N32bn bribe scandal: You L

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Gas emission: How we escaped death — Student

By MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO

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ISS Omolade Ogungbamigbe, one of the 13 students of Ogba Junior Grammar School, Ojodu Local Council Development Area, LCDA, yesterday recounted how she and her mates escaped death after they inhaled poisonous fumes in their school.

The parents of the 13 pupils however asked the state government to conduct a thorough investigation to detect the source of the emission and to forestall future discharge of the poisonous fumes.

This came barely 24 hours after the anxiety among the parents and guardians of the 13 students of the school, who collapsed after inhaling an unidentified poisonous fumes discharged from one of the cottage factories in Ogba Shopping Arcade.

Speaking to Saturday Vanguard, Ogungbamigbe, a JSS 2 student said the emission was discharged 30 minutes after their lunch break.

Explaining how her friends cheated death, Omolade said: “It was one of the students in JSS 2 who first inhaled the poisonous fume. Few minutes after he complained about the fume, it had enveloped the classroom block. First, we all thought the fume was from a canister because the Area G police command was few meters away from our school.

“While we all gathered at the ground floor of the building waiting for the fume to subside, one of the students in JSS 2A, identified as Lateefat collapsed. Few seconds later, other students began to follow suit; that was when we all raised the alarm.

“While others slumped, I didn’t but I had breathing difficulty and began to experience stomach ache,” she added.

Omolade said that she woke up to find herself being fanned by some people before she was rushed to the hospital for medical attention.

According to her, “I didn’t know when I slumped. But the last thing I remembered was the few minutes I spent at the Caterpillar Bus Stop, Ogba, while waiting for bus.”

She added, “My friend told me that I fainted at

the Bus Stop. It was my friends who hired a taxi that took me to the hospital.”

Another victim who simply identified herself as Adefisayo , said, “I was playing during the break. I perceived some odour I could not comprehend. I developed stomach ache and I suddenly fell and I woke up to find myself in the hospital.”

Aside Omolade who was discharged at the early hours of yesterday, others were still hospitalized.

Some of the students still hospitalized were:

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S part of prepara tions for his hand over of power to the incoming administration in Anambra State on March 17, 2014, Governor Peter Obi will today in Awka present his score card for his eight years in office.

Termed “End of Tenure Report” to the people of Anambra State, the ceremony will take place at the Women Development Center in Awka.

The event, which will be on a live broadcast on

how they responded to treatment.

Speaking to Saturday Mr. Vanguard, Oladokun, father of Zubaidat Oladokun, said, “What the officials told me was that they cannot discharge the students now until Monday after they would have completed the necessary medical tests on the patients.”

He lamented that the result of the last emission which affected 25 students of the school was yet to be released by the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA, in the incident that nearly claimed the lives of the pupils.

Oladokun said, “some

of the pupils who were affected by the chemical emission last year were also affected and are in still in critical condition following another emission from the same complex located beside the school premises.

Mrs. Folashade Alhassan lamented, “The recurrent incident is becoming worrisome. The incident happened almost the same time last year. The chemical reacts easily on our children. If this continues, it may damage something in their body. Governor Fashola must come to our aid. Why would the school expose our children to dangerous chemicals almost every time?”

Police raise alarm over spate of rape of minors

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•Itsekiri protesting exclusion from Confab delegates lists in Warri yesterday. Photo: Akpokona Omafuaire

Lagos to Bucknor-Akerele: We ‘ve paid all your entitlements

By MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO AGOS State govern ment yesterday described ‘as false’ the allegation by the former Deputy Governor, Mrs. Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele that her entitlements were still being withheld by the state gov-

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ernment, saying “she has been fully paid.”

Bucknor-Akerele had on February 28, this year alleged that the state government had never paid her entitlement since her resignation from office as deputy Governor.

Debunking the allegation from the former dep-

Obi to give his 8-yr score card today

BY VINCENT UJUMADU, Awka

Tijani Mariam, Subaidat Oladokun, Adebiyi Taiwo, Muiz Rodiat, Onaigbe Blessing, Karimat Akiode, Rasak Gbolahan, Modupe Idowu, Titilope Idimu, Alhassan Salamot and Yusuf Salamot.

When Saturday Vanguard visited the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja, sources said that doctors were still conducting series of tests on the students to determine their health status.

They added that the students maybe released on Monday. But that would be determined by

Silverbird and AIT television from 10.30am, will be chaired by Chief Emeka Anyaoku as other Nigerians from all walks of life are expected to grace the occasion.

A statement made available to reporters yesterday by the chairman of the Anambra State Elders Council, Dr Dozie Ikedife, said the event was organized by the Council to enable the outgoing governor render an account of his stewardship to the people who elected him into office.

The statement said: “To-

day ’s event will offer him, the governor, the opportunity to answer to his real masters, clarify his approach to governance, his developmental priorities and the overall impact of his tenure.

“It will also offer him the chance to talk about some critical decisions he took as the governor and the reasons that informed them. We also want to place it on record that this is yet another noble precedent being set by Mr Obi. He is telling every public office holder that there will always be a day of reckoning.”

uty Governor, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Aderemi Ibirogba described the allegation as incorrect and misleading.

According to him, “All the pension entitlements due to Mrs. Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele have been fully paid and are being met as and when due on a monthly basis.

“One Toyota Prado Jeep and one Pickup truck were recently delivered to the former Deputy Governor as part of her entitlement”.

He, however, pointed out that the area of contention with the former Deputy Governor was her insistence on the monetization of services rendered by personal staff employed by her, among other demands.

“The Deputy Governor’s demand for another set of vehicles as backup and replacement of all the vehicles every three years, notwithstanding the current means of Government, was unacceptable,” Ibirogba said.

HE Police in Borno yesterday alerted residents on the increasing rate of rape and other sexual abuses of minors in the State.

This is contained in a statement issued by the spokesman for the command, DSP Gideon Jubrin in Maiduguri.

“The command wishes to bring to the attention of the general public the activities of some individuals who engage in luring or seducing minors.

“This command has received reports of criminal activities of some people,

who lure minors into homosexuality, rape and other related offences”, it said.

It said that five persons have been arrested and that all cases would be charged to court at the end of ongoing investigations. It called on parents and guardians to keep an eagle eye on the activities of their children and wards.

The statement appealed to citizens to report any suspicious activities in their neighbourhood for immediate action by the security agencies.

APC in early sign of weakness in Delta

BY GAB EJUWA

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HERE are strong indications from its recent membership registration that the All Progressive Congress, APC, is heading towards failure in Delta State.

Records obtained from APC operatives across Delta state show that the party registered a paltry total of 139,982 members.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that the breakdown of the registration figures per senatorial district revealed that Delta North has 38,476 members, Delta Central, 42,646 and Delta South, 53,860, which is abysmally poor and puts the party in a very weak position given that the 2006 census put the population of the state at 4,056,410 while the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) 2011 r e g i s t r a t i o n of voters put the voting strength of the State above one million votes.

Going by these figures,

APC captured just about 10 percent of the voting population and less than 4 percent of the population of the state.

The weakness and failure of the party becomes even clearer with the membership strength of the PDP and the emerging DPP-Labour Party alliance estimated at about 600,000 and 550,000 respectively.

Internal wrangling in the party made some of its members believe that the interim leadership of the party failed to market it very well to the grassroots.

Others believe the failure of the interim national leadership to convince Chief Great Ogboru who is undoubtedly Delta’s most prominent and respected opposition leader is its greatest undoing in the state.

Ogboru’s huge grassroots political machinery believes the APC is supported by Chief James Ibori whom they have irreconcilable political and moral differences with.

6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

Alakio killings: Commission submits report •Says: Over 500 killed in Nasarawa crises

BY ABEL DANIEL

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HE long awaited report of the judicial commission of inquiry into the killings of the Nigerian security forces at Alakio village of Lafia local government area and other matters connected therewith have been submitted to Governor Tanko Umaru Almakura by the commission at Government House in Lafia yesterday.

Presenting the six volume report to the governor, Justice Joseph Fola Gbadeyan(rtd) said the seven-man commission which he served as the chairman was inaugurated on the 26th of June 2013 with an 8-point term of reference and in pursuant of their assignment invited and received 22 diverse memoranda from individuals, groups and communities as well as security agents based on the term of reference. Gbadeyan however

revealed that out of the 22 memoranda received, read and defended by the persons concerned, seven out of the 22 were read by the secretary of the commission on behalf of some affected Eggon communities who voluntarily withdrew from the commission on the 30th and 31st of July.

According to Gbadeyan, “over 534 persons including members of the Nigerian police and the Department of State Security Service were killed in the crises with 40 persons sustaining various injuries in the crises, with properties worth 3.5million naira destroyed”.

The chairman of the commission further revealed that 65 exhibits were tendered by individuals and groups and were admitted by the commission as the commission could not undertake visit to some critical areas of assignment for security reasons.

Responding, governor Almakura thanked the commission for the huge assignments and assured that his government will ensure that all the relevant recommendations as contained in the report shall be judiciously implemented so as to enhance the peaceful and harmonious co-existence of the over 30 ethnic communities in the state.

From left: Minister of State for Power Hon. Wakili Mohammed, Chairman of the event and Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam discussing with Chairman National Council on Privatisation, Atedo Peterside at Financial Bid Opening for NDPHC Generation Companies held in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.

Fulani herdsmen sack communities in Benue

BY PETER DURU

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HERE was pandemonium yesterday in Makurdi, the Benue state capital as irate youths made bonfire in major roads and streets in the north bank area of the town in protest of an attack on

Daudu town, by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

The invasion of Daudu and Yelwata which is less than ten kilometers from Makudi town led to a massive movement of people fleeing the besieged communities into Makurdi town.

The development also created a huge gridlock on the ever busy MakurdiLafia road as most motorists were unable to ply the road due to the heavy human traffic. Saturday Vanguard gathered from one of the fleeing women who gave her name as Mrs. Hembadon Terso, that suspected Fulani mercenaries stormed their towns as early as 9am and started shooting sporadically. ”We heard few days ago that our town

may be attacked this morning and we did not take the rumour seriously, but to our surprise, there were heavy gun shots all over the town and the surrounding villages and we all started running. ”As I speak to you, so many people are trapped there,. I have not seen my husband who went to the farm this morning. ”Though we do not have where to go, we are running to Makurdi town where we think should be safer for us.”

Another resident of North Bank area of the town and former special assistant to the immediate past governor of the state, Mr. Emeka Anyaogu, told Saturday Vanguard that “ we saw lots of people fleeing Daudu and

Yelwata to Makurdi this morning. ”The development created panic amongst the residents. Parents hurriedly picked their children and wards from schools while most shops at the North Bank market were closed down. But there is a large presence of soldiers in North Bank at the moment to forestal any break down of law and order.”

When contacted, Police Public RelationsOfficer, PPRO, Deputy Suprentendent, DSP Daniel Ezeala said the command was aware of the development. He added that security personnel had been drafted to the affected communities.

IMF predicts 7.3% economic growth, lower inflation for Nigeria

By YINKA KOLAWOLE, with agency report

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HE International Monetary Fund, IMF, has predicted a 7.3 percent economic growth for Nigeria in 2014, up from 6.4 percent in 2013, with inflation to continue on downward trend.

IMF said the accelerated economic growth, which reflects , a more optimistic outlook than the 6.75 growth projected by Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, would be driven by sectors outside its dominant energy industry.

The forecast puts inflation ending the year at 7 percent, down from 7.9 percent at the end of 2013,

continuing a two-year downward trend supported by tight monetary policy.

“Economic growth is expected to improve further in 2014, driven by agriculture, trade, and services. Inflation should continue to decline, with lower food prices from higher rice and wheat production and supported by a tight monetary policy and a budget execution that maintains medium-term consolidation objectives,” the IMF said in a report following consultations with government officials.

The IMF said there were risks to its projections, including the uncertain pace of the global recovery, lower oil prices and production, slow implementation of reforms and the continuation of a

bloody Islamist insurgency in the north. It also cautioned against draining fiscal buffers. “Policies should focus on rebuilding external and fiscal buffers, avoiding spending pressures from the political cycle, strengthening the transparency and governance of the oil sector,” the report stated.

Forex reserves have also fallen, to a 19-month low of $40 billion, and the naira, which had been stable, is under pressure from the emerging market asset selloff and since Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Lamido Sanusi was suspended last month, hitting investor confidence.

Reserves remain at a relatively comfortable 5.6 months of imports, the IMF noted.

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014 — 7

Falae, Shonibare, others re-launch SDP

•Unveil programmes •Condemn defecting politicians

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HE born-again Social Democratic Party (SDP) unveiled its programmes yesterday in Abuja, putting the blame for the country’s woes squarely on the shoulders of public officers.

SDP National Chairman, Chief Olu Falae, who publicly announced the party’s manifesto, condemned the recent spate of crosscarpeting that had seen prominent politicians defecting across party lines into new parties.

Speaking at the party’s first National Media conference, which held at its National Secretariat, Falae said the revived organisation had zero tolerance for corruption, and warned politicians with such tendencies to steer clear of the group.

Present at the presentation ceremony were: Senator Ebenezer Ikeyina; Chief Supo Shonibare (party stakeholder Chairman of Afenifere in Lagos State); Alhaji Lawal Kasim Funtua (National Financial Secretary); and Hajiya Maryam Maggie Batubo (National Women’s Leader).

Others were: Dr. Sadiq Umar Abubakar (National Secretary); Chief Eze Clarkson Nnamdi (Treasurer); Chief Kayode Duyile (Chairman Ondo State SDP); Dr. Abdul Ahmed Isiaq (Publicity Secretary) and several others from across the country.

Extolling the leadership qualities that enamoured him to the Falae-led party, Senator Ikeyina said he had been part of the party’s first coming in 1992 and a keynote personality in the fight for June 12, the 1993 presidential polls won by the then party’s flagbearer, Chief M.K.O. Abiola.

“I am here because I know Falae very well.

What has happened elsewhere is that people have not been working.

They want to chop, chop and chop. But we are here because we want to work,” Senator Ikeyina said.

“What are you leaving for your children –a government like this?”

He lamented the decay in virtually all sectors of the Nigerian society, including education, a fact that had forced many Nigerians to send their children abroad for schooling.

Condemning the violent nature of the insurgent group, Boko Haram, Falae said: “The barbarity which Boko Haram is perpetrating in the north-eastern zone of Nigeria is an evil which this nation must not tolerate any further. The recent mass murder of innocent school children in several schools is the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

Government must mobilize all resources at its command to wipe out this evil.

“If, as it is being suggested in the media, these murders have bases in neighbouring countries to which they return after doing violence in Nigeria, government must avail itself of the right of hot pursuit, so that they can chase these criminals to their foreign outposts and destroy them. Our children are our future, we must not allow Boko

Haram to wipe out that future.”

According to Falae, SDP returned to the political scene in order to bring sanity to the way politics is practised.

In his own words: “To those who have become disenchanted with politics and politicians, especially those who have retired prematurely because they could no longer tolerate the immorality and

indecency going on in the polity, I say to you, you now have a chance to return to politics of principle and service where no godfathers will impose their friends, business partners or family members on the party and where internal democracy and respect for the individual prevails.

“The SDP on account of its universally acknowledged ideology of Social democracy and of its track record in Nigeria when it was the ruling party between 1990 and 1992 possesses all the

credentials to lead the nation out of the prevailing fears, poverty and corruption. Our leadership is composed of tried and tested social democrats who in their various careers, either as professionals, elected public officers or career officials have distinguished themselves and demonstrated in the public domain integrity, decency, consistency patriotism and u n q u e s t i o n e d commitment to the nation and people of Nigeria.”

The party urged Nigerian youths to seize

Social Democratic Party Chairman, Chief Olu Falae( m) displaying the party symbol while the National Secretary, Dr. Sadiq Abubakar (2nd right); Third Republic Senator, Ebenezer Ikeyina (2-r); Party Leader, Chief Supo Sonibare (l) and the National Women Leader, Maggie Batubo watching during the public presentation of the SDP party symbol, manifesto, constitution and flag at the party headquarters, Durumi, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida.

the future in their hands, by forming cells of the party.

“To the youths, we say you are no longer powerless. Get together and form SDP clubs everywhere; in your polytechnics, colleges of education, universities, factories, markets, farms and villages. Take your future into your own hands and register yourselves and your SDP clubs with our interactive w e b s i t e , www.sdp.org.ng.”

Pinning the party ’s ideology on social democracy, the Chairman said, SDP made its first appearance in Nigeria in 1989 and quickly became the dominant party of that time.

He recalled that the party had made commanding comfortable majorities in the chambers of the National Assembly and Houses of Assembly of the 30 states then in existence.

“Social Democracy, the political philosophy of our party is a universal philosophy which has been embraced by people oriented political parties across the world for more than a century”.

Confab: Itsekiri protest exclusion from delegates’ list

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

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HE Itsekiri nation trooped out in protest yesterday in Warri expressing disgust at exclusion from the listed delegates to partake in the National Dialogue being instituted by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Some of the placards read, “Itsekiris are the economic backbone of Nigeria”, Confab without Itsekiri meaningless, unacceptable”, “Our Elders, Chiefs, representatives, please explain to us”, and “Itsekiris are Nigerians.”

The protesters, predominantly, youths, matched with placards around the palace of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse II, demanding why no Itsekiri was listed in the delegates list made public yesterday.

Esimaje Awani, one of the

spokesmen for the protesters said, “Apart from the fact that Itsekiri nation’s existence pre-dates that of the nation of Nigeria, our land is the economic backbone of the country

because of what we contribute to the national treasury through oil and gas. ”Aside that, we have several highly informed persons to speak for us. We

cannot comprehend our disgraceful exclusion from a national dialogue meant to discuss the way forward for Nigeria. We are therefore in protest asking our leaders to explain why

we are being excluded.”

Efejuku Tunukan, Welfare Officer, Itsekiri National Youth Council, said, “we are very angry. We are wondering if this country belongs to all of us “.

Anambra shuts down babies’ home over alleged child trafficking

BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO

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NAMBRA State Min istry of Women Affairs has closed down Umunna Street Motherless Babies’ Home, Onitsha in Onitsha South Local Government Area of the state for alleged involvement in the use of the home as transit point for child trafficking.

The Director of Child Development in the state Ministry of Women Affairs, Mr Emeka Ejide, told newsmen at the Home, while vacating about 14

motherless children from the home to Red Cross Motherless Babies Home also in Onitsha that the ministry would equally come back with the Department of Security Services, DSS to padlock and seal the home completely till further notice.

Ejide noted that the shut-down of the home was in line with section 190 of the Child Rights Law of Anambra state, adding that the ministry was also acting on a recent press briefing by the Anambra state Commissioner of Po-

lice who disclosed that some suspected managers of the home, who got involved in child trafficking had been arrested and paraded before the press in the state, following the interception of some human traffickers by the police in the state.

According to Ejide, “today, Onitsha South Community Children Home, formerly known as Onitsha South Motherless Babies Home is being shut down and this follows cases of using the home for other purposes not essentially the main purpose it was creat-

ed for. And if you heard the news, the commissioner of police had a briefing with the press last Thursday in Awka, and he paraded the managers of the home”.

8 — SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

Boko Haram: Court denies Kogi varsity lecturer, 2 others bail

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI, Abuja

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HE Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, denied bail to Dr. Mohammed Nazeef Yunus, a lecturer at the Kogi State University, accused of being the spiritual leader of a Boko Haram cell situated at Igala land in Kogi State.

The accused lecturer who had been in the custody of the Directorate of State Service, DSS, since October 30, 2013, was on February 3, transferred to Kuje Prison, Abuja, on the order of the trial high court.

Others the court ordered should remain in prison custody yesterday were Alhaji Salami Abdullahi and Umar Musa, who were both accused of belonging to the Boko Haram sect.

In a ruling, Justice Gabriel Kolawole said it would not be in the interest of justice to release the accused persons at this stage of their trial, stressing that in view of the prevailing atrocious acts of the Boko Haram sect in the North Eastern part of the country, it was safer to deny them bail.

Citing the wanton and mindless killing of innocent people, especially the recent massacre of students of the Federal Government College Buni Yadi by members of the Boko Haram, Justice Kolawole, said he was minded to exercise his discretionary powers to grant bail against the accused persons.

He maintained that the court, in exercising its discretion, must do so judicially and judiciously, “The bail applications are hereby refused,” the Judge held, even as he okayed accelerated hearing of the charge against them.

Besides, the court dismissed plea by the 2nd accused, Salami, to be released on health ground.

Meantime, the court yesterday slated their trial for March 18, 19, April 3 and May 6.

Government had alleged in an eight count charge before the court that the trio, within the months of May and October, 2013, at Ayangba in Kogi state, engaged in an act in furtherance

R-L: Managing Director/CEO Bank of Industry and special guest of honour Ms. Evelyn Oputu and Director-General Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission Ms. Arunma Oteh at an event to mark this year’s International Women Day with the Theme; Inspiring Change For Women’s Economic Development held at the Headquarters, Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission Abuja yesterday. of acts of terrorism by not only acquiring weapons, but also recruiting new members for the Boko

Haram Islamic sect.

According to the charge, some of the weapons recovered

from the accused persons included 2 AK-47 Rifles, 2 Magazines and 60 rounds of live ammu-

nition.

By belonging and supporting the illegal activities of a proscribed organization, the government, said the action of the accused persons ran contrary to sections 4, 10, 12, 16(1) (4), 17 and 18 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2013, as amended.

The accused persons had since pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Federal Government earlier disclosed its intention to call about six former students of the accused lecturer to appear as witnesses before the court with a view to establishing his complicity in the propagation of terrorism across the federation.

The prosecuting counsel, Mrs N.B Jones Nebo, told the court yesterday that there was a prima facie evidence to prove that Dr. Yunus, supervised the burial of

weapons in the ground.

“My Lord, we have also by way of evidence shown what the weapons were meant for. We have identified the ones we have discovered so far, which from all indications, were the case of keep this, we are getting more”, she added.

The DSS had maintained that the 44 years old lecturer and a graduate of Islamic University of Medina, Saudi Arabia, confessed that he had over 80 adherents, and hitherto conducted preaching sessions every last Saturday and Sunday of the month at Ethosho Secondary School Ojiolo, Dekina, Kogi.

He was said to have confessed that his adherents were specifically taught the virtues of Jihad (Holy war) and the sanctity of the Sharia system as an alternative form of governance.

International Women’s Day: Nigerian women urged to stop needless deaths

BY EBUN SESSOU

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S Nigeria joins the rest of the world today to mark the International Women’s Day 2014, Nigerian women have been enjoined to become agents of

change to themselves and their families.

According to this year ’s theme, “Inspiring Change”, Nigerian women have been called to reflect on opportunities and challenges facing them especially dur-

ing the nation’s centenary celebration.

International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8, every year. It is a day to celebrate the social, political and economic achievements of women while focusing world attention on are-

as requiring further action.

In a statement, the Programme Officer, Development Communications, DevComs, Network disclosed that, inspite of the increasing participation of women in government, it is worrisome that the rate of vi-

Major political actors in Enugu are products of Nnamani — Ekweremadu so that PDP should be able •‘We must be grateful to him’

BY TONY EDIKE, Enugu

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EPUTY Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday, described the return of the former Governor of Enugu State, Senator Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as a positive development as it would boost the chances of the party in future elections in the state.

Ekweremadu, who lashed out at some members of the party in the state who are opposed to the return of the former governor to the party, declared that all major political actors in Enugu State were the products of Dr. Nnamani and he deserved to be shown

enough gratitude.

Speaking with newsmen at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport shortly on his return from Abuja, Ekweremadu who represents Enugu West Senatorial zone, said that it was wrong to prevent anybody willing to come into PDP from doing so as the party was big enough to accommodate everybody.

He said: “I read in the papers that Senator Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani went to his Agbani Ward and declared his interest to return and he was fully accepted. I think it is a positive development for us in PDP in Enugu State.

“You will recall that in the last election, the PDP gave most of the votes to the presidential candi-

date of the party, President Goodluck Jonathan and that time Senator Chimaroke Nnamani was in People for Democratic Change, PDC. Now that he is with us in PDP, it is expected that we are going to get more votes this time. Majority of the votes will now definitely go to Mr. President and of course to the PDP. For us in the PDP, it is a welcome development.

“He (Nnamani) has been a founding father of PDP in Enugu State, he played a major role in stabilizing the PDP and in bringing about the positions which most of us occupy today. So, we should be excited that he is coming back to PDP and we should encourage him.

“It is also an opportunity for me to ask all those who are yet to come back

to have a complete hold on Enugu State. Enugu has actually been a PDP State but because some of them left, we suffered some little setback in terms of the number of PDP members in the state, but right now with his coming back and the expected come back of others like him, I am sure that we will be fully back to the dominance of PDP in Enugu State. So, it is a welcome development and I commend him for taking that step.”

Asked if he was aware of the stiff resistance by some loyalists of Governor Sullivan Chime to Senator Nnamani’s return to the party for allegedly not complying with the constitutional requirements for defecting members, Ekweremadu said that nobody can stop the former governor, who was a founding member of the party from returning to his base.

olence against women and the persistent deaths of women due to complications of pregnancies and childbirth still remain a major debacle for many women as many African countries are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to reduce maternal deaths.

She explained that, “In September 2000, Nigeria along with over 188 other countries vowed to reduce by half her maternal mortality rate by the year 2015.

“Similarly, in April 2001, heads of state of African Union countries met in Abuja where they pledged to set a target of at least 15percent of their annual budget to improve the health sector.

“However our leaders’ attitudes and commitment towards improvement does not guarantee the much anticipated reduction in maternal deaths. Nigeria’s budget in 2013 was 9.4precent less than the recommended rate agreed upon during the Abuja declaration hosted on Nigeria’s soil.

“The country’s health budget during the period was 5.6precent as against the recommended 15percent suggested by the African Leaders.”

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8 , 2014 — 9

Face-off:

N32billion bribe scandal: Jang confronts Kwankwaso •Describes allegation as false •Anti-Amaechi governors were bribed, Kwankwaso insists

BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

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HAIRMAN of a fac tion of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Plateau State Governor, David Jang, yesterday accused his Kano State counterpart, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, of deceiving Nigerians with a spurious claim that the Presidency bribed some friendly governors with N2billion each to divide the NGF. Jang, who denied the bribe allegation, claimed that it was actually Kwankwaso and not the Presidency, who spearheaded the division of the NGF and asked him to own up rather than look for scapegoats.

Kwankwaso had on Wednesday at the Government House Kano, alleged that President Goodluck Jonathan had given N2billion each to the 16 governors who voted for Jang at last year’s Nigeria Governors’ Forum election in Abuja, which the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, won.

The governor claimed that the 19 governors, who supported Amaechi to win the vote did not get any gratification from the Presidency, describing the action as illegal and unfair.

But according to Jang, it was the dishonest role played by the Kano governor during the NGF election in May last year that led to the present division amongst the governors and not the Presidency.

Jang in a statement signed by Kassim Yakubu, asked Kwankwaso to examine his conscience and decide whether he was honest in openly nominating him for the NGF chairmanship only for him to join the opposition and vote for another candidate during the election.

In the statement entitled “Kwankwaso’s dishonesty and deceit divided Governors, not Presidency ”, Jang also denied that the Presidency gave some governors N2 billion to divide the foC M Y K

rum.

Jang declared that Kwankwaso’s act, which was aided by a few other governors, sowed the seed of discord amongst the governors, claiming that the Kano governor and his group were now finding it difficult to cope with the consequences of their action.

“We feel that it is as a result of their guilt that they have now resorted to throwing unsubstantiated allegations out there believing that Nigerians do not have any memory of the events that led to the division of the forum.

“Gov. kwankwaso should tell Nigerians if I gave him money to nominate me. That grand deceit of nominating me and doing something else is the foundation of the division. He should tell Nigerians how and when the N2billion was paid.

“When he proudly made it public that he was being smart by nominating me and leading others to vote against me, what was he expecting?

“That deceit was the beginning of playing politics with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and now, he is not happy with what he created. He can always come back to the forum of the chairman he nominated,” Jang boasted.

Jang called on Nigerians to always test the veracity of statements designed to mislead and incite the public as Nigeria is bigger than any group of individuals who in seeking relevance have resorted to bending the facts and playing politics with all issues regardless of the long term effects on the nation.

Kwankwaso made his allegation during a meeting between him and a team from the secretariat of the Amaechi-led NGF on Peer Review Mechanism led by the forum’s Director-General, Mr Ashishana B. Okauru.

The governor said, “Each of the 16 governors that voted Governor Jang has benefited from N2 billion from our own money given to them free of

charge. All of us from Amaechi side were given nothing. That is not being fair; that is not even correct and it is illegal.

“We are having difficulties in coming together as one forum because the federal government is not respecting democratic tenets. For rapid progress to ensue, governors in the country must work as brothers,” the governor lamented.

L-R Tade Ipadeola, 2013 Winner of The Nigeria Prize for Literature; Professor Emeritus, J.P Clark; Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo, Chairman Advisory Board for Literature; and Babs Omotowa, MD, Nigeria LNG Limited at the Public Presentation of Mr Ipadeola in Lagos yesterday.

Navy rescues 3 kidnapped Indians

BY EMMANUAL AMAIZE, Warri

T

HE Nigeria Navy, weekend, rescued three Indian nationals working for C F Offshore, kidnapped in Bayelsa State , March 5

, from a criminal hideout in Ajudaigbo, Warri South West Local Government Area, Delta State.

Commander, Nigeria Navy Ship, NNS Delta, Captain Musa Gemu, handed over the victims, Ratan Debnath, Manjeet

Gahlawat and Mayank Saini, chief engineer, captain and chief officer respectively, to a representative of the company in Warri, yesterday afternoon.

He disclosed that the rescue of the trio, abducted 70 nautical miles, off

••• arrests 12 hard drug smugglers, impounds boat in Calabar to the agencies charged

BY EMMA UNA, Calabar

A

large wooden boat laden with three thousand bales of textile materials, twenty bags of shoes, one hundred bags of rice and ten cartons of substances suspected to be hard drugs were impounded on yesterday by the N N S Victory, Calabar.

Arrested along with the boat are twelve smugglers who brought the items from neighbouring Cameroon into Calabar for onward movement to markets in the south-south and southeast states.

Commodore Fredrick Ogu, the Commanding Officer NNS Victory who handed over the contrabands to the Nigerian Customs and the smugglers comprising seven Cameroonians and five Nigeri-

ans said his men accosted the boat in the high sea while on routine patrol as the boat was navigating its way into Calabar on Thursday night.

“The Chief of Naval Staff has instructed us to bring illegal activities such as bunkering, pipeline vandalisation and piracy in the maritime zone under control and smuggling is an economic sabotage. So, my men had to arrest the boat and the smugglers”.

Commodore Ogu said he decided to hand over the contrabands to the men of Customs and the smugglers to the Nigerian Immigration Service since they are the agencies directly charged with the responsibility of handling such cases. “We are often in the high sea and when we come across such criminals, we arrest them and hand them

with prosecuting them”.

The Commanding Officer restated the preparedness of the Nigerian Navy to combat criminal activities in Nigerian territorial waters, stating that smugglers and pipeline vandals would not have it easy engaging in such activities in the Calabar- Oron Cameroon water ways any longer.

Mr Samuel Oguche, the Comptroller Immigration Service in Calabar said the smugglers would be screened and those who are not Nigerians and have entered Nigeria illegally will be charged to court for prosecution.

“There is a synergy among the different agencies of government and since we are working towards the same goal, we can achieve better result towards combating illegal movement into the country”.

Oguche said

2 killed, 3 injured in Bauchi autocrash

T

WO people have lost their lives while three others sustained injuries in a fatal accident that occurred at Magama Gumau Village along the Bauchi-Jos road yester-

day in Bauchi state.

The accident, it was learnt happened around 2.37pm and it involved a Honda civic vehicle with registration numberAA 786 NFD and a Jincheng

motor cycle with registration number NA 3-NA. Eyewitnesses account revealed that the two people on the motorcycle died instantly when they collided with the Honda civic vehicle which was on a

Brass, from a merchant ship was facilitated by the Delta Waterways Security Commitee, DWSC, Warri, which gave relevant information to the Nigerian Navy on the den of the criminals in Ajudaigbo forest, Ugborodo.

Captain Gemu said the Indian nationals were kidnapped for financial reasons, but no ransom was paid before naval personnel swooped on the hideout. ”None of the kidnappers was arrested because they fled and abandoned the hostages when they sighted our men approaching,” he added.

The navy boss said some items, including outboard engine and personal belongings were removed from the ship.

He, however, said the victims were rescued unhurt and safely handed over to their employers.

One of the victims, Saini told Saturday Vanguard, “Our kidnappers were armed, they came in a speedboat shooting and ordered us to enter their boat. They took us inside a forest, it was a rough experience, not what I wish for anybody.” very top speed.

Confirming the incident, the state FRSC commander, Mr.Sunday Henry olatunji said that two people driving on motorcycle were killed instantly while three other people sustained injuries in the autocrash.

10—SA TURD AY 10—SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

BY SONI DANIEL,

Regional Editor, North

F

ormer Petroleum Minister and two-time Senator, Prof Jubril Aminu, is not a politician who

hides his feelings on any issue in Nigeria.

Fearless and outspoken, he speaks his mind no matter whose ox is gored. In this interview, he knocks governors, who defected from the PDP to the opposition, saying they should be honourable enough to step down and also insists that many northern politicians who are opposed to President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election in 2015 are acting in their own selfish agenda, as they do not have the blessing of the North. He also says the current National Conference can be used to make some fundamental constitutional amendments despite the short time at the disposal of the delegates.

Excerpts:

What will be the use of the conference?

Let me say that it is always good to have the opportunity to talk and then you buy time between now and the next election. So, people will be talking. But I know that there are some fundamental constitutional issues to be discussed at the conference. I suspect that some people will come to the conference with big issues but I don’t know if they will have the time to exhaust them. I know in particular that my friends and brothers from the South-West will come with their agenda that may be difficult to be easily decided at a conference like this. Like I said earlier, you need to elect the people to this conference and not mere appointees by governors, some of whom are on their way out. In an atmosphere of dastardly politics, you cannot expect any objectivity. The things that are on the front burner of this country at this time, apart from Boko Haram, is 2015. This is basically what is bothering everyone and not many will be thinking of the big issues because of the season we are in. But the conference can look at some constitutional issues that can be changed before 2015.

Constitutional amendment has been going on in the National Assembly but there are fundamental issues that cannot be resolved by the NASS because of one thing: the process required of them to get two thirds concurrence by the states would not be possible because of their governors. But C M Y K

2015:

* Jubril Aminu

President, Govs should not enjoy immunity—Jubril Aminu

,,

What do you make of the impending National Conference given your experience as a delegate to the previous ones?

The rationale for holding the conference at this point in time is very valid. The truth is that certain long standing or protracted issues have not been clarified. Issues like Fiscal Federalism and True Federalism and so on have always been there.

Anyone, who questions the purpose of the conference at this time, is right: they don’t mean any harm. Number two, I think that the proponents of the conference also know that it cannot possibly have the same significance as some of the preceding ones where people were elected and given one year to deliberate on sundry issues of national importance. So, I don’t think it is logical to expect a three-month conference with no election and limit to be able to accomplish what an elected one could do. Number three, it looks to me like they have been given the latitude that the delegates to the previous ones did not have and yet you look at the amount of work that is required to be done by them. If you look at the previous one, there were no restrictions and they had a whole year to work, but in the current one, there are no-go areas and the time is just three months to do the job. So, I don’t think it is logical to expect this current conference to do as much as the previous ones.

Beyond that, the way governors are handling public funds is not the best. It does not happen like that in any other country I don’t know if this conference can be given the mandate to do that.

But I know that if this body is sufficiently empowered, they can do things which the NASS cannot do by their procedures. Number four, the conference should remove immunity for the president and the governors. There is no reason for any elected official in Nigeria to enjoy immunity. This immunity was given to the Queen of England from the beginning. It was not given to anyone else.

There is no British or American politician, who has such type of power. No! The British Prime Minister does not have immunity as such. The American President does not have it too. They go to courts. Why should governors in Nigeria enjoy such immunity? For what? We must have forgotten that it was the prerogative of the Sovereignty of England.

That means it is not applicable to our system because we are not running the Parliamentary system of government.

So there is reason why governors and President in Nigeria should enjoy immunity. It was given to the British Colonial governor because he was representing the queen, who is sovereign and is immuned. That should be removed im-

mediately because it has no bearing with our system or any democratic nation.

The North may not be keen on taking part in the conference because the Northern Elders’ Forum believes the conference is just a ploy by the President to buy the support of the delegates for his reelection in 2015?

It may well be so but they should go to the conference to stop whatsoever they think is not right for them. But if they stay away, they cannot stop anything. So, they should go to the conference. If you refuse to go, they may do whatsoever they want to do.

Are you concerned about the timing of the conference?

When we started, I talked about the timing. But I want to say that since they have decided to hold it now, we can always turn it around for the good of this country. We can find some good things to do at the conference.

But the kind of things that politicians are talking about and blowing their ego is not possible to be done at this conference because the conference is not of that sort.

But the argument by many Nigerians is that if you strip the President and governors of immunity; they would be distracted by endless litigations thereby slowing down governance?

So, what?

In my opinion, that is an unacceptable argument because it is ridiculous and does not apply to any other country that I know of. Look, if President Nixon had not resigned, he would have been impeached and removed? He would have been pushed aside. Was Clinton not taken to court as a President? Did he

not respond to the charges as President?

So, no country escapes from that. So, as far as I am concerned, immunity must be removed.

Beyond that, the way governors are handling public funds is not the best.

It does not happen like that in any other country. Governors have unhindered access to public funds in this country. There are laws which are not being obeyed. Governors just take any amount of money they want. This is ridiculous and criminal but it goes on. It is criminal. You have your budget and no one should go beyond that which is provided for in the budget. The state governor should not spend one Naira outside his budget. Whatever the President or governor spends should be subject to an auditor. You remember that an auditor in this country was sacked because he dared to scrutinise the accounts of a certain President in this country? Things have gone so bad in this country that if the President or governor does not like an auditor, they sack him outright. So, what is happening in this country is completely lawless. If the President of the U.S is going to Japan for instance, can he tell the treasurer to give him $50,000 to put in his pocket just for the trip? No, it cannot happen. But we do that as often as possible. The other thing we also indulge in, is the powers of governors to destroy the Local Government Areas. The constitution says you cannot control local governments, but the governors insist they must control LGA money. Some of them set up and dissolve LGs at will. It is not done anywhere else in the world.

This is illegal and criminal and must be stopped. There are a lot of lawlessness going on in this country and we say we

Continues on page 11

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014—11

Continues from page 10

Some leading northerners are contending that President Jonathan is not qualified to vie for a second term having been sworn in for two times.

What is your position on that argument?

You know we can all split hair if we have a very efficient machine. Every law has its letter and its own spirit.

The spirit of not swearing in the president more than twice, what is so sacrosanct about it in the Quran or the Bible? I think what they are saying is that you don’t allow somebody who was supposed to serve two times to come and serve more than that. In my view, that is not the most serious issue because people can be sworn in any number of times but you have to allow it to the jurist to determine what was intended by the law.

President Jonathan came in to complete the term of Yar’Adua, who died in office. May his soul rest in peace! He is going for his second term now and nothing more. I don’t think that it is right to stop Jonathan based on the interpretation of the law they are quoting. To me, it would have made sense of they had been able to prove to Nigerians that Jonathan did sign an agreement to run for only one term. That would have made more sense to us than to argue over a matter we have not seen. If you don’t like Jonathan to stand election, say so. If you really feel he must not stand, work hard and defeat him. If he does not win the election, he cannot continue to be president. Can he? So, it seems that is not a very serious issue to be used to put Nigeria in a difficult atmosphere. Look at what happened when the presumed winner of the June 12 election, Chief MKO Abiola, was denied the opportunity of being sworn in. Up till now, some of the things that happen in this country derive from the crisis of June 12.

So, we have to be very careful over what we say and do about 2015. I personally think that anybody who does not want Jonathan in 2015 should defeat him. He should ensure that nobody rigs the election. If you go to a place like Kano, you cannot rig even if somebody has given you money to do so because the people will not allow it to happen. There are so many ways of stopping rigging. So, in my opinion, all these arguments whether Jonathan should or should not contest do not hold water. What is important is to show if indeed Jonathan signed an agreement to serve for only a single term. There are more important issues than that. I would use that to judge him if there is enough and acceptable evidence to prove that he signed the agreement to serve only one term.

Some governors claim the letter Jonathan signed is with the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum.

It serves no purpose because the person holding the letter can always deny its existence. Such a document should have been taken to a superior court and signed as an affidavit before a judge with competent witnesses so that nobody can deny it later.

What do you think about the defection of your governor, Murtala Nyako and four others to the opposition? Are you not afraid that his defection could lead to the defeat of the PDP in Adamawa in the next election?

Well, I have told you a number of things that should be done to the constitution. If you are elected by any group of people, no matter how big or small they may be, and you jump out of the office, you have lost the right to that office. So, all these governors, who have changed parties, should relinquish their offices immediately otherwise there is no honour. But I remember that in the NASS, I argued with them on this matter when I was there. They were trying to do an amendC M Y K

Northern politicians against Jonathan’s re-election don’t have north’s backing—Jubril Aminu

* Jubril Aminu

ment to the effect that if somebody decides to stay or leave, he can do so provided there is no division and I said no! I got up and said no. The people running the Senate said the people should live with their conscience over the matter of crossing from one party to the other and they just left the matter like that. How can you talk about conscience where politicians are involved? To me, the matter is simple: if you leave the people who sent you to the office, you leave the office.

But the argument is that the PDP has been poaching governors from other parties and celebrating their exit from their former parties? So, why are they complaining now?

Are you saying that two wrongs make a right? Is it because the party got away with that violation that it is the correct position? If we have a chance, all we need to do is to spell out the correct position in our law books.

Is this the global position?

In the U.S, a certain lawmaker from Maine disagreed with the Republican and remained there but could not leave his party even though he was voting with the Democratic Party.

But he could not leave the party because that would have cost him his post in the congress.

around to tell the people that they are working for the north. The point I really want to make is that some of the people who are claiming that they are opposing the President on behalf of the north are not saying the truth. They are saying that the Presidency should return to the North. It is very unconvincing. I don’t think they can fool the people of the north to vote for them. If you want the Presidency to come to the north, say so but don’t use the people to advance your own personal political interest. This is just for themselves.

They are doing it for themselves because of some other disagreements which have happened. This new reason is what they cooked up lately in order to elicit support from the north.

How do you feel about the emergence of new groups in the north, such as the Northern Elders Forum and the Northern Elders Council?

These groups are formed by interested

,,

are lawful. But the conference can be made useful to correct some of these anomalies.

But will the exit of Nyako affect the fortunes of the PDP in Adamawa?

Governor Nyako’s exit will not affect anything in PDP in Adamawa. We have defeated him before. He was defeated in his own home when we did a by-election for a lawmaker who died. Now, there is a new situation in the state and the governor goes about making noise thinking that the new situation is in his favour. Let me also tell you that what some of these governors are doing is selfish: they pretend that what they are doing is on behalf of the north but it is not so.

They are not doing anything for the north but themselves. If they were doing anything for the north and I am convinced, I would have been on their side. But I am convinced what they are doing is an after thought.

The basic thing is that they disagreed with the President and then they go

you worried about the friction between the CBN and the NNPC, which eventually claimed the CBN Governor?

I don’t want to get into this argument.

But let me say that it is not as simple as they say that NNPC collects oil money and spends. It is a complex situation because Nigeria depends largely on oil.

Anybody in NNPC who is in a position of authority knows how this money is shared out for the benefit of the nation.

What happened recently, what did not happen recently and what should have been done and was not done is not my business today. What I can say is that I did not like our two institutionsMinistries of Finance and the CBN and ultimately the Presidency-arguing over the NNPC matter in the public domain.

I am sure there were better ways of handling it.

And it consumed Sanusi?

I don’t think it consumed him because he was set to go in June. He was about to leave so he should have been left

The basic thing is that they disagreed with the President and then they go around to tell the people that they are working for the north

parties but let me say that the Northern Elders Forum has been there for a long time from the days of the late Abdulraman Okene. They used to meet in Kaduna even in the days of the military and particularly when the President was from the north. After their meetings, they would meet with the Presidency and discuss their deliberations with the leadership. But that is no longer the case now. The NEF had its own respectability. But I don’t know about the Northern Elders Council. That notwithstanding, they have the right to pursue their own interest. The only concern is why it is necessary to start another northern council now in the presence of Arewa Consultative Forum and the rest. The only thing I can say is that everyone has the right to form any association and move freely.

As a former Petroleum Minister, are

alone to finish his term in June. That is another thing that the British people would not have done. The Presidency needed to have put in a few more checks around him and leave him so that when he finishes, he leaves. That way, the government would have saved itself a lot of trouble. I think we need to be a bit more mature than we are. What we seem to forget is that Nigeria is now a modern industrial state, which is quoted around the world.

What happens here influences world finance. I am sorry to say with due respect to all those involved in the debacle that the respect and recognition of Nigeria’s strategic position in the world market was missing while the people played in the public domain.

12—SATURDAY

Vanguard, MARCH 8 8, 2014

A nation without fuel

BY CHIOMA GABRIEL

N

igerians have never had it so bad in a long time. Even the usual scarcity that charac terizes the end of every year did not surface as expected last December. But just when Nigerians were coming to terms with a notion that the issue of fuel scarcity has become history, the problem struck again, leaving Nigerians aghast and catching many unaware. For over one week now, Nigerians have been digging fuel out of ‘stone’.

In every state across the federation, long queues of vehicles at filling stations have become the order of the day. The prevailing fuel scarcity in the country has taken its toll on motorists, families and businesses across Nigeria. Nigerians are once again at the mercy of shylock marketers who feed fat at the expense of the ordinary people. Stranded passengers at bus stops are now common and transporters have hiked transport fare to the high heavens. Commercial bus drivers are having a field day and fuel-pump attendants are having a swell time.

Fuel hawkers have taken the centre stage, milking dry innocent motorists who are left with no option than to patronise them. Although it was reported that

NNPC has opened up its reserve to ease this crippling shortage that has caused long queues of vehicles at petrol stations across the country, little or no impact of this is being felt.

Also, despite the claims by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that it has sufficient stock of the product to meet consumers’ needs, the lingering fuel shortage has continued unabated.

Those who depend on fuel and electricity to run their businesses are biting their fingers as they cannot depend on generators anymore in the absence of electricity. In the same vein, companies that survive on generators are running at a loss, even as the scarcity has taken its toll on the economy of the country in general.

In Lagos,many filling stations are closed, selling only at midnight to black marketers , while the few that are selling have long queues. Almost every filling station dispensing the product is selling above the official pump price of N97 per litre, while others collect tolls before allowing motorists inside their premises. Five litres are selling at N1,250 while two litres are selling at N500 in the black market as at Thursday. A colleague bought a keg of 25 litres at N8,000 from callous hawkers who were ‘doing business’ with the filling stations. Across Nigeria, it’s the same tales of woe as our correspondents report.

AKURE: Major marketers not selling fuel

BY DAYO JOHNSON, AKURE

I

N the last two weeks, motorists across Ondo State have been having a hectic time, no thanks to the scarcity of petrol. Many vehicles have been abandoned at filling stations in anticipation that the product would arrive.

The product has been sold for between N120 and N130 per litre within the last two weeks. Aside the NNPC Mega stations which dispense only 33,000 litres per day and sold at the pump price of N97, all other independent stations sold the product above pump price. In Akure, none of the major marketers sold fuel since the scarcity became noticeable. Investigations revealed that the major marketers divert their consignments to indepen-

dent marketers who sold above pump price.It was also learnt that major marketers are selling late at night into jerry cans. Thirty litres are sold between N5,000 and N7,000.Consequently, transport fares have gone up for intra and inter state transportation. Black market is however the order of the day as young boys now hawk the product late at night across the state capital.A few major marketers who have consignments dispense the product from a certain period and

then resort to black market at night.

More on pages 13, 17, 18 & 19

SATURDAY

Vanguard, MARCH 8 8, 2014—13

MINNA: Black marketers hoard fuel

BY WOLE MOSADOMI

M

ENUGU: Hard times for residents as marketers sell at N150 per litre

keters to sell the product at the official price?

R

esidents of Enugu State capi tal and other towns in the state are facing severe difficulties as a result of the rising cost of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol.

Price of petrol has risen above the official pump price of N97 per litre to N150 in Enugu capital city and its environs.

Saturday Vanguard investigations revealed that apart from few major marketers that occasionally sell at the regulated pump price, all the independent marketers had since last week hiked the pump price to between N140 and N150 per litre.

While the independent marketers are smiling to the banks, most stations operated by the major marketers have remained under lock and key as the pump attendants were seen playing games.

Several motorists who queued to buy the product at N150 per litre at a private station along Presidential Road, Enugu lamented that the price hike had imposed severe difficulties on them.The development has, howev-

,,

BY TONY EDIKE, Enugu

An attendant at the one the stations who simply identified herself as Onyekachi, blamed the situation on the scarcity of the product

er, compelled transporters to hike fares, pushing the effect of the hike to the commuters. For instance, transport fare from Abakpa to Obiagu which normally cost N50 has been jerked up to N100 instead of initial N50 while Enugu to Onitsha which hitherto cost N700 now cost N1,500.

An attendant at one of the stations who simply identified herself as Onyekachi, blamed the situation on the scarcity of the product. He said: “If the product is not scarce as NNPC is claiming, why are the DPR and PPPRA yet to force mar-

BY TAYE OBATERU

JOS:

Scarcity bites harder

The fuel scarcity being experienced all over the country is biting harder in Plateau State as fewer filling stations have fuel to sell to the public.

Although most residents have had to rely on private stations who sell at between N120 and N125 per liter, some of the stations for about two weeks now have also been closed for lack of supply.

As at Wednesday, only NNPC mega station along Yakubu Gowon Way in the state capital was selling while virtually all stations belonging to major marketers were without fuel.

A dealer for one of the major marketers said the little fuel that comes is being rationed on rotational basis to keep the stations going.

“We had one truck yesterday and it was

“The product is scarce and because of the scarcity, we are no longer getting regular supplies.”

An independent marketer who preferred anonymity said that “we are spending more to source the product from Lagos and other places and we should not be expected to sell below cost price. All the trucks we sent to Lagos since the past two weeks could not lift as there is no product.”

An official of the Tanker Drivers’ Union, Enugu State branch, who didn’t want his name in print said on phone that they stopped loading the product at the Enugu depot of NNPC for more than a decade running. A motorist with God is Good Motors, Emeka Okafor, also expressed worry over the situationsaying, “I am disturbed by this situation because I thought that the Federal Government had solved the problem of fuel scarcity permanently in the country.”

Okafor appealed to the Federal Government and “appropriate agencies of government” to take immediate measures to arrest the situation.

“Government should do something fast to make the product available and save the poor masses from more economic hardship,” he urged.

shared to three stations. When another truck comes, it will be shared and we go round like that”, he said.

He dismissed allegations of hoarding leveled against marketers saying if supply was sufficient there would be no reason for anyone to do so.

Motorists and others who use petrol for their business lamented that the scarcity had imposed additional financial burden on them as they buy fuel from the ‘black market’.

A resident, Joseph Elijah alleged that major marketers were diverting supplies to the black marketers saying they discharge a small quantity in their stations and take the bulk to the black marketers at night.

The people called on government to take steps to end the scarcity as it is worsening their economic condition, having to pay extra for transportation and other things.

inna the Niger state capital has been noted and labeled as the home of black marketers dealing in the hoarding of petroleum products for years.

Even when there were regular supply of fuel across the country including Niger state, the black marketers still remain in business selling in all nooks and crannies in various parts of major towns in the state most especially in front of designated filling stations in the state.

They are mostly patronized by okada riders before their total ban in Minna the state capital.

In the fast few weeks during which fuel scarcity was noticed across the country, the black marketers have totally taken over the sale of petrol in the state especially in Minna the state capital at the detriment of regular filling stations whose pumps have gone dry occasioned by the scarcity of the commodity in the state.

Due to the scarcity, petrol (PMS) now sell at different filling stations at an inflated rate of between N125 to N130 per litre depending on the area and station of purchase. Only few filling stations including the NNPC mega stations in different parts of the state sell at the official rate of N97 per litre and where available, long queues are noticed where purchasers spend hours waiting endlessly in the queue. The lucky ones buy the product while others end up without buying the product. Saturday Vanguard reliably gathered that most of the filling stations who are supposed to sell at the official rate end up selling few litres and later discharging to the black marketers at odd hours of the day, thereby empowering the black marketers to flourish in their illegal deal.

With this development, a litre of petrol is sold by the black marketers to the public at the rate of N180 to N200 depending on the location.

The fear by motorists for now is the likelihood of purchasing adulterated product from the black marketers which they said may likely affect their engines.

As at the time of going to press, most filling stations are seen without fuel while the black marketers are enjoying and celebrating the scarcity. The fuel scarcity have subsequently affected transport fares in the state slightly.

14—SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014 n elected member of the National Assembly stood in the hallowed halls of the legislature and asked,”Have we got a government in this country?” One of his colleagues tried to shut him up.

“Of course, we have a democratically elected government in this country”, he retorted with heat, while the voices of other legislators were raised in support of the one position or the other.

The question was purely rhetorical and should not have engendered any passion, but it was occasioned by a discussion on Boko Haram, a subject which has grown a variety of emotions any time it came up. That was only a few days ago.

The question that might have been asked, perhaps, would be, “What manner of government have we got in this country?”

That must have been asked in sheer exasperation by many people on several occasions, especially with regard to the terrorism by which we are beset in the Northern part of the country. But there are several other issues that keep cropping up to incite the asking of that question which can only be eventually resolved by examining ourselves as citizens of this country, and finding the answer to the important and overwhelming riddle of what kind of people we are.

We kept talking glibly a while back about “One Nigeria”. We realized then that we were yet not one unified entity, but we held •Doyin Okupe that out as an ideal that should be achieved.

We came out of the Civil War chanting, “To Council. There was no response, or Make Nigeria One Is A Task That Must Be reasonable reaction, from any Southern Done.” But Wole Soyinka, even before he Elders, the existence of which is nebulous had become an immortal with the Nobel anyway. And it is doubtful that there would Award, was way ahead of us. On his way ever be, In fact, you might say the issue has out of prison, where General Yakubu Gowon suffered a paradigm shift. It was the leader had kept him for an appreciable length of of a northern group who was quoted as now time (for the writer’s protection, the Head saying that anyone who desired the of State later submitted) Kongi amplified dismantling of Nigeria deserved to be shot... that sentiment in his own way. He said, “To or stoned, rather. He gave no reason. There keep Nigeria one, Justice must be done.” might be quite a number of delegates to the Now hardly any one shouts about “unity” National Conference, though, who may from the rooftop. Rather, we keep hearing consider that notion worth cogitating about. about “breaking up”. Someone who should But we shall come back to that. know better expressed this sentiment and But now that the celebrations of the we took issues with him for that on this centenary of the Amalgamation of the page. Now another Northerner —it is Southern and Northern Protectorates of usually a well-placed Northerner— has Nigeria seem to have been concluded, you voiced that notion again. Curiously, those might once again wonder what it was all about who usually take this position apparently beyond a mere charade. What were we told do so merely to “call the bluff ” of the that we had not known? What did they bring Southerners. But they throw it actually in that we did not have? In what way was our the face of Southerners as a threat, which national life edified? One of those who were is dangerous. One wonders if they realize most qualified to have been honoured for the that fact. It has been going on for years. occasion rejected the offer. One or two others Yakubu Gowon articulated the proposition demurred when invited to receive the award as part of his take-over speech when he on behalf of their departed nominated succeeded General Aguiyi-Ironsi after the relations. bloody coup in 1966. He bluntly stated that Those who arranged it know why they “the basis for unity” did not exist. . “ believed they could hoodwink Nigerians into . Nnamdi Azikiwe, ever the liberalaccepting almost any hollow proposition. We minded nationalist, averred that Nigeria said it on this page before, and we will say it was a reality as a nation..” But when he again. Nigeria became a nation on the first expressed that same sentiment face-to-face day of October in the year 1960. It was, at the with the Sardauna, he got a smooth rebuff. best, all a mere distraction from the problems John N, Paden in the comprehensive that lie ahead and must be faced before we biography, “Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna cross the Jordan of 2015. Having mentioned of Sokoto”, writes: the instances of those who dissociated “Tradition has it that in the mid-1920’s, themselves from the so-called “Centenary Dr. Azikiwe met with Ahmadu Bello and Award”, we can only add that those who said, “Let us forget our differences..” made the list should have realized that many more Southerners would have been more qualified than Northerners if it had been based purely on merit•— which it should. They would have saved “To which Ahmadu Bello replied, “No, let us themselves the issues of trying to present understand our differences. You are a Christian a “balanced” list which could only be at and an Easter ner. I am a Muslim and a the expense of the Southerners. They Northerner. By understanding our differences, we would then have settled for two lists, one for each former protectorate. Then people can build unity in our country.”

On the other hand, Chief Obafemi Awolowo like Hogan Bassey and Osita Agwuna, insisted in those days that, Nigeria was •gonly a to mention a few, would not have been geographical expression to which life was given blanked out. The inclusion of some by the diabolical amalgamation of 1914. That names whose memories have left a dark amalgamation will ever remain the most painful stain on the annals of this country’s injury that a British government inflicted on history had better be left unmentioned, though it is also a pointer to the Nigeria.”

Apart from that, no other Southerner had ever hollowness of the entire concept.

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*centenary and other distractions

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One of those who were most qualified to have been honoured for the occasion rejected the offer

expressed any opinion but the most supportive about the idea of Nigeria’s unity. The most recent invitation for a break-up came from the Arewa Elders C M Y K

But to return to the Conference, many people may actually believe that some good would come out of it. Let them attend it and present their proposals

about building up unity in Nigeria. That appears to be general notion of the raison d’etre of the conference.

Indeed, there is the need to unify the intents and purposes of the diverse elements that constitute this country •\ and that was to what the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, was referring above at his meeting with Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe—unification,not uniformity.

However, it is apparent that the structure of the Conference •—some people call it “dialogue”—is defective even from the way the delegates have been nominated. The representation is uneven and the motives of the nominees appear questionable. Some seem to be prepared for warwar, as opposed to jaw-jaw.

That is as a function of the motives. Those who see themselves as “minorities” seem determined to cast off that yoke on the basis of acquiring equal recognition, equal recompense, and equal prospects, as citizens with equal rights. There is nothing wrong with that, but has the Constitution not addressed that already, so where comes this feeling that there is a call to arms over such issues?

Then there are issues that will not be solved at an open conference because they are already crusted through an appreciable period of fruitless address and have now become hardened with frustration. They are now fit only for careful adjudication through quiet arbitration, without any bannerwaving approach as the “dialogue” has now set a stage for. Imagine a delegation being warned not to return home without securing the fullness of its mandate. That is evocative of the old Spartan soldier ’s admonition to return home either with his shield, or on it.

We may not know what measures are already in place for the containment of confrontations which will develop when the interests of one group clash with those of another, a situation that should be naturally expected. But finally, how will the decisions be executed, and by what authority—the National Assembly or through the results of a plebiscite? Is this not all a case of driving down a blind alley?

If you ask me, it is all at par with the Centenary celebrations. Distractions!

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State Governor, bowed with the grief of losing several of the children in one of his schools to the macabre murderous onslaught of the Boko Haram, offered the opinion that the marauders may have been better armed and more motivated that our military. He was almost in tears.

Not a bit impressed, Doyin Okupe, one of the troubleshooters of the Jonathan government, came down severely on the governor, hauling him over the coals for daring to speak out about the comparative calibres of the weaponry involved. As for the case of motivation, the Presidential attack-dog merely dismissed the issue by asserting that our armed forces are proving equal to the task in every way. In the grip of his anguish, the Governor wondered about such insensitivity. I watched it on television and marvelled at such callousness.

Governor Kashim Shettima of Bornu State, it was, and he just had to bear the sorrow and the pain and the loss quietly. Yet he had not said anything out of turn. Several other people had commented freely on the “sophistication” of the weapons with which the Boko Haram attackers are armed, hinting on their superiority, rightly or wrongly. But no direct light has been thrown on the matter and the public has been left, as it were, to misguide itself if it so desires. As to the degree of commitment evinced by the fighting forces of the terrorists, it is really of no account to compare elements of a suicide squad with troops of upright, regular soldiers defending their nation. And it is not speaking disparagingly of the latter to comment on the ferocity of the latter.

But a more disturbing chapter was to open later when, some two days later, another Governor of one of the beleaguered States, this time Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, himself a former military person, reportedly came under fire at a checkpoint near Shuwa where he was on a condolence visit to some of the victims of Boko Haram raids. His story was fiercely challenged by military authorities, most probably because the attack had supposedly been from the direction of the check-point.

The controversion might have been considered necessary, but it little served to clear the air.

Do we really need this kind of disagreement at this time?

By the middle of last month, more than 120 people had been killed in Bornu alone.

We should have more on our minds than the issues that are being flogged around. The military are doing a good job, but more is required. That is why the headquarters has been advised to relocate to Bornu. And the sooner, the better.

Sophisticated weaponry or no sophisticated weaponr y, shooting at a governor or not, press conferences on that are mere distractions.

Time out.

SATURDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, MARCH 8, 2014—15

he foreign heads of government and dignitaries who came for the country’s centenary celebrations had hardly settled down in their posh hotel rooms and comfortable quest houses when the news that the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists had struck again filtered in. This time in Adamawa, killing and maiming, as had become their style, without a single thought to the fact that they were callously and nonchalantly taking lives they had no power to create. The death toll is still rising as we speak. A couple of days earlier, they had struck at a secondary school in Yobe and snuffed out the lives of over 50 young minds. These kids

were their parents’ hope. They were the Nation’s hope. Had they not been killed so mindlessly, they would have matured to play critical roles in their families, communities, state and the nation.

If these terrorist actions— two in the week of the centenary celebrations, and now almost every day— were intended to embarrass our President, they certainly succeeded. And if they were meant to ask questions of our security and unity, the two themes of the centenary celebrations, they also succeeded. We can’t be a player in regional security when we have not been able to secure our own back yard; when our children are being

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Boko Haram adherents in different parts of the country, not only the north.

Simply put, certain things must be done if we want Nigeria to remain one in 2015 and beyond. And from where I stand, they seem as clear as day…..

First is equality. It seems that certain sections of the country are currently being quietly favoured with key, strategic positions. This must be addressed to avoid the mistakes of pre-1966 Nigeria when these people held sway and sought, subsequently, to dominate the country. Second is the widening gap between the rich and the poor. The rich are stupendously endowed in a country of massive poverty; where ten million children are out of school. Many of these noveau rich are parasitic and add no value.

Now I come to the crucial ones.

Corruption, whether we admit it or not, is destroying the country and it is more pervasive, more brazen, under this administration. Then security; it is a sad commentary that the presidency has not been able to do anything tangible to provide security for the people of the Northern Nigeria in general and North East in particular. Boko Haram started with suicide bombing. Now it has become so emboldened that it comes in day time in a convoy of vehicles to perpetrate destruction and mayhem.

The news we hear that our soldiers retreat when Boko Haram attacks is disconcerting to say the least. Each time there is an attack, and the President comes on air to say: ‘ I can assure you……’ I cringe. His assurances have meant nothing to our brothers and sisters in the North.

They have meant nothing to the psyche of the nation. We continue to have terrorists in the North and kidnappers and oil thieves in the South.

Finally, the 2015 election must be reasonably transparent if the country is to avoid the tipping point. INEC and the Presidency must ensure that we the people are allowed to choose only those we want to be in power.

Do we want a change or more of the same? We have to be able to decide that. Many in PDP and APC are seeking political jobs in 2015 when they have under performed in their previous posts. They rely on stolen money, thugs and INEC — not we the people— to push their ambitions through. Acceding to their inordinate and undeserved requests might be the saturation point, the pushing to the wall, I talked about.

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Simply put, certain things must be done if we want Nigeria to remain one in 2015 and beyond

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exactly when these can happen.

W h a t elder E.K C l a r k should do if he is indeed an elder worthy of national respect, and if he indeed does not want the country to disintegrate under the watch of his townsman, is to warn him of the danger of adding that extra grain of salt to the body of water that is reaching saturation point; or of pushing the meek and l o w l y towards the wall as his predecessors had done; or of allowing the rich and t h e priviledged to keep riding on the bent backs of the p o o r .

Po v e r t y, inequality and lack of s o c i a l justice can breed many M

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That we may remain one in 2015 T

slaughtered at will; neither can we talk of unity when the fabric of work and family is tearing at the seams.

Just the other week, Chief E.K Clark said pointedly that the country would not break up under Jonathan’s government. He cited certain critical situations that had threatened the unity of the country in the past to buttress his point. If the country didn’t break up during operation ‘ wetie’, the Northern pogrom, the Civil War, and June 12, then it would not break up in 2015 according to his argument.

I only wish it was that simple and logical. In science, when you put grains of salt in small but continuous doses into warm water and stir to dissolve, a time will come when it will not dissolve a single extra grain. It is called saturation point. Or when you chase even the tamest of domestic animals down a narrow alley with sticks, when it reaches the end of the road, it will turn around to confront you sticks and all. It means you have pushed it to the wall. Or when you ride on the bent back of the poor as if it is a normal means of transportation, the day he decides to straighten his back is the day he asserts himself. It is called liberation or freedom. No one unfortunately, knows

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16—SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

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he centenary celebra tion brought back memories I cherished so much. My literature teacher in secondary school had a penchant for asking me to paraphrase poetry and I always obeyed. I was the comedian in his class, discussing serious issues jokingly. There were aspects of poetry I loved and Nigeria’s centenary brought back good old memories. If you had not read Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, you would not imagine what amalgamation, the scramble and partition for Africa did to Nigeria’s value system.

So at that moment when President Jonathan was honouring Queen Elizabeth, Frederick John Dealtry Lugard and Dame Flora Louise Shaw, I was reminiscing about Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and imagining how the white man invaded and violated the values of Africans and in this case, a fictitious village in Eastern Nigeria.

The centenary celebration brought back memories of Africa’s spiritual history – the civilized and rich lives the people lived before the arrival of Europeans and the ruinous social and cultural consequences that the arrival of European missionaries brought. Achebe captured same in Things Fall Apart which was a sharp criticism of imperialism, or the European colonization of countries outside of the European continent .

Obviously, Achebe had great dislike for the violation of his people by the white man. In his bid to rubbish them as they rubbished us, he wrote: Kotuma of the ash buttocks He is supposed to be a slave The white man has no sense He is supposed to be a slave Perhaps Achebe would have mourned when centenary awards were given to Queen Elizabeth of England, Lord Lugard and Flora Shaw who all connived to bring together strange bed-fellows and called them Nigeria.

We are victims of white scavengers and British colonial adventurers and empire builders. Nigeria is the markets for raw materials required by Britain to exert political influence overseas.

We are a people who lost it and who Dei Anang mourned in his poetry, ‘I know a world’.

I know a world, A wondrous world, Sweet home of haunting songs And rolling drums, ‘Tis Africa.

I know a world, A trampled world, Partitioned and pawned In centuries of greed

Centenary: How it all goes down

From right: Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon; former President Shehu Shagari; former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar and President Goodluck Jonathan at the Nigeria Centenary flag-off ceremony in Abuja, recently. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

And still undone, ‘Tis Africa At the time President Jonathan was giving out awards to the befitting and the non-befitting and many were clapping for Queen Elizabeth II of England and foreigners who were specially honoured as part of the activities to commemorate Nigeria’s Centenary celebration, I wondered if he thought about Nigeria being trampled, partitioned and pawned.

I would not talk about some inconsequential people who got the awards. He who keeps his tongue keeps his soul from trouble.

But I wondered if Nigeria would ever wake up from her age -long slumber or whether she would remain a sleeping beauty.

In a fleeting second, I wondered how the ethnic groups that make up Nigeria would have been without being colonised by the white man.

One of my grand uncles died at the age of 135 years.

I never knew I had such an uncle until I started an assignment on a borrowed course at the university and I needed to interview a centenarian. Then I met him.

He was strong and agile then at 120 years, when I went to ask him vital questions about my town. He was wearing khaki shorts like Tai Solarin’s and always came out every morning to enjoy the morning sun. He would

relax in his lounge chair and smoke his pipe .

Afterward, he would ride his bicycle to the village square, the only place they sold newspapers to buy and then, return to relax and read. He never used glasses.

Fifteen years on, Uncle Azodo lived an active life and died while the ovation was still high. He never wore trousers. Only khakibrown shorts. And he never

in Adamawa State, the place of a unique set of people who see life differently. The enclave of a people discovered but never delivered and is left swinging like pendulum, between the region of modernity and tradition. Nobody would have weaned us of our primitive ways . We would still be floundering in the ‘Dark Age’ strutting

I wondered if Nigeria would ever wake up from her age -long slumber or whether she would remain a sleeping beauty wore glasses or used a magnifier. He read newspapers with his natural eyes on the very day he died. Uncle Azodo deserved a posthumous centenary award more than anybody else. He had become a man even before the British colonised us and he had the privilge of working with the early invaders. While he lived, he drank only palm wine. He never tasted beer. He ate only freshly prepared traditional food. His soup must be fresh and he ate every freshly prepared food just once. I wondered if it had anything to do with his longevity.

And coming back to Nigeria, I wondered how we would have looked were we not colonised by foreigners.

Perhaps, we would have looked like the Koma people

around naked or near-naked in broad daylight; going to farms or markets in a state of semi-nudity.

Our timidity would also curb greed and the urge to get rich quick. There would be no corruption, no oil, President, governor or national assembly. There would perhaps be no political parties. There would also be no ethnicity or religious jingoism. There would be no Central Bank and no CBN governor.

And there would be no centenary awards! And the undeserving wouldn’t have received while the deserving were left out !

In Britain, some of the people who received Jonathan’s centenary awards wouldn’t have been mentioned. Membership of the British Empire, MBE, is perceived as the humblest of

honours unlike in Nigeria where our Awards have become something that people lobby for and use for settlements of political associates, cronies, and sycophants. Morons, thieves, ‘monkeys’ and ‘baboons’ could get the highest awards in the land!

Depth of character unswayed by material attraction and superficial rewards get the least consideration in many cases. Persons of low pedigree, political jobbers, rotten eggs and crooks could get nominated for what ought to be a mark of distinction. Only few Nigerians have been able to say no when everything and everyone else seemed carried away by being honoured.

Only the visionary, the courageous and patriots in the mold of Wole Soyinka had the boldness to reject what appeared to be going to every Tom, Dick and Harry.

Many would have given their right legs to have such awards bestowed on them but real men would stand to be counted when it matters most by saying no to selfaggrandizement; preferring instead that the society where many are suffering be given a facelift.

Every nation has a system of recognising and rewarding the outstanding feats and achievements of its citizens. Such recognition and reward place on record public appreciation for the contributions of those citizens who have distinguished themselves in their services to the nation. These are also instruments for motivating the wider citizenry to strive to greater heights and to contribute more actively towards promoting the nation’s intellectual, creative and societal value systems.

But awards have been given to some people that did not deserve them while many who did were left out.

Such undeserving people have not made any significant contributions to national development to warrant being given any recognition at all, let alone the nation’s treasured centenary awards. When such incompetent personages bag the prestigious awards, the meaning is devalued.

But that’s the Nigerian factor for you!

It was expected that the tardiness and cheapness that characterised past honours would have been avoided and that only deserving achievers would be recognised. The centenary awards should have been reserved for Nigerians both in low and high places who have made uncommon contributions to national development in the past 100 years. I salute the Nigerian ‘ingenuity.’

SATURDAY

Vanguard, MARCH 8 8, 2014—17

LAGOS:

ANAMBRA:

Commuters groan, rain curses on officials •It’s shameful —Nwaokobia

Shylock fuel dealers return

BY ISHOLA BALOGUN, OLAYINKA AJAYI & KEHINDE AJOSE

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nger, pain and indignation were not enough to explain the feelings of thousands of stranded commuters going to their workplaces and areas of businesses from different parts of Lagos five days after queues returned to filling stations in the State. Many of them were seen sitting in groups discussing the effect of the fuel scarcity in Lagos Metropolis. While many resorted to trekking, apparently after waiting for several hours for commercial buses, others were sighted sitting on culverts, stones, or anything they could lay their hands on to ease the pain.

From Ogijo, Ogun State through Odongunyan, then Maya, Parafa, Ijede through Ikorodu to Mile 12, the story was the same. Saturday Vanguard observed that many of those who were at these various bus-stops as early as 5am waited for three to four hours before getting respite in already loaded buses.

At Ikorodu roundabout and Agric bus-stops, angry commuters Wednesday, rained curses on government and those responsible for their plight. Busari Jimoh who lives along Sagamu Road, said he waited for several hours at the bus stop close to his house but had to later walk, first to Sabo and then to Benson, in Ikorodu to get bus to Oshodi. He lamented that at each of these points, the story remained the same with several hundreds of people also waiting to catch a bus. “God will inflict pains on all those who are behind this fuel scarcity and causing untold hardship to Nigerians. For the past three to five days, it has been difficult under already difficult economic situation.”

He explained that apart from the Red buses, all other commercial buses have hiked their prices with more than 100 per cent. “All the Star Buses and the danfos have increased their prices to N300 from N150. The danfos are now collecting N300 to Ketu from Ikorodu which used to be between N100 to N150. But right now, we can’t even see them. It is a terribly situation,” he stated.

Another middle aged woman who refused to mention her name said:, “government takes delight in inflicting pain on Nigerians. If it is not electricity, it is fuel scarcity. They don’t do anything right. They have politicised everything. They think God will not ask them, or they think they will not share from the pain they have caused Nigerians. They will surely reap in many folds the pains they are inflicting on Nigerians. Just look at how people are scampering for bus to their destinations, the few ones that came are already loaded, I cannot stand for several hours here and yet stand in the bus for several hours in the traffic. They are really killing us in bits,” she said.

A civil rights activist and a social crusader and a one time presidential can-

didate, Dr Chris Nwokobia said: ‘It is sad and terrible. It pains and hurts to imagine how much pain Nigerians go through for a product that should be everywhere. It’s a misnomer of sorts and shameful.”

At Ipaja, Ayobo part of Lagos, the story was the same when Saturday Vanguard visited the area. According to Tayo Adejumo, an entrepreneur in the area: “In my area, there is no fuel at all either black or white market. I queued for about one hour.

It’s crazy. The one I bought for my car days back has gone down. Electricity has never been reliable. These days, you do your meetings over the phone rather than driving to meetings. The sad part of is that nobody knows the cause and when is likely to end.”

Tosin Ajibade, a Social Media Marketer said: Getting fuel hasn’t been easy. There was no information that there will be fuel scarcity. The long queues started suddenly, characteristic of Nigeria and since February. No one knew it was going to happen soon. Getting fuel was not easy. I could not wait in the long queue, so I decided to buy black market. The guys sold 24 liters for me for the sum of N4,000 and I was begging them to bring the price down,

Dr Chris Nwokobia they didn’t.”

David Ijeh, a Photographer in the neighbourhood said: “It is very tragic and annoying that as an OPEC country, we still struggle to get fuel. The last time I bought fuel for my car, I spent twice the amount I usually expend. It’s about N200 per liter. This is not good for the new Nigeria we are advocating for. We trust God for a new Nigeria, but our present experiences is far from it.”

ASABA: Black market flourishes

By Austin Ogwuda, Asaba

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OTORISTS and commuters are groaning following the biting effect of fuel scarcity which has hit the capital city and environs.

Investigation showed that most motorists have resorted to patronize the black market operators who are selling petrol as much as N160 per litre.

Most filling stations visited along the ever busy Nnebisi Road Asaba and on the Benin-Asaba expressway showed

that most of the stations were selling at different pump prices ranging from N120 to N130.

However, the stations owned by the NNPC located in the city were not selling above the official pump price of N97 per litre.

Unfortunately the stations are under lock and key but open intermittently leading to long queues.

Chiedu, a manager in one of the filling stations owned biy independent marketers, said “the hike is not from us. The problem is from depot”, he stated.

BY VINCENT UJUMADU SINCE the return of fuel scarcity in Nigeria resulting in long queues in the last two weeks, most private petrol stations in some parts of Anambra State that have not been getting regular patronage over the years because they are not used to selling at the official pump prize of N97 per litre, have suddenly bounced back into big business.

The first few days of the fuel scarcity in the state was a nightmare to motorists as there was no single petrol station selling fuel.

Expectedly, few days later, most of the obscure filling stations started opening for business and were selling at prizes raging from N125 to N150 per litre. In fact, some stations that had not sold petrol for the past one year suddenly had fuel to sell.

And trust the people of Anambra State who are always ready to adapt to any changing situation, they easily played into the hands of the fuel dealers and were buying at any available rate. That was why there has not been any queue in filling stations in the state, except when the NNPC mega station started selling again on Tuesday this week.

Since the fuel scarcity began, some people from other neighbouring states have been coming with large quantities of jerry cans to buy fuel in Anambra State to sell at higher prizes in their states.

A fuel dealer who spoke on condition of anonymity told Saturday Vanguard that the reason why Anambra State has not witnessed hardship during the scarcity was because dealers in the state were prepared to buy since they knew that the people would buy at any prize. According to him, the sources of supply during the period of scarcity were usually unconventional and only hard line dealers were prepared to buy at the rate.

He said, for instance, that the reason the fuel scarcity was acute in states like Rivers and Lagos was because the dealers were afraid that they might not easily sell at the rate they bought and therefore did not bother to lift fuel during this period.

He said: “We are lucky here in Anambra State because whatever prize we buy, we can still sell because our people are ready to buy. It is not like that in some states that insist that fuel must be sold at N97 per liter and that is why vehicles are virtually off the road in those states and where there is fuel, the queue is usually long.” There are however indications that high prize of fuel in Anambra State may soon give way to the normal prize of N97 per liter as many tankers were seen midweek discharging fuel in many NNPC mega stations in Awka, and Onitsha.

Already, some of the stations that were selling above N130 per liter have come down to N120 per liter and hopefully by next week, the prize will return to normal.

18—SATURDAY

Vanguard, MARCH 8 8, 2014

IBADAN:

YENOGOA:

‘We don’t know the cause of this scarcity’

BY OLA AJAYI

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hat type of country is this now? I have been standing here for the past two hours waiting to buy fuel. The petrol assistants said they are not ready to sell fuel. Where do I go from here? I sell groundnuts to fend for my children and I depend so much on fuel. Can’t these our leaders just consider the masses?”

These were the complaints of Mrs. Oyebamiji Lucia, a petty trader in Ibadan. She was among thousands of people waiting endlessly for fuel which has once again, become, a scarce commodity. Long queue of vehicles in the ancient city of Ibadan is endless in filling stations with motorists complaining bitterly about the scarcity.

Due to what a legal practitioner, Mr. Wale Adeyemo described as “artificial scarcity ”, many marketers except some major ones have capitalized on it as the products now sell between N105 and N125 per litre.

When Saturday Vanguard went around Ibadan metropolis, market-

ers like Oando, Texaco and few others still sell at the normal pump fuel price of N97 but the attendants demand some money to compensate them for doing you a ‘favour’.

The scarcity has made black market operators at Sabo area in Mokola to thrive. A four-litre keg of fuel sells between N2,000 and N2,800. Besides, the content has been adulterated. As the scarcity drags, some private marketers use the cover of darkness to sell the products mostly to black market operators at exorbitant prices.

After several hours of endless queue without any hope in sight, Mr. Adeyemo said this fuel crisis would not be resolved until “we stop deceiving ourselves”.

According to Adeyemo, “ we don’t even know the cause of this scarcity.

We asked the petrol attendants, they said they did not know. They said that all they know is that they have been lifting fuel at the rate of N94 and they have to send it for N100 and N105 after adding some head costs. It is only major marketers like Oando that are selling at the normal price of N97.

Except we have our own refinery working at maximum capacity, we shall continue to experience this kind of situation. Let private refineries spring up and when this occurs, the fuel price will fall. This kind of monopoly of our oil sector by the Federal Government is not good at all”.

In his views, Mr. Solarin Adekunle, a hospitality expert said “up till now, the Government has not considered it necessary to inform us what actually led to this unpleasant situation.

When a well-organised nation in a developed world is having problem of this nature, they don’t treat their citizens as fools. They keep them abreast of the situation. See how we are suffering and nobody has deemed it fit to tell us why and when this will stop. If they want to increase the pump fuel price, let them be bold enough to tell all Nigerians and be ready for the consequences of their action.They should not use this scarcity to impose a new price on us. They should know that Nigerians are wiser now. We are no longer monkeys they can sway their opinions anyhow”.

ABEOKUTA:

It’s lamentation galore

By DAUD OLATUNJI

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here seems to be no immedi ate solution in sight to the lin gering fuel scarcity across the country as most depots are in short supply at the time of this report. Already, the impact of the scarcity is taking adverse effect on socio-economic activities in some parts of the country due to increase in transport fares. In Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, the situation is the same as most filling stations in town are not selling the product. There were long queues of vehicles at the premises of the few filling stations that have the product.As against the normal price of N97 per litre, the few stations that have fuel are selling between N100 and N120 per litre. Motorists in Abeokuta and it environs have continued to accuse marketers in the

state of hoarding the product with the intention of maximising their profit.

Some of the people who spoke with our correspondent lamented that life has not been easy for them as a result of the increase in the cost of commodities. A driver who pleaded anonymity said, “ the transport fares have increased geometrically following the fuel scarcity in the state”.

Many filling stations have been under lock and key since the crisis.

Some were hoarding the fuel and selling it at midnight and early hours.

This acute shortage of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, has crippled government and economic activities in Ogun State.

Ogun state government seems to have paid dearly for it as the scarcity bites harder.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that due to the fuel crisis, the state water

corporation has been rendered almost redundant .

Most small scale businesses have been crippled because of the shortage of the PMS. Meanwhile, men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps in the state have continued to seal off some filling stations for selling above the official pump price.

Also, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigerian has blamed the persistent fuel scarcity in the country on the late release of Allocation schedule by the Government.

The Treasurer of the Association in the Southwest, Alhaji Surajudeen Baba who spoke with Saturday Vanguard maintained that the scarcity would continue to linger except there is a tremendous increase in supply to various depots.

Filling stations close shop

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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hen the current long queues resurfaced in filling stations in the predominantly riverine Bayelsa State two weeks ago, many did not believe it would persist this long due to the government call on residents not to embark on panic buying as everything was being done to address the scarcity.

However, the situation in the state has deteriorated to the extent that most car owners have since abandoned their vehicles at home due to the stress involved in the procurement of the product.

Also, the fuel scarcity in town is further compounded by the epileptic electricity supply to most part of the capital city with the result that residents are made to struggle for the product with car owners to power their generating sets.

Virtually all the filling stations in the state have since closed shop due to the non availability of the product while the few stations dispensing fuel are characterized by long queues.

Jerry cans of different sizes from black marketers now donned the nooks and crannies of the state capital on account of what sources blamed on shortfall in supply to the state by the Department of Petroleum Resources, Port- Harcourt.

Some black marketers who spoke to Saturday Vanguard on condition of anonymity said they got their supply from filling stations in Yenagoa many of which are under lock and key.

According to them, they bought a litre at N130 and sold same between N250 and N300 at the black market.

The cost, they argued is determined by the bargaining skill or desperation of buyers.

Interestingly, these fuel hawkers are clustered in front of the shut down filling stations where desperate motorists sought after them to purchase fuel.

Our correspondent, who went around Yenagoa and its environs, observed that only the NNPC mega filling station along the Sani Abacha expressway was dispensing fuel at the official N97 pump price. The other few retail outlets were selling between N130 and N150 but with their pumps adjusted and under dispensing to unsuspecting motorists.

Saturday Vanguard check further revealed that most motorists now leave their homes early as 4.30am to queue up for fuel at the NNPC mega filling station selling at the official N97 per litre.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, MARCH 8 8, 2014—19

KADUNA: Marketers snub DPR authority

By Luka Binniyat

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CALABAR: Scarcity persists , as Nigerian Navy Impounds ship with 15,000 tones of PMS

By EMMA UNA

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ALABAR- THE Fuel scarcity which started in Cross River State in the last week of February is persisting and is biting even harder as few filling stations are dispensing the product to motorists.

Calabar, the state capital is the most hit as the product is only available in the black market where young men move around selling the product at very exorbitant rates. A litre sells for between N250 and N300 and much of it is adulterated with kerosene which is available and still sells for N120 a litre.

Some motorists do take trips outside Calabar to buy fuel for their cars in places like Odukpani, Akamkpa amd Ugep about fifty kilometers away. A trip outside Calabar shows that beginning from Odukpani local government area which adjoins to Ogoja which is some 400 kilometres away, some filling stations still dispense fuel to motorists but at prices ranging from N130 to N200 per litre.

The scarcity has led to long queues at bus stops while the cost of transportation and other services have gone up. For instance, taxi fares that used to be N50 and N100 for short distances within the city have increased to N100 and N200 respectively for the same distances.

Also, prices for services like internet, barbing, hairdressing, laundry and computer services have tripled.

Internet services that used to be N200 per hour is now N400 while barbing of hair that used to cost N300 in a standard barber’s salon now cost N500.

On why the scarcity persists, a source at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, attributes it to lack of delivery of the product to its depot in Calabar occasioned by delays in the signing of documents for the importation of the product into the country.

“Our refineries are not functioning, so the petroleum products we use in this country are imported and this

quarter, the authorities are yet to sign documents for importation of the product. It will take about a month before the situation will stabilize because the documentation and importation has to go through some processes before bringing in the product”.

Mr Michael Udo, the Chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers, IPMAN said the filling stations are shut because there are no products in the stations; it is only when we have products that we can sell”.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory ,NNS Victory in Calabar which impounded a giant sea vessel, M.T. Diddi suspected to be in-

MAKURDI:

Fuel scarcity bites harder

•10 Marketers arrested for sharp practices

BY PETER DURU

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ocial and economic activi ties are gradually ground ing to a halt in Makurdi the Benue state capital and its environs as the scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, or fuel which surfaced in the state about two weeks ago continues to bite harder with the product presently selling for as high as N250 per litre at the black market. Saturday Vanguard investigations uncovered that while virtually all the filling stations in town were under lock and key, black marketers were busy making brisk business as desperate motorists continue to patronize them.

As at the time of filing this report, it was only the NNPC Mega station on Old Otukpo road and Silveray Petroleum that had products to dispense to hordes of motorists who had

volved with irregularities in the process of moving 15,000 tons of Premium Motor Spirit , PMS, has ordered the product to be discharged into the jetty for onward sale to marketers to reduce the scarcity.

Owners of M.T. Diddi vessel, Sea Transport Services Nigeria limited, however, insist the vessel was on a normal transportation of petroleum product to Dozzy oil and Gas in Calabar and it has nothing to do with bunkering or illegal transaction.

They argued that the vessel which had carried legal activities within Lome, Lagos and the West African cost had received a discharge order from Dozzy oil and Gas to discharge PMS to Dozzy from offshore Lome in Togo. besieged them. The two stations had to contend with long queues of motorists because they were selling at the government approved pump price of N97 per litre. However, investigations uncovered that the NNPC Station had resorted to rationing its products by dispensing only 30 liters to car owners while motorbike riders were served only ten litres.

When Saturday Vanguard made attempts to find out why the station resorted to rationing, none of the officials was ready to speak on the matter. At the moment, the ever busy Makurdi-Enugu road has been experiencing horrible gridlock as a result of the traffic situation in front of the Mega station. A motorist, Terser Timothy “my car ran out of fuel a week ago and I’ve been making efforts to buy fuel in the last two days but regrettably, that has become an herculean task .

“I joined the queue two days ago but before coming here, I had battled for many days to get fuel but it was not easy. We are forced to patronize black marketers who sell for as high as N250 per litre.

“That is certainly not sustainable by a civil servant like me, which is why I decided to remain here at the mega station hoping that I would be attended to.

ADUNA – Many petrol stations that did not have petrol days back, now have the product, but sold above the official pump price of N97 per litre.

Saturday Vanguard’s investigation Wednesday revealed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and few mega filling stations which had fuel sold at the official pump price, thus attracting very long queues. But the Independent Marketers have defied control and sold fbetween N110 per litre and N132 per litre.

Meanwhile, black marketers displayed their wares unabashed in front of filling stations selling to desperate buyers at N160 to N180 per litre, with no authority challenging them.

In the northern part of the city, from Station round-about to Kawu, the situation has improved as most of the filling stations sold fuel, but the long queues have only marginally decreased.

In the Southern part, particularly Kakuri and Sabon Tasha-Maraban Rido axis, the situation seemed less grim in terms of queues, but the shylock practices of Independent Marketers remained the same as at Wednesday.

The Kaduna Petrol Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), which produces N2 million litres of PMS daily, and mandated to satisfy Kaduna state and its immediate environs has not stopped production, Saturday Vanguard had confirmed.

“The problem is that, as soon as there is fuel scarcity, perceived or real, marketers start their antics”, an official of the KRPC who requested that his name not be mentioned, told our Correspondent.

“They either divert the product to the areas of scarcity and sell to second parties at high rates or they start systematic hoarding through the use of one or two dispensing points, thus creating queues, which in turn inspire panic buying”, he said. “There is no excuse for whatever reason for fuel scarcity in Kaduna, because everyday, not less than 300 trucks are loaded here with petrol”, he said.

But the branch of government armed by law to police the sales of fuel and sundry matters seemed incapacitated or was in collusion with the racketeers. But the acting Public Relations Officer if the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Mallam Rabiu Bello, told Journalists yesterday that the Department was “on top of the situation”.

He claimed that they have shut down 17 filling stations for various offences. He said that they were in continued monitoring of erring filling stations,

20—SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014 — 21

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22 —SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

I cry at weddings — Theresa Edem, fast-rising Nollywood actress

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eneath her suave looks and splendid stature is a talent slowing gathering storm in Nollywood.

Theresa Edem is building for herself a personality that will no doubt, someday, become a brand, that can only get better. But if rookies are green, not Theresa, who speaks with passion and opens her heart to Kehinde Ajose on her journey as an actress, how far she can go in a movie role and the one thing people hardly know about her.

BY KEHINDE AJOSE

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have always been someone with acting abilities for as long as I could remember. From being a member of the drama club in my primary school to being a member of the drama department in church and finally the big screen. Besides, my hobbies have been related to acting too; telling stories, writing, reading novels, singing and so on. My career actually began at Royal Arts Academy, Lagos. It’s been a demanding journey, but I’m grateful for it all the same.

I hold a B.Tech in Animal Science, from Federal University of Technology Owerri and then a certificate in acting from Royal Arts Academy. Acting has always been part of me from childhood. Though there are a few careers I admired growing up, I’ve always wanted to be in the entertainment field, specifically the movie industry.

I pay more attention to who I am inside, than outside. The qualities that add value to other people are more inside than otherwise. Well, though I have done movies, featured in some exciting commercials, TV series, and radio drama, most of which have not yet been released. I think that “After the

I don’t live a covert life. Anything about me that people don’t understand, they only need to ask and I’ll be glad to explain Proposal” is really very remarkable; it has put me in the limelight and has bagged nominations and we are keeping our fingers crossed that it will bag more nominations and wins too. The best of me is still on the way.

On the international scene, I admire Johnny Depp, Meryl

Streep, Kate Blanchett, Tyler Perry and of course, I absolutely admire Lupita Nyong’O she gives me hope, but in Nollywood, I must say that I’m inspired by Emem Isong ,Uduak Ogumanam Isong ,Uche Jumbo Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Ekehinde,Mercy Johnson ,Desmond Elliot, Kunle Afolayan and some others. I might also add that from Ghana, Shirley Frimpong- Manso inspires me too.

I believe in professionalism.

Having said that, I would go to great lengths to bring truth and depth to my character. I won’t stop being better at my craft, but

STAYING IN

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he weekend is a time to stay in and plan for the new week.

Planning will make you more effective and doing it before the week starts means you can hit Monday ready to go and achieve your set goals .Planning also involves thinking on paper. There is a need to write down your plans for the new week in order to help you have clarity C M Y K

I also believe in my personal convictions. So I’d never go beyond certain limits I consider “too far ”.

I’ll always recommend a Godly, hard working, gentleman as a model for the menfolk.

I don’t live a covert life. Anything about me that people don’t understand, they only need to ask and I’ll be glad to explain.

However, I reserve the right to keep certain aspects confidential. But one of the few things people don’t know about me is that I cry at weddings because the emotions are too great for me to hide. I get all mushy when vows are being exchanged. I try to keep it discreet and all but it all always gets the better of me.

GOING OUT

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ocialize: Human beings are social creatures and connecting with others leads to opportunities and opens doors. Studies of people who experienced happiness show that socializing ranks right up there .Go out with friends and family, or get involved in adding value to others.

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014 — 23

BY JULIET EBIRIM

Should there be gender equality in marriage?

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he protection and promotion of gender rights and equality in Nigeria has generated diverse reactions from members of the public. While some people are of the view that women should be given equal rights alongside their male counterparts, others believe that women should be relegated to the background, only to be seen and not heard.This has given rise to marital conflict. Our reporter samples the views of some entertainers on this issue.

The man should wield more power in certain areas — Kehinde Bankole, Actress

Women should be respected and appreciated — Ejike Asiegbu, Nollywood Actor

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s a gender sensitive person, I think we need to support our wives, respect and appreciate the fact that it’s not easy for them to handle so many things at the same time. Looking at it from the African perspective, even though there should be a balance, women should not abdicate their Godgiven responsibilities and natural roles as wives and mothers. While some people advocate gender equality, there has to be respect and understanding between husband and wife if they must move the family forward. For a working class woman, who also takes care of the home, the man needs to appreciate and respect her.

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here are different departments in marriage. There are departments where a husband and wife should have equal rights; equal rights in loving their children, and handling some of the family responsibilities. At the same time, I think the man should wield more power in certain areas. Summarily,

husband and wife should share in the upkeep of the family. Though in some areas, I think the man should have slightly an edge over the woman.

Husband and wife desire equal respect — Desmond Elliot, Actor

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think, there should be gender equality in marriage because this is a modern society.

But that doesn’t rule out the fact that a woman should be submissive to her husband, while the man, in accordance with the Holy Book should show love to his wife. Since the woman is also contributing a lot, in the family, she should be accorded equal respect.

A man is a man kar, Actress — Halima Abaduofbthae family. He should be acmcoerdanedd

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he man is the he oman’s role is to build her ho esn’t that respect. A w d unity in the family. But that do ing baby- mak maintain peace an ced to a maid orould be allowed du re be to s ha job, she sh mean she ants to pick up a not be idle machine. If she w a business outfit. She should respected up ly t gh se hi time and to do so, or pete with shown love at all and she must be ldn’t advise any woman to com ou w I . an! by the man use a man is a m her husband beca

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Women shouldn’t be neglected — Timi Dakolo, Singer

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think, husband and wife should share equal rights in marriage. We need to create a balance in the society. Women shouldn’t be neglected or relegated to the background because of their sex.

24 — SATURDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 8, 2014

08111813050

Rich and influential ex beauty queens!

The lifestyles of beauty queens during their reign are synonymous with affluence. They exhibit style, finesse and panache in public places and they are regarded as role models. Soon after their reign, some disappear into oblivion while others become more successful and relevant in their chosen career or whatever else they choose to do. We bring to you the interesting lifestyles of some ex-beauty queens.

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NIKE OSHINOWO

geless beauty, Nike Oshinowo is not a neophyte when it comes to the business of looking good. In other words, Oshinowo is synonymous with pageantry.

After her reign as the first Yoruba woman to win Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria(MBGN) in 1990, she had gone ahead to contest for Miss World. She ran a health and beauty spa, Skin Deep for seven years before it was sold as she wanted to create her own range of beauty products. The beauty queen who had adorned the cover of many magazines, did TV commercial for Venus cosmetics and owns a restaurant. She released in 2010, the first celebrity fitness DVD video, ‘Nike Oshinowo: Fit, Forty and Fabulous’. At the moment, she is working on a lifestyle beauty

products which will include skincare, fragrance and haircare.

After six attempts, Oshinowo bought the Miss Nigeria franchise which was a success. She recently organised a beauty pageant of all pageants when she shook the world with the Centenary Queen pageant.

The winner would reign for 100 years including monthly salary and other pecks of office for the rest of her life. 47 year old, Oshinowo who is CEO, AOE Events speaks five languages including French and Japanese. She lives in highbrow Ikoyi and cruises around in stateof-the art cars.

BIANCA ONOH R

ated as the most beautiful girl of all time, Bianca Onoh OdumegwuOjukwu is the first African to win Miss Intercontinental. A lawyer cum business woman who owns Bianca Blend, a cosmetics business and Mirabella, an interior decorating outfit, Bianca established a non-govermental organisation, Hope House Trust, which deals with the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders in her home state, Enugu.

Married to the late Biafran warlord, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu,

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REGINA ASKIA

he name Regina Askia in the 90s means many things to many people.

Any how, you want to look at it, she is a success

story in her chosen careers. The ex-beauty queen, model, was an accomplished actress, a TV producer, writer. She is currently an American based registered Nurse and educational activist.

Before she got married to her American husband, Rudy Williams, the hazel eye indigene of Akwa Ibom was every man’s dream. The former Miss UNILAG came into the consciousness of Nigerians when she was crowned Miss Nigeria after Bianca Onoh resigned in 1989, to become Miss Intercontinental. She also made history by becoming the first Nigerian at Miss International. She further registered her presence when she featured in several television and print commercials including Collectibles, Kessingsheen Hair Care and Visine.

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Bianca who is the leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), a political party, was the former Nigeria’s Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs and the country’s ambassador to Ghana.

Though from a wealthy background, Bianca who inherited immense wealth from her late husband lives like a 'princess' with the good things of life at her beck and call aside her portfolio as Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain.

Askia, however, became a household name when she veered into acting, featuring in so many soap operas and blockbuster movies. Among them were Mega Fortunes, Slave Warrior: The Beginning, Veno, Dangerous Babe, Man Snatcher, Festival of Fire, Vuga, Vuga 2, Dirty Game, Full Moon, Highway to the Grave, Juliet, Must Die, The President’s Daughter and many others. She has received several awards for her performances including one for “Best Actress in Nigeria” by Afro Hollywood London in 2000 - and has produced several television shows and films.

Askia-Williams who survived the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and worked on several runway shows, owns ‘Regine Fashions’. She has also hosted various fashion shows in the US. Currently, she co-hosts an Internet broadcast discussion program, African Health Dialogues as well as promotes collaboration between Africa and its diaspora with her fashion shows as well as medical missions to Africa.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 8, 2014 — 25

AGBANI DAREGO H

istory was made in the annals of beauty pageantry in the country when the flag of Nigeria was hoisted in far away….when Agbani Darego won the Miss World title, the first black African to clinch the crown.

Though, Darego from Abonema in Rivers State has always wanted to be a model from childhood, she auditioned against her father’s wish for the M-Net Face of Africa modelling competition but was not chosen as a finalist.

Her perseverance paid off in 2001, when she was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria. Later that same year, she became the first Nigerian to be placed among the top 10 semi finalists at Miss Universe pageant.

Her reign as Miss World no doubt came with a lot of goodwill which includes trips, special guest appearances on beauty events and a national honour, MFR. Her status as Miss World, Miss Nigeria and her stint at Miss Universe brought her mouth-watering deals and endorsements within and outside the shores of Nigeria.

They include her being a participant at a charity concert in Barcelona,‘Front N Roll,’a modelling deal with Donald Trump’s management in establishing ties with modelling agencies in the US, appearances in advertis-

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ing campaigns for hair care brand, Gentle Touch, Face of Arik Air as well as gracing covers of Allure, Elle, Marie Claire, Trace, Essence, Cosmopolitan, Complete Fashion, Genevieve, True Love, TW magazine, Mania, among others.

Her demand grew even more after her reign as she raked in millions of dollars by representing Paris and London branches of Next Model Management and also grabbed a three year contract with L’Oreal becoming the second black model to do so after former Miss USA, Vanessa Williams.She has modelled for top international brands such as Christian Dior, Target, Avon, Macy’s and Sephora aside working with international designers such as Tommy Hillfiger, Raalph Lsuren, Oscar de la Renta, Marc Bouwer and Gianfranco. Darego has judged numerous pageants, modelling and fashion and competitions including Mr. Scotland 2002, Miss England 2002 and Elite Model Look Nigeria 2012. A graduate of Psychology, Darego launched a style and fashion reality show Stylogenic, four years ago and currently runs her Denim range, AD by Agbani Darego, which will include jeans, bags and dresses.

MARIAM ELISHA

reathtakingly beautiful Mariam Elisha is gradually but steadily giving top designers in the country a run for their money with her clothing line, Rikaoto.

The former Miss Valentine and Miss Nigeria contestant who began her modelling career years ago has graced both national and international runways as a model. She has modelled for various multinationals like MTN on bill board, TV ads, among others.

The graduate of English, University of Lagos is also making waves in the media with her Urban Style magazine which cele-

brates the works of fashion designers and style in a unique way.

One thing that cannot be taken away from her is her large heart. She currently caters for the need of at least 40 indigent kids by providing their school uniforms, school fees, feeding, among others. With all of these, the well traveled queen who cruises in different automobiles loves the good things of life.

OMOWUNMI AKINIFESI A

t age 18, in 2005, pretty daughter of a former director of Nigeria’s apex bank, Central Bank of Nigeria, Omowunmi Akinifesi was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria.

Akinifesi who spent her early years in Sierra Leone and a graduate of Geography and Regional Planning from the University of Lagos has her own public relations and usherhiring business, Elle Poise and Elle Tech, an environmental

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consulting agency.

Hailed as a style icon and honoured by Allure Styles Awards in 2011, the environmental ambassador for Lagos State in 2012, currently working on her fashion line, obtained a Masters degree in Environmental Monitoring, Modelling, and Management from King’s College, London.

IBINABO FIBERESIMA

o say Ibinabo is not famous and rich is an understatement. Born to an Irish mother and an Okrika

father, Ibinabo Fiberesima is currently the first female president of Actors Guild of Nigeria and she is having a ball with her status.

A graduate of English Language and Literature from the University of Ibadan, Ibinabo won Miss Wonderland in 1997, became first runner up to Miss Nigeria that same year and also second runner up to Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 1988. The fairbeauty who stamped her feet in the entertainment industry when she joined

Nollywood with a superb performance in ‘Most Wanted,’ ran the defunct Pyramid club in Victoria Island for six years before she closed it down. She went ahead to produce her own movie, ‘A Night in the Phillipines’. IB as she is fondly called by her fans and friends aside her current position as a member of the board of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), is the national director for Nigeria to the Miss Earth beauty pageant and Miss International beauty pageant. She organises environmental tours in Nigeria especially the Niger Delta. Recently she added a N20m worth of Mercedes Benz G-Class with the initials, AGN 1 to it.

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26—SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

my rock stuffs.

Okay, maybe you decided to do Afro-pop because rock isn’t popular and wouldn’t bring market success?

Rock music is so popular in this country. I know through my show and emails I get from people thanking me about the show. We’ve a lot of people craving to hear rock music live, but right now, we don’t have that .

Like I said, I want to try something different. You can always merge any kind of music with rock music, if the producer really knows what to do. You can always merge rock music and rap music, rock music and techno, rock and any other kind of music depending on the artiste, band or the producer.

Every day in the music world or in the industry, you learn something different. I’m learning something different now aside from rock music.

Which is fantastic!

Testaments of a Nigerian rock star

We’ve a lot of Nigerians craving for rock music — Pammy Jo

By AYO ONIKOYI

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hen you hear ‘pop rock and heavy metal rock’ you mentally start thinking of the likes of Bon Jon Jovi, Alanis Morisset, Annie Lennox, Avril Lavigne and even Miley Cyrus without your mind having a picture of a Nigerian in the long list. But the truth, according to Pammy Jo, a Nigerian rock star, who left the stage, a couple of years back and making a return, rock musicians abound in Nigeria and they are ready to come out of their quiet enclave to claim the stage!

Pammy Jo started her career back in 2005 as a rock singer, producer, editor and TV host.

She staged the first ever rock concert in 2009, and claimed to have discovered so many talents. She’s back with two singles, of the Afro-hiphop genre, saying , she only wanted to try something new, insisting her passion is rock.

Hear her out: Can you highlight your career till date?

Pammy Jo started her career in 2005 professionally, and released an Afro-techno song with rock flare called ‘Lale lale’. The video had a massive airplay on TV stations in Nigeria, with the special attention from Channel 0 and abroad. In 2007, she produced and

What actually inspired you to go into rock because that isn’t something overtly popular here?

I grew up with the country, and rock music in my home. I was inspired by listening to rock music growing up at home and on the radio stations coming back from school.

I was an active member of former D’Guzel band. We have rock singers in Nigeria, that are yet to be discovered directed the first ever Nigerian rock TV program which aired on the 7th July on Lagos Weekend Television, TVC and cable networks.

The show had good reviews and was one of the best. On the show rock music videos were aired with exclusive interviews with rock singers, Actors, TV personnels, and major players in the entertainment industry, sprinkled with spotlight on some foreign artistes as well.

In 2009, she decided to take a bolder step to organise the first-ever Nigerian all-rock concert tagged ‘Eat Rock Shit Rock’ at the Event Centre and

The vault, in Victoria Island, Lagos. The first Nigerian allrock ‘Gothrock’ magazine was also launched. The concerts was feathering Nigerian rock bands and rock artistes, and some underground rock bands from outside Nigeria also.

Are there really good rock singers in Nigeria I’m a rock singer. I was an active member of former D’Guzel band. We have rock singers in Nigeria, that are yet to be discovered. My show and the rock concerts discovered lots and lots of rock artistes.

Now that you are back, what

D’Banj is still with Kanye West reasons for the split emerged.

—Manager As bloggers said Kanye and

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ollowing reports gathered via D’banj’s twitter handle where the multiple award- winning hiphop artist made a shocking disclosure which reads ‘BANGA LEE/EJANLA’ instead of the initial ‘G.O.O.D Music’ record as part of his biography, news has it that it was a mistake as D’Banj edited his Twitter bio and somehow, when he was done, his G, O.O.D music affiliation was off the bio. As a result of that, it got everyone talking, and immediately possible

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D’Banj’s partnership got bitter since all D’Banj could gain from it was Kanye’s appearance on his ‘Oliver Twist ‘video, a verse in the ‘Scapegoat’ remix and a not more than three seconds appearance in the ‘Mercy’ video. Some others claimed it was over because D’Banj ‘gained’ paying hefty fees to have G.O.O.D Music acts, Pusha T, Big Sean and affiliate 2Chainz to feature on his annual show.

are you bringing anew?

In 2012, Pammy Jo decided to release a song and a video from her rock album called ‘Loose yourself ’. In 2013, she decided to do some Afro pop with some highlife flare and worked with some top Nigerian producers. The songs ‘Awigiri’ and ‘Ayakoromo’ were released on March 1,2014 So, you have dumped rock music?

I haven’t left rock music because I still have a full 30song album, but I just want to try something different with music, what I haven’t done before and its so exciting! I still play my guitars and do all

Are your videos as raunchy as most in the market now?

Hmm, no offence to anyone.

But my videos are done in poise, sexy and telling a story at the same time. I always like to do something different.

‘Loose Yourself ’ video made a lot of people thought I’m not a Nigerian. Interpretation of the video is deep!

Most female artistes use their sexuality to sell their music(videos), how far can you go in using your sexuality to sell your music?

It depends on how I want to use it but I’m not looking on only sexuality to sell my music or video. Aside from that, when you make good music and how you take the good music to people; to understand the message shouldn’t be a hard thing to do.

Don Jazzy recruits new acts

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ce music producer Don Jazzy whose stock in trade is nurturing talents recently recruited three new acts to his Mavin camp. The label unveiled Di’ja , Reekado Banks, and Korede Bello .Di’Ja(Real name Hadiza Blell)is a Nigerian-Sierra Leonean damsel whose new single’Yaro’ produced by Don Jazzy is fast becoming fan’s favourite. Solomon Ayoleyi Hanniel a.k.a Reekado Banks whose voice has a raggae tone didn’t escape Don Jazzy’s talent discovery abilities. His debut track ‘Turn it up’ where he collaborates with Tiwa Savage is an irresistible dance track.

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

— 27

BY SIMON PETERS ABUH

E

nemali Ojochenemi Hannah, known by the stage name ‘Diva Ice’ is a petite, beautiful girl with a vocal strength that would stir the emotions of even the vegetated minds. She is from Kogi State and only recently graduated from Lead City University Ibadan, where she read Mass Communications. She says music is her passion, adding that much could be felt from her voice which resonates with a smooth vibration of Chidinma, the eloquence and dexterity of Tiwa Savage with demure attitude and serenity of Omawumi.

with any ariste?

Not yet but I’m working on it.

Do you think you have what it takes to survive in the Nigeria’s music Industry?

Yes, I have God and I have determination. That’s all I think I need.

What’s your opinion about the Nigeria Music Industry?

I think the Nigeria’s music industry is doing great. Except for the fact that their videos are becoming very promiscuous and vain. Besides, I see nothing stopping the industry from becoming the best in the world.

Tell us about your educational background!

I’m a graduate of Lead City University Ibadan, where I studied Mass Communication. I had my Primary and Secondary school education in Port – Harcourt and Kaduna respectively.

Why did you decide to go into music instead of pursuing a career in broadcasting or journalism?

Music for me, is a passion, it’s an integral part of me and I can’t do without it. I choose to go into music because it’s what I enjoy doing and its also part of my field of study.

At what stage did you realise that you would be doing music professionally?

My father had always supported my music because he was also a music person.

But I started doing music professionally in 2008, after my Diploma programme in the University of Jos. Have you released any album or working on one?

I don’t have an album at the moment, but I am working tirelessly on it.

What’s the title?

I don’t have a title at the moment. But I hope to do so very soon.

How many tracks?

Not sure how many tracks will be on it yet.

Who produced your job?

I worked with different producers and artistes from Kaduna, Ibadan and Lagos. I have worked with Dollars, Infinity,T.K. Tpiano and many others.

What’s your next plan of action?

My next move is to come up with an album for my fans and to let them know what I have to offer.

I have a touch of every musician in me — Diva Ice

It’s a huge challenge because most times it is not easy to deliver when you‘re not in the right mood and more often than not you get distractions

Have you done collaboration

What inspires your music?

Everything around me inspires my music; love, money and things that also happen around me inspire me.

Tell us about the shows and tours you‘ve had so far?

As an upcoming artiste I haven’t really had any major shows. But I have had minor shows in Kaduna, Abuja and Lagos. I have performed at “Night of a Thousand Laughs’ as well as Valentine Day shows.

Have you launched any of your jobs?

No, I haven’t, but I’m planning to do so as soon as all my songs are complete.

Who is your is your biggest influence in the industry both locally and internationally?

Internationally, my biggest influence is Beyonce and Keri – Hilson. Locally, my number one mentor is Tiwa Savage.

What are the challenges you face during recording sessions?

Wow! It’s a huge challenge because most times it is not easy to deliver when you‘re not in the right mood and more often than not you get distractions.

What additional skills do you possess that would give you an edge over other artistes?

I think I have a bit of everything an artiste could boast of, meaning I have a touch of every musician or artiste I know, to come up something unique, different and original.

Any words for your fans?

I love you, and I’ll make you proud.

Phyno features P-Square in new album Azubuike Chibuzo Nelson whose stage name is Phyno, is one of Nigeria’s fast rising stars in the music industry .

In less than three years of his debut in the industry as a rap artiste, Phyno has been everywhere , as a rising musician. Few months back, he bagged Headies award as ‘Best Rap Act’ single for his hit track “Man of the Year”.

Presently , the Headies’ winner, Phyno, is back again with another club banger , few days after the release of his ‘Parcel’ music video.

This time, Phyno squares up with the hottest twin in the game, P-Square, to deliver a fresh tune entitled ‘O Set’ which is set to rock the airwaves as soon as it drops.

Obsere’s rape scandal is conspiracy, says publicist BENJAMIN NJOKU

T

he publicist to Fuji star, Abass Akande Obsere who was accused of raping a 29-year old business woman, Miss Olanike Olaiya, Deola Adeoti has described the allegation as a grand conspiracy to tarnish the image of his client.

Reacting to the arrest cum release of his client by the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, Lagos, during the week, Adeoti said, given Obesere’s status as a music star with a lot of female fans, he couldn’t have committed the crime, he was accused of.

According to him, “Obesere came in contact with this lady, Miss Olanike Olaiya, on February 5, 2014 in Ibadan through his old friend, Bola Okoro for an ongoing business project tagged ‘Obesere Rice.’ She is supposed to be one of beneficiaries of the project as a marketer.”

“During their business discussion, she came to Obesere’s Lagos residence in Okota on February 10, 2014. Obviously, an intimate relationship between two consenting adult had developed between them. Awed by Obesere’s famous celebrity image, she was all over him, entering every nook and crannies of his house like the woman of the house, and even offering to do the cooking, and making several advances for a romantic relationship with the Fuji star. One thing led to the other, and she offered to stay the night in the cozy environment.”

“After having a swell time, she departed the following day with smiles. But to Obesere’s utter surprise, he got an invitation from the Isolo Police Division that a girl who departed happily from his house has reported him for rape, four days after her departure. To him, it was a laughable matter.”

‘Obesere’s rape scandal

is a grand conspiracy.”

Obesere was arrested last Wednesday but was later released on bail. On Monday, he was arrested again after a medical examination revealed that Olanike was raped. The Fuji star admits they are lovers and had sexual intercourse when she visited him. Meanwhile, narrating her ordeal, Olanike insisted that Obsere raped her and afterwards inserted a ring he wore into her private part as she started bleeding. “He hurriedly left me in the room saying he had an appointment to fulfil.I could not bear the trauma and the bleeding as I reported the matter to the police,” Olanike said.

Cour ts res tr aining or der on Br ymo Courtt lif lifts restr training order Brymo

BY KEHINDE AJOSE

I

t is no long news that Chocolate City got a restraining order against Brymo sometime last year .The injunction has been lifted .

According to Justice I. Buba of the Federal High Court Ikoyi Lagos: ‘Since the plaintiff (Chocolate City) can be compensated at a later date, the defendant is free to carry out his duties as a singer,so that none of the parties will be at a disadvantage,’ Justice Buba said.

The judge adjourned the case in order to give the counsels more time to provide witnesses so as to back up their claims. Brymo clad in a black native outfit was accompanied to the court by his father and girl friend. The case was further adjourned to March 19th 2014

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28—SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

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f you are anything like a large number of women, your guy is the center of your universe. Your thoughts revolve around him, your day is punctuated by his smiles and your worth determined by how satisfied he is with all that you do to make him happy. You pour love into the relationship hoping that every ounce you give will come back to you as appreciation. And because your love fuels him, he shines like the sun. Even when his plans supersede yours, his work is deemed more important, and his words hold more weight. At the end of the day you don’t mind, because after all – you love him. Is it possible to love someone too much?

Many women equate loving a man with perpetual giving, submitting and acquiescing. A woman seems to have an endless supply of love to give to others, but little to give to herself. She tends to submit thinking her role is to support rather than to direct and will acquiesce her power in the relationship to help her man feel more powerful and remain dominant. A woman’s identity is dependent on proving her love, while a man’s identity is more defined by how well he provides. A woman feels fulfilled when she is doing everything she can to make her man happy. She seldom realizes how little she gets in return.

Is it healthy to love this guy too much? And how do you know?

Standing on your head to make him happy If your man is grumbling, seems distant, and uncommunicative it’s not necessarily your cue to jump up and start catering to his needs. Fluffing his pillow or spending hours in the kitchen fixing his favorite meal won’t cure his woes.

It will only exhaust you. Yes, he’s everything to you. But doing “everything” for him assumes he is a cripple and is demeaning. If you continue on this vein, your man will likely see you as a dotting mother type rather than the “goddess of love” you wish to be. Women often feel overly responsible for their men’s wounds and moods, thinking that they in someway caused them. In their eyes, they must have done something wrong to cause him to slip into silence. A woman, therefore, sees it as her duty to nurture him into a mood change. In this case, a woman’s love is tainted by her

e v o l u o y s n g i S h c ch u m o o t to him shame.

Looking up to him and looking down on yourself Many women put men on a pedestal because of a collective legacy of feminine degradation. After all, the sun shines brightest and the moon only glows because of the sun. For centuries, women have been trained and conditioned to believe a man’s intelligence is superior. This conditioned belief is difficult to shake even for the most liberated and accomplished woman. If you are the type to put your guy on a high mountain, thinking he is more intelligent, capable and ultimately more important, all that admiration will make you look pathetic. Your adoration

XPERT E S E H T K AS I am 16 years old. Is licking the her private part or breasts of an unknown woman safe?

If she is infected (and you won’t know if she is), and you have a point of entry on your body, like a cut, you can catch the infection. So, stick to licking a lollipop.

I am a 29-year-old woman and my husband is 34. He has a small manhood and ejaculates within two minutes. Since I am dissatisfied, he allows me to have sex with our neighbour who is well endowed. Now, my husband wants to invite one more friend over for a sex orgy.

I confided in my elder sister, and she too

will likely only fuel an already too big ego and does little to elevate your self-worth.

Abandoning your friends to spend every waking minute with him The worst thing a woman can do is to deny herself time with her friends, thinking her partner will miss her, can’t fend for himself, or that she will meet with disapproval if she spends too much time away from him.

If you are the type to only contact friends when your mate isn’t home or hang up the phone abruptly when he comes through the door, your friends are probably annoyed by your rude behaviour. A woman’s friendships outside of her relationship feed and

A woman feels fulfilled when she is doing everything she can to make her man happy.

She seldom realizes how little she gets in return reward her. And in times when things aren’t running smoothly in her relationship, good friends offer support and advice.

Your goals don’t matter as

wants to join. Besides, whenever I see a stranger, I look at his groin and fantasise about the size. Is this normal?

I can’t figure what advise to give a mixed-up family like yours. You are certainly not the average normal woman. And neither is your husband.

I am 30 years old. I have been experiencing an itching sensation in my anus and pubic area. I have applied several creams but it hasn’t helped. It is embarrassing when colleagues catch me scratching my behind.

See your doctor for a de-worm medication. Also, apply Betnovate GM cream I am 20 years old. Whenever I see a woman with wet or oily hair, I get sexually aroused. I feel like

much as his Abandoning your goals whether a career choice, an educational opportunity or a spiritual journey because you believe your partner’s goals will serve you more in the end, will derail your hopes for personal fulfillment. Maybe the reason why you sacrifice your goals to encourage his is because you believe he deserves success more than you or because deep inside, you don’t believe in yourself. If you put your personal goals on the backburner too long, your dreams will simmer away.

Kissing up too often Contrary to your belief, kissing up to your man won’t tame the beast in him. He will only lose respect for you and complain even more. It is not uncommon for a woman to side with her mate even if she knows he’s wrong, support poor decisions or refrain from giving advice thinking she is proving her love and faith in him by keeping silent. If you find yourself the one to always say you are sorry first, taking the brunt of the blame for all arguments, you will lose selfrespect. Sure, you may believe it is easier just to let him think he’s won, but he has lost something valuable too – his respect for you.

masturbating at that moment. Is this normal? Please suggest a solution.

Stop being a peeping tom. If you get excited and masturbate, it is okay. Make sure you only fantasise and do not offend anybody.

I am 23 years old. I have been masturbating from the age of 16. These days, my girlfriend helps me masturbate. She often presses my manhood for almost 20 to 30 minutes. Will pregnancy occur? Will this affect my future sex life in any way?

It will not affect your sex life. However, it is unusual for a manhood to be pressed for so long.

Of course there are chances of pregnancy if you indulge in intercourse. The least you can do is to use a condom.

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014—29

Chill out with Margaritas, Martini this weekend

BY ANOZIE EGOLE

T

he upward mobile man has a certain lifestyle. He lives his life to the fullest, enjoying the good things that go with it. Wealth, women and wine go together. When it comes to drinks, he does so with class and panache. He drinks exclusively and lives it up in cocktails of choice wines and drinks. A cocktail is a mixed drink typically made with a distilled beverage such as gin, brandy, vodka, whiskey, tequila, or rum that is mixed with other ingredients. If beer is one of the ingredients, the drink is called a beer cocktail.

Cocktails contain one or more types of liqueur, juice, fruit, sauce, honey, milk or cream, spices, or other flavorings. Cocktails may vary in their ingredients from bartender to bartender, and from bar to bar. Two creations may have the same name but taste very different because of

differences in how the drinks are prepared.

Martini

The martini is one of the most widely known

cocktails. It is a cocktail made with gin and , and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist.

Over the years, the Martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. H. L. Mencken called the Martini ”the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet”and E. B. White called it “the elixir of quietude”.The traditional method of preparation is to pour gin and dry vermouth into a mixing glass with ice cubes, stir, strain into chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a green olive or a twist of lemon peel.

Margaritas Margarita is a cocktail

consisting of tequila, triple sec (such as Cointreau) and lime or lemon juice, often served with salt on the glass’ rim. The drink is served shaken with ice on the rocks, blended with ice (frozen margarita), or without ice (straight up).

It is made up of different variations of flavoured liqueurs like orangeflavored liqueurs that might include Grand Marnier, Gran Gala, other

brands of triple sec, or blue curaçao (yielding the blue margarita); fresh lime juice of freshly squeezed lime juice is the key ingredient and frozen margarita.

•A Bloody Mary garnished with lemon, carrot, celery, and pitted manzanilla olives

•Margaritas are commonly served cocktails at many 5-star restaurants and bars.

•A martini is a classic gin-based cocktail

• Caipirinha

•This fruity, blended Piña Colada is typical of many rum-based cocktails.

30— SARTURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

M

bong Amata, ex-wife of popular Nollywood director, Jeta Amata was in the country recently for the shoot cum premiere of Emem Isong’s latest movie, Apaye: A Mother’s Love. The movie starred actors like Clarion Chukwurah, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Belinda Effah, among others. She played Swam, the heroine’s first child and daughter. In this interview, she talks about her crashed marriage that produced a five-year old daughter, her career, and the movie that relaunched her into the mainstream acting. She also refuted the rumour making the rounds that she’s currently in a fresh relationship, dismissing, any plan to remarry soon.

BY BENJAMIN NJOKU

I’m not bothered by rumuours surrounding Surrounding my crashed Crashed marriage —Mbong Amata Never. I tried my best. I might not look strong but I’m very, very strong

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•Mbong Amata

SATURDAY

Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014—31

Nails are part of the health puzzle Y

our fingernails and toenails can reveal clues to your overall health and well being. A touch of white here, a rosy tinge there, or some rippling or bumps may be a sign of disease in the body. What healthy secrets do your nails reveal? Find out now!

Pale nails Very pale nails can sometimes be a sign of serious illness, such as anaemia, congestive heart failure, liver disease or malnutrition.

White nails If your nails are mostly white with darker rims, this can indicate liver problems, such as hepatitis. The fingers may also jaundiced, another sign of liver trouble.

Yellow nails One of the most common causes of yellow nails is a fungal infection. As the infection worsens, the nail bed may retract, and nails may thicken and crumble. In rare cases, yellow nails can indicate a more serious condition such as severe thyroid disease, lung disease, diabetes or psoriasis.

Bluish nails Nails with a bluish tint can mean the body isn’t getting enough oxygen. This could indicate an infection in the lungs, such as pneumonia.

Some heart problems can be associated with bluish nails.

Rippled nails

•What does your nails reveal...

If the nail surface is rippled or pitted, this may be an early sign of psoriasis or inflammatory arthritis.

Discoloration of the nail is common; the skin under the nail can seem reddish-brown.

Cracked or split nails Dry, brittle nails that frequently crack or split have been linked to thyroid disease. Cracking or splitting combined with a yellowish hue is more likely due to a fungal infection.

Puffy nail fold If the skin around the nail appears red and puffy, this is known as inflammation of the nail fold. It may C M Y K

be the result of lupus or another connective tissue disorder. Infection can also cause redness and inflammation of the nail fold.

Dark lines beneath the nail Dark lines beneath the nail should be investigated as soon as possible. They are sometimes caused by melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer.

Gnawed nails Biting your nails may be nothing more than an old habit, but in some cases it’s a sign of

persistent anxiety that could benefit from treatment. Nail biting or picking has also been linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder. If you can’t stop, it’s worth discussing with your doctor.

Nails and health: Read the signs Though nail changes accompany many conditions, these changes are rarely the first sign. And many nail abnormalities are harmless — not everyone with white nails has hepatitis. If you’re concerned about the appearance of your nails, see a dermatologist.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014—33

Spicy

Cinnamon balances blood sugar levels C

innamon has been used traditionally as medicine throughout the world for centuries.

Research has found that a particular type of cinnamon, cassia cinnamon, may lower blood sugar in people with diabetes. Other studies have not found a benefit. The spice is an additive to countless foods. When purchased in the store, common spice cinnamon could be one of two types or a mixture of both. It is either “true” or Ceylon which is easier to grind but thought to be less effective for diabetes. Or, and more likely, it could be the darker-coloured cassia cinnamon. Cinnamon usually causes no side effects. But heavy use may irritate the mouth and lips, causing sores. In some people, it can cause an allergic reaction. Applied to the skin, it might cause redness and irritation. Very high quantities of cassia

cinnamon may actually be toxic, particularly in people with liver problems. People who have cancer that’s affected by hormone levels, like breast cancer, should not take cinnamon and it is not recommended for children or for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Mother & Child

ORS, safest approach against diarrhoea

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

M

y phone rang just as I was leaving home for Sunday service. It was Julie, the Sunday School teacher. Are you home? She inquired. Yes, I am just about leaving for Church. Please wait. I am bringing your son back home. He has been restless since he came in. He has been sick too I had no option than to wait. Soon they came in. What happened, I asked. He has been stooling and vomiting. I decided to bring him home.

Hmmm, could this be diarrhoea? While she was still brooding, the boy ran to the rest room where he vomited yet again. We were worried the more.

Then, it dawn on us that in a case of diarrhoea, the next step is to stave off dehydration. We were faced with how the next few hours will be. Could we make it as painless as possible without a trip to the doctor?

Most children battle diarrhoea from time to time, but it’s often caused by infections that don’t last long and usually are more

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Nature’s Health

Regular e cise heals exxer ercise mind, body and soul

You know exercise is good for you, but do you know how good? From boosting your mood to improving your sex life, find out how exercise can improve your life.

Controls weight

Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. Get active throughout the day in simple ways. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk more.

Combats health conditions and diseases Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? No matter what your current weight, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol and decreases

disruptive than dangerous.

The saving grace is the Oral Rehydration Solution, ORS, which prevents or corrects dehydration in young children.

It contains the right mix of salt, sugar, potassium, and other minerals to help replace body fluids lost from diarrhoea. It is wise for mothers to keep some ORS handy for such emergencies. Beware! ORS will only help prevent dehydration, but it will not stop the diarrhea.

The amount of ORS depends on the severity of dehydration.

The more severe the dehydration, the more ORS you will need to give your child. For newborns and babies through a year of age, you don’t wait until signs of

dehydration develop to replace lost fluids.

You will notice signs of dehydration when your baby becomes thirstier than usual and having darker urine than usual.

If your baby is still breastfeeding, feed the baby more often to replace lost fluids. Give an ORS between feedings only if signs of dehydration develop.

If you are bottle feeding, increase the number of feedings to make up for lost fluids. If signs of mild or moderate dehydration develop, the amount of breast milk, formula, or ORS your baby needs depends on weight and the degree of dehydration present. Continue to give the ORS until your baby’s stools return to normal.

If your baby is on cereals, you may replace lost fluids with cereal. Give cereal mixture after each diarrhea stool.

For children from age one to 11 years, ORS, or plain water may be used to replace fluids lost from diarrhoea. You will give the child about 0.5 cup, 120 ml, to 1 cup, 240 mL, of fluids after each stooling.

unhealthy triglycerides. This keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Regular physical activity can help you prevent or manage stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, certain types of cancer, arthritis and falls.

Improves mood Need an emotional lift? Or need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed.

Boosts energy Winded by shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores.

34—SATURDAY

Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

World’s thinnest condom debuts W

ith an average thickness of 0.036 millimeters, the new record-holder for the world’s thinnest latex condom is the Aoni Condom from Chinese manufacturer, Guangzhou Daming United Rubber Products. According to the Guinness World Records, the new condom is 0.002 millimetre thinner than the previous benchmark of 0.038 millimetre set by a Japanese made condom which held the last record.

It is interesting to note that both condoms are significantly thinner than the human hair which has an average thickness of 0.06 millimetre, around the same as the Trojan Ultra Thin

Condom, sold in North America.

The manufacturers say it took a lot of work to arrange the right mix and fine-tune the ingredients to give the desired mix of the latex condom for provision of the right performance. The company plans to launch a vibrating condom to add to its current seven models.

The Aoni condom is mostly sold in mainland China, where the company manufactures 200 million condoms annually. The ultra-thin condom has been approved by Health Canada, according to the company, but has yet to be marketed in North America.

A Japanese company has created an even thinner

condom made from polyurethane, which is more brittle than latex.

Manufacturers claim thinner condoms allow for more pleasure for men during sex.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is offering $100,000 in grant for improved condoms that will encourage more usage to prevent disease and unwanted pregnancies.

Lifeline

I’m HIV positive, my babies are Following her diagnosis as a person living with HIV during pregnancy, Emily recounts her journey through pregnancy, HIV diagnosis, treatment and birth of her HIV –free babies.

M

y name is Emily. I am 27. I am an orphan. I got married three years ago.

Before I had my first baby, I initially registered at a private hospital. At that time, I did not know my HIV status. I didn’t even know anything about HIV. But as luck would have it after some time, I developed a complication and was referred to a General Hospital in Lagos where I had to be screened for several diseases including HIV. It was at the hospital it was confirmed that I am HIV positive.

No breast feeding I was admitted and later delivered of my baby. I was properly counseled and placed on treatment. I was told not to breast feed the baby and I did not. I never breastfed him, not even for one day. It was not easy for C M Y K

me because my in-laws disturbed me a lot. They could not understand why I would refuse to breast feed my new baby. They said I was wicked and called me

bad names. But I was not bothered. My husband and I knew why I was not breast feeding we just ignored them. My baby was fed infant formula until he was

weaned and I’m glad he is HIV free today.

Supportive husband My husband has been very supportive. He is my saviour. Whenever I miss my drugs he reminds me. I wouldn’t be here but for him. He has never discriminated against me or bothered to know how I got infected with HIV. When I was diagnosed, he also went for screening as well to know his HIV status. In any case, the HIV screening was a requirement for a job he applied for at that time.

But I was really scared. I was so scared that I vowed to leave him if he turned out to be HIV positive. But I thank God he is free of the virus.

PMTCT Now I have another baby.

It is my second baby.

When the doctor asked me about breast feeding, I told him I was ready to breastfeed. I said I was determined to breast feed this baby because now I know more about HIV transmission than I did when I was diagnosed. I know the virus can be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her baby during delivery or

through breast milk. I also know how the virus can be prevented from being transmitted to the baby. I have read and been taught about prevention of mother-to-childtransmission of HIV, PMTCT. Exclusive breast feeding Exclusive breastfeeding is part of it. I will do so for three months and I hope nobody will ask me questions. I am breastfeeding exclusively, that is, no food, no water. I have been taught that if I take my drugs well and eat properly, I will be healthy and my baby will be healthy. I’m monitoring my baby completely and embracing family planning and, God give me strength, I want to have another baby after this. I will certainly try because now I have two sons.

Challenge It is a big challenge living with HIV in this environment.

Stigmatisation is still there and discrimination is yet to be eradicated. Also getting the anti-retroviral drugs and doing the relevant tests are still issues. Anyway I have been taking mine and I’m okay. HIV has no cure but it is not the end. The drugs help. I have HIV but my babies are HIV-free. I’m hoping to have more healthy babies.

32—SATURDAY

Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

Celebrity

Be Beyyonce

Beyond a healthy destiny

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orld famous American R&B singer-songwriter, actress, dancer and producer, Beyonce Giselle Knowles Carter, is arguably the world’s most desired female artist. Widely acknowleged as the perfect modern-day equivalent of the legendary Marilyn Monroe, Beyonce began her phenomenally successful singing career at a very tender age. In the 1990s, as lead vocalist of the extraordinary all-female pop group Destiny’s Child - Beyonce, with her sonorously exhilarating signature voice, made it clear that she was destined for stardom.

To prove to the world that her destiny is indeed “Irreplaceable”, the “Baby Boy” crooner went solo over a decade ago and has been wearing success like a “Halo” ever since. Today, Bey is one of the best selling artists of all time. Her super star status is a phenomenon almost as large as life itself. The 32-yearold has won the prestigious Grammy Awards 17 times; ties with Adele for the most Grammys awarded to a female in one night; was Top Female Artist and Top Radio Songs Artist of the 2000s decade, and No. 3 in the “100 Greatest Women in Music” list for 2012.

Beyonce has got a voluptuous figure. That is indubitable. Standing at a moderate 5 feet and 6 and a half inches and weighing a svelte 59 kilos, the best seller music artist sticks to a strictly healthy diet plan and exercise workout schedule that is as sophisticated as her singing

talent.

After the birth of her daughter, Blue Ivy, Beyonce has worked very hard to keep in shape by undertaking a lot of exercises and following strict diet regime. Her diet is simple. Things like sweet potato, chili and coconut soup, are usually on her menu. A Niçoise salad as a starter and main course of marinated pan seared medallion of beef, accompanied by vegetables as main dish.

For her, exclusive breastfeeding is a good way of losing weight. She includes a lot of green leafy vegetables in her vegan. Other food items are cucumbers sprinkled with vinegars, green apple, edamame, lemon and cayenne pepper. By following a strict diet regimen and by working out daily, Bey aims at improving her figure and lessen her weight.

Beyonce motivates herself for the exercising and music serves as one

of her prime motivating factors.

Exercises help her burn out the extra calories while music refreshes her mind and helps her perform better. Apart from cardio vascular exercises she also does stair running and sprints for weight control. The workouts have been so designed that they work out the elbows, knee, hips and shoulders.

She tries around 12-15 repetitions of each exercise after warm up exercises of five minutes before each day’s routine workout.

Fact or Fiction?

Fact! Over-prescription of antibiotics can lead to resistance

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ntibiotics are medications directed against bacterial infection. They are life-savers, yet extensively abused. This abuse leads to ineffectiveness and development of resistant super bugs.

It is estimated that at least one third of antibiotics prescribed in hospitals might be unnecessary. This overuse of antibiotics, dominated by primary care prescribing, can cause side effects like diarrhoea, rash and vomiting.

Fiction! I can stop taking antibiotics because I’m feeling well You should always complete your course of antibiotics to ensure you C M Y K

are rid of the bacteria that caused your illness.

Fact! I don’t need more antibiotics to get well quicker Antibiotics will continue to work for a few days after you stop taking them. You should wait a few days, even a week, before going to have another round of antibiotics.

Fiction! I can take my leftover antibiotics Antibiotics are meant to target the specific bacteria making you sick.

Leftovers from the last infection may be targeting the wrong bugs. So they should never be taken, but safely discarded.

Fact! Taking antibiotics for a long

to use antibiotics wisely, only when they are authorised by a healthcare provider, and in the doses prescribed.

time is not all bad With a proper diagnosis and no contraindications, long-term antibiotic use is okay. Antibiotic overuse can lead to antibioticresistant infections, as a result, it’s becoming more and more important

Fiction! Antibiotics kill only ‘bad’ bacteria Unfortunately, antibiotics kill friendly and unfriendly bacteria. For instance all antibiotics kill friendly bacteria in the colon, which automatically leads to candida (yeast overgrowth). Antibiotics create an imbalance by killing all the good bacteria, which help regulate nearly every system in the body. Good bacteria are part of the body’s natural defense system helping break down protein and absorbing nutrients. The destruction of good bacteria impairs digestion and absorption of nutrients which causes nutritional deficiencies.

SARTURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014 — 35

Would you say the role you played in Emem Isong’s latest film, “Apaye: A Mother’s Love, ” is your most challenging role in movies so far?

I played the role of Swam, Apaye’s first child and daughter, who eventually got pregnant out of wedlock. I don’t think I would use the word “challenging” because it’s a real life story. It was more emotional for me than challenging because one had her own personal struggles and emotions. It was easy for me to portray that character in the movie. Apaye’s life was very amiable as well as emotional when she had to raise her six children amidst abject poverty. It was very easy for me to break into that person in order to interprete my role.

Apaye: A Mother’s Love, is a moving story of one woman’s quest to succeed in the face of hostilities. Inspired by true events, it is the story of Elder Irene Yepayeye Uriah, born in the creeks of what is now Bayelsa State, who was left to fend for her six children all alone. She struggled and toiled to provide for her family and to make sure they enjoyed the life she never had. Against all odds, she became a woman of substance in a community that never believed any good could come from her.

I must appreciate the family of Elder Irene Yepayeye Uriah for their co-operation while the filming lasted. They were all simply amazing. They are approachable, personable, and so humble to a fault. I feel like a lot of people should emulate lifestyles like theirs. No matter your status, just keep it real and stay humble. I had amazing and solid bond with the family. They were fantastic in every sense of it.

Would you relate the story to your own story?

It’s very similar because I am a mother and I have a child.

It’s hard to be a mother as well as a woman. So, Apaye had to deal with raising six children by herself. I don’t know how she was able to do it, and I don’t know where she got the strength to push on and did all that she could do, for her children. It’s hard, and that’s how I can relate to her story, as a woman and a mother.

How challenging was it playing the role of Swam?

It was more emotional for me having to play that role. As a human being, we all have our personal struggles and challenges. The story captured some part of my life. Apaye had six children and she single-handedly raised her children. My mum at some point in her life had to cater for me and my siblings. She faced

how that goes. But for now, it is about me doing more films, charity and raising my child. So, that is my priority.

a lot of challenges making us what we are today.

How does it feel being part of the production?

It is a breath of fresh air for me because you don’t do films like this every time in Nollywood. It is really expensive to pull off something like this. So, for me, it is refreshing to know we can achieve this great feat.

And the cast?

It was awesome getting to work with my senior colleagues, Clarion Chukwurah, Kanayo O. Kanayo and others. We had a great time filming in the creeks of the NigerDelta. So, it was a great bonding for us since we were working outside Lagos. We bonded as a family. We were part of the community and they will never forget us in a hurry because they made a lot of impact in our lives.

And so did we. That was the first time Nollywood would be shooting in their community. It was fun and would remain memorable for us all. The crew was equally fantastic. Everyone brought in his or her expertise. From the producer, Emem Isong to the director, Desmond Elliot, I would say we had a competent crew.

You have been in the industry for a very long time, yet your face is rarely regular on screen?

I took some time off to have my baby in 2008. Later, I relocated to the United States, where I worked on one project or the other. Also, I really don’t do a lot of mainstream films. For me, it’s okay to feature in two to three films in a year and I’m satisfied with that. I can have my daughter watch my films in 10 years from now. That’s what matters to me, and not how many films I’m able to churn out in a year. For me, it has to do with quality over quantity.

How long have you sojourned in the industry?

I have spent eleven years in Nollywood.I started my career after featuring in the much acclaimed movie,’Amazing Grace.”

I also starred in popular films like ‘Black November ’, ‘Mutanda’, ‘Wheel of Change’, ‘Reloaded’, ‘Forgetting June’, ‘Darima’s Dilemma’, among others.

Would you say, “Apaye: The mother’s love” relaunched you into the mainstream acting?

Yes, I would say so. I have started producing my own films. I just finished producing my first movie. And very soon, it would hit the market. You are going to be seeing more of me now than before. As a matter of fact, I have about three films that I’m going to release before the end of this month.

Becoming a producer?

I’m used to the ropes, I understand the terrain. I know how these things are done. I was

I relocated to the United States, where I worked on one project or the other. Also, I really don’t do a lot of mainstream films once married to a film director, so, I’d understand what film making entails.

You said, you were once married to a film maker?

Yes, once married to a film maker. But not any more.

What really happened?

Am I really going to say that?

Life happened.

Were you ever worried by negative stories that trailed the crash of your marriage?

Never. I tried my best. I might not look strong but I’m very, very strong. If you are in show business or any business that put you out there, you have to build a solid, great wall of China around you. My wall is very tall. I only hear about it, but I’m not moved one bit. So, I have a huge wall around my person.

At a time, you were only featuring in Jeta’s movies. Was there any difference between then and now?

I did work with a lot of producers and directors at a time. But I featured more in Jeta’s movies.

Secondly, I think he was a fantastic director. He understands his onions. He knew my weak points and he also knew where he would touch to get the best out of me as an actor. There are a little difference here and there. But it’s great that I’m beginning to get the opportunity to work with more producers and directors than I did in the past.

Did you have any formal training in acting?

Not at all. I was watching an interview session on CNN, where a Hollywood actor revealed that at some point in his career, despite the great experience he had in drama and film, he decided to take up a three years course in acting.

Sometimes, we shouldn’t be too comfortable because we are making a lot of money from what we do. We should actually make out time to enhance our skills.

What did you study?

I studied History and International Relations. I had a lot of dreams and career choices but none of them was acting.

Fortunately, I found myself in the acting profession and I’m loving it.

You are still bearing Jeta Amata’s name?

Yes, does it change anything? It doesn’t.

How you would describe your ex-husband?

Jeta is a great man, fantastic dad but life has to move on.

If you have the opportunity to star in his film, would you do so?

Why not? He was my friend before he became my husband. We had a great relationship. We are connected for life. We have a child together. If I see him, as often as I could, it doesn’t change anything.

But you are not feeling the same way you felt when you met him?

That’s relative!

And you are not in a fresh relationship?

I’m not in a fresh relationship.

Won’t you give marriage another chance?

I don’t really know, but I don’t want to say never. It is the future, I prefer to live in the now and see

•Mbong Amata C M Y K

36—SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

08116759764 anozieegole@yahoo.com

Damilola Damilola Adegbite, Adegbite, Chris Chris Attoh Attoh set set to to wed wed in in April?

April?

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hat started like ‘a hide and seek game’ between actress, Damilola Adegbite and hot Ghanaian actor, Chris Attoh after the lovebirds starred in the movie, Flower Girl, has taken a new twist. The former has confirmed that she’s walking down the aisle with the latter soon.

Damilola confirmed the news on her twitter handle, saying Oh well,LindaIkeji, beat me to it lol! I was waiting for the perfect moment to tell you all the great news, but it has been done on my behalf. News went viral last year, after the lovebirds were spotted off-screen together many times in both Ghana and Nigeria. The co-stars of Tinsel have also starred in a couple of movies together including 'Six Hours to Christmas' and more recently, 'Flower Girl'. According to our source, the wedding holds on the 12th of April, in Lagos.

Bez, TTok ok e oke Makinwa, others shine as Terra Un Unvveils Studio 14

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t was indeed an evening of glitz and glamour recently at the Centro

Mall, Lekki, Lagos, as make up and beauty outfit, House of Tara,organised th a cocktail party to unveil its 14 studio.

Located at the high-brow Lekki, Lagos, the studio is equipped with the latest make up accessories to give fashionists the satisfaction they desire. Singer, Bez gave a good account of himself when he mounted the stage to do what he knows how to do best.

He took the fans through some of his memorable songs with some of them asking for more.

Among the celebrities that graced the event were Anna Ebiere, 2013 winner of MBGN, Toke Makinwa; Ufuoma Ejenebor; Munachi Abii; among others.

Speaking at the event, Mrs. Tara Fela Durotoye, CEO of House of Tara promised to give her numerous fans value for their money.

Uche Ogbodo sho ws of shows offf baby bump

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ultry ac t r e s s , U c h e Ogbodo is heavily pregnant and is showing it off to the world. Like when Mercy Johnson was pregnant for baby Purity, Uche recently stepped out with her protruding belly.The screen goddess, who secretly got married to her United States based ex-footballer, Apo Arthur last year was all smiles as she posed for shots and exchanged pleasantries with her friends.

Despite her protruding belly, the actress still looks pretty and charming.

But only that she’s no longer having fun with the Lady Gaga kind of red hair style.

Wizkid par ties parties with parents

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ecently, Nigerian born super star, Wizkid showered

encomium on his parents as he took some stunning pictures in an event with them. Showering praises on them, Wizkid wrote on his twitter handle, “Everything I am today, I owe it to them! They gave me everything they had even when they had nothing. I can’t put words together to express how much I love u mom and dad!”.

This is a rare character among our new generation of super stars.

T-ME drops She wanna wife me

By Juliet Ebirim

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luwatimilehin Obanla a.k.a T-Me is one of the fast rising hip hop stars who is leaving no stone unturned as he releases of his latest single titled, “ She wanna wife me.” The single is already enjoying massive airplay.

The Ogun State-born student of Health and Environmental Management, Canadian University, Dubai, is currently in South Africa for the classy video of the much played single, which is produced by ID Cabasa. The video will be directed by God Father.

According to the pop star, “I am really glad for the support I am enjoying from my parents towards my career. And the fact that people love my song is a blessing. The video would drop soon and I can assure my fans to expect nothing but the best,” he said.

SATURDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, MARCH 8, 2014—37

yemisisuleiman670@yahoo.com

Walk the walk A

N outfit can be entirely defined by the footwear you choose. A good pair of outrageous shoes can set the tone of your look and make you stand out from the crowd.

Especially when you are hitting the town it is of utmost importance that you step into a place on the right foot. This means busting out your favorite and most fabulous pair of stilettos. Outrageous shoe designs can give your wardrobe a completely different feel and unleash your inner diva.

Whether you want to make a statement or not, this list of outlandish shoes will make sure you are walking in style. These pumps may kill you by the end of the night, but they will make sure you are memorable.

•Tropically Striped Heels •Christian Louboutin Bikki Pumps

•Watered Down Retail Versions of Viktor and Rolf

•Christian Louboutin

•Azzaro Lagon Sandals will Light Up Any Walkway

•Kobi Levi Coffee Pot Shoes

Betyl Bat clothing Debuts F

ORMER City People Fashion Editor, Bola Akinboade-Bello has launched a new clothing line called Betyl BAT Clothing and Accessories. It’s a ready-towear line, which ranges from lovely dresses, skirts, tops, tunics, troussers, fascinators, corsages, exotic hats amongst

•Bola Akinboade-Bello

Betyl BAT Collection

others. She made the debut with her first collection which she described as “effortlessly classy.” This collection which accentuates the feminine contour is a blend of rich and sophisticated traditional clothing with clean and classic western cuts.. The

Betyl BAT Collection

total effect is an easy, breezy delivery that celebrates the modern woman in a minimal, yet captivating way. The collection features different fabrics including Adire, Lace, Lycra and chiffon to mention just a few.

Bola Akinboade-Bello’s career in fashion, love for design and unique appeal to African ladies has helped her to create the exciting collection. Speaking on the development, the former style writer said she had always had a flare for fashion right from a very young age.

However, her journey into the fashion industry started as a model in 1999, where she modelled for top fashion designers. She later joined City People Media group as a Style Writer, and rose to become the Fashion Editor.

She also recently rebranded her skincare range, Chanterelle Skincare & Beauty Therapy, specializing in luxurious, skin and body care using pure, organic and chemical-free ingredients.

38—SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

Compiled by

Ephraim Oseji

oseji16@yahoo.com

Inter to bid for Dzeko

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nter are set to bid for Manchester City ’s Bosnian hitman Edin Dzeko in the summer.

It is no secret that coach Walter Mazzarri wishes to strengthen his forward line in the summer with Diego Milito a near certainty to leave, and Mauro Icardi still too raw for a starting spot.

Reports suggest that Inter will bid for City striker Dzeko when the transfer window opens in July, and it would take an offer of •15-20 million for the English giants to consider selling their prolific striker.

Mata proud to be Man Utd Player of the Month

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uan Mata was delighted to be named Manchester United’s Player of the Month for February. After receiving his award and a £500 cheque for a charity of his choice, the Spaniard explained he’s humbled to be acknowledged by supporters at this stage of his Reds career.

“It’s amazing for me to be awarded with this prize after my first month. I have played just a few games, five games I think, and I am really grateful the fans have voted for me.

Yeung jailed for six years

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irmingham City owner Carson Yeung has been jailed for six years for money laundering.

Judge Douglas Yau handed down the sentence in Hong Kong after convicting Yeung, 54, of five counts of money laundering earlier this week. Yeung bought into Birmingham City in 2007 and acquired the rest in 2009.

MOYES TO SHAW

United will pay you £75,000 -a-week

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anchester United are ready to tempt Luke Shaw away from Southampton with a massive contract offer. David Moyes is prepared to pay the 18year-old a staggering £75,000-a-week to join United in the summer. That would top the £60,000-a-week deals United’s Adnan Januzaj and Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have signed as teens and see Shaw almost quadruple his current Southampton wages.

Saints are also set to open talks with their in-demand leftback, who made his England debut on Wednesday. Shaw signed a five year deal last July - his first professional contract - and is also wanted by Chelsea and Manchester City.

But United are determined to pay whatever it takes to capture the £30m-rated defender.

Agger defends Wilshere tackle D

VIETNAMESE LEAGUE

Dong, banned for 28 games

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ietnam international defender Tran Dinh Dong has been handed a record 28-game suspension by the country’s football federation after breaking the leg of an opponent in a domestic league match.

Dong, who plays for Song Lam Nghe An, was also fined 20 million dong (£567) for the foul on Hung Vuong An Gi-

Barcelona agree £9.9m TTer er Stegen transfer

ang midfielder Nguyen Anh Hung, who is expected to be sidelined for a year.

The 26-year-old is not eligible to return to action this year and said he would appeal the verdict which also stipulated he should pay Hung’s medical bills.Song Lam Nghe An coach Nguyen Huu Thang said the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) had not acted fairly in deciding upon the punishment for last week’s incident.

Barcelona have reached an agreement with Borussia Monchengladbach over the transfer of Marc-Andre ter Stegen for a fee in the region of •9-12 million (£7.59.9m) plus two friendly games.

The Blaugrana were in the market for a new goalkeeper due to the departure of Victor Valdes at the end of the 2013-14 campaign and they have now found their man in Ter Stegen.

QPR set to axe 26 pla playyer erss

aniel Agger has defended his tackle on Jack Wilshere which left the Arsenal and England man with a broken foot.

Liverpool defender Agger caught Wilshere on the foot with a heavy challenge during England's 1-0 win over Denmark.

Wilshere played on for almost 50 minutes after receiving treatment for the injury, but after being cleared of any serious injury straight after the match Arsenal and England's worst fears were confirmed on Thursday when scans showed the midfielder has suffered a hairline fracture to his left foot.

Queens Park Rangers are planning a clear-out of up to 26 players after recording a £65.4million loss. More than 20 players — including high-earners Shaun Wright-Phillips, Jermaine Jenas, Robert Green, Aaron Hughes, Richard Dunne and Bobby Zamora — will see their contracts or loan periods expire this summer. Those contracted to the club will be released or offered new contracts on significantly reduced terms.

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014—39

Compiled by

Ephraim Oseji

oseji16@yahoo.com

Man City ready to sell after Richards

Moyes pens open letter to Manchester United fans M

anchester United manager David Moyes has penned an open letter to supporters in which he accepts that his first season in charge has gone worse than expected.

Praising the "magnificent" fans for their patience, the Scot, who was hand-picked to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson

last summer by the man himself, admitted that their struggles have taken him by surprise but is adamant that things will get better.

"While I knew that this job would be a challenge when I took it on, the difficult season we have experienced was not something that I envisaged, which I am sure is the

case as well for you supporters," wrote Moyes.

"My players, staff and I are desperate to compensate for that. "You are accustomed to seeing a successful Manchester United and the backing you have given the players and me throughout the season has been incredible. Away from home the travelling fans have

Mourinho admits he wants reunion with Balotelli

AC Milan’s Mario Balotelli could be set for a return to the Premier League as Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho admits interest in the striker. It would be the chance for a reunion between the pair as the duo worked together for two years between 2008 and 2010 when they were both at Inter Milan.

During that time an historic treble of Seria A, Coppa Italia and Champions League was secured and Mourinho reveals that he would love to work with Balotelli again.

Bar celona encour age Barcelona encourage clubs to bid for Song

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arcelona are en couraging offers for midfielder Alex Song. Reports in Spain suggest Barca are eager to cash in on the Cameroon international.

Song is thought to be a target for David Moyes at Manchester United, although a return to Ar-

senal also cannot be ruled out. The Cameroon international is thought to favour a move back to England where he believes he is properly appreciated, and Manchester City could also enter the race for the 26-year-old as doubts persist over Javi Garcia.

Manchester City are ready to listen to offers for Micah Richards. City will look to sell Richards in the summer after the defender told the club he will not sign a new contract.

The right-back has been offered a new five-year deal, but he has told City chiefs he is unwilling, as it stands, to put pen to paper. remained the best in the country while at Old Trafford your unwavering faith has been noticeable and hugely welcomed.

"Supporting your team

when they are winning is easy but much harder when things are not going as well, and the loyalty you have shown us has been magnificent.

Mourinho: Chelsea turns pla playy er erss int intoo Nantes ttoo ser ve 1-y ear ban internationals serve 1-year

on signing new players

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rench club Nantes will serve a one-year FIFA ban on recruiting new players after losing an appeal at Switzerland's supreme court. A Swiss Federal Tribunal ruling published Friday said that FIFA's disputes panel and the Court of Arbitration for Sport correctly imposed the sanction for Nantes enticing Guinea forward Ismael Bangoura to break his contract with Dubai club Al Nasr in January 2012.

Nantes, which is 15th in the 20-team French league, previously had the ban frozen pending the federal verdict. "We can confirm that the registration ban will have to be served during the upcoming summer 2014 and winter 2015 registration periods," FIFA said in a statement to The Associated Press.

Real Madrid, Man Utd battling for Vidal, Pogba

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eal Madrid and Manchester United are battling for Juventus pair Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal. Real Madrid are continuing to rival Manchester United for Juventus pair Vidal and Pogba. Talks between Madrid and Juventus took place yesterday with Juve general manager Beppe Marotta visiting Real Madrid HQ before attending the international friendly between Spain and Italy.Marotta confirmed to Sky Italia: "Today I did visit Real Madrid, but even if I had spoken about Pogba and Vidal I wouldn’t tell you."

FANS ZONE Are you a Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Barcelona fan and would like to meet fans, male or female from other parts of the country. Then send ur name, age, where you live and the club u support to 0802354-2350. sms only

zAkinwale, Warri, Barcelona, wants to be connected to Barcelona fans. 07068705943 zKing Promise, 25, Chelsea.08096842881 zSamuel, 33, Benin, Chelsea, needs female fans as friends.07035389314, 08052226873 zChristopher Iginagbon 32, Edo State, Chelsea. 08036846311 zAdewale Ayobami, 19, Ogun, Manchester United.08068934571 zYetunde, 20, Asaba, Manchester United, needs male and female fans.08146340702 zEmmanuel Malarah, 39, Warri, Chelsea. 08025154025 zOghenerohoro Monday, 21, Abraka, Manchester United wants female fans. 09032807400 zAndrew Chizoba Helen, Lagos, Chelsea, 08105369038

Quiz of the Week

Which BPL manager was recently fined after headbutting a player from an opposing team. Send ur answers to 0802354-2350 sms only

Last Week winner

Dore, Calabar

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho believes his players' international prospects improve when they pull on a Blues shirt.

Chelsea currently have four Brazil stars among their ranks - David Luiz, Oscar, Ramires and Willian - and the Portuguese manager believes the latter's chances of playing in the World Cup have been increased by joining the west London club.

"When Willian was playing for Shakhtar and Anzhi, he was not going to the national team and certainly when he comes to Chelsea after a couple of months he is selected, so I think for some reason that happens," said Mourinho. "They have to be at Chelsea to have the honour to be selected."

Liverpool scouting Valencia midfielder Parejo Liverpool are eyeing Valencia midfielder Dani Parejo. The former QPR and Real Madrid playmaker, 24, is being scouted by the Reds this season. Parejo been watched by Liverpool chief scout Barry Hunter at their recent game with Granada.

40 — SATURDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, MARCH 8, 2014

Emeka Enyiocha gets baby boy as birthday gift Nollywood actor, Emeka Enyiocha was in high spirits on Thursday as he welcomed his third child on a day he was marking his birthday anniversary.

Breaking the good news online, elated Emeka said, “ He was given to me today, being 6th of March as a birthday present from God and my sweet wife.”

Emeka and his beautiful wife, Stella have been married since 2006, after they had their traditional wedding,and later white wedding in 2008. The couple’s lovely kids are Princess and Goodluck.

Island Babes:

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Another Nollywood’s soft-smut movie ?

ew years after controversial actress, Tonto Dikeh shocked her fans when she starred in “Dirty Secret”, a soft-porn movie, lovers of Nigerian movies are about to feast their eyes on yet-another soft-smut movie titled, Island Babes.

Shot in Lekki area of Lagos, the movie which stars Moyo Lawal, Mimi Orjiekwe, Dabby Chimere, Susan Zayat, Bella Ebinum, Uzor Arukwe among others, is directed by Okechukwu Ifeanyi.

According to our source, the movie uncovers the dirty lifestyles of young girls in our society who rarely put into consideration the risk and challenges involved while attempting to achieve

Beware of fr auds frauds audstter erss

on facebook, Afrocandy warns fans

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S-based Nigerian porn-star, Judith Opara Mazagwu, popularly known as Afrocandy is currently battling to save her fans from being duped by fraudsters who opened an account in her name on facebook.

The fraudsters,according to her, are using the facebook page to dupe unsuspecting fans, under the guise of selling forms for the forthcoming audition of Afrocandy’s movie at the cost of N10,000.

The actress raised the alarm during the week on her facebook page. She accused the fraudsters of blocking her from having access to the account. Warning her fans to beware of fraudsters, the porn-star said, “I don’t have any manager in Nigeria, not even in the USA or UK. The fraudsters use my names, brand and images. Beware of 419, they are scammers. I have not started registration and I am not giving out forms now.”

fame as well as fortune.

On the movie which will soon hit the market, the producer, Dabby Chimere of Dabz Movies said, “We actually wanted to get our message right, by hitting the nail on the head. Let the society be confronted with the truth about life. If we don’t expose some of these irregularities through art, I don’t think anyone else can do it for us.

So far, we’ve studied our critics and we will continue to tell them the truth.”

Meanwhile, in the movie, actress Moyo Lawal tried as much as possible to interprete her role, even as she acted nude in some scenes which, however, makes the movie an eyesore to the rating of most critics.

Har ves ar ds Harves vestt of aw awar ards ..as Lupita Nyong’ O makes ds lis t!

MT vie aw ar ards list!

MTVV mo movie awar

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TV has announced the nominees for the “2014 MTV Movie Awards,” setting the stage for an epic showdown between critically-acclaimed films, The Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle, comedic hits, We’re the Millers and This Is The End, blockbuster franchises, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and more.

Kenyan Oscar winner and red carpet darling, Lupita Nyong’O takes her place among the nominees for this year’s show – a fitting tribute for the actress, who got her first professional on screen acting break on the MTV Base HIV & AIDS awareness drama, Shuga.

Lupita will be going up against A-listers and Hollywood veterans Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Anniston for a coveted Movie Awards trophy in the Best Female Performance category.

Hosted by Emmy Award winning comedian and late night host, Conan O’Brien, the show will take place on Sunday, April 13, at the Nokia Theatre LA Live in Los Angeles, California.

SATURDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, MARCH 8, 2014 — 41

d n a s u n a v l y S u r i Nse, Nk r o f e l t t a b e y i Ivie Okuja ! t h g i n o t to d r rd a w a A AMVC O

Praise Fowowe inspires PEFTI graduands

Younges oungestt Old Man, Nollywood stars show love to orphanage home R

enowned comedian and recently appointed Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Roland Igbedumhe fondly called Youngest Old man, has continued to show love and care to the less-privilege in the society. The comedian who in the last couple of years has been organising events and shows for orphans alongside top Nollywood stars recently visited the Itsoghena God’s own Orphanage at Jattu Esako West of Edo State. Notable Nollywood stars that graced the event were Kanayo .O.Kanayo, who was recently appointed Chairman of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Studies,NIHTS, Charlse Inojie, Bruno Iwuoha,Charlse Awurum, and Kelvin Ikediba a.k.a Books. It was also a moment of joy, when Kanayo .O. Kanayo pledged to be making monthly support and contribution to the orphanage home.

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motivational speaker, Praise Fowowe was a special guest speaker at the Matriculation ceremony for the 2013/2014 NID students of PEFTI Film Institute which held at D’ Pencils Multipurpose Hall, Ajao Estate, Lagos, penultimate Friday.

The ceremony, which had comedians, musicians and dancers in attendance witnessed performances by PEFTI band. Among those that graced the event were Biola Adenuga,Managing Director, PEFTI Film Institute, lecturers and administrative staff members of the Film Institute, Adewale Adenuga Jnr.,Managing Director Wale Adenuga Productions, parents, guardians friends and well-wishers.

ne of Nollywood’s most anticipated awards in recent times, the AfricaMagic Viewers Choice Awards, AMVCA, is billed to hold this evening at the Expo Hall, Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. Though in its second edition, the glamorous awards ceremony will be screened live on DStv and GOtv to over 50 countries. The event will feature some of the biggest names in the continent. Viewers can look out for mustwatch performances from award-winning Nigerian musican, lkakadu, fresh from their recent performance at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Also on the lineup is Channel O award winner Davido; acclaimed pianist and musician extraordinaire Cobhams; highlife hitmaker, Flavour and versatile vocalist, Waje. According to the organisers, M-Net Africa, the awards ceremony will kick off at 4 pm with a special red carpet broadcast hosted by Channel O VJ Denrele Edun, alongside the sleek Eku Edewor as they welcome some of Africa’s hottest stars to the glamorous event. Hosted by IK Osakioduwa and Vimbai Mutinihri of Big Brother Africa fame joined by Osas Ighodaro of AfricaMagic’s Tinsel, the awards show will start at 7.30 pm local time.

M-net Africa reveals that a total of 29 awards including 9 voted for by viewers, will be handed out this evening with winners coming from a range of fields including

Chika Ike mourns going bald in a

By AYO ONIKOYI

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hen Chika Ike shaved off her hair for the mo vie, “Mo ment of Tears” her pic tu res littered the media mass and social, but , both what really went viral was the rumour that Chika pocketed five million naira for her sacrifice.

To some, it was a good way and a nice reaso n to have your hair shaved and every on fingers in a jar of juicy e thought Chika actually got her jam. But Chika has co me to say shaving her hair was a one of the most reg rettable moments of her life and one days ago she lamented she cannot forget in a hurry. Few on Instagram “ A day in a hurry “Moment I can’t forget of Tears”. The day th e hair I have grown for years went down. It comes with the job though” Trust Nigerians, they were quick to remind her not to whine over an effort many would have do ne even if it means their going a year without hair on their heads.

acting, directing, writing, editing, costume design, sound, lighting, make-up, cinematography, and art direction across a variety of productions and genres, from drama and comedy features to documentaries, online video and short film.

The anticipated moments of the night will be revealing the winners of the TrailBlazer, Industry Merit, and New Era Awards.

Also,announcing the winner of the Best Actress in a Drama category for this year’s edition will form another interesting highlight of the event. Already set to battle for the award are Nse Ikpe-Etim, Nkiru Sylvanus, Ivie Okujaiye, Stephanie Wilson and Veronica Waceke. Funke Akindele who got the most nomination nods for the second edition of the AMVCAs is also nominated for the same category, Best Actress in a Comedy for her roles in The Fighter, The Hero and Return of Sheri Koko. Desmond Elliot and Bimbo Manuel also received nominations. But Osita Iheme a.k.a Pawpaw had the highest nomination among Nollywood actors in any category, making it the second time in a row he has been nominated for awards in the AMVCAs. Just like Funke, Osita has been nominated twice in the same category, Best Actor in a Comedy for his roles in “The Hero” and “The Fighter.”

Speaking on the AMVCA awards and the significant investment made by MultiChoice in the development of skills and talent in television broadcast on the continent, the Managing Director of M-Net Africa, Mrs. Biola Alabi said: “Our mission at AfricaMagic is a continued investment in African film and television and to continuously lend our support to developing homegrown African content.

movie

42—SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014—43

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s you dabble into intimacy in search of your soul mate, have you ever ask yourself from time to time, and with some apprehension, is monogamy a myth? Will you ever find the loving and secure relationship you deserve with one person? Is true love and fidelity possible in this modern age?

In the animal world, there are only a few socially monogamous species.

You, a homo sapiens mammal, are not on that list. Coupling is simply being a “we” and is specific to humans plus a few apes and birds. In marriage, its usually one wife with a little action on the side for Christians and more for Muslims and traditionalists. Some Christians are also polygamous.

The African by nature is not monogamous, although we seek loyalty. Monogamy is a choice. There is nothing in the genetic make-up of a man that demands sexual fidelity.

Man is not predetermined to seek one mate. A vow of monogamy is a man-made invention. It is a value and up to you to determine its worth.

Relationships take constant work.

A successful union requires as much effort as maintaining a garden. Love is a daily job.

To what do you aspire? There is great nobility in the trust that is inspired by a vow of monogamy. It is a simple statement. It pledges: “We will share our lives with friends,

family and the world, but sexually, we will only share each other.” You have created something special, something unique and exclusive.

Just the two of you.

Temptation is always present. Men get bored easily and are always

One man, one wife, a fading Monogamy fantasy? is a healthy looking for adventure. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Or so they think.

Your man needs to feel loved. He needs to be important. Men can be quite sensitive. Pet him. Let him roar as the Lion King. In small ways, let him know how grateful you are to be in his life. Every little attention that you give will go a very long way.

Few of us actually do. This is the simplest and most effective of any technique. There is always something new and interesting about someone you know very well. Just listen for it. When you truly listen, you are placed in an attitude of curiosity and wonder.

Use your assets. Understand what he liked about you when you first met. Enhance those qualities. Tease him with them. Men are simple. Just keep something out of reach and he

modern choice. It is a sacred quest, a goal you will work toward throughout your life.

Monogamy will not be easy and you will be tempted.

will want it more.

As long as it doesn’t compromise your values. If it does, he probably isn’t the right man for you. Let your man have his own life and be his own person. Give him space and don’t try to share everything. He needs a hobby or an interest that is his own. Find a hobby or an interest that you have in common. Let it be

What is wrong with me?

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

phoning, visiting and having sex with my previous partner. I cannot carry on like this anymore. Recently, I ‘dumped’ my partner for me to be with someone new I met two weeks ago at a friend's place and I am still uncertain about going back to my previous partner. Please help!

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

yours are originally developed in childhood. They are the result of choices made while trying to figure out how to connect to others while protecting the self. These choices were made in the context of the family of origin and genetic predispositions.

Therefore, you have a set of emotional patterns that operate in the attempt to defend yourself and deal with the core problems. These patterns come up in relationships. They come up the strongest in strongest relationships, i.e. with a romantic partner. And these patterns are, for the most part, way beyond conscious understanding because they were developed at an earlier stage in your cognitive development.

one that involves some action and movement. Something that you can both work on together and independently. Something with a goal or an objective from which you will feel a sense of accomplishment and mutual victory.

Don’t tell him what you want, show him. Monogamy is a joy, a value and a secret agreement that you share with your partner. Monogamy is neither a sacred tradition nor a religious crime etched in hellfire.

Monogamy is a healthy modern choice. It is a sacred quest, a goal you will work toward throughout your Life. Your monogamy will not be easy and you will be tempted.

Always remember: A thought is not an action. It’s okay to wink at that man or that lady. That’s fun. Your mate’s roving eye is not a crime; he’s just looking. That’s fun. That’s human. Trust. Hope. Faith. These are the values that you want to find in a mate. These are the values that will define your life and your love forever. Is monogamy a fading fantasy? That’s up to you.

How you “feel” is the most important thing in love. And since feelings are by nature ever-changing, then we end up acting out our emotionally-based patterns in relationships. Over and over, for instance, according to your particular pattern, you will be falling in love, then getting bored, missing the ex’s and going back to previous partners, while still seeking out other potentially perfect partners.

To change a deep-seated pattern like this, you need to go deeper within yourself to the root of the problem.

You need to commit to personal growth, and make it your highest priority if you want to overcome this.

You have to resolve the issue of who you really want to be with in loving relationship and who you truly are beyond this self-limiting pattern.

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C M Y K

44—SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8, 2014

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 8 8,, 2014—45

Why cases of suicide are on the increase

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UICIDE has a nasty ring to it. It is also chilling. For a human being to sit down, think his life over and decide that it is not worth living, takes a lot of courage. Yet, it takes a lot more courage and guts to stay and find out if at the end of the tunnel, he might not find a light. The bewildering fact is that suicide bids are on the increase, and actual successes boggle the mind. In the past, cases of suicide were shrouded in absolute secrecy. Instead entirely different reasons were given as to the cause of death while speculations ran riot.

Today, cases of suicide are too common to shock anyone speechless. Bread-winners who’d been financially amputated one way or the other had succumbed to their selfmade hang-man’s noose; a few wives who couldn’t face the humiliation of their husbands’ betrayal had laid down and surrendered to premature death without a thought for the kids and sending to their slow deaths relations they would leave by your action? “To live life behind. And, because of to the end is not a childish some lousy end-of-year task,” says Boris Pasternak in results, some fickle-minded Dr. Zhingo. At one stage in students who saw it as the life, we all must have end of the world had put contemplated suicide, just as paid to their young lives. If we must have contemplated you want to see more strangling villains who examples of suicides, read constantly make life the papers. If you want to miserable for us, but that see how serious we now doesn’t mean we set out to do think it is, have a look at those things... some newspapers’ coverage of a few of the events.

It is all right if you feel you have reached the end of your letter, if you feel like stopping the world and wanting out. Let’s face it, after the dastardly act has been committed, you are oblivious to the world. But, Ten years ago, Florence, an have you ever thought of the extremely successfully people you would be private doctor who was

“He had no right to kill me the way he did” she said, exhibiting a bit of the anger she must have felt. “It was him who wanted out, why must I suffer because of it?”

In the spate of a few days, there were newspaper reports recently of a man who committed suicide because he lost his job and his wife; and, of another undergraduate who killed himself because of poor exam results. There were even reports of kids under10 found dangling from the end of a rope!

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thankfully surviving after the trauma of her divorce, came home to find her undergraduate son stone dead.

A hurriedly written suicide note said it was because he failed his end-of-year exams again and was asked to leave the university. He was too embarrassed to face his mother and see the beaten look on her face.

His mother had a nervous

Maybe it is about time we encouraged positive thinking in this part of the world

,

breakdown. According to her: “The depression that followed his funeral was suicidal. I was

helplessly bewildered and life seemed no longer worth living. I didn’t even have the comfort of a husband and father. I couldn’t sleep even with anti-depressants and I seldom ate. I knew hard work was good medicine and I drove myself dangerously hard the first few terrible years...”

Today, despite the fact that her other two children have done very well, she has changed out of character; drinking like the devil and weeping even when not provoked.

A 24-year-old nurse whose undergraduate fiance committed suicide told me she went through hell for over two years before she could even begin to live again.

aybe it is about time we encouraged positive thinking in this part of the world. There is need for free access to counsellors when depression hits.

Today, bipolar disease is what used to be called manic depression. The disease literally drives you insane. One of the very early symptoms is acute depression. Unfortunately, bipolar syndrome is more common amongst the youths than ever before — and it doesn’t matter if the parents are rich or poor.

Once bipolar hits, victims reasoning becomes disjointed. That’s why today ’s parents are particularly warned to look out for depression of any sorts in their children and seek prompt professional help for such kids — before things get out of hand.

,

Revenge affairs seldom work

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ome men may be in affairs because they feel trapped by the responsibility of running a home, or paying school fees. A lot of men are not emotionally-mature enough to cope and escape from what they see as this ‘burden* into a carefree, illicit romance. For other men, an affair is more a romance of change and opportunity, a business trip or the fact that his wife’s away from home.

Carol Botwin, in her book on Male Infidelity, also notes that: “Yet, most women, confronted by the traditional warning sign of someone constantly hanging up on the phone — a great way women know deep down that their men are being unfaithful — don’t admit it.

Women have a strong intuition, good instinct — if we’re really anxious about out spouses, very often, there’s a good reason. But often times, we ignore not only our gut feelings, but a tangible evidence like losing his wedding ring or the fact that a man whose personal grooming

regime was at best tolerable was now a resemblance of a sleek actor ’s, advertising the latest after-shave.”

Continued Botwin: “Short of actually catching our loved one red-handed, most of us women have an incredible facility for bunkering out the signals.

There are even wives and girlfriends who have been known to turn a blind eye to soiled sheets or the discovery of someone else’s knickers stuffed under the passenger seat of the family car ”.

But why do we just decide to plaster on a grin and bear such painful, outrageous discoveries?

“Acknowledging the truth is frightening,” admits the author. “It is threatening. A woman in this position is afraid of shaking up the relationship.

She thinks if she says something, maybe he’ll leave her for the other woman. Not knowing that if you want it to stop, you have to confront him, because otherwise, you become a party

to the affair. It’s like being an accessory to the crime. If you ignore the signs, then after that point, there is collusion, a tacit approval on your part. You are condoning the fact that he is sleeping with another woman.” Pretending the problem doesn’t exist is not going to make it go away. ne of the worst things that a woman could do, thoughts O embark on an I’ll-show-him’ affair herself. It becomes a rotten experience, because you’re doing it out of revenge. You might not even enjoy it, and there is a danger that it might degenerate into a round of tit-for-tat infidelity with the relationship becoming irrevocably damaged. So, what does the wife do when she approaches the crossroads of infidelity?

“Sit and analyse what they want,” the author feels. The initial desire may be to cut his designer-clothes into shreds, pour water in his petrol

tank or run up a huge bill on his credit card if he has any. There are women who can never love a man who had cheated! And, when speaking hypothetically, most women declare that, “if he does this, I will never stand for it and he has to go.” When the lipsticks-stained shirt does hit the fan, however, in reality, if you love him, you have an investment in him. And, actually most women don’t really want to throw their man out. But they do want the affair to end. “What I do recommend is that after the initial explosion, you sit down and try to control the situation, adopt a business-like attitude. You have to diffuse the anger you feel by being cheated on, so that after the first outburst, confrontations are not full of ranting and raving. Before you sit down and talk to him, go into a room and use your fists to pound against a pillow or give silent screams.

Imagine that you’re either pummelling his head or the other woman’s.

46—SATURDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 8, 2014 Aunty Julie, I am a 20 year old female that is in a relationship with a 25 year old man. We have been going out for three months now, but we fell in love after going out for three weeks. The relationship was a dream come true until very recently.

My boyfriend asked me to stay with him during my school break from University. This seemed like a long period of time and I was a little nervous inside because of concern over my need for space.

Despite this apprehension, I agreed to the arrangement.

He said that it has been the best time of his life while I felt like I was going crazy after the two weeks were over. I told him that I needed to go away for a few days so that I could have more freedom, more space, and get more things done. I complained that I felt like I had gotten married overnight. I was confined to the house most of the time. It took him a while to finally give me a key and I am isolated from transportation and friends. I felt like he wanted me to adapt to his ways of doing things instead of doing things my own w a y .

When I wasn’t living with him, he would still come straight from work and take me out for a great time. Since I’ve been staying with him, we mostly go out to run errands, go to the grocery store, and take the trash out!

Every time he was around, he wanted me to be with him.

For example, if I was watching TV, he would want me to stop so that I could lay next to him while he was on the phone. I told him that simple things make me feel in control, being able to come and go as I please, working outside the house, but I felt like he was trying to be in control.

I told him that made me feel unhappy so I had to go back to my original environment for a little while.

Meanwhile, he keeps saying he wants to ask me to marry him someday. He wants me to have his children, he wants me to live with him permanently after I graduate . I’ll admit that we’ve had some wonderful times together.

But I’m feeling suffocated.

After we discussed these

Is he gay?

I’m trapped in this relationship things, he voluntarily said he would change. He said he didn’t think he was controlling but that possibly, I thought so because of the way he said things and that he would try to be more careful. I told him that I am a very independent person and I need time for my own activities and interests. He said he will value my privacy more. This is all nice but I am still feeling awkward about going back to stay with him. I feel more irritated by him than ever and my need for space seems to grow everyday. I feel overwhelmed and confused. I keep telling myself that love will keep us together despite my recent doubts.

What should I do?

Yemisi, Ibadan Hello Yemisi,

This guy may be great and wonderful but you are in an entirely different life stage.

You are definitely not ready to play house. Your feelings are right when they tell you that being confined is not right for you at the age of 20.

We need to keep in mind that he is five years older than you and may be more ready than you are.

This relationship, as loving as it is, was not equipped to handle coming home and doing chores. You had your best times when you could go out and have fun. You need to keep doing this. So many young people make the mistake of giving up their late adolescence and early adulthood, which is a time of discovery and experimentation, to be committed to someone they might eventually out-

grow. We change the most between the ages of 20 to 28.

All your feelings of being stifled are telling you that you need to be much freer than you are with this young man.

Your heart is telling you that you can’t handle this. So, listen to it.

Try to go back to the stage where you are merely dating.

Errands and chores at your age will deprive you of the period of experimentation and growth at the sacrifice of what he needs you to be.

I can’t stress how strongly I feel that you need to break away from this and discover your own life as a separate individual before you make this kind of choice. What if you wake up in five years and say, “My God, I’ve missed five years of my development!” I guarantee you this is what will happen. Your feelings are correct. Pay attention to them.

He’s living with his child’s mother

Aunty Julie,

I’ve been involved in a relationship with a guy for one year.The relationship was perfect until after the eighth month when I found out my boyfriend is living with his daughter ’s mother. I realized this when I noticed that he did not give me a phone number, let alone invite me over to his home. I told him I did not feel comfortable with his living arrangement. He assures me that his living situation was not always this way, he’s only looking out for his little girl, the mother has a separate room in the house and they are no longer intimate and haven’t been for sometime.

To this day, he still practically spends all of his time with

The stranger at the door

A woman is at home when she hears someone knocking at her door. She goes to the door, opens it and sees a man standing there. He asks the lady, “Do you have a Vagina?” She slams the door in disgust.

The next morning she hears a knock at the door, its the same man and he asks the same question to the woman, “Do you have a Vagina?” She slams the door again. Later that night when her husband gets home, she tells him what has happened for the last two days.

The husband tells his wife in a loving and concerned voice, “Honey, I am taking an off tomorrow so as to be home, just incase this guy shows up again.”

The next morning, they hear a knock at the door and both ran for the door. The husband whispers to the wife, “Honey, I’m going to hide behind the door and listen and if it is the same guy I want you to answer yes

me and goes home very late in the evening.

He says the only reason he goes home at night and spends most of his weekends away from me is so he can dedicate some time to his daughter. I love this guy to death because not only is he there for me, he’s helpful, takes me on trips, gives me advice, doesn’t ask for me and the list continues.

As ugly as his living arrangement seems, I need to know if there’s a possibility he could be telling the truth about the relationship between he and his daughter ’s mother or am I just completely out of my mind for remaining in a relationship with him? Please give an honest opinion.

Debby, Port-Harcourt

Dear Debby, What can I say? I’ve heard of stranger arrangements.

This is something only you can decide. Trust your intuition and ask yourself what you want with this man. Are you considering marriage in the future? If so, is he willing to leave his current living arrangement? Have the two of you discussed having any kind of future together? I know several couples through my practice who have had this type of arrangement and it is always a very individual thing.

I guess my answer in this case would depend on how close you feel to him and if the two of you are able to communicate about planning some kind of future together.

C O C K - T A L E S to the question because I want to a see where he’s going with this.” She nods yes to her husband and opens the door. Sure enough the same fellow is standing there, he asks, “Do you have a Vagina?” “Yes I do.” says the lady. The man replies, “Good, would you mind telling your husband to leave my wife’s alone and start using yours!”

The liar

A married man was having an affair with his secretary. One day, their passions overcame them and they took off for her house. Exhausted from the afternoon’s activities, they fell asleep and awoke at around 8 p.m. As the man threw on his clothes, he told the woman to take his shoes outside and rub them through the grass and dirt.

Mystified, she nonetheless complied and he slipped into his shoes and drove home. “Where have you

Dear Julie, I have been dating this guy for over eight months but I’m beginning to notice something about him. I caught my boyfriend looking at male pornography on the internet. He says that he was just “curious” and that he has only done it on one or two other occasions.

Before this happened, we rarely had sex and never spent time together.

We’ve been together for two years and I’m afraid that maybe I’m just there to make him look like he is a heterosexual. I’m presently staying with some friends, but still talking to him on the phone every day. I miss him terribly but I’m scared to go back and I feel uncomfortable around him. He says he wants me ONLY and that I can trust him, but I don’t feel that I can. What should I do? Thank you.

Scholastica, Calabar Dear Scholastica, Looking at male pornography is not enough to convict him of being gay even though this would not be the norm for most straight guys. Ask yourself the following questions before making a decision: Does he seem turned on to you?

Does he have any history of gay experiences? When you say you rarely had sex, could he explain why?

What is making you so uncomfortable? Is it that you think he might be gay or that you just pick up on that vibe? Bottom line is that he doesn’t seem like he’s telling you and you don’t feel like you are getting a straight answer. I would trust my instincts.

We all know when someone is turned on by us and you don’t seem to be feeling that at all! He may be bisexual or just plain curious but if this makes you feel too uncomfortable, maybe this just isn’t a safe bet!

been?” demanded his wife when he entered the house. “Darling,” replied the man, “I can’t lie to you.

I’ve been having an affair with my secretary. I fell asleep in her bed and didn’t wake up until eight o’clock.” The wife glanced down at his shoes and said, “You liar! You’ve been playing golf!”

A wish well

A couple came upon a wishing well. The husband leaned over, made a wish and threw in a penny. The wife made a wish too, but she leaned over too much, fell into the well, and drowned. The husband was stunned for a moment but then smiled, “It really works!”

Women on picnic

A bus full of housewives going on a picnic crashed with no survivors. Each husband cried for a week, but one husband continued for more than two weeks.

When asked, he replied miserably... “My wife missed the bus”

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

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had heard a lot about the film. Renowned Oscar-winning director. Extremely popular male lead, a global superstar in the industry who had apparently given yet another career-defining performance. I had also heard a lot about the somewhat explicit nature of several scenes in the film which had caused consternation in some quarters. But then, how bad could they be, given what we are already accustomed to seeing sex-wise and violence-wise sprinkled liberally in both movies and on TV these days? Nothing I couldn’t handle (if required to), was my conclusion. And after all, these were two titans of the global film industry who had collaborated on a film that interrupted only occasionally had racked up multiple award by token sequences designed nominations by the most to serve as the far less prestigious festivals around compelling narrative thread the world. With reputations to of the film. It was impossible protect. Clearly they were not not to long for a vigorous in the business of committing shower immediately after leaving the theatre—which professional suicide.

So when the opportunity for me was 45 minutes or arose on an idle afternoon, I thereabouts into the movie wandered into a cinema after it was clear that the theatre, bought a ticket, and eventual plot resolution settled down to view this (however imaginatively acclaimed spectacle. And a conceived) was never going spectacle it truly was – in the to justify the considerable worst sense of the word. psychological and spiritual Because it soon became rehabilitation required after apparent that this Oscar- the brutal assault of this winning director had either ‘artistic’ endeavour might lost confidence in his ability have run its full course. to tell a compelling story and hat I found difficult to command his audience’s digest was that these attention without resorting to highly reputable filmmakers soiled thrills, or else he was would have the effrontery on a mission to wilfully (diplomatically referred to as corrupt and pollute the minds being ‘fearless’ in the world of the unsuspecting public and create a new benchmark of political correctness) to for cinematic immorality for present what amounted to his worshipful peers to aspire soft-porn to a mainstream to, with the extremely audience in the name of art. charismatic and talented actor But they obviously knew far as his more-than-enthusiastic more about the tolerance levels of today ’s viewing partner in crime. public than I do, judging by its hugely profitable outing opine it was the latter.

Because scene after at the box office (generating scene was a chest- revenues more than 3 times thumping—but skilfully its mega-budget from US constructed —proclamation of cinemas alone despite its sexual depravity, drug abuse, restrictive adult rating) as and ceaseless profanity, well as the alreadymentioned critical

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recognition.

But digest it I had to.

Because it is very clear that the world is changing (inspired by movies such as these, as well as the several copycats that will soon and surely follow). In this particular area, not necessarily for the better. And it will take a deliberate act of the will not to change along with it.

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fter all, it’s no secret that sexually explicit and ultra violent content have been making steady inroads into mainstream television programming. Some of the most critically acclaimed and award winning TV series now feature images that would historically have attracted immediate censure from the industry watchdogs. But by ingeniously weaving these controversial scenes into the fabric of indisputably inventive narratives with compelling characterizations and superlative production values, the content producers have managed to slip through the instinctive defences of their chosen audience and establish a base from which to slowly chip away at the erected walls of moral resistance.

Case in point is a highly popular TV series that even

the president of a major world power has openly expressed admiration for. The following is a brief commentary from the secular media about it: (The series) has obtained an exceptionally broad and active international fan base . It received widespread acclaim by critics, although its use of nudity and violence has caused controversy. The series has won numerous awards and nominations, including a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Drama Series in all three seasons, a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Television Series — Drama , a H u g o Award for Best Dramatic Presentation in Long Form, and a Peabody Award .

The amount of sex and nudity shown on (the series), especially in scenes that are incidental to the plot, has been the focus of much of the criticism aimed at the series.

(One of the actors) likened the series’s frequent explicit scenes to “German porn from the 1970s”. (A respected critic) wrote that while the first season was replete with lighthearted “sexposition “,the second season appeared to focus on distasteful, exploitative and dehumanizing sex with little informational content.

This is an example of just one of several equally acclaimed TV

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nbudgeted Expenditure:Do not allow anybody to force you into expenditure you did not budget for.

This is one of the reasons why wouldbe couples go borrowing. I always advise that if a family member or friend is not comfortable with your arrangements and wants adjustments which will increase your expenditure, that person must bring the extra money needed to alter the arrangements. If not, the original plan stays.

Showing off:Do not plan your wedding to show off. You must understand marriage for what it is: an admission into a sacred institution established by God. It has its twists and turns, ups and downs, pleasures and pains,freedom and concomitant responsibilities, and enough issues and challenges to keep you busy for the rest of your life. Showing off is one of the reasons people borrow or engage in unnecessary expenditure. Flee from it.

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f you followed this column two weeks ago and read between the lines; you would have realised by now that how much you spend on your wedding is entirely up to you. It can be as little as N20, 000 and as much as N500m depending on your financial prowess. Let us look at practical examples of cost savings in a budget wedding: Wedding apparels: It is not compulsory the groom must buy a new pair of shoes or suit. He can fall back on his wardrobe. The bride on the other hand can rent a gown. The suit and shoes I used for my civil marriage were not new, only my wife•fs outfit was, but I was just happy getting married and nothing else mattered.

Budget wedding (2) Venue:If the groom lives in a compound where there is enough space or can get one where there is space, he saves money on renting a hall by doing his reception there.

Food: Instead of hiring a caterer, the couple can buy all the food items and get family members or hire people to do the cooking. From among church members, they can get ushers and servers to take care of guests.

Drinks: Serve only soft drinks, mixture of bottled water and sachet water, and you save a chunk of money.

Music: A deejay or church band will bring down the cost on music, or the couple can do zero expenditure by using the music set at home.

Transportation: Instead of hiring luxury vehicles to convey your bride and yourself, borrow from friends, colleagues and family members and make some savings.

Number of Guests: Reduce your guest list and you save some money.

The downside is that you might get fewer gifts and/or antagonise those you did not invite. But so what? It is your day and you determine how it

goes.

Traditional Mar riage: After teaching a marriage class recently, a participant of Igbo origin observed that even if he saves money on church wedding what about the traditional marriage with attendant high bride price and other practices that lead to high expenditure? Well, I made my enquiries and found out that it is not in all parts of Igbo land pride price is high. Moreover the issue has become tainted with status symbolism.

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ometimes the bride•fs family just wants to show the world that the new in-law is rich, or it is the inlaw who is showing off. If there is an understanding between all parties, these issues can easily be sorted out. Nothing is cast in stone.

Sometimes the bride•fs immediate family only needs to shield their new in-law from greedy extended family members.

Daughters are not for sale. My wife•fs bride price was N60, and I was only allowed to pay N55. I will never be able to pay the N5 balance because I need to bring everybody

series that rule the global airwaves. Several of them have already found their way into local satellite programming in Nigeria although I cannot confirm at this time whether the specific example used is among them.

It is redundant to point out that judging by the description provided above, their societal impact cannot logically be positive. On the contrary, it is realistic to expect that such will simply open up the minds of some vulnerable viewers to contemplate the simulation of actions they would not have otherwise imagined.

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n a world in which barriers to information and communication are constantly being broken down with breathtaking rapidity, societies must compulsorily be proactive in defending themselves against the incursion of corruptive influences alien to their intrinsic values. A number of countries took decisive action to either outrightly ban or severely restrict the exhibition of the movie mentioned above. I was highly impressed to learn from informal sources that the responsible agency in this country had done the same.

May its unexpected but commendable resolve in this area not only continue but also expand to TV programming and music (if possible). We have enough seemingly intractable issues in our country to deal with, without adding problems that can be conveniently avoided.

As a wise man once said: ‘The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.’

who attended the marriage back, wearing the same clothes, to pay the balance.

Looking through the photographs recently, at least 12 people who attended the marriage including six family members are dead. The message is simple: We are only giving you our daughter in marriage; we are not selling her.

There are other ways to cut cost during wedding. In the Catholic Church, for instance, some couples come for morning mass on weekdays, do their wedding and leave for work thereafter; no reception.

All they have spent money on are the wedding rings. If these couples belonged to a church where rings are not exchanged, they would spend less on their wedding. Sometimes some churches organize mass wedding for members with little means to reduce cost per couple.

These marriages are no less valid than those where millions were spent. Today, a lot of the couples are still living together happily.

The point is if you have the money to spend and a high society wedding is your desire, why not, it is your money. Just be sensible and sensitive in your spending and remember that there is life thereafter.

Also remember that you are in a country where majority of the citizens exist on two or less dollars a day.

People of little means should, however, not despair or wait indefinitely because of money. When the chips are down, how much you spent on your marriage ceremony will have no bearing on your married life; they are inversely related. I know more people whose financial fortunes improved after their wedding than those whose fortunes went down after wedding. Sometimes spouses and children do bring showers of blessings.

48—SATURDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 8, 2014

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gedengbe AyoMoses is a young, experienced and vibrant chattered Public Relations practitioner, anchoring CLAD Projects as the Lead Consultant and Chief Strategy Officer.

CLAD Projects is a Corporate Social Responsibility content development company based in Lagos, having its partners in India, United Kingdom, US and United Arab Emirates.

In this interview with Saturday Vanguard Business, he reveals the firm’s intention and strategy to impact on Nigerians through corporate social responsibility, hence the challenges and success. Excerpts: As the Lead Consultant/Chief Strategy Officer, tell us the mission and impact of CLAD projects in Nigeria?

Let me first tell you what we do for you to understand the importance of our mission to the nation. We are a social enterprise with interest in the way and manner we raise and train citizens. We have identified a gap in the educational system and chosen to join hands with corporate entities and social enterprises that focus on developing the country with their resources. This is why we work with social entrepreneurs, successful caring brands and professionals in the industry, to design and implement programmes that help expedite learning and growth for our young people. As an organisation, it has become our responsibility to research social needs that caring brands can implement in pursuit of their corporate social responsibility objectives. Our mission is to build an organisation that will help birth a new generation of citizens, whilst delivering tangible returns on efforts to our partners. If you take a look at our vision statement, you will also note that we are resolute in our effort to be the social enterprise industry leader by using the best resource available to deliver innovative solutions.

Now, as lofty as some people may want to say that our vision is, we are not unaware of the fact that we cannot do this alone. This is why we make efforts to reach out to corporations and professionals whose areas of focus have to do with national develop-

Corporate social responsibilty practitioners are nation builders — Ayo-Moses ment. In the industry where our company is primarily operating from, we see Corporate Social Responsibility practitioners as nation builders. If you take a look at the history of developed countries like the US, Britain, Finland, Singapore and lately, China, you will see that the role of government is primarily to create an enabling environment. The real agents of change and development are corporations that labour to build sustainable wealth. You cannot discuss the historical development of the United States for instance, without talking about companies like US Steel (formerly known as Carnegie Steel), JP Morgan, Ford, Coca-Cola and their likes. In China, you will see that companies like Huawei are breaking boundaries to support developing markets with innovative solutions with great social impact. Now, we must not forget companies in Nigeria that are making efforts to help in the quest for development. The indigenous ones are also making progress at keeping up with global best practices in Corporate Social Responsibility. Brands like GTBank, Diamond Bank, Dangote Industries, Oando and others. For the Multinational and other foreign brands, you will see the good works of companies like NESTLE, Chevron, Shell and others. The truth is that the cumulative spending of these corporations is encouraging, but with no iota of doubt in our hearts, we believe they can do more. We cannot fully discuss the changes that have occurred in the Nigerian Social business environment without giving credit to the people that it is due. Of a particular interest for reckoning is Dr Ken Ovat Egbas of TruContact Communications- Conveners of the Social Enterprise Awards and Reports. Prior to the

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annual events, social enterprise was not a thing of pride to many brands.

But today, the story is different. If Nigeria is to make tangible progress, our peopleconsumers, Ayo-Moses:Nations develop when companies give back employees, ento society they operate in vironmentalists, entrepreneurs and regulatory agencies must pay at- run an open system became tention to brands that are making efforts to help more apparent to corporations in develop the nation. Their efforts must be re- keeping up to global best pracwarded, and commensurately so, in other to tices. Although when we talk motivate them as we seek to fast-track the pro- about Corporate Responsibility, most brands always think about cess of national growth.

What is your take on Corporate Social Re- corporate philanthropy alone.

Corporate philanthropy is the sponsibility in Nigeria?

Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria entry point in the CSR Fusion. has come a long way. And I believe it also has We must look at employee a farther way to go. We must thank Public Re- rights, consumer rights, Global lations practitioners in the country that quickly Reporting Initiative, the invesidentified the need for the industry to be or- tor and the environment. For ganised. In any case, Corporate Social Respon- those who care to listen, we try sibility is a core Public Relations function. One to make them know that it is cannot really single out an individual for reck- more than just philanthropy. oning when it comes to the people that made Corporate Responsibility is real efforts to give the industry a sure footing. more about how a company does Again, it is important to note that the real for- business. It is about how the bearers of Corporate Social Responsibility in laws of the land, the rights of Nigeria are the multinational brands that came the employees, the consumers, into the country and found need to put a bal- the investors and the communiance to the negative effects that their business ties are respected as the comactivities were causing to the environment of pany pursues its business objecpeople in communities where they operated. tive, which is primarily to make As the country became democratic, the need to profit.

Benefits, opportunities in snail farming R

eading this article on snail farming business will easily inform and position you to the many employment opportunities that abound in livestock farming. These opportunities if Nigerians can tap into it would reduce the pressure and rate of unemployment in many homes today and make them wealthy if they consider taking the plunge.

However, snail farming is one of those fields of agriculture that if one ventures in it you would not have any cause to regret.

Many countries of the world benefit much from snail farming business.

According to animal

farm consultant and Managing Director, Jovana Farms, Prince Onebunne, Snail is still in short supply in Nigeria today going by the recent preliminary market analysis suggesting that an additional 25,000 tons, or a 100 per cent increase can easily be absorbed, he said. He said, there is enough evidence that snail breeding is a profitable business in the country.”

“Snail production is a lot of fun with much to learn everyday and farmers raise snail for many reasons. So, some farmers are into snail breeders farming, point of lay snail production, while others are raising snail for table.”

“Snail producers traditionally sell or market their snail to food processing plants, cold rooms, local markets, top class hotels, healthy food shops, restaurants or sales to local

residents.

“Nigeria alone is targeting about two-metric tons of snail production annually not only for domestic market but also for international trade. A snail farmer does not have to invest from breederspoint of lay to table size snail farming. An investor can specialise just on a segment of the snailery trade. Obviously, there are variations of the marketing schemes and strategies, but these are the main outlets. Below are secure areas of special concentration.”

Direct snail production farming There exists vast suitable sites for commercial snail farming in different parts of the country. As little as one plot of land could be engaged under small or large scale farming, while several hectares have the potential of producing more than 10 metric tons per hectare a year with right species of snail.

Snail breeders production This is one of the most lucrative aspects of snail farming. The turnover period is 18-months, when the breeders are

ready to be sold to interested buyers as foundation stock.

Integrated Farming Integrated farming system is very feasible with snail production e.g. snail-banana-earthwormrabbit-palm tree and plantain farming.

Snail food production This is a very essential ingredient of snail farming. Any investor that is opportuned to dive into this aspect is duty bound to succeed. The same equipment and input for snail supplement feed production could also be used to produce feed for poultry, fish, rabbit, pig, etc. A good and cheap source of raw materials with good feed formula from experts should ensure continuous operation.Jovana Farms organizes nationwide sensitization training seminars on the practical ways of making it through smallscale animal farming. Visit us at www.jovanafarm.com for more details. Choose also the nearest venue from the advert box on this page or call 080 33262 808, E-mail: jovanafarms@gmail.com.

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