Monarch under probe for Boko Haram links

PAGE 2—SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014

EXTRADITION TANGO WITH SUDAN OVER NYANYA BOMBER

Monarch under probe for Boko Haram links

*After three days wait in Khartoum, jet returns to Nigeria without suspect

BY JIDE AJANI

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here were strong indications, yesterday, that the security services have commenced a high-level investigation of a monarch in northern Nigeria, suspected to have links with the members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, which, in English, means, “People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad”, otherwise known as Boko Haram.

The investigation followed the intelligence gathered from Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, regarding difficulties being faced by Nigeria in extraditing Aminu-Sadiq Ogwuche, the alleged mastermind of the April 14, 2014, bombing of Nyanya motor-park, near Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, where over 100 lives were lost.

Sunday Vanguard was made to understand that, penultimate week, the “situation was so embarrassing that the jet, provided by the Nigerian government to convey the suspect from the Sudanese capital, Khatoum, returned after waiting for three days without making a headway in the extradition process”.

Information made available, late last night, from the base of the traditional ruler, Sudan and Abuja, suggested that the focus of the investigation of the monarch had to do with funding and remittances

allegedly made with a view to blocking the extradition of Ogwuche.

It was learnt from the multiple high-level sources that the sudden uncooperative disposition of the Sudanese government in the matter “is not unconnected with the influence which the traditional ruler is known to wield in Sudan, as well as his contacts over the years in that Islamic

country”.

All efforts to get official confirmation from the National Information Centre, the body saddled with the co-ordination and dissemination of information regarding the war on terror, proved abortive.

However, sources in the intelligence community insisted that a good lead was being followed in the matter concerning the monarch.

“It is something that is very discreet that we are doing but I will neither confirm nor deny to you that we are carrying out investigation to substantiate the claims of complicity by the monarch”, a highly placed source said.

It was discovered that the main reason for the “forceful blocking of the extradition of Ogwuche is to stall any possibility of his return to Nigeria and buckle under intense interrogation and possibly reveal the names of the sponsors of the insurgents”, the source said.

Indeed, the Sudanese Embassy in Nigeria may be playing footsy as our correspondent, Victoria Ojeme, who had earlier interviewed the country’s

SOLUTION

ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Tagelsir Mahgoub Ali, spent over four hours at the embassy, on Friday, in her quest to seek clarifications on the extradition saga.

The interview with the ambassador had been published last month and it centred on the anticipated cooperation of Sudan in extraditing the Nyanya bombing suspect to Nigeria.

But, on Friday, all efforts to get the ambassador to clear the air on the monarch’s links to the continuing difficulty being encountered by Nigeria in the extradition of the suspect did not yield positive result.

However, after the over four-hour wait at the embassy, what Sunday Vanguard got was to the effect that the case was being handled by Interpol and it had received a court order from Nigeria while there is an Interpol procedure which, as soon as it is properly followed to the letter, “everything will be in place”.

At press time, Sunday Vanguard was told by a top security source: “President Goodluck Jonathan is ready to go to any length, working with the security agencies, to get to the root of the matter and ensure that Nigerians are spared the terror unleashed by insurgents.

Nobody, no matter how highly placed in the society, would be spared and the country is ready to ensure that Ogwuche is brought back to this country to face the consequences of his alleged action”.

‘No extradition treaty’

Saturday Vanguard had, yesterday, reported that Sudan’s refusal to extradite Ogwuche followed the alleged intervention of the monarch.

He was said to have moved in to stop the extradition of the suspect using the instrumentality of his alma mater, African International University, in Sudan.

Apart from this, Sudan whose President, Omar al-Bashir, is wanted by the International Criminal Court, ICC, for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, has no bilateral agreement with any country in the world on extradition of criminals.

The monarch, who was said to have used alma mater on several occa-

L-R: Mrs Olubunmi Popoola-Mordi;Company Secretary, Total Nigeria Plc; Mr Momar Nguer, Chairman And Mr Alexis Vovk,Managing Director, at the 36th Annual General Meeting Total Nigeria Plc held at Civic Centre, Victoria Island Lagos.

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Makbilo Nigeria Limited, Mr. Bello Adisa; Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Obinnia Abajue; and Managing Director, Mopheth Group, Mr. Kunle Oyegade; at a stakeholders forum organized by the bank in Lagos.

sions to recommend and secure admission for some Nigerian youths in Sudan, allegedly used his influence to reach out to some old students of the university to frustrate the extradition of Ogwuche possibly to prevent Nigerian security from getting details from the suspect on some of the financiers of Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria.

Ogwuche was declared wanted by the Department of State Services, DSS, after linking him to the deadly blast in Nyanya which claimed over 75 lives.

However, the arraignment in absentia was again allegedly questioned by the Sudanese government which also doubted the genuineness of the allegations against the suspected terrorist, saying that he (Ogwuche) could have been framed.

The Police Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, had, shortly after the Nyanya bomb blast, hinted that Interpol had issued a red alert for the arrest of Ogwuche, who was once arrested on suspicion of terrorism but released following pressure from human rights groups and the father of the suspect. Also, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, and Coordinator of the National Information Centre, NIC, Mike Omeri, had said that Ogwuche, who had

been on the wanted list of the security agencies, was arrested in Sudan.

Omeri, who was surrounded then by spokespersons of the military, the police and the DSS, said security agencies in the country were working with their counterparts in Sudan to extradite the suspect, who was a deserter of the Nigerian Army.

Deputy Director in charge of Public Relations at the DSS, Marylyn Ogar, also hinted that security agencies discovered that the suspect had escaped to Sudan, when his father could not produce him.

The discovery of the Ogwuche’s escape to Sudan while five others were arrested prompted the DSS to declare him want-

ed alongside one other suspect.

“Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, who was earlier declared wanted, has been arrested in Sudan with the efforts of the army, the DSS, the National Bureau of the Interpol based at the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters and security operatives in Sudan”, Omeri said.

“The efforts of the Interpol, Nigerian Police and the DSS led to his arrest”.

He promised that further information on him and the second suspect would be communicated to the public as they come in. Ogwuche, an alleged army deserter, was said to have dropped out of university in Britain. He reportedly served in a Nigerian intelligence unit.

Ogun tops NNPC quiz competition the zone later this year

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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GUN State has won this year ’s edition of the Nigerian National Science Quiz competition in the Southwest zone, organised by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. This year ’s competition was held at St Peters Unity Secondary School, Akure, Ondo S t a t e .

The state is to represent

at the grand finale scheduled for Abuja Ogun State scored 65points in core science subjects of English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics to defeat Oyo State which came second with 60points. The host state, Ondo, came third with 50points followed by Osun, Lagos which scored 40 points each while Ekiti state scored 30points.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014 , PAGE 3

Sanusi begins three-day do-or-die ritual *To be in confinement

By AbdulSalam Muhammad

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HE new Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II, yesterday began a three-day solitary ritual in fulfillment of tradition.

A competent palace source confided in Sunday Vanguard that the process would see the emir locked up in the room known as Dakin Duhu (dark room) without access to anyone.

The source explained that “it is a tradition that has survived thousands of years, and it predates the conquest of Fulani Jihadist in 1804.”

The source affirmed that “it is incumbent on the new emir to pass through the process to fortify him spiritually for the challenges ahead”, stressing that “successful past emirs passed through the compulsory ritual.”

He pointed out that “it is a living tradition in the emirate and was brought about by Habre rulers before the whole process was Islamized by the founder of modern Kano kingdom, Ibrahim Dabo, the 2nd Fulani Emir of Kano.”

The source disclosed that “the new emir is expected to go into solitary confinement for three days in a room that was last opened to an emir 52 years ago though his needs would be provided, and he is expected to engage in glorification of the Almighty Allah while in the dark room”.

The source further revealed that “the new emir is expected to come out the third day through a new gate, and head straight to the room of queen mother located within the southern axis of the century old palace.”

Speaking on the development, however, a prince, who did not want his name in print, told Sunday Van-

Mimiko’s wife celebrates with 51 triplets

By DAYO JOHNSON

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HE wife of the Ondo State governor, Mrs. Olukemi Mimiko, weekend, celebrated her 47th birthday with 51 triplets and quadtuplets that benefited from her pet project, the Maternal Pulse Foundation.

Mrs Mimiko charge the parents in the various communities to be sensitive to the health of their children.

The babies and their parents gathered at the Government House ground to felicitate with the Ondo First Lady.

While expressing gratitude to God for her life and foundation, Mrs Mimiko thanked God for keeping the children of the foundation and parents for their efforts in nurturing the babies.

”We are gathered here to celebrate God and our special families who have multiple births. We have 51 of them in our foundation and we thank God for watching over these ones”, she stated.

The wife of the governor, who commended the donors and volunteers towards the foundation for their continued support and donations, noted that the move had enabled the foundation meet its daily activities.

She therefore pleaded for more support from more well meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of such families with multiple births and assist them in raising the children.

Mrs Mimiko noted the many challenges of raising even a single child not to talk of multiple ones.

LG election: Okpe PDP leader warns aspirants

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chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Okpe local government area, Delta State, Dr Michael Eferharakpoye, has warned all Okpe chairmanship aspirants not heat up the polity with unguarded statements, saying there is no new or old member in the party.

He gave this warning recently while reacting to an interview in one of the community newspapers, saying that politics is not about castigating people but embracing new members, as it is the strength of every party.

Dr Eferharakpoye said that PDP has increased her

numerical strength through its drive for new members but not those who left the party because they were aggrieved and were appealed to to come back to where they belong.

Eferharakpoye emphasized that the likes of Hon Solomon Ahwinawhi and others who were in the opposition party (DPP) were woe to come to PDP where they contested and won and were not queried or asked when they joined the ruling party, adding that such statement like new comers to the party should be avoided if PDP must win her elections and attain its height in the state.

guard that “the new emir is too sophisticated to go through the rigour.

“His highness is too westernized to pass through the rigour of tradition and besides I don’t think it is compulsory”.

He admitted that “the tradition predates pre-Fulani era in the emirate, and the whole idea is being promoted and sustained by remnants of Habre descendants, the first Hausa ruler, left in the palace” He revealed that “it is not compulsory for Sanusi because the most important thing was recognition and he has gotten that already”.

•First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan (l) , receiving the President, Association of Wives of Heads of Foreign Missions in Nigeria, Mrs. Mai Anh Shoji, while the Vice President, Mrs. Dela Okiba (m); watches during a courtesy visit to the First Lady at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida

Oba of Benin wades into Edo House crisis, sues for peace

•Owie counsels lawmakers

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM, Benin-City

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HE Oba of Benin, Omo n’Oba Erediauwa, has waded into the crisis rocking Edo State House of Assembly, urging the actors to allow peace to reign.

The Oba, who told politicians not to plunge Edo into crisis, held a meeting with leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in his palace, yesterday. He appealed to the political parties to resolve their political differences in the interest of peace and security.

A statement issued by the palace and personally signed by His Royal Majesty, the Oba of Benin said: “I thank leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic party (PDP) for honouring my invitation at short notice.

“I invited you to my palace to appeal to you on the need to allow peace continue to reign in Edo State, I know youo as politicians have a way of resolving political issues, no matter how delicate and sensitive the issues are.

“Politicians in Edo State, regardless of whichever political parties they belong to, I am quite sure, will do all they can to ensure that our great state especially Benin City, the capital, is not made ungovernable for political reasons. I know as citizens of Edo State, you will always do all you can to protect our people and our land.

“On this very note, taking into consideration what has been happening since the beginning of this week,

I am appealing to you not to engage in the destruction of lives and properties for whatever reasons. I also appeal to you as you leave here to have the interest of Edo State at heart and amicably resolve whatever political disagreement you may have, which I am sure, you are well capable of resolving for peace and security to reign. I thank you for coming and God bless you all.”

Representing the APC at the meeting were Dr Pius Odubu, Deputy Governor of Edo State and Hon Patrick Obahiagbon, Chief of Staff to the Governor.

Chief Dan Orbih, PDP Chairman, Mr Lucky Imasuen, one-time Deputy

Governor, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Hon Festus Ebea, suspended Speaker of the State House of Assembly represented the PDP. Meanwhile, a former Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Rowland Owie, has urged the warring members of the House not to allow people he described as “ambitious politicians” ruin their career and the prevailing peace in the state.

Owie, who was reacting to the crisis in the parliament, said: “Our legislators in Edo should seek peace among themselves and should not allow over ambitious politicians to drag the state to dishonour. The new

PDP in Edo state under the chairmanship of Chief Dan Orbih believe in the rule of law and not thuggery.

“Nobody knows whom the stone thrown in the market will hit. Senators and members of the House of Representatives have decamped to APC, PDP and vice versa, but they are in harmony in their various chambers. That of Edo State should not be different. Above all, PDP government under President Goodluck Jonathan does not go after perceived enemies. We, in PDP, pray for perceived enemies to be able to see the light of God and choose love rather than hate”.

INEC recruits 7,941 adhoc staff for Ekiti poll

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI, Ado-Ekiti

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HE Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has recruited no fewer than 7,941 ad-hoc staff as part of the preparations for Saturday ’s governorship election in Ekiti State.

The State Resident

Electoral Commission, Alh. Halilu Pai, stated this in Ado Ekiti yesterday.

According to him,majority of the ad-hoc staff are Youth Corps members, while the rest are students of federal tertiary institutions.

Defending the huge number of the ad-hoc staff

recruited,the INEC boss said they would be able to attend to the 732,166 persons duly registered as voters in the state.

The INEC boss said each of the corps members would receive N11,000, made up of N7,000 as honorarium and N4,000 as basic transport fare.

2 injured as another building collapses in Onitsha

BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO

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ARELY two weeks after a four-storey building collapsed in Odoakpu area of Onitsha, Anambra State and killed four persons, a five-storey building

went down and injured two persons.

The latest incident, which occurred at Zik’s Avenue/Creek road, opposite APZ Junction in Fegge area of Onitsha, took place at about 6.00 p.m. on Friday.

The building collapsed

at roofing stage.

The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, at Fegge, Mr. Garba Rabiu, who visited the scene with the Onisha South Local Government Chairman, Hon. Ann Chukwuneke, told newsmen no life was lost.

PAGE 4— SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014

BRIEFS 2015: I am still in the race — Atiku Borno bishop harps on

* Accuses Jonathan of moving to frustrate his presidential ambition

BY HENRY UMORU AHEAD of All Progressives Congress, APC, primary election to elect its flag bearer for the 2015 presidential election, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar says he is still in the race, just as he disclosed that he would soon declare his interest to run for the most exalted position in the land.

Atiku, who noted that no one has zoned him out of the contest, however alleged that the Presidency was coming up with what he termed false reports designed to frustrate him from offering his services to Nigerians. According to him President Goodluck Jonathan was scared of him being his main opponent in 2015 on the platform of the APC. In a statement from his media office yesterday, the 2011 presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic

Party, PDP, and now a chieftain of the APC described as sponsored stories that with a new arrangement in his party, he had been zoned out of the presidential contest.

The for mer Vice President said, “ At no

time did the party ’s Convention Planning Committee or its recently-dissolved Interim National Executive Council, NEC, discuss the issue of zoning of elective offices outside the positions of leadership

of the party which were filled at the highly successful convention held on Friday. ”As for the presidential ticket, the position of all organs of the party is that it is open to all Nigerians irrespective of where they come from.”

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embers of P e o p l e s Democratic Party (PDP) Kiagbodo Ward 8 in Burutu Local Government Area (LGA), Delta State have adopted chairmanship aspirant, Chief Ebikeme Clark, as their candidate for the council polls.

Adopting Ebikeme during a meeting held at Ughelli, members of the party from Kiagbodo Ward 8 appealed to n e i g h b o u r i n g communities in Burutu local government area to back Clark.

Prominent members of the ward present at the occasion were the PDP leader of Ward 8, Alhaji (Barr) Isa Clark, PDP Secretary in Burutu LGA, Mr. Ayedi Ozano,

The Olojudo of Ido-Ekiti, Oba (Captain) Ayorinde Ilori-Faboro; his queen (right); the new couple, Olufeyi Mausi Akapo and Joshua Edache Acheme (middle); and the bride's mum, Mrs Adenike Akapo, after the couple's wedding at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church, GRA, Ikeja, yesterday.

PDP Ward 8 Chairman, Mr. Ogbavwudu, excouncilor of Burutu LGA, Hon. Godwin Masah and ex-councilor, Mrs. Gift Gomerovwe.

Addressing the crowd of supporters, Clark assured that if elected, he would bring dividends of democracy to Burutu local government area, adding that his contesting for the chairmanship of the council is

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former DeputyGovernor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) (Operations), Tunde Lemo, says former President Olusegun Obasanjo influenced his acceptance of the CBN top job. Lemo, who bowed out after 10 years at the apex bank, spoke during a grand reception organised for him by sons and daughters of Egba.

He charged Egba sons C M Y K

to ensure that people benefit from the funds and resources that belong to them.

“If I am elected as the Chairman of Burutu LGA, I hope to reach out to the state and federal government to place more emphasis on Burutu Local government in term of infrastructural and human capital development. The funds coming to the local

government is very little.

As such, I will not sit down in my local government and work on the allocation alone.

Rather, I will ask the state governor to assist to bring mega projects to my local government,”he said.

Earlier in his speech, PDP leader in Ward 8, Alhaji Isa Clark, appealed to PDP members in the ward to support Clark in his quest to become the local government chairman.

CBN may not have enough war chest to defend the Naira – Chukwu

BY AKOMA CHINWEOKE

T

he managing director /CEO of Cowry Asset Management Limited and member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Johnson Chukwu, has

Obasanjo facilitated my apex bank job — Lemo

BY DAUD OLATUNJI, Abeokuta

BY NDAHI MARAMA The Bishop of the Anglican Communion and Leader of the Northern Christian Forum (NOSCEF), Bishop Emeritus Emmanuel Kana Mani, has called on the government of Borno State, leaders of thought and traditional institutions to work towards ensuring peaceful coexistence between the adherents of the two great religions in the country. The Bishop made the appeal during his speech at the palace of the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn-Garbai Elkanemi, when he led a delegation of members of the Northern Christian Forum (NOSCEF) on a courtesy visit yesterday.

Speaking during the courtesy visit, Bishop Emeritus Mani said the group was in the palace to pay homage and also to console and condole the royal father as the deputy Chairman of the Nigerian Muslim Ummah as well as the Christians in Borno Emirate Council, over the death of the Emir of Kano, Sarkin Ado Bayero, the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Usman Abubakar, and the Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrissa Timta, as well as several other Muslims and Christian Clerics who passed away recently. He said, as a group, their hearts are still grieved and they remain shocked by the non-rescue of the over 200 Chibok school girls abducted by the Boko Haram sect members.

Rep takes on Sultan over terrorism comments

Delta LG Election: Kiagbodo PDP adopts Ebikeme Clark

BY CHARITY UKAEGBU

religious tolerance

and daughters to continue to be united, adding that the unity among traditional rulers in the land should be strengthened for peaceful co-existence.

“One of the things that influenced me in taking up the CBN job at that time despite the unimpressive salary that was to be paid, was Chief Obasanjo, looking at him with the zeal with which he was serving his fatherland was enough motivation for me”, he said.

commended the new Central Bank governor, Mr. GodwinGodwin Emefiele’s decision to focus on the real sector of the economy by driving down interest rates, saying it’s in tandem with the clamour of most Nigerians for affordable bank lending rates.

Speaking on his expectations as the new apex bank boss took charge, he also pointed out that a lower interest rate is achievable in Nigeria given that inflation rate has remained below 10 percent in the last couple of months.

“At current inflation rate of 7.9percent, banks can afford to purchase funds at a maximum of 10 percent and lend at between 12 percent and 15 percent, which I believe that most business operators can afford. While lower

interest rate is achievable, it may be difficult for the Central bank to combine lower interest rate with exchange rate stability and low inflation rate in view of the current precarious foreign exchange reserve position.

With a foreign reserve of about $37.3billion, the Central Bank may not have enough war chest to defend the Naira if foreign portfolio investors reverse their investment inflows into the economy as a result of the unattractive yield regime”, he said.

According to him, given that the Nigerian financial market is not fully integrated to the global financial markets as the European banking system, the Nigerian currency would not suffer as much impact as the Euro when the CBN starts reducing interest rates.

BY MARIE-THERESE NANLONG The recent statement credited to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, that the war on insurgency cannot be won by use of force has been described as unfortunate and has the potential to send dangerous signals to members of the public.

Hon. Bitrus Kaze, member representing Jos South/ Jos East Federal Constituency in the National Assembly said that the Sultan being a retired Colonel of the Nigerian Army whose last duty post was Pakistan, should understand better the inevitability of the use of force in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency efforts.

According to Kaze, "This statement coming at the time war against terror is gaining global momentum following the abduction of nearly 300 school girls in Chibok, is depressing, counter productive and very dangerous.

328 Super Eagles supporters depart for Brazil

BY DANIEL ETEGHE Over 328 supporters of Nigeria’s Super Eagles yesterday departed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, aboard a chartered aircraft provided by Wakanow Travel and Tours Limited, the official travel and tour agent approved by the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The Super Eagles’ supporters who were dressed in green and white attires, commenced check in procedures at the airport for the flight, an Airbus 340 aircraft operated by Air Asia - the airline is going to operate on three rotations throughout the tournament.

Speaking to newsmen during a pre-departure ceremony at the Lagos International Airport, Ikeja, the Managing Director of Wakanow Travel and Tours Limited, Mr. Obinna Ekezie, noted that the special direct flight arrangement to Brazil would reduce the stress associated with connecting flights from different parts of the world into the World Cup hos-nation.

World Cup:

LG launches OLED

LG Electronics has launched the curved OLED television into the Nigerian market.

Speaking at the unveiling of the newest technology, the General Manager, Home Entertainment Division in West Africa, Mr. Steve Ryu, stated, “As the FIFA World Cup kicks off in Brazil, our intention is to bring the thrills and sensation of football into Nigerian homes through new generational display of crystal clear TV that comes with a unique curved design which represents a new era in home entertainment. “Football is the only sport that unites Nigerians, cutting across every tribe and tongue.

It is a point of pride that we were able to bring the world’s first ever curved OLED TV into the Nigerian market and we will continue to expand and improve the industry as the leader in television technology.”

Pioneer senior prefect of Ebohgrams passes on

Barrister Samuel Ohimain passed on in the early hours of 4thJune after a brief illness at the age of 79 years. A native of Eme – Ora, Owan West L.G.A, Edo State, he attended the 62-year old Okotie – Eboh Grammar School Sapele, Delta State, 1952 – 1958, where he was the pioneer senior prefect, 1952. He later studied law in England.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Patience Ohimai, four children and eight grand children.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014 — PAGE 5

Jonathan attends infrastructure devt summit

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resident Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was expected to depart Abuja yesterday evening for Dakar at the head of Nigeria’s delegation to the African Union’s Summit on Financing Infrastructure Development scheduled to hold in the Senegalese capital today.

President Jonathan whose entourage was expected to include the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Minister of Industries, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, is to join other participating Heads of State and Government, representatives of the United Nations, the African Union, global financial institutions and leading investors in deliberations at the summit aimed at accelerating the implementation of key priority infrastructure projects within the framework of the African Union’s Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa.

Robbers invade filling station, kill two, injure others

BY SUZAN EDEH

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esidents of Giade Lo cal Government Area of Bauchi State, were thrown into pandemonium yesterday as heavily armed robbers stormed the Zunnuraini Filling Station where they carted away an undisclosed amount of money, killing two people and injuring several others during the attack.

Sunday Vanguard learnt that the dare-devil hoodlums stormed the filling station located within the heart of Giade town and started shooting sporadically to scare people.

A source said that the armed robbers on getting to the filling station, locked up four staff inside one of the offices and headed straight to the cashier's office.

He said on their way out, having carted away huge sums of money from, youths in the area mobilized and stared throwing stones at the robbers.

The source added that the robbers who felt threatened by the youths opened fire and killed two persons instantly while several others sustained injuries.

The State Police Public Relation Officer, DSP Haruna Mohammed, said that two persons were confirmed dead while others sustained injuries due to the attack by the armed robbers.

In another development, four suspects have been arrested by the police in the state for attempting to kidnap a seven year old fulani boy.

PAGE 6—SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014

APC NATIONAL CONVENTION

New APC leader to Nigerians:

Help is on the way In his acceptance speech, the new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie Oyegun, says help for Nigerians is on the way. The speech was entitled. ‘We must set forth at dawn’.

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y dear fellow members of the all Progressives Congress, I salute you. My name is John Odigie Oyegun and I am highly gratified and honoured to be standing before youtonight as the newly elected National Chairman of our Great Party. I am humbled by the great honour you have conferred on me and the sacred trust you have reposed in me. And with extreme humility, I accept this responsibility that you have entrusted to me, to lead our Party onto the next phase of its evolution and onwards to the fulfillment of its destined mission as the liberator of the Nigerian people.

This is a heavy responsibility, but I assure you it is a responsibility I will not take lightly. I pledge to do my utmost, God being on my side, to justify the faith and confidence you have reposed in me.

Before I go further, I will like to The new National Chairman express my deepest sympathies to the of APC, Odigie-Oyegun Borno State delegation and families of those that lost their lives in the mischief. Ladies and gentlemen, our unfortunate accident that occurred party has much work to do. The state of on their way to this convention. our nation is highly disturbing. It could May God in His infinite mercy rest be said with some justification that our their souls in perfect peace. I assure great country Nigeria is on the ropes. A all gathered here today and the nation blessed by the Almighty with all nation generally that the blood they the key endowments to make any nation have shed will not be in vain. great has been virtually brought to its I congratulate and thank you, my knees by corruption that is unbridled and fellow party men and women, for will qualify for the Guinness Books of your maturity and orderliness at this our historic national convention, and Records, resource mismanagement, directionless and what some have for the personal sacrifices you all described as cluelessness. As if these made to ensure the success of the woes are not enough, our situation has occasion. been compounded by the amazingly I thank especially all my covisionless national leadership that has aspirants to the office of National been inflicted on Nigerians by the Chairman and all other aspirants to People’s Democratic Party since the dawn other National offices. Our of our latest democratic dispensation. In individual desires to serve our party this past decade and a half of genuine at the highest level underscores our suffering, Nigerians have been frustrated collective passion for the success of by the fact that there was no alternative this endeavour. I congratulate all national party of comparable strength to those elected into the National rescue them from the clutches of the PDP. Executive with me, and on their Tonight I say to Nigerians: “Your wait is behalf extend a hand of fellowship to over. Your prayers have not been in vain. all our co-aspirants to rally round Help is on the way” . The APC is and continue to donate their passion here! In 2015 Nigerians will finally have and talent to our common cause. the opportunity to kick out a long-ruling I wish to thank the visionary party that has, among other things, failed architects of our party who worked diligently to build this great national to provide them with stable power supply, failed to provide them with security that party we have today. Through will enable them sleep peacefully on their personal sacrifices and patriotic beds at night, failed to provide vision, our party leaders assembled employment for millions of Nigerian an impressive array of patriotic youths, and failed to stem the tide of Nigerians and welded them into this great party and thus, for the first time corruption that is robbing Nigeria’s children of their future. In 2015, the All in the modern era of Nigerian Progressives Congress will provide democracy, built a truly national Nigerians with a visionary, dedicated and party that provided a robust people-oriented leadership that will alternative to an oppressive ruling liberate the nation from PDP’s rule of party. poverty and oppression. Under the I wish to especially appreciate the stewardship of the APC, Nigeria will role played by Chief Tom Ikimi. I recall that for six long months he hosted and chaired the Merger Negotiations Committee and finally succeeded in bringing into being the APC, a feat that has never before been successfully accomplished in Nigeria. For this singular feat his name will go into political history of our dear nation.

I would also like to thank our Interim National Executive officers who undertook the extremely difficult task of getting our party up and running, and keeping it on its feet in its infancy, even as our opponents tried every trick in the book to knock us down. It is a testimony to the faithfulness of our members and the doggedness of our interim Officers at both the national and state levels that our party overcame all the hurdles of *APC members at the convention

progress and Nigerians will thrive.

This is our sacred pledge to Nigerians tonight.

But we must not be under any illusion: our work will not be easy.

The very task of salvaging Nigeria will, on its own, be hard because the rot is deep. But the task will be made even harder by the fact that we have, as opponents, a Political Party that will stop at nothing to frustrate our mission. We know the make-up, the habits, the philosophy and the mindset of our opponents.

We know the extent they will go to cling on to power. And we know the immensity of the resources at their disposal. But because the resources they misuse are resources that should rightly be used to improve the lives of the Nigerian people, those resources will not be effective in frustrating the people’s hopes for liberation.

But for us to succeed, dear brothers and sisters, we must pledge this night to work together as a team. We must embrace the ideals of unity, oneness and harmony, and the spirit of give and take. We must learn to let go of past grudges and previous grievances and move forward together as members of the same family. And so tonight, I call for the healing of rifts and the smoothening of cracks. I call for forgiveness of offences and injuries.

I call for unity in our great party. I call for our collective embrace of a common vision. I call for a commitment to work hand in hand to accomplish the task before us. If we fail in our task due to disunity and acrimony, it is not only ourselves we would have let down.

We would have betrayed the hopes and aspirations of long-suffering Nigerians. And we must never lose sight of the fact that the collective destiny of the Nigerian people is far more important than our individual or group interests, ambitions or grievances.

Because the road ahead of us is long and hard, we must heed the wise advice of our esteemed Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka that “we must set forth at dawn”.

And so, whereas tonight we party to celebrate the successful conclusion of the National Convention of our Party, earlytomorrow morning, we must rise with the dawn and set forth on our patriotic mission to set Nigerians free, and usher in the New Nigeria of our dreams.

Once again, I thank you. God bless you all. God bless the APC and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The convention time line Friday

7am—Security operatives in last-minute security checks, take strategic positions around the Eagles Square, venue of the convention.

8am—Delegates converge at the Eagles Square but were prevented entry to the ground.

8:20am—Journalists barred from entering the square.

9am— Delegates throng the convention secretariat along Emeka Anyaoku street to get accreditation tags.

12 noon—Delegates loiter around the convention secretariat, waiting for accreditation.

2pm— Muslim delegates go for prayers 2:30pm—Ebonyi and Abia delegates protest outside the convention secretariat over non-accreditation 3:30pm— Journalist receive accreditation tags 3:45pm— Fighting breaks out at convention secretariat, a delegate from the South-east stripped naked. Armed policemen arrest the situation 4pm— Clearance of delegates and official takes place at Eagles Square by security operatives 4:30pm—Gov Wammako (Sokoto), Chairman, Convention Planning Committee, arrives 4:45 pm: Osun deputy governor, Senator Bukola Saraki and Sen Ajayi Boroffice arrive 5pm— More delegates arrive 6:05—Recently decamped former governor of Osun State, Isiaka Adeleke, arrives 6:25pm— Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed of Kwara State arrives 6:30pm—Governor Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) in company of Gov Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) drives into the convention ground 6:32pm— Some non-accredited members try to break into the convention ground but stopped by security operatives 6:45pm— Governors Rauf Aregbesola, Raji Fashola and Abiola Ajimobi arrive 7:03pm— Gov Tanko Al-Makura arrives 7:05pm— Governor Murtala Nyako arrives 7:15pm— MCs ask delegates to take their seat 7:30pm— Governors Ibikunle Amosun, Rochas Okorocha arrive 7:45pm— Muslim delegates observe evening prayers behind the Eagles Square 7:50pm—Bola Tinubu, Muhammadu Buhari and Bisi Akande make grand entry 7:55pm— Dignitaries introduced 8:25pm— Atiku Abubakar arrives amid cheers 8:30pm— Baraje addresses delegates on voting procedure 8:48pm—Recitation of the national anthem 9pm—Opening prayers 9:05—Gov Wamakko delivers opening address 9:20pm— Bisi Akande, out going National Chairman, gives farewell speech 9:41pm— Rochas Okorocha, Chairman, Progressives Governors’ Forum, addresses delegates and party chieftains 9:41pm— Amaechi gives speech 9:55pm— Ogbonnaya Onu addresses the audience 10pm—Sen Ali Modu Sherrif makes solidarity speech 10:10pm— Bola Tinubu gives goodwill message 10:25—Atiku gives own speech 10:30pm— Buhari delivers speech 10:44pm— Baraje goes through voting procedures to delegates 10:50pm— Senator Chris Ngige amends convention programme 10:55pm—Senator Mamora gives an overview of the constitution amendment of the APC 11:20pm—Musical interlude 11:25pm—Chairmanship aspirant, Timipre Sylva, announces withdrawal from the race 11:35pm—Musical interlude Saturday 12:10am—Musical performance by Kenny Saint Brown 12:20am—Barajeannounces commencement of voting 12:30am—Voting for national officers of the APC commences 1:20am—Rain disrupts voting process 1:30am—Delegates seen leaving the convention ground

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014, PAGE 7

APC NATIONAL CONVENTION

Roll call at the APC convention

From left; Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu , Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Sokoto State Governor and Chairman of the Convention Committee, Magatakada Wamako , new APC National Chairman , Chief Odigie- Oyegun, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Chief Ogbonaya Onu and Chief Tonny Momo shortly after the election of the new APC national executive in Abuja. Photos by Gbemiga Olamikan

Presidency congratulates APC over successful convention

BY HENRY UMORU

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HE Presidency h a s congratulated the new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and a former governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and other members of the executive committee on their election.

According to the Presidency, Oyegun and other members of the APC National Working Committee, NWC, should use their position to strengthen democracy and douse tension associated with electoral contest especially at this period of Nigeria’s political history as well as security challenge.

In a statement yesterday, the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Matters, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, who hailed the APC for the successful conduct of its first national convention and election of officers that will steer the affairs of the party in the next few years, said, “Their election is coming at a very critical period in the nation’s political history when the country is preparing for elections.” Alkali urged the new APC leadership to provide for a very robust and constructive opposition political party that puts the interest of the country above every other consideration, stressing that APC leaders should ensure that peace and development of Nigeria top their agenda.

Ahead of the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State, the Political Adviser, who called on the Independent National

From left: Gov Wamako, Alhaji Baraje, Senator Tinubu and Gen. Buhari

Electoral Commission, INEC, political parties, governorship candidates and their supporters to work in harmony to ensure successful poll in the state, said, “President Goodluck Jonathan has laid solid foundation for conduct of

free, fair and credible polls in the country and all hands must be on deck to ensure the people of Ekiti state are allowed to exercise their right to elect their leaders without let or hindrance.”

‘APC’s democratic credentials unfold’

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has congratulated the national leaders and delegates to the party’s convention, held in Abuja, weekend, for the maturity and skill they displayed in making the convention a success. ’With this success, the party’s internal democratic process has gained a firm foothold, and the leadership consensus building approach to solving difficult issues has also matured significantly’, the party said.

This was contained in a release from the party’s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Barr. Kunle Oyatomi made available to the media in Osogbo today.

According to the party, opponents and detractors of APC who had wished and predicted failure of the convention would at least now bow their heads in disappointment.

Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari

The leaders of APC

From left: Sen 'Gbenga Ashafa, Domingo Obende and Abdulahi Adamu

*Ex-Governor John Odigie-Oyegun (National Chairman) *Ex-Governor Segun Oni (Deputy National Chairman) *Lai Mohammed (National Publicity Secretary) *Hon. Zakare Ede, National Vice-Chairman for North-Central *Hajiya Ramatu, National Woman Leader *Jock Alamba, Deputy Welfare Secretary *Hajiya Hassan, North-Central Zonal Woman Leader *Hon. Nelson Alapa, ex-Officio from the North-Central *Deputy National Chairman (North) *Senator Lawal Shuaib National Secretary, Alhaji Ibrahim Bala Gubi.

Gen. Muhammadu Buhari - a former Head of State Atiku Abubakar - a former VicePresident Asiwaju Bola Tinubu – a former governor of Lagos State Chief Bisi Akande - Interim National Chairman of the APC Chief Ogbonnaya Onu - a former National Chairman of defunct ANPP Prince Tony Momoh - a former National Chairman of the defunct CPC Gov. Rotimi Amaechi -Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Rivers State governor Mallam Nuhu Ribadu - a former EFCC chairman Aminu Masari - a former Speaker of the House of Representatives Usman Nafada - a former deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Demola Seriki - a former Minister of State for Defence Governor Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) Governor Rochas Okorocha (Imo) Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (Lagos) Governor Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) Governor Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto) Governor Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara) Governor Tanko Al-Makura (Nassarawa) Governor Murtala Nyako(Adamawa) Governor Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe) Chief Audu Ogbeh - a former National Chairman of the PDP Bukola Saraki - a former governor of Kwara State George Akume - a former governor of Benue State Abdullahi Adamu - a former governor of Nassarawa State Niyi Adebayo - a former governor of Ekiti State Segun Oni - a former governor of Ekiti State Jafar Isa.- a former Military Governor of Kaduna State Alhaji Ali Modu Sherrif - a former governor of Borno State Isiaka Adeleke - a former governor of Osun State Timipre Sylva - a former governor of Baylesa State Prince Abubakar Audu -a former governor of Kogi State Senator Danjuma Goje - a former governor of Gombe State Mrs Grace Tomori - deputy governor of Osun State Mrs. Adejoje Adefilure - deputy governor of Lagos State Senators Magnus Abe, Kabiru Gaya, Chris Ngige, Gbenga Ashafa, Osita Isunazo, Olorunnimbe Mamora, Ajayi Boroffice, Jide Omoworare and Kanti Bello

Notable absentees

Chief Segun Osoba— a former governor of Ogun State Mallam Nasir el-Rufai— a former FCT minister Governor Kassim Shettima—Borno State governor Chief Tom Ikimi—a former Minister of Foreign Affairs

PAGE 8—SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014

SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014 — PAGE 9 those contests, that he would have an easy time governing the state. Well, he forgot two things. First, familiarity breeds contempt. Mix with under-dogs long enough and they soon regard you as one of them.

Decisions must be made as they would want them made.

Adams Oshiomhole elephant S invaded by soldier ants

omrade Oshiomhole, C former President of the Nigerian Labor Con-

gress, and the most effective since Pa Michael Imoudu of Oke Ora in the same Edo State, was already a global figure before stepping down to contest for governor in his home state. As a member of the International Labor Organisation, ILO, he had contributed towards shaping the lives of the billions of workers around the globe. Generally, when such individuals step aside to go into politics, they head for the top.

But, the Labor Party in Nigeria was not strong enough to push its own leader to the top. And, he

Reformer Sanusi, is new Emir “With great power comes great responsibility” --- Voltaire HEY say, “be nice to people on your way up, because you might meet them on your way down, “the spin would have been wise to heed the saying as the new Emir of Kano was turbaned.

They must have been frantic backtracking and spinning hoping to limit the damage they had already done to Lamido Sanusi’s reputation.

He was named last Sunday by the Governor of the State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from a shortlist of candidates selected by the royal household after the death previous Friday of Ado Abdullahi Bayero. Ado Bayero had held the position since 1963 and was a widely revered figure. The ousted CBN governor could not wished for karmic retribution.

Sanusi was hounded from his post as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria for exposing multibillion-dollar shortfalls in oil revenues reaching the treas-

T

ury when he spoke out about the level of corruption in GEJ's administration. He was told he should jump or he would be pushed. The government tried and failed to flex its political muscle. They did what they always do, sully his reputation and intimidate him to submission.

Meanwhile, the damage has already been done. The former Central Bank governor, who has been the target of a sustained smear campaign, polarizes opinion in Nigeria. He is widely respected home and abroad for taking bold steps to clean up that financial structure in Nigeria and give a semblance of respect and stability. He has a good standing amongst his professional and international peers as a clean broom and he performed exceptionally well to turn around the fortune of a failing institution. Internationally, he was lauded for the role he played in sanitizing the banking sector and stabilizing Africa’s largest banking institution following a 2009 crash.

Last Sunday, he ascended

probably realized that he needed some experience at the executive level before reaching for greater heights. So, he returned to

In some ways what Oshiomhole is doing is not totally strange – given the fact that progressive governance is still relatively new in Edo State and the wreckers still want it back; so they can wreck again

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Edo State – which had been badly governed by local champions. There is no better proof of that than the fact that nobody in his right senses will offer one of his predecessors a job as a dog catcher anymore. The other, definitely more refined, but punching above his weight, had retired into obscurity – from where he came. So, it was not surprising that the two elections had been walk-overs.

Comrade Oshiomhole might have assumed, from

two years ago, would not even secretly dispute decisions made by the states’ Chief Executive Officers; not to talk of open defiance.

Suddenly, every office seeker, who is jittery about receiving the governor ’s blessing, had gone on the offensive – against the governor. The governor of Edo State should therefore understand that what he is suffering is a generic sort of “punishment” dished out to lame duck elected officials.

His own case is particularly disturbing because he

to the second highest Islamic authority in Nigeria. The spin doctors were all over themselves whether to do the right thing and congratulate him or not. With his ascension, the coming general election will put the cat amongst the pigeons as the supporters of the emir may not be easily as forgiving of GEJ’s mismanagement after Sanusi’s exposé and the Boko Haram insurgency in the North. How I wish I was a fly in the wall at Aso Rock Palace to watch the spin doctors falling over them-

gion due to his influence.

His moderate approach may also lead to the reforming the Islamic education system in the region.

Much is expected of the new Emir from his people and with him at the helm there is much for Kano to celebrate.

One of his supporters stated that: “Now we have someone who is modern and progressive who can be a rallying point for the changing attitudes towards the traditional leadership.

We want him to take a unifying force in the northern

,

A

LBERT Einstein, the man reputed to have possessed the highest Intelligence Quotient, IQ, of any human since the metrics for measuring IQ were developed, and who left the world with an equation, E=MC2, about which several thousand PhDs have been awarded, knew the problem about being a genius among intellectual inferiors. His sojourn at Princeton University was a lonely one – interrupted frequently by the vicious attacks of yam-heads in and out of the Physics Department of the Ivy League institution.

He was not alone. In fact, Jonathan Swift, 16671745, had long foreseen the problems of the exceptional man finding himself assailed by midgets in that adorable classic, Gulliver’s Travels. Our hero, Gulliver, a six footer, suddenly found himself divinely deposited in an island of Lilliputians – small in size and grey

matter as well. That was the beginning of real wahala. I have never met the Governor of Edo State face to face. Labor is not my beat.

But, I have been visiting Edo State, at least two dozen times every year since 1974. So, I know who was responsible for each major project. So, nobody should send me a text message asking if I have been to the state. I visited the state three weeks ago.

,

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”

Albert Einstein, 1879-1955.

econd, with the two terms limit imposed by our constitution, every governor serving second term soon becomes, what the Americans call, a lame duck governor. In Edo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Adamawa, Plateau, Cross River, Rivers, Ebonyi etc, governors are feeling the lash from politicians who,

Although, it is known that the Emir has got to maintain some neutrality and diplomacy it will be difficult for the Emir’s supporters to let bygone be bygone

selves while spinning their web and tangling themselves in the process!

Although, it is known that the Emir has got to maintain some neutrality and diplomacy it will be difficult for the Emir’s supporters to let bygone be bygone.

With his installment, although there were some initial unrest, the emir has assured the pubic that there is no rift within his family and that they unite by his installation. The emir has the banking experience that it is hoped that will influence his reign and ensure the rejuvenation of the re-

,

renaissance,” In the melee that preceded his turbaning, Mr Sanusi said: "I want to assure you that there is no family rift at all, we're all together, and we belong to the same family”. He said that the trouble was the work of "outsiders seeking to destabilise our state".

Meanwhile, there was violence that ensued in the city as the PDP spin doctor jumped the gun to offer their congratulations to what they said was the new emir. APC accused PDP of inciting the violence in the city that followed the an-

had raised the standards of stewardship to unprecedented levels and he deserves the trust of his party people. In some ways what Oshiomhole is doing is not totally strange – given the fact that progressive governance is still relatively new in Edo State and the wreckers still want it back; so they can wreck again.

When a former governor claims he was borrowing money from private individuals to run the state and the current office holder is totally independent of “lenders”, it is easy to understand that a return to the old party means returning to “lenders”. The thought of that alone should be sufficient to scare everybody and for all well-meaning stakeholders to rally round the leader at this time. he truth is Oshiom T hole had rescued the state from the hands of

“borrower-governors” and “lender-political-godfathers”. One day the people of Edo State might want to know how much was “borrowed” and how much was paid back to people not known to be operating interest free banks.

For nearly seven years the “lenders” and their camp followers had been kept away from the public treasury by the only leader, Oshiomhole is not a politician, with the guts to literally tell the mafia sucking the life out of Edo State to go to hell. Naturally, that is unacceptable. “In a sick country [or state] every attempt to cure it is an affront to those who feed on its sickness”, wrote Bernard Malamud in THE FIXER. So it nouncement of a new Emir of Kano that Sunday as an apparent attempt to destabilize the state.

This was because the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, had congratulated the wrong candidate. In the statement issued by APC's interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the statement issued by Metuh congratulating one of the contenders long before the Kano State Government announced the new emir was premeditated and calibrated to incite violence. They said: "What was so urgent about congratulating the new emir that could not have waited for a few hours for the appropriate authority to make an official announcement?” I wonder, what they were thinking to commit such faux pas.

The APC believed that it was “obvious that the PDP, through its national publicity secretary went out of their way to stoke the fire of violence in Kano.

The PDP was quick to defend its side and dismissed the call by APC for the arrest of Metuh and other members of the party as insane and they defended their rash announcement as an innocent mistake. “It is public knowledge that we made an innocent mistake but immediately withdrew it and tendered an unreserved apology well before the official announcement of the new emir was made,” they said.

In the midst of it all, there seems to be some build bridging going on as the

is not surprising that the social and economic parasites are now fighting back to ensure that Oshiomhole’s successor would not be a clone of our Comrade. They have now resorted to bribery, calumny, intimidation as evident from the impeachment threat. ut, I have bad news for B them; they will fail.

The people of Edo State are wiser now and the attempt to turn back the hand of the clock will be met with stiff resistance…

CONGRATULATIONS GOVERNOR T.A. ORJI (OCHENDO). “..whoever could make two ears of corn or two blades of grass grow upon a spot where only one grew before would deserve better of mankind and do more essential service to his country than the whole race of politicians put together ” Jonathan Swift, 16671745.

Just when Governor Orji was being hounded by detractors who claimed he had done nothing in nearly two terms in office, he was selected as the AGRIC GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR at AGRIKEXPO 2014, sponsored by NAFDAC, Nigerian American Chambers of Commerce, and others.

Who in Nigeria would have regarded Abia State as a leader in food production? But truth is constant.

V i s i t : www.delesobowale.com or Visit:www.facebook.com/biolasobowale

former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar advised the new Emir of Kano to build on the enviable and positive legacies of the late Bayero.

On congratulating Sanusi, Atiku said the new emir had worked strenuously to fulfill a life-long ambition, and that he should use his position to unite all the ruling houses of Kano State and its people behind his appointment.

In his congratulatory message, the Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, said: "It gives me great pleasure on behalf of the good people and Government of Edo State, to congratulate Your Royal Highness on your well-deserved appointment as the 14th Emir of Kano.”

The new Emir has his work cut out as some part of the north do not like reformers and they will try to put spanner in the works wherever they can and protect him for his safety. His influence will grow like other traditional leaders in Nigeria. The new Emir will exert some significant influence and the present government will do well to take note.

There is much work to do but I am sure that the new Emir is cut out for the role after all, he has swam in the political piranha infested waters and emerged victorious and with his dignity intact. As for the spin doctors, they should learn to show humility in the face of defeat and show some decorum and magnanimity. I am sure they would not learn from this, it just simply not their style.

PAGE 10—SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014

In the case of Lamido, the suggestion that the riots were a smokescreen cannot be wished away. According to the new Emir himself, protests against the selection process were not from the children of the late emir or other princes. As he confidently put it: “ whenever

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HE expectation in some circles, the other week, that Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the immediate past Governor of our Central Bank may not be selected as the new Emir of Kano because of his controversial nature is now stale. Only last Monday, he formally took over as the new Emir of Kano succeeding his uncle - the great Ado Bayero who died a few days earlier. Some analysts had opined however that he was not really or properly selected because of the riots which followed the announcement of his appointment. The viewpoint is rather simplistic because with the current political divide in Kano, there are enough destructive elements on each side of the divide that would have organized riots irrespective of who among the candidates emerged as Emir. As one commentator testified during the week, riots greeted even the appointment of the last Emir over 50 years ago

and a fact of history; opening a new chapter in the life of the hitherto seasoned technocrat. Whether or not this new position will change his adversarial life style; whether he will still be open to accusations of partisanship or whether he can still afford to face constituted authority in an open battle will have to be left to time to determine If His Royal Highness does not change, no one should be surprised. This

Lamido remained the only public officer who had the guts to criticize the idea of government seeking to bite more than it could chew by squeezing everything in life into 7 points

we hear some insinuations in some quarters about the Kano Emirate we are always taken by surprise because we are all united as one family”. Whatever contrary view anyone chooses to hold, the Emirship of His Royal Highness, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, is a reality

,

column made this point some months back when the ruling party instead of appreciating Lamido for what he has always been, imagined that his criticisms of government were instigated by the opposition. The truth is that the man is not malleable; he

PhD, Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos,

Homoeroticism: A plea for rationality and tolerance (2) M

OST people who be lieve, uncritically, that there is a normal or natural sexual relation proper for humans do so on the basis of taboo morality derived from antiquated and superstitious religious doctrines. Biologically, human beings may be classified as such without imputing any normative considerations whatsoever. As we already noted, there is no rigid human nature. Human beings as sentient creatures with the capacity to use language and the power of self-consciousness are culturally emergent beings whose values are intimately connected with the doctrines, ideologies and ideals of the societies in which they grew up, all of which are subject to change.

Thus, biologically speaking there is no fixed, unchanging "essence of sex" for humans. The argument that homosexuality is contrary to our cultures and traditions should be seen from a different perspective. Certainly, in traditional communities, there were men and women with homoerotic orientation. But because of the overarching superstitions embedded in traditional sexual morality and the cruel belief that homoerotic relation is a taboo or abomination which attracts severe sanctions, homosexuals and lesbians

went to extraordinary lengths to conceal their true sexual feelings. Ignorance about the open-ended nature of human sexuality plus taboo morality derived from religious superstition generates a cultural ambience thoroughly inhospitable to homoeroticism. It follows that the rarity of cases of homosexuality does not mean that there were no same-sex relations in the traditional setting.

From the foregoing, it is definitely incorrect to argue, as vociferous supporters of the anti-gay law do, that the practice is one of the negative behaviours our people copied from the western world. Homosexual orientation is a global phenomenon; so also is the overwhelming negative attitude to it. As recently as six decades ago, the worldfamous British mathematician and pioneer of modern computing, Alan Turing, was convicted for "gross indecency," and as part of his sentence was required to accept oestrogen injections thought at that time to have the effect of redirecting erotic interests.

No such effect was observed. His subsequent suicide remains a permanent indictment of the British establishment for intruding in a matter that ought to be left where it belonged - in the private sphere - despite former British Prime Min-

ister Gordon Brown's apology to the Turing family in 2009 concerning the gross injustice of the case. The changing attitude towards same-sex relationships in Europe and North America is as a result of increasing acceptance of democratic values of tolerance and human rights, gradual elimination of fixed differences between men and female sexual roles, as well as diffusion of knowledge on the possible deep-rooted biological and sociopsychological basis of homoeroticism.

Keep in mind that there is an element of hypocrisy in the argument that homoeroticism is contrary to African culture. Those who argue this way forget that Christianity and Islam, together with several aspects of our lifestyles, including English language and mode of dressing, are contrary to African culture. In any case, culture should not be too rigid and static.

Therefore, if Africans are now more tolerant and accommodating of erotic orientation that was previously considered a taboo, it means that our culture is adaptable enough to allow for differences in human behaviour. Besides, there are several harmful practices in African culture, especially those targeted against women, which those who condemn homo-

at the Senate screening for the post of Governor of Central Bank he virtually rubbished the 7-point agenda generally known as the pet project of late President Yar ’Adua who in earnest nominated him for the CBN post. Lamido remained the only public officer who had the guts to criticize the idea of government seeking to bite more than it could chew by squeezing everything in life into 7 points.

He was vindicated in later years when the agenda clearly metamorphosed into a slogan rather than a programme of action Against this backdrop, supporters of Governor Kwankwaso of Kano who think the Emir would be the friend of their principal for long, because he appointed him, need to watch it as there is no proof that a permanent friendship situation is in the offing in Kano.

Here again, history is our guide. In August 2001, Sanusi Lamido, then an Assistant General Manager at the United Bank for Africa (UBA) published an article in the media titled "The Kwankwaso Phenomenon" in which he described the Kano State Government of the time as practicing “Ajino-moto economics” - another term for “motor park economics”. The bone of contention was a plan by the State Government to spend about N719 million to construct a Governor ’s lodge in Abuja which Lamido felt was an unwise in-

vestment. He prosecuted his opposition to the subject the same way he fought the federal government over alleged missing oil money describing the Kano State executive council as made up of “rocket scientists”.

The conflict was so fierce that the State Government allegedly closed its huge accounts in the UBA, but Lamido insisted that what propels him is education which he said “ gives one the capacity to reply every insult, revenge every injury and stand firm on principle” Kano appears to have been the main beneficiary of the developments because today the giant strides in education made

by Kwankwaso in his second coming has created several Lamidos. In addition, the Governor ’s high profile in transparency and accountability has set an indelible bench mark which future politicians may have no option but to uphold otherwise they will become unpopular. Meanwhile, what else could be better for a city to get a great man of knowledge and financially comfortable former CBN Governor as Emir? Of course unlike many other places in the nation where traditional institutions are pocketed by politicians, Kano is likely to be a place to look up to for an ideal system of checks and balances especially if Emirship does not change Sanusi Lamido.

sexuality on the ground that it is not part of our culture condone. These include early marriage, female genital mutilation, charms and concoctions for ensuring sexual fidelity in women among others. Men tend to accept all this because they naively believe, falsely, that such practices make women more faithful to their husbands. I am convinced that marrying off a young girl of thirteen, female circumcision and charms for sexual fidelity are more damaging and less conducive to happiness than homosexual relations between two consenting adults.

We now come to an issue I consider of paramount importance in evaluating the rationality of the clampdown on homosexu-

before signing the bill into law. The haste with which the anti-gay legislation was passed without recourse to appropriate scientific knowledge is a symptom of intellectual laziness and unscientific attitude to the problems of governance.

The attitude of government officials and generality of Nigerians to issues of vital concern in the society is too simplistic and irrational.

But no human problem is simple, nor is there any social problem that can be solved without adequate knowledge.

From the scientific point of view, there are a host of questions that should be addressed before reaching a conclusion about the most appropriate response to homoeroticism. For example, what determinants,

are social prohibitions against homoeroticism responsible for producing the very behaviour they purportedly proscribe? In what ways and to what extent are homoerotic dispositions amenable to change, or are adult erotic interests so habituated and entrenched that they are beyond substantial modifications?

These questions are amenable to scientific treatment.

However, in Nigeria, politicians seldom handle any issue with the level of scientific rigour required for satisfactory solution.

Any person who has taken the trouble to investigate scientific literature on the determinants of sexual orientation in humans know that the issue is incredibly complex, a blending of biological, psychological, sociological and other environmental factors.

Hence, there is a broad spectrum of sexual orientations, and none can be rationally defended as the only one natural for humans. Therefore, it is worrisome that the anti-gay law signed by Mr. President has given legal backing to the cruel-minded discrimination, intolerance, hostility and indifference towards homosexuals and lesbians in Nigeria, not to talk of the fact that these very negative attitudes are already functionally entrenched in private decisions and discourse shielded from public scrutiny and criticism.

In my opinion, it is wrong to discriminate against people with homoerotic sexual behaviour, even if it was wholly a matter of conscious choice without any biological factor playing a role since, as I have argued earlier, the choice of sexual partner should be a matter for individuals to make; the government or society has no business there.

CONCLUDED.

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Will Emir Sanusi Lamido be controversial?

says whatever he needs to say as he sees it no matter who it concerns. It is probably relevant to at this point recall his famous lecture at the Convocation of the Igbinedion University, Okada, in October 2010, where he raised an alarm that our legislature was consuming 25% of our budget.

The statement drew considerable anger among legislators who immediately summoned him along with the then Minister of Finance, Olusegun Aganga, who reportedly made a similar negative remark about the legislature to explain their comments.

While Aganga did what many Nigerians do by claiming to have been misquoted by the media, the embattled Lamido admitted his statement which he claimed he lifted from page 861 of the 2010 Appropriation Act that he obtained from the Budget Office. All face saving efforts including a subtle sack threat by the Senate to cajole him to apologize for what was said to be a technical error in his assertion failed. Instead he said the following: “By my nature, if I am not convinced that I’m wrong, I do not apologize and this is really where the point is.

I’m not tired of my job, but if you want me to resign, I will resign. The Central Bank is not my life,” There is some level of veracity in this position because Sanusi Lamido had much earlier showed the stuff he was made of when

The haste with which the anti-gay legislation was passed without recourse to appropriate scientific knowledge is a symptom of intellectual laziness and unscientific attitude to the problems of governance

ality, namely, the scientific basis of the anti-gay legislation. That majority of Nigerians support it can be excused probably because they are ignorant. But members of the National Assembly charged with the onerous responsibility of making laws for the well being of Nigerians irrespective of sexual orientation cannot be let off that easily, because they ought to pay attention to research findings relevant to the issue before reaching a decision on the anti-gay bill.

Moreover, as a doctorate degree holder in animal science, President Goodluck Jonathan should have consulted scientific literature on determinants of sexual orientation in humans

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including contingent factors and conscious choice, are responsible for the sexual orientation of an individual at any given time?

How do these develop and take shape in different cultures? To what extent do prevailing gender roles inform individual psychosexual development? What mechanisms determine distribution of erotic interests in a given population? Why does homoeroticism predominate in some individuals but appears only temporarily in others, while being completely absent in others yet? Why and how do children survive environments hostile to homoeroticism with homosexual tendencies undiminished?

How and to what degree

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014 , PAGE 11

AS THE EAGLES FLY… national team. It was a raucous crowd; as idolatrous as any crowd can be. They cheered and booed each move. They kicked the air at every near-miss. They stood up to salute every deft move, and they raised the chants of support spontaneously, “I believe-that-wewill win! I believe-that-wewill win!!” But you could also see in that swell, a thrush of green and white; the bold and earthy colours of Nigeria, unwilling to be subsumed in all that back-

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he was lamenting the fact that "Moms" was gone (they all called her that). He wanted to go and see her and play some Ludo, to release some steam and eat fresh fish (she was also a great cook and operated an open kitchen). I laughed, I get such calls once in a while and it tells me two things. One is that I had an amazing mother and the second is that I am a poor replacement. I am not the woman she was; I wasn't made that way but I am very thankful for her life and after the pain of loss passed, all I have is gratitude to God for the privilege of being born by such greatness and so much love.

The second mother I have in mind is also one that is pretty phenomenal, she is larger than life and really is the life and soul of the party or should I say the planet. The other mother I have in mind is nature, Mother Nature. I am pretty sure those who find me weird will think this proof

went down the slippery slope of sleeping pills till I remembered that nature has the cheapest and most effective cure for anxiety and even depression. The anxiety that had my heart racing like a mechanised bunny, left me sleepless for over a week, with my left eye twitching involuntarily and even fingers shaking was dispelled by just a cup of bitter leaf juice. All I had to do was buy fifty Naira worth of it, wash thoroughly, blend with a cup of water, sieve away the leaves and drink the very green and perhaps not so great

well as sedatives by her physician. Her symptoms were classic, sleep that is short and not deep enough to rest the mind and body, stiff neck, twitching eyes and fingers and general irritation. I asked if she would trust me and try an immediate cure that cost less than 500 Naira and she was immediately interested. Her enthusiasm was short-lived as she like most people had no regard for nature; she just didn't think a cure could be that easy, plus the fact that she hated the idea of drinking what to her was disgusting and bitter. I am

I wish I had an encyclopaedia that explains nature, plants and weather to me and I am always glad to keep learning new and even more great things about myself and the planet everyday. I do feel that the African continent has a lot of the cures for diseases and that our ancestors did us a disservice by not documenting all that they knew about herbs and medicines before they died. It didn't help that the introduction of other cultures and religions into the population had us branding everything traditional as evil and outdated and I am on a personal mission to encourage people to write down whatever remedies have been passed down. My mom was like nature to me, always present and like most people taken for granted. Its taken her absence to make her presence felt in my life.

Its almost like she didn't really die, my siblings and I don't love her any less and her jokes and drama sketches still have us in stitches 18 years after she passed. Almost everything I know I learnt from her and she has become something of a legend to those who learn about her from those she left behind. I remember her with joy, I made my peace with her passing and I am thankful that she was a gift from God that keeps on giving, just like Mother Nature, she always knew what I needed and this past week proves that mothers know best.

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drop of colours. It struck me all the more forcefully what it actually means, to wear the colours of a nation; to be the ambassador of your country in a competition. The right to join others on the world stage is fundamentally, and inexorably, an affirmation of one’s place and status in the human community.

A mother indeed HE years roll by pretty quick and very soon we forget what we once couldn't live without. I begin writing this column with an open mind, I have two mothers in mind and I can't decide which of them I want to write about, so I am just going to give my mind free rein to express itself. The first mother is my biological one and even though she joined the saints 14th of june 1996; she plays a very important role in my everyday life. I talk about her so much that my husband who never met her is sure he can pick her out in a crowd. You see, my mom was larger than life in every way; she was the life and soul of the party; she was funny, generous and friendly. That combination meant that she attracted people to her like crazy and our home was like a revolving door of people; loud and very festive. Earlier this year one of my brother's friends called me to say he had nowhere to go after a hard day, he didn't want to go home immediately and

country has a chance to make more than an outside showing. During my college I have participated in over thirty meets, and I have yet to fail to win a medal, or fall to place. In college I captained both the CrossCountry and the Track Athletic teams.

In the universities where

There is a place reserved in our human hearts for those who seek valour in our names. And we cheer them for the vicarious pleasure of being there in real time with them.

Their triumphs become our triumphs, their losses

but why not keep your mind open and see where I am going with this. I have always had an affinity with nature; my favourite colour is green and I love places and homes where plants thrive. It is unfortunate that I don't have green fingers and I'm not much of a gardener but nature has always held answers for me. I actually believe that the cures for all that ails us is to be found in nature and the past few days remind me of how great it is to be renewed, refreshed and even healed by nature. Balancing or better still juggling responsibilities is tiring and lately nerve wracking; a lot of us are anxious and are becoming dependent on drugs that are addictive and bad for us in the long run. I tend to take a lot of work on and I believe I can do anything and everything. I often confuse relaxation for laziness so I don't always get enough rest; the result is sometimes a breakdown mentally and physically. I had one such episode lately and almost

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stars, describes their games, predicts their future, analyzes the trends in ways that make me feel rather dated; like an old hat; a dinosaur from the last century; and I often wonder where he picks all that stuff from because I have no TV in my house. But, it’s a new world, folks.

Information seeps through the walls of our gated lives. So, it was a treat for Kiran, that the US National soccer team – Team USA - and the National team – the Eagles – were billed to play the last friendly matches prior to the World Cup tournaments, in Jacksonville, Florida. Mira – my wife – bought the tickets, and last weekend, sent us on our way to what we were certain would be a feast for the senses. So, thence we went, to Jacksonville. It was a lovely day. The weather was the face of a warm-hearted god, beaming and untrammeled by angst. The traffic had built up by the time we arrived Jacksonville. A huge crowd had turned out to watch the game. The snail-crawl traffic just made it impossible, but we arrived the stadium fifteen minutes into the game. The score still stood at an evenzero.

It was a sea of blue-redand white. Americans had turned out in very good number to cheer on the US

was an unsatisfactory result for Nigerians. The boys played badly, many have said. Too slow to rally, others have said. Stephen Keshi is a fuckuper, you now hear, because he dropped some fine players and took Yobo instead in his final world cup team list. “What is he thinking? Yobo is finished!” He is liable to screw up things in defence when the crunch time comes .

Well, that crunch time has come. The Eagles have landed in Brazil. Friday, the opening matches between Brazil and Croatia kicked off the 2014 FIFA World Cup. But let me say this: the Eagles played a good game in Jacksonville. I think they played to plan. I think they did not play to win.

There was something very noticeable about the players: it was the deft footwork; a sharpness to their ball control. I think the defence needs work, and the attack a bit more oomph! But in all, they’re still the Eagles: there is deadly calm to their game; a sort of un-rushed ease that deceives and wears out their opponents.

I believe the Eagles can fly.

My twelve years old son put it even in sharper perspective after the friendly in Jacksonville: the Eagles did not lose, they gave Americans something to cheer about. But tomorrow, as they file out for their first game of the real event, we are likely to see a different Eagles. They know what is at stake; that for the psyche of a country battered by corruption, Political chicanery, and Boko Haram, only victory can sweeten things; they know that this is the only time we wear our Nigerian hearts on the sleeves. I believe they will win. Go Eagles.

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AST weekend, I drove from Orlando to Jacksonville, with my son, Kiran Amaechina, my cousin Chika, and his friend, Dozie Aguwa, to watch the Nigerian National team, the Eagles, play the US National Soccer team, in the final prep matches before the World Cup finals in Brazil.

My son loves football – soccer they call it here – and plays as an attacking midfielder for a U-12 youth team, the “Spartans,” here in Orlando. So, I’m something of a “soccer dad.” I drive him around for his after-school practices and his many games and tournaments. And I love it.

From the first time he started kicking that stuff around in his YMCA fiveyear old soccer team in St. Louis, Missouri, he’d always said he would play for the Nigerian national team, the Eagles. He knows more about Jay-Jay Okocha than I do, and of course, Victor Moses and Enyeama, his two favorite Eagles now. I have tried to interest him a bit in Cricket; take him to the Pavillion not too far from my house, to watch cricketers, mostly from the Caribbean play. He’s not too taken. “It’s a weird game dad!” he once told me. He just loves the champagne-fluency and grit of soccer. He reels out names of soccer clubs and soccer

I have studied (Howard, Lincoln, Columbia and Pennsylvania), I have always made the team, won my colours, and if not Champion. I have often been champion of the mile race…there is no reason why the West African colonies should not be represented in the Olympic Games.” The colonial authorities refused to grant him the permission. Zik’s letter today, however, remains in the British National archives. There is a place reserved in our human hearts for those who seek valour in our names. And we cheer them for the vicarious pleasure of being there in real time with them.

Their triumphs become our triumphs, their losses, ours; and we feel the pain deep in the marrow at every loss.

That was what many felt – a pain in the marrow - when the Eagles lost that friendly match in Jacksonville, on a 2-1 final score to the advantage of the US team. In the 31st minute of play, Jozzy Altidore converted a cross from Fabian Jonson, to put the US National team in the lead. A secondhalf run by Micheal Bradley, placed a through pass in the thirty-yard again for Altidore to make a deadly finish.

Nigerians looked unfazed. They continued to play their game. Emenike came in about twenty minutes to the end of the match, and his quick moves sharpened the edge of the Nigerian attack. It was Emenike’s flash-move; a quick run and dribble, perfectly executed, that placed the ball for Victor Moses to finish. Moses was tackled in the penalty box, and the result was a penalty which he very deftly converted. It

There was once when that right was denied Nigerians; when it was impossible for a Nigerian to fly the colours of this country in international competitions like the World Cup or the Commonwealth Games. It was a right earned by sovereignty, and it did not come easily.

This is the fact what Nigerians must bear in mind, because what we now take for granted, that Nigeria could be represented; that the youth of this country could compete on the world stage with other free nations, was once an impossible dream.

On April 1, 1932, Nnamdi Azikiwe wrote the Secretary of the Colonies for permission to represent Nigeria at the Summer Olympics that held in Los Angeles that summer of 1932. “In the last four years I have competed against America’s best in the Mile and 2-Mile races, and I feel that my

I do feel that the African continent has a lot of the cures for diseases and that our ancestors did us a disservice by not documenting all that they knew about herbs and medicines before they died

tasting juice and less than 30 minutes later I was deep in sleep.

A few days later, I was loosing my cool with my web administrator and designer because while I seemed to be working 24/7 to get things ready for my online store she seemed to be slacking off. She eventually admitted to almost having a nervous breakdown and had been prescribed some happy pills as

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not squeamish and if I am convinced something is good for me, I will drink it regardless of looks or taste.

Before resorting to manmade solutions I always prefer to look to nature for cures, all the answers are in nature, its just the information of how it all works that we need. To her surprise, it did work and something as simple as bitter leaf juice 30 minutes before bedtime removed all her symptoms.

Page 12—SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014

Elder Godsday Orubebe @ 55

BY JULIET ARCHIBONG

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF A former minister as a navigator “Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age, and fifty – five the precursor of maturity into the diamond age”. – Victor Hugo

A

S Elder Godsday Orubebe turned 55 on Friday 6 th June, 2014, drums were rolled out for a man who has found favour in the hands of the Almighty and who acknowledges same.

Let us pause a bit and look at the number 55. Analyzing Victor Hugo’s position as cited above, 55, it is clear, is the midway between 50, the golden age, and 60, the diamond age. It is the bridge, the precursor indicating the approach of the diamond age. 55, therefore, is the admixture of the old in youth-

fulness and the youthfulness of the old age; it is the admixture of that which is golden in a man’s life, and the prediction of the accentuation of that which is diamond. 55 is critical; it is beautiful as it is the double of 5, and the sum of the digits gives 10, the figure acknowledged as the totality, the wholesomeness in a thing.

Elder Godsday Orubebe fully recognizes the import and the value of 55. He also acknowledges that adding more years to his life indeed growing older, healthy and strong is not by his power or might. It is by the grace of the Almighty – the giver of life, the sustainer of man. Growing older, ageing gracefully in the midst of friends and relations cannot be taken for granted. Anyone who is so blessed must always be grateful to God Almighty. This is why in his book The Old Man’s Comfort, Robert Southey had this to say: “In the days of my youth I remembered my God, as I grow older I honour Him, and He hath not

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VIEWPOINT

At 55, what looms very large in Orubebe’s life is that he is a man of humble disposition, a giver of hope, and an epitome of the indomitable spirit

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failed to keep me older and stronger”.

It is little wonder, that a number of activities were lined up to commemorate this beautiful age of 55 viz thanksgiving church service, visit to prison inmates etc Elder Godsday Orubebe was born a twin in Ogbobagbene in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta

State some 55 years ago. Since his birth, and the circumstances therein, he has braved all odds, focused on the vision of keeping faith with destiny, and holding firmly to His Creator. He had his primary education in Torugbene, in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State; his secondary education was in Ojobo and Owo in Delta and Ondo States; his university education was in Lagos and Edo States where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Political Science, and an Msc in International Relations respectively. He is currently a Phd student in Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, Edo State.

Orubebe is a visionary navigator, an astute administrator whose strides in life appear to re-echo Pablo Picasso’s maxim: “Others have seen what is and asked why; I have seen what could be and asked why not”. He is a man with a dogged commitment towards the Nigeria Nation and a reputation for exceptional bravery in stepping out so as to step up.

Orubebe believes in focusing on results and downplaying the odds.

To do that successfully, he intro-

2015: Between Nicholas Mutu and Bomadi/Patani people

BY EMBALE JONATHAN

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

The choice to make ahead of the next general elections

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HE man, Rt Hon. Nicholas Ebomo Mutu, has made a mark in the annals of political development in the Bomadi/Patani federal constituency.

Not many knew his political dexterity and the penchant he has for the overall transformation of the people of Niger Delta when he took office in 1999 as a federal law maker. Little wonder, he has enjoyed political legitimacy from the people of his constituency for exhibiting a model of democratic norms and practices, particularly in comparison with other political office holders in the region.

With a genuine sense of patriotic zeal to advance the course of the region and its people, Mutu worked day-in-day-out to mobilize and constructively engaged the youths in order to provide a platform for political solution in addressing youth restiveness in the region. This, he did not fail the house where he is the chairman House Committee on Niger Delta

Development Commission, NDDC, in his oversight function by being committed to the meaning and true essence of the interventionist agency as espoused by the Federal Government.

Today, the relative peace and social stability experienced in the Niger Delta, particularly the Bomadi/Patani federal constituency is a clear demonstration of his astuteness and wealth of experience in attracting genuine development spread evenly across the constituency.

One thing Nicholas Mutu deserves well of the public is that he did not lose sight of, and his insistence at ensuring that the interventionist agency NDDC complies with the principle of local content initiative in the award of contracts as global best practice. The policy yielded a new awakening amongst the hitherto restive youths of the region positively. It has rather created a crop of local contractors with the capacity to handle small and medium scale contracts. Implicit in the policy is the psychological underpinnings of redirecting the energies of the youths towards productive ventures and collective participation in the process of developing the region. This is

redefining their societal role as change agents.

This is a new wind of change, political consciousness, which has arisen to integrate the youths in their rightful place in the scheme things, and if need be engage the government constructively on a round table over any perceived injustice. Thus, government attention is brought closer to the people through the activities of NDDC as a tool for development.

The impact of good governance and the dividends of democracy is

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VIEWPOINT

Thus, government attention is brought closer to the people through the activities of NDDC as a tool for development

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no longer an abstract concept to the people of the Bomadi/Patani federal constituency. Little wonder, the outpour of encomium and accolades from all sections of the

constituency speak volume of a popular lawmaker who many now describe as a messiah and a worthy son of Ijaw nation. This is a clear demonstration of a high sense of political consciousness amongst the electorate that their socio-political coast has been enlarged by Nicholas Mutu who has made them understood good governance.

As the drums for 2015 are being rolled out, it is quite imperative to know that time has come again to give the federal law maker yet another mandate whose legislative interest is to develop the Niger Delta to enable him continue his good works. It is a period that will afford the people to express their will, choose leaders who will justify their votes.

The people of Bomadi/Patani federal constituency are not unaware that the right to elect one’s political representative will shape the political nature of the constituency and influence the political directions of a people. It is an indispensable foundation of democracy because it provides a basis on which people can plan to have a voice in their government. This is not achieved by fanning the ember of rotation or last minute shower of gifts and largesse because they are seeking

Memories of a virtuous woman VIEWPOINT

BY P Z AGINIGHAN

TRIBUTE IN BRIEF

Recollections of a departed sister

M

RS Enainamene Evelyn Enienghan was a virtuous woman, a loving and caring sister.

Being the first of the children my father, the late Aginighan Morris Otutu, had with my late mother, Mrs Orutu Aginighan, I grew up to hear my mother call my father Enainamene-dau, meaning the father of Enainamene. I can testify that my sister who is asleep was a very humble and obedient daughter of my parents.

I was only four years old when she left Local Authority Primary School, Ogo-Eze in 1963 in the same class with her younger sister Mrs Helen Akpoaboere Odobula Orusede together with Pastor Michael Pudia Olorogun. I remember that about

1968, Enainamene, my elder brother Towo, my immediate elder sister Enaibrade and I travelled with our parents by paddling from Ogodobri to Soroghagbene, a multi-ethnic fishing settlement in Warri Southwest Local Government Area.

We joined our parents during every long vacation to engage in their fishing occupation to raise money for our education. From surface water nets to the deep under water nets, we harvested all manner of fishes depending on the season, small bonga, big bonga, cat fish, tilapia, mullet, barracuda, to mention a few. I recollect a particular evening during one of our holidays in the fishing settlement when my sister and I went on fishing. Sister Enainamene handled the net while I paddled. We caught so many fishes that day. Our joy was cut short that evening as I mistakenly stepped on the spiny dorsal fin of a big catfish.

I cried so much as I pushed out the fin. My sister tied a rope around my

leg presumably to stop the bleeding and alone paddled her crying brother to the village.

She got married to her heartthrob Mr Joseph Enienghan, aka Big Joe (of blessed memory) in 1972 when I was in Class 2 at Saint Vincent’s College, Okwagbe. With the consent of her husband, she effected my transfer from St Vincent’s College Okwagbe to Government College Bomadi in 1973. Her first daughter Powei was about a year old. I recollect carrying the little baby Powei on my laps, feeding her from a feeding bottle. I stayed under the loving care of her husband and herself until both of them left Bomadi following her husband’s appointment as Principal of the then Sagbama Creek Grammar School, Toru-Ebeni(now Government Secondary Toru-Ebeni). Inevitably, I was moved to the boarding house to do my last two years during which period Sister Enainamene shared her salary as a teacher with shouldering the burden of my education. After receiving her salary every month, she would send a

•The late Mrs Enienghan large portion of it to me through outboard engine boats that plied the River Forcados.

Her husband’s love for her was extended to me. The late Mr J E Enienghan facilitated my appointment as a tutor in Sagbama Creek Grammar School, Toru-Ebeni from 1975 to 1976. Later at Government Secondary School Amassoma and Akugbene Grammar School where he was posted as Principal, I was provided vacation part time teaching appointment. I cannot adequately pay my debt of gratitude to my sister and post- humously to her late husband

duces new ways of working together to rebuild trust and hope and by that improve institutional capabilities and performance management to deliver real impact. He is a leader who has distinguished himself in democratic principles and would never engage himself in acts that do not bind or unite the people.

At 55, what looms very large in Orubebe’s life is that he is a man of humble disposition, a giver of hope, and an epitome of the indomitable spirit.

It is said that there are some people who live in a dream world; there are some who face reality, and then there are those who turn one into the other, I mean those who turn dreams into reality. This aptly captures the disposition, the mien of Elder Godsday Peter Oghenevwede Orubebe, CON. And as he turned 55, the age that announces the diamond in a man’s life, we rise to join him, his family and friends to give glory to God, and wish him many more glorious years ahead.

•Archibong is a public affairs commentator

re-election. The people are the best judges who seek who to represent them by the practical deeds of previous mandate given to those who now seek re-election.

The argument for rotation as a topic of discussion will be left for another day. However, it is rather instructive to know that rotation takes away the strongest stimulus to public virtue, enthronement of mediocrity and neophytes, which the people of the constituency are at their wits’ end to gamble their votes for.

It is on record that this set of politicians who get power by hook or by crook, are not able to comprehend the yearnings and aspirations of the people they represent. Thanks to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the National Orientation Agency, NOA, for the invaluable task of voters education. Our people are not morons as to still wallow in their political machinations, but are alive to, and have already lined up for a true representative whose social contract with his people is to enact laws that will bring about good governance and the development of both physical and human resources of his people. Thus, Hon. Mutu deserves another slot! *Jonathan, a political affairs analyst, lives in Bomadi, Delta State.embalejonathan@hotmail.com for the roles they played in my educational development.

My sister lived in peace with all men. I never saw her quarrel with anyone within or outside the family.

On the 26th of April, 2014, I received a very pleasant call from my sister that all was well with her. Three days later, I received the report that she had gone to be with the Lord. Truly, it is well with your soul my sister.

Her burial activities will be concluded today with a Thanksgiving Mass at the Saint Anthony’s Catholic Church, Ogo-Eze. Mrs Enienghan was born at Ezebri on 22 February 1950 into the families of Late Aginighan Otutu (who hailed paternally from Ogodobiri town in Bomadi Lical Government Area and maternally from Oviri Ogor in Ughelli North Local Government Area) and Mrs. Orutu Aginighan (who hails maternally from Ezebri in Bomadi Local Government Area and paternally from Egadeware family of Oboro in Burutu LGA of Delta State).

•Aginighan was acting MD of NDDC.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014 , PAGE 13

1.2m dead in road accidents – World Bank chief

By Favour Nnabugwu Mrs. Tawia Addo-Ashong, Programme Coordinator, Global Road Safety Facility, World Bank, in this interview, speaks on the bank’s efforts to promote road safety in Nigeria and what the country can do to prevent road accident deaths. Excerpts hat has the World Bank done to support Nigeria ‘s road infrastructure?

The world safety is a facility in the World Bank used to promote road safety; so what we do is to give out grants to countries to catalyse them to look at road safety issues. So we hope to see the challenges in road safety that will begin to improve in our countries. 1.2million people dying every year from road traffic accidents and about 50 million people being injured. Of these figures, 90 percent comes from low middle income countries, like Nigeria and Ghana where I come from, yet we have a smaller percentage of the vehicles. The people that are injured are poor people. What we want to see as a development bank is to promote prosperity; hence we provide money especially for road development in our countries, we see that the institutions around road safety are built up, strengthened improved so that while we are building roads, we are building safe roads and we are ensuring that the coun-

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tries are doing what has to be done to make their roads safer and reduce fatality rates.

Should government be entirely blamed for the violation of road safety rules?

I think it is a mixture of things. There are series of challenges that affect road safety: the challenges of how people get licences, how people learn to drive, the quality of the vehicles that are used. But we realised that if there is an institution in each country taking responsibility for the policies and plans around these things, there will be improvement. In my presentation at the International Road Federation Conference, I used the example of Argentina where they set up an institution which started looking at all these things. How do we get driver’s licence, how do we improve the quality of vehicles, how do we work with the agencies to make sure the roads are safer, how do we make sure that the right laws are in place for seat belts, for helmets for those making use of the motorcycles? So, little by little this organisation takes care of everybody, improved the hospitals so that when accidents happen, people get there quickly and worked with the police to make sure that the laws are in place and enforced. If you go on the road without your license you are fined, you are jailed, if you bring in a car and the quality of the vehicle is be-

low standard, it won’t be allowed in. We should have that domestic approach; if you look at all the areas which need to be dealt with and we start to work with the institutions responsible for it, we would start seeing improvement. I think the Federal Road Safety Commission is a very good example of what can be done if there is government commitment, if there is good leadership and we have started to see that things have improved drastically in Nigeria. We have people along the road corridor ensuring that people drive with the right licenses, we have very good licensing system where people can’t duplicate. While there is still work to be done, I believe that Nigeria and the FRSC are on the right path to improving road safety in the country.

How much has the World Bank so far invested in Nigeria road reforms?

Because I deal mainly with road safety, I can’t focus on road reforms. But I know that in the road safety development project there is about 10 million dollars being spent on road safety and managed with the collaboration of the World Bank by the Federal Road Safety Commission.

T%his includes the buying of equipment, vehicles and ambulances, training of the personnel and improving the infrastructures.

Do you think the Nigerian government has done

well on roads?

I think there has been a lot of improvement in the road system in Nigeria.

And I believe that as with all other African countries there is still a lot of work to be done and Nigeria has the challenges of having the largest population but you also have the advantage of being the biggest economy and so you can actually set the pace, lead the way in putting things in place. So as the network is being developed and government has a good program to develop the network, what we will like to see from the safety prospective is that the network is developed safely. As we are putting the infrastructures, it is not just the roads you are building, you are looking at the pedestrian; so you put the pavements, the walk ways. I came in and the road from the airport I believe is not com-

pleted but as you can see there are no road markings, zebra crossing where people can cross, there are not enough cross walks.

We should build safe roads and I think that once that is done we will see a lot of changes in what is happening in Nigeria.

What is World Bank’s take on pedestrian bridges being used as markets?

I think these are some of the institutional challenges that I am talking about, you need to have the right laws in place and you need to have the right enforcement. It is not just the law, it is the enforcement; and it is not just the enforcement it is the advocacy.

Even before you can enforce and make sure people do the right thing, you have to explain to them the essence behind what you are doing.

What is the total number of projects the World Bank

has undertaken in Nigeria?

We have about 27 active projects spread across the sectors which are within the region of about 5 billion dollars for Nigeria.

What is your take on World Bank’s support in Africa?

The bank sees Africa as one of the continents it should continue to support.

There are potentials, a lot of development agendas.

Anything we can do to support the prosperity and economic growth, we will continue to do.

Insurance is not wholly accepted in this country because people are skeptical hence data is difficult?

It is the same thing in Ghana. So I think it is an education issue; that is why road safety is a partnership, it is not just the responsibility of the government

2015: LG boss tasks Uduaghan’s successor on continuity

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he Caretaker Com journalists in Asaba on the mittee Chairman of administration of Governor

Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, Hon. Sunday Onoriode, has tasked the would be successor of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State on continuity by maintaining his three-point agenda.

Hon. Onoriode, who made this observation when he was addressing

Uduaghan, noted that the governor is finishing strong.

Emphasizing on the kind of person that should succeed the governor, Onoriode said that only a man that is tolerant can govern a complex state like Delta.

While commenting on the administration of Dr. Uduaghan, the council boss

said that the governor has done well in his three-point agenda, manifested in the area of infrastructure development, free health care and micro credit schemes.

He called on Deltans to support his programme of “Delta beyond Oil”, describing the governor as a man with high innovation and good aspiration for the entire state.

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SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014, PAGE 17

My story of lesbianism C

Wh Whyy I can’t marr marryy a poor man

— Amaka Obi

urvaceous Nollywood producer, actress and big boss at Dove House Productions, is a woman who lives in the eye of the storm. If people are not talking about her tiny waist and massive backside, then it is something the backside has done to some hapless guys. Even top singer, D’Banj dropped a line on her on his hit single ‘Miss Endowed’. She is the ‘Amaka Endowed’ the singer sang about.

She is a woman you wouldn’t have to ask what her selling point is, because it is so obvious they come screaming at you. But Amaka would tell you her bum isn’t her favourite body part. “I think the best part of my body is my face. It is my face because if my face is not appreciated by someone, then it would be about lust because all he would be thinking would be about pulling my clothes to see my bum and all that”.

But right now Amaka isn’t talking about her bum, what is on the menu for her is her latest film titled “Lagos Housewives”, a soft drama, where she is giving us the works on lesbianism.

According to her, she hasn’t had any direct experience : “I have not had any personal experience whatsoever but I am dismayed by what has been happening in the society. Many young married women take to lesbianism because they are abandoned by their husbands. The trend these days is that foreign based Nigerian men come home, get married, get their wives pregnant and leave for their stations, abandoning the wives and kids. Some of these young married women resort to lesbianism to fill the vacuum their husbands left” she said.

– Ebiwari Etuk

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retty Nollywood actress, Ebiwari Etuk, isn’t a household name yet, but the Rivers State-born thespian has recorded enough successes to be regarded as a force to be reckoned with, as far as roles intepretation is concerned. Starting with Tale of Hidden Treasure, Ibiwari has gone on to stamp her foot in Nollywood record books with close to twenty other movie efforts.

She is one that would tell you she doesn’t walk the lane of nudity or promiscuity because of her strict

upbringing. “My orientation does not permit me to talk about my body sexually.

But professionally speaking, my greatest forte as an actress is my ability to interprete any role I’m cast for, almost flawlessly “.

But it doesn’t seem the actress accepts everything that is thrown at her.

At least, she isn’t just as green as to accept offers from any man that comes her way. “I can’t marry a poor man. Poor men ain’t confident my dear, because poverty oozes inferiority complex. Confidence arises from who you are, what you are and your ability to impact” she said.

Adding: “ I like a confident man who isn’t easily intimidated, then of course, he has to believe in the existence of the Almighty God. Being responsible for another person or people comes with being confident.

To me, the most important thing in a man is his simplicity and other things follow”.

Any man I marry would be lucky to have me — Halima Abubakar girl, looking on to a hot night out but while in a place like Kano, she dresses down to fit in with the crowd. A smart girl, you might say.

Halima added another year on Thursday and to celebrate the landmark she entertained a few friends, cut a cake and poured champaign, to make the day flow with enough emotion a bit different from the average day. alima Abubakar has But outspoken Halima come a long way in Nollywood and she is currently didn’t end it there as she had a message to her fans and regarded as one of the best in indeed anyone that cared to her trade. Petit, beautiful and curvy Halima doesn’t hide her listen. “If there is one thing I hold protectively, it is my feelings and seems to know womanhood. Yes, I am not a where her bread is buttered. sharer regardless of what has She recently owned up that been written about me in 13 when she is in Lagos, she dresses as hot as the next Lagos years. Yes, 13 years in

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•Amaka Obi C M Y K

Nollywood, its like being born and allowing you to grow on your own. I starved, made friends who made themselves enemies of mine!

Still I love you all” she wrote on her Instagram page.

“I just want to thank you all for the love, lies, hate, encouragement and the zeal to prove you all wrong. I am a great woman and any man I marry would be lucky to have me. Please, I love the hardship, gossips, rumours and support you all have given me.I remain my loyal self, Ambasssador Halima Abubakar” she concluded, blowing out some candles on a cake she claimed some friends made for her.

PAGE 18 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014

Pornography is good for Nollywood – Benson Okonkwo

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enson Okonkwo is a rising actor who has arrived the scene like a fast train with bounty of goodies to offer. Since his foray into the industry, the Enugu-based sexy actor has had honours looming around him just as controversies would not steer clear. No thanks to the gay role he played in one of his most successful movies, “Pregnant Hawkers” “My dear, it’s only a movie and make-belief, you know. We watch movies like that in Hollywood. Nigerians are hypocrites. I think pornography makes our movies more real. And for that reason I am in support of it. If you take a good look at Hollywood movies, for example, you will notice that it is rampant and it means nothing to them” he once told me.

Now, he still belives that assertion that pornograhphy is good. “Pornography is good for Nollywood. It’s like acting normal roles, first and foremost. It’s a movie and you act exactly what is in your script. And there are restrictions, besides kissing and touching here and there. Nigerian movies are not made for everyone”. He told Potpourri recently.

Sometimes, people leave what they are doing to stare at my ass — Angel Christopher

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oluptuous Angel Christopher has been in Nollywood for a while. She is an actress, model and scriptwriter, from Imo State. She has acted alongside the very best in the business and even gone a step further to prove she has that little extra, not only to make her acts come to good effect but also to get her fans glued to the screen, enchanted by her seductive curves that are rather loud and captivating.

Some of her most notable films include :The Victim, Gallant Babes, Thanks For Coming, Money Riot, Clash of Madness, Regent King, Business Center, Nemesis You Sow, Holy Criminal, Church Mafians, The Punisher, Battle of Queens, to name but a few.

She told Potpourri recently that her selling poing is her height, complexion, and shape. “ I have got a wonderful hips and boobs” she said.

And she shared an experience when her shape brought an undue attention her way. Though she declared that her ass has always caused her ambarassment.

Hear her: “Sure! Its a regular thing, atimes I feel shy to walk on the street because of the side talks from both guys and ladies.

Sometimes, people leave whatever they are doing just to stare at me when I pass them,both young and old,men and women. Some ladies do walk up to me just to ask what they will do to have my shape and I will smile and tell them that its a natural gift from God. I am blessed with a sweet body, but if you want to force it, keep eating indomie,and they would start laughing and say they eat indomie everyday.

An old woman saw me some days ago and said, ‘my daughter you are really beautiful,hope you thank your God everyday for making you this specia’l. And I smiled and said ‘ yes ma’. So, that is what I see everyday.

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Nudity is o u t of it for m e

— Ken Er ics B

ut Ken Erics, who is now being regarded as one of the most alluring sex symbols in Nollywood would not toe the same line as Benson.

“I am really a proponent of method acting. I can go as far as the role demands. I believe a character must be brought to live in its totality. For me, there are no half measures. So I immerse myself in the role and literally become that character for the duration of the production. Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. But my versatility does not include going nude in a movie” he explained to Potpourri.

“Nudity is out of it for me. I believe a message can be passed across without nudity. Nudity doesn’t really make any difference. A good story is a good story” Speaking about himself, the actor revealed he was into music before he started acting. “I sing, I play keyboard and guitar. I used to be a full-time musician before delving into acting.I still have a band group though. I write also. I’m much of an introvert now. With a small circle of friends. I don’t mingle with people of low virtue. I detest lies and fake people. I’m a perfectionist. I so much believe in dedication to work because I have great passion for the arts”.

Ken Erics is much known for movies like Burning Bridges with Ivie Okujaye and Esther Audu, Almost Perfect with Uche Jombo and Desmond Elliot, The Undertaker with Queen Nwokoye and Ngozi Ezeonu, Ekwueme with Nkem Owoh and Zulu Adigwe

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014, PAGE 19

Eniola Badmus flaunts perfume collections P

opular Yoruba actress, Eniola Badmus of Jenifa fame known as Gbogbo Bigsgirl is a plus-size woman who knows how to carry herself. She once said she has never been ashamed of her bulky frame as many may think.

The actress recently took to instagram to flaunt her perfume collection, probably telling us she is `mad’ about perfumes. “Ma lil collections.....not sure I can finish dem in 1year.....#robertocavalli #giorgioArmani #beyonce #Elizabetharden #britneyspears #justinbieber #Nickiminaj #Terredhermes #hermes” she bragged.

Yvonne Okoro getting

married?

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exy and seductively beautiful Yvonne Okoro shocked her fans recently when she posted a picture of herself in a wedding gown with a screaming caption: “I am getting married”.

Her fans were so happy for her that they started wising her well until the actress busted the bubble by declaring she was only acting out a script in a movie. The film is Bride Again by Elvis Chuks.

What a shame! Many thought Yvonne had eventually broken the jinx!

Is madness working for Denrele?

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igerian entertainment weirdo, Denrele Edun, is as popular as any top Nigerian music or movie star, not for any other thing but for his unique approach which stands him world apart from his peers.

Denrele recently revealed what might be his secret and it isn’t so far from what many have always suspected . “Never be ashamed of madness, instead be ashamed of people that are ashamed of madness.

Without a little bit of insanity, we would have never had the Theory of Relativity, electricity, airplanes, cars, your beloved iPhone and hey, even Denrele! Madness got you that!” He posted on Instagram.

John Dumelo, Yvonne Nelson fight boredom G

hanaian A-list actors, John Dumelo and Yvonne Nelson are not exactly strangers to each other. They have acted enough films together to feel comfortable in each other’s company.

Yvonne recently revealed just how close they could get when she said she doesn’t feel comfortable kissing on set. But according to her, that does not include John Dumelo and Michel Majid, whom she said she feels okay kissing.

Just days back, Yvonne showed she might have a thing about kissing, at least for John, when she posted a picture of herself and John Dumelo kissing. “This is not a scene from a movie. We were both bored and trying to fight boredom” she posted. They were both on set and doing this to while away time!

Tamara Eteimo, Uti Nwachukwu in the closet TAMARA Eteimo and Uti Nwachukwu are two of the fastest rising stars in Nollywood who seem to be on top of their games.

While Tamara has kept a low profile, avoiding the shoddy light of controversy, Uti struts the borderline, neither here nor there.

But if what Tamara posted on Instagram days ago has any bite to it, the two might be getting up to some tricks. Unusually luscious looking Tamara in nothing but towel across her bust, has Uti cornered in a closet, with Uti looking rather helpless. “Wanna have him? Sorry, he’s taken” she posted, warning off other would-be intruding women.

They were on set at Foluke Daramola’s Cobweb, starring other stars like Saheed Balogun, Mary Lazarus and others.

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PAGE 20— SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014

My new album will win more awards than I have ever won – Faze Faze is a multi award-winning music artiste popularly known for his hit song Kolomental, as well as other releases from albums such as Refazed, Independent, Originality. After the split up of Plantashun Boiz in 2004, he went on to release his first album titled Faze Alone and has since then taken the music world by storm. In this chat with Potpourri, he tells us what he’s been up to. Excerpts

By DAMILOLA SHOLOLA

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hat have you been up to?

I’ve been recording my new album which will be out any time soon. I have some collaborations with some of my friends in the industry and you can expect the normal Faze treats. You know I don’t just release albums. I take my time and make sure what I release does not fall short of the standard I have set for myself.

How has your career been so far?

What would I say? It’s been great and I can’t complain. I am going to bring surprises, smiles, tears and laughter on people’s faces. You C M Y K

haven’t seen just enough of me yet.

What is your biggest song so far?

I don’t have a specific song that I can really call my biggest but if you say break through songs, I’ll say Faze Alone and Kolomental. Those two songs carved a path for me to follow and they remain my calling card as an independent artiste. But songs like Originality, Need somebody, Kpo Kpo di Kpo, to mention but a few are big hits.

Are you planning on doing any show this year?

I’m done with the project partially.

Just basically working on my new single ‘’Your Daughter” and the video for it which should be out this

June or July, then two other new singles with videos will follow after which my plans for my concert and tour in and out of Nigeria will take place.

Is Faze married now?

Not yet What’s stopping you?

Nothing basically, just taking my time. When God says it’s time then that’s the right time for me. But I am in a relationship. I am not rushing things. I like to do things at the right time for the right reasons.

Did you think you were going to be this successful after Plantashun Boiz?

Yes, I did, but I never knew it’ll ever get this big.

Have there been any setbacks in your career?

Yes, of course. Every successful man always has setbacks but what they only do to me is make me buckle up and get stronger. I’m a man that likes challenges. If there are no challenges then all we have achieved count for nothing. There

have been low and high times but, I thank God, the high times are far more than the low times.

Are you planning on releasing any albums this year?

Definitely, like I said earlier, I’m almost through with my project so when I’m done with that, that’s when the album will be out.

How many awards have you won so far?

I can’t really specify, but I’m sure this new album is going to win more awards than I have ever won. It is loaded with good hits that are sure to take the music scene by storm.

Just watch out for it.

Who is your inspiration in music?

Fela, because he was real What’s your view of the Nigerian music industry?

It’s gone beyond what we ever expected it to be and it’s obviously getting even bigger. Already, we are being heard all over the world. But I believe it will get better and bigger.

If you could change one thing in the industry, what would it be?

Piracy. Piracy is the biggest enemy we have. So, if there’s anything I can do to stop it, I will go any mile to do it.

What more should people expect from Faze?

A lot, I think I’ve done the best I can and I’ll leave the rest to God and the long awaiting Faze fans.

SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014, PAGE 21

I lost one million dollars to hajj airlift politics —Muneer Bankole, MD, Medview Airlines

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ed-View Airlines Managing Director Muneer Bankole says you need passion and technical know-how to run a successful airline. In this interview with JIMOH BABATUNDE, he explains that it is shameful Nigeria has no national airline.

He also talks on fuel challenge on the aviation business; the need to avoid cutting corners and what the government agencies should do to protect the domestic carriers. Bankole narrates the story of his foray into pilgrims airlifting and domestic airline operations.

On the motivation for going into the aviation industry My passion for aviation industry dates back to 1969 when one of my aunties was going to the United States.

This was when the current GAT was the international airport and she was boarding a DC10 with handkerchief waving people.

The mood was like she was going on a journey of no return. It was there I started nursing the ambition of seeing myself one day working around the environment.

So from that period it has been something of interest that I feel very happy and excited about to have worked in that environment for over 35 years. It has been a passion for me.

Apart from the passion, why the decision to become an investor?

Something you grew up in, something you sleep in, work inside, and you probably see yourself to be blessed to have seen the entirety of the aviation industry like I did, you have to fully identify with it. Aviation is a name, high risk in terms of putting the parameters together.

It is like God has assigned something to you, just like the pilgrimage airlifting; the

very day we started airlifting, we saw it as an assignment given to us by God, so we carried it out within a short period of two - three months; 25, 000 -30, 000 pilgrims airlifted to Saudi and brought back.

How has the journey been?

It is a thing of joy to people to continue to appreciate God daily, but it has not been a bed of roses. We have had ups and downs but you keep your faith in Him and you keep going. It has been beautiful so far.

Many people think the airline business is very profitable; they invest a lot of money initially and are not patient to watch the business grow before they start expecting huge returns. Adequate technical knowledge of aviation business and the operating environment would guide you to run a profitable airline. A lot of people moved into the airline industry from other sectors of the economy without adequate preparation and not very detailed business plan, thinking they could do magic, and you could see that the result as such ill-preparation has led to the collapse of many airlines.

On what it takes to run a

successful airline Once you know the business you are doing and understand everything that goes around the business, it gives you little joy.

To do well in this airline business, as a serious operator, you have to have a good grasp of the technical knowledge of the industry, not just being a graduate of any discipline. You need to be fully equipped about the dynamics and intricacies of the airline business. If your personnel want to play you out, you call them to order because you have the knowledge of the industry. But, if you do not have the knowl-

A lot of people moved into the airline industry from other sectors of the economy without adequate preparation and not very detailed business plan

edge, some personnel could propose wrong ideas to you that could ruin the business.

You need committed pilots, committed engineers, ground personnel; finance comes into place to support your operations and day to day running.

And on a serious note, safety is the key of all. You must be safety conscious that everything from the point of checking-in to the end of flight and return is in compliance with laid down rules.

There is no cutting corner. It is so because you wake up in the morning seeing an aircraft flying, you ask yourself which runway is in the sky?

You must match your words with action as not to negotiate anything short of standards.

Could it be said that lack of sincerity or cutting corners led to safety issues in the past?

No, there are many factors.

We can’t just use one approach to come out with a verdict that it was as a result of ABC. If you go through the history of accidents, 60-70% of them are due to human errors.

That you cannot take away from aviation, but that

position is critical at that moment and the pilot must take a decision either in good or bad faith, but it is between him and God on how to handle the situation. That is why I said that you as an investor, you as the employee and those who are employers must be honest and sincere.

Nobody will say he is not affected. Everybody will be affected.

Training as key to safety Training is the key, there must be training and retraining. We send our pilots on retraining called simulator every six months. You must continue to see your engineers going for training. You must ensure that your ground personnel continue to go for training in customer care service.

Training takes a lot of money, but you must put it in place so your personnel are current, because there are lots of changes in standard procedures in aviation.

Things change from time to time. The aircraft you are talking about might not be the same aircraft in the market, those things you think are there, the manufacturers might need to update you.

On financing The honest thing is for you to have the entire thing key together in the component that makes the total operational cost. You make sure that revenue is placed on those elements that keep the aircraft going.

One, the aircraft maintenance

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PAGE 22 — SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014

Continued from page 21 must be standard; there are specifics maintenance. When the aircraft flies certain hours, it goes for specific checks.

There are 2As, 1As, 4As and 8As. And when your aircraft attain certain hours or within the limit of C of A expiration, the aircraft must go for the mandatory C check. This might take you two months to get the aircraft back for use.

Fly 200 hours, shut down. Fly 400 hours, shut down. The same thing applies to the pilots, training. The same applies to the engineers and the ground staff. Everything is built into your cost. The only thing that works in this environment that is so challenging and which I keep repeating all the time is fuel cost. It takes 40% out of your business.

We are appealing to the government to come to the assistance of airlines in the area of high cost of aviation fuel. The way out is for government to have a meeting with airline operators and fuel marketers and the regulatory aviation agencies to resolve this challenge. It is having a huge impact on airline operations.

The government agencies are other elements. This is our country; you can understand that you pay to NAMA for flying Lagos -Abuja -Kano within the context of your country.

After NAMA, you pay to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). All these are payments for flying in your country. If a foreign airline flies into your country and is made to make such payments, it is understandable, but not domestic airlines.

So, what is government giving to you for servicing the industry? How many airlines for 170 Nigerians? About four or five.

So how should government protect domestic airlines?

It is the responsibility of government to provide the enabling environment for the industry to grow. As an operator, all the government agencies must do is to let you fly in a friendly, seamless, stress less environment.

We are blessed with everything in this country, but we will continue to pray that God takes care of everything.

On the recommendation that NAMA, NCAA and FAAN be merged Apart from the position of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), personally I think it is for us to sit down and ask ourselves that those put together to take the position, are they aviators?

You need to get those in the industry together to give you sincere inputs.

NCAA by design of the International Civil Aviation Authority is a regulatory authority, all over the world.

For airline standard procedures, that is the body responsible.

NAMA is a service provider.

They are to give navigational

and aeronautical guidance and every other charge to you. And when you talk of airport services, those are the functions of FAAN; so you find out that every one of them has different duties to perform.

We wish government would listen to superior argument and do the needful on the issue of merger and a decision taken in the interest of the nation.

On the question of government floating an airline I will take you back to Nigeria Airways days. Beautifully as you can say in the 70s and the 80s, Nigeria Airways was solely the airline that covered not only the country but also the West African region.

Nigeria Airways would bring passengers from Senegal, Ghana to Lagos before flying them to UK and other destinations in the world. Lagos became a hub.

In1990 -2000, when there was this issue of government coming to talk of liquidation, the International Finance Corporation, one of the finance companies assigned by government to give them a position, said liquidation was the last option. The first option was to look for partnership with a technical airline like British Airways or Lufthansa.

Another thing then was that Nigeria Airways had a lot of assets in terms of properties all over the world. That should have been put into consideration so that government will hold those things in trust for the airline and fund them.

Those properties they gave away would have been of great advantage today. The shame that the nation is having today would not have been there. A country of 170 million, no national airline; it is a shame.

In the past, when you saw green-white-green in any airport in the world, even if you were at the airport for sightseeing, seeing it made you feel as if you were back home. I think we deserve to have a national airline.

On Medview’s growth from a travel agency to having scheduled flights Medview started as a consultant to state governments and lot of achievement was made along that line especially in the days of Governor Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos State. We did that for eight years and with other states like Kwara and Yobe.

Later, we found that hajj needed to be packaged well. I was the country manager for Nigeria Airways in Saudi Arabia for six years and I saw a lot of mess in the way Nigerians pilgrims were handled.

Nigerians were sleeping on the highways and everywhere during hajj and Umurah. I felt something was wrong, that those Nigerians were being abused as they were dumped there by airlines that refused to come back to pick them.

‘It is a shame Nigeria doesn’t have national airline’

The first time I did in 2006, I lost the one million dollars I borrowed, because they claimed it was not a game for young boys; it was not a game for southerners, it was not a game for people like me So, I came back and applied for hajj license. The first time I did in 2006, I lost the one million dollars I borrowed, because they claimed it was not a game for young boys; it was not a game for southerners, it was not a game for people like me.

But I took the challenge in 2007, I applied again and they saw the seriousness in me. Some of them knew I had the experience and so they granted us the permission to lift the international pilgrims which was the most difficult and critical of all the hajj operations.

Those international pilgrims are well exposed people who know their rights as against those who go on conventional pilgrimage like our mothers who are taken advantage of because of lack of education and so they are treated shabbily.

So with the permission to lift international pilgrims, we had to travel round the country and we ended up having a

base in Kano to take care of the core-North; we had another base in Abuja and the last in Lagos.

We developed the three bases and raised committees to run the show with us and that was the beginning of the story. We were given about 8, 000-9, 000 pilgrims, we ended up going with14, 000 and returning with 18,000 pilgrims as the big boys could not do that.

The success gave the government the opportunity to upgrade us to conventional pilgrim handler and we have been doing our best since. We want to say that we have been blessed as we have made changes and introduced lots of incentives, so we are seeing the blessing of God. We see what we are doing as a call to duty by God. On foray into domestic operations We went into domestic operations after looking at all the areas of the aviation business, the major hard time was the AOC that took us about 16-18 months to run.

It was five stages, 27 approvable manuals, 13 acceptable manuals making a total of 40 manuals. You need to get a minimum of two aircraft; you need to get personnel working around you for six months with no equipment, to put your manuals in place, to show your key post holders, you have to pay salaries, set up base stations and those things you claim you have to be inspected.

You have maintenance base, you have operational base, the corporate head office, you have the training school and we had all these to show. So we give thanks to God that we got the AOC, and since then we have flown up to 600,000 passengers.

As an airline, we have been reaching out to passengers in far flung places. We bring

Bankole...AON and the tourism industry should work together

the airline closer to the people in places like Jalingo, Yobe, Maiduguri, Enugu, and other places.

Our strategy is that all routes in Nigeria must be developed.

One of the ways of achieving this is to partner with the relevant authorities to make air travel convenient and affordable. In some of the states in the North, the governors are even asking how they could be of help to open up the airports.

Our belief in Medview Airlines is that there is no airport or route that is not viable, but you need to do a detailed business plan to develop the route to make it attractive.

On the transformation of the airports We need to thank the former Minister of Aviation, Princes Stella Oduah, for the transformation; this has given the country a new name to Nigeria.

It has given confidence to the travelling public and investors as this has given us more windows to operate to some regional airports like Accra, Dakar and we intend having Jeddah and Dubai in the Middle East.

On the role of airline and tourism The first window to any country is the airline; before you visit any country you need the airline. What we should be doing in this country is for the AON and the tourism body to work together.

When I am flying my aircraft, all the souvenirs that will be given to passengers will reflect the tourist attractions of the country to let the passengers know that there are things to see in the country. I will advocate that there should be a strong synergy.

I know we have lots of tourism attractions in this country that we need to sell.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014, PAGE 23

08112662589

Finding sizzling romance in your post-divorce 40s!

N

OT so long ago, a single woman in her 40s, with children, would have been expected by society to put on a brave face, say nothing of the pain caused by her divorce and resign herself to celibacy. But today, in a society where almost half of marriages end, having thousands of women in their 40s, bruised and lonely, .. there is a belief that middle-aged woman can and should be able to find new love. And that’s what I kept telling Linda after her bitter divorce from her husband of over 20 years.

‘1 gave that man my soul,” she wailed, “not to talk of three lovely and brilliant children only for him to rub my face in muck and set up home with another woman ... “ On and on her rants went, whenever I saw her, until I asked if she’d thought of the possibility of dating again. It was obvious she wasn’t thinking • along that line. When she split up with her husband, she confessed she didn’t expect to find love again, and besides, the thought of being intimate with another man sent her into a mild panic. Her creeping waistline, the not-so-perky

breasts - how on earth could she ever undress in front of someone again? To a inan who has been with you through three pregnancies, stretchmarks are one thing, but the thought of a new lover appraising them on your naked body is anothe”. When she finally slept with her new lover, she was pleasantly surprised.

“1f you must know, I hadn’t even properly disrobed in front of my ex in the dying years of our marriage and you can imagine the fear sex with a new partner instills in me,” said Linda. “My ex and I had become more like brother and sister than Mr. and Mrs., and like many siblings, we fought like cat and dog. But the things we argued about were far from familial. They were the classic gripes of matrimony-house-work, childcare and money. In the end, the brawls became so unpleasant, so frequent and so personal that we decided to separate.

After the split, I felt sad for my children. When I had planned to have children, I didn’t plan on being a single parent.

“There was also this feeling of tremendous relief. It was so wonderful to be sin-

gle again. To have no one to argue with. To go to bed on your own. To not find dirty clothes all over the place and to have the bathroom sink looking spic and span. But, inevitably, the euphoria didn’t last. I started craving male attention. It was around this time that I met Martin through ~a mutual friend. At first I thought he was just being friendly when we chatted. I mean, how many redblooded men in their early 50s can compliment a ‘hasbeen’ like me. But he persisted. And he kept persisting, and his admiring glances whenever we met

coupled with his gentle compliments were gradually sinking in. Could it be my long dormant sexuality was finaly re-awakening?

“When he finally asked me for a proper date, I accepted with a bit of trepidation. What if things progressed and I had to disrobe? Thanks to my paying more attention to my health in recent times, I felt fitter and more attractive and as luck would have it, our first date was a total blast. As we dined in a lovely restaurant he took me, his hand gently caressed my knee. We were gradually building up to

the great seduction. We decided to go to his house as his ex-wife had the children.

On the journey home, we kissed in the taxi we both decided on since we would be drinking. The next step was obvious - even to outof-practice me!

“It was therefore a pleasant surprise to discover my fear and insecurities dwindled to nothing. Sex, I am happy to say, is like riding a bike - no matter how long it is since you have been on the saddle, you never forget how to cycle. Equally pleasing is that in the heat of the moment, men don’t actually notice your wobbly bits or other imperfections. Nor did I sit back and critically appraise Martin’s 50-something body. Our sexuality and taste matured with us.

Come the morning and I had this slight champagne hangover and smudged make-up on Martin’s pillow.

It was the morning after the night I’d been dreading for the previous weeks. I had just spent the night with the first man I’d been intimate with since the break-up of my marriage. The first time in 20 years I found myself lying beside a sleeping form with whom I’d shared none of life’s major milestone not children, not school

fees, not wedding. ‘ “Yet, I was filled with the euphoria I’d revelled in the night before. I’d finally done it! I had returned to a strange land where I hadn’t thought I belonged any more. Thankfully, it is a place more and more middle-aged woman like me find themselves nowadays, as marriages break down and society now fully expects and encourages divorcees to embrace the dating scene again with the same gusto they displayed in their youth.

“Today, I’m enjoying the most rewarding relationship of my life thanks to the chemistry which existed between us. Between the sheets, Martin and I simply click. My body might be less part than it once was, but I feel happIer in my own skin. I would say to any divorced, middle aged woman terrified of contemplating sex with a man other than her ex-husband, to put those fears to one side and embrace an exciting new chapter in her life. After all, I’m happy proof that when it comes to sex, life can indeed begin in your post-divorce 40s!

08052201867(Text Only)

Anti-dote to rapid ageing

I

T’S normal in this age to expect scien tific proof of anything and everything.

If science has a standpoint on something we want to know it. We are encouraged to do or not to do. This means we live our day to day lives with a lot more confidence.

We do not have to tread too gingerly as if in total darkness.

One of the things we should all know by now, if we don’t already is the proven fact that exercise can reverse the hand of the clock. Exercise can make you feel younger and live life fuller.

Try and introduce a daily exercise discipline into your life. Early morning is best for some.

Well, temperaments differ. In this case suit yourself. What time you exercise should not matter much. The practice is the thing.

For me the total lack of need for any tool is what I find most appealing about yoga.

Once you’ve picked up the techniques to perC M Y K

forming a few of them all what you’ll ever need for practice is just a little space and enthusiasm hinged to the knowledge that you’re doing yourself a great favour.

Don’t dwell on the negative thoughts of what happens to those who fail to exercise.

You should think thoughts that say you’re improving physically, emotionally and mentally. There are times when we feel very low in spirits and in the body. The practice of the postures will restore your sense of aliveness.

It will help put back the joy into your life. The Asians or postures are definite anti-depressants.

If you have been unduly assailed by too much excitement you can practise the relaxation technique to quieten you down.

In fact a daily practice of say twenty minutes of relaxation is good for everyone. More so if you are hypertensive. Remember there’s proof

that with the practice of meditation high blood pressure can be reduced to levels only possible before with medication.

The body must go through one hell of a

house-cleaning to do that. Remember the body is self-healing.

You only need to take away the obstacles and presto!

Let’s see how you get

by with the following two postures: The Camel Technique: Sitting on the legs and toes out stretched put the palms of the hands float down just behind the toes. Now lean on the hand and throw the head back.

Take a deep breath and slowly lift the heels and thrust forward the lower part of the body and humping up the chest which means your spine being arched. Retain the posture for a while and return to sitting on the heels with the head held high and breathe out.

Rest and repeat.

Benefits: The camel posture affects the gonards and thyroid glands. The spine regains elasticity. It is also a great help against constipation and gas.

Head to knee posture (standing) Technique: Stand with

The Camel

feet together. Raise your hands straight over head. Breathe in as you do so. Now bend your upper body down dropping your hands. Keep your breathe out.

Keep the palms down and your forehead brought into contact with your knees. And stay in this position for a while and as you inhale return to standing position. You may repeat a couple more times.

This posture maintains elasticity of both spine and hamstrings. Those into sports will do well to practise this very posture. It’s a great insurance against pulling hamstrings - a common happening at athletic meetings and soccer games. This posture massages deeply the regions of the abdomen and pelvis. Women folk who suffer painful periods should practice this before the onset of their periods. With it they get relief.

Yoga classes STARTED at 32 Adetokunbo Ademola, Victoria Island, Lagos, 9.10am on Saturdays

P AGE 24—SUND AY Vanguard , JUNE 15 , 2014 SUNDA

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

08056180152,

SMS only

'Why should I wait until my wife dies to find love again?'

H

OW easy is it for you to declare yourself ready to find a new partner when you’re still married to the woman you’ve cherished for more than 30 years? But then life is far from easy when Alzheimer ’s strikes as young as 50 - as it did Ernest’s wife, Solape. Two years after she was diagnosed with the disease, her condition has deteriorated so quickly that she often forgets who her husband is. Today, she lives with one of their four children while Ernest faces life in their attractive nd cosy home alone.

“As controversial as my situation is, my life has to go on,” said Ernest, fresh from one of his frequent visits to his wife.

“I’m in my early 50s and that means finding another woman to share it with. We could easily have another 30 years together - and where would be the sense of waiting until Solape dies before I start to look for a new partner? Yet, meeting someone new in your 50s is hard enough without admitting why.”

But what of until death do us part? There will be many who believe it is, wrong to move on before his wife has died. But Ernest insisted: “Believe me, barely a day passes without me thinking of our marriage vows. I know I promised we’d be together in sickness and in health. I’ve battled with my conscience and the guilt has been unbearable at times, but after hours of soul-searching, I’ve reached the conclusion that there’s simply no point in two lives being wasted. I would like another relationship while she is alive, but I’d never divorce her to marry someone else. That goes against everything I believe. I would remarry after she died, but not while she was alive. I

could sit at home alone every night, sinking deeper into depression, but my wife wouldn’t want that for me, and I don’t want it for myself either ”.

Ernest, a structural engineer with his own successful building maintenance company, has faced no opposition. According to him: “Every person I’ve told - friends, family members, even casual acquaintances has accepted it and agreed I should move on with my life. Some were initially shocked, but then quickly told me I was doing the right thing. Even the children have given their blessings. My first son, who is 30, told me he knew I had to move on simply because I can’t carry on living the way I am. He knows I’m so lonely on my own and there is no relationship between their mother and I any more. It wouldn’t be fair to expect me to jive like this for ever. But it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with - imagining me with someone else, thinking about another woman in their mum’s place - that would be really hard to accept.

But all the children want is for me to be happy.”

T

he couple got mar ried in their early 20s and as the children arrived and Ernest’s business boomed, Solape became a full time wife. “She lived for the children and loved nothing more than having the family around,” said Ernest.

“Some marriages crack under the strain of family life but not ours. I loved her as much as the day we got married and as grandchildren came along - all nine of them our home brimmed with little ones once more.

“The first warning something was wrong was when she began to

more about what you put into your body than what you slather on your head.

Ricardo Vila Nova, resident trichologist at Urban Retreat in Harrods says: ‘Poor diet can cause hair thinning and hair loss as well as lacklustre hair, dryness and excess sebum. A high-stress lifestyle and bad nutrition can be catalysts for damage which may need four years to recover.’

I

find the noise too much.

Soon after, she started having trouble putting on her clothes. At first I’d found it funny until she started having trouble with her eyesight, unable to see a drinking glass in front of her. She’d go to pick it up but grasp at thin air just beside it. It always made her so angry - imagine not being able to do something so simple - but afterwards, she’d go very quiet. It’s as if the reality of what was happening to her was slowly sinking in, though she’d never voice her fears. At first I thought it might be motor neurone disease or multiple sclerosis. Alzheimer ’s never even crossed my mind. Why would it? She was only 51 when she started showing symptoms.

“It was our family doctor abroad that finally diagnosed the disease and it was a relief that we could finally start the right treatment. But on the other hand, I felt a crushing dread. Alzheimer’s felt far worse than anything I’d been worrying about. I would lose her once, when the last of her personality finally deserted her. Then I’d be left with an empty shell until I lost her all over again when she died.

“The children took it particularly badly. They were understandably angry to be losing their mother to Alzheimer’s at such a young age. They later agreed she would be better cared for at our eldest’s. Even after she settled to her new home, she kept crying. One day, she flew at me, punching, scratching, screaming - I snapped. I’m deeply ashamed of it, but I even thought about harming her.”

W

hen asked if, on some level he’d put his wife into children’s care to allow himself space to move on he was definitive: “I looked after my wife for as long as I could and it was during the subsequent nights alone that I started to ponder the future. The first time I visited and saw that blank look in her eyes, I know I had to move on.

She wasn’t the woman I married any more.” As for telling his children of his intentions, he said, “We’ve always been very close and I went to see them all individually and came right out with it: ‘I’m looking for someone else’ and braced myself for tears but they didn’t come. They all just accepted it, as if it was in-

knowing. Friends should be the ones that keep all your secrets, not those who spread it all around.

OLUKU INNOCENT olukui@yahoo.com

Y

Kiss me!

Your friend

CENT OBAMA +2348061379003

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

Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail: sunlovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope: “LOVE NOTES" Friends should be the ones listening to your secrets, not the ones that hurt your feelings without

Kiss me and you shall see the stars, love me and I'll give them to you.

I love you with everything I am, and more than anyone ever thought possible!

evitable ...

So, any luck yet?

“There is someone I’ve been seeing more of - a friend of mine and Solape’s who lost her husband last year. She’d been·a great support,” he admitted. “At the moment, we’re just good friends, but who knows where it might lead?

She’s family-oriented and has a heart of gold, but more importantly, she understands the situation and accepts it, which matters to me most.

“Solape will always be my responsibility and I’ll continue to pay for her care and anything else she needs. Anyone I meet has to accept that Solape might not go so soon. If they have a problem with it, then it just wasn’t to be. People will think it heartless, but it’s not fair on anyone, even my wife. She still gets upset when I see her, Imagine how unsettling it will be when I’m a total stranger to her. It’s over for Solape and me, but I need to have a future.”

Your Diet Can Help Improve Your Hair!

You can spend hundreds on conditioners and treatments - but healthy, beautiful hair is

f your hair keeps breaking, eat red meat: ‘iron is a top strength booster,’ says Vila Nova. It carries the blood’s supply of oxygen around the body keeping hair strong and nourished. Thin and limp hair is the first sign that you aren’t getting enough iron.

As red meat is a great source of iron, eat a portion of beef or lamb at least twice a week. Vegetarian? Lentils and tofu are also good sources of iron.: Going grey? Try chocolate. Melanin, the pigment that forms the colour in your hair and skin is responsible for keeping your tresses vibrant.

Foods that boost the presence of melanin in your body include chocolate (especially the dark variety).

If you want softer hair, eating salmon might help as the Omega-3 and 6 it contains boost scalp health. Essential fatty acids keep the scalp moisturised, help hair maintain hydration and elasticity. Oily fish such as tuna, salmon and mackerel are excellent sources of fatty acids: eat them once or twice a week.

Finally, avocados and walnuts could boost hair shine. The better lubricated the cuticle layer on your hair, the smoother the surface of the hair and the shinier it looks. Bon appetit!

I love you

From the lowest depth to the highest mountain top of my soul,my love for you is still like an ice that encases my heart and nothing seems to melt it. I will always treasure, cherish and love you.

Akachukwu Ferdinand. 08063819314

What is love?

Those who don't like it call it responsibility. Those who play with it call it a game. Those who don't have it call it a dream. Those who understand it call it destiny. And me, I stil call it"Love" Cos it remains Undefined,don't ask why,but speaks from the heart.

Chris Onunaku 08032988826/08184844015.

SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15 2014, PAGE 25

Email: vanguardwoman@gmail.com

No man can wipe out Christians from Nigeria —Archbishop Margaret Idahosa

* Says BringBackOurGirls campaign politicised * Why Jonathan shouldn’t be accused of sluggishness * Recounts visit to parents of abducted girls

BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

Presiding Archbishop of the Church of God Mission Int’l, Margaret Benson-Idahosa, was in Lagos last week for her annual Christian Women Fellowship International- CWFI Ladies-in-Waiting conference. Mama, as she is fondly called, fielded questions on national issues such as the prolonged abduction of the now famous Chibok girls, President Jonathan’s approach to the kidnap and why Nigerians must not lose faith, particularly on the basis of revelations shown her concerning the nation.

H

ow does it feel to be in Lagos once again for yet another Ladies-in-Waiting conference?

I feel excited because I have passion for women. Women pass through a lot of things that people do not see. They only see the outward beauty believe that is all there is to womanhood. So, coming together like this gives us the platform to cry unto God who alone answers prayers.

That’s why I get excited each time it’s due for me to come to Lagos for the Ladies in-Waiting conference.

What do you hope these women will return home with?

I expect inner peace for every one of them; the peace no man can give. Secondly, I want them to achieve confidence in God, that he is able to do all he has promised. He’s done it before for others, and He will do it again.

as a child has passed through her birth canal.

Only women can well understand this pain because they know the *Archbishop Margaret pain of child conception and bearing. I see people on television, wearing red and shouting “Bring Back Our Girls”, but I tell you, I can see politics in that. That’s why we as mothers of this nation are coming together to pray. I can even imagine the pains of mothers who have more than one child among those girls! I believe in corporate prayers and that’s why we’re gathering women from all religion and race together for this; and God will not ignore us because as women, we are warriors. In the same vein, if all churches can come together as one on this, I tell you, God will hear us.

As a woman of God, do you foresee the release of these girls?

Yes, I do. I believe emphatically that those girls will be released.

,,

Talking about building an ambience of peace in women; peace is lacking in the hearts of Nigerian women as we speak, by reason of the prolonged abduction of the over 200 Chibok school girls…

(Cuts in)By the grace of God, under the aegis of Mothers of the Nation, women are coming together to pray by the end of this month at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos. This is to cry unto God as mothers in the nation, whether Muslim, Christian, Atheist or whatever. Every woman, irrespective of religion, is expected to participate in that prayer session, as long C M Y K

What we owe President Goodluck Jonathan is prayers because God gave him to us and we must understand that in every ruler, there is the hand of God.

What words of consolation do you have for their parents?

I met with some of the parents last week, after finding out where they are. I went there and made them to understand they are not alone in this because these girls are our children as well. We gave them what we had and prayed with them.

It’s so painful; these parents told a story that cannot be retold because of its trauma.

The leader of Boko Haram has vowed to wipe out all Christians from this country; isn’t that a huge threat to the survival of your religion and the God you serve?

My dear, I don’t see it as a threat because no one can kill God. How can any man kill the same God that owns the breath running through his nostril? We can’t wipe out Muslims and they too cannot wipe out Christians because Nigeria has

*Archbishop Margaret freedom of worship. I tell you, no man, born of woman, can wipe out Christianity from this nation.

What advice do you have for Mr.President at this time?

We’re praying for him because we understand very well that uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. I have over five million members in this nation, but when we come together to take decision, there are challenges; not to talk of the president of a whole nation.

What we owe President Goodluck Jonathan is prayers because God gave him to us and we must understand that in every ruler, there is the hand of God. So, we must lift him up in prayer every day so that God can listen to the cry of this nation.

What’s your take on the lambasting he has received from different quarters over his government’s untimely response to the

kidnap?

They should put themselves in his shoes. He’s the head of a nation, a husband and father to children. When a leader hears things like that, he doesn’t just rush in.

Otherwise, you spoil a lot of things. I’m a leader in my own right. Most times, things happen in different states and they rush into my office for solution. I calm them down and tell them to let us pray first and hear from God. And believe me, that often takes some time.

For instance, when I first came into this position, all the other Bishops were putting pressure on me to appoint an assistant. I told them to allow me pray to God and get His direction.

But do you know that two weeks into that prayer I didn’t hear Jack from God? The pestering continued but I did not yield despite my state of mind as a young, bereaved woman. The point is, as a leader, you don’t rush into things no matter the pressure around you.

PAGE 26 — SUNDAY, Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014

Adebimpe Shonde w eds Apos TTunk unk arimu weds unkarimu

T

he love story b e t w e e n Adebimpe Shode, daughter of Mr. G.A Shonde and Apos Tunkarimu, son of Mr. Alfred Otto Tunkarimu, became a celebrated affair before their parents, friends and relatives when the two lovebirds were joined in holy wedlock at Salem International Christian Centre, Nicon Town, Lekki, recently. After the exchange of nuptial vows, the couple proceeded to Havillal Event place, Oniru estate, Victoria Island, for the reception. Photos

by Bunmi Azeez

From left: Princess Yemisi Balogun, Ranti Balogun and Mrs. Dotun Williams

From left: Mr. G.A Shonde, bride's father, Apos Tunkarimu, groom, Mrs. Ogelemare Tunkarimu, groom's mother, Mr. Alfred Otto Tunkarimu, Adebimpe, bride and Mrs. Dupe Shode, bride's mother.

From left: Mrs. Y. Suleiman, Mrs. Ranti Kukoyi and Princess Yemisi Balogun.

From left: Mr Mac Yoroki, CEO Citicode Nigeria Ltd and Pastor Ituah Olajide Ighodalo of Trinity House Church.

From left: Mrs. Rosy Otrofanowei, Mrs. Serah Assoh and Mr. Benson Agbaselmowei.

From right: Mr. Chris Uwaje and his wife

Wedding bell ffor or Oc huk o Ighof ose and Oluf emi Akinmo Ochuk huko Ighofose Olufemi

R

owena Ochuko Ighofose and T e m i d a y o Oluwafemi Akinmo consummated their relationship recently as they were pronounced husband and wife at Covenant Champions Family Church, Okota, Lagos . Family and friends were present to share their special moment. Photos

by Diran Oshe

L- R: Mr Dafe Ighofose, bride's senior brother, Mrs Grace Akinmo, groom's mother, couple, Mr and Mrs Temidayo Oluwafemi Akinmo, Pastor (Mrs) Rosaline Ighofose, bride's mother and Mr Agboola Akinmo, groom's father.

L- R: Madam Josephine Makelemi, Mrs Lizzy Obafunwa and Mrs Pat E Gbinije.

L- R: Mrs Bibian Osindero, Mrs Doris Hadiza Akor and Mrs Clara Etseyatse

L- R: Mr Agboola Akinmo, groom's father, Mrs Grace Akinmo, groom's mother and Pastor (Mrs) Rosaline Ighofose, bride's mother

Pastor (Mrs) Rosaline Ighofose, mother of the bride with friends dancing to the high-table

SUNDAY, Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014, PAGE 27

Mojibola A dams w eds Osa yi Osadolor Adams weds Osayi

T

he holy wedlock between Osayi Michael, son of Engr. Sunday Osagie Osadolor a n d Mojibola Oyinlola, daughter of Deacon Olusoji Adams,was held at Foursquare Gospel Church[National Headquarters] Akinwumi, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos. Photos by Bunmi Azeez

L-R: Deacon Olusoji Adams, bride's father, Mrs. Helen Osadolor, groom's mother, the groom,Osayi Michael Osadolor, his wife, Mojibola Oyinlola, Mrs. Charity Adams, bride's mother and Engr. Sunday Osagie Osadolor,groom's father.

The couple: Mr. and Mrs. Osayi Michael Osadolor.

Nuptial bliss for Adeola Akande and Sunkanmi Tijani THE marriage between Omoseni Adeola Akande and Omobolaji Olasunkanmi Tijani, son of executive member, Love and Peace Social Club, Mr Olawale Tijani,took place at Christ Holiness Apostolic Church, Lagos. Families and friends graced the occasion. Photos

by Akeem Salau

L-R: Mrs Adeola Akindele, bride’s mother;Mr Olawale Tijani, groom’s father; the couple; Mrs Desola Oredola groom’s sister and Chief Moshood Akindele, bride’s father.

L-R: Mrs. Oluwaseun Adebanjo, Pastor Dupe Adebanjo, Rev. Z.O. Olaniyan and Rev[Mrs] Bisi Meduoye, wife of the General Overseer of Foursquare Gospel Church. ;Mr Olawale Tijani, groom’s father, flanked by friends.

L-R: Engr. Sunday Osagie Osadolor, groom's father, Mr. Femi Adesina, MD, The Sun Newspaper and Mrs. Helen Osadolor, groom's mother .

Tumak a, o ther umaka, other therss ge gett MARAN Awards DEPUTY Director of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Hajia Lami Tumaka, along with other prominent Nigerians, was honoured by journalists under the aegis of Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) for her contributions to the development of the maritime industry.Tumaka was commended for her professionalism in liaising with journalists press and industry stakeholders while she was Deputy Director, Public Relations of NIMASA.

Hajia Lami Tumaka C M Y K

L-R: Mr. Adeleye Oyemade, Mrs. Onuegbu Azuka and Mrs. Onyia Amuche.

Installation of Anegbe as Baase Maraya

Pastor Oluwasegun Augustine (4th left);Mrs MANAGING Director /Chief Executive Officer, Deborah Akintola; the couple; and other church pastors.

Intercontinental Distillers Ltd. Chief, Patrick Anegbe, and his wife, Dorothy, were installed, Baase Maraya and Yeye Baase Maraya of Ota Awori land by Olota of Ota land, Ogun State.

R-L: Oba Moshuood Osanyintola Alani with Anegbe and wife at the installation.

The couple with the choir.

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SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014, PAGE 31

PAGE 32 — SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014

NATIONAL CONFAB

Some delegates out to sabotage S/West agenda —Gani Adams

O

tunba Gani Adams is a delegate to the National Conference.

Adams, who is also the National Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, in this interview, declares that some delegates from the South West have a mission to sabotage the region’s agenda. Excerpts:

T

he National Conference has been on for some time now.

Are you comfortable with the deliberations?

I was comfortable with the conference at the beginning until we got to the committees stage. With the report coming from the committees, I am not comfortable especially with the Devolution of Power, Restructuring of the Party and even my own Committee on National Security because, in our own, the chairman broke us into sub-committees. I am the Vice-Chairman, Crisis Management Committee, the sub-committee of Defence Intelligence, we did not discuss about the police, which is part of my own agitation. We were not given the power to discuss the police. Our own was about defence intelligence, state security, that was the context. But the sub-committee was given the job to bring about proposal on the way to bring about state police. From their report, I am not comfortable.

And from what came out of the devolution of powers, even the restructuring of the Nigerian polity too, is not okay for me. What we want is for this conference to make a change, we did not agitate for the status quo to remain.

We brought a proposal to the conference based on the federating units that powers should be devolved to the federating units based on regionalism but the Devolution of Powers Committee, at the end of the day, said they don’t want powers to be devolved to the states, they want states as federating units.

Even if you want states as federating units, you now say you don’t want regions? How can you devolve powers to states without having state police?That is not a federal system of government.

In America that we copied this system of government from, they have as many structures of police, even train stations have their own police, universities have their own police, they have county police, they have state police, they have federal police, they have FBI, which is equivalent to our own SSS here. This is a country where we are not ready to learn any lesson and we don’t have human feelings. Assuming we have state police, we would not C M Y K

have witnessed what is happening in the North in terms Boko Haram, and if it happens, the casualties will be less because the people can effectively and efficiently protect their area. So for you to bring a recommendation that power is being devolved to states as federating units and they don’t have state police, doesn’t make sense; that does not give adequate security. A country with a population of about 200 million people can never be run on the basis

,

BY DAPO AKINREFON

I think some of them don’t want to associate with the Yoruba cause, some of them, based on their political affiliation, believe they don’t want people like Baba Ayo Adebanjo, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, among others

,

of a central police, it is never being done anywhere in the world the federal system of government is being practised. Secondly, we are talking of devolution of power, from what I heard, they recommended 50 per cent of resource-control on on-shore, they left out the off-shore to the Federal Government. The other sharing formula, they gave 42 per cent to the Federal and 25 per cent to local governments.

Are you telling me if so much money is given to oil-producing states, how do states like Ekiti and Osun survive?

And some other states too in the country.

We are talking about our states in the South-west. We have about three states in the East that will find it difficult to survive.

B

ut it is still at the level of recom mendations.

Look, if somebody is not analyzing this, at the plenary, people will fall into the mistake. We have people as delegates at the conference who do not know what is being done there. We

*Otunba Gani Adams...Some people are against regionalism have some people that have the intention to sabotage restructuring, we even heard from a northern delegate, who said ‘don’t think you can come here and restructure this country.’

So it is time for us to enlighten ourselves. Even with the recommendations, without regionalism, the country would be where it is. When we had regionalism, some weak states benefitted from the economy of stronger states.

Like the South-west now, if we have states like Ekiti and Osun, they will benefit from the economic potentials of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and even Ondo states because we have to lift ourselves.

When we were in Western Region, most of the money was coming from Ondo, Ekiti and Osun whose land was fertile to plant cocoa. The resource was being used to develop the region, including Lagos; so why now that most of the resources are in Lagos State that some people are saying they came with Lagos Agenda that they don’t want a region, that they don’t want to go back to Ibadan to take orders?

But I am saying that they don’t have to go to Ibadan to take any other. It is not compulsory that they go to Ibadan for any order. We can use Lagos State as a capital of Western Region, so why are we trying to short-change ourselves?

Going by what you are saying now, delegates from S/West cannot be said to have an agenda?

We have about 45 per cent of them that do not even believe in the Yoruba Agenda. I was shocked that a human rights activist, who is a Yoruba person, told us that he doesn’t believe in the Yoruba Agenda, that he is a Nigerian.

Well, we are not saying that Nigeria should break, we are talking on the basis of true federalism, which they

don’t believe. They said they don’t believe in regionalism, that they came for the Nigerian project.

A

nd what is the Nigerian project in their own understanding?

The Nigerian project is that the status quo should remain and these are the people we are fighting the same cause together. I don’t want to mention any name, the fellow is a leading figure and he is an activist.

As delegates from the South-west, do you meet often to take decisions?

We met but unfortunately after the maiden meeting, they told us that they don’t believe in regionalism. We tried to convinced them. It even got to a time that I was trying to prostrate to some of them; I told them this is our last chance in Nigeria to liberate ourselves.

We have some of them who said there is nothing like parliamentary, it is an old system. They say they don’t want regionalism. That is what is happening in Abuja.

Before you left for Abuja, you met and decided on an agenda for the Yoruba. What do you think would have happened between then and the time you got to Abuja?

I think some of them don’t want to associate with the Yoruba cause, some of them, based on their political affiliation, believe they don’t want people like Baba Ayo Adebanjo, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, among others. They believe they are core-Yoruba irredentists.

They don’t want to identify with their idea, even with people like me. Some of them are even more comfortable to argue that more resources should be in Abuja. Some of them are more familiar with Abuja than with Lagos or Yorubaland. Some governors too, apart from Lagos State, don’t want to go back to Ibadan, they don’t want regionalism.

SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014, PAGE 33

The aviation N174billion debt question: The facts, the fiction

BY JUDITH UFFORD

F

OR many years, Nigeria’s aviation sector was in shambles. The sector was characterised by poor equipment, decrepit airport facilities, unreliable revenue generating and collection system and unfriendly workforce. All these combined to make the sector unsustainable.

To say the least, the state of the country’s over 22 airports owned by the Federal Government before 2011 was deplorable. And though attempts were made to reposition the sector by the previous administrations, the conditions of the airports did not change much.

At the airports, the air-conditioning system, like car parking lot, the cargo-handling, luggage conveyor systems and other passenger handling systems as well as the alternative power supply systems were in comatose.

But a little over two years ago, the sector began to see remarkable change. For instance, the 22 airports across the country got the facelift that changed travel experience for most passengers. Not only that, there has been a boost for infrastructure in the sector with the replacement of obsolete equipment for modern one. To boot, global players were attracted as investors into the sector. The Chinese for example signed an MOU with Nigeria to finance the construction of 11 new state-of-thearts airports across the nation, out of which six will be for perishables. To that end, the sector became the pride of everyone.

From Lagos to Yola, Port Harcourt to Enugu, the quality and pace of work took the aviation sector by storm. For once, the national pride of Nigerians was restored and the nation’s standing in the comity of nations was sustained. Now, high-wired politics that stopped the reform with the removal of the former Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, may be impacting on the expected progress within the sector.

Just recently, the House Committee on Aviation claimed that N174.6billion debts have been incurred by the Ministry of Aviation, calling it ‘unsustainable,’ though sources at the ministry denied that, calling it a ‘mere witchhunting, bitter politics.’

The committee, led by its chairman, Nkiru Onyejeocha, expressed dissatisfaction with the ministry’s debt burden when it went on oversight function at the ministry and its agencies.

Onyejeocha equally denied knowledge of the aviation master plan which has guided the reform witnessed so far in the sector.

She said: “I wish to state here that the committee frowns at such debt profile because we know that monies have been appropriated for most of the projects that you have been doing in aviation.

It’s scary to have a debt profile of N174 billion in the Ministry of Aviation.”

The committee members expressed concern that most of the projects done were to remodel the airport terminals and not to provide equipment that would improve the safety of flights in the country.

In response, the supervising Minister of Aviation and Minister of State for Commerce and Trade, Mr. Samuel Ortom, said the alleged debts were not incurred by his administration since it has not awarded any contract and does not intend to award any until it has addressed the debts.

According to industry sources, the supervising minister for the sector may be having challenge with understanding the mechanism of the reform since his redeployment to the sector was only a few months ago.

Indeed, available documents from the Ministry of Aviation shows that the debts in question refer to the loan of US$500m from China Exim Bank and the Eurobond Loan of US$100m which would both be liquidated from the proposed Airport Development Levy of US$10.00 (International Passengers’) and N1,000 (Local Passengers), with a five-year projected income.

According to the documents, funding sources for the reform in the aviation sector include BASA funds, Appropriations, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and other sources such as proposed Airport Development Levy and Security Surcharge.

For the BASA funds, there was approval for Presidential Priority Projects in Aviation, which conveyed approval for utilization of N60m in the BASA funds

*Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos tion, Stella Oduah, conveyed Approval/Appropriation of utilization of the BASA funds of N25b for the ministry’s project execution.

The letter was signed by Senator Hope Uzodinma and Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, as Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation and Chairman, House Committee on Aviation respectfully.

In the same vein, the State House, Abuja, through a letter to the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, conveyed approval for

For once, the national pride of Nigerians was restored and the nation’s standing in the comity of nations was sustained. Now, high-wired politics that stopped the reform with the removal of the former Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, may be impacting on the expected progress within the sector and was submitted to the National Assembly for appropriation to be supplemented by a further N14.6b from the IGR of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

Consequently, the Senate Committee on Aviation via a letter of May 16th, 2011 written to the Minister of Aviation approved the utilization of the US$60m from BASA Funds.

The letter was signed by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation and the Chairman, House Committee on Aviation.

And the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committee on Aviation, in another letter dated June 10, 2013 written to the former Minister of Avia-

the procurement of critical infrastructure such as perimeter fencing, airfield lighting, water hydrant systems and fire-fighting equipment.

For appropriation, the documents further showed that the Ministry of Aviation approved and awarded a total of 15 projects in Phase I of the airport remodelling and facility development in 2011, amounting to N12, 808,150,598.30 Also, the ministry approved and awarded 91 contracts for Phase II and additional consultancy projects in 2011, totalling N97, 668,167,822.11 And in order to complement the goals of the Phases I and II of the projects, the ministry se-

cured N43,149,077,670.50 in the 2013 Appropriation to implement the Phase III and approved by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) after submission by the MTB. Accordingly, the funding was to be augmented from the approved BASA funds amounting to N25 billion of which N14.3 billion was already available.

The project funding was expected to further be augmented with funds allocated to airport development projects in the Internally Generated Revenue Appropriation from its agencies in 2013,and subsequently yearly for all projects.

Now, contrary to the impression in certain quarters that some people were not carried along in the formulation of industry wide policy, the Ministry of Aviation under Oduah held several stakeholder meetings on key industry issues, a top official of FAAN disclosed.

According to him, the meetings include an interactive stakeholders meeting held on April 16, 2012, at Abuja Sheraton Hotel, Nigerian and Foreign Registered Aircraft stakeholders meeting on April 22,2013 at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, and Fresh Produce/Perishable Cargo Committee Meeting held on August 22, 2013 at the Minister ’s Conference Centre, FMA, Abuja amongst others.

The FAAN official said, “A group, the Association of Aviation Stakeholders (AAS), has accused the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Hon. Nkiruka Onyejeocha, of playing politics with her position. According to the group, Onyejeocha cannot claim ignorance of the $500million Chinese-Exim Bank loan for the aviation sector and other infrastructural projects of the Federal Government”.

The body’s national president, Abubakar Dan Maikasuwa, in a

statement said: “Except she claims she was misquoted by the reputable media organisations that reported her comments, she was downright inaccurate and should be told so.”

Maikasuwa, in the statement entitled: ‘Haba Onyejeocha’, said members of his association and himself read, with shock, the comments credited to the lawmaker that she was not aware of the loan.

According to him, Onyejeocha is aware of everything about the loan, stressing: “She was on the trip to China with President Goodluck Jonathan where the document for the loan was signed.”

The association president alleged that her trip to China, was sponsored by one of the aviation parastatals. ”She was not sponsored alone; she went with members of her family,” he said. He added: “It is self-indictment for her to come to the open and say she was in the dark, when she was carried along, especially concerning the four new international airport projects located in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Abuja all financed with the Chinese Exim loan. ”We want to state categorically that Nigerians should ignore her and her co- travellers who see nothing good in the revolution going on in the aviation sector. We wonder why she is out to rubbish the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan,” he said.

Maikasuwa said the threat by her to hold a public hearing on the issue amounts to nothing but blackmail which at the end of the day is a waste of public funds, maintaining that, “ we will resist every attempt by the old brigade to take the nation back to the dark old days,thereby turning back the wheel of progress in the aviation sector.”

PAGE 34—SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15 , 2014

The problem with new electricity tariff, by ex-NACCIMA boss STORIES BY UDEME CLEMENT

Mr. George Okolo is a former Chairman, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Export Action Group. He has spent close to 40 years in the manufacturing sector in Nigeria.

He worked in Nigerian Bottling Company as the Director of Technical, Chief Chemist (Director of quality) and General Manager before his retirement. He speaks on the implications of the increase in electricity tariff, especially for the manufacturing sector and other problems associated with industrialisation.

W

HAT are the implica tions of the increase in electricity tariff, especially for the manufacturing sector?

I do not support any increase in electricity tariff and government should not even contemplate such a thing because it will not work. It is capable of triggering social unrest in the country, especially at this time of security challenge. So, government is saying that Nigerians should pay more for electricity, when there is no constant supply. It means this government is trying to reap from where they did not sow.

The reality is that government has performed poorly in the past in this sector. The power crisis in Nigeria is a social disaster. The inability of government to provide an important infrastructure like power is capable of causing social unrest that can bring down government elsewhere. The fact that Nigerians are not reacting to this inefficiency in governance by not providing basic infrastructure is a case of outright foolishness on our part as a people. Government has failed in the power sector.

People expected that the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) would turn the sector around for rapid growth. Why is the sector

still inactive after privatisation?

The problem of epileptic power supply did not start now.

What government could not achieve in the sector over the years, is what they want the recent privatisation to achieve instantly. It does not work like that. They must give us constant supply of electricity first, before even considering any increase in tariff. Otherwise, it means government is going in the wrong direction to provoke the people. For instance, look at the issue of pre-paid meters, they have not been able to provide us with meters, yet they are talking about increase in tariff. Who is fooling who? The problem associated with the power sector in this country is more than the lack of it, but the inability and inconsistency on the part of government to do the right thing.

Why is Nigeria not an industrialised economy after 54 years of independence?

The British during the colonial era took our raw materials to their country and sent them back as finished goods for us to buy as a higher cost.

The same trend is still going on today and we are worse off.

The problem is that we are very far from being an industrialised country. Let us say Nigeria is less than seven per cent industrialised. This means we have before and after independent been a consuming economy. Our economy is consumption-driven and non-productive, as virtually everything is produced outside the country, including food items that we eat. It is right to say that awareness is high and we are moving away from consumption to industralisation, but not much progress has been made.

The constraints include the unstable nature of government, because it requires leadership to drive the economy and the people in the direction

Mr. George Okolo of industrialistion. Though industry and economy are not actually politics, politics is powerful and we can actualise industralisation through good governance. Many papers have been written on how the military destroyed socio-economic structure of the country, because the rule is undemocratic. The components of military rule are not trained for civil governance, which relies on mass or social mobilisation and not dictatorial form of mobilisation.

This is because the people need to be mobilised towards that course and not cohered.

Unfortunately, the people have been confused about true nature of governance due to the mixture of Military and Civilian governance in Nigeria. We have become confused about the qualities of true leaders who can take us to the promise land. For example, when a Civilian President is not acting in a Military way, he is judged to be weak. Due to this confused nature, we have not been able to choose the right leaders. For instance, the current situation shows that security has become the number one challenge, as energy and money are directed towards security.

Security has become a major issue with sad diversionary role, meaning not much focus is given to industrial development. As a result of this, enabling climate for indus-

The case of power requires proper planning and commitment to adequate utilisation of funds to ensure that the size of the country is positively touched, rather than the size becoming a failure tralisation continues to elude us through unfocused governance.

As a result of that, power development, as indispensable as it is, was never a priority, or in the agenda of especially past governments. This has reflected on the widely talked about lack of planning for increase in power generation and distribution over the last 50 years.

This is the reason the effort made by the current administration appears slow in achieving any measurable success. Sadly, Nigerians and the rest can not afford to wait, because we are in a global village, where we can maximise the benefits of evolving technologies, research and development, in production of new products and services, in all aspects of life. A case in point is the transformation that is on-going in a desert country like Dubai. This is a country not as blessed in man-power but mainly oil like Nigeria, but it is a clear case of good leadership and focus towards modernisation and total transformation, which has taken them to where they are now.

The issue of governance is a system’s problem lacking in production culture and orientation, which has affected our attitude in everything we do. Our educa-

tion and training have also been affected due to this lack of productive governance, in design and execution of training. As a result, when people are out of school, they are not interested in jobs in the productive sector like industries and manufacturing.

Over 85 percent of house-hold items in Nigeria are imported. It was recently that we had Petrochemicals and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Till now, we have not been able to optimise industries that are around oil as a source, which is why Petroleum Industry Bill (BIP) that has been in the Senate since 2008, came about. The foreigners will tell you that the jobs are there in the oil sector but Nigerians do not have the training to do them.

The privatisation of the PHCN was done to reposition the power sector for greater growth but there is still problem of erratic power supply. What do you advise government to do in order to find lasting solution to this perennial power crisis in the country?

The case of power requires proper planning and commitment to adequate utilisation of funds to ensure that the size of the country is positively touched, rather than the size becoming a failure.

Some experts are of the opinion that Nigeria is a vast country, thereby making rapid economic transformation difficult.

Do you agree?

I do not agree with that because the population and size of other advanced countries is a blessing and advantage. For example, China has a large population, yet their economy is doing very well.

In Nigeria, there is clear case of corruption, limits in the spread of dividends of democracy, as majority of our villages and cities are not being touched at all by development, giving the false impression that lack of money is why those places are not developed.

NCS destroys N48.7million poultry products T

HE Nigeria Customs Ser vice (NCS), Oyo/Osun Command has destroyed a large quantity of imported poultry products estimated at the market value of over N48.7million, stressing that bringing in such prohibited item constitutes serious economic sabotage to local industries producing similar goods.

The items destroyed at Arapaja dump site in Oluyole Area of Ibadan, in the presence of relevant government agencies, were intercepted by one of the anti-smuggling teams of the Command, led

by CSC Efetobor, R.O. The team while on duty impounde d a M a z d a , Vo l k s w a g o n Passat and faker bus, along Agbegi-Olodo axis of Osun State, all loaded with over 10.000 cartons of imported poultry products.

The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command,

Mr. Oteri Richard, in a chat with Sunday Vanguard, expressed displeasure about illegal smuggling of frozen poultry products, which is prohibited into the countr y, to the detriment of local far m e r s .

“Recently, a truck with registration number LS 665 XC, loaded with 16,180 cartons of frozen poultry items was also intercepted and destroyed in the Command.

I am using this opportunity to warn Nigerians that consumption of imported frozen poultry products is harmful to health as hazardous chemicals are used in preservation of those items, even as this illicit trade destroys our local economy ”, he said.

H e w e n t o n , “ We a r e warning smugglers trying to sabotage the economy to desist and allow sanity

in our economic environment because we must continue to go after them. The top Customs Management has equipped us with necessary logistics and work tools to curb smuggling.

We are alert in the Command because of criminal elements who often smuggle in hard drugs and other offensive items. For instance, our officers just arrested a bus fully loaded with cannabis, not too long ago we made a similar arrest and handing over of 60 sacks of cannabis to NDLEA. The synergy with other government agencies in the State is important and must be encouraged, especially with insecurity in the land.”

He stressed, “This arrest is as a result of our renewed efforts and commitment to bring down to the barest minimum, the incidence of smuggling. The drugs had been handed over to the State Commander, Nigeria Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mrs Omobolade Faboyede, in the Com-

*The destroyed poultry products mand’s headquarters. We shall continue to intensify our anti-smuggling activities through the deployment of intelligence and synergy with other critical stakeholders for the actualization of this statutory mandate.

These deliberate efforts will guide us in contributing our quota towards realizing remarkable results in line with the vision of the Comptroller General of Customs, hence improve the economy of the nation through revenue collection.”

SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014, PAGE 35

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The day Oshiomhole turned taxi driver UP:Oshiomhole behind the steering. DOWN: The governor with a passenger SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

W

EDNESDAY, May 14, 2014 was an interesting day. It was the day Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, revealed his side as a former blue-collar worker, a former labour leader, a man of the people. The day started like any other. The governor had his schedule of engagements for the day, but one stood out. The commissioning of 300 cabs, called Comrade Cabs, for ex-Okada riders! The engagement was unique because it was in fulfilment of the Comrade Governor’s promise to the former Okada riders whose operations were banned in Benin-City, the state capital. Oshiomhole, who calls the former Okada riders “my comrades” because of the massive support they gave him in 2008 after his mandate was stolen, leading to the recovery of same and the subsequent support he enjoyed from them had promised “his comrades” that even when other states ban Okada use, he, as one of them, as a former labour leader, a former blue-collar worker, will never ban their operations in the state. However, the equation changed.

Following a meeting with

security chiefs in the state, and with the massive evidence of the infiltration of the ranks of the Okada riders by criminal elements including armed robbers, kidnappers, ritualists and foreign elements from some neighbouring countries whose intention in Benin-City was unknown, it became imperative that a ban be placed on the operations of Okada riders in Edo, starting with the state capital.

Months after, the Edo governor has proved that he is definitely a man of the people, someone who can be trusted as he unveiled 300 brand new, air-conditioned cabs for the former Okada riders. The exOkada riders, who attended the commissioning and handing over of the cabs in their large numbers, were elated at their fortune and sudden elevation to the status of “car

“I’m so elated. The governor is driving me. I won’t forget this day. He said the fare is N30 from Mission Road to New Benin Market, I will pay. In fact, if it is N200, I will pay As bitter as the pill was to the Okada riders, they took the ban with pride, knowing that it was a pill administered by “one of their own” who definitely had their interest at heart. They were not disappointed as the governor rolled out a number of palliatives to cushion the effect of the ban on them, among which was the procuring of taxis as alternate means of transportation.

owners”.

Some of them who could not contain their joy wept openly while others told reporters to stop calling them Okada riders, but cab drivers.

The drama of the day was when Oshiomhole jettisoned his staff car for one of the cabs which he drove round many streets in Benin-City, picking passengers and dropping them at their destinations. He picked some students of Imaguero College who had closed for the day and were on their way home and dropped them at Mission Road.

‘Tough decision’

T

Oshiomhole buying fuel

hereafter, the governor picked two new passengers from Mission Road to New Benin and charged them N30 fare, saying the N30 fare was because it was a short route which shouldn’t attract much fare. He however did not collect the fare from the passengers. From New Benin Market, he picked fresh pas-

sengers to the Mission Road and charged the same N30 fare before he drove down to the NNPC Mega Station on Sapele Road to fill the tank of his cab. He paid N3,298:00 to fill the tank.

Speaking to journalists shortly after the exercise, Oshiomhole said: “I found myself taking a tough decision after repeatedly assuring Okada riders that Okada will not be banned in this state and when I said that, I meant it.

Indeed, after my second tenure election, I renewed that assurance and I know people were really shocked that after reassuring them repeatedly, you woke up one day to hear that the same comrade had decided to prohibit Okada and to give a very short notice that was less than one week. That was a tough moment for me.

The decision to ban Okada was the most difficult decision I have ever had to take since I became the governor of the state. It was a choice between what was politically convenient and what was in the best interest of the Edo public. Government gave 15% subsidy on the price of each vehicle and the subsidy is a grant that Edo State Government is giving to each of the beneficiary.

We are not expecting them to pay back to the government of

Edo State”.

‘The governor is my driver’

T

he joy of some of the governor ’s passengers knew no bounds. In spite of the fact that the cab is air-conditioned, they chose to wind down their glass and wave to everyone around to let them know that “the governor is my driver”. One of the passengers, Mr. Nosakhare Enofe, told reporters “I’m so elated.

The governor is driving me. I won’t forget this day. He said the fare is N30 from Mission Road to New Benin Market, I will pay. In fact, if it is N200, I will pay. This is executive taxi. Please snap me o. I want to show the whole world that the governor is my driver!”

Even being a two-time governor, Oshiomhole has shown that he is still a man of the people with his people-oriented programmes. Just a few days after launching the Comrade Cabs, he announced to students at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium where they converged for the Children’s Day Celebration on May 27 that his government students in the state, in either public or private schools, will not pay bus fares to and from school when in their uniform.

PAGE 36 — SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014

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FR OM THE AATM TM POINT TTO O THE RITU ALIS FROM RITUALIS ALISTTS’ DEN

My miraculous escape, by union leader

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

T

he Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Shao Park, Ilorin, in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State,Mallam Salman Rafiu, was unaware of what fate had for him as he went to withdraw money from the Automated Teller Machine, ATM, in one of the new generation banks(names wiitheld) along Taiwo, Ilorin penultimate Wednesday morning.

Rafiu, as he is fondly called, was on the queue, awaiting his turn when a middle aged man approached him to know whether the ATM was dispensing money.

That was when he lost consciousness. Hours later, he found himself in a spacious compound with high

fence; it immediately dawned on him he had been abducted by ritualists at the ATM point.

He was in the ritualists custody for three days before he was released.

According to the victim, after the three days in the ritualists den,he was blindfolded and bundled into a vehicle in the night before he was dumped somewhere along Eyenkorin on the outskirts of Ilorin.

The 35- year-old transporter, who hails from Amunyankan compound, Okelele, Ilorin, had been declared missing same day by his relations when he didn’t return home and a search party commenced.

Narrating his story to Sunday Vanguard,Salman said he was kidnapped by suspected ritualists at an

ATM point in one of the new generation banks in Ilorin, and was freed penultimate Saturday.

The victim, surrounded by scores of sympathisers, recalled that he went to the ATM point to withdraw money on the fateful day, saying he met five customers on queue and he joined them.

“Some others came later and the man next to me asked me to confirm if the ATM was dispensing. I said yes, that was all I could remember until I found myself in the hands of kidnappers in a dirty compound,” he narrated.

“I spent three days on a N30 loaf of bread and a sachet of pure water in their shrine. I was ordered to kneel down in front of a large bowl expecting my blood to flow

Mallam Rafiu... Survived on loaf of bread for three days into the bowl”. He added that, at intervals, his abductors came to check for his blood; they tried their charm many times but it failed. The victim stated that after three days, they tied his hands

and covered him with a white cloth. Rafiu said his abductors later dropped him inside gutter at Eyenkorin around 10 pm penultimate Saturday where some passers- by rescued him.

DESOPADEC computers for special students

BY FESTUS AHON

T

o facilitate the education of students in Ukwani Local Government Area, the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, last week, donated an Information Communication Technology, ICT, Centre worth N40 million to the Obiaruku Grammar School, Obiaruku.

The centre has a library, 60 brand new computer sets and a brand new 20 KVA generator to power the facilities. Of the 60 computers, 20 are dedicated for the teaching of special students.

This is about the first time in the history of the commission that a centre of this magnitude is being built for the academic development of students. Elated students of the school came out to entertain the mammoth crowed that attended the commissioning ceremony.

Speaking at the ceremony, the DESOPADEC Commissioner representing Ndokwa nation, Sir Ken Okolugbo, said: “there is a computer theatre for the children with 40 brand new computers.

“There is also a library with computers to teach those who need special learning; we have an office and we have a reception and a brand new 20 KVA generator to power the centre, all courtesy of DESOPADEC.”

Okolugbo, who broke into singing and dancing at intervals, said: “The thing you don’t know is that, I have a wonderful ‘oga’; my ‘oga at the top”, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, has given us the enabling environment that allowed us to achieve this success that you are seeing today in Ukwani Local Government Area; in Ndokwa nation and the entire Delta State.

“We have only just begun; we have just awarded a contractor for the building of a new administrative block for Obiaruku Grammar School and that will be started in two weeks from now. The ICT project is conceptualized because with Information Communication Technology, our students will go places.

“By the time they get to the university, it will not be impossible for them to become developers; to become system programmers and to become career students in terms of Information Communication Technology.

We should know that today’s world, without an ICT background, you are as good as nothing; even in accounting and medicine, if you are not computer literate you cannot become anything.

“In your professional studies like geography and architecture you need ICT; you talk of Corel draw, all has to be

L-R : Christopher Ochor, Chairman, Ukwuani Local Government Council, Sir Ken Okolugbo, DESOPADEC commissioner, Ndokwa nation, Chief Ominimini Obuiwevbi, DESOPADEC commissioner, Urhobo nation and Mrs Josephine Ogbodu, Permanent Secretary, Post Primary Education Board zonal office, Kwale, during the computers donation.

ICT driven; this was what informed my decision to embark on this project and making ensure that was implemented.

On the cost of the project, he said: “The entire project was awarded at the cost of N44 million but it cost the commission less than N40 million in terms of actual payment for building from the scratch to equipping, furnishing and the generator ”. On the choice of Obiaruku Grammar School, Okolugbo said; “Obiaruku Grammar School is like a flagship in Ukwani Local Government Area; Ukwani Local Government Area has Obiaruku Grammar School is its headquarters and so we decided to centralize it in Obiaruku Grammar School.

“But we have seen it that this ICT has the capacity to serve the other schools around here, which was what we had in mind; so we will liaise with the Principal so that other schools can also benefit from it”.

Commissioning the project, Chief Ominimini Obuiwevbi said: “The benefit of this project will come to fruition in years to come. I went to primary school; I went to secondary school; I never had opportunity of even seeing a computer, but, today, Okolugbo has brought computers to the door step of our children, which means our children will begin to know what is called computer.

“To those of us who are management consultants, we

equally know that the role of computer in the overall development of a nation is very important in terms of business process management. Therefore, the impact that will be gotten from this project in the next 20 years will still be manifesting in the area of quality education to the people of Ndokwa ethnic nationality and that is why this project is second to none.

On the multiplier effect of the project on students, he said: “Tt will broaden their horizon of study. It will make them know that life is beyond your immediate environment. It will make them have greater passion for education that will accelerate them to future university education.

As a matter of fact, I will copy this project to my mandate area”.

Principal of the school, Mrs B.A. Otono, who was overwhelmed with joy, said: “The importance of computer education cannot be over emphasized these days when almost every transaction is done online. No matter how educated you are, if you lack computer education, you could be termed as half educated”.

Thanking Governor Uduaghan, Okolugbo and the DESOPADEC, Otono said they were grateful for being counted as worthy to have the ICT centre .

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SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014, PAGE 37

08116759757

10 years after,Baba Aladura remembered

By OLASUNKANMI AKONI

C

HRIST Redemption Church, Shomolu Lagos State, celebrated the 10th

anniversary of the passing on of its founder, Baba Aladura John Aiyebiewu Jemilugba. Jemilugba, for 45 years, oversaw the affairs of the church which he founded on Sunday, January 11, 1959.

The history of Christ Redemption Church could, perhaps, be said to be synonymous with the history of its founder given the fact that both were products of God’s direct intervention. For example, Jemilugba was born into a pagan family but for God’s intervention, he would have followed the footsteps of his ancestors. Equally, Christ Redemption Church came to being after a direct call from the Almighty God to the founder to go into full time ministry, a call which he answered only after he suffered a painful whitlow for initial refusal.

His son and General Overseer of the church, Head Apostle Mathew Abayomi Jemilugba, in an interview, told of his upbringing and struggles to fit into the shoes left behind by his larger-than-life father. According to him, he grew up under the direct influence of his father

•Jemilugba who, in all aspects of life, was a disciplinarian. That influence robbed off immensely on the young Mathew and shaped his life. Even while the patriarch was still alive, young Mathew was already initiated into the Elders Council and made to sit in council with the wisemen of the church. That way he came to understand the affairs and workings of church administration.

But all these, the General Overseer says, did not prepare him enough to fit into the large shoes left behind by his father.

What was so unique about his father? “My father was unique in many ways. In relating to

others, he was a patient listener and brought great wisdom to bear on all decisions relating to the church. He was a prophet and continually foretold things that were yet long in coming. That way we were able to pray to avert calamities. Our church is essentially a prayer warrior church”. He confessed however that he does not possess such spiritual endowment. The church relies on prophetic pronouncements from gifted church members from time to time, “he said. On the relationship with their immediate communities as well as the church’s contributions towards finding solutions to the nation’s challenges’ the Head Apostle said, “We have the affairs of our immediate community at heart. We organize revivals and other programmes to impact on their spiritual life. Because we

belong under the umbrella of a larger body which is the Cherubim and Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, we belong to the Shomolu-Bariga-Oworo Division. I happen to be the patron. So we organize prayers for peace to reign in the country especially as we are approaching the general elections next year.” On the programmes outlined for the anniversary, Senior Apostle Jemilugba said, “We planned a week-long programme. We set aside a day in which we showed clips of the activities and official outings of the founder. The grand finale of the anniversary which attracted members and organisations under the Unified Church of the Cherubim and Seraphim came up on Saturday, May 10 which featured a short service and a party in the Lord and Sunday May 11, which featured a thanksgiving service at the church auditorium.”

DESOPADEC computers for special students Continued from page 36 Senior prefect of the school, Sunday Ossai, said: “I am really happy with this project because I have been in this school right from JSS, I have never experienced this before. Though they

told us that they want to build an ICT centre in our school, but I never knew it will come to pass in our time”.

Manager of the centre, Miss Akudo Nweke, on her part, said: “This is fantastic; when the honourable commissioner, Sir Ken Okolugbo, told me about it, I was impressed. He told me we have to run a training programme here; this is something I really love to

do”. Also speaking, the Chairman of the Local Government Council, Mr Christopher Ochor, said: “It is quite worthwhile; it is commendable.

This is part of what we have been crying for and I bless God that this is happening in our time with all thanks to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and our brother, Sir Ken Okolugbo”.

Sir Eric Anigala, Delta North Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, while speaking at the event, said: “I am not surprised that this project has been completed is being put to use; the man Ken Okolugbo has done many wonderful things in the past before he became DESOPADEC commissioner”.

PAGE 38 — SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014

INTRIGUING EXPERIENCES DOKUBO-ASARI AT 50 (2)

‘I became radicalised after converting to Islam’

By LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

I

n this concluding part of

the interview with a former militant leader, Dokubo-Asari, he speaks on how he became radicalised and his many encounters with the authorities.

During the anti-SAP riot, after the demonstration in Jos, students in the University of Calabar also demonstrated.

We were demonstrating outside the main campus when the police started shooting.

And there was a female student, Nnenna, behind me.

She was shot. She fell. I started wondering. I was taller than she was. How come she got shot standing behind me?

How did the bullet pass me to hit her? I carried her with all the blood and everything.

Though it was not fatal. From that day, I decided inside me that the Nigerian state must be made to explain to the people, to my people especially, what they are doing with the resources of the people. As a law student, many laws tell us, he who owns the land owns everything in the land. And I asked myself, how come the resources of my people now belong to everybody? That was the turning point in my life. In 1988 when I was rusticated from the University of Calabar, I decided to go to Libya. So, I left home. I C M Y K

converted to Islam. I took the bath and became a Muslim at the Calabar Central Mosque which was managed by some Yoruba people. I became radicalised after I became a Muslim. One goal I set for myself was the liberation of my people and I wanted a military.

As the President, National Union of Rivers State Students, I had read so much about revolution and my greatest attraction was Libya; that is why I decided to go to Libya. So, I took a night bus from Calabar and dropped at Jos. From Jos, I proceeded to Kafanchan, then to Saminaka, down to Leri, Zaria, until I got to Kano. From Kano, I passed through Dutse. Then Damaturu was a small town. I got to Maiduguri. From Maiduguri to Marite. I was just going until I got to Gamboringala. From there I got to Gambori France. From there to Kusiri to Jamina to Eir, Eir to Agadese in Niger Republic. It was easy for me as a Muslim because I joined them to pray. I saw many deaths on the road. People wanted to go to Europe and so on. When I couldn’t enter Libya at that time, I had to come back.

My father had secured a new admission for me at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. So I had to go back to the university to continue my law programme.

From that radicalization, I started to join different groups. I set up one called

CCC - Committee of Collective Conscience - a Marxist movement for change in our society and I started talking to people. When I went back to school, I discovered I had lost interest in formal education. From then, I started confronting state authority. I aligned with progressive forces. But you know, I really don’t see any progressive force in Nigeria. I was in PSP. From there, I went to Peoples Front formed by by Yar ’Adua. From there, I joined the NCP. I became a little bit prominent in the party because of my ideological stand. After the wrongful annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, and the role I played during the election, I began to think more and more about confronting the Nigerian state

militarily. And I believed that was the only way freedom could come to our people. And that was the period the Ijaw started gathering because of the movement that was going on in Ogoni land. It influenced Ijaw people. I joined the Movement for the Survival of Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta.

I aligned with them and put in my contribution into what T.K. Ogoriba was doing. It, it metamorphosed into the Ijaw Youth Council (IYM), the Kaiama Declaration. But before then, we had formed another group named Kirimani which was more military than civil. But a lot of our people do not understand the ideological thrust of our struggle and we formed other organizations. We found there was a lot of injustice in the Nigerian state and some of us

I had read so much about revolution and my greatest attraction was Libya; that is why I decided to go to Libya

could not stomach it. So, I became a regular guest of the State Security Service (SSS) and the police and sometimes the military because when we went out to carry out a march, the police will come. We also had confrontations with the army. So, I became a regular face with the State Security Service. During NADECO, the role I played is well known to the people who were in the group. I always like to be on the side of the people. The struggle has become my life.

Specifically, did you decide to take this path of life because of the shooting back in the University of Calabar or were there some other incidences?

The Calabar incident was the first time I was seeing life bullets, canisters of tear gas flying. It was the first time because, being the son of a legal practitioner; at that time, my father was the Director of Public Prosecutions in Rivers State, and, having lived in Government Reserved Area for a very long time, my experience with the outside world was very minimal. As a young man, yes, we interacted in school but after school you run home. A driver comes to pick you and so on and so forth. I was not living in boarding house or alone. I was living with my parents. But it was in school that I came to realize that this struggle we were involved in, you could just die. Whether you were really involved or not, you could just die because the lady

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SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014, PAGE 39

INTRIGUING EXPERIENCES Continued from page 38 behind me was not throwing any stone. She was not doing any thing. We who were in the front, singing, shouting, clapping and jumping, the bullet did not touch us.

So, basically, what really motivated you?

What motivated me was my encounter with those things that happened and my encounter with Adaka Boro. I read Boro’s 12 Days Revolution. After reading Boro’s and Simon Ambakarderemo’s book on Isaac Adaka Boro, a play, I decided that I wanted to follow the path that Boro followed. With the activism in school and the principal position that I took in most of the cases, it became very clear that the only way we could solve these problems was by arms struggle. But arms struggle has been suspended for some time now. For instance, have we made any dividends? Has any concession been made to us? Are our enemies not emboldened now? For one, I believe that one gun shot is more effective that a thousand years of dialogue, a thousand years of talks and endless negotiations, a thousand years of persuasion and sermonization. One gunshot is more effective.

Even when it involves the death of human beings?

Yes! Because if a man takes your right, he has killed you.

If a man takes your property, he has killed you.

So, how would you place what Boko Haram members are doing now because they are carrying arms too?

I cannot speak for Boko Haram for whatever reason they are fighting. If they are fighting because they want to impose their ideology on other people by force and the people fold their arms and allow them, why would you blame them? Did they tie the people’s hands? What they are fighting is not a good fight. It is not, because you have to respect every other person’s belief. You have to respect every other person’s ideology whether you like it or not because this is a multi-ethnic nation. There are so many nations that are involved in this country. So, it is multi-national.

Your struggle then was full of risks. How was it like leading a group of young men in the creeks?

It is one of the most delicate and dangerous phases of my life. Having lived in GRA, Port Harcourt with so many people, and now chose to go to the fishing port to stay where there were no birds, where when there was high tide, water would enter, sometimes snakes will be hanging on the ceiling, there was even no ceiling, it was just the thatched roof; the sticks that cris-cross to support the house will make the snake, maybe python to C M Y K

be hanging, you will see water entering and you are staying there; it is completely different from the life of somebody who was living at Ernest Ikoli Str, Old GRA, very close to Government House or at Akassa Str. It is quite different. No light. No pipe borne water. No nothing.

Did you have any encounters with the army?

Yea. It was a hide and seek game. The military is looking for you and you are looking for the military. Sometimes, you come to a truce. The military sees you they don’t shoot you, they pretend they are not seeing you. You too, you don’t shoot them, you pretend you are not seeing them. And then, when the people in Abuja say ‘ where were you when they said there was Operation Locust Feast’, the military will come. They want to prove a point. They want to shoot. Sometimes, they would call us and say, ‘Please, we are just doing our work o. We are actually doing our work o. You want to shoot and kill us. We too we will not agree’. Then they will shoot and there will be a battle. One thing leads to another and it is just a ding dong - this way, that way and it became more and more dangerous. The then Rivers Governor Odili had his Malaysia. The Malaysia is looking for you. They were even more than the military.

So, you are tackling the military and the state sponsored Malaysia. So, every day it was about death.

There was an incident. One day, we were coming from St. Batholomew River. We were passing through the creeks to Idaman, one of the oil

producing communities. We had almost reached the centre of Sombryo trying to enter New Calabar River when we saw two naval gun ships as they were coming.

There was no way they will not stop us. We were armed.

We were just three persons in the boat: myself, my cousin, Dakaro, who is late and another cousin of mine who was driving. As if something instigated me, I put my hand in the water and I started raining curses on the deity of Kalabari. I said, ‘Today, you will be disgraced for ever.

Today, you will be ashamed.

Your land will be conquered and ravished. I think you said you are a god’. After I did that, I threw the water into the sky and day turned into night. Darkness was moving as if it was propelled by something. And it covered the whole sky. And the naval gunships passed us. Their wave was tossing us up and down. They didn’t see us.

They even had lights on.

After about 30 minutes, the darkness cleared. No drop of rain. Nothing.

There are so many encounters that one had seen.

You see these injuries on my body; my friend, my companion, very close aide; the bomb we were carrying exploded and his head got cut off. I did not die and I was standing close to him.

Nothing happened to me.

Just these injuries.

Would you say that God has been so gracious to you?

Wow! I don’t even know how to say it. If I was not a believer in God, I will say that this God has been partial towards me. He has been terribly partial towards me because I never thought I will be alive by now to live up to 50. How is that possible? I could have died on my way to Libya. I could have died in the creeks. All the plot and plan, I would have died long time ago. But I did not die. All the 70 something arrests, yet I did not die.

Do you think Boko Haram was designed to stop President Jonathan?

Initially, Boko Haram had nothing to do. But now, Boko Haram has become more of

CREEK ENCOUNTER WITH NAVAL GUN SHIPS

‘Day turned into night for my sake’

*Dokubo-Asari ...The military and I engaged in hide and seek

a modern political movement geared towards supporting the northern Gambari hegemony, over and above all of us. When you say Boko Haram, look at the killing that is going on and people say give amnesty to people who have murdered so many people. So, when you grant amnesty to them, another group of people will come up. It is a vicious circle. That is why when they wanted to start this amnesty bribe in the Niger Delta, I said it was wrong and immoral to do it. Amnesty for what? Pardon for what?

What crime have the people committed? So, now you move from people whose crimes were minor, who were stopping the production of oil and gas to now people who are killing people, committing mass murder and then some people come out because no body in their family has been killed to call for amnesty and then the presidency wants to buy peace? Any peace that is bought cannot last.

So, what do you suggest the Presidency should do?

Very clear. Meet them at the point where they want to meet with you, strength for strength. But for me, I don’t have any advice for any government because whatever Boko Haram is doing, it is also hitting us.

Look, let me tell you (speaking Pidgin), all this matter go stop the day there is one bomb explosion in Warri or in Onitsha and 20, 30 people die and they say that bomb explosion na Boko Haram. That day na the day everything go scatter. Mark this word.

At 50 years, do you have any regrets?

A lot of regrets. Like Shakespeare said “there is a tide in the affairs of men.

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat, And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose o ur ventures.” That is what I believe. A lot of times, we take a decisive step. Until we take decisive steps and, in most cases, one has not been ... When you want to go forward, your people want you to go backwards. They want you to apply brakes. With the way we started, if the tempo of our struggle had continued, maybe today, Nigeria would have been history. But the elders and everybody said,`brake, brake’ and we kept on braking. But God has His own time. My advice to Nigerians on my birthday is that we should go for a Sovereign National Conference (SNC). We should sit down and tell ourselves that we cannot live together. The ongoing National Conference is rubbish.

Concluded

PAGE 40 — SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014

.... CRIME AND NATIONAL SECURITY

BOKO HARAM The five-way solution to insurgency,

by Gov Shema *’The Chibok debacle and my progirl-child deal’ *Speaks on the Katsina revolution, state as business destination Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema of Katsina State is sad over the abduction of the Chibok Schoolgirls on the grounds of Boko Haram’s opposition to their education. Shema is particularly peeved not only because the kidnapping of the girls is wicked but also because he is one of the Nigerian leaders passionate about using education to uplift the girl-child.

In this interview, he speaks on his education initiative for the girl-child, the solution to the Boko Haram insurgency, the Katsina agriculture revolution and the state as business destination. ducation is obviously your number one priority and you have done this for over six years now. Regarding the insurgency in the North-east and the girls who have been kidnapped, Boko Haram doesn’t want them to go to school.

This completely is against what you have been doing and maybe what others have been doing. What do you think?

Job creation is a critical tool to break insurgency. My understanding of the insurgency we are experiencing in Nigeria today is that it came from the fact that Nigeria has about five serious challenges that we must face: electricity, unemployment, drug addiction, transnational crimes, and indeed the electoral process which brings about perceived injustice. It is a sad story that a beautiful country like Nigeria with tremendous human and material resources and should be the most dynamic business destination in the world is the one suffering insurgency. Look at how our economy is moving; the largest economy in Africa today, the growth rate is about 7%. Yet we are facing challenges.

Insurgency is a recurrent issue in Africa not just in Nigeria. But here in Nigeria, what the leaders and all of us must do is to work as members of one family. I n Katsina, when I became governor, a group of people came to visit me and called themselves non-indigenes and this is what Nigerians call themselves in their own land when they don’t live abroad and I queried them. There is no reason a Nigerian living in any corner of this country should feel like he is not living in his home or country, that nationalistic feeling; that collective feeling should be there in us. Nigerians must come together. The insurgency we are seeing today, I think we have to tackle squarly.

Our traditional leaders, the clergy, political leaders, we must put our heads together. Look at the enormous support Nigeria is getting from the international community, the world is a common platform now against Boko Haram. No responsible government will sit and watch the Chibok girls kidnapping without do-

E

C M Y K

ing something. I feel grieved personally; it is inhumane to cart away young girls who are struggling to acquire education, struggling to write their exams. You can see the effect of the wicked act. The entire world is coming together now to find the kidnappers but Nigeria too must rise to the occasion and do what is right. We must cleanse our institutions; it is not about individuals. Our institutions must work and they must work effectively to ensure that this kind of thing doesn’t happen again. We have had crises before in

,

BY WALE AKINOLA

My understanding of the insurgency we are experiencing in Nigeria today is that it came from the fact that Nigeria has about five serious challenges that we must face

,

this country; we have had challenges on security, Aguleri/Umuleri, it was crisis between two factions; Ife/Modakeke, it was a crisis between two factions; the Maitatsine crisis, even the Niger Delta militancy. What is critical is that our institutions must be made to work responsibly in order for us to restore peace.

Still speaking about education, I am looking at some figures and wonder how it was done. I see there was this massive enrollment at primary school level of about 1 million in 2005 now close to 1.5 m in 2011. Some other states have the same free education but they don’t have these figures. What did you do to ensure that this came to be?

Education is number one tool for breaking the cycle of poverty. When I came into office in 2007, I left no one in doubt that my number one priority is education. Without education, no nation can progress; no nation can hope to move to the level of development or success they need to. That is why we unbundled the problems around education and we made sure education is free from primary to secondary and government pays WAEC, NECO, NAPTEC, SSCE fees. And we felt there is a challenged group, young girls in northern Nigeria have little or no opportunity to go to school

*Gov Ibrahim Shema...Promoting girl-child education and, when they do, poverty remains an issue for the parents. So we came up with a strategy, we set up a special department called the Girl-Child Education and Development Department, and I appointed a Special Adviser who is doing a great job.

We went out to establish one girl-child school per LGA which of course attracted young girls in the 34 LGAs of the state who are who are doing pretty well. And then we introduced the conditional cash transfer grants. We are working with donor agencies like UNICEF, USAID and others and this conditional cash transfer grants are meant to assist mothers and the kids to stay in school. Stipends are given to the mother every term and the same stipends are given to the girl to stay in school.

You call it conditional.

Yes, conditional cash transfer grant.

Why is it conditional?

They have to remain in school to receive this stipend from government and donor agencies and of course the apparent increase in the number of children that go to school in Katsina is not only because of free education but also the additional facilities. We built over 200 new secondary schools, we expanded our primary schools, we hired more teachers, we bought more teaching aids and equipment and we introduced bus services in some of the LG headquarters to convey our students at 10 naira per drop, we improved the salary of our teachers because you know they say you can afford to have a school without a classroom but you can’t afford to have a school without a teacher, we increased the salaries of our workers in tertiary institutions I think twice at the end of my first tenure. You cannot run away from giving quality education to the people. The nation, not only Katsina, needs to put together strategic education development plans for the next 40years in order for us to break our people from the cycle of poverty.

Can you confidently say Katsina State is

an investment destination?

Without doubt Katsina State has grown in leaps and bounds since I came in as governor. We are very focused on the need to open our doors wide. There is no serious economy in the world that can hope to grow and prosper at the pace which we hope to grow and prosper without partnering with the private sector. That is why Katsina offers tremendous opportunity in the field of agriculture, soil mineral development, livestock development and other critical areas of infrastructure, education and health.

Tell us the kind of strides you have made in the agriculture sector which engages about 75% of the population of the state.

Absolutely, agriculture engages about 75% of our population. Because of the importance of the sector to our economy, you can’t depend on rain-fed agriculture. We are establishing some kind of synergy between rain-fed agriculture and irrigation.

Consequently, you can grow crops from the first day of January to December; when it’s chilly winter in Europe, you can come to Katsina and grow practically anything under the sun. We have five major dams. It is yielding result as we have moved from about 1, 000 cultivation per hectare to more than 13, 000 hectares in the last five years. On top of that, we invested hugely in terms of training, extension services, chemicals, seeds and fertilizer. Of course we established the Shongai farming initiative which is a partnership with some farmers in Porto —Novo in Benin Republic. This initiative is aimed at creating young farmers who not only engage in agriculture produce but also in the utilization of the produce to provide employment for teeming youths in Katsina State and to indeed unbundle the chain of the activities in the agricultural sub-sector and livestock development. Attached to that closely is the issue of how we can drive production and the agro allied section. We

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SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014, PAGE 41

*’The Chibok debacle and my pro-girl-child deal’ Continued from page 40 also create market opportunity, market potential for farmers so that at the end of each farming season we buy off their produce. We buy the produce at competitive prices so that the farmer would not lose on the investment he has made that year. We now sell the produce to our consumers at subsidized prices. In that pattern you can see that the farmer does not lose and the consumer equally has access to controlled prices.

Besides that, Katsina is the

largest reserve for cotton in Nigeria. It is called the Cotton Profession Center of Nigeria. The quality of cotton we produce in Katsina provides raw materials for the textile industry and exportation of cotton related materials.

Side by side with that is the way we move in the direction of livestock development. So, in a nutshell, agriculture remains one of the key fundamental areas for job creation in Nigeria, not only in Katsina State.

The produce from the farmers are in large

quantities. What are you doing in the areas of storage and preservation?

Preservation is critical in dairy and dairy products because without preservation the entire agricultural process would be in trouble. We have to teach farmers how to preserve their produce and large crop growers and developers how to process and preserve milk. That is what the Shongai initiative is all about. And we are trying to get into partnership with a foreign firm to re-energize what

we used to have in Ronki grazing field where we have a diary facility to see how we can make it an effective facility for use by our cattle rearers because the market for diary products in Nigeria is quite large. All our cattle rearers need to do is to be assisted and to be redirected and be guided on how best to manage their cattle and how to engage with other entrepreneurs who have the skill and capacity to grow this critical sector of the economy in our state and

our nation.

One thing I found out is the cost of transportation of the cattle from up North to the South which is a big challenge. Are you doing anything about it?

Transportation of agriculture produce poses a challenge like any other product in Nigeria because our means of transportation remains the roads and the cost of petroleum products keeps going up. But with the ongoing development of the railway by the Fed-

eral Government to move goods in large quantities, in the next couple of years when the railway system is very well established, the cost of transportation of goods will simply come down. But in Katsina State, what we have tried to do is to have infrastructure on a massive scale so that the farmer can have access to road to bring his produce to the market. As I am talking to you, we done over 52 roads and rural feeder roads spanning over 2000km to enable people move their produce from the hinterland to the mainland or to the central market. And we are reaching out to some Chinese companies to see how we can establish a local rail in Katsina State.

Another issue is beef.

How is it preserved?

We have centres in Katsina since 2007 where we have facilities for meat processing and freezing for meat and dairy products and we have a large grain center.

In addition, we have established a committee headed by a former President of Court of Appeal to look into the possibility of bringing back the marketing board in Katsina, like we had in the days of old so that the farmers don’t just produce but are assisted to access to market within Katsina or market within Nigeria or market outside Nigeria.

Nigeria should come together and address this issue of establishing or reenergizing the market structure for farmers and their produce and how we can process and even export. Nigeria is a beautiful country; our land is cultivatable from the first day of January to the last day of December.

There is no excuse why Nigeria cannot feed the rest of Africa.

If I am a young graduate and I don’t want to do any white collar job, I want to go into farming, I will think of land and access to credit facilities. How are you dealing with those two issues to encourage people to go into farming?

One of the approaches we are adopting in Katsina is, after the development into full scale the Shongai initiative, we are waiting; because it’s a modern trend and it is a current way to go for development and training young entrepreneurs. Our intention is to get land; we have in abundance of land and most of it is land that you can cultivate. All the young boys and girls we are training under Shongai in the three senatorial locations in Katsina, when they come out, will be given pieces of land to settle on the type of production they have learnt and they want to pursue in terms of agriculture activity.

PAGE 42 — SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014

‘ EXPOSÉ ON A COCOONED EMIR

How Sanusi is ruling Kano Emirate Blow by blow account of his 5-day reign from Govt House, Kano

BY ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD

S

anusi Lamido Sanusi’s name can simply be substituted with controversy. His many contro versies during his days as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) made him a popular name in Nigeria and abroad. A thorough bred intellectual, he never hid his ambition to become the Emir of Kano.

Those close to him attested to the fact that becoming the emir was the last thing left for him to achieve.

Of course, Sanusi is a prince of high pedigree. His grandfather was Sir Muhammadu Sanusi. The immediate past Emir of Kano, the late Ado Bayero, who brought him up, was his uncle, and he married Ado Bayero’s daughter as his first wife.

From whatever prism one chooses to look at Sanusi, he stood out ahead of other contenders to inherit the throne of his forefathers. So when the opportunity came on June 6, following the death of Bayero, he knew the moment had come and did everything within his power to grab the exalted seat the Sanusi lineage lost 51 years ago.

For those who moved against him, they appeared to have started late; by the time it dawned on them, their loose and confused strategies were too weak to stop the choice of God. In the beginning, Sanusi sought from the late emir a traditional title that brought him close to the throne.

Bayero installed him as the Dan’Majen Kano. Until he was appointed Dan’Maje by Bayero, the city dwellers had negative perception about his personality and what he represented because of the way he looked at things.

The perception, however, changed during his investiture as Dan ‘Majen Kano by Bayero who referred to him as a “ worthy ambassador of the emirate”.

It was therefore not surprising that Sanusi became the man to beat C M Y K

when the stool of the Emir of Kano became vacant. He was calm and quiet all through leaving others to fight for him while he pulled the strings from behind.

Game changer

And when it became clear he was coasting home to victory, those opposed to his candidacy allegedly hatched a plot to use state power to kidnap him. But Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso was said to have got wind of the alleged plot and hurriedly relocated Sanusi to a secured place penultimate Saturday night making it practically impossible for anyone to play games.

Interestingly, the mood prior to the announcement of the new emir by government favored the eldest son of Bayero, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Ado Bayero. Opinion leaders, the business class, top flight politicians, the downtrodden favored him to succeed his father. But the calculation reportedly changed when a former governor and leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) stormed the city with a powerful lobby team and the Bayero Junior’s dream fell like a pack of cards.

The politicians were said to have exerted pressure on Kwankwaso whose word on the coveted throne was final and left Kano as soon as their candidate was announced as the new emir.

Of course, the noise generated by the selection was of less significance to the team since the end justifies the means.

Sanusi and Kwankwaso were left to contend with the chaos that trailed the selection as the new emir was forced by circumstance to begin life as a monarch outside his palace that was not only made unsafe for him by hoodlums but was also sealed by the police for five days.

Kwankwaso, in an attempt to cushion the post-appointment headache, donated a wing of Kano palatial State House as the temporary palace for Sanusi. Inside the house, he held court,

received guests and performed his traditional functions. But his immediate family remained in his expansive house located about 700meters away from the Government House. Each day began with early morning prayers with his retinue of aides in his parlour, The emir would then retire to his room to surf the internet before getting set for the day’s job. At about 9.00am, some traditionalists would appear to dress him in royal attire while ranking members of the palace took their seat before he arrived for the day’s job.

Each morning session started by 9.00am and terminated by the call for early afternoon prayers by 2.00pm. As at Friday, day five after his enthronement, that the new emir operated from the Government House, his family prepared his food, while the one offered by Government House was used to entertain guests.

A roll call of those who paid Sanusi courtesy visit were politicians from the APC fold. From Governor Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Geidam (Yobe), no politician of note from the ruling PDP came to pay homage. The new emir spoke to his guests through an interpreter in compliance with tradition that forbids him to speak English Language or any foreign language other than his father’s

own.

No recognition yet

Sanusi’s emirship is also yet to receive recognition of first class emirs or chiefs as none, either from the North or South had shown up in Kano on solidarity visit, and the story is basically the same on the home front.

The man who basically holds the key to the stability of Sanusi’s reign as Emir of Kano, the eldest son of the late emir, and the hottest contender for the throne, Sanusi Ado Bayero, the Chiroman Kano, and his powerful younger brothers are yet to pay homage. The Chiroman Kano’s refusal to pay homage to Sanusi is indeed holding the city from the victory dance of the new emir.

On Friday, the new emir led the prayers at the Government House where special prayers were offered for the repose of the late emir, Alhaji Ado Abdullahi Bayero. His majestically steps at the outing was a pointer that the new emir is learning fast.

Whether Ado Bayero’s children would demonstrate the spirit of good sportsmanship in weeks to come remains a subject of speculation. But it is only then the acceptability problem bedeviling the Sanusi reign would disappear and the new emir would walk the streets free in the city divided by succession war.

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014, PPA AGE 43

•Gov Kwankwaso

THE EMIR SANUSI SAGA

Jonathan does not know where his rights begin and end – Gov Kwankwaso z’I’m being persecuted for not remaining in PDP’ zSays Lamido’s selection irreversible

F

ollowing the death of the Emir of Kano and the selection of the former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, trouble descended on the ancient Kingdom like a plague, forcing the new emir to operate from the Government House while security agents take over the palace.

But the state Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in this interview defends the choice of the new emir, saying it was not influenced by any political consideration and accuses the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of instigating the violence to bring down his government. The governor also serves notice that his life is in danger and that Nigerians should know who to hold responsible if he is killed.

Excerpts:

BY SONI DANIEL, Northern Region Editor

W

hy did you choose His R o y a l Highness, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, as the Emir, of all the three names submitted to you by the four C M Y K

kingmakers of Kano?

You know the issue of the installation of an Emir in Kano has not happened since the appointment of the first governor of the state, Audu Bako, who was appointed in 1967.

You can see that this appointment of an emir in Kano is entirely new to most of us. In fact, among the four kingmakers,

who nominated Sanusi Lamido as an emir, only one participated in the selection of the late Emir, Ado Bayero. So, when I came back to Kano on Saturday since I did not want to give room for speculations and mischief-making, I decided to invite the four kingmakers and sat down with them and asked them to brief me, especially the only one who participated in

the selection of the late emir.

They briefed me and I asked them to go back and consult and they came back the following day on a Sunday and briefed me about their position. Of course, when I asked them to go back and consult, mischief-makers started their mischief. Before they came on Sunday we started seeing on television and hearing on ra-

dio that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, people as a ruling party of the Federal Government decided to appoint a new emir. And that was what started the whole confusion and when my attention was drawn to it I quickly asked the commissioner for Information to ask the radio and television stations to stop the broadcast of the false and misleading announcement. We sat down with the kingmakers and from the list that we received from them, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was the best and number one on the list and from the recommendations, the governor had every reason to choose from among the list of candidates recommended. In fact, in some cases the governor has the right to reject from the list and make his own choice but in this case the king-

Continues on page 44

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Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014

‘Emir Lamido’s selection irreversible’ Continued from page 43 makers made the selection and the governor only affirmed what they did in accordance with tradition of the kingdom.

So we made our own announcement and you can see that the stage was already being set by the mischief makers under the direction of the Federal Government and at the end of the day confusion started. And the hawks that the Federal Government uses in Kano started meeting in Kano from that Sunday and they began to demonstrate, burning tyres, destroying the good work that we have done, ranging from billboards to traffic light, trees and flowers. In fact, the bridge we built was attacked.

They removed so many things from the flyover we constructed. I believe that what they did is wrong. But the fact of the matter in my own opinion is that the current President does not know where the powers of Mr. President start and where they end. There are certain things that are within the purview of the President: some of the things are under the local government, others within the state and others for the Federal Government. The mistake they made here was that they decided rather too early to dislike or kick us out of anything the Federal Government is

whether he was comfortable or not comfortable with any of the six candidates, who had shown interest in the stool. That the President did not do that but engaged hawks, rotten eggs that we have in Kano, those who are being rejected by our people over the years and decided to go and cause the confusion, is shameful.

I

n selecting an Emir….

(Cuts in) The selection of an emir has nothing to do with the Presidency or the Federal Government of Nigeria; it is purely a state government affair. We heard so many stories including the fact that they should go and withdraw my security and still instigate some young men to go and burn the Government House and they tried that and we mobilised our people to protect us. The initial instruction they gave was that all my security men should be withdrawn but later on they reduced it to half. We thank the Almighty God that we are still alive and we thank the Almighty God that there is minimum destruction of property and many people were injured and it was purely done by those who announced the first decision of the Federal Government

We heard so many stories including the fact that they should go and withdraw my security and still instigate some young men to go and burn the Government House and they tried that and we mobilised our people to protect us doing, not considering that we are important in our own way.

In politics everyone is important including the person in my village. Even a villager is important where every vote counts because you can lose election by one vote and you can also win by one vote against your opponent.

We have been advising the President to bring all the governors together but you will remember what the President did when Governor Amaechi won the NGF election and how the President decided to recognise the minority and refused to talk to us and said that we are not important and how money was given to non-APC governors to show that they are more important to us. In this case, I was expecting Jonathan to call me or to advise me

concerning the selection of a new emir. But the truth is that the more I think of the appointment of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the more I feel comfortable and happy because all the people who are friends to Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, the government and the good people of Kano State are very happy with his selection because he is qualified by all standards educational standard, Islamic education and a proud grandson and son of an emir and all the qualities needed to appoint an emir, Sanusi Lamido has all of them in abundance. I believe he is the best. The truth is that some few people may not be happy with him and they want to do everything possible to create tension and crisis in the state but they seem to forget that crisis is not good for any-

*Gov Kwankwaso...Emir’s selection has nothing to do with FG body especially leaders, because you can start it but you don’t know how it will end. We are a state government and we are determined to ensure that peace reigns in the state.

T

o maintain peace, what steps are being taken?

We are appealing to them to stop and allow Kano to remain in peace because we want a peaceful Kano. We have seen situations in the past where the government at various levels especially at the federal level tried to squeeze the government at the state level and the outcome has never been the best for the country. We are politicians and they are working hard to ensure that our states are on fire and certainly we will not fold our arms to watch that and we have one thousand and one ways of handling issues like this and I hope that they will understand so that we can work together for the peace and stability of this country. This country has sufficient crises now going by what is happening in the Northeast and the North in general and I don’t think we need additional crisis.

We have our responsibilities and they are very clear in the appointment of an emir and even those who are not comfortable with it should understand. They should try and cultivate good relations with us. I have always been telling them in Abuja to always consult us any time they want to make appointment in Kano and they have never consulted us for anything. This President has

never consulted me on any appointment from Kano since he came into power even though I was in the same party with him. As far as this President is concerned the only qualification a person needs to possess to be appointed something by Jonathan is to be an enemy of Kwankwaso, the government and people of Kano State. That is what has been happening. Someone asked me don’t you know that the government does not like Sanusi and I said they did not tell me.

I would have expected them to tell me what the problem is with Sanusi and we cannot work on suspicion, allegations and rumours. If you look at appointments from Kano they take time to look for the biggest enemies of the people and government of Kano State. If you doubt what I am saying go to the National Assembly and see the names they sent for confirmation and this is the man and other surrogates they are using to distribute money in order to cause confusion and crisis in Kano and I want to warn them to keep off from putting their fingers into the matter.

W

as the selection of Sanusi political because there are allegations that you were under pressure from APC governors to make him the new emir? What was the business of the APC governors and chieftains in Kano at the time of the appointment of the new emir?

For those who know me, they know that nobody can put me

under any pressure. By the grace of God, we have unlimited capacity to do things and I also go with my conscience and conviction in doing what I am doing. If something is right it is right and I will go ahead to do it whether it has to do with my party or not. If something is wrong it is wrong and I will not do it no matter who is involved. I can assure you that even in APC people have got different opinion about Sanusi. Some support him others don’t. So, it is not true that all members of APC back Sanusi.

But the truth is that most of the people support Sanusi because he is qualified to become the emir of Kano. In all items, he emerged number one and therefore it is not right for anyone to say that there was any political consideration in his emergence. Maybe one can say that we need someone who is qualified to do the job and do it very well. In that wise, Sanusi is not only a known figure in Nigeria and Kano but is also an international figure. By his selection, I have been receiving calls from across the world congratulating me for the decision. And this is the sort of person you need as an emir somebody who can project the image of the state and stand by the right thing and is contented with what he has; and not somebody who will be going to beg for alms from them.

You have also been accused of picking Sanusi as a trade

Continues on page 45 C M Y K

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014, PPA AGE 45

Continued from page 44 ate crisis in the state. We have enough crises in this country and when Kano boils it would be a big problem for this country. He should thank us for working with the security agencies to ensure peace. But now we are seeing an at-

off to get the APC ticket.

Sanusi is not a member of our party even though he is a progressive person, who wants to see progress in this country. I am sure Kano will reap from his wealth of his experience.

How many people were recommended to you by the Kano kingmakers?

In all, six people showed interest, three were recommended and presented and Sanusi was on the top of the list and as a result, we picked him. But let me tell you that is not even the issue: the governor has the right to take number one, two, or three or reject all and call for a fresh list. That is the position and nobody under the law can go and dictate to the state what it should do in appointing an emir. The problem we are facing is that we are not in PDP because recently there was vacancy in Gombe and nobody instigated any violence when the new emir was chosen. What they don’t know is that they are the absolute minority. Just before the last local government election, I called my kitchen cabinet to brainstorm on the election and some suggestions were made. But we said no, we have to do a free and fair election to show where we are. One of my officers told me that from his baseline studies, the APC has more than 92 percent support base in the state and that if the election was done, we would win with such a huge margin.

The man said if we don’t win with such a margin hold me responsible and we took it and went for the polls. As the results show, we vindicated the man.

But now they are instigating violence against the majority in Kano. We are in government in Kano and cannot go to demonstrate against ourselves. But now we have gone to the drawing board to see how we can counter this challenge in the state and Jonathan.

What is responsible for the new Emir operating from the Government House instead of the palace?

My information is that they are trying to withdraw security from the Government House; the whole palace is also being surrounded by security agents.

But the good thing is that all the district heads, village heads and imams and the people of Kano State are 100 percent behind Sanusi Lamido.

Is it possible to rescind the appointment of Lamido given the spate of demonstrations against his emergence?

You see I told you earlier that the more I think about the appointment of Sanusi, the more I feel that we did the right thing. Everybody who is a friend and who is objective is supporting this appointment. If you look at it very well, you will see that it is only the enemies of the government and the enemies of the people of Kano State that are organising the protest and going for destruction because they are worried that we have the right person to do the job.

But did you consult the Sultan before the appointment?

Yes, we had discussion with the Sultan but not on who should be appointed as the new emir. It is our responsibility to appoint an emir and I am yet to discuss with the Sultan after the appointment. But you see because of their selfishness, even people who have no business with the matter especially from the side of our enemies, you hear them saying they don’t agree with the selec-

*Kwankwaso...Kano people behind Sanusi

‘Why I am being persecuted’ tion. It is none of their business because selecting an emir is different from electing a councilor, chairman or president.

In that case, you are looking for an opinion of people and they take decision, they cast their votes and decide on who will rule them. But in this case it has nothing to do with people, federal government or its agencies. Here you have only four people who will advise you and at the end of the day you take a decision and you don’t even have to take from the number of those recommended. So, I don’t see any conflict there. People are just fomenting trouble in Kano for nothing. As I have always said, governors in a democracy are very important; masses and even the ordinary man on the street are very important and you have to carry them along in whatever you do as a government. We are not tools that you just keep so that any time you want to use them you just go and pick. You have to cultivate relationship and nurture it.

Have you received any petitions from any of the princes against the new emir?

Petition against what! If the man is not qualified you can say so and we look at the requirements. But he is one of the six that applied and he was recommended and I approved and where is the problem and what is the basis of the petition?

So, are you saying that if Lamido’s name was not on the list, would you have gone for him?

Well, in this case, he applied and was selected and I approved so there is no reason to go back to what did not happen.

The President accused you of not supporting him during his election and for not delivering the stipends meant for delegates in your state during the primary election. Why did you do that to

the President? In fact he stopped short of calling you a bad person or a thief.

Well, it was not the first time the President would be calling me a bad man.

But he made me very popular during that visit. The point is that if he gave me money to give to delegates and I did not give to them, is it Mr. President who should complain or the delegates?

As long as he gave the money to the delegates it belongs to them and I have not heard any of the delegates complain.

And the issue of I did not vote for him and so on, I don’t understand him. If he had known the circumstances of Kano he would have spoken well about me in Kano and that would have finished me but since he does not have the history and geography of this country and Kano and he has some folks in Abuja who will benefit from those who hate me, he should carry on. Some of these people have been fighting on ideological issues long before he joined politics. He just inherited them and these are the minorities in politics.

Look at even the day he came to Kano when the Nyanya bomb blast coincided with the abduction of the Chibok girls. Look at all that happened. Even the international community was unhappy. I don’t think the President scored any point in coming to Kano at the time he did.

And who were the leaders he came with to Kano? Just three governors who are my friends and colleagues went to Kano with him that day. I knew them long before Jonathan came into politics.

Where were the rest? They are not with him as far as Kwankwaso is concerned.

And we communicate and we are not fighting. So, the issue is not what he said but the issue is what is on the

ground by always making us very popular, including the current attempt to politicise the appointment of a new emir because people are asking what is the business of the Federal Government or PDP in the matter to the extent that they are using security and everything to cre-

tempt by them to induce crisis because of Sanusi, our choice, and because we have done our duty as stipulated by the law. And as I told the six contenders, I wish I had more than one slot to give but in this case, there is only one slot that had to be filled and that is it. It is not the duty of the PDP or the Presidency to approve such appointment and if there is the post of the Emir of Nigeria let them appoint that one and leave us alone.

Last week in Ekiti, the President said he was not missing the five of you who defected to the APC and that none of you can win election in your respective wards.

I did not hear that but if indeed, he said that he might have been joking or just floating and does not know what is happening in the country. But I saw the photograph of the dress he wore to Ekiti and he was looking like Kwankwansiya with red cap and white gown. But when he went to Kano maybe in a bid to annoy us, he was talking about the cap he was wearing and said that anyone wearing the cap was a devil. But that is not what I said. The point I made and have been saying is that when we started the party in 1999, we had a big umbrella accommodating everybody but along the line, since he became the President he has reduced the umbrella to a small hat which he is wearing now for himself and probably for his godfather, Edwin Clark.

That is what I said but I have friends, who are wearing the cap and some are in APC and others in PDP and others in no political parties. But I am happy now that he is wearing Kwankwasiya dress like he did in Ekiti.

Are you keen on running as a Presidential candidate in APC because your name keeps popping up as one of the interested candidates?

Let me at this point thank Mr. President for making me very popular and relevant because when I was in PDP I was nothing. Even to present my ticket to me after winning the primary was a tough fight. They did not want to give me the ticket after wining more than 90 percent of the votes. That is PDP for you.

But now I am in a party and I have not told even my wife and father or anybody under the sun that I am going to contest for the post of President and that people are mentioning my name as a likely candidate tells you much about our new party. It is the party that makes the difference. Even to get the ticket to become governor in PDP they did not want to give me. Now, I am just sitting here and you say people are mentioning my name; I thank the Almighty God for this promotion and popularity.

Do you still feel safe with the reduction in the number of your security men by the Federal Government? Are you not going to plead with them to restore your security?

Well, I know that they are playing a lot of games. We don’t know their intention and what they are going to do next. But I have to say like all other people in this country everybody is concerned about his security otherwise our lives are in the hands of the Almighty God. But the bottom line is that we have seen a signal that there is a level of mischief coming from other places and I want to put it on record that whatever happens to me, my family or my state, Jonathan should be held responsible.

PAGE 46—SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014

Inside story of rebellion in Edo House

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM, Benin-City

Foluso Adebanjo, at about 7am.

The chamber was in tatters at this point. Adebanjo and his men were able to take control of the premises and chased away the youths. Sunday Vanguard learnt that guns were found in the premises.

B

LOODBATH was averted last Wednesday at the hallowed chambers of the Edo State House of Assembly by the state Police Commissioner, Foluso Adebanjo. It was a day Adebanjo would not even wish for his enemies, as he kept vigil for over 13 hours as warring lawmakers engaged in a free for all following the failed attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in the House to effect leadership change. The crisis heightened tension in the state as youths and elders monitor Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s political enemies to ensure they do not use their minority in the House to impeach the governor.

Genesis of crisis Sunday Vanguard had reported penultimate week an alleged plot to impeach Oshiomhole, his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu and the Speaker of the House, Uyi Igbe.

It was alleged that huge sums of money had been budgeted for the project while some lawmakers were said to have collected N50million each to execute the plot. Sources said the money was withdrawn from a new generation bank in Benin City. Part of it was said to be in dollars loaded in milk cartons and transported from Abuja to Benin by road. It was believed that the alleged plot by the PDP in the state, in collaboration with some APC members who recently joined the party, was to destabilize Edo and create an atmosphere of anarchy so as to distract the governor from continuing his developmental strides before the February 2015 general elections.

The leadership of the PDP also realized that it would be difficult to defeat the APC if Oshiomhole is allowed to remain in-charge of the party when campaigns commence. Therefore, the best bet was to impeach him and the entire APC lawmakers while one of the lawmakers who defected to the PDP from Edo South is made Speaker and later governor. The PDP lawmakers denied any plot to impeach the governor, but one of them, Friday Ogierhakhi, added that they would not hesitate to do that if any impeachable offence is levelled against Oshiomhole.

He went on to debunk the allegation that they collected N50million, describing it as a ploy by the state government to blackmail them. What is still not clear is whether the Presidency is backing the plot but analysts said some elements at the Villa were giving tacit support to it.

Hell was let loose when some youths learnt about the alleged inducement of the lawmakers to impeach the governor. There was protest in the streets by the lawmakers who asked for the recall of the lawmakers.

Oshiomhole, who addressed the youths when they thronged the Government House, each of the lawmakers received N50million to defect to the PDP and impeach him, adding, however, that the plot will not succeed. He said: “I thank you for recognizing that we all went round to campaign for these people who have decided to sell their mandate for naira and kobo. What is sickening is that

•The lawmakers... friends turned foes. they are young men who should be anxious to break from the past.

However because they believe they do not have any chance of being re-elected in February next year, because they have either done two terms or of their poor performance, they know their constituency will not re-nominate them.

They now decided to benefit from the desperation in different parts of the country to sell their mandate for N50 million each, collect advance payment of N35 million. When I read this in the newspapers, initially, I didn’t believe. But going round, people tell me they are buying new vehicles, others are rebuilding their hotels. Suddenly money is flowing.

Obviously, I think it is important that if democracy is going to survive, each promise must be kept because in the last election, I had to go and do a television advert when the PDP people said this election is not Oshiomhole’s election, therefore vote for individual candidates. I went on television to say that a vote for these House of Assembly members is a vote for Adams Oshiomhole. I had to do that because Edo people were not going to accept some of these people and I had to remind them that if they do not vote for them they would create problems for me.

Now the vultures have come and they are offering money and people are collecting money and making all kind of excuses. As far as I am concerned, there is no cause for alarm. A lot of these people cannot win election on their own merit in their own booth. They were voted for as ACN with the broom. If you were voted for as ACN, with the broom, how can you now go and replace it with an umbrella that is torn and abandoned?

“People with little mind will think that they can sell their constituents for N35 million or N50 million depending on when they will get their balance and, with time, more truth will be revealed and when it is revealed a lot of these people will not be able to walk through the streets.

Those who voted some of them do not have a thousand naira but those they have voted for have chosen to sell it for a huge sum.

As far as I am concerned, we are stronger. Edo politics will be cleaned up and the cleaning is

already here”.

Battle ground It will be recalled that after Edo APC leader, Pastor Osagie IzeIyamu, and his supporters joined the PDP, four lawmakers loyal to his group: Jude Ise-Idehen, Rasaq Momoh, Friday Ogierhakhi and Patrick Osayinmen, also defected. The defection of the APC lawmakers leaves the party with 16 members out of the 24-member House. It was learnt that the governor ’s loyalists knew that the Deputy Speaker, Festus Ebea, had switched camp but Sunday Vanguard understood that they tried to convince him to remain in the APC and support Oshiomhole. But when the crisis started, it was obvious he had moved on. As a result, he became one of the targets of the APC lawmakers. Leading the war

The battle in the House resumed on Tuesday when the PDP lawmakers came to the chamber at about 9am, sat for about three minutes without the mace before the APC lawmakers stormed the House and drove them away against anti-Oshiomhole lawmakers were the Speaker, Igbe, the Majority Leader, Philip Shaibu, and the House Committee Chairman on Information, Kabiri Adjoto.

The tension in the state heightened last Monday, when 14 members of the House suspended the Deputy Speaker, Ogierhakhi; Ise-Idehen and Osayinmen for alleged misconduct. Their suspension followed a motion which accused Ebea of allegedly running a parallel leadership just as he was accused of alleged attempt to get APC lawmakers to join PDP. Explaining the reason for the defected lawmakers suspension which, according to him, was not as a result of their defection, Adjoto said “The four lawmakers were suspended as a

result of misconduct and not because they defected. The Deputy Speaker is still a member of APC as long as we are concerned because he has not said he has decamped. Rasaq Momoh defected but was not suspended. They offered some of us N50-70million to join the PDP, but that is a poisonous offer because we don’t want to go back to the dark days of the PDP. Our people are happy that Oshiomhole is working, so why must you remove him due to your selfish interest. So that offer was a poisonous carrot and they were using it to destabilize the House.

They also took the House to court and that is also against our rules and they know it.”

Invasion The battle in the House resumed on Tuesday when the PDP lawmakers came to the chamber at about 9am, sat for about three minutes without the mace before the APC lawmakers stormed the House and drove them away. After the incident,the suspended Deputy Speaker claimed he had become the Speaker. He described his suspension and that of his three colleagues as null and void, saying that it did not follow the due process. At about 6am, on Wednesday, the PDP lawmakers drove into the House premises in company of over 30 armed mobile policemen.

They allegedly broke into the chamber to sit with a mace. As they began their sitting, APC youths had already laid siege around the Assembly premises and alerted their party ’s lawmakers who stormed the place. However, there was attempt by the armed policemen to stop the APC lawmakers from entering the chamber to allow the PDP lawmakers effect leadership change. Sources claimed there was serious resistance from Shaibu and Adjoto who challenged the policemen to shoot them. Sunday Vanguard learnt that some of the lawmakers wore bullet proof vests and were prepared for bloodshed. It was learnt that the APC youths disarmed the policemen and that was how the APC lawmakers pounced on their colleagues. APC lawmakers allegedly confiscated the mace and used it to give some of the PDP lawmakers thorough beating before the arrival of the state Police Commissioner,

Adebanjo the peacemaker The warring lawmakers were said to be panting when CP Adebanjo arrived. He addressed them and urged them to make peace before leaving the chamber. He warned against actions that will cause crisis in the state, just as he asked them to talk to their supporters. Speaker Igbe then started presiding over the meeting while CP Adebanjo was monitoring the situation.

The APC lawmakers argued that those who were suspended should leave the chamber and that even if the suspension was going to be lifted, a committee will be set up to do that and not them breaking into the House. But the PDP lawmakers insisted that they were not leaving the chamber and urged their colleagues to restore their position so that the status quo will remain. Both sides started consulting with their god fathers through their cell phones on what to do. That situation compounded the problem as Sunday Vanguard learnt. For instance, sources said it was almost agreed that the suspended lawmakers should leave so that, by tomorrow, the suspension may be lifted. But it was gathered that a PDP chieftain informed the PDP lawmakers not to agree, that they should insist that the suspension be lifted immediately.

At about 2pm, the lawmakers’ were exhausted and hungry, they sent for rice. Everybody ate together and exchanged banters but no deal yet. At about 4:30pm, the negotiations changed, after a court injunction which restrained the four suspended members from entering the Assembly premises was displayed to the PDP lawmakers. The affected ones said they were not aware of the injunction, but their colleagues urged them to abide by it while the search for solution to the crisis continued. The lawmakers were at the chamber till 7pm that day before they left.

CP Adebajo was with them throughout the meeting.

Commenting on the mace which was recovered from the PDP lawmakers, Adjoto said it was in possession of the Sergeant at Arms.

The suspended PDP lawmakers, in a separate briefing, told journalists they will attend the House sitting tomorrow, adding that they have legal backing. Though it was not clear the legal backing they have, the state chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, said the party had appealed against the injunction against the lawmakers. Meanwhile, CP Adebanjo disclosed that 37 suspected thugs were arrested during the three days crisis at the Edo House of Assembly. The suspects were arrested with cutlasses, long axe, large quantity of broken bottles and stones used as missiles. The suspects were arraigned in a Magistrate Court in Benin City for offences ranging from conspiracy, riotous act and unlawful assembly to conduct likely to cause the breach of the peace and have been remanded in prison custody.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014, PAGE 47

2015: Why the opposition in Kwara feels threatened, by Akorede

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State on Media and Communications,Dr Muideen Femi Akorede, speaks on some burning issues.

T

he government slogan is “Legacy Continues”, but some people say nothing is continuing as the administration is wasting the state’s scarce resources on abandoned projects.

What is your take on this?

Governance is a continuum.

You don’t say since government has changed, you abandon projects. In 2011, Governor Ahmed campaigned on the platform of continuity. He told the people he would finish all the good things the former governor, Senator Bukola Saraki, initiated in Kwara State and was not able to conclude. If you are in government and you say you will do this and you go ahead to do it, it gives people hope. Again, we are not the most endowed in terms of federal allocation, so you need to have optimal allocation of resources. And one of the ways to do that is that projects started by previous administration are completed so you do not have abandoned projects.

Imagine if Governor Ahmed had completed the International Aviation College, the money would have gone down the drain. The same fate would have befallen the Diagnostic Centre. Even Kwara State University, KWASU, which was already operational

before Senator Saraki left office, would have also gone to waste, he also continued with that by constructing the N800 million engineering complex in that university. And if you look at all parts of the state, you see the evidence of this continuity. Look at Ahmadu Bello Way, people forget that it was Senator Saraki who started it, and Governor Ahmed completed it. Gambari Road, where you have the state library, was concluded by the present government. A’ Division Road to Tate and Lyle was completed by this administration.

And there are other examples of such outside the state capital. You have Offa/Ira Road, Offa/Ipe Road, Lafiaji Township Road, Afon/Ganmo Road, which I see as one of the best road outside the state capital, also completed by this administration. So we have given hope, we have saved money and we also demonstrated the benefits of continuity by making sure that not only has this present government completed projects but has also started new ones. It has started new roads like the expansion of UITH/ Oyun Road, Oro/Ijomu Oro Road that was initiated and completed by this administration. Fate Road, which is a federal road technically, was done by this administration. Many people don’t even know that the iconic International Vocational Center, in Ajase Ipo, was initiated by the administration of Senator Saraki, but he couldn’t ground break it before he left office. This administration started it and about bringing it to conclusion. In the

health sector, even the UN has applauded the community health insurance scheme that Dr. Bukola Saraki started in Edu local government. This administration has now extended it to Ifelodun, Oyun and other parts of the state. The UN General Secretary applauded the programme, saying this is one of the few places in the world where that community health insurance scheme has worked. And the governor told himself that his predecessor did primary health, he did tertiary health, let him do secondary health. That is why we are doing those general hospitals. Hopefully this year we are starting another five general hospital to bring it to 10. So, the benefits of continuity are there for everyone to see.

What encouragement does the government get from the people on the legacy continuation?

We get positive feedback from the people. You were there when we went to Isin and saw the joy the people expressed. They had thought that when Governor Saraki left office, the road would not be done, but for this governor to do it was a source of joy for them. The Lafiaji Township Road completed by this administration, people have come to say thank you to this administration for doing the project. If you look at the communities where projects are sited in Ajase Ipo in Irepodun local government for example, people are very happy that the projects were initiated and completed by government.

People are happy and their faith in governance has been strength-

Dr Muideen Femi Akorede ened and they have hope that the few that have not received projects would get their own since they know those that were promised projects did get.

What is your reaction on the insinuation that most of the projects of government are concentrated in Kwara Central, especially Ilorin, the state capital?

That perception is limited to the opposition elements in the PDP who are trying to stir discontent in the state. Anybody who is a keen follower of what government has done will know that Governor Ahmed has ensured equity in the distribution of projects. The most obvious example is the new five general hospitals that have been done. Three of them are located in Kwara South, that is Offa, Share and Omu Aran. Only one is in Kwara Central and one in Kwara North.

If you go to Kwara South, there is hardly any local government that does not have an ongoing project.

So what do you think informed

Anybody who is a keen follower of what government has done will know that Governor Ahmed has ensured equity in the distribution of projects this criticism from the opposition?

I think they are just seeking relevance. And when you are seeking relevance in a state you know you don’t have any stronghold, you will get desperate and start looking for ways to cause discontent. They are trying to cause discontent but they have failed, because as the governor said; this structure that our leader has is not party dependent. It was built 40 ,50 years ago, which he has inherited and upscaled.

When you don t have leaders, you have problems. We have a structure. Our leader is Senator Bukola Saraki, unequivocal, and it is very clear. Governor Ahmed is looking after governance. There is no distraction. Everyone is focusing on his beat. And you don’t have leader in the other party, you have about five or six gladiators and everyone is making sure he is in charge. That cannot happen here. So, they have looked at our structure and they are threatened by it and they feel that one way to deal with it is by causing discontent and they have failed because the people of Kwara are politically aware and intelligent to check what you are saying by themselves.

Seven years of seven-point agenda: Imoke on scale

BY EMMANUEL UNA

I

n virtually all facets of the seven-point agenda, Cross River State has taken several notches higher occasioned by the purposeful leadership of Governor Liyel Imoke. In rural infrastructural development especially in rural accessibility, hundreds of communities and villages, located far flung in tropical rain forest and mountainous savannah incline, have been opened up with the construction of over 1,000 kilometres of roads making these villages accessible to motor vehicles.

To achieve this, he has injected N45.325 billion through two of his rural road construction and rehabilitation agencies: Rural Road Development Agency, RUDA, and Rural Access and Mobility Project, RAMP. The two agencies along with the Ministry of Works, which is undertaking the construction and rehabilitation of urban roads across the three senatorial districts, have cumulatively constructed over 1,000 kilometres of road. This has opened up the rural areas to the bulk of the people of the state who are agrarian and dwell in the rural areas. “In 2007, we had just two rural roads but in the past seven years we have increased that figure to 37 and before the end of this administration, we shall increase the number to over

40”, Mr Eko Atu, the Managing Director of RUDA told Sunday Vanguard recently.

Charles Okongoh, the Coordinator of the Rural Access and Mobility Project, on his part, said the over 1,000 kilometres of rural roads spread across the state directly link the corridors of 122 communities inhabited by one million six hundred rural dwellers.

Okongoh said the roads have greatly affected the economic life of the rural dwellers who are the direct beneficiaries of the roads as they are able to evacuate their agricultural produce to the markets.

The education sector is also witnessing upscale performance.

Imoke has systematically set up a standard in the state which is given the nomenclature, ”The Cross River State Standard of Education.”. The standard involves the construction and rehabilitation of 200 school blocks in 62 secondary schools and primary schools across the state.

According to Professor Ofiong Offiong, Cross River State Commissioner for Education, the Standard of Education involves not just the construction of new school blocks but also making the schools a model through the provision of physics, chemistry, biology and ICT laboratories in addition to standard sitting desks and offices for teachers.

“This standard has significantly

Gov Imoke boosted the performance of our students in internal and external examinations as the state, rated an educationally disadvantaged state and placed 37th in the scale of performance in WAEC Examination, is now 7th and that is not our ultimate target because those who occupy the number one and number two slots have heads like us”.

The rehabilitation and provision of infrastructure in these public schools have not just enhanced the performance of the students but also engendered confidence of parents in these schools as enrolment of students, most of whom hitherto avoided them like a plague, has increased

from below 70,000 to over 300,000 in seven years Also, Imoke re-established the Cross River State College of Education, Akamkpa, which was scrapped by his predecessor, Mr Donald Duke, to make way for a campus of the Cross River State University of Technology there.

At Ugep, in Yakkur Local Government Area, is the Institute of Technology and Management, which mandate is to train skilled and specialized manpower for industries and companies.

Mr Christain Ita, the Chief Press Secretary to Imoke, who recently conducted journalists round the facilities in the institute, said what is being awaited is the erection of ICT platforms to facilitate e-learning which is one of the requirements by its affiliate partner, Highbury College, London insists must be in place before commencement of lectures. “The institute is attached to the Highbury College London and they are insisting on the erection of ICT platforms for e-learning and Dell is handling that and as soon as that is done, academic activities will commence”.

In the agricultural sector, apart from the regular loans to farmers in the state’s commercial agriculture programme, Cassava Growers project, and FADAMA 111 project, the governor has injected life into the state’s vast moribund palm plantations by leasing 6,556 hectres of the Cross

River Palm Plantation Estates, CALARO in Mbarakom to Wilmer, a Singaporean agency in 2012 which has since excavated the old palm trees and replaced them with improved variety. .

Mr Henry Dosumin, Wilmer Senior Estate Manager, said the palms planted are improved species of the local palms taken to Singapore from Cross River in the 60s and 70s and have gone through significant technological improvement which has tripled their production capacity.

Ita, who took journalists to the plantation, said the leasing of the estate to Wilmer is borne out of government’s decision to hands off its direct stakes in plantations.

The Bebi Airstrip located in Obanlikwu Local Government Area, designed to increase footfalls to the ranch resort by facilitating the airlift of tourists and visitors has come alive again with the installation of operational equipment needed to make it functional and safe for aircraft landing.

A multi million naira Instrument Landing System, ILS, a fire service vehicle and the Dupplar Very High Omni Directional Range machine, DVOR, have all been put in place.

With the construction of an International Conference Centre which adjoins Tinapa, the traffic of tourists in the state will increase significantly as the facility competes with the best in the world.

PAGE 48, SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014

How we are helping to rebrand Nigeria — Pastor Adefarasin •’People need to be taught to be socially responsible’

•Pastor Adefarasin

Pastor Paul Adefarasin, the Senior Pastor of the House on The Rock, in this interview, speaks on Christianity, politics and leadership.

He also speaks on the idea behind the Rock Cathedral, a Social Jusatice and Transformation Centre, through which the church makes special interventions in technology, education, training, and empowerment among others.

H

OUSE On The Rock, where did it all begin?

House on The Rock started at No. 4 Molade Okoya-Thomas at an all-night prayer meeting on July 15, 1994, with just seven people in attendance.

What is House on the Rock’s mission?

House on the Rock is an agency for transforming the world by training and influencing the value system and culture of people using the principles taught in God’s Word. It is a national transformation centre, where we groom and train people to be part of the transformation process in our nation.

What really are the factors that facilitated the church’s growth?

There are 13 core values that drive our ethics at the House on the Rock. First is prayer (warfare); second is worship; third is the Word (the Bible); others are networking, excellence, user-friendliness, leadership (and I refer to servant leadership), innovation, empowerment, social responsibility, embracing diversity and training.

The Rock Cathedral prides itself as being a centre for social justice. How does this description tie into what it does?

This facility (the Rock Cathedral) is built on about 40,000 square feet, and the auditorium is less than 50 percent of the project. In the building, we have capacity for 250 executive personnel; we have a 4-bed in-patient hospital, with capacity for diagnostics and consultancy. The hospital will become the hub for 46 mobile clinics (by the time the vision is fully implemented) - that’s one for each local government area (of Lagos State) for primary healthcare delivery. We have collaborated with Lagos State government hospitals and other private hospitals for medical cases beyond our capacity. Every single doctor or paramedic or nurse or pharmacist in the church is potentially a part of our medical unit.

There are 25 teaching spaces in the building to partly cater for five school systems we’re developing - A primary school, a secondary school, a Bible school, an institute of leadership and governance & an artisan school.

This gives us the opportunity, amongst many others, to provide education to children with

special needs.

Artisans are a very important part of any economy. In the days I grew up, we had electricians; today, you have ‘rewires’. The artisan school will help us provide various technological opportunities to people who want to develop their talents in that area.

Furthermore, we are quite involved with Lagos State schools, and have provided upwards of 540 computers for about 16,000 students through our Lagos State Computer Lab Project. Several schools have benefited from this. The schools provide us with an empty classroom that we refurbish, provide with air conditioning, resurface the inside (floors and walls) and equip with computer systems. Our goal is to provide a minimum of 100 schools in Lagos State with this same facility. It is also the first deployment of the windows multi-point server in all of West Africa.

In addition, we have an urban alternative service, which caters

,

BY OLAYINKA AJAYI

I think the real church is contributing to nation-building and I know that may not be easy to identify

,

to over 700 area boys, drug addicts, prostitutes and exconvicts whom we feed, provide with primary health care and expose to skill acquisition programmes, so they can go back into society, empowered to make a contribution.

We even send some to university.

We also run a very vibrant prison ministry, where, in the prisons, we feed, counsel, provide health care and train the inmates in different skills, so that when they are out of prison, they become viable partners in the local workforce. Of course, we pass them through our church system and integrate them back into society as people who enjoy the endorsement and the accreditation of the church leadership. This probably gives them a second opportunity of life. You find a number of them who have languished in prisons are often not convicted. Others

are unjustly incarcerated or often serve many more years than the proper length of their sentence, mainly because of a lack of legal aid and representation. So, one of the other things we do is provide free legal aid for hundreds of inmates in the Lagos area prisons. And this cut across the spectrum of House on the Rock churches across the country.

That to us is a significant joy that House on the Rock is able to positively affect communities.

On education, other countries are literarily investing hundreds of billions of dollars every year, and Nigeria barely invests a few million dollars. This does little to empower our human capital so they can deliver on Nigeria’s best possibilities. Certainly, we, like the rest of the church, are in the vanguard of challenging the issues of human capital development in Nigeria. I am happy that in our country today, the best universities are actually Christian-run/ church-based or faith-based.

Do you think the church is doing enough in nation building?

I think the real church is contributing to nation-building and I know that may not be easy to identify but the Bible says that ‘By their fruits, we shall know them’. If the fruit is positive and it is making a positive impact on the nation, then, you can identify that as the genuine church.

In the days of our parents, the church person — clergy and laity — were taught that your worship, your priesthood and your work were to be sequestered within the four-walls of the church. And that the role of priesthood, that is, going to God on behalf of the people, was the preserve of the clergy.

The entire Christian body, by the scripture, is called a royal priesthood and royal infers a governmental priesthood — a priesthood that is also in the service of its generation: at the same time, a priesthood that intercedes for its generation.

How well are Christians carrying out those responsibilities today?

That has not been the message or the emphasis. The church has not taken the responsibility for the transformation of the earth and the world systems into godly systems, godly culture, godly values, godly rules, and godly regulations because it is, today, consumed with going to heaven and, as a result, has not taken much responsibility for earth.

I will give you quick examples:

some mythologists who are Christians, demographers and statisticians tell us that Christendom is a majority of Nigerian demographics and that, in spite of the numbers, Nigeria remains one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Yet, we have crusades and several events where people are consumed with ‘I must make heaven, I must make heaven’.

God is just; He is humanitarian; He is equitable. He loves fair play and we need to bring these values to the way people live on earth. People are still being taught on how to go to heaven; but they need to be taught to become socially responsible for the land in which they live.

I struggle with Nigerians amassing vast amount of wealth and living in their most palatial homes while right outside their gate, the gutter is blocked; there are potholes on the roads… I struggle with that.

How would you describe the economic impact of the Experience Lagos, especially regarding the huge turnout?

With The Experience, I am told one of the international news agencies reported that the economic impact on the Nigerian economy in that one weekend was $25million. I don’t know how they arrived at their statistics, but if true, you will agree with me, that impact is huge. The value would be from airfares, the memorabilia orchestrated by different people who take advantage of the Experience, the transportation in and out of Lagos, the hotels and all of that.

The Experience has also helped re-brand Nigeria, in the sense that many Americans, who would have said, “can any good thing come out of Nigeria?” come to the Experience in shock and awe that something of this magnitude is done here.

It has also given the opportunity to raise the profile of Nigerian gospel musicians and created opportunities for their collaboration with people like Don Moen and Grammy award winning musicians.

It has helped lift the profile of Nigerian gospel music and this is important to us because we see the same thing happening in the secular music industry. Nigerian music has come of age and become a very powerful part of the international society and entertainment. Likewise, Nigerian gospel music is taking her place with her international counterparts, and the Experience is an important part of that global process.

The Experience is multi-layered; it is also a big unifier for the church because, though denominational dogma and doctrine will often divide the church, we all worship to the same music. So, instead of dividing us, worship tends to bring us together because it is not involved with arguments about doctrines. And that has allowed us to bring together the various denominations to have significant discussions.

Have you ever thought of monetising The Experience Lagos?

We will never charge a gate fee or take a financial offering at the Experience. It will defeat the purpose. When you have many people worshipping and praying together, it causes convulsion in the kingdom of darkness. It sends a message that Christianity is here to stay; it sends a message that we are a united people, who can work together and provide significant leadership, especially to the youthful generation; that we are people who govern ourselves well.

How much belief do you have in Nigeria as a country?

I believe in God; and I believe in His belief in us fulfilling His mandate for the geographic area in which we live. I must believe in Nigeria and when I look at the talents in my church members — the passion for progress, the excellence with which they have created all the different things that they create — I am moved to believe deeply in Nigeria.

I just think that the best have not had the opportunity to serve the rest and as a result, the values and the ethics that drive the various aspects of the ship called Nigeria are not functioning with their best possibilities.

But the church and other faithbased communities must now begin to create pathways and other deliberate opportunities for the best to serve and lead the rest.

And by the best, I mean people, who are conscientious, who have capacity and have competence.

2015 is around the corner, what would be your advice for politicians?

Entering elected offices must not be a do or die affair.

Another advice to politicians is: ‘Please don’t go into public office nor seek political appointments if you don’t intend to bring positive change. There are few areas we need change: we need real infrastructural development; we need security; we need education (we need to develop our human capital); we need industry and very key to industry is electricity.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014, PAGE 49

Q

UOTING Hosea, Jesus says: “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’” (Matthew 9:13). One of the tragedies of contemporary Christianity is that Christians have refused to follow this injunction of Jesus. If we did, we would understand that God desires our love and not our sacrifice and we would not insist that Jesus was sacrificed for our sins.

Formulaic sacrifices When the Israelites sinned, they made sacrifices to atone for their sins.

As long as they made these sacrifices, they believed they were pleasing God and that their sins were forgiven. This became a routine formula.

It led to a situation where instead of endeavouring not to sin, they simply made sure they sacrificed to cover their sins. Instead of obeying God’s commandments, they simply offered ritual sacrifices. This showed they really did not love God. Jesus says: “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15).

If we truly love God we would not even get to the situation of having to offer any sacrifices whatsoever because we would not disobey God. He who truly loves never has to make a sacrifice. He who sacrifices does not really love. He who truly loves God, does not sin. John says: “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he can-

GOD DOES NOT DESIRE ANY SACRIFICE FOR SINS would fulfil God’s promnot go on sinning, beise of the New Covenant

cause he has been born of God.” (I John 3:9). The psalmist echoes this: “You who love the LORD, hate evil!” (Psalm 97:10). If we hate evil, we would not sin.

As a result, God sent his prophets to tell the Israelites he was not interested in their ritual sacrifices. He was far more interested in them obeying his commandments and not committing sin.

Thus Samuel said to Saul: “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to him is much better than offering the fat of rams.” (I Samuel 15: 22).

Routine repentance The same applies to us today. God is far more interested in our not sinning than in our repenting of sin. Some people foolishly put their trust in the alleged human sacrifice of Jesus Christ, when all God asks is that we obey him. In all cases, prevention is better than cure. It is better not to sin than to repent of sin.

Therefore, God maintained that the whole sacrificial system was not his idea: “Thus says the

Since God does not desire any sacrifice, Jesus cannot be a sacrifice for sins LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat. For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people.” (Jeremiah 7:2122).

Since God does not desire any sacrifice, Jesus cannot be a sacrifice for sins. Speaking through David, Jesus said to God: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire; my ears you have opened.

Burnt offering and sin offering you did not require. Then I said, ‘Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do your will, O my God, and your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:6-8). God really needs to open our ears the same way he opened that of David.

Since God does not desire any sacrifice, Jesus

will not offer to God what he neither desires nor requires.

Every time a wife caught her husband in the act of adultery with his mistress, the husband went home with sacrificial flowers for his wife. Does his wife desire the flowers? Does she require them? The answer is NO. She neither desires nor requires flowers. She desires a faithful husband.

She is likely to throw his flowers in the dustbin.

What she needs and wants is a husband who will be faithful to her.

Sacrifices are brought after a man has sinned.

God has no use for them.

God wants children who don’t sin.

New Covenant love Instead of looking for people who rely on sacrifices, Jesus says God is looking for people who love God and delight in doing his will. These people will be distinguished by having the law of God inscribed in their heart.

In this manner, they

PASTOR UGWUZOR: A Rising Voice In Diaspora

A

N influential voice being used by God to speak His counsel in America and across the globe is a Nigerian-born Nelson Ogbonna (a.k.a.

O.G.B.) Ugwuzor.

Born in Aba, Abia State to late Mr. Ruben Ugwuzor and Chief (Mrs.) Pleasure Mercy Ugwuzor (a.k.a. Nneohaaba) and educated in Nigeria and USA, Pastor Ugwuzor now oversees one of the fastest-growing churches in Los Angeles, California.

A prayerful and prophetic man of God, Pastor Ugwuzor has received numerous honours and awards from the US Senate and members of Californian State Congress; the Mayor of Los Angeles and most recent ly, former Governor of California State, actor/ politician Arnold Schw-

mme, Spread the Word, which airs every Sunday and attracts a listening capacity of over one million listeners weekly on Stevie Wonder ’s radio station, KJLH, 102.3 FM; Pastor Ugwuzor received the 2012 Stellar Award.

He is regarded *Pastor Nelson Ugwuzor as a pastor to celebrities and stars in Los Angeles, Hollywood and Beverarzenegger. ly Hills. He led the city Awards and certificates of Los Angeles in a of appreciation have also prayer of victory for been bestowed on him President Barack from ministries, spiritual Obama, a week before leaders and politicians his election at a gatheracross the globe for his ing of over a quarter-milministerial inspiration lion people during the and humanitarian servi- city’s Taste of Soul Famce to the world. ily Festival.

For his radio prograPastor Ugwuzor's face

can be seen and his voice heard across the globe on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), the world’s largest Christian broadcasting network.

He declares: “I am so humbled to be used by the Lord Jesus Christ to touch the hearts of men and women for God’s glory in a time like this.

I am thankful that God uses me to go from house to house, city to city, and nation to nation changing our world for good.”

He believes that one word from the Lord can change an entire life.

Pastor Ugwuzor featured as a special guest speaker at Costa Mesa, California latest edition of the Praise the Lord television programme on TBN on Thursday, June 5. The episode was broadcast worldwide, including Nigeria from Friday.

(Testament): “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah---not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.” “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

No more shall every man teach his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Holy Spirit bible This promise is fulfilled today through the process whereby the Holy Spirit in-dwells believers. Instead of the earlier reli-

ance on laws written on tablets of stone or even today’s reliance on laws written in the bible; the Holy Spirit writes the laws of God in the hearts and minds of children of God on a daily systematic basis. We no longer need a high priest offering vain sacrifices. Neither should we continue to fool themselves that we are made righteous by the sacrifices of Jesus Christ. We are only made righteous by obeying the voice of the Lord.

Jesus says: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27).

The voice of the Lord we hear is the voice of the Holy Spirit which comes from within. In this way, the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: “(The Lord) will be with you to teach youwith your own eyes you will see your Teacher. And if you leave God's paths and go astray, you will hear a Voice behind you say, ‘No, this is the way; walk here.’ And you will destroy all your silver idols and gold images and cast them out like filthy things you hate to touch. ‘Ugh!’ you'll say to them. ‘Be gone!’” (Isaiah 30:20-22).

Therefore, we no longer need human pastors like those still populating the churches; distorting the word of God. Jesus says: “There shall be one flock and one pastor.” (John 10:16). That one pastor is the Spirit of the Lord.

(John 14:26). This is what David declares in his most famous psalm: “The LORD is my pastor; I have everything I need.”

(Psalm 23:1).

Adeboye tasks medical practitioners on holiness

G

ENERAL Overseer of The Redeemed Chris tian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye has urged medical practitioners to live holy and upright to attract God’s unlimited blessing, reports OLAYINKA LATONA. Adeboye made the remark during the monthly special prayer programme organised by the national headquarters of RCCG, Throne of Grace, Ebute-Metta, Lagos for medical practitioners in the country.

In his sermon, “Overflowing healing,” the RCCG General Overseer described healing as a river that can flow from person to person.

Describing sin as one of the obstacles that can hinder overflow of healing, Adeboye explained that healing can overflow but not everyone can get healed due to sin and unbelief.

In his words: “Healing can flow from man to man, handkerchiefs, through God’s Word. The Word of God is a very powerful tool. Healing can also overflow through the mouth but sin is an insulator that will hinder or not allow divine healing to take place.”

Pastor Adeboye prayed for God’s anointing, safety from evil, unseen forces and from all forms of sicknesses.

PAGE 50—SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014

japhdave@yahoo.com 08056402376

Ex PMAN boss, Bolaji Rosiji’s activism lifts Guarapad

By JAPHET ALAKAM ART OF LOVE

B

OLAJI Rosiji, needs no introduction, who made his marks in music industry is not only a musician and artist of note; he is an effective leader who injected punch and vitality into PMAN. His regime identified the need to help youngsters become performing musicians by the establishment of PMAN owned music studios all over the country. He fought piracy and negative lyrics and having done that turned his mind to a way of touching their lives and this led to the birth of Gaurapad Charities.

Last week at its office in Maryland, the atmosphere was lively, people trooped in and out with smiles, and a host of celebrities including veteran Actress Tina Mba and reggae star Oritz Wiliki were among the dignitaries that rose to celebrate with the founder of the Gaurapad Foundation, Mr. Bolaji Rosiji were also there to honour the former PMAN president as the body held its retreat/award to its representatives and marketers.

It was fun all the way as the whole place was lightened up with motivational speeches and kudos to Rosiji for changing the lives oif many. The former PMAN president who was full of smiles told the au-

By JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

MUSIC

A

*L-R George Sakalis, (MD ) with Bolaji Rosiji at the event

a labor of love. Through this programme, powerful, life saving therapies have been made accessible to the common man.”

The former PMAN boss and United Nations Ambassador for Peace believes that the modern world, for all its blessings is unequal, unstable and unsustainable. He is of the view that the mission of this century is to move our neighbourhood, our nation and the

When we have contributed our quota of helping a billion people achieve healthy body, mind and soul, we would have realized our dream of holistic well-being

,

dience that Gaurapad which started as a charity organisation has since branched into the production of wellness and lifestyle products in a move that will help the group to reach more people across the world.

It was a laudable project, an innovative effort which started few years ago to solve problems and save lives with the mission to provide holistic wellbeing to society through unique and highly effective health care products, whilst creating economic freedom for all involved that has now metamorphosed into a big family known as Gaurapad Charities.

According to Rosiji, “when we started, Stella Muonye, Charley Boy and myself, we were spending our own money taking care of the less privileged and at a point we asked, how much would one person afford to spend so we came out with a business initiative so that we can empower them to get money and feed themselves and that was how it started and today it is a success story.” “ This group carries a huge responsibility even though it is

Talent hunt for gospel artistes begins

,

world toward integrated communities of shared opportunities, shared responsibilities and shared sense of genuine belonging. And that amidst all the wealth in the country, there are people who are hungry, homeless, jobless, ill and ignored.

This fundamental belief is what gave birth to Gaurapad Charities. The Foundation is simply a platform for thousands of unemployed, widows, students and professional networkers to establish their own independent sources of income, The Gaurapad wellness range is the means.

Presently, leaders from 39 recently established centers across the country converged in Lagos for a retreat. The goal of the retreat is to help them improve on their services to humanity. They will receive training so as to impact others in their localities. Gaurapad Charities has lifted spirits, touched hearts, and demonstrated that citizen activism and service can be a powerful agent of change in the world.

Gaurapad Charities is an eloquent testament of what indi-

viduals can do, the steps we can take to better the society.

What makes the project remarkable is the sheer impact it has had on the disadvantaged.

Continuing, he said that 110% of the profits from Gaurapad is for charity. “When we have contributed our quota of helping a billion people achieve healthy body, mind and soul, we would have realized our dream of holistic well-being.” Beneficiaries have tagged it a clever, dexterous and imaginative scheme.

Many have been able to come out of chronic lack since they

joined the programme. And their debts of gratitude to Rosiji are manifold. They appreciate him for backing his conviction with his purse.

At the end of the day, awards were given to regions that have excelled and given their best to the success of the scheme. The awards were presented by renowned musician, Oriz Wiliki and a diva in the movie industry, Tina Mba. “We owe the success of this programme to the grace of God and committed management: George Sakalis, Nike Denis and Daniel Famutimi.”

Independence Hall of Fame Award gets new date A

new talent hunt de signed to uncover stars in the gospel section of the Nigerian music industry has flung open its curtain for contestants.

The hunt tagged ‘Most Talented Gospel Artist in Nigeria Competition’-MTGAN which is backed by the Federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation as well as the Federal Ministry of Youth and Development, hopes to afford young Nigerians the opportunity of realising their dreams of singing for God and establishing a career.

At a media briefing in Lagos, organisers of the show said the competition which is open for registration until July 31st, was divinely-inspired.

According to the visioner, Bennie Ogbomo, unlike most talent hunts, this is not based on winning prizes but at total development of participants with the objective of giving glory to God through music.

“Gospel music has never been more popular than now, with its emotive power of winning hearts of the general public from all ages and backgrounds. Our initiative is to bring gospel artistes into the mainstream by bringing their music out of the churches and onto the world stage.

FTER weeks of brainstorming and widespread consultations, Dreamsplash Entertainment, the organizers of the prestigious Independence Hall of Fame Award, have decided to move the event forward to a new date, in order to make it bigger and better.

The Executive Directors of • Rotimi Akapo and Adegbola Ontoye set for the award Dreamsplash Entertainment and And the venue remains posh Lagoon prime movers of the forthcoming evening of Restaurant on Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, high-net-worth gathering, Rotimi Akapo and Victoria Island, Lagos.”

Adegbola Onatoye, while speaking at a recent Also speaking, the project’s consultant press conference in Lagos, disclosed that the and Nollywood star, Mr. Segun Arinze much awaited awards night, initially slated for further stated that the event was painDecember 13, 2013, will now hold on October fully moved forward in order to adjust 10, 2014. grey areas in the planning and also en“This change in date was due to some unforeable the organisers have an event of inseen circumstances beyond our control. We are ternational standard. Arinze, fondly sincerely sorry for the inconvenience this new called Black Arrow, assured guests and development might cost our corporate partners sponsors alike of good tales to take home and major sponsors. The essence is to expand at the event proper that will be graced the scope of the awards, make it better, bigger

by Nigerians from all walks of life. He and above all, give the organizers enough time urged voters and well wishers to visit to plan and have a world class event that will the official site of the award be a reference point among award organizers.

SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014 — PAGE 51

Up your game with oral sex

By Yetunde Arebi EPENDING on the indi D vidual, performing oral sex, either as the giver or the re-

ceiver may be quite interesting.

The mixed feelings garnered by this sexual act contributes to it complexity as well as adds a touch of mystery to it. For these, it is not for the light hearted or conservative lover. Yet, the creative, adventurous and passionate lover can take advantage of this highly intense sex play to take their relationship to the next level.

Simply defined, oral sex is sexual activity that involves the stimulation of a lover's genitals with the use of the mouth, lips, teeth, or tongue or throat. (Remember the movie, Deep Throat?) Oral sex when performed on a female is known as cunnilingus. When on a male it is called fellatio and anilingus when it is performed on the anus of either sex. Oral sex may be performed as a physically intimate act by itself, (Monika Lewinsky's record remains unbeaten yet in the history of famous BJs) or as foreplay to ignite sexual desire along with other sexual acts. Some partners also use it to finish off when coital sex is inadequate, especially for the woman.

Though shrouded in controversy, the benefits of oral sex is enormous and creates unlimited opportunities for partners to explore their imaginations and enjoy a more robust and intimate sex life.

It is practiced across sexual preference by both the heterosexual and homosexual couples. Unlike penetrative penile-vaginal sex, oral sex on its own cannot result into pregnancy , as there is no link between the human gastrointestinal system and the reproductive

system. Where sperm is ingested by the woman during oral sex, it would be killed by acids in the stomach and broken down into protein in the small intestine. Depending on perception, oral sex is ideal for individuals who wish to retain their "virginity" (non penetrative sex) which is why it has now been discovered to be very popular among teenagers and young people. According to a 2005 report issued by the National Centre for Health Statistics in the USA, a survey administered on over 12,000 Americans

women who are exposed to semen are less likely to get sad because semen contains feelgood substances such as cortisol, estrogen and oxytocin that act as antidepressants. Also, according to a study conducted by SUNY-Albany, women who consumed sperm during pregnancy could be eased of their morning sickness, nausea and vomiting every morning, while another has reported that any type of sex, including oral sex could help one heal faster.

With all these A ranking bene-

Oral sex is also reported to be effective in reducing the risk of miscarriages and pregnancy induced high blood pressure leading to preeclampsia in women who swallow semen while performing fellatio aged between 15 and 44 indicated that oral sex among teenagers was "on the rise". Also, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in 2009 released a report which indicated that "oral sex is commonly practised by sexually active male-female and samegender couples of various ages, including adolescents."

If you think these is all, then you are in for a surprise. Oral sex is also reported to be effective in reducing the risk of miscarriages and pregnancy induced high blood pressure leading to preeclampsia in women who swallow semen while performing fellatio.

Studies have shown also that

08156211467 •Mary, 35, fair in complexion, from Delta state, needs a good and kind hearted person, to sponsor her make up and beauty school.09032806830 •Bamiji, a singer /songwriter and a graduate, needs a kind hearted person, to sponsor his music career.08108562078 •Ogechi, 26, good looking, humble, hardworking and from Imo state, needs kind hearted people to help in sponsoring her education.08027722322, 08097189496 •Peace, 18, a student, from Adamawa state, needs someone to sponsor her education to University level.

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fits especially for women, oral sex is still perceived with a lot of negativity. For many people, oral sex is often regarded as taboo, and unclean. The idea of the "down below" being stuck in someone's face or mouth can be quite overwhelming, especially as this is where urine, pooh and even menstruation are passed out from the body. Some others believe that the mouth is a sacred organ used in communication with God or the spiritual realm and therefore should not be dishonoured by such carnal usage.

Besides, oral sex has not procreation value and its therefore contrary to what God designed sex for.

Searching Females •Uloaku, 29, a graduate, fair in complexion, needs matured male and female friends, aged 33-45. 08068270297 •Irene, 30, dark in complexion, an undergraduate, from Bayelsa state, needs male friends from the Church of Christ.

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However, there are also those whose inhibitions are not so deeply rooted. These include those who really do not mind as long as semen is not ejaculated in their mouths, partners who engage in "69" in a mutually benefiting sexual relationship and women who use semen for medical or cosmetic purposes. Pardon me, I forgot to add that semen is also reported to be effective in the treatment of acute acne, pimples and a few other skin conditions. A friend once told me that she decided to stop giving her husband the BJ because he is so selfish he does not do same for her anymore, even though he once used to. Another female confided that being licked was too intimate for her and made her feel very vulnerable and insecure. To each individual, his/her own reason.

I received a mail upper week from a reader who wanted a few tips on how to enhance his sexual relationship with his wife. According to him, he suffers from premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. To help his wife attain orgasm, he has resulted into giving her oral sex which he said she has been enjoying ever since. (who wouldn't?) His concern however is that he believes that the female vagina "contains series of microflora especially the Staph type which I learnt could lead to infection". He therefore wanted to know if he should stop or continue.

Though I have tried to alley some of his fears, I also asked him to join me here today as I will be talking about oral sex.

Though the transmission risk for oral sex, especially HIV transmission, is significantly lower than for vaginal or anal sex, like most forms of sexual activity, it also poses a risk for contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Unfortunately, even in the USA, no definite barrier method has been evaluated as effective by the Food and Drug Administration for oral sex.

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Dear readers, please note that we neither operate, nor are we an affiliate of any match–making agency in 08095832818, BB Pin. 286C69D or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with any one claiming to be our agent does •Ruth, sexy and from Rivers so at his/her own risk. Our mission is only to provide a platform for social networking. state, needs a rich man, who can Also note that neither Vanguard, nor Yetunde Arebi will be liable for any error in the publication of take good care of her, aged45requests which may result in any form of embarrassment to any member of the public. We therefore 60.08171284350 request that text must be sent through at least one of the numbers for contact. This notice is necessary to •Lola, 38, a graduate, chocolate enable us serve you better in our refreshingly different style. You can send your requests to 33055. For in complexion, tall and pretty, needs a loving and caring man, enquiries, text or call 08026651636

DISCLAIMER!

STIs like Chlamydia, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), gonorrhoea, herpes, hepatitis (multiple strains), and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), can be transmitted through oral sex too. In fact, any sexual exchange of bodily fluids with a person infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, poses a risk of infection. The risks are higher if the receiving partner, (the one receiving the oral sex) has a wound on the genitals or the giving partner has a wound or sore on the mouth or gum. Brushing, flossing or undergoing dental work shortly before or after performing oral sex can also increase a person's chances of contracting STIs. In addition, recent studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and another by the Malmo University's Faculty of Odontology found a correlation between oral sex and throat cancer. Both suggested that people who perform unprotected oral sex on a person infected with HPV might increase the risk of oral cancer study and concludes that people who had one to five oral sex partners in their lifetime had approximately a doubled risk of throat cancer compared with those who never engaged in oral sex. It is therefore advised that protection such as condoms for fellatio and dental dams for cunnilingus is used during oral sex.

However, because oral sex is so pleasurable and has been identified as a possible answer to some of our sexual challenges, (premature ejaculation and promotion of orgasm or even multiple orgasm depending on individual and experience) It will be a pity not to try it out, don't you think?.

See you next Sunday but till then, you may reach me via email a d d r e s s : inthelovezone@yahoo.com!!

Cheers!!

aged 50 08132828938

and

above.

Searching Male •Frank, 25, tall, athletic built and very handsome, needs a lady, for a relationship. 07069527032 •Ben, 48, needs a beautiful and good looking woman, for serious relationship.080 35536778 •Ben, 29, an architect from Delta state, needs an employed and honest lady for serious relationship.

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PAGE 52, SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014

Seven most memorable world cup moments With the 2014 finals already heating up here in Brazil...here are some unforgettable moments of the world Cup and as the tournament progresses, the world is watching the unfolding drama, with the hope their favourite team will win.

The year of Pele

1

958 was the year in which the world was introduced to football’s first superstar - Pele. At 17 years old, he was the youngest to feature in the tournament and burst onto the scene, setting the sixth World Cup tournament alight as he helped Brazil claim their first title. Netting his first ever World Cup goal in the quarter-finals against Wales, Pele then went on to claim a hat-trick in the semis against France before bagging a brace in the final as the Selecao hammered Sweden 5-2.

Two world wars, one World Cup... England

E

NGLAND hosted the World Cup for the first time in 1966 - in the era of ‘swinging London’. And even though the famous Jules Rimet trophy was stolen from Westminster Central Hall just three months before the first ball was kicked, the ’66 tournament will be remembered for one thing: the final. Yes, England beat arch rivals Germany to be crowned champions for the first (and only) time. Yes, Geoff Hurst became the first (and only) man to score a hat-trick in the final, but the memory that sticks out for many fans – particularly those of an English persuasion – is that of Kenneth Wolstenholme’s commentary as Hurst wrapped up the 4-2 win. “They think it’s all over. It is now!”

Yellow cards, colour TV and Brazilians goals

T

HE 1970 World Cup in Mex ico marked a new era in football. For the first time in World Cup history substitutes were used, yellow cards were issued and audiences around the world had the delight of watching the matches on colour television.

Perhaps it was quite fitting, then, that the great Brazilian team’s attacking, attractive style of football was complimented by their dazzling yellow shirts broadcast through television sets across the world. And no better time, indeed, than to watch one of the great Brazilian goals; Pele laying the ball off out wide on the right – seemingly into unaccompanied space – only for captain Carlos Alberto to zoom into picture before crashing the Selecao’s fourth goal past Italy, helping them claim their third title.

Cruyff the total football icon

new trophy available, it was a chance for the host nation to project a new image to the world.

But the image that is etched upon the memory of those watching is that of Johan Cruyff. The talismanic Dutch forward - who wore two stripes, rather than three, on his Adidas jersey because of his affiliation with Puma, such was his influence - helped his side usher in a new brand of football.

‘Total Football’ was a revolutionary tactical system in which every player was required to be more flexible and adaptable than ever before. The Dutch advanced to the final, which they eventually lost to the hosts, but it for a moment in a group match against Sweden that the tournament will forever be remembered. It was here, on the world stage, where Cruyff produced his dazzling ‘Cruyff turn’, completely bamboozling defender Jan Olsson. There are reports that Olsson is still looking for the ball today…

Diego Maradona the Argentine god of soccer

M

EXICO hosted the World Cup finals for the second time in 16 years as Argentinean whizkid Diego Maradona guided his side to glory in front of 115,000 inside the Stadio Azteca.

But it was in Argentina’s semifinal with England that the little magician made history. With the game tied at 0-0, Maradona capitalised on a defensive mistake to challenge England goalkeeper Peter Shilton for the ball – but rather than making contact with his head, El Diego stretched out his arm to punch the ball into the back of the net. England players and fans pleaded with the referee, but the goal stood. What came next, however, was nothing short of genius. Just four minutes after the infamous ‘hand of god’, Maradona ran the near length of the pitch, dancing past every England player’s challenge, rounding Shilton and rolling the ball into an empty net in what is regarded as the greatest World Cup goal of all time.

Zidane headbutt of HE Western half of a divid ragging bull

T

ed German any hosted the 1974 World Cup, and, with a

G

ERMANY hosted their first World Cup as a united na-

tion in 2006 and put on one hell of a show. What started in a frantic, mesmerising and heart-stopping manner, as hosts Germany shared six goals with Costa Rica in a 4-2 win, finished in the same way. An aging Italian side battled their way to the final, as Zinedine Zidane virtually dragged France to the showpiece fixture in what was to be his final ever match. The mercurial Frenchman, looking to end a glittering career with a second World Cup triumph, opened the scoring and seemed certain to go on and help France lift the trophy. But, with the match tied at 1-1 in extra time and with penalties looming, Zidane did the unthinkable and signed off a career full of poise, grace, finesse and skill in the most brutal and violent manner. The Frenchman, engaging in verbal battle with Marco Materazzi, took offence to something the Italian said, headbutting his opponent.

Zidane was sent off as Italy claimed their third World Cup.

Spanish Tiki Taka walk the walk

H

AVING failed at the final hurdle in 1974 and 1978, Netherlands, under the fastidious management of Bert van Marwijk, had the chance to right the wrongs as they made the final of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Having conceded just five goals on the way to the final, knocking out Slovakia, Brazil and Uruguay on the way, ‘the greatest team never to win a World Cup’ looked almost certain to end their drought. A freeflowing, expansive style, akin to their predecessors’ ‘Total Football’, ensured the Netherlands would take on reigning European champions Spain. It was billed as one of the most exciting finals in World Cup history. Total Football v Tiki Taka.

Except it wasn’t like that at all.

Van Marwijk sent his Dutch side out with a completely different game plan to the one that had seen them gain many plaudits throughout Africa’s first World Cup. Rather than try and play their way through and past Spain, Netherlands attempted to stop their opponents from playing, and in the most brutal and cynical manner. Kicking out at Spain’s players at every opportunity, the Dutch team disgraced themselves on the biggest stage – Nigel de Jong’s karate kick on Xabi Alonso the lasting memory of a truly dreadful final.

Please forgive me, Casillas begs Spanish fans

W

ORLD champions Spain’s 5-1 mauling by the Netherlands was especially symbolic for the disastrous role played by captain and talisman of three consecutive major tournament victories Iker Casillas.

The 32-year-old was clearly at fault for the Netherlands’ fourth goal, slotted home by Robin Van Persie, and was earlier booked for his protests after claiming he had been fouled by the Manchester United striker as he flapped to allow Stefan de Vrij to make it 31. The Real Madrid stopper has endured the most difficult 18 month stretch of his illustrious career.

Dropped by Jose Mourinho in his final season in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu, Casillas failed to reclaim his place ahead of Diego Lopez in La Liga this season even once Carlo Ancelotti had replaced the self-proclaimed

•Casillas... Agony of defeat “Special One.” Yet, Casillas did play in both the Copa del Rey and Champions League and ended the club season on a high by lifting Real’s 10th European Cup, a feeling he described as even greater than winning the World Cup.

Primlaks pledges reward for Eagles’ supporters

P

RIMLAKS Group, makers of Sympli, a 100% locally farmed and produced brand of convenience foods, has called on football lovers in Nigeria to demonstrate support for the Super Eagles in its opening match against Iran at the on-going FIFA World Cup by wearing green and white, the national colours.

In line with its goal of supporting Nigeria, PRIMLAKS has introduced the exciting Sympli 100% Naija programme that aims at promoting Nigeria’s national colours and delicacies. Under the programme, the first 100 customers that wear the Eagles’ jersey or hold the Nigerian flag at any of

the Fish Shop outlets in Lekki, Victoria Island, Kirikiri/ Apapa or Festac; or Spar Park “n” Shop Victoria Island or Lekki, or 9-to-7 Mart will receive an instant reward of a free pack of Sympli Yam Fries.

PRIMLAKS’ CEO, Ravi Hemnani, said: “Worldwide, citizens are passionate about their national colours and foods, which is matched only by their deep love for sports; the on-going FIFA World Cup gives us the platform to bring all three together,” stressing, “the Sympli 100% Naija match day rewards aim to prove that it is cool to support Nigerian Food, Sports and People.”

Warri Relays: Okon-George, Omotosho happy with good outing

BY BEN EFE

N

IGERIA 4x400m quarter members Patience OkonGeorge and Omolara Omotosho have expressed delight with their performances at the CAA Grand prix and Warri Relays decided on Friday at the Warri Township stadium.

The two athletes fresh from the world relays in Bahamas where they won the bronze in the women 4x400m, showed just how much progress they have made as they ran their season’s best in the meet. The much anticipated participation of African Champion, Amantle Montsho did not materialize as the Botswana hero failed to show up, officials explained that she missed her flight. Nigeria’s Regina George

was not also present as he participated in the New York Diamond league yesterday.

That left the field for OkonGeorge, Omotosho and Shade Abuguan to flex. Okon ran 51.

29 seconds her personal best and also the leading Nigeria time in women 400m. Abughan was second with 51.31 seconds, while Omotosho was third with 51.61.

“I am absolute delight with my performance. It has been a long time coming and I hope that I keep my form ahead of the commonwealth games,” said Okon George.

The Nigerian men continue to struggle to achieve a 45 seconds run. They were beaten by Botswana’s Pako Seribe who did 45.56. Isah Saliu and Abiola Onokoya returned at 46.20 and 46.

51 respectively.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014 PAGE — 53

BRAZIL 2014 IMAGES

DOUBLE DUTCH.. Netherlands’ Robin van Persie celebrates with Netherlands’ head coach Louis van Gaal after scoring a goal during the group B World Cup soccer match between Spain and the Netherlands at the Arena Ponte Nova in Salvador, Brazil, Friday, June 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Mark my Word... David Mark and Sports minister Tami Danagogo exchange pleasantries in Campinas, Brazil.

Call to duty... Sports minister Tami Danagogo presents Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi the national flag as he wishes the Eagles well in Brazil.

Spain Pain... A Spanish fan reacts after the world cup defending champions were put to the sword by the Dutch team.

Waiting for Eagles to fly...Members of the Nigeria Federation Family waiting for the Eagles to land in Brazil.

C M Y K

Catch me if you can... Referee Yuichi Nishimura is pursued by Darijo Srna, Sime Vrsaljko, Vedran Corluka and Dejan Lovren of Croatia after awarding a penalty kick and giving Lovren a yellow card in the second half during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group A match between Brazil and Croatia at Arena de Sao Paulo.

Headache Avenue...Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o reacts after missing a goal scoring opportunity against Mexico during their 2014 World Cup Group A soccer match at the Dunas arena in Natal June 13, 2014

PAGE 54, SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014

Maradona: It will be an orgasm if Argentina beat Brazil

F

ORMER Argentina idol Diego Maradona praised his compatriot Lionel Messi on Wednesday and got excited at the prospect of Argentina winning the World Cup. “To beat Brazil in the final, in their own country, would be an orgasm,” the controversial 1980s star told Buenos Aires sports daily Ole. When Maradona was told that Pele - his

historic Brazilian arch rival - had said that Messi had a “Brazilian style”, the 1986 World Cup winner shouted: “Pele should go back in the museum! Messi is Argentinian! In fact, he’s even more Argentinian than I am!”

These words from Maradona will come as a timely support for Messi, who has been criticised in Argentina recently for playing better for Barcelona than for his national

team - and even for not singing the national anthem before matches.

“The truth is that I have not spoken to Lio (Messi) for a while. I’d really like to now. I’d like to tell him to take things easy, not to listen to the idiots. There are a lot of them, unfortunately,” said Maradona.

“I see Messi well. I think it was good for him to have a proper rest (from November to February, due to injury) because he had gone four years without hardly missing a match.

“We are looking good in attack but I am a bit worried about the defence, to be honest.”

He then compared the current Argentina to the one he himself guided to the quarter-finals in 2010. “They have more experience now, and that is very important in the World Cup.”

Ronaldo vows to boo Klose

F

ORMER Brazil striker Ronaldo has said that he would be cheering against Germany ’s Miroslav Klose, who is attempting to break the Brazilian’s all-time scoring record in World Cups.

Klose needs to net at least once in the tournament in Brazil to equal Ronaldo’s record of 15 World Cup goals and Ronaldo is

publicly saying that he does not want to see that happen.

The Brazilian told his fans in Fortaleza, where Germany would play Ghana in Group G, that they should cheer ‘against’ Klose in the match.

Ronaldo said that he knows the record would eventually be broken, but is hoping that it is not in Brazil.

F

“victory goal” during the World Cup: guarantee housing for everyone, protection for workers,

C

T

HE jam-packed 62,103 crowd that stuffed into the Sao Paulo stadium stood still when Marcelo made the infamous record of scoring the first goal in the Brazil 2014 World Cup. But when the goals came, the Brazilian girls let down their tops to keep abreast of the celebration. A Brazilian had informed me that when goals were scored, that I should look towards beautiful girls who dressed like cheerleaders in Basketball. And true to prediction, they lift up their skirts and let down their tops for an electric celebration of goals. The sporadic noise from their corner was deafening. Many men gazed in expectation of more goals and in the process missed the live goals but thank God for giant TV replays. If one missed the Neymar goal that brought scores to 1-1, not the cheeky penalty that prepared us to look more on the cheerleaders. And when the Barcelona lad hit the ball and the keeper cheekily parried into his net, the gowns were lifted while tops gave way in this weird manner of celebrations.

Before this, Jennifer Lopez had led the party of bum-bastic Brazilians when she appeared in a tight short that revealed the massive ‘Ukwu’ during the official World Cup song ‘We Are One’ with rapper Pitbull. Outside the stadium, there were more fun for those who watched on TV and those who modeled in revealing outfits that all added to the glamour and glitz of the World. Give it to Brazilians!

Young Shall Grow, Ekene Dili Chukwu ply Brazilian roads

T

HE sight of Marcopolo buses that maneuver the roads and ferry passen gers to and from was akin to Nigeria, where the likes of Young Shall Grow, Ekene dili Chukwu, Izu Chukwu and others ferry passengers from Lagos to other parts of the country and vice versa. Brazil remains the headquarters of luxury buses and they rolled out the buses to compliment the fast electric trains and the taxis to accommodate the World who are here for the World Cup. Unlike the Nigerian buses, the Brazilian buses remain in good condition with air conditioners working and TVs for the pleasure of passengers. They are unlike the Nigerian buses that have been torn apart by bad roads. The road network in Brazil is good and the vehicles are a good reflections of the roads.

L •Klose

dors, combating human trafficking, and respect for the rights of fans and protestors.

Conoil roots for Eagles ONOIL, Nigeria‘s oil marketing giant has joined millions of Nigerians to wish the Super Eagles victory in the 2014 World Cup as they play their opening match against the Melli of Iran in Brazil on Monday.

Bum-bastic Brazilian babes bare it all for goals

Love without language

Brazilian Church thumbs down World Cup organizers especially street venOR the past few months, Brazilians have taken to the streets to show their dissatisfaction with organizers of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, taking place in their country.

Their list of complaints is long: from lacking infrastructure, including shortages of schools and hospital beds, to the misuse of public funds to build expensive new stadiums.

As protests and debate continue on the topic, the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops issued a “ red card,” soccer ’s most severe penalty, to World Cup organizers.

The “red card,” a one page flier distributed online and in Churches, lists eight failures from government and FIFA officials.

They include the removal of entire families from buildings demolished to make way for stadiums, destruction of the environment, and rejecting public input on construction works for the month-long tournament.

But, the flier also lists six elements to score the

FLICKS

Rooting for a successful World Cup campaign for the team, the company reiterated its intrinsic confidence in the players and their coaches urging them to put in 100% performance in the encounter to ensure total victory.

• Enyeama

OVE unspoken is love denied. And that has been the predicament of many who do not speak Portuguese in a land that is full with honey and milk. The Brazilian people are exciting and love visitors. They are also daring and make all the moves with signs but the unspoken word has hindered many moves and restricted many adventurers. But knowing that love is like good music which can be enjoyed without necessarily understanding the language, roads have been entered and laughter and emotions created. Sabella has shown so much attention to me at my hotel residence in Gran Corona. We met in the bar downing assorted alcohol to chase out the cold. ‘’Bem Vendo”, she greeted in a sweet voice that would make David. She was tall with figures like Agbani Darego and a toothpaste smile and immaculate teeth that must have been arranged after many years of wearing braces. I could not resist exchanging banters as I spoke little of the Portuguese I gathered in the course of staying in Portugal and covering the All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique and many trips to Angola with different Nigerian clubs. Her eyes lit up and she hugged me and now unleashed para terrobro indignane para something, something. ‘’I don enter wahala’, I exclaimed quietly. More Portuguese but I ran flat but figured from the burning desire in her eyes. The bar man was like a Daniel coming to judgment. He speaks passable English and had to be my interpreter. Like most Portuguese, nothing goes for nothing. He asked for drinks and I obliged him. After more shots of Fatferry whisky, it appeared that the drink had ignited her love mission. As I dabbled in my pidgin Portuguese, she reeled out more and laughed signaling me to go to the room. We had been warned that they come in different colours and genders.

Danger averted!

C

OMMUNICATION is one of the sore points of covering the World Cup here in Brazil. It is difficult to make international calls from your GSM except you buy a call card. Reasons have been advanced that it is one way the Government monitors calls going out of the country. My two lines, Tim, a name for the network recommended by Nigerians have become headaches to me. Imagine not speaking with my family since I landed here.

Imagine not speaking to Ogas at the top – roaring Eze Anaba who does not recognise friendship or brother in the discharge of his editorial duties.

Imagine not speaking with Onochie Anibeze who has decided to oversee sports with his already head-banging duties of editing Weekend Vanguard.

What a massive combination and show of love and professionalism by Dagama. Imagine not speaking with my colleagues on the desk, Solo, John and Jacob. I know they would be grumbling by now. Imagine not fulfilling promises made to friends especially those who requested I come back with a container of Brazilian hairs for them. By now, they would think I have done the Maradona on them. No. Imagine not reaching out to Innocent Anaba, Prince Osuagwu, Ehigiator, Akanwa(PE), Hugo, the best ‘criminal’ Editor Emma Nnadozie, Adeshere, et all. All those who make the newsroom of Vanguard tick. Imagine not reaching out to Helen and the Financial Controller to tell them that the money released to me would not see me stay till the end of the World Cup. With the way things are going, moving from hotel to hotel and moving to far-flung flats, the coy taxi drivers and eating all the funny food to avoid my stomach churning. Communication here is a kill-joy!

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 15, 2014 PAGE 55

Speak out... Super Eagles players talking

Ndanusa tips Eagles for glory

Mikel: We need all the good-luck in Brazil P J OHN Obi Mikel, Osaze Odemwingie and Victor Moses are the three Super Eagles players that Brazilians here have shown more love and demand autographs from.

The three, incidentally, play their club football in England’s premier League – Chelsea, Stoke and Liverpool respectively.

But baby-faced Mikel stands out as the crowd roars into Mikel, Mikel, Mikel from the moment he steps out of the hotel to the team’s bus and onto the pitch where kids dare security personnel in a marathon race to either embrace him, clean his boot or kiss him.

Mikel who is playing in his first World Cup spoke to Sports Editor, Tony Ubani on his expectations. ‘’It is my first World Cup and I am ready to give it a shot just like other players.

The World Cup remains the highest height of every footballer’s ambition. I am happy to be playing here but most important is that we have a dream of playing for each other. We want to make something out of the World Cup. It is not about individuals. It is about a team. And I am a member of the team “It is good to know that many expect me to lead. In this

team, the coach determines what we do and we do it according to his instructions.

People might not notice the roles of players but the coach knows and we do things collectively to ensure that we come out victorious.

“There is love and unity in the team. We are like a family.

All the players are ready to give their best. And with these will-power, I think that we will do well because of this determination.

“Promises? I promise a good outing by the team. You are aware that all teams are well prepared for the World Cup. So, no one underestimates any team. You need to work hard first and also rely on good luck. We’ve been working hard and deserve to do well.

•Mikel

Beating Iran is the only way out — Emenike

E

•Emenike

MMANUEL Emenike is not one given to making long speeches or granting interviews to the Press. He believes in letting his ability speak for him on the pitch of play.

At the open training camp where they allow the Press to watch and photographers take pictures, Emenike’s work rate was exciting as well as his ferocious shots at goal.

But the moment the training was over, he quickly took a po-

sition where the hordes of Press men would not find him.

Asked about their first match, he said that they have no choice than to beat Iran to move ahead. ‘’We’re ready and I think that we have to win our first match to strengthen things. That will give us the boost and prepare us well for the remaining two group games against Bosnia and Argentina”, he said as a matter of fact.

Eagles are psychologically ready to rumble — Psychologist T HE fear factor of playing in a World Cup match can present several mental game challenges for some of Super Eagles players who play in their first World Cup here in Brazil.

Team Psychologist, Robinson Okosun is aware of the huge challenges that face players in the World Cup but was quick to assure that he has knocked it into them to overcome such challenges.

Okosun said that he had been working on the anxiety of players after identifying psychological problems and therefore reduce their anxiety level. He said that pressure to perform and their mental preparation has been worked on as they relax

and look at the World cup as nothing different from the matches they have played in their different clubs.

‘’We’ve been talking and they have come to realize that the World Cup match is not different from the other matches they

have played. It is only when you concentrate on names of bigger players that you get nervy and make mistakes.

Brazil blues for Uzoenyi

S

UPER Eagles returnee mid fielder, Ejike Uzoenyi was sparkling in training yesterday but the moment the training ended, he looked like a fish out of water.

While the hordes of Journalists swarmed on the players and officials for interviews, the Enugu Rangers player found himself standing aloof. ‘’There is nothing wrong. Its just that I cannot believe that I

am part of the World Cup”, he confessed as he was yet to come to realities that he was a World Cup player for the Brazil World Cup. The player who won the Most Valuable Player, MVP, award at the CHAN competition in South Africa had his expectations cut short when he was dropped from the 23 man list for the World.

•Uzoenyi

We’re under pressure, Osaze confesses

P

ETER Osaze Odemwingie confessed yesterday after training there was immense pressure on him and his mates to do well in the World Cup. Having been left out of the team that won the African Cup of Nations, Osaze said that the pressure is more on him to do well because he was joining a winning team. ‘’You know that everybody expect me to do well since I am joining a winning team.

Bros, I must confess that the pressure is much on me”, he said as Brazilian fans swarmed on him for autographs.

Looking very cute and more like a Brazilian than a Nigerian, Osaze said that he was overwhelmed by the love that has been extended to him since his recall by coach Stephen Keshi. ‘’We’ve a great team and they have been wonderful to me.”

RESIDENT of Nigeria Ol ympic Committee (NOC) Engr. Sanni Ndanusa has expressed confidence that the Super Eagles will do well at the Brazil 2014 World Cup. Ndanusa in a statement made available to the media in Lagos said his optimism stems from the solid preparation of the team ahead of the tournament and the pedigree of the Eagles as African champions.

“The Super Eagles are going into the tournament as African champions and there is no doubt they will prove do not just Nigeria proud, but Africa. I see them becoming the first African side to reach not just the semi final but possibly winning the cup. Stephen Keshi has a good team and all of us in the Olympic family are praying for them to conquer the world in Brazil,” Ndanusa stated. The NOC boss commended both the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for ensuring that the Eagles prepared well for the World Cup, even as he charged Nigerians to support the Eagles with prayers.

“I want to commend the NSC and the NFF for ensuring the team prepared well for the World Cup. As the competition gets underway, I urge Nigerians to pray for the success of the team, Ndanusa stated.

The Eagles are billed to start their World Cup campaign against Iran on the 16th in the city of Cuiaba. The Eagles would thereafter face debutants Bosnia and group F favorites Argentina.

Eto’o is a traitor —Cameroon media Cameroon’s affection for its favourite footballing son has turned sharply with striker Samuel Eto’o accused by local media of “treason” after leading strike action by their World Cup squad at the weekend.

Eto’o’s tantrums and temperamental behaviour have long been tolerated because of his success on the field but it seems his country has had enough on the eve of their opening game against Mexico at the World Cup. One newspaper editorial accused the four-time African Footballer of the Year and his team mates of “high treason” as the fallout from their delayed departure to the tournament continued this week.

A strike by the World Cupbound squad over money meant their expensively-chartered airline took off for Brazil almost 24 hours late as the players attempted to squeeze more appearance money out of their federation.

SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2014

Tension in Eagles camp as players demand N12m each or …

•Ask to be relocated to a new hotel •Senate President warns NFF not to bring shame to Nigeria •Maigari signs agreement with players

A

S the Super Eagles step out on Monday for their first World Cup match against Iran, there are fears that the deficit in agreement for the appearance fee of the players may dash whatever hope Nigerians have for the national team to do well in Brazil 2014.

The Super Eagles tabled their grievances to the Senate President, David Mark when he came visiting them on Friday.

The players said that they will not accept anything less than the $75,000 about N12.2m appearance fee paid to each of their Ghanaian counterparts by the Ghana Football Association.

Also, the Eagles requested that the NFF relocate them from their Victoria Concept hotel in Campinas, which they described as isolated and it makes them look like prisoners unlike other World Cup teams whose Federations lodged them in better and more ideal places.

Sports Vanguard gathered that Senate President David Mark who listened with rapt attention as the players reeled out their grievances thereafter berated the NFF for not promptly settling the issue of appearance fees as was the case with other Federations like the Ghana Football Association.

The Senate President thereafter appealed to the coaches and the players to put aside anything that would constitute a distraction to them in the World Cup and focused on winning the World Cup reassuring them of the determination of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to give them the necessary support in the tournament to make Nigeria proud.

NFF President Aminu Maigari will we gathered had to sign an agreement with the team promising that they will not get anything less than the

Black Stars of Ghana.

Sports Minister, Dr Tammy Danagogo who was in attendance at the no-holds-barred meeting urged the team to do everything possible to make an impressive outing in the tournament.

Present at the meeting were Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State; Dr. Danagogo; Senator Bala Mohammed, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); Chief Edem Duke, minister of culture and tourism; Mr. Boni Haruna, minister of youths and social development; Senator Gumba, Chairman Senate Committee on Sports; Hon. Godfrey Gaiya, Chairman House Committee on Sports, Alhaji Maigari, and other executive members of the NFF. Nigeria will earn over $9 million about (N1.4b) or qualification and participation in the first round of the Brazil World Cup. If the Eagles fly into the second round more money would also be paid.

Jonathan makes sumptuous promises to Eagles If… P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has reeled out a long list of promises to the Super Eagles if they go beyond the rounds and make an impact in the knock-out stages at the ongoing World Cup in Brazil.

The Senate President David Mark, who led a powerful Federal government delegation to wish the Eagles well in Brazil, conveyed President Jonathan’s message of good hope. He said it was time an African country wins the World Cup, adding that the African champions are motivated enough to do the magic. “When we won the Olympics gold medal at Atlanta 96,

TODAY’S MATCHES Group E Switzerland France Group F Argentina Results Colombia Uruguay

v v

Ecuador Honduras

5:00pm 8.00pm

v

Bosnia

11:00 pm

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Greasy Moves... Colombia’s forward Victor Ibarbo (L) in action against Greece’s defender Vasilis Torosidis during a group C football match between Colombia and Greece. The Greeks were humbled 3-0 by the Colombians..Photo AFP

Greece Costa Rica

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we defeated countries like Argentina and Brazil, so I believe we can have a repeat performance at this year’s World Cup, with the talents available to us in this team”, he said.

Senator Mark assured that the government was ready to do all it can within available

resources to make the team comfortable in the tournament, adding that he will personally remain to attend all the team’s games in the opening rounds.

Responding, Head Coach of the team, Stephen Okechuk-

wu Keshi said he was happy to see top government functionaries visiting the team before they kicked their first ball of the tournament as that has been a motivating factor for him in his playing days, which saw him captaining the squad for 14 years.

CROSS WORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1.Taraba capital (7) 4.Exchanges (5) 6.Crest (5) 7.Speared (7) 9.Fashion (5) 10.Weird (5) 11.Donor (5) 13.Domain (5) 17.Crestfallen (3) 19.Face (8) 20.Pianos (6) 21.Much (6) 23.Stayed (8) 24.Frozen water (3) 25.Snake (5) 27.Own up (5) 30. Arise (5) 31. Evade (5) 32. Dotted (7) 34. Lariat (5) 35. Moves like a horse (5) 36.Sowed (7)

DOWN 1. Incarcerates (5) 2. Nothing (3) 3. Command (5) 4. Cue (5) 5. Vapour (5) 8. Dog (3) 12. Nigerian state (6) 14. Ovum (3) 15. Connected (6) 16. Cooked (6) 17. Glare (5) 18. Ill-fated (6) 22. Maiden name (3) 25. Revise accounts (5) 26. Staggers (5) 27. Old fable writer (5) 28. Child (3) 29. Gave in (5) 33. Benin chieftain (3)

SOLUTION on page 2

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