’t want to say too much. I said it before that it was a PDP state; it was a PDP ticket. It was taken or converted or even stolen; whatever you want to call it, so be it. The chances of

the PDP are still bright.’’

Speculations had been rife that the Presidency deliberately withdrew the charges bordering on the alleged stealing of N446 billion preferred against the aspirant last June in order to pave the way for him to contest the Kano governorship election.

The government through the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, had justified the nolle proseque (don’t prosecute or discontinue prosecution) entered in favour of Abacha, claiming that it was done in the overall interest of the country and not for pecuniary or political reasons.

2015: Uduaghan drops Senate bid •Says I offer myself as sacrifice to sustain peace, security in Delta •Impose Wike, lose 2 million votes, Rivers PDP warns Jonathan •Chime, aides on war-path over truce with Ekweremadu

By Clifford Ndujihe, Festus Ahon, Francis Igata & Caleb Ayansina

HEAD of tomorrow’s A senatorial primaries of the Peoples Democratic

Party (PDP), Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, yesterday, withdrew from the Delta South Senatorial race. He said his decision is in the interest of peace and security of the state.

The withdrawal, which some observers described as a masterstroke has nipped in the bud what was a panning out as a pitch battle between the governor’s camp and that led by Elder statesman, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, Senator James Manager and ex-militant, Tompolo.

Jonathan’s intervention Saturday Vanguard gathered that Uduaghan dropped his bid after a tripartite reconciliation meeting brokered and hosted by President Goodluck Jonathan between Thursday and yesterday in Abuja.

The truce in Delta came as PDP stalwarts in Rivers including 19 governorship aspirants warned that President Jonathan may lose two million Rivers’ votes in the 2015 election if former Minister of State for

Education, Mr Nyesom Wike is imposed as the governorship candidate in the state. Specifically, they threatened to defect to opposition parties if the president and the PDP hierarchy failed to resolve the lingering crisis rocking the party in Rivers.

Meanwhile, less than 24 hours to PDP’s National Assembly primaries, Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State appears to have sacrificed the ambitions of his former aides on the altar of the truce he reached with Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

Senatorial election not do-or-die, says Uduaghan Briefing newsmen in Asaba, Uduaghan said he has to offer himself as a sacrifice to sustain the peace and security in the state.

The governor, who aspired to represent Delta South Senatorial District after his second term on May 29, 2015, a move that would have hurt the ambition of serving Senator Manager, said he is quitting because the election is not ‘’do or die” and there has been ethnic tension which seemed to be ‘’threatening peace and security of the state.”

Insisting that he would do everything to stop anything that would threaten the peace and security of the

state, he said he came in at a time when the state was being faced with a lot of security issues ‘’but the state is much more peaceful now than I met it”.

He also said his withdrawal would give him the leverage to manage the affairs of the state in the transition period as well as ensure the re-election of president Jonathan.

Uduaghan, however, described Senator James Manager as a friend and brother, adding that he was not forced to withdraw from the race.

Manager to work with Uduaghan At the Abuja meeting, sources said the President was touched by Uduaghan’s ‘’sacrifice’’ and he ‘’asked Senator James Manager to work with the Delta State Structure to ensure that the candidate favoured by the majority of PDP stakeholders emerges as the party’s governorship candidate and the party approached the 2015 elections as a united front in Delta.’’

Chime, former aides on war path in Enugu Some members of Chime’s kitchen cabinet, including his Commissioner for Enugu Capital Development Authority had few weeks ago resigned their positions to enable

them participate in the PDP National Assembly primaries.

They reportedly had the blessing of the governor to run for the offices of their choice. But following the reported reconciliation of Chime and Ekweremadu, the governor was said to have asked his aides to withdraw from the race.

Making their positions known at different fora, yesterday, those affected by the development, said they were going ahead to seek the people’s mandate.

One of them, Engr.

Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, who prior to the recent development, was known to be Chime’s preferred candidate for the Nsukka/ Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency, said his ambition remained on course.

Ugwuegede resigned as the commissioner for Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority. At a news briefing yesterday, Ugwuegede said: “I want to inform my supporters that my aspiration is still very much on course. We urge our supporters and delegates to remain faithful and assure them that with their support, success and victory will be ours at the polls. Be not dismayed or discouraged by anybody. Ensure that you participate at the PDP primaries taking place at the Government Field continues on page 8

8 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

BRIEFS Delta PDP assures on free, fair NASS, Guber primaries

By Festus Ahon, ASABA

Controversy trails alleged arrest of seven with three INEC machines in Rivers

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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EVEN persons were allegedly arrested by Police Thursday night in a hotel in Elele for allegedly being in possession of three voters registration machines belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. When contacted, the state Police Commissioner, Mr Dan Bature said he would not be able to confirm the allegation. “I am not confirming this”, he politely toldtheVanguardonphone., Meantime, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the state, Elder Chidi Wihioka who spoke to newsmen in Port Harcourt yesterday on the development said those arrestedwereallegedlyusing the machines to register voters illegally in a hotel in Elele that night, adding that the Police acted on a tipoff to arrest them. While commending the Police for the action, Elder Wihioka who is the APC candidate for the Ikwerre/Emohua federal constituency seat in the House of Representatives said the people of Elele were happy with the arrest.

Continuing, he said the hotel where they were caught belonged to a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the area.

“We the Elele people are grateful to the Nigerian Policefortheactiontheytook.

Only God knows how the people arrested for the machines and materials of INEC got them to start doing registration at night “, he said.

O Deputy Speaker, House of Reps. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha (right) presenting the certificate of participation to the Deputy Chairman of NUJ Imo State, Christopher Akaraonye during a 3-Day Training/Workshop facilitated by the Deputy Speaker for Journalists in Imo State.

Delta Guber: Obuh upbeat on victory in PDP primaries

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HEAD of Monday’s governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a frontline aspirant in Delta State, Sir Tony Obuh yesterday expressed optimism that he would emerge the party’s flagbearer at the end of the exercise.

Speaking through the Director General of his campaign organisation, Bar. Fred Majemite, Obuh also debunked rumours that he was doling out N1 million each to delegates for the election, saying that his campaign was being sustained by the goodwill of people.

“We have campaigned and worked hard for victory. We have traversed

the whole of Delta State campaigning for votes from delegates and we have gone round again meeting the delegates.

“Apart from that, if you look at the credentials of Obuh, you will see that he is the man to beat. He has been a civil servant for 33 years and in eight of those years, he was a Permanent Secretary when he spent seven years in Government House. In other words he has been involved in the formulation and implementation of government policies. And during this period, he worked in both private and public sectors which has exposed him to the outside world and this gives him an edge over others.

“Obuh is not just a

politician, he is a politician of high note and somebody who understands what governance is all about,” Majemite told journalists in Asaba. Majemite who said Obuh would desire the support of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in the race to the primaries, noted however that there was no iota of truth in the rumours that Uduaghan was behind Obuh’s aspiration.

“The governor does not have the power to impose anybody even though he is the leader of the party in the state.PDPisverydemocratic in all our operations. What the governor is trying to do rather is to create the enabling environment for the aspirants to market themselves,” he said.

Uduaghan drops Senate bid Nsukka.”

With Wike, Jonathan ‘ll lose Rivers’ 2m votes – PDP stalwarts Threatening to dump the PDP, the party’s stalwarts in Rivers State said if Wike was imposed as the governorship candidate in the forthcoming election, it will cost the party over two million votes from the state.

The concerned Rivers State PDP Stakeholders and 19 governorship aspirants, under the auspices of the Rivers Mainstream Coalition (RMC), said the chances of the party in 2015 depends on how the leadership of the party

HE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Delta State, yesterday said the National Assembly and gubernatorial primary elections would be free and fair and reaffirmed results of the last Saturday House of Assembly results as released by the State chapter of the party. Briefing newsmen, Acting Chairman of PDP in the state, Chief Edwin Uzor urged the National Leadership of the party to send a neutral team for the National Assembly elections.

Rejecting the Electoral Appeal Panel with Senator J.K. Branbafa as Chairman and Liman Kwande, Barr.

Raymond Nnah as members, the Chairman lamented that irregularities experienced during last State House of Assembly primaries such as late arrival of Panel members with election materials and absence of original result sheets were some of the reasons behind the decision of the party in the state.

APC Primaries: Tilije calls for cancellation of result in Delta

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continues from page 7

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handles the current crisis in the state.

“If the right thing is done, PDP will fly high. Our options as RMC, which is fighting for justice in Rivers State, are wide depend on what is unfolding,” it said.

Speaking on behalf of the group at a press conference, in Abuja, Prof.

Israel Owate said they had no confidence in the National Deputy Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus to resolve the lingering crisis because Secondus had openly aligned himself with the cabal in the state to short change the Rivers’ people.

Owate said; “Secondus has stubbornly and consistently shown open alignment with the

ambition of Barr. Nyesom Wike and cannot therefore be trusted to proffer unbiased solutions on Rivers State crisis. There is ample evidence that the imposition of Wike to succeed Governor Amaechi shall cause deep geopolitical imbalance, trigger negative reactions from other ethnic groups and threaten the peace, stability and unity of Rivers State including the electoral fortunes of the PDP. “It is the general view of Rivers people that Wike is so desperate to become governor that he does not bother to evaluate how much damage his stubborn violation of the existing rotation formula can do in polarizing the electorate

and weakening the unity required to muster the traditional two million votes in the 2015 elections for Mr President. The impending tragedy can only be averted by ensuring that other ethnic groups in River state are not extremely incensed by the intolerable prospect of being subjugated to the slavery of having another Ikwerre person succeed Governor Amaechi, who is also from Ikwerre.”

The group further called on President Jonathan to prevail on the NWC of the PDP to dissolve the Rivers State Executive Committee and appoint a Care-taker committee to run the party until another Executive committee is elected.

NE of the governorship aspirants in Delta State under the umbrella of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief Fidelis Tilije, has called for the cancellation of the primaries which held in Asaba the state capital on Thursday or he will head for the courts.

Tilije, who had earlier stormed out of the venue of Oshimili Arcade, venue of the APC primaries before voting commenced in protest of irregularities which he alleged was skewed in favour of the other candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor.

Speaking with journalists later in his country home in Obiariaku, Ukwani Local Government Area of Delta State, the three-time deputy governorship candidate under the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) with Great Ogboru, described the exercise as a “charade”.

GCUOBA annual luncheon

G

OVERNMENT College, Ughelli Old Boys Association (GCUOBA), Lagos Branch holds her annual luncheon party today at the Banquet Hall, Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, Lagos.

A statement by GCUOBA Secretary, Luncheon Party Committee, Akintomiwa Akeju, said the association planned to build a befitting secretariat at their property at No. 22, Mc Neil Road, Yaba. The association has committed over N150 million to the development of their alma mater through direct rehabilitation of infrastructure, provision of modern day educational aids and sporting facilities.

Prof. Oyewale Tomori will be guest speaker at the luncheon and he will speak on the topic, ‘ Ebola lessons for the future of Nigeria’ .

PDP primary: Burutu South constituents hail Daubry victory

T

HE people of Burutu South constituency in Burutu local government area of Delta State, have hailed the emergence of Hon. Kennedy Daubry as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the 2015 general elections.

Celebrating Daubry’s victory in the area, the people expressed confidence that Duabry’s second term will bring more human and infrastructural developments to the area.

They further commended Daubry for being honest in representing the people of Burutu South at the State House of Assembly, and for being diligent in executing all approved constituency projects in various communities.

Pressure Group asks delegates to vote Uduaghan for Senate

A

PRESSURE group in Delta State, Stabilising Factors, SF, has asked the delegates to nominate Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan for the Senate in 2015.

In a statement jointly signed by the General Coordinator,Victor Agbateyiniro and one of the coordinators, Hon. Godwin Masah, a foremost Ijaw leader, they stated that Uduaghan’s enviable track records as the governor of Delta State puts him ahead of other aspirants in the Delta South Senatorial district.

The group which described Dr. Uduaghan as a maverick and astute politician said: “With his transformation agenda hinged upon peace and security, infrastructural development and human capital development, there is no doubt that he will deliver the dividends of democracy and attract developmental projects to the senatorial district.”

SATURDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, DECEMBER 6 6, 2014 — 9

BRIEFS

Enugu makes history, joins world’s 100 resilient cities

Confusion in Enugu as corpse of Jim Nwobodo’s son disappears

By Francis Igata

T

HERE was pandemo nium yesterday at Amechi, Nkanu-West Local Government Area of Enugu State as the community could not come to terms with former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo over where his,son,Jim, Ifeanyi Nwobodo Jnr would be buried.

It was a show of shame at Amechi Awkunanaw in Enugu State as the burial ceremony of Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, the late son of former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo turned awry as Nigerians from all walks of life waited in vain for the arrival of the corpse.

News had filtered in early in the morning that the corpse of the deceased disappeared from the morgue.

Saturday Vanguard recalls that Dr. Ifeanyi Nwobodo

Jnr., who had on November 16, 2014 died of cancer, was to be buried yesterday as planned by the family.

A source told our Saturday Vanguard that his corpse was snatched away following a crisis among members of the clan and the former governor.

Trouble had started when the former governor chose a venue outside the family compound for the burial of the deceased, a decision which was stoutly opposed by other members of the family.

A family source said Jim decided to bury Ifeanyi outside the family house, on the notion that he (Ifeanyi) lost all his rights as a son by dying before his father.

However, other members of the family, as well as Awkunanaw youths, who were not happy with such decision, insisted that he would not buried elsewhere. Following the deadlock, Saturday Vanguard

gathered that some yet-tobe identified members of the community made straight to the morgue and took the corpse away.

For several hours, some past and serving Governors, including the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, waited endlessly amidst the frustration. After a long fruitless wait, Ekweremadu, and other dignitaries stormed out of the venue.

Anambra Central 2015: Obiora Okonkwo petitions PDP over delegates’ list, panel chairman

By Clifford Ndujihe

A

LEADING Senatorial Aspirant in Anambra Central on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Obiora Okonkwo has petitioned

L-R: Mrs Omobola Babs-Akinyeye, Director, Co-Curricular, Ministry of Education, Lagos State; Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, Chairman, Lagos State Football Association and Oyinade Adegite, Senior Manager, GTBank during the GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup season 6 press conference held in Lagos.

Delta PDP rejects Appeal Panel, assures on free, fair primaries

By Festus Ahon, ASABA

T

HE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Delta State, yesterday said the National Assembly and gubernatorial primary elections would be free and fair and reaffirmed results of the last Saturday House of Assembly results as released by the State chapter of the party.

Briefing newsmen, Acting Chairman of PDP

in the state, Chief Edwin Uzor urged the National Leadership of the party to send a neutral team for the National Assembly elections.

Rejecting the Electoral Appeal Panel with Senator J.K. Branbafa as Chairman and Liman Kwande, Barr. Raymond Nnah as members, the Chairman lamented the experience during last State House of Assembly primaries such as late arrival of Panel members with election materials and absence of original result sheets were some

As the confusion persisted, the Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province of the Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuma, waded into the matter and held a stormy meeting with all the warring parties.

At the end of the meeting, which lasted for several hours, the Archbishop volunteered to allow the family bury the deceased at the St. Mathew’s Anglican Church Amechi Awkunanaw.

of the reasons behind the decision of the party in the state.

According to him, the original result from the state PDP was at variance with the one submitted by the Panel Chairman to the National leadership of the party, reiterating that the result of State House of Assembly primaries sent from the state remained valid while assuring that the National Assembly primaries would be free, fair and credible.

the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu over the appointment of Alaye Tremie (Jnr) as the chairman of the Anambra State Electoral Panel for the National Assembly primaries slated for today and tomorrow.

While the PDP House of Representatives primaries will hold today, that of the senate will be held tomorrow across the country.

Dr Okonkwo, who noted that almost all the senatorial aspirants in the state are yet to see the official list of delegates for Anambra Central Senatorial district, urged the PDP chairman to replace Tremie with a fairminded and unbiased person for three reasons: Tremie served as a member and secretary of the PDP national Delegate Congress in Ebonyi State and the said congress was marred by irregularities and remains controversial till date; he is a close associate and school mate of one of the aspirants in Anambra Central, who has started celebrating even before the primaries; and the Anambra PDP “is in a very fragile state because we are still weathering the huge crisis created by the attempt to appoint a Caretaker Committee in Anambra.”

Urging the party hierarchy to do the needful and replace Tremie, Dr Okonkwo feared that if this matter is not adequately addressed, the primary election will further polarize the state”, adding “please let us avoid this looming crisis that may lead to a breakdown of law and order.”

E

NUGU made history, Wednesday, as the only Nige rian city among 35 cities from across the globe invited to join the 100 Resilient Cities Network (100RC) pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation, New York.

The announcement was made during The Rockefeller Foundation’s Urban Resilience Summit in Singapore. The other three African cities that made the list alongside the Coal City of Enugu are Kigali (Rwanda), Accra (Ghana) and Arusha (Tanzania).

The choice of Enugu was predicated on the transformation of the road network in the city under Sullivan Chime. This was in addition to numerous national and international recognitions that have been bestowed on Enugu state. The organizers of the network said that Enugu was chosen from nearly 350 applicants on the basis of its ability to “demonstrate a unique vision for resilience, a long-term commitment to cutting across levels of government and sectors of society, a special attention to the needs of the poor and vulnerable.”

Court sacks Anambra PDP caretaker committee

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

T

HE Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, sacked the caretaker committee of the Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. In a judgment that was delivered by Justice Evoh Chukwu, the high court equally restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from accepting the list of delegates or nominated candidates from the caretaker committee.

The voided caretaker committee led by Col. Augustine Akobundo was set up to run the affairs of the party in the state pending the 2015 general elections.

Specifically, Justice Chukwu held that the caretaker committee was set up in violation of a subsisting court order directing all parties should maintain status quo pending the determination of the suit.

2 Clergy, 2 nurses, 13 others arrested for child trafficking in Anambra

By Vincent Ujumadu

T

HE Directorate of State Security (DSS) in Anambra State has arrested a pastor of one of the new generation churches, an evangelist, two nurses and 13 other persons for their alleged involvement in child trafficking and kidnapping in the state.

The state command of DSS also rescued three children namely, Chinonso Oriuwa (3 years), Chidera Abiara (2 years) and Chinasa Abiara (seven months), who were taken away from their parents by some of the suspects.

The suspected child traffickers were Chinuru Martins, a pastor from Umuahia in Abia State, Solomon Loveday Nwadinobi also from Umuahia and Chiko Chima Ogu from Obowu in Imo State.

Others were Nnena Ogbonna Nwachukwu from Bende in Abia, Eunice Tochukwu Uwakwe (Obowu), Glory Nnennaya Okwara a nurse from Arochukwu, Abia State, Felicia Ebeh from Mbaise in Imo State and Esther Eleanya from Abiriba in Abia State.

PDP aspirants call for cancellation of exercise, resignation of Imasuen

By Simon Ebegbulem

T

HE House of Assembly aspirants who lost in the pri maries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state, yesterday called for the cancellation of the exercise and the resignation of the Edo South Vice-Chairman of the party and former deputy governor of the state, Chief Lucky Imasuen.

The aspirants who alleged that the leader of the party in Edo South manipulated the exercise in favour of some aspirants preferred by a “cabal”, also demanded the immediate constitution of an interim committee to run the affairs of the party in Oredo Local Government Council before the next congresses of the party, asserting that the House of Assembly primaries was a charade and an abuse to the nation’s democracy.

But reacting swiftly, Imasuen insisted that the exercise was free and fair, describing the allegation that he manipulated the exercise as rubbish and untrue, adding “those who are complaining lost woefully to the popular candidates.”

See more news on page 19

10—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

Who fails?

Who Succeeds?

The Ides of December as PDP Senators Battle Governors

Akpabio

Orji

Jang

By HENRY UMORU, ASSISTANT POLITICAL EDITOR

T

HE battle line has since been drawn between outgoing State governors and serving Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria elected on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP as the governors who are rounding off want to leave the comfort of State Government Houses for the three Arm Zone, the Senate.

It has been a lot of political intrigues, manoeuvring, tongue lashing as Governors want to dislodge the serving Senators ahead of tomorrow’s Senatorial primary elections where the senatorial candidates would emerge to occupy the 109 senatorial seats across the Country.

Elechi

Suswam Tomorrow, December 7 would be the D- Day, the long waited day when some of the outgoing governors would fight it out with some of the serving senators who by Senate rules are already ranking.

The thirty- five States of the country have three senators each except for the Federal Capital Territory which boasts of only one Senatorial slot.

Of the PDP governors who will be leaving the government house soon, nine of them have indicated interest to come and join the six exgovernors in the senate. They are Godwswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State; Theodore Orji of Abia; Babaginda Aliyu Muazu of Niger; Martins Elechi of Ebonyi; Jonah Jang of Plateau; Isa Yuguda of Bauchi; Gabriel Suswam of Benue, Sullivan Chime of Enugu and Emmanuel

Uduaghan of Delta who only announced his withdrawal from the race yesterday.

Yes, they are at present serving governors who enjoy all the paraphernalia of office including the control of their people. While some may have it smooth, interestingly, it may not come to others on a platter of gold as they would sweat it out with the present senator and the people. As state executive officers, they control the state structure, the wealth of the state, state executive, the local government, and in some cases control the three ad-hoc delegates, the 774 local Government National Babaginda Aliyu delegates, among others. This places them above others knowing the nature of many Nigerians who may not like the governor, but for sycophancy and survival, they pretend and carry out what ever the governor wants.

The Governors, realising how powerful they are, use the structure to crush any serving Senator in order for them to have easy way of going to the Senate and this explains why Governors have been rushing to come to the red Chambers far back as 2007. Since this year, the it had remained that governors ‘retire’ into the Senate even when age is no longer on their side as we will Yuguda have tomorrow. In 2007, the former governors in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly were Senator Sani Ahmed Yerima (Zamfara State), Senator Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), Senator Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), George Akume of Benue; Ahmed Makaifi of Kaduna State; Senator Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa), Chimaroke Nnamani, among others. It would be recalled that after the 2011 elections, Senators Saminu Turaki of Jigawa and Chimaroke did not make it back to the upper chambers, leaving about six former governors behind.

In 2011 and at the moment, 10 former governors are presently in the Senate, they are Senators George Akume (Benue North-East), Chris Ngige (Anambra Central), Mohammed Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central), Ahmed Makarfi (Kadun North) and

Continues on page 11

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014—11

Gemade

Nwaogu

Manager

Ekweremadu

‘Who fails? Who Succeeds?’

Abubakar Saraki (Kwara Central).

Others are Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West), Joshua Dariye (Plateau Central), Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe East), Mohammed Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara North), and Kabiru Gaya (Kano South).

Andy Uba is also at the Senate.

Unlike what plays out now, many Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria left the Chambers for the government House. Before now, Senators Cornelius Adebayo (Kwara) and Don. Etiebet (Cross River) had blazed the trail, when they became governors in 1983. In 1999, Senator Bola Tinubu became Lagos State governor. In 2003, Senator Rashidi Ladoja became the governor of Oyo State. Also Senator Oserheimen Osunbor was also there as governor in Edo State. Now, Senators Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), and Liyel Imoke (Cross River) are governors.

Many things will count tomorrow, ranging from how far the governor performed, but if that would serve as a yardstick to getting the ticket and the primaries conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner, many governors may not get the ticket to run for a Councillor office. It is equally so for some senators who are battling to return but who do not even deserve to be councillors , just as it will not be the first for someone from the government house to become a councillor representing his ward as a former Benue Deputy Governor tested his popularity at the ward; some of the outgoing PDP governors should go and let there be option A4, the story would be told.

Another thing that will count would be how the outgoing governor may have played with the psyche of the people with plans to influence who succeeds him his successor and still want to come to the Senate, the people will revolt tomorrow if true primaries will be conducted.

Some of the governors like their predecessors now see the Senate as the next political environment after eight years in their respective states. While some may like to continue genuine service to the people there are those who

just go there for some kind of protection.

Ahead of 2015 general elections, the ruling PDP has fixed its senatorial primaries for tomorrow, December 8.

In Benue State for instance, governor, Gabriel Suswan whose two tenures as governor will end in May next year and from the Benue North, Zone A of the state wants to be the next senator. Tomorrow, it will be a big fight between him and the present occupant of the seat and former National Chairman of PDP, Senator Barnabas Gemade . Already, the governor has received a number of endorsements for the senate project by key political stakeholders in the zone. For instance, the PDP elders in the Benue North recently announced the endorsement of the governor for the senatorial seat. The PDP zonal leader, Atodza Ihidan, who announced the endorsement at a reception for Suswam explained that having served the people well at the National Assembly and as governor, the elders hoped Suswan would do well at the senate. They have even gone further to purchase forms for him.

But Gemade is not giving up in the struggle as he had said it severally that he would defeat Suswam at the primaries. Gemade who is also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on national planning has sounded it loud and clear that he would not chicken out of the race.

Also in Akwa Ibom, governor Godswwill Akpabio who is also the Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum wants to dislodge the incumbent Senator, Senator Aloysius Etok for the Eket Senatorial District. This will be a big fight tomorrow as Senator Etok who is his second term and not ready to relinquish the seat for Akpabio who as Governor Akpabio would use his influence, his wealth to snatch the PDP ticket from the incumbent senator.

In Abia, Governor Theodore Orji has already dislodged the present senator who represents Abia Central, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu because the governor was the only

cleared aspirant for the position. Senator Nwaogu is one of the governorship aspirants for the state.

,

Continues from page 10

Another thing that will count would be how the outgoing governor may have played with the psyche of the people with plans to influence who succeeds him his successor and still want to come to the Senate

,

In Enugu State, Governor Sullivan Chime wants to take over the Enugu West Senatorial seat that is occupied presently by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu who is the number 5 in the country. The fight between the two has begun and has consumed many big wigs including the former deputy governor, Sunday Onyebuchi said to be an ally of the deputy senate president. But with what happened during the Congresses, Ekweremadu has taken over the structure of the party in the state. The governor has been given the opportunity to produce his successor, it is like a case of saying, leave the senate fight, you cannot have two things at the same time. And knowing that Ekweremade has upper hand the governor has yielded to the said understanding.

In Plateau, there will be no serious fight as Jonah Jang will swap the position with the current senator and his former Chief of Staff to Jang, Senator Gyang Pwajok.

Pwajok who is from Plateau North with Jang is being rumoured as the preferred candidate for the 2015 governorship slot that the present governor would swap positions with. While Jang is going to the Senate at 70, Pwajok who is from his senatorial district will be going to the government house.

In Niger state, Governor Mua’zu Babangida Aliyu who is the current chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum has already declared his intention to retire to the senate at the end of his tenure as the governor to represent his people in Niger East Senatorial District. He may be replacing senator Nuhu Zagbayi who won the August bye election to replace late Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta.

In Bauchi state, governor Isa Yuguda, like his colleagues, wants to remove the serving senator, Senator Adamu Gumba to serve the Bauchi South Senatorial District and represent his people. As the governor of the state, it will not be a difficult task for him tomorrow to dislodge the incumbent Senator.

In Ebonyi State, the case is not different as Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State like his colleagues wants to go for the senate to represent Ebonyi Central. With the present happenings in the state following complaints about the last congresses by the governor, it may be difficult for him. The incumbent senator, Senator Igwe Nwagu does not want to let go and as a consummate politician who has been in politics since 1999, climbing the ladder from the ward Councilor to become a senator, it will be a hard one for Elechi.

In Bayelsa State, though he is not rounding off as governor and he is not coming to the Senate, But Governor Henry Seriake Dickson wants to have his men in the senate by ensuring that the present three senators, Heineken Lokpobiri; Emmanuel Paulker and Clever Ikisikpo do not return, but these are President Goodluck Jonathan’s men.

As the battle takes place tomorrow between the governors and the serving senators, we watch a events unfold.

12—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

Delta 2015:

Why I am the best – Monye

• Says Uduaghan hasn’t told him he is interested in any of the candidates

•Sylvester Monye

P

rof. Sylvester Monye was until recently the special adviser to the president on performance monitoring and evaluation, a job that took him round the country and gave him a vintage position to familiarise himself with the running of government. Before then, he was Executive Secretary of the National Planning Commission, secretary of NADECO UK, secretary of the National Conscience Party in the UK among other prominent positions.

Monye who is one of the governorship aspirants in the Delta State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP during a visit to the corporate headquarters of Vanguard Media Limited, took time to ventilate his plans, policies and programmes in a session with Vanguard editors.

Excerpts:

By Emmanuel Aziken, Charles Kumolu and Gbenga Oke Besides yourself, who among the other aspirants do you believe is best qualified to govern Delta State?

This is a very interesting question that I have never thought about. I consider it as myself and others. I will say myself first before others.

What would you regard as your

weak points?

My weak point as I have been told so far is that I have been too forthright. They say I am always telling it as it is to the extent that people are intimidated about how that will be brought to bear when I become governor. What they think is weakness for me is strength because we need accountability and character and not people who speak from the both sides of their mouth depending on the situation.

We are looking at integrity and character and I believe that we should be able to tell the people what we will do by the time we get to the office we are seeking. I can tell you that I am the only known aspirant in state with a social contract with the people. The contract spells out what I will do in office when I am voted in and after a period of time, I should be judged on the basis of what I said.

One weakness that stakeholders have linked to your aspiration is that you have no structure. They also argue that you are not known as a politician. What do you make of that?

I have done so much consultations clandestinely in the last two years because the President that I worked for said there should not be political campaigning. While other aspirants were jumping around and making their aspirations known, I was also doing my consultations. That does

not mean that I am not on ground. My interpretation of being on ground means having a structure. You may not know that I have coordinators in every single local government area in Delta State. I have coordinators in 270 wards in the state. I have 20 canvassers in each ward making it a total of 5,400 workers working for me. If this is not a structure, then people should tell us what structure means.

As a student in the United Kingdom, I was president of the Nigerian Student Union in the UK. I was the first chairman of National Conscience Party in the UK. I was the secretary of NADECO for three years in the UK, So I have been actively involved in politics. If someone says I am not a politician or that I have no structure, I don’t know what they mean. Perhaps, what I have not done which other people have done, is that I have not told my story as I am doing today.

In terms of getting the delegates that you require, how far have you gone?

The delegates were elected to represent every ward in Delta State. In my local government we have 10 elected delegates. We have 18 statutory delegates. We also have super-statutory delegates, which include members of the National Assembly, former deputy governors and former speakers. Those are the people

that make up the delegates. In Delta, every leader was allowed to determine how the election for the delegates would be.

And in doing so, it gave the opportunity to diffuse the control of delegates across the state. There is no aspirant that will tell you that he has fifty percent control over the delegates. What we are doing now is to use our structure to reach out to the delegates. That is what the structure is all about. The structure is there to do the work. I cannot be in the 25 local governments at the same time. But I can be represented in every ward by my representatives.

That is the nature of the forthcoming primaries. But with regards to the last House of Assembly elections, I did not contest and was not an aspirant. We tried to be careful about sticking out our chest for the House of Assembly aspirants. But naturally as individuals, we have our preferences, but that should not reflect.

Please could you clarify on the assertion by some of your rivals about a plan to impose a candidate, give specifics about your economic blue print?

What people are saying is that the indications are that the processes may not be as free and fair as it may appear.

Therefore people are raising alarm in view of the possibilities that may occur so that everybody

Continues on pg 13

SATURDAY

what we are looking for. It is not just about understanding politics, politics is not just an end to itself. It is not when you are elected that you will decide on the way to go. What matters is to understand that politics and governance must be built on some fundamentals. That is what I have provided. So, my experience, capacity and training must stand for something. I have it on record I am one of the longest serving Executive Secretary of the National Planning Commission.

Of course there is a linkage between what I am saying now and an earlier question about Delta being a complex society.

Never mind what you read about the rough and tumble of Delta politics, Delta politics has never been violent. Therefore what you see does not mean that we are vicious. Everybody knows where to draw the line.

We know ourselves, we are a mini Nigeria. It is the only state in the country where you have five major ethnic nationalities cohabiting. As Executive Secretary of national Planning Commission, I managed southerners, southerners and northerners. And I did that successfully over a period of five years. Therefore to manage the diverse interests in Delta are not as tough as we have at the national level.

Continues from pg 12 will have a level playing field. I think that is a fair request by those who are asking. On the economy, it is a critical platform on which I am contesting. I will use the platforms that the governor has provided. The first is the Asaba Airport which can become the centre piece of our economy, simply because the nature of trade in and out of our country. I visited China two years ago, and discovered that there were 6000 Igbo traders living and working in Guangdong Province. Most of them ship goods on daily basis. One of the things that shocked me is that of the 6000, 5000 are from Anambra State, our next door neighbour.

When they ship their goods from China, it goes to Lagos. If we develop and commercialize our airports properly and get airlines to fly Asaba, Dubai and China, it means we are creating a platform for cargo business and air business.

On Ogidigben EPZ controversy Experience in governance is very important. If you look at the issues at stake, two communities that have always fought themselves over one thing or the other are saying that the land upon which the EPZ facility is going to be done, is domiciled in the two communities.

And that the project is being named after one community. They are saying that it should not be called Ogidigben, they want it to be called Gbamatu/Ogidigben EPZ. Now who is right? I don’t know because there is ongoing discussion to establish the veracity of each other ’s claim. In government there is what is called being carried along. So all stakeholders have to be carried along. It does not matter how trivial their request may appear or sound.

What is the disposition of the incumbent governor to your aspiration?

The most important consideration is for me to be able to articulate why I want to be governor. To be governor of Delta State is not just about the people of Delta State.

There are too many interests.

It is not just about the governor or the electorate. It is not just what the governor wants alone, what other stakeholders want is also important.

What is your reaction to the claim by some of aspirants that the governor is trying to impose someone on the party?

I can’t speak for everybody. What I can tell you is that the governor has not told me that he is imposing anybody. However, the aspirants are stakeholders in the project. If they use their sixth sense to believe that there are moves that may alter the balance of play and that there may not be a level playing field, they have every right to shout. If you are in a football match and someone gives you a heavy tackle, you are bound to complain. Those are some of the things the aspirants may be talking about.

If your party decides to go for a

Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014—13

Uduaghan hasn’t told him he is interested in any of the candidates consensus arrangement at the primaries, will you accept the decision?

The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not create room for independent candidacy. It means that to aspire to any elective position in the country, you must belong to a political party. And if the party has its rules and guidelines regarding elections, you are bound to obey them. One of the things that I signed during the screening in Port Harcourt was a document to say that I will be loyal to the party. It is one of the requirements. It is not just signing alone, I swore to an affidavit in that regard. If my party decides for its good to go for a consensus arrangement, it is not just about picking people, there will be criteria for that. The three

most important criteria will be someone who is acceptable to the president, the person must be acceptable to the governor who is an incumbent. The person must also be acceptable to the key stakeholders. Hence when that decision is made, because we are in the race in the interest of our people, we are bound to follow the decision of the party.

How do you bring your experience as a technocrat to bear and are you not worried about the number of aspirants from Delta North?

What the number of aspirants from Delta North portends is that the zone has a very credible reservoir of capacity that anyone of us can creditably become the governor and serve the people well. Being good enough is not

I used Asaba airport as an example. If we mean what we say and we want to use the airport as a platform, it simply means that we have to have a mono rail linking Asaba airport to Onitsha through Ogbaru down to Upper Iweka. What that means is that a lot of people will live in Asaba and work in Onitsha. What I will like to do is to work closely with the administration in Anambra State to create a synergy and economic corridor between the two states using the rail link as platform. There must be an economic corridor. Onitsha is the largest market in West Africa. If you border the largest market, you must be able to provide warehousing logistic facilities in Delta. We will provide housing. If you look at the US economy, the barometer to measure the economy is through housing sector. We have what it takes in Delta to service that market.

Don’t you think that it is important for Delta North aspirants to present a common aspirant in order not to jeopardise the chances of the zone?

The fact that Delta South has two, Central four and eighteen in the North says a lot. PDP has arrangements. It is either formal or informal, written or unwritten. If I sign an affidavit that I will abide by the rules of the party, it means that I will abide by the rules. I believe the same thing applies to every candidate.

14—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

Kebbi 2015:

Why I’m running —Zubairu Turaki

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ubairu Turaki, a Civil Ser vant, a far mer, an administrator, a politician wants to be the next governor of Kebbi State. In this Interview, Turaki who is the Wazirin Dabai bares his mind on his plans for the state, the nation’s politics, among others. Excerpts:

BY HENRY UMORU Can you give an insight into yourself?

Zubairu Turaki is 49 years old. I was born on the 7th of December, 1965 in the ancient town of Zuru in Zuru Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

Education took me to the seat of the Caliphate. That was where I had my primary education, in what is now called the Cement Company of Nigeria, (CCNN), Primary School. It was then known as Model Primary School. That was in 1972. Still in Sokoto, I attended famous Government College Sokoto, (now, Nagarta College) for my secondary education, which I completed in 1983.

I did my undergraduate at the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, where I studied Agriculture.

I them moved to the University of Ibadan in 1990 for my Master’s degree in Agriculture. I Came back home to serve and began my Civil Service career with the Kebbi State Ministry of Agriculture in 1989 as Produce Officer II. I became the Farm manager in College of Agriculture and was eventually appointed Director, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Kebbi State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KARDA).

After several years of service on State level, in December 2003, I moved to the Federal Government. I was appointed Head of Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of NAPEP SCC Office in Kebbi State. I was transferred to the Zamfara State NAPEP SCC Office in December 2004. I served in that capacity until March 2006. I was again transferred to the NAPEP National headquarters in Abuja in March 2006 to serve as Programme Desk Officer in charge of Social Safety Nets. I rose to the rank of Deputy Director and the Desk Officer, Social Safety Net Unit and Deputy Head Conditional Grant Scheme in the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals (OSSAP-MDGs)until my recent resignation to serve my people.

In the course of my career, I have developed a strong aversion to poverty and vulnerability risks that people face and this has encouraged me to come up with programmes aimed at poverty reduction as an individual, which I have implemented over the last few years. That is the much I can say about myself for now.

You resigned to contest for the governorship position of your State, what makes you think that you are good and qualified for the office?

(Laugh), even you, you are qualified.

The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is very specific on the requisite qualification of a gubernatorial aspirant. However, to be honest it takes more than qualification to serve the people as a governor.

Just because one meets the required qualification does not mean one should just jump into politics and simply aspire for the exalted seat in the State.

The qualification of serving the people can only be given by the people. The people sought me and I accepted to serve them. As I stated earlier, in the course of my career, I have developed a strong aversion to poverty and vulnerability risks, common features of what our people face and this has encouraged me to come up with programmes aimed at poverty reduction in my personal capacity. I have seen the impact of the results of my modest contribution. This is what I want to see in a statewide service to my people. My goal is to replicate this service to my people on a large scale.

Over the years, I have amongst other activities, worked with the Federal Government towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria. I have been confronted the task of creating solutions to the problem of poverty, to poor quality education, the dilemma of out-of-school children, and to poor healthcare across Nigeria. I would humbly say my experience as a field office, a seasoned administrator, a farmer, a trained social scientist and an astute technocrat, has given me, the wherewithal to move Kebbi State to the next level.

Your foray into the gubernatorial aspiration has caused a lot of strong currents in the ranks of other aspirants of your party. How is this affecting you as a person and how are you managing the situation?

I already told you that my becoming a gubernatorial aspirant wasn’t born out of an ambition to be in power but was in response to the yearnings of my people. I would say, am one of the very few aspirants who was thrust into campaigning and with all humility, I had to accept and run the race, on behalf of the people.

The campaign structure and relationship I enjoy with our people was not hurriedly built. As always, having accepted to run, careful planning and machinery were put in place, so all I am doing is facing the task ahead. Whatever currents my

•Zubairu Turaki... opponents are feeling or may have felt, I hardly notice because I am focused on the task of serving the people, that is all I think of – service and love for the people.

You have been referred to as an Abuja politician, with no grass root influence?

Cuts in, (Laughs again) What they mean by Abuja politician I do not understand, but if they mean, one who uses his influence at the Federal level for the betterment of his people, then I agree with them.

But if they mean one who is completely unconnected with his people, then let me state for the records, that I have been implementing a give-back programme to my people over the past years with verifiable results.

With all sense of humility, I have initiated, supported, and supervised the implementation of over 33 boreholes, repaired about 22 broken boreholes, organized seminars for youths on self-reliance and empowerment schemes and assisted different women groups. I have gotten employment for over thirty-five of our people who were qualified but had no jobs in different fields. These things are what make you a grass root politician, not one who comes only during election period to throw money about, hoping that their money would win votes for them. I am here in Abuja but deeply rooted with my people at home.

You seem to be amongst the youngest and the primaries are coming up, what do you think are your chances?

Your have asked two questions, one is, I may be the youngest aspirant amongst the aspirants and the other is, what my chances are, in the upcoming primaries. Yes, I may be the youngest but with the vitality of youth; I’ll be bringing, a wealth of experience, freshness of

ideas and a clear purpose of improving the State from its present level of success to the next level.

As regards my chances in the primaries, the delegates would decide who they want to represent them. The people of Kebbi are wiser, they are taking their time to ask questions, they are looking for a credible candidate that will continue and consolidate on the gains of the past few years and this is what we are offering them. I would also say, we are on ground as you can see, consolidating all our efforts. I have offices in over eighteen (18) of the twenty-one (21) local governments of the State, through which we have been in direct contact with our people. I can say for a fact that our chances are very bright and God willing we shall prevail.

There are insinuations that you have the backing of the presidency.

(Grins) I don’t know what they mean by backing of the presidency, but if they mean, because of my loyalty and dedication to my work and previous employers, they are reciprocating their support to my aspiration, yes of course. Every loyal employee is always rewarded and if this is my reward, then so be it.

However, be rest assured that the Presidency would not win votes for anyone, rather, your good work and relationship with your people will.

Why do you want to be the Governor of Kebbi State?”

I will start by saying I was born and bred in Kebbi State; I have an emotional attachment for Kebbians. I want to see Kebbi State develop as one of the leading States in Nigeria. I believe Augie, Bagudu, Bunza, Dandi, Koko/Besse, Maiyama, and Shanga should have better sources of drinking water. It is possible to reduce the number of Kebbi girls who are out of school. We can empower our women to contribute actively to the development of Kebbi State.

SA TURD AY Vanguard , DECEMBER 6, 2014—15 SATURD TURDA

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t would be in keeping with the spirit of the times to join our cheerful voices with the rising chorus of congratulations to Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, the Minister of Mineral Resources, on her appointment as the President of OPEC. We live at a time when congratulations swamp the advertisement areas of newspapers, which a media animal like us would be the last to complain about.

Civil servants congratulate their bosses, even security personnel take out advertisements to wish their superiors luck, a woman congratulates her husband and a man felicitates with his wife, all on the ages of newspapers, and everyone is happy. There have been congratulatory messages in competition with one another, from social, ethnic and professional quarters to show sincere appreciation for the seeming elevation of this worthy Nigerian to a position that is really of little circumstance in the order of hierarchy in the OPEC. The Executive Officer of the organization is the Secretary-General who is hardly more than a plain secretarial officer in the most refined meaning of that office. In any case, Diezani had been the Alternate President of the organization for the past year, a position which is rotational among the member-countries just like that of the President which, itself, lasts for exactly the same term.

All the same, the Minister of Petroleum Resources has, on her own part, also extended the round of congratulations to President Goodluck Jonathan for appointing her, a woman, as Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister in the first place, in a world where only men occupy such a position. She felt it took •Diezani some courage—or whatever—to accomplish Impeachment? By what that feat. That was manner or means? The veering to the province of Constitution which he relies risible communication in on at convenient moments, a country where the clearly stipulates a twovirtual Prime Minister is thirds majority in an open also a woman. With all ballot against the incumbent the problems of dipping for any impeachment to see oil prices all over the the light of day. That will world, anyway, the centre

*which one you dey (2)

The Nobel Laureate’s closeness to Amaechi is seen as symptomatic of a legitimate censure of irrational use of a power-mad authority

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stage in Nigeria belongs to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Co-ordinating Minister, never mind who the OPEC President may be or may not be. President Jonathan knows how to appoint them, male and female, and would hardly give a damn about congratulations—and all that stuff.

He has other at hand, at the moment, having surfaced as the sole delegate for the primary presidential election of the Peoples’ Democratic Party.

He is not even overly bothered by the rolling drums of “impeachment”.

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never happen where Jonathan has his David as the Senate President.

That may of course take root in a sphere within the sway of his influence as we witnessed in the majority exercise of the vote for the Governors’ Forum where he welcomed the supremacy of 16 (or was it 17?) over 19. The case of the Ekiti States Speakers’ impeachment is still hanging, and it is felt by many that it would have crashed without the tacit support from his direction.

But all that is only in line with his disposition towards the problems

which eventually led to the opting out of the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi’s former party, the PDP, to the APC. In that case, it was a State Commissioner, who confronted his State Governor and lived to gloat about it. It was no big deal for the President thereafter when the InspectorGeneral of Police locked out federal legislators from their chambers. All of that exercise in abuse of power has been pushed under the umbrella of “impunity”, an ugly word that has amassed more revulsion with executive usage.

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he stress on executive powers, however, slackens when it is open to nondomestic affairs. Nigeria was ever free to seek for the purchase of weapons away from the United States of America in the fight against Boko Haram which has done no little damage to the people’s confidence in our security forces. But

we hung on to the apron strings of America, even when we had been turned down in no uncertain terms.

This is where we could have applauded an executive effort to grant us the pride of independent decision by looking for arms and ammunition elsewhere.

But we did not seem to have the courage (did someone talk earlier about “courage”?) to stride forth openly in another direction.

Thank God, we have crossed that river now, and our armed forces of brave soldiers and excellent officers are gradually coming into their own.

But when a divine gift like our worldrenowned Wole Soyinka, disdains presidential approbation to point out some of the shortcomings in our system, and the failings of its manipulations, petty apologists who abandon the honourable vocation of medical practice for the dubious occupation of a lickspittle attempt to claim centre stage. The Nobel Laureate’s

Ogun State, may be cited here. Daniel fulfilled all the fond qualities of a progressive, young politician at the start of his tenure, and he found great favour with the famous writer. And then along the way, he faltered very badly, at which point Wole Soyinka publicly upbraided him and left him on his own. If Amaechi takes a wrong step, those who know Kongi well would be surprised if a reappraisal of relationships does not immediately follow.

One might add that Nebuchadnezzar fell from grace to grass, even in actual terms, after he abused the power and mercy of God. To compare a despot with him is not totally horrible, for he indeed finally regained favour with God; he started well, and ended well. ‘ This then is where this nation finds itself a matter of weeks before a general election—internal conflicts spawning distrust, mutual disfavour harbouring lethal suspicion, and all in the course of patent selfinterest. We all seem to put the welfare of the nation aside, just to win the election. What will they achieve if they win the election in a country

Wole Soyinka closeness to Amaechi is seen as symptomatic of a legitimate censure of irrational use of a power-mad authority. Kongi, to recall a moniker hardly used for him of late, has every right to associate with whomever he pleases, but not for the glorification of misdeeds. The case of Gbenga Daniel, erstwhile Governor of

without any prospect of peace, or programme for progress? How can we abandon our future for a turbulent present? We can answer these questions whichever way we choose.

The answer is in our hands. So, if I may ask, which one you dey?

Time out.

16—SATURDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, DECEMBER 6, 2014

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ave you ever arrived at a party that has just finished? I have and it is not a pretty sight. This was many years ago in Edo State at a small town on the outskirts of Benin City. All the elements conspired against me on that day; bad roads, bad traffic, nonchalant traffic officials. On top of all that, I didn’t know my way and missed important turnings a couple of times.

The sun was set by the time I got there; so was the party. The canopies were still there but the chandeliers and the flowers that must have been used to adorn them were gone.

The tables and chairs were shorn of their white and gold covering and were now bare, ugly, rusted turn a simple hall into a wrought iron pieces. The beautiful flower. You get to see music was long gone and gaily dressed hosts and their the music makers were guests and marvel at the either packing, cleaning extravagant dress sense of their instruments or Nigerians. At its peak, you get slaking their thirst. The to see a hall full of life, rich food lawn which must have and assorted drinks. Then it been immaculate was begins to empty and if you now littered with tissue don’t take your exit soon paper, empty bottles, enough, you get to see the bones and samples of gradual stripping of the hall. different kinds of food. The table decorations are the But the ugliest sight first to go. Then the cutlery and were the dirty plates.

Some were in big bowls of oily, dirty water; some still contained smelly left overs; all were covered with buzzing flies.

Everywhere was empty; side plates. Soon, surrounding well almost because the tables are being stripped and cleaners and packers half empty bottles and glasses were still there; so were are being snatched before your the scavengers—birds, eyes. Again this has happened lizards, cockroaches and to me once. I made the mistake of attending a function with ants. someone who liked to be t was not, as I said, a fashionably late to events. Only there is a thin line between pretty sight.

As bad as this is, it is being fashionably late and even worse when you being unfashionably tardy. This overstay at a party time we got there when the because you get to see bulk of the guests was exiting. both the beautiful and The hostess seemed glad to see the ugly. You get to see us and took us to a table that the work of art or even had recently been cleared but genius as decorators still had the party covering. Not

Even now, we are still in denial. Many people believe this is a temporary hiccup. It had happened before and good old resilient oil bounced back. Fellow Nigerians, the party is over. Oil is not likely to reach the hundred dollar mark in a long, long while.

We therefore need to increase our internal productivity. But that is easier said than done because we need fiscal discipline and committed leadership to do that. We also need to stop paying lip service to corruption, security and infrastructural challenges.

Fortunately, we are near a momentous election when we can decide which of the two parties is better able to deal with our post oil economy.

Which will have the liver to cut down the excesses in Aso Rock. Which will have the guts to reduce our ten presidential planes to two and our stupendous entertainment bills to zero.

Which can look the National Assembly in the face and slash its take home pay to a quarter of what it presently is.

Which can look at the retinue of Ministers and Special Advisers and do a drastic trim.

Now party position aside, who among the three or so major contenders for the number one post can lead by spartan example in cutting the fat and the excesses of governance. Who among them can deal decisively with the massive oil theft in the Niger Delta area. I have a fairly good idea who but I am not telling. For now, your guess is as good as mine.

When the par ty is o party ovver too long after, assorted food and drinks landed on the table. The hostess sat with us—after all we were about the last of her guests—and two or three ushers hovered around us. It seemed we had brought life back to a dying party. But only for a while. The clearing of other tables continued apace. Soon, the music stopped; soon the fidgeting started. But my friend ignored all the signs, including a few from me and continued to hold court. Then the

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The oil party is over. For years, we had enjoyed the cheap food and drinks

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hostess who must have had a long day, disappeared. The ushers too disappeared and the band was dismantling. We had clearly overstayed and it was time to go home.

I remember these two incidents distinctly because they were not pleasant. But they taught a hard lesson that an after party scene is not very pretty and one must know when to make a dignified exit.

Parties are never forever. Even the super ones must end. It is why I empathise with Nigeria and can tell my fellow compatriots that I know the feeling of a party that is over. Yes, the oil party is over. For

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very situation in your life will bow down to praise. Praise brings God into any situation. The bible says that God inhabits the praises of His people.

The moment God inhabits any situation He manifest His presence and sovereignty. Thus the contrary situation will give way for glory to be made manifested.

The scripture says in Psalm 149:6-7. “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two –edged sword in their hand.

To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people”. Your victory is in your praise.

Whatever cannot stop God cannot stop you. The devil is afraid of your praise and will do all to stop you from giving God high praise. If you want to secure God’s company in the midst of any conflict, just release yourself to praise and God will be there in person.

When praise is in place, God’s presence is compelled. When God comes on the scene, every devil gives way. Ps. 68:1-2, “Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God”.

The presence of God is the downfall of your enemies.

Provoke His presence through high praises. I am not talking about singing but real praise.

Look at the mountain before you and bring them down

Give God high praise

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through praise. Praise is a Godgiven weapon in your hands, with which to humiliate Satan.

When you ether into the realm of high praise, none of your enemies is safe anymore. It brings down walls of Jericho in your life. It makes your enemies to wonder what is going on because they cannot understand what you are doing.

When you sing praises and give Him thanks, then your eyes shall see your desire on your enemies. Psa. 92:11 says “Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me”.

Rise up and give God high praises. Dance, jump and shout before Him. The weapons of our

warfare are not carnal. They are mighty through God, to the pulling down of strongholds. All that are incensed against you shall be put to shame.

You must get to a point in your life where Satan knows that your heart cannot be broken. Look for reasons to continually rejoice. Apostle Paul was in prison yet he wrote to the brethren “rejoice again I say rejoice.

Are you looking for a job, rejoice over the fact that you are a candidate. Are you believing for a marriage partner? Thank God that you are fit to be considered for marriage. Is it a child you want? Thank God that you

years, we had enjoyed the cheap food and drinks. We had revelled in the accolade.

We had used oil as a weapon against some difficult Western countries which didn’t want to see things our way. We had bought things we didn’t really need at prices only drunken fools would pay. We had lavished, we had squandered.

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e had bullied, we had patronised. We had played Big Brother to smaller African countries who paid us back with bad coins. In all we had lived it up and failed to provide for the rainy day.

Now the party is over bar the music.

The world economy that was entering into a recession gave us a hint a decade ago but we ignored it. Then the US our largest consumer, gave us a big hint some six years ago when it said it would no longer need our oil but we ignored it. After all there was China. Other African countries were coming up with large deposits of oil but we ignored its import. Now the chicken has come home to roost.

are a candidate for motherhood. What if your car or house caught fire? Thank God you are not the one that caught fire.

Bitterness or being sorrowful does not produce positive results.

Ask Hannah in 1 Sam 1:15-18. As long as Hannah was sorrowful, she remained barren.

But when she gave room for joy God visited her. Let go of that bitterness and sorrow. There are still more greater things ahead.

Things that eyes have not seen, ears have not heard neither has it entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared.

Give God high praises right now.

Go ahead and make the devil mad. Your testimonies will break forth. Don’t let the devil shut up your mouth. If you let him, he will take your possession. Don’t look at your circumstances rather give God high praises and before you know it, joy will overtake you.

Listen, joyful people never fail

For more details, contact us at Christ Reality Church, beside Gossard Hotel, opposite First Bank Sports Ground, Community Road, Satellite Town or P.O.Box, 3196, Yaba Lagos. Tel: 08023062635 08168955932; 08033378769. E-mail: Johnson_crm@yahoo.com. Website: www.christrealityministries.org.

Our account details are Pastor Johnson Omomadia, Guaranty Trust Bank, A/C Nos. 0005171407; Christ Reality Ministries, Zenith Bank A/C

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Worship with us on Sundays, 1st Service: 745am-9:15am; 2nd Service 9:1511:30am. Wednesdays Word Revelation 6pm. Counseling days Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. 11am-5pm daily or by appointment. Showers of blessing every 2nd - 4th Sat. of each month, 6 a.m - 7.15 am.

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because they always see a glorious future that keeps them excited.

Jesus was excited about the future because of the joy that was set before Him. Everything that ties you down in depression, sor row, bitter ness of heart or broken heartedness, I curse them now, in Jesus name. god bless you, our great nation Nigeria and President Goodluck Jonathan.

Have you given your life to Jesus? If not, please pray this prayer.

Father, I come to you as I am. I invite Jesus into my life to be my personal Lord and Saviour. Wash me cleanse with the blood of Jesus and empower me with the power of your Holy Spirit. Thank you Father for saving my soul and making me your child.

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SATURDAY

Senator Annie Okonkwo

Hon Uche Ekwunife

PDP Senatorial primaries:

The scramble in Anambra Central

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE AS the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) holds its senatorial primaries tomorrow, next week is a decisive one for the hordes of senatorial aspirants in the 109 senatorial districts of the country especially in Anambra Central of Anambra State. The candidates of the leading political parties will emerge this week.

Unarguably, the contest for the Anambra Central senatorial stool is one of the fiercest if not the hottest in the country on account of many factors.

Most of the aspirants are well-read and vastly experienced. Anambra Central is the only zone in the South-East where the All Progressives Congress (APC) has a senator in the person of Senator Chris Ngige. The National Chairman of the state ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, is from the area and is also running for the seat.

In this zone are Idemili North and Idemili South local councils, which are very populous and account for about 40 per cent of the voting population of the entire state.

The three leading parties in the country – APGA, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are very strong in the zone.

Immediate past governor of Anambra, Mr Peter Obi, who recently defected to the PDP is from the district.

A host of those gunning for the senatorial seat are political giants, who have the financial wherewithal, contacts and network to aspire for any office in the land.

Indeed, some observers consider Anambra Central as the heartbeat of Anambra State, the gateway to the SouthEast geo-political zone. Going further, some have figuratively referred to Anambra Central as the “zone of death” in the countdown to the 2015 senatorial polls.

The aspirants currently scrambling for the seat and bought the nomination forms of

their various political parties are Ngige (APC), Umeh (APGA), Hon Uche Ekwunife (PDP), Senator Annie Okonkwo (PDP), Dr. Obiora Okonkwo (PDP), Dr. Kodilichukwu Okelekwe (PDP) and Mr Sylvester Okonkwo (PDP).

From the list of aspirants, there will be no contests for the tickets of APC and APGA unless unforeseen events occur.

Ngige is arguably, the consensus candidate of the APC. So also is Umeh for APGA unless the Supreme Court rules next week that Chief Maxi Okwu is the authentic national chairman of APGA. Scramble for PDP ticket With no contests expected in the APC and APGA, the focus now shifts to the PDP primaries where the various aspirants are locked in a battle of wits to outwit one another for the ticket.

Who the PDP decides to field may go a long way in shaping the outcome of the entire 2015 general elections in the state.

In the South-East, Anambra cannot be safely referred to as PDP state like Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu. It shares certain similarities with Imo State, whose governor, Rochas Okorocha, belongs to APC following his defection from APGA. Given the voters strength of the zone, President Goodluck Jonathan needs to win in the area if he hopes to win majority of votes in Anambra next year.

This might be a pipe dream if the PDP makes the wrong choice of a candidate.

Besides, the party needs to field a candidate who can give Ngige and Umeh a run for their money and win the seat for the PDP. The last time the party occupied the post was between 2007 and 2011. throough Annie Okonkwo lost the position to Ngige in 2011.

Currently, Ngige and Umeh are said to be waiting and hoping that the PDP will

falter and field a lightweight, a mistake that will pave the way for them for a seamless journey to the Senate.

Already, events in the PDP indicate that the party might approach the elections without a united a front.

Factions of the party in Anambra, last weekend, released different lists of candidates for the State House of Assembly election. While those expected to vote at the primaries trooped to the earlier designated venues for the exercise in all the local councils as early as 8am, factional leaders stayed in hotels in Awka where they later released names.

At about 6pm on Saturday when it became obvious that there was not going to be any voting, those who assembled at the venues went home and yet names of winners still emerged.

A team from the national secretariat conducted its own primaries at Doris Hotels in a remote area of Awka. And another group led by Chief Kenneth Emeakayi held its primaries in another location in Awka.

In essence, three different groups conducted parallel primaries. However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it recognised the primaries conducted by the Ejike Oguebego group, which is led by Chief Chris Uba. Anambra INEC Spokesman, Mr. Frank Egbo, said the electoral umpire recognized and supervized the Oguebego-led PDP primaries.

As it is, the PDP is on the verge of approaching the polls with a disunited front. A reason, some stakeholders have urged the national hierarchy of the party to intervene and ensure that PDP fields a popular candidate, who can win

Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014—17

Dr. Obiora Okonkwo

the election proper.

Such a candidate, they suggested should be someone who is intellectually and academically sound, loyal to the PDP, acceptable to the people of the zone, and has the capacity to ensure effective representation for Anambra central in the Senate. And also, he should someone, who can get the support of the church –Catholics and Anglicans, who play major roles in the leadership recruitment process and election in the state.

A peep into the pedigree of the five aspirants of the PDP indicate that some of them can effectively represent the area.

Ekwunife Uche Ekwunife is veteran member of the House of Representatives, who once aspired to govern the state on the banner of the Progressives Peoples Alliance, PPA. Currently, House Committee Chairman on Ecology, she recently defected from APGA to the PDP. Although from Anambra South by birth and Anambra Central by marriage, Ekwunife has garnered legislative experience that can see her through if chosen as PDP candidate.

Obiora Okonkwo Dr Okonkwo, a political scientist, founder, NigeriaBelgium Business Forum (NBBF) is the leader of Nzuko Imeobi Idemili North and South, the apex socio-cultural and political organization of Idemili in Anambra Central Senatorial District. He is also the political and economic adviser to the Archbishop of Onitsha and co-ordinator of the Anambra State Good Governance Forum (ASGGOF).

Okonkwo’s leadership of Nzuko Ime Obi and his endorsement by traditional and political leaders of the zone may work in his favour in the battle for the PDP ticket and election proper. He is said to meet the expectations of the stakeholders. Idemili North is known for its dense population and has always played significant roles in emergence of any winner in Anambra governorship or Central senatorial contest. The area is said to account for almost 50 per cent of votes in the seven councils in the zone.

He is also considered as a bridge-builder in Anambra politics, given his friendly disposition to the various PDP tendencies in the state.

Annie Okonkwo Annie Okonkwo is not a green horn in legislative matters having been in the Senate for four years. He was one of those who firmed up the APC merger. He led the Anambra APGA that merged with Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to form APC, where he emerged as deputy national chairman (South).

However, following maltreatment in the APC, he has returned to his first love, PDP, which gave him his first Senate mandate in 2007. It is to be seen if the Ojoto-born politician will be given another opportunity by the PDP. Sylvester Okonkwo Sylvester, who is said to enjoy the support of Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State also hails from the same ward as Annie Okonkwo. Eminently qualified for the position, he is however, expected to carry out intense grass roots mobilisation to actualize his ambition having been a way for a long time.

18—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

Please, Emulate Sir Ahmadu Bello, The Sardauna of Sokoto

BY IBRAHIM AHMED

A

hmadu Bello the Sardauna of Sokoto was the architect of the development of the Northern Nigeria. Together with Zik and Awolowo, they fought for the Independence of Nigeria. He was one of the three selected to represent the North at the drafting committee for the new Macpherson Constitution in 1951.

In 1959 Federal Elections, he led the Northern People’s congress (NPC) to victory in the Federal Parliament in Lagos. He led his party to form an alliance with the National council of Nigerian and Cameroons (NCNC) led by Dr Azikiwe to form the first Nigeria Federal Government in 1960 which obtained independence from our colonial masters, Britain.

Like General Buhari, Ahmadu Bello was very controversial and misunderstood by many Southerners. There were allegations of tribalism labeled against him by the Igbo and Yoruba politicians to ridicule him.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s Southern political opponents and critics of Ahmadu Bello pointed out that he was more interested with protecting Muslims and northern interest than a stronger Nigeria.

His political enemies, like what is happening to you now branded him religious bigot and fundamentalist who was only interested in getting political power to use it to Islamise the country to continue the unfinished task of his Great Grand Father, the first Sultan of Sokoto Caliphate, Usman Danfodio who aimed to reach the Atlantic oil with the Islamisation programme therefore dipping the Quran into the sea. Usman Danfodio led the Islamic Jihad and the Sokoto Caliphate.

Despite Sardauna of Sokoto’s popularity and broad grass root political support that cut across both Muslims and Christians in the Northern Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello chose to remain in the North instead of going to the National parliament in Lagos and insisting to become the Prime Minister of Nigeria as the Leader of the wining party, that formed the first Nigerian Federal Government .

I want General Muhammad Buhari to note that when Sardauna was faced with the same situation the country is currently facing in 1959, and to avoid the divisiveness and polarisation that his insistence of becoming the Chief executive of Nigerian will cause the country he made the sacrificing of choosing to remain in Kaduna as the Premier of Northern Nigeria and gave the position of Prime Minister to his hand-picked candidate, the Late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Ahmadu Bello

An Open Letter To General Mohammadu. Buhari

Ahmadu Bello

made this sacrifice because he feared that his insistence of becoming the Prime Minister of Nigeria would polarise the country and cause serious division between the Northern and Southern parts of the country. Remember the fracas that followed after your Presidential candidacy under ANPP and CPC in 2003 and 2011?

You lost not because you were not a good candidate but because the voters in South and West misconstrued you.

Ahmadu Bellow was more popular than you in the North during his life time. But he made sacrifices.

He never believed he was the only good and true candidate. Unlike you, even the Northern Christians supported and voted for him and his party in all the pre and post independence elections.

In other words, despite his popularity and grassroots political support among the masses and elites that cut across religious and ethnic divide, Sardauna of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello chose to remain in the North instead of accepting the post of National Prime Minister which would have caused a lot of resentment and opposition from the southerners which would have polarised the country. We have a similar situation at the moment as you plan to contest against President Goodluck Jonathan.

Sardauna’s personal sacrifice of not insisting in heading the Nigerian national government in 1960 which was a contrast to your position in 2011 and now, showed he was selfless and not selfish. It also showed that he was in politics for the sake of his people and the very sake of unifying the Nigeria and its people.

You can imagine what would have happened in the country if you had stepped down for Nuhu Ribadu and agreed to work with them. Note that ACN in 2011 was supported by the Yorubas. Why must it be

only you from the North especially knowing that the west and south may not be disposed to you? Ahmadu Bello backed Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and other Federal Parliamentarians in the first republic. Sardauna travelled from village to village to campaign for NPC candidates in both the Federal and regional parliament unlike your current disposition of only after your Presidential ambition, just as you did in 2011 that caused CPC to loose many states to PDP due to internal crises between the Gubernatorial candidates and members of the State and Federal houses. It was your selfishness for not intervening to settle political rivalry among your party ’s contestants that cost CPC your state, Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi states etc.

Ahmadu Bello worked very hard to modernise and unify the diverse people of Northern Nigeria during his time but you are a sharp contrast.

Ahmadu Bello promoted the legacy of unity among the northerners and Nigerians as a whole. Despite differences in tribes and religious practice, he believed that the things that united us were stronger than the things that divided Nigerians.

Had Ahmadu Bello being alive today he wouls have mobilised the opposition, Labour Unions and civil societies to insist on full implementation of the Justices Kutigi Constitutional Conference recommendations as they affect rotation of Presidents and Governors, among the six Geographical zones and senatorial zones of the country, before 2015 election is conducted.

He would have championed that South-South should be allowed to complete their remaining four years in 201 5 to kick start the new constitution and insist that all the parties including ARC must choose their Presidential candidates from that zone for equity, justice and preservation of national cohesion.

The Nigerian Political Landscape would have been more interested and you would be highly respected in the country if you insisted that your party filled either Governor Rotimi Amaechi or Adams Oshomole, the only two APC Governors from the South-South Geographical zone, to compete against President Jonathan. That would have exposed President Jonathan’s hypocrisy in promoting ethnicity. It would have satisfied the sentiments President Jonathan and his supporters are spreading that North ruled the country for 40years, while the South-south that produces the revenue that the

country depends on should be allowed to complete two terms of their first ever reign. .

The insistence of you to rule in spite of your age and many years of Northerners ruling the country is a clear manifestation of tribal arrogance and born to rule syndrome that is treating the future survival of Nigerians.

Ahmadu Bello’s disinclination to head the National Government in view of mistrust by the Southerners in the late 1950’s and 60’s (the problem you are currently facing) confirmed that Sardauna was not interested in power for the sake of power and not a self-centred leader like your actions are portraying. You believe you must be the President of Nigerian regardless of the consequences to the future of the country even if it will spell doom for the most populous black nation on earth in 2015 as predicted by the U.S.A intelligence agency and Political Think Tanks.

General Buharai, His excellency Sir, whether you like it or not, you don’t have national acceptance to withstand POP rigging machine and the response to your defeat in 201 5 by your unruly followers from the Muslims Northern part of the country will be nothing short of disaster and catastrophy to the country. The equally response of the Presidents kinsmen, ex and current militants from the Niger IDelta region who are well oiled and well-armed will be more catastrophic.

The only way to avert this disaster is for you to step down from the Presidential race for the sake of National unity like Ahmadu Bello did more than fifty years ago or the ARC to be more Patriotic and Nationalistic by electing another less controversial candidate that would command national acceptance as their Presidential aspirant. I say this because defeating Buhari will cause crises, since his fanatical supporters would rather die than to see their man lose 201 5 election to President Jonathan.

You must join hand with APC leaders to elect Presidential candidate who can mobilise both Northerners and Southerners, Muslims and Christian to come out of the streets of Lagos, Abuja, kaduna, Kano, Enugu, Port Harcourt and all nooks and corners of Nigeria, like it happened during the subsidy crisis, to protest if POP rigs the election next year. Definitely you don’t have that nation-wide acceptance and capacity to mobilise Nigerians from other parts of the country to march out on the streets.

Ibrahim Ahmed, from Adamawa, wrote in from Lagos.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014 — 19

BRIEFS Col. Ajayi-led IFASCR supports indigent pupils with education materials

Ex-PDP national chairman, Gemade, joins APC

By Bashir Adefaka

•Teams up with Akume against PDP in Benue

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja

T

HERE are strong indications that the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Banabas Gemade has decided to join the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, to realize his re-election bid in the Senate.

Already Senator Gemade who represents Benue North East Senatorial District has tendered a letter of withdrawal from the PDP’s senatorial primaries expected to hold tomorrow as a result of the alleged hijack of the process by the State Governor, Gabriel Suswan.

A close ally of the erstwhile National Chairman of the PDP who spoke to Saturday Vanguard on the condition of anonymity hinted that Senator Gemade may likely pick the APC form on Monday to contest the senatorial election in the area.

The source further stated that Gemade who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on National Planning will join forces with the former governor of the state and Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume to ensure that APC captures the state in 2015 general elections.

The source claimed that Senator Gemade decided to leave the PDP because the National Working Committee, NWC, of the PDP, turned down the list of his (Gemade) delegates and recognized the governor’s list which he claimed were allegedly written in the comfort of his Anyiim, Logo country home, Benue State.

It will be recalled that Senator Akume was allegedly pushed out of the PDP and he joined the opposition party to win his election in 2011 and has become a Chieftain of the APC and Minority Leader in the senate.

Senator Gemade in his withdrawal letter addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu dated December 2nd, 2014, with the title “PDP primary elections for Senate 2015withdrawal”, complained about lack of transparency and level playing field in the way and manner the

party’s primary election is being conducted.

He lamented over his alleged forceful withdrawal from the PDP senatorial primaries, saying that he had realised that things had degenerated to the level that no one should expect a level playing field or even any democratic action in the party’s affairs.

He said that as a founding member of the PDP in 1998 and indeed the leader of the Conveners in Benue State, he was pained by the undemocratic developments in the party where the party structure was surrendered to the state government.

Senator Gemade noted, with dismay, that there was no room for an honest and

law abiding member of PDP in having a fair chance in any contest in the forthcoming primary elections as anyone who was capable of manipulating the process, albeit illegally, was free to do so, and will be protected.

The letter for his withdrawal read in part: “I am constrained to write you for the fourth time in two months on the subject matter of the happenings in the PDP in my state as they affect me and our teeming members who have toiled over the years to give victory to our party for four consecutive general elections.

“As a founding member of this party in 1998 and indeed the leader of the

Conveners in Benue State, I am pained by these developments and I want to put on record my feelings even if there is no result arising from it.

“At least, the history of my service as convener, member national steering committee, member Executive Committee (NEC), member National Working Committee (NWC), member Board of Trustees (BOT), National Chairman and Chairman National Caucus should count.

“I have come to realise that things have got to a point where one cannot expect a level playing ground or even any democratic action in our affairs in the party.

T

HE International Foundation for the Advancement of Social and Cultural Rights, IFASCR, recently donated education materials as part of his social responsibilities to pupils of selected primary schools.

Among the schools visited for the purpose was Zion African Anglican Primary School, Akute, Ogun State where the non-governmental organisation, NGO, distributed writing materials such as exercise books, biros, pencils and school bags to the pupils.

IFASCR is sole initiative of former Quartermaster General and second-in-command to the General Officer Commanding, Lagos Garrison Command, Col. Gabriel Ajayi, who had recently said in an interview with newsmen that what he had left to do in life was to put smile in the face of the people particularly children.

Group cautions Ikorodu aspirants

S

TAKEHOLDERS from the five local council de velopment areas of Ikorodu, Lagos State, under the aegis of Ikorodu Revolutionary Movement recently asked All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirants in the community to desist from parading themselves as anointed candidates in the interest of peace and fairness.

A statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr. Osinowo Adeyemi reads in part: “ All party aspirants who have been posing around as the anointed candidates of some leaders of the party should stop such act in the interest of fairness.

“The movement also warned the political class in Ikorodu not to engage their youths in any form of electoral malpractices, thuggery or violence.

Ikorodu is not ready to lose any of its people in the name of selfish political ambition.”

Osun PDP suspends six members

By Gbenga Olarinoye, Osogbo

O The traditional ruler of Nike, His Royal Highness Igwe Barr. Julius Nnaji the Odezuluigbo III of Nike in a warm handshake receiving His Excellency Uriel Patti, Israel Ambassador to Nigeria during a courtesy visit to his palace

Prison comptroller jailed 7-yrs over N1.4m fraud

By Boluwaji Obahopo, Lokoja

A

High Court sitting in Okene yesterday on Friday sentenced a Deputy Comptroller of Prisons, Joseph Idachaba to seven years in prison for fraudulently enriching himself with over N1.4 million belonging to Nigerian Prisons Service, NPS. Justice Josiah Majebi of Okene High Court handed down the sentence in the case of three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, falsehood and fraud in a case Idachaba was arraigned along with one other staff of the Prisons Service, Ruth Onoja in February, by the Eco-

nomic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The duo were alleged to have violated provisions of the EFCC Act No. 14 of 2006 in the fraudulent transfer of N1,403,114.09 from the accounts of NPS through payment of salaries to a ghost staff, one Opia Mohammed Ugbede.

Prosecution submitted that the unknown Ugbede later paid the amount into Idachaba’s account.

Majebi in his judgement said the prosecution had proved the case of fraud against the accused beyond reasonable doubt and went ahead to convict him of the charge but

acquitted him of conspiracy and falsehood.

He said that the convict had initially admitted commission of the crime in his statement but later turned around to deny it. ”The claim of the 1st accused (Idachaba) that he does not know Opia Mohammed Ugbede who was alleged to have paid the money into his account is but an afterthought.

“To believe the story of the 1st accused in the face of the overwhelming evidence adduced by the prosecution is to believe the holiness of a Bishop hanging a talisman on his neck.”

SUN state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP has suspended six of its members for alleged anti party activities arising from the just concluded conduct of the House of Assembly primaries in Ile Ife. This was contained in a release issued and signed by the chairman of the Party in Osun state Alh Gani Olaoluwa shortly after the state working committee meeting of the Party in Osogbo yesterday.

According to the release the six members were suspended following recommendations from Ife central local government chapter of the the party which was ratified by the state Working committee of the Party.

Oba Akiolu appeals to APC members in Lagos

By Chris Onuoha

T

HE Oba of Lagos, Oba Alayeluwa Rilwanu Ba batunde Akiolu 1 has appealed to all the APC members in Lagos State and especially the candidates who contested in the last Thursday’s Governorship primaries in Lagos State under APC to come together as one force for peace and harmony of Lagos State and Nigeria in general.

Speaking to journalists at his palace in Lagos, Oba Akiolu who was happy with the outcome of the result used the opportunity to appeal to all politicians who contested saying, “It is not a door-die affair. All the candidates that lost the primaries yesterday are members of the same family, they are all my children.”

20—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

SATURDAY

Vanguard , DECEMBER 6, 2014—21

Journey of a Nigerian-American into music

Music is an authentic represent ation of my experiences —Offfiong Bassey —Of

By ANOZIE EGOLE

D

espite majoring in Political Science and African American studies in the university, Offiong Bassey still feels she has a strong passion for music.

In this interview, the Cross River State born songstress who dropped her debut album last year, talks about her upcoming album as well as her plans to break into the Nigerian entertainment industry among other issues...

For sometime now, nothing has been heard about you. What are you up to?

Well, I released my debut album in 2013 titled, “Offion Bassey”. The album is a fusion of African jazz and gospel. Right now, I am working on my second album. I am going to produce the second album myself and I am really very excited to do that. In my first album, I was the associate producer. But this time around, I am going to be the executive producer. I am really excited to explore that aspect of my talent.

How do you combine African jazz with gospel music?

I have listened to all sorts of artistes. From Micheal Jackson to Fela, Shade, Nyong Makebba among others. And I learned from each of them. I feel like infusing all of those aspects of me and my influence into my music. It is all guarded by messages of empowerment and inspiration.

With your American accent, how were you able to sing in Efik fluently in some of those tracks in your first album?

Don’t doubt, believe it, because I did that. I sang two of my tracks in my first album in Efik. And they were inspiring. “Edidem” was one of the tracks I sang in Efik.

What inspires your kind of music?

I just feel that I have travelled round the world and as I meet people and hear stories, I put them down in my poems and from there, I wrote my songs. So, all of those stories and images that I got from my environment transformed into songs. They are what I put together as my songs.

What determines the beat for your songs?

The level I am now as far as production is concerned, I make my own beat. It varies. Some of the engineers I have worked with,

•Offiong Bassey

would tell you, this is the beat they want. Then they will add something to it, so that it will be better. Sometimes, I have it all finished in my own mind before I hit the studio. I just put my lyrics on it and the music is good. At other times, I have to go to the studio and I have a beat that has already been made but, I will like to actually add some instruments to it.

Why did you choose your name as title for your first album?

Because, it is my first album and I have been working on it for so long a time. While I was working on the album, I was asking myself, what should I name this album. When I taught about the stress that I went through, I concluded that the most appropriate title to give to the album is my name because of the effort I put into it. The album is titled Offiong Bassey .

How many tracks are contained in your new album?

I don’t know yet and I don’t have a date for the release of album.

But many of the songs in the album, I have written them before now. My visit to Nigeria has inspired most of my songs and has also made me to write more songs. It has also made me to enhance what I was doing at the moment. I will need more time.

Tentatively, the album will be called The Gathering. I say that because, I feel that people gather together when the harvest is closer. People gather to celebrate the harvest after working so much. So, this album, will be a celebration of that kind of harvest.

Also, I am here in Nigeria for another kind of gathering because, we just buried my greatgrandmother who died at the age of 95 years. I am her oldest great grand child. So, it is just an honour to be home in order to celebrate her life and it was also one of the biggest family gathering we had in a long time.

Would you say that the death of your great grand mother inspired the title of your album?

It actually did. I had in my mind to title the album, The gathering before she passed on. So, I would say that her passing on has also influenced the title of the album. Also knowing that I am here speaking about this dream that I had and knowing how great she was, I feel that I am doing an honour in her memory.

In the Nigerian music industry, we have seen artistes who made names with their music in the 80’s but have gone into oblivion. How do you intend to stay relevant in the industry?

Every industry is dynamic, like Engineering, Architecture, Music and others. There is nothing that we have now that is exactly the way it was many years ago. Also, there is nothing that we have now that is completely new. For me, I feel there is an African soul jazz fusion in my music which is one unique thing about me. So, you probably will not hear me doing a completely pop album. But, I might have elements of pop and popular music in my catalogue of songs. But, I am going

to stay through with who I am and what I am doing. And I do believe that there will be a market for it. Also, when I introduce new artistes, they will all have their own styles and audiences.

Every industry is dynamic, like Engineering, Architecture, Music and others.

There is nothing that we have now that is exactly the way it was many years ago

Are you saying you have plans to go into popular music apart from gospel?

No, when I said that my music is a fusion of African soul jazz and gospel, it is really a fusion. The sounds that you hear are sounds that you can hear in the Nigerian high life music, some in jazz and also in American soul music. Now, when I say inspirational piece, those are the messages but I do not consider it to be a genre of music. I consider it to be a representation of the inspirations that I have. That will always be there, but you will not say that all the songs that I do will be for the church on Sundays. It is not all praise songs. What I would say is that, it is gospel and the inspirational part of it is the message. That message can sound like so many different kinds of music, it can even sound like a reggae. What matters to me is the message not the sound. In my first album, there is a song called Conclusion, it is an afro-beat song. The song is talking about how many times we have jumped into conclusion about things. Listening to the song, someone that is used to a particular type of gospel sound might not believe it is not a gospel music . What I am saying is that there are different ways of communicating as far as the message is consistent and that is what I am always concerned about. It is not always going to sound like the familiar gospel sound that people are used to.

Are there plans for you to relocate to Nigeria in order to pursue you musical career?

I see myself as being here as well as in the USA. I think there are things I can do in both places and also, there is a market for my music in the USA as well as in Nigeria. You know we have an easy way of getting front and back and anywhere I stay, I can easily get to the place that I need to. But I definitely do want to build a relationship with some producers and Engineers back home. I am also hoping to come back for the Calabar festival.

22 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

With FLORENCE AMAGIYA 08061644307

email: daise4000@yahoo.com

Charly Boy:

The maverick lifestyle of a showbiz king rles real name is Cha se ho w , oy B y rl ha ateer/songwriter, C ians. The Imo st e er ng si ig n N ia to er ig on N ti ar uc opul introd Suprem Oputa, needs no Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, the l.

Chukwuemeka te ne la , Pa the Oputa hose father born superstar w ars, as well as the chiarman of the most controversial self as many ye Court judge for Boy has carved a niche for him he area fada” by his “t y rl ed ha m C na u a man Arguably, day. He was nick this edition, we present to yo ve to ia er ig N in r r style. In entertaine own to ha cause of his bike ld and who is kn beneficiaries” be sing is indeed out of this wor es owns a bike. whose style of dr d for any youth in trouble that de helped and plea Read on…

P T

he area fada”, was born on June 19th 1951 into a privileged Catholic family where he lacked nothing.

Even though he had everything he wanted in life, he decided to carve a niche for himself by creating his own brand, the Charly Boy’s brand. The brand became the exact opposite of his father’s law and order lifestyle. It is no wonder he was at loggerhead with his father until in recent years when his dad came to understand him. Young Oputa got admission to study law at the prestigious University in the United state called

Harvard, but instead he studied communications.

As it is in life, “a man cannot eat his cake and have it” so the journey for young Oputa’s fame and popularity was not so rosy. He had to forego the mouth watering job his father secured for him at Mobil oil and gas company when he returned to Nigeria after graduation. He left everything belonging to his father and moved to the village because he couldn’t pay for accommodation in the city. To survive, young Charly Boy had to do the oddest jobs around. He worked at a beer and pepper soup joint where he romanced poverty. For seven years he

experienced what can be described as self inflicted poverty in quest for his dreams because he was too independent minded to live in someone else's shadow, not even his father’s.

Along the line, he moved back to Lagos state and with some help achieved his dreams in the entertainment industry. He released his first highlife album in 1982 and attained greater success with his 1995 release of Nwata Miss. His most popular album was released in 1990 which attacked the corrupt

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014 — 23

•Charly boy & family

Nigerian government. Later in 1996, he acted in a movie titled Backstab, then he got into TV program production and presentation, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The brand called “Charly Boy” From time he knew that if he must succeed and be his own person then he must be different from his father.

His father already had an imposing brand in the legal world. He therefore decided to create his own brand in the showbiz world.

According to him, “the Charly Boy brand was a strategy created to shock the timid myopic and analogue Nigerians out of their narrow mindedness and conservative mind set.”

“Everything about the Brand was all contrived even from the early stages of building it. He and his wife looked for the crazy, the weird, the bizarre, something to jolt the people.

“We set-out to create a youthful energetic brand that will stay forever young, a brand that can’t be ignored. “For us, the entertainment platform was the best to exhibit all our creative madness. It's been 37years since we started and we have no regret. Each time I look

We set- out to create a youthful energetic brand that will stay forever young, a Brand that can’t be ignored.

“For us, the entertainment platform was the best to exhibit all our creative madness

•Charly boy & wife

back at where I am coming from, I am happy with what I have been able to acheive. The price l paid was big, but it is worth it. I think one of the qualities that have earned the brand a lot of respect and admiration even from hardcore critics would be his tenacity, consistency, tremendous focus and the ability to keep evolving no matter what. Instead of remaining his daddy’s boy, he became his own man.

Milestone After the experience, he rose to become a singer/songwriter, television presenter, publisher, producer and one of Nigeria’s most controversial entertainers, best known for his alternative lifestyle, biker style, his political views, and television productions, most notably The Charly Boy Show. Charley Boy has been president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria and in 2011 he became one of the West African Idol’s judges.

Charley Boy has been married to an African-American named Diane for over thirty years. He has nine children; one of his sons is an associate professor at the Institute of Technology (MIT) Boston.

He was able to win back his father’s trust and respect for the remaining part of his father’s 27 years before his •"Area Fada" dad left the scene.

According to him, his greatest achievement is to get the famous jurist not only to love Charly Boy, but also to become his fan, and truly his dad became a disciple and an advocate of Charley Boyisim.

When his father publicly owned up to how proud

•Charly boy and daughter he was of him, he knew there was no looking back. "We became good friends, with tremendous mutual respect for each other."

He is also proud of the fact that for 11 years, when he lived with his parents in his Abuja house, he was able to take care of them as only a son or daughter could. His dad died in his house.

His foundation Charly Boy knows the mentality of the down trodden, he sympathizes with their predicaments because he has been there before. That’s why he does it, whenever he can help lift people up. It makes him feel useful and he is always grateful that he could be of help. Most importantly, through his mentoring he has also discovered that thorns have roses.

Most prized possession Although Charly Boy has made a lot of money, has a lot of expensive bikes, cars and properties, he sees his brand ‘Charly Boy” as his most prized possession because he didn’t get it cheap. He is an introvert by nature, but on the platform of his brand, he is who he is today. So it is all thanks to the grace behind the brand.

24—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014—25

Kathy Griffin emerges new fashion police host!

F

ollowing the death of popular female comedian and TV host Joan Rivers, another female comedian Kathy Griffin, has been unveiled as the new host of Fashion Police when the show returns in January for coverage of the Golden Globes.

According to reports, the outfit criticizing comedy series which had previously aired weekly, will now present 17 episodes throughout 2015, focusing on high-profile red carpet and fashion events.

Fashion Police will also welcome back panelists Kelly Osbourne and Giuliana Rancic, who will be joined by newcomer Brad Goreski, a fashion stylist and lifestyle expert.

Recall that Fashion Police has been off the air since Rivers’ death in September at age 81 after complications from surgery.

Jodeci reunites at Soul Train Awards A

fter many decades of disappearance, American musical group Jodeci, is back as they reunited to perform a nostalgic medley at Sunday’s Soul Train Awards 2014.

Present at the performance were DeVante Swing, Joel “JoJo” Hailey, Cedric “K-Ci” Hailey, and Dalvin DeGrate who thrilled the crowd with their greatest hits like

Lady Gaga recalls teenage rape ordeal

Lil Wayne’s daughter Reginae Carter receives Ferrari for 16th birthday

L

il Wayne’s daughter Reginae Carter was recently spotted stunting like her daddy at her Sweet 16 birthday party in Atlanta recently, as guests like T.I. and Tiny, Kandi Burruss, Fantasia, and Jacob Latimore were all present at the lavish “Winter White Affair party.

Also, Nicki Minaj entertained the crowd with a mini concert including “Moment 4 Life” and “Flawless Remix.”

“You are amazing and smart, and I am so excited to be here,” Nicki told

Reginae. “I’m so proud of you, you’re so beautiful.”

The birthday girl, who is signed to Young Money, also took the stage to perform her single “Mind Goin’ Crazy” song.

But before the night was over, she was presented with the keys to a white Ferrari GTO and a red BMW X5 from Weezy, her mother Toya Wright, and step-father Memphitz.

“Thank you to all my friends and family who showed up and showed out at my party,” tweeted Reginae. “I love you guys.

Singer Lady Gaga has revealed how she was raped by a music producer who was 20 years older than herself when she was starting out in her career The singer, who made the revelation on Howard Stern’s radio show, said that she went through therapy to recover from the event.

She was explaining the meaning of her song ‘Swine’, and said: “I went through some horrific things that I’m able to laugh at now, because I’ve gone through a lot of mental and physical therapy and emotional therapy to heal over the years.

“I was a shell of my former self at one point. I was not myself. To be fair, I was about 19.

“I went to Catholic school and then all this crazy stuff happened.”

Asked if she had ever confronted him, she said: “‘I saw him one time in a store and I was so paralysed by fear. Because it wasn’t until I was a little bit older that I went, ‘Wow, that was really messed up.”’

She said that she didn’t tell anybody about the incident for “the longest time”, but then decided to seek help to stop her drinking.

In her single ‘Swine’, she sings: “You’re just a pig inside a human body / Squealer squeal out you’re so disgusting / You’re just a pig inside.”

“Freek’n You,” “Come & Talk to Me,” “Stay,” and “Forever My Lady.” With help from B.o.B. The song will go to radio next month, while the group is working on its first album in nearly 20 years with producer Timbaland. They also plan to tour next year with a couple other artists.

26 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

By KEHINDE AJOSE 08024212530

Seyi Shay under fire over Channel O Award outfit

I just can’t see myself fail —Ill Bliss

S

ensational R n B singer, Seyi Shay got the social media buzzing over the risqué outfit she wore to the 2014 Channel O Music awards recently held in South Africa.

The outfit was a see-through Chanel gown which showed the black lingerie she wore underneath. The outfit got the Murda star a lot of criticisms both from her fans and from industry heavyweights like Charles Novia, Funmi Iyanda and popular OAP Freeze.

Though the movie producer, Charles Novia later apologized as regards the statements he made over Seyi shay’s outfit, it still didn’t take the

venom off his sting.

In his words to Seyi: “She said she wants murder and dressed like that?

She got her wish. Nonsense and ingredients. Lame thinking for a lame career. Let your talent speak for you always, if you don’t have it, nothing can force anyone to accept it” Seyi Shay who seemed initially unperturbed over the condemnation of her risqué outfit took to her Twitter timeline to express her feelings .She puts it this way: “I read some things about me today, I think people should focus more on themselves, than on others. Maybe he was having a rough day.”

AFRIMA set to close 2014 with world class event

A

fter it was

postponed following t h e outbreak of Ebola Vi r u s

By BENJAMIN NJOKU Disease,EVD, in some West African countries from where nominees, awardees and other guests are expected, including the menace of Boko Haram in the northern part of the country, organizers of

Why I appeared in Tiwa Savage’s video – Mr Nigeria M

r Nigeria and MTV Shuga star, Emmanuel Ikubese who starred as Tiwa Savage’s hubby in the visuals for My Darling has disclosed why he made a guest appearance in the video.

In a chat with Showtime, he said:”It’s an amazing experience.

I got a call from my director Kemi, saying that they want me to play a role in the video. I immediately got the script and love the concept .When it comes to music videos a lot of them don’t have concepts and story lines. I love the concept behind the video and said “Yes I will love to be part of it”. I was actually in the middle of a movie production , but I had to find time to do it because I actually love the idea. I have loved the outcome . Its

breaking the internet and breaking records in terms of views. I love the idea of my looking like a very serious guy, a married man which is something I love. I love family life, looking after a woman, and the kids. I love

fighting f o r something I love which what

the video represents.

I think people will begin to see me in that light.”

the All Africa Music Awards,AFRIMA, have announced a new date for the continent event.

The event, which was initially scheduled to hold on Sunday, November 9, 2014, will now hold on the 27th of December, at the Grand Ballroom, Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

A statement by the International Committee of AFRIMA, reads, “AFRIMA wishes to appreciate you for your invaluable support and goodwill from the moment the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) announced the 2014 edition to be held in Lagos, Nigeria till date.

“It is in light of your importance to the success of this iconic continental awards project that the International Committee of AFRIMA is glad to inform you of the new date and venue for the awards ceremony. The 2014 All Africa Music Awards now holds on Saturday, December 27, 2014 at the Grand Ballroom, Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. Red Carpet starts at 6.30 p.m. While main awards ceremony starts at 8.00 p.m.”

T

he name To b e c h u k w u Ejiofor may not ring a bell among music lovers, but Ill bliss which happens to be his moniker,is known for the popular hit song Aiye po gan .The hip hop artiste who also doubles as the co - owner of Capital Dreams Pictures, recently said in an interview that success drives him.

In his words:”Success drives me. I can’t remember the last time I embarked on any project that didn’t succeed. I just can’t see myself fail.

Clarence is my b r o t h e r.

We understand our boundaries and we have never had any heated argument. We find a way to resolve our misunderstanding and avoid argument. I mind my own business, if I am not supposed to talk, I don’t have to. What causes the quarrel between partners is when one sits down and adds no value to the business. I don’t have time to be asking needless questions.”

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014 — 27

By AYO ONIKOYI, 08052201215

Nobody does my kind of music —Cynthia Morgan C

ynthia Morgan is a singer who is surefooted when it comes to her musical abilities.

The light-skinned musician who recently released a new single titled Popori , has told Showtime that nobody does her kind of music.

“At this point people don’t really compare me with the female artistes because I am on my own lane .They compare me with the male artistes. When you listen to my lyrics, you know I am not like the soft kind of female artiste. I like to be called a musician not a female artiste.

It’s been a whole journey and I

have been able to get to that stage that people want to compete with Cynthia Morgan. You have to be a guy not a female. Nobody does my kind of music She also hints on when her debut album will be released. “My album should be dropping second quarter next year or first quarter next year. I am working on a whole lot of collabos that I can’t reveal ,but I am definitely going to have P-square on my album.”

Cute Flamez dazzles in new single Jamboree

Why I can marry a prostitute —Lamboginny

C

F

ute Flamez may not be a household name yet, but his melody and vocal delivery has something special that may very have a stake-hold in the music industry.

The budding Afro pop artiste unveils the groovy side of his music in his latest single titled Jamboree. Its a 4-minute long tune that starts off

ast rising Afro pop sensation, Lamboginny known for his humanitarian works in recent times said, in an interview that he doesn’t know who his wife is, adding that if she is a prostitute and she falls in love with him, they would get married.

Lamboginny ,whose song was recently made the theme song for COPA Lagos Beach soccer ,took to his Instagram timeline to explain what he really meant In the interview.

According to him:”Well, I didn’t say I will, I said “ yes I can” only God can tell that woman that will give you peace in marriage. I am j u st being real . We all have our past.”

Sean Tizzle joins the tattoo craze

F

rom Wizkid to Davido and now Sean Tizzle, more entertainers are falling in love with Tattoos. It’s now a craze celebrities are fast getting wild over.

The Sho le star is the newest celeb who recently tattooed his body. He got his fans passionate when he showed off his big chest tattoo that reads:”Live what you love”. He calls the photo “Living what I Love #Music ...

with a catchy instrumental , and a groovy beat that can change the atmosphere of a party.

He praises his love interest to high heavens in this tune.

Calling her ‘Jambo, this Jambo’.Though his vocals are reminiscent of that of Iyanya and Kcee, he is sure to have his place for his energy, inventiveness and readiness to do things out of the conventional box. His single has the beat, vocal delivery and production that may make it a good collection on your music library.

28—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

Pete Edochie declares ‘I have no interest in politics’

Pete Edochie

BY CHRIS ONUOHA

D

eclaring that he has no interest in politics, Enugu-based veteran actor, Pete Edochie, has expressed the need for the

federal government to sponsor a film on the bestial activities of Boko Haram in the country.

Edochie who came into limelight after playing the lead actor, Okonkwo, in

Miss Independence Nigeria, Sandra dreaming Big

S

andra Bassey who came into the limelight in 2012, after she won Miss Niger Delta is unstoppable in her resolve to standout as a beauty queen.

Having emerged Miss Independence Nigeria recently, Sandra is stepping out again to capture another coveted crown, Safari Beauty Queen of the Year.

In a recent chat with HVP, the beauty queen went down memory lane, recalling how she entered for Miss Independence Nigeria beauty contest. She revealed that “It was not in my mind to be part of the competition."

According to her, she wanted to contest for the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria and also, Miss Nigeria, before luck smiled on her. She got to know about the FOI competition some two weeks before the entry deadline.

Some of my friends, she said, “tried to discourage me, but my mum encouraged me to give it a trial, advising that it is not compulsory that you must win every competition you entered for, but you can take away the exposure and experience you would acquire from participating in the competition.That was how she entered for Miss Independence Nigeria beauty contest, which she later won . Since her reign, she has embarked on laudable projects geared towards giving back to the society.

Recently, she unveiled her sickle cell anaemia pet project, calling on the government to assist her realise that vision. She said, she's planning to build a Sickle Cell Anaemia Centre in Calabar, Cross River State. “My pet projects are on creating sickle cell anaemia centre and creating an avenue where the voices of young people can be heard at large,”she said. The Akwa-Ibom-born beauty queen has a passion for helping to fight against Sickle Cell Anaemia and Voices Against Sexual Harassment,’ which has become a Sandra Bassey recurring decimal in our society.

Chinua Achebe’s classic novel turned-serial-movie, ‘Things Fall Apart’ made this declaration against the backdrop of influx of entertainers into politics.

Speaking recently with HVP

in Yenagoa, the veteran actor said,while he is actively involved in acting and movie making, he has no interest in politics for now.

According to him. “For my fellow Nollywood actors going into politics, well, kudos to them. As for me, I am not interested in politics for now. I have not yet retired from acting despite my seemingly absence for a while. Calling on the government to sponsor a film on Boko Haram menace

in the country, Edochie said, “We want government to sponsor a huge film on BokoHaram. Boko-Haram insurgence claims they want to establish an Islamic caliphate. I don’t think there’s any God that would want to enjoin his followers to be decapitating heads, killing people, No! I think that’s a wrong interpretation of Islam. I would want my friends from the northern part of the country where Islam is the main religion and west where Islam also thrives to help us in defining the religion so that if we embark on producing a film on Boko Haram we shall make no mistake. And I believe that the incumbent administration will sponsor the production.

There has always been a truce and for us to effect a change and cultivate harmonious relationship among various religious bodies, there has to be a film on Boko-Haram to show that people have been indoctrinated negatively.”

I

t was a parade of fashion and style last Sunday, as women who have distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavours were honoured

by Exquisite Magazine at the Exquisite Ladies of the Year Awards (ELOY). The award ceremony held at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos.

The event, which was

R-L: Liz Ashdown, Head of Spirits, Marketing and Ready-to-Drink (RTD) for Diageo Brands Nigeria; Funke Akindele and Udjoh Ufuoma, Brand Manager Baileys at the ELOY Award 2014 sponsored by Baileys over the weekend in Lagos.

Funke Akindele, Omoni Oboli, others shine at Eloy awards

sponsored by Baileys, was indeed the convergence of the crème de la crème of the entertainment, fashion, and music industries.

Among them were Taiwo AjayiLycett, Ireti Doyle, Osas Ighodaro, DJ Nana, Funke Akindele, Elvina Ibru, Kenny Saint Brown, Mimi Onalaja, DJ Lambo, and several others. Explaining why Baileys supported the awards, Ufuoma Udjoh, Brand Manager for Baileys said that the success story of Baileys is to celebrate the stylish and contemporary women in their various fields of endeavours. “Baileys is always ready to create a platform to celebrate our women and ELOY has provided the right platform to value and celebrate women,” she said.

“As the spotlight for women is building all over the world, Baileys is ready to celebrate their achievements and to also inspire others to stay focus and be diligent in their endeavours because they will be rewarded in no time,” Ufuoma added. Also speaking at the event, Tewa Onosanya, Publisher of Exquisite Magazine and organiser of the ELOY award said the initiative of the award is to celebrate all women as the make impact in their endeavours. “All over the world women are taking giant stride and it is importance to appreciate them because of their importance in the society”.

The big winners on the night were Funke Akindele who won the Brand Ambassador award, Omoni Oboli as Actress(Big Screen) of the Year, Osas Ighodaro as the TV Actress of the Year and Blessing Egbe as the Female Film Producer of the Year.

C M Y K

SATURDAY

Tackling cancer through the art of giving I

n 2012, the United Nations Foundation designated the first Tuesday in December (Tuesday after Thanksgiving) as #GivingTuesday. This is a day to encourage, inspire and celebrate generosity on a global scale. #GivingTuesday, “the opening day of the giving season,” is a call to action for all who wants to give something back. The #GivingTuesday is also a way of expressing gratitude for the gift of life, and for all the progress recorded in the outgoing year.

On Tuesday December 2nd 2014, #GivingTuesday was observed for the first time in Nigeria as #GivingTuesdayNg. #GivingTuesdayNg followed by an ongoing campaign, known as #GivingTide. #GivingTide is a National campaign to motivate the giving of talent, treasure and time towards the Big war against cancer. A new Nigerian movement for giving and volunteering has made its debut. It will kick off each year from #GivingTuesday, and last till the next #GivingTuesday. #GivingTide is an initiative of the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP-Nigeria), - duly registered to promote private-sector led tripartite (private, social and public sectors) collaborations aimed at mobilizing Nigerians to unite in tackling major national problems.

The flagship cause of the CECP is the Big war against cancer and the nine major cancer-related diseases. The Big War is

aimed at taking holistic preventive health care to the grassroots using Mobile Cancer Centres (MCC).

CECP’s operational partner for the Big War is the National Cancer Prevention Programme, NCPP, the foremost and major effort towards national cancer control in Nigeria. It pioneered nationwide communitybased mass cervical and later, Prostate Cancer Screening, in Nigeria.

With exceptional missionary zeal, the NCPP has been at work since 2007, carrying out awareness, screening

and treatment campaigns across the nation. Over 100,000 Nigerians have been directly screened and treated so far, and through the awareness created, the NCPP is helping to protect millions of Nigerians from cancer.

The effort has contributed immensely to the reduction of cervical cancer deaths in Nigeria by 15 percent (from 26 daily in 2008 to 22 daily in 2012, according to the WHO data). There is an urgent need to scale up this effort, Eve as it is the that Cancer Centres (MCC) will facilitate the needed expansion.

Big War on cancer

Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014—29

30—SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

Food, hunger and the nutrition question

•Hundreds of millions are underfed and malnourished

“It is not the shame of the elephant if it starves to death in the forest; it is the shame of the forest.” of this well known African proverb becomes apparent The message whenever the problem of global hunger is discussed. In the first place, the idea of an elephant starving to death in the forest is unthinkable because the grass that the elephant subsists on is the most abundant material in the forest. But the there is hunger in the land and proverbs are infallible.

From dawn till dusk, from cradle to grave, the world is full of hungry people.

Ask me how I know and I’ll tell you that for every nine persons encountered anywhere at any point in time, at least one person is not getting enough food to eat in order to be healthy and to lead an active, productive life. Every 3.6 seconds one person dies of starvation. Usually it is a child under the age of 5.

In this particular environment, the plight of the hungry is quite bad — arguably worse than global average.

Unarguably, hunger and its alter ego —malnutrition— constitute the No.1 risk to health. The economic, social, health and overall developmental impact of hunger is almost unquantifiable, far greater than HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other Non Communicable Diseases, NCDs, combined.

Hunger is a vicious cycle. The hungry person is almost always malnourished while the malnourished person is perpetually hungry. People are utilising euphemisms such as “ 101”, “011”, “001”or “010” not to survive, but simply to exist.

Paradox On close examination, however, the problem of hunger is a huge paradox. There is more than •Malnourished enough food available today to feed the over child seven billion hungry mouths that populate the earth, yet millions go to bed at night famished and wake up the following morning even more ravenous. Hunger is not only totally avoidable and completely preventable, but also entirely resolvable, yet, from the cradle to the grave, hundreds of millions are underfed and malnourished.

It is an even more worrisome scenario because mankind is endowed with adequate requisite knowledge, tools and policies (but perhaps not enough political will) to solve the hydra-headed problem of hunger and malnutrition.

Addressing equity One of the challenges of nutrition is addressing equity. How can the most disadvantaged groups be reached with key interventions to prevent and treat malnutrition? How should the problem of micronutrient data quality, better agriculture systems among others be attained? How can nutrition be adopted into the post 2015 MGDagenda?

Penultimate week, the University of Ibadan Association of Nutrition Science Students, in collaboration with Coca Cola Nigeria, held a nutrition symposium with the theme “Prioritising Nutrition in The Post-MDG Framework: Roles and Responsibilities of Various Stakeholders in Nigeria”.

The UI ANSS gathered with key stakeholders from the food and beverage industry, academia, government, media and the general community, to forge the way forward for the fortunes of nutritional health in the country. It was a thought-provoking gathering, not just because of the importance of nutrition as a basic and inalienable aspect of life, but primarily because food, or more appropriately, good nutrition, is fundamental to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs.

“implied” and not specifically mentioned in MDG 1 which aims at “eradicating extreme poverty and hunger ”. Poverty drives hunger and hunger perpetuates poverty. The key targets of MDG 1 even fail to accredit nutrition because the objective is only to “reduce by half the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day” and “reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger”. Part of the essence of the symposium was to “remember” or “find” nutrition and establish its role in the MDGs. In view of this, speakers at a panel discussion during the Coca Cola session of the symposium identified the need for nutrition education towards resolving malnutrition as the foundation for progress and development, including health and education.

Re-categorisation In a presentation entitled: “Promoting Health, Wellness and Disease Prevention” one of the panellists, Mr. Fred Chiazor, who is the Business Unit Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Director, Coca Cola Central, East and West Africa, identified what he described as “The Golden Triangle” that includes government, the food and beverage industry and the university community. “Nutrition is priority and Forgotten MDG In several respects, nutrition is described as we need to determine what our nutritional goal is. the “forgotten” or “lost” MDG. Nutrition is only Let us re-categorise the strategies through which vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and

under- fives can be reached with effective nutrition education messages.

As part of its resolutions, the panel noted that the nutrition challenge must be tackled adequately.

“Investing in good nutrition increases productivity and creates economic opportunities. Solving hunger is also a contribution to peace and stability. All of us – citizens, employers, corporate leaders and governments must work together to end hunger and stop malnutrition.”

Arguing the point, a Nutritional Biochemist and Researcher at the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, Dr. Batholomew Brai, said the level of involvement in nutrition by government at the top could be better. “There are too many gaps. We need to work at putting nutrition on the public agenda in Nigeria.

Nutrition is actually the medicare for the future and must be accepted as such.”

Building partnerships Also speaking, Coca Cola Nigeria’s Mr.Emeka Mba, argued that the evocative and effective power of partnerships for sustainable development cannot be overemphasised. “Through the phraseology of the concept of the Golden Triangle, which speaks to the interaction between Government, Business and the Civil society groups towards addressing a myriad of socioeconomic issues in society.”

He said the company’s active and healthy living programmes are an integral component embedded with activities that focus on the long term health and wellness of the community through nutrition education and physical activities. “ What is our role as nutritionists, pondered Aniwura, one of the two practicing interns on the panel and a first class graduate from the tertiary institution’s Department of Nutrition. “Are we propagating the tenets of nutrition?” Her colleague, Ugochukwu, also a first class graduate, couldn’t agree more. “As nutritionists, we must practice what we preach,” she avowed.

“Nutrition education demands a multi-sectoral approach and the way to go is to form build networks and form partnerships.”

Coca Cola Nigeria created a framework for dialogic intercourse between Aniwura, Ugochukwu and other health experts to engage in an interactive panel on how to achieve the MDGs in relation to nutrition education.

“It is about inspiring the next generation of experts in Nutrition and health to advance the course of nutrition education and awareness in Nigeria,” Mba asserted.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014 — 31

Your cup of tea, glass of orange juice T

HIS one is for the ladies.

Ovarian cancer, one of the commonest cancers in women is sometimes referred to as the “silent killer,” because the symptoms aren’t noticeable until it has progressed significantly. More than half of women diagnosed die within five years.

Thankfully, there is a simple and natural way to significantly reduce the risk.

Black tea & Green tea Tea drinking is good for you in more ways than you know. Daily consumption of black tea or green tea can lower the risk of ovarian cancer by nearly a third. In particular, just a couple of cups of black tea every day have been associated with a 31 per cent reduction in risk. Drinking two cups per day of green tea can slash ovarian cancer risk by half. For women who drink one cup of green tea daily, the risk of ovarian cancer reduced by 24 percent while two or more cups lowered the risk by 46 percent.

Women who consume green tea consistently for over 30 years, have their ovarian cancer rates drop by 75 percent. The high level of antioxidants in green tea and presence of powerful phytonutrients help prevent and repair DNA damage but also hinder growth and spread of cancer cells.

Citrus fruit juice Assuming you are not a big fan of tea, how about orange juice, pineapple juice or just plain lemon water?

Citrus fruits such as

oranges and grapes are another good source of dietary flavonoids .

So, ladies, the next time you enjoy a nice or a glass of orange or pineapple juice, you can also feel good about the fact that you are very likely — and significantly — helping your body reduce the risk of developing one of the most dreaded forms of cancer.

Ginger Ginger root is an outstanding food for annihilating ovarian cancer cells. When researchers dissolved ginger powder in a solution containing ovarian cancer cultures, the mutant cells died. Ginger destroys ovarian cancer cells in two ways. First by a process of cellular self-destruction called apoptosis then by autophagy where the cells digest themselves. Ginger caused the same rate of apoptosis as common chemotherapy drugs yet without any side effects.

Ginger root also controls inflammation which is a precursor to ovarian cancer.

Ginkgo biloba Research has shown that the herb ginkgo biloba significantly lowers the risk of developing ovarian cancer.

More than 600 women with ovarian cancer and 640 healthy control subjects were studied.

The participants had a history of using ginkgo, echinacea, St. John’s wort, ginseng or chondroitin. Only those who took ginkgo supplements had

•Tea drinking is good for you lower rates of ovarian cancer — an impressive 60 percent decrease in risk.

Flaxseed Women with the highest intake of plant lignans have the lowest rates of ovarian cancer. Lignans found in flaxseed are considered phytoestrogens, which are compounds that ‘plug’ into estrogen receptors, blocking stronger forms of the hormone which aggravate ovarian cancer.

Flaxseed lignans also act as an antioxidant.

Investigation reveal that the metastases that accompany late-stage ovarian cancer and are the main cause of death from the disease, are significantly reduced by flaxseed lignans.

...As well as juice drinking

32— SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

Shirley Igwe on Ma

“I’m still waiti someone to p

Says, “Nollywood did the Principal Protocol

By AYO ONIKOYI and JULIET EBIRIM

S

hirley Igwe doesn’t belong to the category of women who have to be padded, made-up and wear different masks to be beautiful. She has beauty bequeathed on her by nature, so much so that, before she left school she was already the beautiful face of Delta Soap.

From modelling, she naturally metamorphosed into acting and now the Principal Protocol Officer to Governor of Imo State not to mention her prominence as a blogger.

As our Showtime Celebrity, Shirley took us through each stage of her life, putting the wrongs right; shedding light on issues and generally allowing us a drive through the beautiful mind that adorns the Imo State House: What’s your typical day like as the Principal Protocol Officer to the Imo State Governor?

I go to work everyday and after that I return home.

What does your job entail?

I’ve been screaming this: everyone knows what ‘ Principal Protocol’ means, right? Protocol is protocol. People can as well check the dictionary or Google the word to know what it entails. There’s not much explanation to it. The word ‘protocol’ defines itself.

How did you get the job?

People go to offices and submit their CVs and applications. The same way people get jobs in offices is the same way I got mine.

You seemed worked up over something concerning your job?

No, all I am saying is that protocol is all about protocol. My job as a protocol officer to Imo State Governor is not different from any other protocol officer found anywhere in the world.

Do you mean you actually applied for the job?

Yes, I did. I didn’t get that job as an actress. I applied for the job and submitted my CV alongside. Nollywood didn’t get me that job, I got the job as an unemployed youth seeking a job, not with my status as an actress.

Some people were of the opinion that because Nkiru Sylvanus was sacked from the governor’s cabinet, she had to be replaced with another Nollywood face?

I have to tell you that a change of cabinet doesn’t mean one was sacked. There was a change of cabinet which I knew nothing about.

I don’t know how her name got into the picture. I think it’s some bloggers trying to do some mischief. It wasn’t an exchange or replacement. And Nkiru Sylvanus’ job had nothing to do with my job.

What has working with the government exposed you to?

A lot of things. I can be able to tell you a lot about politics and governance. It has exposed me to a lot of things that people who are

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014 — 33 It was fun. I acted alongside Mike Ezuruonye, Yvonne Nelson and Yvonne Okoro. The movie was shot in Ghana in 2009 and it was an Andy Best Production. The name of the movie, translated in English is ‘I Broke My Heart’. That was my first movie. After the strike, I returned to school, so it wasn’t as if I was moving from one set to the other.

arriage

ng for propose”

dn’t get me l Officer’s job my age don’t know or won’t know even in 10 years to come. It has been a big privilege and I thank God for that.

Having had this experience, would you want to go for an elective position in the future?

Of course, but not now. First of all, one has to be rooted, grounded and know the basics.

So, yes I would want to go into politics, but not now.

As an insider, what do you think people need to know about governance that they don’t know?

The thing is, some people in goverment are doing their best, while some just go there and waste resources. Generally speaking, I’m not just talking about Imo State, some people come into goverment and do their best. But sometimes it seems their best is not good enough, because no matter how hard they try, they just can’t please everybody. My governor is doing his best, I’m not saying this because I’m from Imo State or because I have an appointment with the government.

Some states are fortunate to have good governments, while some are not. Imo State has been fortunate in that regard. They might not appreciate it now, but they will later.

What opened your eyes to the business of entertainment?

I started during my university days.

As a mass communication student, we had a journalism club known as JCI. In that club, we used to go for lots of competitions. One of the competitions we went for was with a TV in 2007. It was about a movie festival. When we got there, we met a lot of movie people. Gradually, I developed an interest in entertainment. That was how it began for me. After school, when I got back to Lagos, I started making contacts and the rest is history.

How did you get your first professional shot in the entertainment world?

One of the people I met was Otega Obaseki.

I don’t know if he’s still in the entertainment industry. When I met him, he said if I wanted to do movies, I would have to take pictures

so I could send them out to producers. So I went for a photo shoot at Shola Creative Studios. After taking the pictures, Shola told me my face was good for Orange Drugs Advert. He also said the auditions will be coming up soon and that he would call me when it commenced. At that point, my father didn’t want me to act, because I was still in school. So I put acting aside and started modeling.

After a week, I got a call from Shola to come for the Orange Drugs advert audition. That was how my first contract started with Orange Drugs. I also did for Multilinks, Oceanic Bank, Skye Bank and others.

Essentially, you started off as a model?

I started off as a model, but my first interest was acting. I had to finish school, since acting is more time consuming, I had to keep it aside and finish up my education. It was easier for me to do modelling alongside schooling.

another advert before the Orange Drugs commercial.

I guess the Orange Drugs commercial was the most popular?

Yes, it was a breakthrough for me What personal qualities or attributes will you say got you the Orange Drugs deal?

My looks, carriage and personality.

God has been faithful to me. So far, he has given me wisdom to handle men and any issues I have

Did you do the Delta Soap (Orange Drugs) advert before you started acting?

Yes, I did. Actually, before Delta Soap, I did a Multilinks advert which was everywhere in Nigeria. You might not know it was me because the face wasn’t popular then. I also did

Was that all, wasn’t there anything on the side?

Not at all. There were lots of people there for the audition who were more exposed than I was then. I didn’t even know I’d be picked.

During the audition, were you at any point intimidated by the other beautiful girls?

Of course, I was. I didn’t even know I was going to be picked, because I was shy even though I had the looks.

I wasn’t chasing people about.

I was just relaxed ,believing that something would happen for me.

What was it like being the Face of Delta Soap?

It was rewarding and it opened a lot of doors for me. It was a breakthrough and I gained more trust from my family.

How were you able to fight off advances from men?

The thing is, first of all, I wasn’t exposed, so I was still like the regular girl next door, except that you could see my face on TV and billboards. It didn’t affect me, nobody had my number, so no one called me. I just lived my normal life.

How were you able to live with the fame on campus?

It earned me a lot of respect.

Did it give you some privileges on campus?

Yes, because some of my lecturers would say ‘We know you are modelling for Orange Drugs, but you have to pay attention’. They picked on me, but not in a bad way.

How did acting start for you?

It was during the long ASUU strike in 2009.

While in Lagos, I went for an acting audition and I stood out. When you have the looks and the personality, people will want to see what more you can bring to the table.

They were impressed with my performance and that was how acting started for me.

What was your first acting job and how was it like getting your act together?

Which movie do you think brought you to limelight?

I would say ‘Facebook Babes’. It got a lot of hype at the time because of the name.

As a very beautiful woman, what has your experience with men been like?

God has been faithful to me. So far, he has given me wisdom to handle men and any issues I have. God has been on my side. He has been the one shielding me.

Have you ever had an unpleasant experience with men?

One day, I was trying not to give a guy my number. But he kept insisting and it was very frustrating and embarrassing because it was in public.

Why are you still single?

I can’t marry myself, someone has to propose. I’m still waiting for someone to propose.

You mean with your beautiful looks, no man has proposed to you?

There was, but it didn’t work out. So, there was no marriage.

What’s your opinion on marriage and divorce?

I don’t want to get married and then divorce. I don’t even pray that for my enemy. I believe in getting married and staying married. I want to get married and stay in my marriage.

Getting married and breaking up seems to be the trend with most Nollywood actors and actresses, why is it so?

People marry for different reasons.

Some get married because everyone is getting married, while some got married because at that point they needed comfort, support or a backbone.

At the end of the day, when they feel they are strong enough, they pull out.

But if one gets married for the right reasons, it will be difficult to break up.

Why did you choose to go into blogging?

I read Mass Communication and online reporting is a field in journalism.

I just decided to start something I know I would appreciate in the future. For me, it’s just as if I’m reporting for a media house. I felt I should do a bit of what I studied in school. That’s it. It’s been fun for me.

Would you say prying into other people’s businesses is like second nature to you?

As a matter of fact, I don’t like prying or poking my nose into people’s business. I like being up-to-date. I can sit down all day working on the internet.

When I went into blogging, prying into other people’s affairs wasn’t on my mind. I just wanted to be up-to-date.

Has the blogging business been worthwhile to you?

Yes, it has.

How? It helps me stay up-to-date. I get to know what’s in the news first because I report it. It keeps me busy doing something interesting,even when I’m relaxing at home.

34 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

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Vanguard, DECEMBER 6 6,, 2014—35

36—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

08 116759 759 081 6759759

'I'm ready for love'

A

fter sleeping with 10,091 men over 12 years in a drug and alcohol induced haze, former escort Gwyneth Montenegro is finally ready to settle down and experience true love for the first time. The 36-year-old received an astounding 80 marriage proposals after the last time the Melbourne resident spoke to Daily Mail Australia in July about the launch of her book, 10,000 Men and Counting.

The overwhelming response to the insight into her former seedy lifestyle got Gwyneth thinking that maybe she was ready to meet a good man—something she never felt comfortable doing when being paid $500 to $1000 an hour to have sex with well-known lawyers, politicians and musicians.

‘It awoke something within me when the article was published—not that I’m in a rush to be married,’ she said.

‘There were some working in the industry who were dating people and married but for me personally I didn’t find it appropriate.’

‘I found it easier to avoid relationships during my time in the industry. The two just don’t mix. I tried it once, it was an utter disaster.’

Since leaving her old life behind three years ago, Ms Montenegro wears many hats as a commercial pilot, an

NLP Master Practitioner and, of course, now an author. ‘I was a little over men at that point in time of my life and found my businesses infinitely more stimulating,’ she said.

Ms Montenegro said the years of men paying her for sex gave her a good insight into what men want from a woman.

‘Clients would confide in me about the good and bad parts of their relationship,’ she said. ‘I feel I have a deeper understanding of men than ever before.’ ‘There were some working in the industry who were dating people and married but for me personally I didn’t find it appropriate.’

‘I found it easier to avoid relationships during my time in the industry. The two just don’t mix. I tried it once, it was an utter disaster.’

Since leaving her old life behind three years ago, Ms Montenegro wears many hats as a commercial pilot, an NLP Master Practitioner and, of course, now an author. ‘I was a little over men at that point in time of my life and found my businesses infinitely more stimulating,’ she said.

Ms Montenegro said the years of men paying her for sex gave her a good insight into what men want from a woman.

‘Clients would confide in me about the good and bad parts of their relationship,’ she said.

‘I feel I have a deeper understanding of men than ever before.’ Writing the book was a therapeutic experience

that helped her to discover her true self and become comfortable with it—as she describes herself as the ‘girl next door’.

Gwyneth’s former life, which involved blowing tens of thousands of dollars on a new car, clothes and cocaine, has sparked interest from Hollywood with Gywneth in secret negotiations with a famous producer. ‘I can’t say at the moment but everyone would know who she is—it is most likely going to happen,’ she said.

‘It’s quite a long process but we should know this month or the next.’

End our daught er’s suf daughter’s sufffering Father smoking his daughter over a fire to cure her disease

E

nd our daughter ’s suffering, plead heartbroken parents of girl, 4, whose cancer has left her with huge, agonising facial tumour. A devastated couple are begging to have their daughter’s life ended because they can no longer bear to see her suffering from an incurable and painful cancer.

Zhao Zihan, from northwestern China’s Shaanxi Province, was diagnosed two years ago with retinoblastoma This is a rapidly developing cancer that forms in the retina of the eye. Last year, she had her left eyeball removed in an operation, but the cancer cells continued to spread and a massive, malignant tumour began growing on her cheek. Despite numerous consultations, hospital visits and painful medical treatment including removing her eye, doctors said her cancer was incurable. Now her

parents say they can no longer bear to see her in pain.

Her father Zhao Lipeng, 27, told QNews: ‘We hope to find a hospital that will admit our child and help lessen her pain so that she can leave this world peacefully,’ he said.

‘We can’t bear to see her like this any more.

‘She is suffering all the time. We have taken her to every hospital and every specialist that we could, and everyone has told us it incurable. ‘There is no hope.’

It was there that doctors confirmed her condition was incurable and would be terminal. Euthanasia is illegal under current Chinese law, although recent surveys have shown a majority of people have a tolerant attitude towards the practice, the Shanghaiist reports. ‘We want her to leave this life peacefully, not in agony,’ her mother said.

'You get spoiled and pampered, it's easy money'

D

esperate father resorts to smokinghis

daughter over a fire to cure her disease as he cannot afford bone marrow

M

ore than 140,000 Australians are now ditching conventional dating methods and turning to websites to find a sugar daddy or sugar baby to meet their needs.

At 25-years-old, Vanessa Marie is one of the many young women who have found a man much older than her—a 51-year-old hotel owner—to regularly shower her with gifts in exchange for her attention.

‘We basically would meet up once a week for diner with drinks and for exchange I would get a weekly allowance,’ Vanessa, who earns $500 a week just for her presence, told A Current Affair. ‘You get spoiled and pampered, you get to basically get what you want—it’s easy money I guess.’ The model echoed the sentiments of infamous sugar daddy Geoffrey Edelsten’s alleged former sugar baby, Shirley Moore, who described the businessman as ‘my personal ATM’. ‘He’s like “OK, so what do you want from me. Do you want a $100,000 a year, do you want $250,000 a year?” ‘He’s like “OK well, set up a bank account, I’ll send you $2000 a week”. I’m 21, I’m making more than people made in years.’

Nerita on the other hand, appears to be less drawn in by the money, instead seeking

glamour. Meanwhile, websites like sugardaddymeet.com, persuade affluent gentlemen to join their website with the message: ‘Rich and successful man. Doctors, lawyers, busy professionals, benefactors. Single or married, no time for game? Looking to support and pamper women who will treat you like a king? Interested in a discreet and mutually beneficial relationship? Time to be a Sugar Daddy!’ But there’s nothing to be ashamed of in the power-based relationship, according to Nerita, who saiud: ‘For an older man to have a younger companion? I don’t see an issue with that.’ ‘Honey concentrate on your own life because at the end of the day if you’re paying so much attention to someone elses lifestyle, what are you really doing in your own? So, each to their own.’

transplant for her . A desperate father in China has resorted to smoking his sick daughter —because he cannot afford a bone marrow transplant for the youngster.

Wei Shufu, from the Yunnan province in China, is attempting to treat sixyear-old Wei Jinqiu with smoke from burning medicinal herbs. The farmer spent all of the family ’s savings on preliminary treatment for his sick child, who was diagnosed with Mediterranean Anemia in October last year.

Despite the hospital fees, medics could not see an improvement in the youngster’ condition.

She was then taken to a bigger hospital in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou for further assessments.

Doctors there suggested she underwent a bone marrow transplant.

But this would have cost 300,000 yuan (£31,000)—a huge expense for a rural family whose annual income is less than 4,000 yuan. Unable to afford the fees, the family were forced to take matters into their hands.

After a recommendation from a patient he met at the hospital, Wei’s father then decided to try smoking therapy—by burning medicinal herbs.

SA TURD AY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014—37 SATURD TURDA

Posh w edding of Akinbobola’s son wedding

A

bimbola Alimi and F o l a j i m i Akinbobola consummated their union recently in Lagos.

For both families of the groom and bride, it was a day as good as any to bring to fore the stuff they are made of. They certainly spared no expense in giving their children the fairytale wedding they must have been dreaming about. The couple took their oaths at Archbishop Vinning Memorial Church Cathedral .

Abiodun and David luwatayo David Makanjuola and Oluwagbeminiyi Abiodun Akinsola were O joined as man and wife on November 1, 2014 at Cubicle Events Center, Lagos.

L-R: The couuple with the officiating minister.

The couple, Oluwatayo David Makanjuola and Oluwagbeminiyi Abiodun Akinsola

L-R: Chief Folusho Akinbobola and his wife, Funmilola, groom's parents, with Mrs. Olubunmi Shonubi.

Kabiyesi, Oba Kole and Olori Ojutalaya- Laroka of Wanikin-Ife.

L-R:Mr. Leye Kupoluyi, Mr. Foluola Olamiti and Mr. Biyi Akinseye

L-R: Chairman, Elizade Motors Chief Ade Ojo and his wife, Taiwo.

The couple with the Chief brides maid ,Ezinne Nwokoagbara.

L-R:Mr J.E Ibe, Chairman of the ocassion, Mr Isokariari, projects manager @ NNPC, Mrs Adefila, groom's parents, Mrs Esther& Mr Segun Owolabi.

Yetunde Bank ole hooks A de Bankole Ade deyyemi Abido Abidoyye THE families of Mr and Mrs Augustine Akinlere Bankole and Mr and Mrs Samuel Adedayo Abidoye have now become one after their children Oluwabukola Yetunde and Adekunle Adeyemi were pronounced man and wife on November 8, 2014 at Good Shepherd Baptist Church in Lagos. The families later entertained their guests at Ajimson Event Centre, Igando, Lagos.

The couple; Adeyemi and Yetunde Abidoye

The couple with bride's parents; Mr and Mrs Augustine Akinlere Bankole

Groom, Adekunle Adeyemi with his parents, Mr and Mrs Samuel Adedayo Abidoye.

38—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

T

hey say every picture tells a story, and the photograph of Helen Turnbull at the ‘school prom’ pretty much gives the plot away.

The teaching assistant is wearing a black skimpy outfit that shows her cleavage. Her face is covered in vampish make-up.

Her arm is wrapped protectively - possessively - around one of her pupils, a handsome teenager. The boy is 16.

She is 34. And there is no mistaking the age gap.

This photograph, taken in June last year and which Turnbull posted on her Facebook page, was to spell the end of her marriage to her husband, Ben. Had Ben not known what he already knew, he might just have persuaded himself that the picture was innocent. Here was a friendly, professional woman momentarily letting her hair down with her pupils at the end of a busy term. But his wife had form for such behaviour. So there was no mistaking the fact that the photograph was anything but harmless.

On Thursday, Turnbull, now 35, walked free from court after she was cleared of three charges of sexual activity with the boy in the photograph, who is now 18. She had, however, admitted kissing him and sending him very unteacher-like texts inquiring when they were going to have ‘power sex’ and asking what colour knickers to wear.

But she’d denied his claims that their flirtation was consummated in the back of her Mini. The jury believed her. She was still given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after she admitted one count of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust, relating to the kiss and sexual text message.

She was also told to sign the sexual offenders’ register for seven years, and has been barred from working with children.

She will never work in a classroom again. What jurors were not told after the judge ruled the evidence inadmissible was that Turnbull’s husband had previously caught her kissing another teenager, sending flirtatious texts to yet another teen and is now in a relationship with a former pupil, Greg O’Neil, a boxer who is 23. In an exclusive interview with the Mail, Ben, now divorced from her, reveals the full extent of his wife’s obsession with teenage boys, how she would wear seethrough clothing to school in order to attract them and boast to her husband about the effect she was having on her young charges. The impact on him and their two children, a boy aged 13 and a girl of five, has been devastating.

His son attends the same Roman Catholic school where his mother worked and last week his father took him out of it because the bullying had become so bad. Ben, a surveyor, has custody of the children, who live with him in a converted barn on his mother’s farm in a rural area outside

completed a degree in politics and international law at Keele University, Staffs.

‘She was just really pretty and fun,’ recalls Ben, 38. ‘We had no responsibilities and used to go out a lot. ‘We’d been together for a year when she discovered she was pregnant with our son. It was a surprise but we were happy and in love and having a baby was a step we were ready to take.’

In 2003, Helen, who is from a devout Roman Catholic family, took on the post of teaching assistant at the school in Durham.

The following year, she and Ben married in a Catholic ceremony at a local church and settled in the village of Haswell.

Despite being married, she remained ‘Miss Robson’ which Ben now believes was to give the impression she was still single.

Just a year after their wedding, her attraction to teenage boys became evident. Ben and his brother, Jed, a 33-year-old teacher, had gone out together for the evening and returned home to find four boys in the house

Besotted: Helen Turnbull is pictured with the pupil, whose face has been obscured for legal reasons

‘My wife is

I came home to find teenage boys in the house... one, a 17 year old pressed her next to the washing machine in the kitchen, kissing her with Helen. Their young son was being looked after by Helen’s parents.

Not only that, Helen was pressed into a corner of the kitchen in an uncompromising

OBSESSED with young boys’ Durham.

He is shell-shocked by the events of the past 16 months. ‘It’s unreal, really,’ he says. ‘Making pupils desire her became the entire focus of her life.

I know the head called her in on at least two occasions to talk to her about the clothes she was wearing to work. She was annoyed - apparently an older

teacher had complained about her. She would always comply, before going back to skimpy clothes. ‘But what I find hardest to forgive is that while she was running around chasing boys she wasn’t thinking about her own children.’

When Ben met his wife in a pub in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, in 2000, she had just

‘clinch’ with one of them.

‘Helen didn’t hear me come in and I walked straight into the kitchen to see her pressed next to the washing machine with a boy around 17 years old.

‘They were holding each other and kissing. When the boy saw me he shot out the door and his

Continues on page 39

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014—39

‘My wife is OBSESSED with young boys’ Continues from page 38 friends quickly followed.

‘Helen and I had a massive row.

I demanded to know what the boys were doing in the house and she said she’d been to the shop to buy a bottle of vodka - I used to worry about Helen’s drinking and had come across the lads drinking by the war memorial.

‘The boys recognised her from school and after chatting to them she invited them back home with her.

‘I took off my wedding ring and at the time thought our marriage might be over but the next morning I came downstairs to find Helen on the sofa, crying. ‘She looked up and said: “Are we finished?”. I went for a walk to think about things and I came to the conclusion — I was not going to end our marriage over a kiss. We had a son, we’d been happy. I convinced myself it was a drunken mistake.’

But the following year, 2006, Ben was to see the beginnings of a pattern emerging when it became evident Helen had developed an infatuation for a boy at school.

‘She was harping on and on about this lad who was around 15 or 16 and I began to feel very uneasy. I could tell she was attracted to him.

‘One day I saw her coming out of the hairdresser’s and get into her car without noticing I was there. Through the window I could see she was texting someone and I saw the boy’s name, which was the name of this boy she couldn’t stop talking about. ‘I confronted her but she said she was texting one of her friends. I said, “you’ll lose your job over this” and drove straight round to her parents’ house, and told them what had been going on.

‘Her father had a long talk with her and in the end she agreed not to go to the school prom. If he hadn’t intervened, I feel certain she’d have started a sexual relationship with the boy.’ Around this time, Helen had also spoken in glowing terms about another pupil at the school — Greg O’Neil, who was then 16.

‘She had been doing small study sessions with Greg and a few other pupils. I remember she once told me Greg had stopped a fight and she sounded very proud.’

By now, says Ben, it was horribly clear that his wife’s key motivation at school was not to teach but to make the boys fall for her.

She had always taken care of her appearance but she began, says Ben, wearing provocative, wildly inappropriate outfits to work.

‘Every morning she would spend two hours getting ready,’ recalls Ben. ‘I remember one day she wore cream trousers and a cream top that were completely see-through and you could see her thong and bra.’

She revelled in the attention of her pupils, and far from hiding this from her husband, enjoyed boasting to him about the effect she had.

‘She would come home and talk about how she was turning the boys on. One boy grabbed her backside and was excluded for a week because of it. I could tell she was over the moon that he’d done it. On another occasion, one of the boys had written “Miss Robson is phit [sic], Miss

Ben Turnbull (right) said he had previously caught his ex-wife Helen (left) kissing another teenager and sending flirtatious texts to yet another teen Robson is lush, I love Miss Robson”, on the blackboard.

‘She told me she kept it up there for the entire lesson. The idea of being lusted after by boys became more important to Helen than anything else. ‘She’s a good-looking woman.

What boy wouldn’t be flattered by someone of her age and maturity flirting with them? I don’t blame them for being interested.

‘I was very worried. I begged her to give up this behaviour, but she wouldn’t listen. It felt like it was getting out of control and I didn’t know what to do. I just hoped it would stop, for the sake of our son.’

He says although they still had a love life, he felt his wife craved the attention and excitement of a single woman. ‘She always wanted to go out, while I wanted to spend time with our son.’

There was a return to normality when the couple’s daughter was born in 2009 and Helen was at home on maternity leave, but it was not to last.

Early last year, she became infatuated with yet another pupil, and their liaisons led to the eight-day trial at Teeside Crown Court.

‘I was working away in London at the time,’ says Ben, ‘and would spend Monday to Friday there before returning on a Friday evening. After a week away we were always keen to have sex, but that suddenly stopped.

She was showing no interest in me.’

His wife was talking excitedly about the upcoming school prom on June 28, and Ben began to get a terrible sense of deja vu. ‘I had this dreadful feeling that it was happening all over again. She said she was thinking about staying at a hotel on the night of the prom. I pointed out that the prom was taking place a

She wore wildly inappropriate clothes in class

Helen Turnbull is now in a relationship with a former pupil, 23-year-old boxer Greg O’Neil

ten-minute taxi ride from her house and she could easily get home.’ She didn’t stay in a hotel in the end and, to Ben’s relief, came home. But she didn’t join him in the marital bed.

‘She stayed up all night drinking and sitting at her computer on Facebook.’

The next day, the revealing photo of the boy was posted online, for all to see. It was clear to Ben his wife was dangerously obsessed with the boy. A week later, Ben arrived home from work to find his wife dressed in a mini-skirt and top and announcing her intention to go out and stay at a hotel with some ‘girlfriends’.

‘Her skirt was so short you could

see her thong when she walked. She said she was staying out with the girls but I was convinced she was meeting a man — or boy — for sex.

‘She didn’t stay out that night either, but when she came home we had a huge row.’

The marriage was collapsing around him. To try to find out what was going on, he looked up his wife’s Facebook profile and was stunned to see she’d taken down a picture of herself with her daughter and replaced it with the prom picture of her with the 16-yearold boy.

‘When I saw it I knew instantly there was something going on. I felt pretty sick. There was also a public reference to wearing an “itsy bitsy teeny weeny bikini” on a school trip to a water park. Taking down our little daughter’s picture and replacing it with the picture with him felt like an even greater betrayal than cheating on me. It was clear where her priorities were.’

Ben also found a second picture on his wife’s Facebook page of the two of them together, Helen wearing tight black leggings and vest top, cuddling him. Ben confronted his wife and she left the house, with the children, the

When I saw the photo of them, I felt sick next day. After a protracted custody battle, the children returned to live with him last October.

After they separated, the boy began to ‘cool off’ and try to break with Helen. She began driving to his house in the mornings and parking nearby in the hope of seeing him.

The court was told how the boy’s father eventually angrily confronted Helen Turnbull in his street, and reported her to the police. She was arrested in September last year.

‘The police came round and told me about all the claims. I felt sick,’ says Ben, who was granted a divorce in February and who had to give evidence at the trial.

‘I didn’t even look at Helen. I want nothing to do with her. She’s lost the plot. People have suggested she has a split personality, and that may be true.

When she wasn’t chasing boys, she was perfectly normal. ‘After the verdict, Helen phoned to speak to our son and asked him how his day at school had been. I thought: “He can’t go to school because of what you’ve done.” ‘He is old enough to know what his mother has done and he wants very little to do with her. It has been traumatic for our daughter because, at the end of the day, she’s her mother and she misses her.’ Ben is currently single and understandably wary of entering into another relationship.

Helen, meanwhile, is in a relationship with Greg O’Neil, whom she started seeing after her relationship with the boy stopped.

The pair had met originally during intimate study sessions, involving only three other pupils, before he left the school in 2007. He became a professional boxer in 2012.

‘I spoke to a friend about this the other day,’ says Ben, ‘and he said something that cheered me up: “You’ll not find another like her, for sure.” ’

Culled from Daily Mail

40—SA TURD AY 40—SATURD TURDA

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Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

ecently, I came across the story of a 14-year-old American “girl”, Jazz Jennings, who was born a boy, but did a sex change to transmute to a girl. According to the story, Jazz started “leaning toward a feminine side at only 15 months old (hmmm). By age two, Jazz started to verbalize her feelings that ‘she was a girl,’ and by five she was one of the youngest people ever to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria ¯ a persistent unease with the characteristics of one’s gender, accompanied by a strong identification with the opposite gender.” Jazz’s parents allowed her transition to a girl while he was still in kindergarten.

After reading the story, many questions came to my mind: Does God make mistakes? If He There is no doubt that we must love and does, what then differentiates support our children, so that is not the Him from sinful man, since many sins actually result from issue here, but must we support their mistakes? Why did God encase wrong decisions and tendencies? How do a girl’s behavior and you just allow little and inexperienced tendencies in a boy’s body, as children, who have not reached age of the diagnosis seems to reason, take life-changing decisions based suggest? Were the parents not on feelings? If Jazz had undergone proper too hasty in allowing the therapy and had been properly counseled, transition? Are there no other would he have walked this path? And if remedies? Is there even such he had been allowed to come of age and a thing as gender dysphoria? experience the natural pleasure embedded The writer of the story did not in the union of man and woman, would he help me in my quest for still have taken the decision answers, for she asks, “What to change to a female? Now defines gender?” I would that he is female, can she get simply have answered biology, pregnant? Does she even but she continues: Is it biology, have a womb? Can she the heart and mind or a breastfeed? Does she feel like combination of both?” One a natural female? Can she enjoy sex like a even needs to be cautious natural female do? when using the term “gender” Why are American parents surrendering as it is not necessarily without a “fight”? At 13 years, Earvin interchangeable with “sex” in Johnson III, son of American basketball describing male and female. legend, Magic Johnson, told the parents he Oxford Dictionary says that was gay and the parents “showed “although the words gender understanding and gave him all the support and sex both have the sense, he needed.” How much does a 13-year-old ‘the state of being male or know about gayism? For all you care, the female’, they are typically used young man was just following what he saw in different ways: sex tends to as a trend. Unfortunately, unless he retraces refer to biological differences, his steps, Earvin will never know the while gender tends to refer to opportunity cost of his ill-timed decision. cultural or social ones”.

Now the “incredibly supportive family” of a two-year-old “decided to embrace her

Did God make a mistake? inner feelings and allowed her to start transitioning from male to female while she was only in kindergarten.” We live in a free world and we should respect people’s decisions, even if nauseating and unacceptable, but these children taking weighty decisions…hmmm. Children are intuitive and amenable; you cannot just take what they say hook, line and sinker; you probe and dig deeper until you get to the root of the matter.

Western societies have gone to the extremes; they have turned liberty,

The day God starts to make mistakes, mankind is doomed

,

freedom and human rights in the head.

The saying that “too much of everything is bad” cannot be truer in these circumstances. Freedom must go with concomitant responsibility; their freedom has too little responsibility attached to it and even that little is skewed. Their value orientation is also terrible. Jazz has become a celebrity and an advocate for transgender American students and “ young people with gender dysphoria.”

Almighty Time Magazine named her among the 25 Most Influential Teens of 2014. She has been interviewed by top American news anchors and talk show hosts, including Barbara Walters! The

family in the west is facing clear and present dangers.

Thank God, our many drawbacks notwithstanding, the Nigerian parent will not surrender in these situations without a very good fight. Some will conduct numerous vigils and prayer sessions, engage prayer warriors and pastors; others will book masses, pray countless decades of the rosary and do novenas until the “demon is chased away.” I do not even want to document the extremes some parents will go to drive some sense into these children’s heads. I have not heard any reported case of gender dysphoria in Nigeria, but we live in a global village, so these things are never far away.

Parents must equip themselves to adequately tackle challenges, known and unknown, that inevitably come with parenting and there are myriads of such challenges.

I look at gender dysphoria with suspicion. I feel it is just another concept to justify and ram all kinds of western aberrations down our throats?

But let us even give them the benefit of the doubt that gender dysphoria could result from genetic mutation or other natural defects. The question is are there no other and better remedies than sex change? What is more natural?

Going through a sex change, or therapy to connect and harmonise the sufferers’ nature with his feelings?

Back to our question, did God make a mistake with Jazz? Impossible, God does not make mistakes. Jazz’s parents simply allowed their skewed value orientation to mislead them. There is a problem when an inexperienced kindergarten pupil leads grown up adults by the nose on very weighty issues. Also God did not feature in their decision making. The day God starts to make mistakes, mankind is doomed.

,

(Text Only)

Exercise for stress-relief Head-to-Knee echnique: Sit with feet stretched in front of you.The forehead must touch the knees with the bent elbows touching the mat. Remain in the posture for a few ten seconds.Try again for same duration or about a period of 15 to 20 seconds and repeat thereafter for two or three times.

T

Benefits:This exercise is a veritable tonic for the spine wonderful for the hamstrings.It is of great help to females who suffer from periodic pains.It's also helpful to back muscles, and enable you move freely at all times.

The shoulderstand Though the classic shoulder stand is executed without a prop, the variant under discussion here is done with the aid of chair.

Technique: Place a chair on the practice mat at one end.

Lying on your back rather close to the chair, raise both

legs and rest them on the chair forming a neat slant from feet to shoulder. Place the hands a little away from the sides.

Breathe in slowly, rhythmically and deep into the abdomen. A minute or two will do at the initial stages. Follow that up with the dead man’s pose of lying completely still on your back.

Yoga Classes •Shoulderstand variant

STARTED @ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola, Victoria Island Lagos.

9.00am — 10.00am on Saturdays

Benefits: The shoulder stand affects the thyroid gland which normalizes metabolism and the production of heat and controls the heart rate.

Triangle Pose Technique: Standing with the feet rather wide apart, turn the trunk to the left and lowering it, place the palm of the left hand flat down on the outside of the left leg while raising up the right hand and straightening it at the elbow.

•Triangle Pose Breathe normally and retain the position for about 10 10 or I5 seconds.

Benefits: The triangle stretches the leg, spine, and trunk muscles.

It promotes flexibility of the hip spine and legs. It tones the nerves of the spine and the abdominal organs. It reduces pain in the lower back and invigorates the circulation.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 6, 2014—41

juliecoker100@yahoo.com

My marriage is suffering Dear Julie,

I

have been having a lot of trouble with my husband. It’s not necessarily trouble, but I’ve been unhappy for a long time. Lately, nothing seems good between us anymore. He doesn’t want to do anything. Our anniversary came and went without a card. So did Mother ’s Day and my birthday. We haven’t exchanged a hug or a kiss in I don’t know how long, and sex between us doesn’t even exist.

What am I going to do? Please help.

Funmilayo, Lagos Dear Funmilayo, Being unhappy is trouble. Ups and downs are a natural aspect of

all relationships, especially long-term relationships where some of the flash and dazzle subdues into the more sustained benefits like steadiness, trust, and reliability. But that certainly doesn’t mean you should live without happiness or the physical intimacies and affectionate gestures that can make love such a pleasure.

Rather than speculating about what

may be going on with your husband, talking openly about your concerns could help clear the air. Have you told your husband how you’re feeling? Have you asked him why he isn’t interested in doing things together, acknowledging important dates, and why his lust seems to have faded? He may be under unusual pressure at work, having a physical problem that he’s not discussing, or experiencing a host of other challenging, embarrassing, or painful issues. Asking him what he’s feeling, how he’s experiencing the relationship, and then sharing your side of things might help you two come to a new understanding of the state of your marriage, and decide on a course of action to make things better.

Remember to try not to attack or accuse him, but to discuss diplomatically how you’ve been acting towards each other. Find a time when you can sit down quietly

Should I have this fling?

Aunty Julie,

I

am sexually attracted to a man at work and I’m married. The attraction is so strong and I must confirm the feeling is mutual. It has been difficult holding myself from him but he gave me occasional brushes that set my body on fire. I have had consultations with friends who advised me to save myself from future embarrassment by sticking to my man. I have acted on this, but need advice.

Teena, Port-Harcourt

Dear Teena, I’ll presume that you want my opinion on whether you should continue this workplace dalliance. Alas, sexual attraction in the workplace is readily combustible and often hard to resist or extinguish once the fires start raging. Based on my work over the years as a therapist, let me highlight a few givens: these treats, especially when prolonged, rarely stay, neat, sweet and discrete and secondly, the married partner, despite assurances to the contrary, rarely

I love sex but I don’t want anything serious Dear Julie, I am a woman of 28 and have gone through a lot in life to build myself. I am a working student and I train myself.

Basically, I don’t have time for any relationship and because of that, I have hurt a lot of people. You have so much information and advice for those who want to start, maintain, or end a relationship; but then there are people like me. In fact, I have no desire to be in a relationship with anyone. Sometimes I work two jobs, and I like hanging out with my friends and family when I do have spare time. I’m not interested in the feelings, emotions, and time it takes to be in a relationship. I’ll have sex with anyone before I even think about holding their hand. Then afterward, the guy will usually end up getting his feelings hurt because I don’t want to date him. Is there anything strange or unhealthy about this? I know I look good but that is that. I don’t have time for love.

Omoni, Benin City Dear Omoni, Some people love to pair off like lovebirds while others like to fly solo.

There’s nothing wrong with savouring your independence, as long as you are honest with yourself and your partners

about what you want and don’t want out of each connection, sexually and otherwise. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what shape your relationships will take. But you must also understand the place of culture in relationships especially in this part of the world.

People are naturally social beings, and we spend a great deal of our time interacting with others. Sharing life’s ups and downs with friends and family can bring a sense of closeness and fulfillment that can’t be found in your professional or academic life. Likewise, some people enjoy romantic relationships for companionship, commitment, and physical and emotional intimacy. Other people partner up out of fear of being alone or pressure to “settle down.”

As you implied, society often puts a premium on romantic relationships.

From age-old love stories to reality dating shows, pairing is portrayed as the romantic ideal. In our culture, marriage is a strong form of “social glue” that binds together individuals, families, and communities. However, there are many other expressions of love and togetherness that don’t require you to tie the knot.

To begin, it may be helpful to sort out your feelings, values, and desires related to sexuality and relationships. For

The Perfect Husband Several men are sitting around in the locker room of a private club after exercising, when suddenly a cell phone sitting on the bench rings. One of the men picks it up, and the following conversation ensues: “Hello?” “Honey, it’s me. Are you at the club?” “Yes.” “Great! I’m at the mall two blocks from where you are. I just saw a beautiful mink coat. It’s absolutely gorgeous! Can I buy it?” “What’s the price?” “Only $1,500.00.” “Okay, but for that price I want it with all the extras. ” “Great! But before we hang up, there’s something else…”

“Yes?” “It might seem like a lot, but I was reconciling your bank account and…I stopped by the real estate agent this morning and saw the house we looked at last year is on sale! Remember?

The one with a pool, English garden, an acre of park area, beachfront property…” “How much are they asking?” “Only $450,000…a magnificent

example, are you satisfied with your current social scene, or do you to want make more time for friends or dating? Do you wish you had a “special someone” or are you truly happy on your own? And lastly, what’s your take on sex without commitment? Do you feel comfortable getting it on and then heading out, or would you prefer to get to know each other a bit more, before and/or after? There are no right or wrong answers here, so go with what feels best for you.

The tricky part is that everyone brings their own preferences to the dinner table and the bedroom. As you’ve experienced, it can cause discomfort and hurt feelings when, after a roll in the hay, your sexy someone wants to take you out on a date and you’d rather part ways. Since there’s no way to predict how your partner may feel, perhaps you could try being more upfront about your intentions. For example, before things really heat up, you could say something like, “I’m not looking for a relationship, but I’d still like to have some fun together.” Put into your own words, that warning gives your partner a fair heads-up about where you’d like the experience to go.

All that being said, one-nightstand or even steady commitments is easier said than done. Even a short fling requires some amount of time and effort, and it’s likely that emotions will come into play at one point or another.

C O C K - T A L E S price…and I see that we have that much in the bank…”

“Well, then, go ahead and buy it, but only bid $420,000.

Okay?” “Okay, sweetie…Thanks! I’ll see you later! I love you!” “Bye…” The man hangs up, closes the phone flap, and yells, “Hey, does anybody know whose phone this is?”

Three Old Ladies Three old ladies are sitting in a cafe, chatting about various things.

One lady says, “You know, I’m getting really forgetful.

This morning, I was standing at the top of the stairs, and I couldn’t remember whether I had just come up or was about to go down.” The second lady says, “You think that’s bad? The other day, I was sitting on the edge of my bed, and I couldn’t remember whether I was going to bed or had just woken up!”

The third lady smiles smugly, “Well, my memory’s just

and calmly to talk about some of these things. You might want to start off by preparing your husband for a serious conversation. Some examples of relatively easy ways to start a conversation like this might be, “I love you and our marriage is really important to me, so I want to talk to you about some things I’ve noticed.” Or, “Would you be willing to talk with me about some things that have been hard for me recently?”

Often, acknowledging that a problem exists is a first major step towards solving it. You sound like you’re aware of aspects of your relationship you’d like to change, and that is a great place to begin.

Sharing your feelings with your husband, and trying to come up with ways to create those changes can lead to a revitalized marriage with renewed sexiness, thoughtfulness, and affection.

leaves his or her spouse as guilt eventually becomes a disruptive third party making the rendezvous increasingly conflicted; neither lover is absolutely immune, whether married or single, and the married member is often acting out his or her anger toward the spouse with an affair; usually it’s better to confront the problems in your marriage, decide if you can or cannot make the marriage work and start over, sadder and wiser, in your marriage or on your own .

Two examples come to mind. The first, a year long affair between a working-class bank teller and a bank executive. The teller had left her and his kids because of his emotional neglect. The two separated but did not divorce. The executive continued to live with his wife. This relationship provided the teller a little tenderness which had been lacking much of her life.

Eventually, missing the connection with his children, some improved communication with her husband, and having healed some childhood and marital wounds with the affair, the teller and her husband reunited.

The affair ended without significant problem.

On the other hand, the second is a cautionary cybertale of two married couples. Our protagonists are a man and a woman, both in their 40s, both unhappy in their respective marriages. They meet on the Internet and soon progress to real life trysts during the man’s business travels. The woman’s husband eventually senses a problem. He acknowledges that his insensitive and selfish ways have catalyzed his wife’s wandering.

When he starts showing her more attentiveness and caring, the wife feels obligated to try to work things out with her husband. She fairly abruptly breaks off the extramarital liaison. How did I know? Because the father of the man calls in a most anxious state. His son is near suicidal; the father pleads for me to intervene.

as good as it’s always been, knock on wood,” she says as she raps on the table. Then with a startled look on her face, she asks, “Who’s there?”

Squealing Like A Stuck Boyfriend A young girl and her boyfriend are driving down the road one day. Her boyfriend suggests that they play road games and that whoever loses has to strip. They play every game known to man and the girl loses every time. Soon she is bare naked. The boy takes a long look and runs off the road. They slide into a tree and the boy is trapped in the car. He yells to his girlfriend, “Quick, go get help!”She says, “I can’t, I’m naked.”He hands her a shoe to cover with.

Desperately she covers her “lower parts” and runs to the road. She flags down a truck driver and yells, “Help me, my boyfriend is stuck.”

The truck driver replies, “Honey, if he’s that far gone, I don’t think we can get him out again!”

42—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

The Other Side of Makeup Extreme screen makeovers transform leading ladies from glam to gran.

A

s the use of make-up ‘technology ‘ reaches new heights and makeovers become the order of the day, there is simply no excuse for any Nigerian woman to look anything other than beautiful.

But in Nollywood and beyond, the art of makeup is being explored to a hilt while being used for minimum effect.

Fans of pop goddess Tiwa Savage were able to see another side of her in the new video of My Darling, a track in her new album, where three and a half decades were piled onto her face by the point of powders and brushes. The Mavin Records songstress had released a Kemi Adetiba directed video for her wedding song titled ‘My Darlin’, but it was the theatrics rather than her signature sonorous voice that stole the show.

In the video, Tiwa Savage is seen as a funny old woman whose grand-daughter’s wedding causes her to reminisce of her heydays as a belle in love with a soldier, played by Emmanuel Ikebese.

The makeup for the videodone by Lola Maja-Okojevoh of Sacred Artistry- was a

trendsetter, to say the very least, though Tiwa Savage still looks so pretty as an old woman.

In October, admirers of foremost African contempo-

•Funke Akindele

•Mercy Johnson

rary fashion designer Deola Sagoe were shocked to see her transformation in her screen debut, Kunle Afolayan’s epic movie October1, which premiered around this year’s independence celebrations.

Sagoe had played the tenacious feminist activist and

•Tiwa Savage

•Deola Sagoe

martriach of the Ransome Kuti clan, Funmilayo.

While her performance has received mixed criticism, it has been her transformation via make up that has got tongues wagging and interests up. The first trailer of the film was released on 1 October 2013,

Nigeria’s 53rd Independence Day, a date initially slated for the film release itself, and it is no wonder the trailer won the “Best Fiction Film Trailer ” award at the 2013 International Movie Trailers Festival Awards. A movie teaser and a theatrical promotional trailer

was also released on You Tube on the 27 August 2014.

In years past, perhaps the most remarkable screen make-up accomplishments of contemporary Nollywood was with one of the industry’s most beloved sex symbols Mercy Johnson, who was transformed into a pitiable object of derision in a movie where she convincingly played a widow.

The man responsible was Michael Jaja, the director of the movie she wasworking on. In order to play the part of a widow in the movie, she had to shave off all her hair.

Nollywood fans will recall that this is not the first time that Mercy would shave off her hair in order to interpret a role. She also shaved her hair off for the 2009 movie, Before the Light, in which she played a cancer victim. The willingness of Mercy Johnson to continue to go to such lengths to interpret her roles continues to endear her to movie makers and fans alike.

On the upside, some were of the opinion that the shaved head gave her an edgy, extreme look that is intriguing, refreshing, and still sexy In January, foremost actress and producer Funke Akindele had also come close to matching her old feats in Jenifa and Omo Ghetto in terms of dynamism in a new flick, where she played a frustrated old lady.

As aspirants pour into the fast-growing makeover industry, they might do well to remember that there is a huge market waiting to be tapped in the area of film make-up.

We’re celebrating 50 Years of Fashion in Nigeria —Funmi Ajila-Ladipo, National President, FADAN

*Says, ‘Fashion designing is serious business’

By Josephine Agbonkhese

F

•Funmi Ajila-Ladipo

unmi Ajila-Ladipo is indeed bringing her decades of eclectic experience in the fash ion designing industry to bear as she steers the ship of the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria, FADAN, for a three-year period. The ageless beauty was on a courtesy visit to Vanguard’s corporate head-office this week where she fielded questions on the re-awakening she is evoking throughout the Nigerian fashion industry, and on FADAN’s plan to showcase

the history of fashion in Nigeria, beginning from the 50s, this December.

So, to what do we owe this visit?

We have an exhibition coming up. We’ve been having one called FADAN Mart every month, though, which is meant to empower, showcase and draw people to what designers produce, and this is held

at Nike’s Art Gallery in Lagos.

We’re giving designers the opportunity to showcase what they have so that they’re not taken advantage of by people who take their products and chip some sort of labels on them. Also, it avails buyers the opportunity to meet directly with designers so that the

Continues on page 43

SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014—43

‘We’re celebrating 50 Years of Fashion in Nigeria’ in Nigeria but have to follow due process. That’s why you can’t compare a designer who only went through a three to six months course with one who went through an institution.

Any long term agenda for your tenure?

First and foremost for me is to have a healthy fashion industry because if the foundation be destroyed, there’s nothing the righteous can do. So, we are going back to the genesis: who are the designers?

What makes you a designer?

Why are you in designing? Do

L- R Mrs Darling Tunde- Olofin , Secretary Lagos Chapter (FADAN), Mrs Funmi Ajila Ladipo, President FADAN and Mr Adebayo Adegbe (Modela) during a courtesy visit to Vanguard Newspaper Apapa Lagos. Photo By Diran Oshe

Continues from page 42 middleman is cut-off. We do a lot of publicity for this so that buyers are aware of this mart and take advantage of the opportunity.

Back to your upcoming exhibition…

Yes, it’s coming up 19th and 20th of December, 2014.

Through it, we will be showcasing the history of fashion in Nigeria from 1958 till date. So, we’re bringing on stage Princess Abba Folawiyo, all the way down to Ruff n’ Tumble.

Also, we’re going to put together a museum for just those two days, of which we’re already writing to embassies, schools and more, to come see the history of fashion in Nigeria.

We intend to have old photographs since we can’t lay hands on some of those old designs. To God be the glory, the lady who is the founder of FADAN, Chief(Mrs)Sade Thomas-Fahm, is supporting us a whole lot on this.

We’re also showcasing the Daviva collection, and we will be picking, strictly, designers who have been to or are in school of fashion. In the end, we’ll brand one of the best for Daviva 2015. We actually have young designers coming from various institutions’ school of fashion like the Kaduna Polytechnic, Yaba College of Technology, and more.

As President of FADAN, what major factors presently

threaten the growth of the industry?

Members of FADAN make everything from shoes to accessories and many more. Not only clothes. But yet, we’re so neglected because nobody really wants to pay attention.

Nigerians, I’ve come to understand, take a lot of things for granted and are focused in one direction. But you can see the

Passion has indeed kept me and it is the same passion that I want to also use to drive the association. I’ve been a designer since about 27 years.

Western world is buying into the Nigerian fashion. They’re going to come in now, take the samples that we have, produce and probably sell back to us. You know why it’s so easy for them to do that? It is because our government hasn’t taken the right step. I tell you, there’s no country that prospers in clothing without a production hub and Nigeria does not have a production hub. I can’t make 20 of same design because they might not be exactly the same. But if I take my sample to the production hub, I can go back home and start designing something else.

Secondly, the quality and timing are controlled at the hub.

And of course, it saves designers the hassle of running around and also makes the product cheaper. That’s why you see some designers take their designs to Turkey where they can be mass-produced.

That is the level we are looking at.

You seem to exude so much passion for fashion. What’s the underlying force?

Passion has indeed kept me and it is the same passion that I want to also use to drive the association. I’ve been a designer since about 27 years. I was the Designer of the Year in 1987/88 at the age of 24, and that was six months after my graduation from the Yaba College of Technology School of Fashion and Designing. You see, we indeed have content

you have passion for it?

I believe that will effect more lasting changes in the industry because it will provoke a reawakening and help designers grow in their businesses.

We want to treat fashion more like the business it should be. Hence, we’re not going to be having fashion shows all over the place that translate into nothing for designers. Fashion shows will make more sense when there are buyers waiting to look at products of designers and buy them.

We have always treated fashion as entertainment and that’s why anybody could just call up one designer to come showcase his or her design and just give them some claps without purchasing their products!

First Date Do’s & Don’ts

By Anino Aganbi he first day out with a guy who could be the man of your dreams could either make or mar your relationship. You do not need huge steps to enable you meet the love of your life. Non verbal actions and mannerism speak volumes.

• keep your date in public places until you get to know him better.

•Be a good listener. You do not want to make the date all about you. Ask questions and pay attention to his answers.

•Dress properly and groom yourself well. You attract more attention that way than when you bare it all.

•Don’t reveal too much personal information. Keep it simple; he does not want to know your life history on the first date.

•Do not talk about your past relationships. He might take it as a come on which might end up putting him off.

• Allow him foot the bill. It never speaks well of you to pick the bills on the first date. He is the man, make him feel needed.

•Smile often and laugh at his jokes. He will appreciate you better for it.

T

44—SA TURD AY 44—SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, DECEMBER 6 6,, 2014

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

A happy relationship can boost your immune system I

when you haven’t had a someone wants you to join t is a known fact that having a relationship adds a lot of va-va-voom to your life. good night’s sleep—all them in a sociable tipple.

Suddenly, you’re a better person to be with and life couldn’t be more exciting. Then you headache and bad“Whereas you might not have an almighty row and you’re boiling with rage. “All sort of nasty thoughts suddenly tempered. Then think about have bothered opening a start raining through your head”, posits Bibi, a constant sufferer of the ups and downs of love. someone who feels like that bottle of wine just for “How did I ever end up with him? What does he ever do for me? You may not want to hear it day in, day out, for years yourself, you can easily right now, but this man may because their partners drink half a bottle”, in fact be good for your snore, it can be continued the specialist. health. He might even help devastating”.

“Increased alcohol you live longer.

Does he disturb your consumption is probably “Love and intimacy are sleep? Some of us simply one of the most common the root of what makes us can’t drop off next to reason for weight gain. sick and what makes us another person because Alcohol is not usually a well, what causes sadness we’ve always been used to substitute for food, but an and what brings happiness, sleeping together, but in addition to the diet. But it what makes us suffer and recent decades is almost as fattening as what leads to healing”, says we have taken infants out fat”.

Dr. Dean Onish, Professor of the family bed to sleep Is he lazy? Left to your of Medicine at the alone”. The specialists also own devices you might University of California. believe that lack of sleep walk to a friend’s house or According to him, “If a new can cause our immune to the shops. But what if drug had the same impact, system to run down. It can your man drives virtually every doctor in the reduce our levels of everywhere? Or, worse country would be concentration and make us still, what ifhe doesn’t go recommending it for their liable to mood swings and anywhere at all? “Most patients. Being lonely can depression. For instance, single women are out and almost literally break your sleeping for only four hours about in the evenings and heart but a happy a night, even for less than a at weekends”, says the relationship boosts our week, affects the body’s specialist. “As part ofa immune system, helps us ability to process and store couple though, they are avoid depression and carbohydrates and regulate more likely to stay in with reduces our risks of cancer hormonal levels. The a take-away, a bottle of and heart diseases. changes mimic the wine and a video. If you Studies have shown that hallmarks of advanced used to walk everywhere those who confessed to aging— so we start looking before, don’t start being lonely suffer from old more quickly”. accepting lifts or taking raised blood pressure at Does he drink? When you the car. One of the times of stress. That blood obesity, smoking and smoking-related diseases. move in with a man who overwhelming factors in pressure rose with age in drinking alcohol. “Half the Does he snore? According to likes his booze, you find the increase in obesity lonely men and women, calls we get are from the the British Snoring and Sleep that the fridge is suddenly which has seen it reach while it remained more partners of snorers who Apnoea Association, 21 per stacked full of beer and almost epidemic stable in people who said may be getting no sleep at cent of middle-aged men and there’s always a bottle of proportions, is lack of they were content. These all because of it”, says the 28 per cent of middle-aged wine chilling away nicely. activity, so keep moving facts don’t mean that living associations’ director. women snore. The most It’s hard to say no when with the person you love “Think how bad you feel common reasons for this are doesn’t have its challenges.

While a lot of us are good for the health of our “ e take our brains for granted, Boost - Drink a glass of water the enabling us to postpone feeling ill until a partners, some might not hoping they will stay in working moment you wake each morning to stressful situation has passed or been be, as the way our partner order far years to come, while taking dehydrate your brain and make sure you resolved. It is a vital part of any happy, live has a huge impact on little action to encourage this to stay well-hydrated throughout the day.” successful life. us. happen,” say expetts. Once we’re past Exercise: Exercise is well known to However, chronic stress - which leads to So, could your man our mid-20s, our brains begin to shrink be good for the body, but many of us high cortisol levels over a long period of and depending on how we use them, actually make you ill? Does function can either increase or decline. over look its immense impact on the time - can be detrimental to your health. It he smoke? Researchers Luckily, what happens is rlargely to do health of our brains. Not only does can make you fat, cause high-blood pressure have now found that with factors within our control. In their exercise release a torrent of hormones and debilitate your immune system, leaving passive smoking is far more new book: Sort Your Brain oUt: Boost and chemicals that makes us feel good, you vulnerable to opportunistic infections. a risk in the home than Your Performance, Manage Stress and but evidence suggests that people who It can also reduce your working memory anywhere else. A study by Achieve More, neuroscientist Dr. Jack take regular exercise enjoy better brain capacity. the Imperial Cancer Lewis and motivational speaker Adrian fimction far longer. It increases the rate Boost - Try to have a good chuckle as often Researcher Fund’s Health Webster, say: “If you look after your at which new brain cells are created, as possible. Laughter reduces stress by and is more important than any other brain, it should remain fully functional Behaviour Unit found that decreasing the level of cortisol. When feeling and in good working order throughout factor in helping us to retain our stressed, take a couple of::minutes out of someone living with a your entire lifetime.” They’ve even faculties well into old age. your day to take a few deep breaths. Breathe person who smokes 15 devised a handy set of brainBoost - Do a minimum of 20 minutes in while counting to seven and breathe out cigarettes a day suffers four optimisation tips to help us keep our of moderate to intense exercise every counting to 11, to relax your brain and times the exposure of brains firing on all cylinders. other day. uncluttered a busytnirid. tobacco smoke than an Water: Our brains are 73 per cent Manage stress: Cortisol is an Sunshine: When ultraviolet (uv) light individual living in a water, so when we’re dehydrated our efficiency in sending electrical important hormone which is released comes into contact with the skin, the human smoke-free household. messages around our 100,000 miles of into our bodies to help us cope with life’s body can produce vitamin D. This is used “These findings are very brain wires is compromised. At night, daily stresses. It increases our in the brain to make serotonin, which is worrying”, says Professor we lose water vapour through metabolism so that more physical and crucial for a wide variety of brain activities M. Jarvis, who led the breathing, which is not replaced while mental energy is available to deal with including mood regulation. In the colder study. “A lot of people are we are asleep. This means we wake our problems, and puts the brain in an months, the likelihood of getting enough uncomfortable emotional state, giving UV to keep your serotonin levels topped up being exposed to a up with slightly dehydrated brain us impetus to act. Cortisol also decreases, so you should be extra-vigilant significantly increased risk every day. suppresses the immune system, about getting out into the daylight. of lung cancer and other

The specialists also believe that lack of sleep can cause our immune system to run down

W

,

Five easy steps to get the most from your brain

,

SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014—45

YETUNDE AREBI

Readers respond: Is polygamy really bad?

A

couple of months ago, the story of a couple at the brink of separation was published on this column and I asked readers the question above. Bisola and Akinola, blessed with three children, had been married for 17 years, living with each other’s excesses as most couples do. Then one day, Bisola stumbled on three travel documents, all bearing Akinola’s names.

They belonged to a strange woman, a child and Akinola.

A confrontation resulted in a heated argument between them and Akinola walked out of their home. His wife was free to take whatever decision she thought best for her, he’d said. Bisola, crying blue murder is now threatening not only to deal with her husband but also fight the woman with the last drop of her blood. As a friend, I had simply told her to go and find something better to do with her time, but some other friends felt differently and have been offering their own kind of solutions. As is my style on this page, I threw the question to our readers and was very impressed by the responses I have received thus far. Today, you get to read another set again. Please, do bear with us if you are yet to see yours, I assure you that everyone will get their chance, it might only take a while. So, just keep reading your refreshingly different Saturday Vanguard.

Remember that polygamy is a contemporary issue with multi facet challenges and opinions, so this discourse is not likely to end anytime soon. If you wish to join issues with the positions of our respondents today, please feel free to write to me via e-mail address: yetty5050@yahoo.co.uk. Do have a wonderful weekend!

Hi! This are just the kind of issues that need discussing!

I am a Muslim, so, for some who would read my contribution and conclude I am “just being a Muslim”, I promise you I will try to be as neutral as I can.

For me, polygamy is a natural thing and there is nowhere in any scripture it was condemned. Now, let’s take some few cases to ponder upon. *Single parenting: Supposing a woman lost her husband and she is left with kids to cater for, and she has no job or perhaps the job she has cannot cater for the family’s needs, would anyone rather she begs or be left at the mercy of her family and friends (if fortunately she has one) or go back to her parents, or simply settle for a man who is already married but is willing to take her in? *Aged women: In pursuit of Mr right, most ladies have ended up single to ages of 40 and above. Most times, it takes miracles for single men to come along.

Now, the question is, should she elect to stay single for as long as it would take to find a single guy or simply settle for the available and willing married man, if he proves to be good and God fearing? *Infidelity: Most women would argue that they prefer their husbands to keep women outside so long as the man plays safe. The question is “ how safe can the man play ”? Condoms break in action! Are you C M Y K

safe? He runs out of supply of condom and he needs her badly, a quick one would help and he deeps in without condom! Are u safe? He is on a trip as a politician, a business mogul, an office executive and he can’t go with you, instead he takes another woman and one day you walk into the office and the colleagues give you a mocking look, “she is a bad wife and that is why Oga doesn’t take her with him on most trips” they whisper!

Are you safe!!!! I really don’t know how safe the woman at home thinks she can be if her man plays that game!

*Status: This is a dicey one. Many men have had the misfortune of being betrothed to women from their locality because of family ties. Suppose she happens to be uneducated and the man finds himself in a position so exalted and the wife would have to address the public, should he just decide to face the theatrics of what comedy that would unfold before him and laugh like my brother from etuoke or give some willing and capable lady the chance of representing? I know most people would not agree with this reason. But I urge you to think about it with an open mind! *Barenness: Here is the big one! You get married after one year no issue. It’s 2,3,4,5,6 years and still no children. Those who were blessed with kids would tell you to hold

on and wait on God, they would even tell you the story of Abraham and his impatience and the resulting Ishmael and all sort of miracles they ’ve seen (yes I have seen one myself but am 35 and I have seen only one such miracle!). Please, just tell them you wish they were in your place. I swear they will curse you in their hearts! In fact, these days, most guys would make sure she takes in before finalising marriage plans. It means the case for children is a serious one. If polygamy would help, please tell me why I shouldn’t opt for it?

As an individual, I do not think I can survive polygamy because I think it’s not an easy task to embark on. However, I would not condemn those who do it. I’d rather pray for them to survive it and ask God’s blessings upon them because the man involved just helped to save another husbandless woman.

In any case though, men should not just jump into it without good reasons and hiding it from the other wife is really not right. In this particular case, I think the man messed up. It took too long to let the woman know. Meanwhile, I don’t think threatening to leave the man is the best step to take. She should establish the fact that he betrayed her for not letting her know. A responsible man would apologise and take control of situation again! imp213x

Dear Y Yee t u n d e , In response to your post on whether polygamy is bad or not, I would like to state that I am personally against polygamy in whatever form it might appear.

However, looking at the issue at hand, I believe Bisola was right in ‘acting out’ because she has been deceived.

Polygamy is not for everyone and she should have been given the choice of being a part of it or not. Men who engage in polygamy have no self control or self will and majority of them also engage in divorce in order to marry ‘fresh’ wives, thereby adding to the number of ‘single and unwanted’ women. Polygamy also promotes lack of trust as well as unnecessary strife between couples. Ultimately, polygamy is a sin against God. Dorcas Suleman Dear Y Yee t u n d e , *I blame Akin for bringing those documents home for Bisola to see. He should have kept them with the other woman. Does he want the woman and her child to be killed or poisoned by proxy? *Polygamy is bad when: 1. The women are forced to live together. Even if both are godly and don’t harm each other, each becomes the prime suspect when any evil befalls the other.

2. The second woman is a friend, housemaid, hairdresser, nanny, etc to the main wife. Since the main wife doesn’t know her as a rival and the second woman does and has easy access to her, the 2nd woman can easily get rid of her if she is the wicked type.

3. The main woman is newly married and yet to have at least 2 children. Polygamy may take her man away from her bed during her fertile days. *If none of the conditions listed 1-3 is present, the 1st woman should please take it easy and focus on her children. Their father now has less or no time for them, and the mother should not be too busy mourning her husband’s behaviour to care for them. No woman likes being a second wife, the mistress, or the woman to be hidden away from family and friends. But when you reach 30 years single and childless because you can’t tolerate a cheating boyfriend or a man who is “not yet ready for marriage” and fibroids show up because you haven’t had a child, you will be ready to accept any man just to have a child of your own. It is not easy to undergo a fibroid operation because you don’t want to “break someone’s home”.

A d e b o y e FF.. A .

Dear Y etunde, Yetunde, There is no big deal about what the man has done. He even respected his wife and kept the secret away from hurting her. He told her she has found what she was looking for. Very true. If you seek, you find. That you are married does not deny you the personality you are. Everyone should try and live his life the way we know best and get reward, good or bad. Marriage means accepting each other the way we are in tolerance and accommodation.

Is polygamy really bad? Nowhere in the Bible did God the creator, condemn polygamy. He told David, “If you wanted more wives, I would have given you, but not for you to take another man’s wife.”

By the natural make-up of man and woman, it is difficult for one woman to satisfy a real man. Women take a break from sexual activities for a week in a month. She delivers a baby and take on an important responsibility for some months. What does an active man do then? Suffer imposed sexual abstinence? Islam was honest enough to say” If a man has the means, let him marry more wives with a limit of four which

is considered manageable.

Women have greater mood swings that make them say “I’m tired. I can’t have sex, am not in the mood.” Does a man have to beg one woman every time for sex when some other may be willing and begging for it? Concentrating on one woman in a life time will only wear her out and she will age fast. It is a man that needs sex more than the woman and it is a basic need that needs to be satisfied.

There is a tendency for the woman to want to dominate a man and the home for which he is head. Women have an innate, unspoken rejection of a man’s headship of the home. But when she knows that there is another woman competing with her, she will be humbled. Even in companionship, no two women are the same in style and approach. So the more of this an active man has, the more experienced he has to overcome and conquer his world.

By the nature of man, polygamy is it. No woman can take on the strength of more than one real man in a marriage. So polyandry is out.

The desperation of man to enjoy more sex has made them turn to fellow men, or even animals. We must help to overcome man’s natural tendencies.

Thank you.

B e r t i e B r ight.

46—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

World AIDS Day: Nigerians differ on the use of condoms

BY EBUN SESSOU & ADERONKE ADEYERI

S

ince the report of the first AIDS case in Nigeria in a 13-year-old girl in 1986, serial HIV sentinel surveys of pregnant women in the country recorded persistent high HIV prevalence. Though, with variations across the country, the national median seroprevalence was 1.8 percent in 1991, 3.8 percent in 1994, 4.5 percent in 1996, 5.4 percent in 1998, 5.8 percent in 2001, 5.0 percent in 2003, 4.4 percent in 2005, 4.6 percent in 2008 and 4.1 percent in 2010.

Currently, Nigeria accounts for nine percent of total global HIV/AIDS infection. Altogether, 35 million people live with the virus in the world.

The number of people who are newly infected with HIV is continuing to decline in most parts of the world. There were 2.1 million infections in 2013, a decline of 38% from 2001 when there were 3.4 million new infections. Progress in stopping new HIV infections among children, has been dramatic. Fewer people are dying of AIDS related illnesses.

In the sub-Saharan Africa, the number of AIDS related deaths fell by 39 percent between 2005 and 2013. 15 countries account for 75 percent of all people living with HIV and Nigeria accounts for nine percent of

the global figure. with the current estimate of 3.4 million persons living with HIV, in Nigeria, according to the National Agency for the control of AIDS, it harbours the second largest burden in the world. However, critical observers have feared that the morbidity, mortality and socio-economic loss associated with HIV infection is a major treat to future survival of the country.

On Monday Nigerians joined the world to mark World AIDS day. The good news from the National Agency for the Control of AIDS was that the number of those living with HIV has dropped from 5.1million people in 2005 to 3.4 million now.

But the challenge in Nigeria has been the mother to child transmission. Again, statistics have shown that the scourge has found place more with the youths than elderly people.

The younger ones are said to indulge in unprotected sex more.

And we went to town to sound Nigerians out on curbing the scourge through use of condoms. The spoke their minds:

Sex without condom is refreshing-Lawal

Opeyemi Lawal

Sex without condom is refreshing says Opeyemi Lawal, a stylist. I trust my husband and he trusts me too. I don’t need condoms to protect myself against sexually transmitted diseases.

I don’t feel the woman’s body with condoms – Babatunde

Jangada Babatunde, a civil servant says, he loves sex and prefers it without condom, “I love sex and that is why I prefer it without condoms. Condoms prevent me from feeling the woman’s body. I have to use lubricants to make up. I am a young, vibrant man with a long list of girl friends and as such, I cannot but use condoms. I am sure some of my girlfriends also keep multiple partners.

I love flesh to flesh

For John, a banker, I can’t use condom because I don’t like it. I love with flesh to flesh and that is what makes it interesting.

“I also do away with condom because I don’t want to be sleeping around with any other girls. I make love with my wife only. So, condom is a no go area for me”.

The woman enjoys mostly with ni condom- Olase a

Oladotun Olaseni, is business man says, “It the the woman that enjoys one fun mostly. And that isould of the reasons men sh ers be faithful to their partn to avoid contracting sexually transmitted diseases .

Adding her voice, Fatimah Ogunsakin, a fashion designer, “I know many women will like to shy away from the truth as Africans. I prefer sex without condoms.

How would I enjoy the sweetness when what is inside is wrapped?

“Many guys too don’t use condom because they feel it is more satisfying and it also makes them feel attached emotionally with the partner which definitely makes it more enjoyable”.

Adekunle Adebesin a civil servant, “With condom you can’t do all the styles and explore all the positions.

It hinders me from having maximum fun. Apart from that, it delays. I could go on for an hour with a condom which makes the action boring.

Every reasonable man should use condom- Adeyemi Adewale Adeyemi, a stylist advises every man to make use of condom. “I have learnt to enjoy the use of condoms. When one considers the risk involved in having unprotected sex, every reasonable man should enjoy sex with condoms, even though, condom does not give 100 perfect satisfaction.

Condoms are artificialAdefemi Adeyemi, retired teacher Adefemi Adeyemi said, “Condoms are artificial. It cannot be the same with the natural endowment from God”.

With or without condom, I enjoy every bit of it

Hameed, “With or without condom, I never gave that much of a thought. I hate condoms, and if at any chance it doesn’t have to be used, I don’t use it. I feel great making love without a condom, but feels encapsulating with it”.

Mindset makes the difference -Adeola With a different approach, Omotayo Adeola, a secretary, opined “Sex with and without condoms is the same. The feelings, process and organs involved are the same. It only depends on the mindset. I have heard men say skin to skin is more pleasurable but I don’t think so.

Adewale Adeyemi,

Giving his thought, Uche, a trader said, “The right size of condom completely changes how a man experiences sex. A condom that is too tight reduces sensation, takes longer to get

Fatimah Ogunsakin

Can’t do all the styles with condom - Adebesin

Omotayo Adeola

Size of condom matters

I can’t enjoy the sweetnessOgunsakin

Adekunle Adebesin

I only use condom when necessary

Onyeka, a business man. I only use condom when my wife is not in her safe period. I don’t believe in condom. I can tell you categorically that most men don’t use condom except those who have more suitors. I have only one wife and we have both agreed not to use condom except when she is not safe. on which can deflate his erection, and is more likely to break. An oversize one can slip off, and the extra material can make your dude feel inadequate. “Though the standard size of condoms is about 7 inches long, the length can vary up to an inch and girth sizes also range, so experiment with brands and styles”.

Every woman should be on pills

Bayo, a graduate of LASU advised every woman to always be on pills when to save their men of using condom. “I will advise every woman to use pills so as to make their men perfect especially when having sex”.

I hardly satisfy her using condom Yinka, a journalist, said, his problem using condom is huge. “My problem is that, with my very limited sexual experience, I am worried that I am not satisfying her. Also, I find it next to impossible to achieve an orgasm after the “flow” has been interrupted by putting on a condom. I like it natural.

Condom is not a barrier

In his opinion, Bashy said, “Sexual play doesn’t have to come to a complete halt when your partner puts on a condom.

Everyone should consider incorporating the condom as part of foreplay. My partner helps me put on the condom especially when I have my first erection.

“A large aspect of being turned

on, or keeping the flow, is in your mind. Rather than thinking of the condom, you may try focusing on the love making; the tastes, the sounds, and the sensations between you and your partner.

Nobody should be afraid to be more adventurous”.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014—47

(eldest man) palace are threatened as some people were bent on hijacking the three arms of government existing in Aji community.

BY CHINENYEH OZOR; NSUKKA he people of Aji, an agrarian T community in Enugu Ezike, Igb

COURT ORDER ‘’Some of the elders have compromised and had since been silent while our people are living in fear just because of one man. There is a parallel town union; one was at the instance of some people who used officers of Enugu state government and the commissioner to select caretaker committee. We contested it in the court of law because there was no provision for care- taker committee in our constitution. The court granted an injunction and ordered the other group to stop parading themselves as caretaker committee. The threat is still on because the other group has failed to obey court order. This is a serious threat to the town because the court restored powers of the town union. The security network is at the prerogative of the traditional ruler.

o Eze North Local government area, Enugu State, are at present living in fear. This is as a result of the release of seven members of a rival vigilante group by the police in Abuja after they were arrested for alleged gruesome murder of some indigenes of the community,early this year.

PROTESTS OVER KILLINGS It was gathered that the death of two illustrious sons of the community around March, 2014, sparked off wild protests in the area leading to the swift intervention of crack detectives from Force headquarters, Abuja.

This was after the police in Enugu allegedly foot-dragged over the nefarious activities of the suspects which the community alleged were severally reported to them. Worse still, members of the community alleged also that the government of Enugu blatantly looked the other way after series of reports about the mastermind of the killings in the community who is a top government official, were made to them.

LEADER GIVES ACCOUNT A leader in the area, Chief Ignatius Ugwuanyija who recalled how their sons were gruesomely killed by the suspects told Crime Guard that they were sent to their graves within one month. ‘’It started with Oforma Itodo. He was slain on March 3, 2014, barely four days after burying his mother.

He was butchered like a fowl. Two weeks later, another son of the community, Obinna Onoja, was also hacked to death on flimsy reasons that he allegedly stole buckets of paint from the building site of the top Enugu government official who hails from the community.

VIGILANTE STORM VICTIM’S HOUSE ‘’ On that fateful day, members of the vigilante group who have been terrorizing the community at the instance of the top government employee went to the residence of Obinna’s parents and told them that they were sent to fetch him by the government official. The faces of the group members were known to the mother of the victim. After few days, he never came back and his mother went to ask of him only to be told that he was hale and hearty in their custody. They could not take any action because the government official and members of his vigilante group were dreaded by all in the area. From then till now, the poor man has not been seen and the family and concerned members of the community are unable to take any action because they felt that the government official was untouchable and could no be questioned because of his connections with Igbo Eze North police and Enugu State Criminal Investigations Department, CID. EXPLOITS OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL “The government official sat on the matter even after some brave members of the the community raised alarm and duly informed the police. However, since the parents of Obinna are wretched and are even unable to fight their case judicially, the government official exploited their poor condition and sat on the matter by making sure that it never

The suspects after arrest

Enugu community protests release of murder suspects by Police •Alleges terror in Enugu Ezike •Bodies of victims dumped in saw the light of day.

the morgue

ARREST OF SUSPECTS ‘’Then came a temporary relief after we petitioned Force Headquarters, Abuja and the Inspector-General of Police graciously hearkened to our pleas and sent down a team of crack detectives to round up all the suspects we mentioned. As soon as they were arrested, the government official flew to Abuja and spent just one week only to come back boasting openly that they would soon regain their freedom.

BACK TO SQUARE ONE It came to pass barely few months later as they stormed the village one early morning and since then, their nefarious activities have worsened.

Nobody dare challenge them and we are all living in fear till date.’’

Investigations by Crime Guard revealed that barely few weeks after their release, the killings have started again. This time around,a mother of five children, Cecilia Ijeh from Umuodoeje village in the community was murdered on Nov. 2, 2014 and her lifeless body dumped inside a water tank in the village.

INCREASE IN CRIME Following this development, crime has also risen uncontrollably in the community while anxiety has gripped the residents. Meanwhile, the alleged killer group members are said to be moving freely, boasting that their ‘godfather’ remains unchallenged in the affairs of the community while their traditional ruler, Igwe Simon Osisi Itodo, as the Chief security officer of the community, groans in agony and total disappointment.

*Late Obinna

*Late Itodo

POLICE AUTOPSY Worse still, bodies of the slain members of the community are said to be lying at an undisclosed mortuary in the state, while police investigation has allegedly been concluded even after the autopsy carried out on the serial killings indicated brutal murder. The autopsy report dated July 9, 2014, which was carried out in the presence of Sani Sunday,(ASP) as investigating police officer (IPO, Inspector Sunday Onah, Abuja and Corporal Paul Evarest, Enugu stated unequivocally that Oforma was well until several injuries resulting from matchete cuts led to heavy loss of blood.

PRESIDENT OF TOWN UNION OPENS UP Speaking to Crime Guard over the ugly development, the President-General of the town union, Chief Arumah Thaddeus,pointed accusing fingers at the government official whom he alleged was the mastermind and sponsor of the killings. ‘’I made observations that both the town union, the neighbourhood watch and Onyishi

PARARELL SECURITY ‘’On the issue of parallel security outfit in the community, someone forced a team of barbarians on us as the elected neighbourhood watch.

Aji had an election and one man (NAME WITHELD) was imposed us as the chairman of the neighbourhood watch. The government official convinced Enugu state ministry for poverty alleviation officials and imposed the team that has failed the community. They dance glaringly to the tune of their master. When it was obvious that the hand was that of Esau and the voice of Jacob, we moved to Enugu state commissioner of police to discus the issue. The commissioner pointed that the traditional ruler is the chief security officer in any community and no body should have parallel security in a community as it would create confusion. ‘’Confusion started developing; these set of barbarians in neighbourhood uniforms were armed.

SEVERAL KILLINGS RECORDED ‘’Since the emergence of the rival neighbourhood watch, there have been several killings. Oforma Itodo was apprehended and hacked to death at the market place, then within two weeks Obinna Onoja was also butchered to death. Just recently, a woman was killed and dumped in a tank. Some people were arrested, later released and still leaving in the community, committing all manner of crime rape, robbery and killing. It is strongly been rumoured that the government official released them after paying large sums of money in Abuja.’’

APEALS TO IGP Appealing to the new InspectorGeneral of Police, Suileman Abba and human right activists to come to their aid members of the community, they alleged also that so many people are disappearing from their area and the long arm of the law should, as a matter of urgency, catch up with the notorious sponsor of ritual killings in Enugu Ezike.

POLICE SPOKESMAN SPEAKS When contacted over recent developments in the area, Police spokesman in the state, DSP Ebere Amarizu, said he had earlier confirmed the killings in the area. ‘’I assure you that as soon as investigations are concluded, we will charge the suspects to court. For now, I am assuring the people of the community that there is no cause for alarm. Nobody, no matter how highly or lowly placed, can influence us,’’ he stated.

C M Y K

48—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

'How Okija shrines kill liars, fraudsters'

BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO

P

rominent indigenes of Okija community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, have risen in defence of the dreaded shrines in the area popularly known as Alusi Okija in Igbo parlance, saying that the shrines do not kill innocent persons, as being portrayed. Chief Edwin Azubuko who spoke on behalf of the community said that the shrines kill only those who are liars, cheats and the fraudulent, particularly those who cheat or defraud their business partners along their business lines or their relations.

Azubuko who spoke in reaction to Crime Guard expose that jobless youths have taken over the management of the shrines, to the extent that they have almost desecrated the shrines, explained that the shrines, particularly the Ogwugwu Akpu

and Ogwugwu Isi Ula stand for truth and nothing but the truth, insisting that it is only God that knows the purity of the hearts or otherwise of the present day priests of the shrines.

He explained that the shrines, as spirits, kill their victims through sickness or accidents.

“The Ulasi shrine which is the head of all the shrines in Okija was relocated from my father’s compound to Nkwo market, Okija about 1,200 years ago because the Nkwo market was considered as a central place for such a big shrine. One Ezenwegbu was the pioneer Chief Priest of the Ulasi shrine and after him, no on else has served or is still serving it up till date, even as the door is still open for any one who is interested in serving it as the chief priest to take up the responsibility.

“When the then InspectorGeneral of Police, IGP, Tafa

Balogun came down to Okija in 2004 and arrested some of the priests of the shrines based on human rights abuse, he advised us to stop displaying corpses in the shrines because it is an eyesaw.

Ever since then, we have decided to be burying those killed by the shrines” On how to identify those killed by the shrines, he said the shrines are spirits and they know who commit atrocities that make them to deserve death. “It is the shrine that will go to the

Chief Edwin Azubuko

bereaved family and inform them that the deceased was killed by the shrine for one atrocity or the other.

Therefore, the shrines are specifically there to defend the defenceless by protecting the honest persons in the society from the aggression of the dishonest persons who go about seeking to cheat, defraud or even to kill the innocent persons.”

Niger Police foil attempt to rob politician N8m campaign funds

BY WOLE MOSADOMI, MINNA

people including their collaborators, will be prosecuted immediately after arrest.

“Political rallies are not meant for thugs. They are meant for the electorate. Politicians who cannot go about without their thugs are warned to desist as we are ready to end thuggery.

P

olice in Niger state have foiled an attempt by a gang of five suspected armed robbers to rob a politician in the state of N8m collected from a commercial Bank in Paiko town, near Minna, the state capital for campaign rallies in parts of the state.

Police sources said the suspected robbers must have gotten vital information relating to the withdrawal of the large sum of money before trailing the politician.

HOW THEY WERE ARRESTED

The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Olusola Amore told Crime Alert in Minna that the five suspects were arrested after a tipoff with pistols, live ammunitions and other dangerous weapons on their way to carry out their mission.

He said the state police command has intensified it’s patrol in all parts of the state and assured residents across the state of safety of their lives and property especially during this festive period.

“We have intensified our patrols in all nooks and crannies of the state with a view to apprehending C M Y K

RALLY STAKEHOLDERS ON ELECTION

Police men on duty those that will want to undermine the security of the state thereby trying to truncate the peace prevailing in the state,” the Commissioner assured.

ALERTS ON INFLUX OF DISPLACED PEOPLE Mr. Amore also alerted people of the state on the influx of those displaced from the troubled northern parts of the country and called on all to be more security conscious by reporting any suspicious movement to the police for immediate action.

NO TO THUGGERY

The Commissioner also warned politicians in the state to do away with political thugs ahead of the 2015 political rallies in order to make rallies crisis- free.

Addressing representatives of all registered political parties in the state at the Police Officers Mess, Minna, the Police boss warned political thugs and other trouble makers to steer clear of all political rallies or be arrested adding that such

During the meeting which was well attended by all the stakeholders including the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr.Emmanuel Onucheyo, sensitive areas that cause friction during party congresses, party primaries, intra-party and inter party conflict, rallies and campaign violence were extensively discussed.

Other sensitive issues discussed are election violence with emphasis on snatching of ballot boxes, post election violence, political parties , security agents and INEC Officials.

Representatives of most of the political parties including security agents like; the Army, NDLEA, Prisons, FRSC, Customs, Civil Defence, Immigration, Fire Service, SSS among others attended.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014 — 49

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acaulay Olumese Iyayi Jnr. is a British trained technology professional. His 10 years stint as media and technology expert with the Frost & Sullivan, global growth consultancy firm engaged in selling research on new technologies to emerging market globally. In this interview, he speaks on how best to tackle career development among universities graduates and youths generally. Excerpts:

What actually is the focus of this partnership?

We partner with the Lagos Business School, Lagos State University, VERITAS University and Afe Babalola University. The primary purpose of partnering with Nigerian Universities is to provide technology tools and content in order to enhance the careers education of their students and connects them to career opportunities. We will be delivering to our University partners, careers educational content, blogs and 10 minutes videos from leading HR experts, and partnering with companies who are seeking to hire Nigerian graduates both here and in the diaspora.

How will this partnership enhance Human Capital Development of Nigerian youths?

We believe that content is key and rich data will be a game-changer for Nigeria’s students and our University partners. For students to enhance their human capital development, 10 Minutes With delivers insightful career educational blogs written by recognised Nigerian Career bloggers, both across our platform and in partnering with Nigerian Social Media. We have a library of over 200+ 10 minute videos from leading global business men and women. This includes

‘Developing Nigerian economy through Career enhancement in Varsities’ Mitchell Elegbe, CEO of Interswitch and panAfrican leadership institutes. This is a career educational content platform for students of our partner Universities. This platform will inspire students to pursue their passion.

This will also provide our partner Universities with a rich set of quantitative and qualitative data, technology tools and metrics, via our reports, to boost their knowledge of career prospects. For example, if 60% list their area of interest in venturing into Agriculture, the careers department or student counsellor can interpret that data to deliver to those students the further support required to pursue a career or set up a business in the Agriculture sector.

Nigeria’s students now have a one stop destination dedicated only to their career aspirations.

Will it have any positive impact on the Nigerian economy?

We are a platform which is focused on delivering inspirational content and technology tools which aim to prevent skills mismatch and contribute to lowering graduate unemployment in Nigeria’s economy. I recognise that skills mismatch is not just a major problem in Nigeria, it applies to developed markets including the USA, where the top 50 companies alone spend over $600 million dollars on college recruiting, yet one out of every two recent graduates is unemployed or underemployed.

Nigeria itself has her own unique challenges, a fast growing youthful working population, of which 65% of this population is under 24 years old. The rate of unemployment within the age group of 20 to 24 years is 40 per cent. We hope that by being a direct link for our much maligned graduates the

Iyayi Jnr

productivity of Nigeria improves. We can experience real sector growth in the SME sector, with over 17 million companies, there is huge potentials for employment generation and wealth creation in the Nigerian economy.

Our vision is to enhance the prospects of Nigeria’s graduates and contribute towards having a large, strong, diversified, sustainable and competitive economy in accordance with Nigeria’s 2020 vision and the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP).

How does it help youths to build a formidable career?

If you are a student, you can use our technology tools and content to build a formidable career.

Feedback from students is remarkably consistent.

First, they don’t feel like they have enough information on the impact on their academic choices and employment prospects. And even when they acquire the right skills and credentials, they don’t have an effective way to display their capabilities.

To build a formidable career in a market-place like Nigeria, where only 40,000 out of 400,000 are hired per annum, they need best support to help them to stand out in the crowd.

Apart from students, we need to bring Nigeria’s private sector and government closer together, to address the imbalance in skill acquisition.

Also, it requires world class technology that allows a generation of Nigerian graduates — who are light on work experience but maybe more heavy on life experience and academic achievements — to distinguish their talents.

Centre for Transparency in Nigeria honours Sir Lucky Omoluwa Chairman of Pinnacle Communications Limited, Sir Lucky Omoluwa, who was recently honoured by the United States Congress with the Business Titan award in Washington D. C, USA, has added another feather to his cap.

This time, he was given the Good Governance and Integrity Award by the Centre for Transparency in Nigeria, at Reiz Continental Hotel, Abuja.

The organizers said, this is in recognition of his landmark achievement as an apostle of corruption free society and transparency leadership style.

The Director General of the Centre for Transparency in Nigeria, CTN, Barrister E. A Ogbeide, said the event was to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the CTN and recognize distinguished Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in their chosen careers. He said that the award will encourage Sir Omoluwa to do more.

SATURDAY

Gowon lauds NNPC over revenue generating role

F

ormer Head of State General Yakubu Gowon has commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for living up to expectation.

The elder statesman who recently turned 80 spoke over the weekend in Abuja at an event organized in his honour to induct him into the Living Legends Hall of Fame explained that the Nigerian National Oil Company (as the Corporation was known at inception) was established by his administration after the civil war to help generate revenue for the government from the oil and gas sector.

“Certainly, the NNPC has done very well and it should be appreciated as the leading organization that generates most of the money for the government,” General Gowon stated.

He expressed gratitude to NNPC for sponsoring what he described as a “memorable event in which professional artists from the Universities and other tertiary institutions in the country were invited to carry out live drawing of my portrait as a Living Legend.”

Also speaking at the event, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Joseph Dawha, described General Gowon as a visionary leader under whose administration the Corporation was founded.

“NNPC is very proud to be part of this important event to celebrate one of its founding fathers, General Yakubu Gowon

Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014—51

as a Living Legend,” Dr. Dawha said.

The GMD who was represented by the Group Executive Director, Business Development Directorate of NNPC, Dr. Attahir Baba Yusuf, stated that the sponsorship of the event was in line with the Corporation’s philosophy as

expressed in its payoff line: “We Touch Your Lives in Many Positive Ways”.

In his remarks, the Coordinator of the Living Legends Project, Mr Olu Ajayi, stated that to qualify as a Living Legend, one must have maintained a track record for 40

years.

He explained that the Living Legend Project which was established in 2008 is an innovative initiative to document, preserve, promote and celebrate distinguished personalities that have exhibited exemplary character and contributed positively to humanity.

Mr Ajayi stated that the documentation in painting of the immortal deeds and accomplishments of icons is expected to inspire the younger generation of Nigerians to emulate their great deeds as well as to re-awaken their sense of national consciousness and patriotism.

With his formal induction into the Living Legend Hall of Fame, General Gowon has joined the likes of the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba Erediauwa 1, Professor John Pepper R-L: Group Executive Director, Business Development Directorate, Dr. Attahir Yusuf; Group Clark, Professor Wole Executive Director, Corporate Services, Dr. Dan Efebo; former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon; and Prof J. P. Clarke, admiring a portrait of General Gowon during his induction into Soyinka, Dr Bruce the Living Legends Hall of Fame at an event sponsored by NNPC to mark the elder statesman Onobrakpeya and Dr 80th birthday recently Yusuf Grillo.

Petroleum minister reiterates FG’s commitment to Local Content Drive ...Unveils GE’s Billion-Dollar Investment in Nigeria The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani AlisonMadueke, has restated the Federal Government’s commitment to the full implementation of the local content policy as enshrined in the Nigerian Content Development Act. The Minister stated this at a ceremony held in her office yesterday to mark the unveiling and formal signing of the contract for the construction of General Electric’s Multi Modal Manufacturing and Service Facility in Calabar, Cross Rivers State.

Going down memory lane on how the project was conceptualize, Mrs. Alison-Madueke explained that the facility was conceived in 2013 as a manufacturing and assembly plant for machines and equipment to service the oil and gas and the power sectors to promote local production and generate employment opportunities in keeping with the vision of the local content policy.

She disclosed that the signing of the contract for the project was significant because it is represents a promise kept on the part of GE; a proof that Government is truly attracting credible foreign direct investment by creating the enabling environment for genuine investors;

and a proof of government’s commitment to job creation as the project is billed to create at least 2,300 direct and indirect jobs.

While commending the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board for working tirelessly to ensure inflow of investment such as the GE’s manufacturing plant, she, however, warned that the Federal Government will not hesitate to wield the big stick to ensure compliance with local content laws.

“The real work has only just started. While I have no doubt that GE will keep its word, I enjoin NCDMB to closely ensure that after completion of this project, the laws of the land are followed strictly with regard to local content,” she stated.

She commended GE for its commitment to the success of the project by choosing Julius Berger for the construction work, adding that the real milestone would be when President Goodluck Jonathan would be invited to commission the project.

Speaking on the importance of the project to GE, Vice Chairman GE Global, Mr John Rice, said his company was committed to the project and would not allow the recent drop in oil price deter it.

L-R: Vice Chairman, GE Global, Mr John Rice and Managing Director, GE Nigeria, Mr Lazarus Angbazo, presenting copies of the contract papers signed with Julius Berger for the construction of its Multi Modal Manufacturing and Service Facility in Calabar to the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, after the unveiling of the project “We are aware that government is taking necessary action to deal with the situation. We are still investors, we are a long term investor and our commitment to follow through on this does not change one bit,” the GE boss said.

According to the timelines of the

project shared by GE and Julius Berger’s officials, construction will commence in January 2015 and production in the facility is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2016, while the project will be fully completed in the second quarter of 2017.

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Fans kill player in Argentina Franco Nieto, 33, captain of the lower league team Tiro Federal, died after leaving the stadium.

Photograph: Videograb

Man U dream again

•Nieto

A

N Argentinian player has died after being beaten with a brick by rival fans.

Franco Nieto, 33, captain of the lower league team Tiro Federal, died after being attacked on leaving San Francisco Stadium in Aimogasta in northwest Argentina.

He was taken to hospital in La Rioja city where he subsequently died.

His nephew Pablo said: “People came to insult him. They kicked him and

punched him. He tried to defend himself but he was struck violently in the head.

He was operated on Tuesday and died today.”

The match against Chacarita Juniors had been abandoned 15 minutes from time following a mass fight with eight players sent off . Tiro Federal were winning 3-1 at the time.

Police said that “two men had been arrested. Both of them are at the police department, waiting for the court’s decision.”

•Wayne Rooney celebrates with Man Utd teammates.

F

OUR wins in a row have lifted Manchester United into the Premier League’s top four and Louis van Gaal’s managerial reign is beginning to bear fruit after a difficult start.

Although home victories over Crystal Palace, Hull City and Stoke City would not normally set pulses racing at Old Trafford, the gutsy win at Arsenal showed signs of the fierce team spirit that underpinned Alex Ferguson’s glittering reign at the club.

Van Gaal has overcome a spate of injuries that have forced him to field a patched-up defence in almost every match and United’s resurgence has been epitomised by the form of the muchmaligned Marouane Fellaini and Ashley Young.

Fellaini, signed by former manager David Moyes and seen as a symbol of his unhappy

spell at the club, has been a stalwart in Van Gaal’s midfield, using his physical attributes to great effect at both ends of the pitch.

He struck a spectacular goal at West Bromwich Albion, his first for United, and his far-post header opened the scoring against Stoke.

“It’s good for the confidence to score the goal,” he told reporters.

“It was a great cross as well and it was a great combination, so it’s good. I feel a little bit tired as I start to play every game so I feel the fatigue but I have to rest and work hard again.

“We know each other a lot better and we know the manager and the staff,” Fellaini added.

“We know the philosophy of the manager. We are training hard as well so we have to continue like that. It is good to

win four games in a row. We have to continue like that.”

Young, a peripheral

figure under Moyes, has also flourished in an unfamiliar left back role.

2015 AFCON: Ghana to attack Algeria, Bafana A

VRAM Grant says he wants to return the Black Stars to the height of attacking football as part of his coaching philosophy.

The former Chelsea boss assumed reigns as the new coach of the Black Stars on Monday having signed a 27-month contract with the Ghana FA. Grant’s appointment comes in the wake of heated criticism of the team following the side’s dismal showing at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The Black Stars’ play have in recent years been mainly built around a solid defensive unit under previous coaches – especially during the time of the Serbians.

But the 59-year-old says he wants to revive the full attacking flare Ghana is noted for without losing sight of the need to have a strong rear.

“I believe in good football and that means to have players with good technique,” he said.

“But then you need a balance between attack and defence.

“You need the quality and of course the quality is here.

“My philosophy is first attacking and after that, everybody needs to do his job [defensively].”

Grant becomes the substantive replacement of Kwesi Appiah who was fired back in September.

His immediate task will be to lead Ghana to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations where he is expected to ‘do well’.

•Gyan

SATURDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 6, 2014—63

NSC affirms Pinnick’s victory T

Celtic chase Kayode C

ELTIC are looking into the possibility of bringing Nigerian striker Olarenwaju Kayode to Celtic Park, according to reports.

The 21-year old currently stars for Israeli club Maccabi Netanya where he netted ten times last season before making his loan move from ASEC Mimosas permanent in the summer.

It is understood Celtic had him watched in a match against Maccabi Haifa this week, where Kayode’s side were comprehensibly beaten 4-0.

Manager Ronny Deila is keeping his options open with regards to the January transfer window, and may look to bolster his striking corps despite securing Stefan Scepovic and John Guidetti on transfer deadline day.

While the latter has thrived since arriving, the former has struggled and recently fell behind the previously marginalised Leigh Griffiths in the Celtic

Park pecking order.

Kayode fits Celtic’s ‘buy low, sell high’, prospect hungry signing policy, and though he doesn’t possess the pedigree of a Guidetti, for example, he has represented Nigeria at various youth levels and is close to a breakthrough into the senior national team squad.

In addition, the player ’s agent is Dudu Dahan who, in the past, helped broker the deals which brought Efe Ambrose, Nir Biton, Rami Gershon and Beram Kayal to the Glasgow giants.

Celtic do face competition from Standard Liege. The Belgian giants secured the signing of Tony Watt from Parkhead in the summer but have struggled for form so far this season, currently sitting in eighth place in the Pro League. They are hoping to add Kayode in a bid to launch themselves up the league table.

In a statement released yesterday by the Special Assistant to the Minister of Sports, Patrick Omorodion, the Director General of the NSC, Gbenga Elegbeleye said that “ we have noted the conflicting reports of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF,

•Continues fromBP •Kayode

NFF: No fresh elections M

EMBERS of the NFF Congress have stated that it would not be involved in any fresh elections into the Executive Committee of Nigeria Football

Federation.

Sir Ephraim C. Chukwuemeka, the Chairman of the Abia State Football Association spoke against the background of a recommendation by Barr. Okey Ajunwa for by-elections into some NFF Executive Committee positions.

“The NFF Congress was appropriately convoked in Warri, Delta State on Tuesday, 30th

September, 2014 and we conducted one of the fairest elections ever seen or possible. The Congress gave Mr. Amaju Pinnick and other members of the NFF Board a four –year tenure.

“As far as we are concerned, the next time the Congress will be convoked for elections into NFF Executive Committee is in four years’ time.”

Aluko

•Continues fromBP

•Siasia

attention to them now, we hope they

Appeals Committee on the cases brought before it by some contestants of the September 30,2014 election of the football body held in Warri, Delta State.

“However, the NSC will accept the majority decision of the Appeals Committee which threw out the petitions against the election and upheld the election of Amaju Pinnick and other members of the NFF Board.

“The NSC will accept the majority decision of the Appeals Committee because it is the civilized judicial norm and we must not be seen to apply it the other way round with a minority report holding sway,” added Elegbeleye, who urged all stakeholders to support the Board in its bid to reposition football in the country.

Mourinho

Dream Team our focus — NFF E XECUTIVE com mittee member of the Nigeria Football Federation, Emeka Inyama has urged Nigerians to put behind them the disappointment of not qualifying for the Equatorial Guinea 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, and focus on the national U-23 team, the Dream Team.

“I think Nigerians should focus now on the U23, the U20, the U17, and the Falcons because this teams all have very important competitions coming up soon,” Inyama said “I understand the disappointment felt with the Super Eagles not qualifying for the AFCON but we should now show support to the other teams.

“The U23 are the closest to the Super Eagles and they are having their screening exercise and I think we should pay more

HE National Sports Commission (NSC) has said that it was sticking with the majority report of the NFF Appeals Committee on the September 30 elections, which produced Amaju Pinnick as the President of the NFF.

can build the future Super Eagles for us.”

With Hull manager Steve Bruce hopeful that fans will soon be able to see the real Aluko make his mark on the Premier League, the onus is now on the latter, who scored a brace in the 2-2 African Cup of Nations qualifier with Bafana Bafana last month to forget about brotherly love and see off the visitors.

Speaking at the prematch briefing, Bruce said he was likely to hand Aluko a second Premier League start of the season today.

“When I first arrived a couple of years ago he was the outstanding player in the Championship.

Unfortunately he damaged his Achilles so badly he missed all the rest of that season and even last year was stopstart.

“In my experience

when you’ve had serious injuries and been out for a year, it can take you as long again to be really, really back to being that comfortable.

That especially goes if you play like Sone, who is all about twisting and turning and moving.

“But I’m delighted because he’s worked extremely hard and stuck at it. I pulled him aside before the Everton game and said he was very unlucky not to start because he did very well as a sub at Old Trafford, which is a good sign.

“I know he’s looking forward to the challenge of playing week-in, week-out in the Premier League because he’s been blighted by injury.

Let’s just hope he has a bit of luck because he is a very talented player.

“He’s one you enjoy watching because he’s a bit different.”

match.

“The [only] record I want is to win the Premier League three times with this club.”

St James’ Park has not been a happy hunting ground for Mourinho, who has never won there in the league - a record he hopes to change on Saturday.

“We are ready for tomorrow,” he added.

“It’s a difficult stadium to play in, there are a few stadiums where clearly when they see Chelsea they play the game of their lives, when they play others they look like they are playing friendlies.

“Maybe that is because Chelsea have become a strong team that everyone wants to beat them.”

Martins •Continues fromBP The Nigerian forward, who scooped more than half the votes, got the award for his Week 11 chipped effort from close to the touchline that he managed to loft over San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper, Jon Busch, and into the far corner.

Martins, who currently plays club football in the United States with Seattle Sounders, has been overlooked for the past 18 months; a development that could have contributed to his decision to quit national team football.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 6, 2014

TODAY’S FIXTURES EPL Newcastle v Chelsea 1:45pm Hull v West Brom 4pm Liverpool v Sunderland 4pm QPR v

Burnley 4pm

Stoke v Arsenal 4pm Tottenham v Crystal Palace 4pm Man City v Everton 6:30pm

EPL Table Team Chelsea Man City S’ampton Man United West Ham Arsenal Swansea Liverpool Newcastle Tottenham Everton Aston Villa Stoke City Sunderland Crystal P. West Brom Hull City Burnley FC QPR Leicester

GP 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14

W 11 9 8 7 7 6 6 6 5 6 4 4 4 2 3 3 2 2 3 2

D 3 3 2 4 3 5 4 2 5 2 6 4 3 8 4 4 6 6 2 4

L 0 2 4 3 4 3 4 6 4 6 4 6 7 4 7 7 6 6 9 8

GF 33 31 24 24 23 22 19 19 15 18 24 8 14 13 18 14 15 10 14 14

GA 11 14 10 16 17 15 14 19 17 21 22 18 18 23 23 20 21 22 27 24

GD 22 17 14 8 6 7 5 0 -2 -3 2 -10 -4 -10 -5 -6 -6 -12 -13 -10

PTS 36 30 26 25 24 23 22 20 20 20 18 16 15 14 13 13 12 12 11 10

Martins wins MLS goal of the year

•Aluko

•Anichebe

Aluko confronts Anichebe in relegation battle T

HERE will be no brotherly love between Sune Aluko on one side and Victor Anichebe and Brown Ideye at the other end, when their sides face off in today ’s Premier League dogfight at the KC Stadium.

West Brom, parading Anichebe and Ideye are 16th in the table, two points above the relegation zone, having won just one of their last nine games, while Hull City are 17 th on the log, with 12 points.

•Continued on page 63

Mourinho: Newcastle will fall

C

HELSEA manager Jose Mourinho is focusing solely on defeating Newcastle United today and not on setting a new club record.

“I am not looking for records, I am looking for points,” he said.

“Victories and points, and if possible titles.

“I am not worried with

•Mourinho them [records], I just want to win the next •Continued on page 63

CROSS WORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1)Kogi State Governor, Mr. Idris – (4) 3)L.G.A in Delta State (8) 7)Zambia Capital City (6) 10)Board Game (4) 11)Eye Part (4) 12)Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo – (3) 13)Egyptian God (4) 15)Former Super Eagles Coach, Augustine – (8) 18)L.G.A in Jigawa State 20)Flying Eagles (U-20) Striker, Daniel – (4) 22)Ondo State Speaker, House of Representatives, Mrs Jumoke – (9) 25)Germany Winger & Borussia Dortmund Forward, Marco – (4) 26)Young Goat (3) 27)Anambra State Capital (4) 29)Chairman, Chapel Hill Denham Group, Chief Olawale – (4) 30)Ogun State Governor, Mr. Ibikunle – (6) 32)Morocco “Carthage Eagles”Defensive Midfielder, Karim – (2,6) 33)Traditional Ruler of Ife (4)

DOWN 1)England and Arsenal Midfielder, Jack – (8) 2)L.G.A in Abia State (3) 3)President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed – (4) 4)Finland Capital City (8) 5)Former Nigerian President, Rtd. Major-General Aguiyi – (6) 6)Notion (4) 8)L.G.A in Kaduna State (4) 9)Ukraine Capital City (4) 14)Muslim Cleric (4) 16)Land Measure Unit (4) 17)Group Managing Director, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Mr. Bisi – (8) 19)Secretary-General, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Alayaki – (8) 21)Super Falcons Striker, Francisca – (6) 23)Nasarawa United Striker, John – (4) 24)Shooting Stars Defender, Chima – (4) 26)Former Niger State Governor, Abdullahi – (4) 28)Japanese Word for “Crab”?

(4) 31)State in Nigeria (3)

•Martins BAFEMI Martins has scooped the goal of the year award in the United States Major League Soccer, MLS,

O

same day he was announcing his retirement from international football.

•Continued on page 63

SOLUTION on page16

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