Presidency celebrates Buhari's visit to China

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Presidency celebrates Buhari’s visit to China •Lagos Metro Rail Service •Lagos/Abuja Expressway •But silent on Lagos/Calabar Rail Project

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari’s nearly one-week state visit to China was at the weekend being celebrated by the presidency for its success in potentially redirecting the Nigerian economy from an oil-dependent economy towards a diversified private sector driven economy.

The president it was claimed had as at yesterday garnered investments worth $6 billion (N1.18 trillion) in critical sectors such as transport infrastructure, power, mining, agriculture among others.

The assertion came in the wake of criticisms of the president’s visit particularly the request to the Chinese government

by Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State not to grant the president’s loan request for the $2.5 billion loan required for the Calabar to Lagos and the Kano to Lagos rail projects.

Affirming the visit a success yesterday, presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu said the president was satisfied “ with the outcome of his working visit to China, which has yielded additional investments in Nigeria exceeding $6 billion USD.” Shehu said that President Buhari believes that the several agreements concluded with the Chinese during the visit will have a huge and positive impact on key sectors of the Nigerian economy including power, solid minerals, agriculture, housing and rail transportation.

Lagos State could turn out to be the biggest beneficiary with an agreement for a $2.5 billion funding of the Red Line of the Lagos rail metro project. Officials of the Lagos State government, however, expressed ignorance of the project when contacted last night, especially as neither Governor Akinwunmi Ambode nor his representative was in the president’s travelling party.

Efforts to confirm the scope and the nature of the project from Mallam Shehu were also not successful last night as he could not be reached through his phone and an email to him had not received a response as at press time.

Besides the Lagos metro rail service, the visit

also helped to sign a deal for the construction of a direct express way between Lagos and Abuja. Giving an insight into the agreements reached with the Chinese, Shehu said last night: “In the power sector, North South Power Company Limited and Sinohydro Corporation Limited signed an agreement valued at $478,657,941.28 for the construction of 300 Mega Watts solar power in Shiriro, Niger State.

“In the solid minerals sector, Granite and Marble Nigeria Limited and Shanghai Shibang signed an agreement valued at $55 million for the construction and equipping of granite mining plant in Nigeria. “A total of $1 billion USD is to be invested in the development of a green field express way for AbujaIbadan-Lagos under an agreement reached by the Infrastructure Bank and Sinohydro Corporation Limited.

“For the housing sector, both companies also sealed a $250 million deal to develop an ultra modern 27-storey high-rise complex and a $2.5 billion agreement for the development of the Lagos Metro Rail Transit Red Line project. “Other agreements announced and signed during the visit include a $1 billion for the establishment of a Hi-tech industrial park in Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone in Igbesa, Ogun State.

“Furthermore, the Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone and CNG (Nigeria) Investment Limited also signed an agreement valued at $200million for the construction of two 500MT/ day float gas facilities.

“An agreement valued at $363 million for the establishment of a comprehensive farm and downstream industrial park in Kogi state was also announced at the NigeriaChina business forum.

“Other agreements undergoing negotiations include a $500 million project for the provision of television broadcast equipment and a $25 million facility for production of pre-paid smart meters between Mojec International Limited and Microstar Company Limited.

“About 100 Nigerian businesses and 300 Chinese firms participated in the Nigeria-China business forum which took place a day after Presi-

dent Buhari began his visit to China.”

Speaking at a reception in his honour by the Communist Party of China at Guangzhou, China, President Buhari said that Nigeria would welcome Chinese government facilitation of both private and Chinese government increased investment in Nigeria. The President said that Nigeria cannot continue to run mono-economy funded by oil.

“This time, we will be more deliberate. The government and businesses will be involved,” President Buhari said.

In his remarks, the Secretary of the Communist Party, who is also the Governor of the Guangdong Province, Mr. Hu Chinhua, pledged that the region will support the implementation of all the bilateral agreements reached with the Chinese government during President Buhari’s visit.

President Buhari also visited the Sino-Singapore Knowledge City in Guangzhou, which another statement by Mallam Garba Shehu on Friday said showcased advancements by China in medical, science and technological inventions.

*Fire out-break at Karimu Street, Kirikiri, Apapa, Lagos, yesterday.

Photos: Bunmi Azeez

*The house after the fire incident.

Oshiomhole is Edo messiah, says Benin Crown Prince HE Benin Crown thank-you visit to Gover- around to contradict foundation for democratT Prince, His Royal nor Oshiomhole in the some of the things I said ic process and democratHighness, Ambassador Government House, on that occasion, they ic development.

Eheneden Erediauwa, Edaiken of Uselu has described Governor Adams Oshiomhole as the messiah of Edo State who transformed the state capital to a modern city.

HRH Erediauwa who was accompanied by very senior palace chiefs on a

said, “the indefatigable Governor of Edo State, as I once said in an earlier occasion in Auchi, I also addressed him as the messiah of everything in Edo State. I have not seen anything to change my mind about that up till now.

Should anybody be

are please free to come out and challenge them, but I have not seen any challenger since.

“Let me find many ways to thank him for many things he has done for the State. He has introduced new concepts, as you know. Basically, he has laid a very strong

Fuel Crisis: Kirikiri burns, buildings, property destroyed curred when a tailor in the cy Management Authority, compound was trying to

By Prince Okafor

FUEL explosion yesterday rocked Karimu Street at kiri Kiri town in Lagos, resulting in fire that destroyed residential buildings and goods worth millions of naira. The explosion also affected part of the market opposite the police barrack.

The whole building of number 11 Karimu Street was completely burnt in the inferno that took firemen from Fagbem Petroleum Company, Techno oil, Swift oil and shop owners several hours to put off.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that the explosion oc-

light up the coal in his pressing iron, due to nonavailability of power, while the landlord had in his compound some kegs of petrol which he sold at black market rate.

While the tailor was blowing the coal to light up, a spark from the coal got in contact with the petrol that was being sold at the same time which caused an explosion.

Firemen from Fatgbem Petroleum Company, Techno oil, Swift oil were at the scene and battled for several hours to put out the fire and prevent it from spreading to the market.

The Lagos State Emergen-

LASEMA, later arrived at the scene with their vehicle while security men were on hand to control the crowd and allow firemen do their work.

One of the traders, who pleaded anonymity told Vanguard that the incidence took place around 4.15pm, when business at the market was at its peak.

Another trader who identified himself as Tosin, disclosed that, “I was just coming back from the market where I went to buy materials, only to meet my shop burning. I had to approach one of the firemen to assist me in recovering goods from my shop.”

The now popular oneman-one-vote which ought to have been since, he brought it to the fore.

Campaign against godfatherism as you also know, infrastructural development, trying to make Edo State the destination of choice for healthcare, roads, lighting, changing the concepts of the ancient Kingdom, the way it was once interpreted because of the darkness you see everywhere, and everybody thought ancient kingdom meant that because it was so dark, whereas they have forgotten the ancient about the historical part of it that the ancient kingdom meant because it was really ancient going back to the 12thCentury and beyond the 12th Century.

“But people started looking at Benin, the capital of Edo State, once the capital of Bendel, the capital of MidWest Region. They started to interpret literally as ancient in terms of dereliction.

6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016

‘My husband threw me out with children, owes me N.6m’ *Enjoys our jointly owned property with new wife

By Godwin Oghre

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N Otu-Jeremi High Court in Ughievwen judicial division, Ughelli South LGA, yesterday adjourned to the 25th of May 2016, a divorce suit instituted by a staff in the work department of Ethiope East LGA, Mr. Mudiaga Umujaigbe, against his wife, Mrs. Okiemute Mudiaga Umujaigbe, also a council staff in the administrative department of Ughelli North LGA, all in Delta State.

Mr. Umujaigbe, aged 41 has approached the court on the 19/11/2015, in suit number, HCG/11D/2015, asking the court to dissolve his ten years old marriage to his wife. In his statement of claim, he averred that, “My wife has kept suspecting me saying I want to use her to do money rituals. As such she no longer respects me. She gives me trouble every time and I no longer want her as my wife. This marriage has broken down irretrievably and I want this court to accordingly officially dissolve it.”

He was however not in court yesterday when the matter came up, a situation which prompted the presiding judge, Justice J.E Ikede, to frown, saying, “Why should a petitioner in a matter of this magnitude not be in court on a date fixed at his convenience, to prove his allegation against

Senate queries FIRS over N1.6 billion budget on retirees’ welfare package *Demands detailed breakdown of proposal, 2013 expenditure

*As agency budgets N700m for staff medical bills HE Senate Committee on Finance, yester day kicked against the appropriation of the his wife beyond reasonable doubt. sum of N1.6 billion by the Federal Inland ReveHe was the one who sued for nue Service FIRS as welfare package for its indivorce and he is the one who did tending retirees in 2016. not come to court,” warning that The amount, according to FIRS, is meant for its the petitioner must not fail to come annual event of recognising its retired staff explainto court on the next adjournment. ing that the event could not be held for two years His wife who, while responding, due to lack of fund. The committee also frowned at accepted the dissolution of the the N700 million budget for medical bills of staff marriage by the court, saying, “Projust as well as appropriation of over N16 billion earvided my husband could prove his marked as salaries of staff yet to be recruited. allegation against me. He has Speaking during a budget defence session with the moved to the visitors room and no FIRS, Chairman of the committee, John Enoh said longer sleeps with me. When I the welfare package was quite outrageous as the asked him he said he was doing Mr. Mudiaga Umujaigbe and his enstranged wife agency had never spent such an amount before. prayers and fasting, and To this end, he asked the FIRS to present the total that, again, he was no breakdown of the proposed expenditure as well longer ready for more submit details of what it spent last on its retired staff. children after the two we “We will need a presentation that explains some had together and another particular cases of variation,” he said. His action girl he had out of wedlock followed observation by members of the committee with another woman, *Two neighbouring buildings affected that the budget for the retired staff welfare was unfloor and hauled the strucBy Oghene Omonisa making the three children reasonable since the agency never spent such huge ture onto two neighbour- amount for that purpose. with us.” ing buildings, damaging HE top floor of a sto “Aside regularly beating ry building at No. 70 their roofs. The affected me with belt and wire cables, he has left the Ore-Ofe Street, Ijegun, buildings are on No. 72 responsibility of catering for Lagos was blown off by a Ore-Ofe Street and No. 6 the welfare of the children heavy storm in the early Joshua Street. However, HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission no life was lost and no into me alone. Most impor- hours of yesterday.

EFCC, yesterday told a Lagos State High Court Though the ground jury sustained. tantly, he did not wait for The occupant of the af- sitting at Igbosere that the embattled senior advocate of the suit to lapse before floor of the building was going ahead to re-marry. constructed with concrete fected apartment on No. Nigeria, Rickey Tarfa, SAN, lacks the locus standi to chalHe re-married another blocks, Saturday Van- 72 Ore-Ofe Street who lenge the prosecutorial power of the agency.

Justice Akintoye adjourned the matter to April 20 for woman on the 9th day of guard learned that the top did not want his name this month (April), in the floor was constructed with mentioned, told Saturday ruling. The commission said that all the objections raised catholic faith where both of planks and aluminium fit- Vanguard that he had in an application filed before the court, praying the court us wedded 10 years ago, tings, which housed a come out earlier when the to quash the charge against him were an after thought.

The embattled SAN, was docked before Justice A. A they were wedded by the church, God’s Love Evan- storm started, to observe same priests who wedded gelical Ministry, and a if there was any damage Akintoye on March 9, on a 27 count charge bordering on refusal to declare assets, offering gratification to a public us at first. He has thrown school, God’s Love around the premises.

He had only returned officer. At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, me and my children out of Schools, owned by the inside when the storm the EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo made this submisthe house when he owes church.

Some of the residents on blew parts of the destroyed sion while opposing the application to quash the charge me and my mother over N600, 000. He is now en- the ground floor told Sat- structure onto his roof, against Tarfa. Tarfa had earlier urged the court to quash joying with his new wife in urday Vanguard that they which crashed into his the charge against him, for lack of jurisdiction among the house and with the do- heard thundering sounds bedroom, while he was others . The counsel to the defendant, Anthony Idigbe mestic properties which at about 2am as the storm still inside the sitting SAN, argued that the EFCC could not be the complainant, the investigator and as well as the prosecutor. crashed against the top room. both of us jointly own.”

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Midnight storm blows off church, school

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Bribery: Tafar’s objection has no merit

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HRM, the Gbong Gwon Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba and his wife; Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, during the the 2016 Nzem Berom Festival in Jos yesterday.

Well-kitted Berom traditional dance troupe during the 2016 Nzem Berom Festival in Jos yesterday.

Court declines to stop Saraki’s CCT trial

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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HE Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Friday, failed to persuade the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to stop further hearing on the 13count criminal charge pending against him before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT. The high court, in a judgment that was delivered by Justice Abdul Kafarati, dismissed Saraki’s suit as grossly lacking in merit.

It held that the suit which was filed after the Supreme Court gave the CCT the nod to try the applicant, constituted an abuse of court process.

Stressing that none of the reliefs Saraki sought in his suit fell within the contemplation of section 4 of the 1999 constitution, as amended, Justice Kafarati, said he was convinced that the applicant was only bent on frustrating his trial before the CCT. “All the applicant is trying to do is to forestall the criminal process before the CCT”, the Judge held.

Besides, the court said the CCT has the constitutional powers to handle cases bordering on alleged false declaration of assets and breach of code of conduct by public officers.

Justice Kafarati observed that the tribunal had earlier ruled that it has the jurisdiction to try the defendant on the basis of the charge preferred against him by the Federal Government.

He said that granting Saraki’s prayer for the charge to be quashed, would amount to setting both the high court and the CCT on a collision course.

More so, the Judge said he could not interfere with constitutional powers of

the defendants to carry out their responsibilities.

“It is important to note that this case was filed after the applicant’s appeal against the tribunal was dismissed.

“This Originating Motion on notice constitutes an abuse of court process.

I am of the view that the case ought to be dismissed and it is accordingly dismissed.

“The Ist defendant’s preliminary object subsists and that is the judgment of this court”, Justice Kafarati held.

It will be recalled that the Judge had on March 22, disqualified himself from delivering the pending judgment owing to allegation that N2billion bribe was traced to his bank account.

Though Kafarati withdrew from the matter, however, the Chief Judge of the Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, subsequently ordered him to go ahead and deliver the judgment.

Specifically, Saraki had

through his lawyer, Dr. Kayode Oluyode, approached the high court, praying it to declare that the chairman of the CCT, Justice Danladi Umar is not fit to preside over his trial.

He told the court that Justice Umar is still being investigated by the EFCC over corruption allegations.

In his fundamental right enforcement suit, Saraki, said he would not be accorded fair-hearing by the tribunal, saying the charge against him was instigated by the EFCC. He argued that Justice Umar, in a bid to save himself from prosecution, would dance to the tune of the anti-graft agency which he said usurped the responsibility of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, by recommending his trial for an offence that was allegedly committed some years back.

Contrary to report that it was the CCB that identified discrepancies in four

assets declaration forms he submitted while in office as the governor of Kwara State between May 2003 and May 2011, Saraki, told the court that it was the EFCC that okayed him for prosecution before the CCT. He alleged that the criminal case against him was a product of a special task force that was set-up by the EFCC. “The EFCC took away the role of the CCB, then rushed the case before the CCT whose chairman it is investigating”, the Senate President insisted, saying the charge was in gross abuse of his fundamental right to fair hearing and justice.

Saying he was “denied the right to be heard before the case was referred to the CCT”, Saraki said it would amount to a violation of his right to fair hearing under section 36 of the 1999 constitution, as amended, for him to be compelled to face trial before a tribunal whose “impartiality and fairness cannot be guaranteed”.

Cultural festivals, veritable platforms to promote peace, unity— Lai Mohammed

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HE Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has described cultural festivals as veritable platforms to promote peace and unity, especially in a country like Nigeria which has a rich diversity.

The Minister made the remark in Jos, Plateau State, on Friday at the 2016 Nzem Berom Festival with the theme “A Cultural Brand for Unity, Peace and Progress”.

He commended the Plateau State Government and the Gbong Gwon Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, for reviving the Nzem Berom, which has not been held in the past eight years, saying

it is a strong message that peace has returned to Plateau State.

“The resuscitation of the festival, which heralds the rains and a bumper harvest, is a very powerful message to the world that peace is back to the Plateau, which remains a foremost home of Culture and Tourism. Culture, of which festival is a subset, is a strong instrument of unity, especially in a country with such a rich diversity as ours. When you understand a people’s culture, you respect them more, thus reducing the areas of friction.

“I have no doubt that with the good works of the

state government, the wisdom of His Royal Majesty and the commitment to peace by all the good people of Plateau, peace and tranquility will be sustained in this beautiful land,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

He expressed delight that the festival came at a time when the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, in collaborating with the British Council and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, is mapping all the creative arts and the various cultural festivals across the country, with the aim of bringing culture from the margins to the mainstream and creating a huge economy out of it.

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PDP will return to option A4 to elect its presidential candidate — Metuh Ben Agande, Abuja.

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S part of the reforms by the Peoples Democratic Party to reposition itself for the next elections, the party Friday said the election of its presidential candidate and others into elective office would be done from the ward level and not at one fell swoop national convention.

National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Olisa Metuh who disclosed this when he received the former chairman of the National Patriotic Party of Ghana, Peter Mac Manu at the party’snationalsecretariatsaidtheelectionswouldbedonethrough open balloting.

“We intend to elect our presidential candidate starting from Ward level. We are going to apply Option A4 in electing our presidential candidates. It is not going to be restricted to presidentialelectionbutotherslikegovernorship,senatorial,House of Representatives and all, everybody would be elected from the ward level.

“People would have to queue up behind the candidates of their choice. This proposed amendments have been sent to the state chapters for their inputs in line with our desire to have peoples opinion. “”We are going to change our system to be that our presidential candidate would be voted for by all party members in the country. It would be done at the ward level, we would no longer elect presidential candidate at the national convention.

It would now be for every party member to vote for whoever would be our presidential candidate. Whoever would vie for our presidential ticket, would have to tour the entire country before he can be elected. This is part of the reform we are coming up with. Basically, this would be the last convention where we would have people to be elected at the national convention. We are taking the party back to the Nigerian people” he said.

ABSU honours Theo Nkire

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BIA State University will today award Barrister Theo Nkire, the first Attorney General of Abia State an honorary doctorate degree in Law (LL.D Honoris Causa) at its convocation ceremony in Uturu. Nkire graduated with a Second Class degree in Law from the University of Lagos in 1978 and has been in practice for the past 37 years, including a six-year stint in New York where he handled mostly immigration issues.

His practices in Nigeria are more embracing.

Nkire after secondary education at Ihie High School and Government College, Umuahia, was a teacher and worked with Radio Nigeria in Kaduna and Jos as announcer and studio manager. He was the first lawyer that Radio Nigeria employed and he set up the Legal Department of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.

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Budget distortion: Fear grips NASS

*As members call for ceasefire with Presidency *Revealed: How top NASS messed up budget for Buhari *Project dichotomy saw NASS bigwigs getting N1.6 b projects *Chairmen of committee, N1.5b ordinary members, N200m each *House agrees to address areas of concern

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor, Ben Agande

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EAR has now gripped some top officials of the National Assembly over the revelation that they hijacked the budget sent in by President Muhammadu Buhari and used their positions to distort the fiscal document by allocating huge projectsworthbillionsofNaira tothemselvesundertheguise of working on the budget.

The affected influential lawmakers in the two chambers of the NASS, are said to be worried that the action they took to corner substantial amount of money in the budget, using the platform of ‘Constituency Projects’ has been punctured by the refusal of the president to sign the budget without the details.

It was also gathered that the HouseofRepresentativeshas agreed to address some of the concerns raised by the executive arm of government in the budget while some of the controversial allocations inserted into the budget by the principal officers for their constituencies would be redirected to finance other critical national projects.

The revelation has split the NASS into two factions, with one backing President MuhamaduBuhariwhilethe other, is frontally opposed to him and his administration.

The ‘strong men’ of the NASS are reported to have cornered projects worth N1.6 billion each, leaving another level of committee men with N1.5 billion each and a general sum of N200 million for the ‘average’ or common member of the legislature.

This plot, Saturday Vanguard gathered, boomeranged when some loyalists of President Buhari, who were privy to the scheming of the powerful cabal in the NASS to change the budget for their own selfish interest, alerted him of the plot and cautioned him not to sign the budget when it eventually comes.

The President’s loyalists, who felt slighted but still played along with the ‘rebels’ in the NASS,

ECOWAS: Committee on Enhancement of Parliament’s Power Submits Report

By Victoria Ojeme

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FTER exhaustive deliberations, the Ad-Hoc Com mittee on the Enhancement of Powers of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament finally submitted its report to the parliament on Friday.

The 16-member ad-hoc committee is chaired by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Sulaimon Lasun Yussuff.

In the report, the committee acknowledged that a great deal of work had been done in the area of enhancement of powers of the parliament during the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Legislatures which the present committee said it would build on.

The committee also considered the status of the enhancement process of the 3rd Legislature,expressing its wish to determine the precise situation of the draft Supplementary Act on Enhancement and any concerns there were to the proposals in the documents.

The most part of the report, is the aspect that touched on the failure of the 47th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government to sign the document on powers of parliament’s enhancement.

ExxonMobil launches academic excellence reward programme

By Sebastine Obasi

Ex-International and former captain of Super Eagles, Joseph Yobo and other dignitaries during the official presentation of a book “The Essentials of Beauty Therapy” authored by the wife of the president at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida promptly laid the antics of the cabals to the Presidency and it paid off even while Buhari was in far away Saudi Arabia at the time.

A Presidency source said that it was the tip-off by the loyalists in the NASS that informed Buhari’s insistence that he would study the budget approved by the NASS line by line, ministry by ministry before assenting to it.

Sources familiar with the development, told Saturday Vanguard that there was a serious rancour in the NASS over the disclosure that only a few members of the appropriation committees in the two chambers sat and decided on the budget and committed major distortions in the name of all the members.

Some of the lawmakers, who were left out of the budget ‘largesse’, are said to be ready to expose those involved to enable the Presidency sanction them as a deterrent to others.

One of the lawmakers, who cornered close to N2 billion projects for his constituency alone, is said to be worried about what steps Buhari might take against those involved in the budget distortions, in line with his

vow to punish those who padded it.

However, Saturday Vanguard learnt that given the uproar that had greeted the 2016 budget, the NASS leadership had warned all members to sheath the sword and await the return of President Buhari from China.

Oneofthekeyfunctionaries of the administration hinted Saturday Vanguard that no further action would be taken by the NASS until they hear from the President on the subject matter.

It was learnt that Buhari might sanction those found to have exploited the budget for their selfish interest at the expense of the national interest.

“We have decided to put everything on hold until the President returns from China. On our part, we have declared a ceasefire for now,” one lawmaker from the north, said on Friday.

House agrees to address areas of concern Meanwhile, following a meeting between the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President Muhammadu Buhari over the controversy generated on the details containedinthe2016budget, the House has now agreed to address some of the concerns raised by the executive arm of government in the budget.

It will be recalled that following the imbroglio generated by the budget, the House of Representatives at the end of its executive session on Wednesday directed the speaker to meet withthepresidentwithaview to finding a common ground on the budget in the interest of Nigerians.

According to a source in the

presidency, the meeting between the Speaker and the president over the budget took place on Wednesday night and had in attendance, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the Ministers of Finance as well as Budget andNationalPlanning,Kemi Adeosun and Senator Udoma Udoh Udoma and other key staff of the budget office.

The source who is privy to some of the decisions reached at the meeting told SaturdayVanguardthatapart from reaching an agreement to accommodate some of the concernsoftheexecutiveover the budget, it was agreed that the over N4billion allegedly single handedly inserted into the budget for various projects in the constituency of the chairman of the House committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jubrin, would be redirected to the financing of other more pressing national projects.

Another N3b illion allocated for projects in the speaker’s constituency would also be used to finance other critical national projects.

It was gathered that in order to placate the speaker, Hon. Abdulmumin had inserted the N3billion projects in the speaker’s constituency even when the speaker had expressly told himthathewasnotinterested in having such huge amount for his constituency in one single budget.

The source who declined to be named because he was notauthorizedtospeakonthe matter explained that the corrections expected to be carried out on the budget would be done at the committee level and would not necessarily have to go to the floor of the house again.

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UPILS who exhibit academic excellence now have cause to rejoice as oil giant, ExxonMobil launches its Academic Excellence Reward Programme for public primary schools in Akwa Ibom state.

The programme is aimed at supporting and encouraging academic pursuit by children in governmentowned primary schools by identifying those who are performing well and rewarding them.

Through this initiative, ExxonMobil is providing school bags with mathematical sets, pencil pouches, water bottles and exercise books to the best ten (10) academically performing pupils in each class from primary one to six across 85 schools. The selection was transparently done in conjunction with the State Ministry of Education and Akwa Ibom State Universal Basic Education Board.

Osoba, Amosun’s reconciliation not threat to PDP in Ogun — Party Chieftain

By Daud Olatunji, Abeokuta

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HE Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun state has said that the recent reconciliation of the two leaders of All Progressives Congress in the state, the sate governor , Senator Ibikunle Amosun and his estranged political godfather, former governor , Aremo Segun Osoba cannot prevent it from taking over the state from the All Progressives Congress in 2019.

The PDP Chieftain and a member of House of Representatives , representing Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo North , Oladipupo Adebutu who spoke with newsmen yesterday, shortly after he held an empowerment programme for some members of the party at Remo North local government, said the party has not lost any sleep over the coming back of Osoba into the APC.

Igbo APC calls for peaceful co-existence among ethnic nationalities in Lagos

By Dapo Akinrefon

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movement, New Igbo Vision in APC Lagos has called on Igbo people in Lagos State to re-establish the harmonious relationship that existed between them and their hosts in Lagos.

The group regretted the acrimony which created the impression that Ndigbo were at loggerheads with their hosts and other ethnic nationalities in Lagos.

Addressing a joint press conference in Lagos, the APC Publicity Secretary in Lagos and Eze Ndigbo in Lagos, Messrs Joe Igbokwe and Eze Uche Dimgba respectively, appealed to Igbos in Lagos “ who are passionate towards promoting progressive politics and the interest of Ndgbo to key in to this noble idea and join in rebuilding a badly damaged bridge that have hitherto contributed immensely to the huge and monumental successes Ndigbo have made in Lagos.”

10—SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016

Why sex makes

the world go round

By CHIOMA GABRIEL, Editor, Special Features

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ave you ever wondered why there is so much talk about sex in the 21st century? Everything about a life is linked to sex and the woman. She is a poet’s dream. An artist’s impression. The lyrics of a successful male musician. The dance steps of a skilled instrumentalist and a photographer’s imagination.

Her body is always dissected under the male purview.

It has often been said: Woman is a necessary evil; a desirable calamity and a domestic peril. Love her or hate her, you cannot simply do without her.

And you have often asked the question, what’s on a man’s mind?

In this 21st century, the world is awash with a pandemic of sexual issues and the popular media overemphasize scintillating topics as celebrity wardrobes, lifestyle of the rich, the famous and the infamous.

The fashion magazines are filled with who’s hot, sexy, sassy, sensual, stimulating and scintillating. The moralists are reading the hard newspapers and magazines with

fashion magazines of sexy, halfnude celebrities hidden in the centres.

It’s all about the woman and her body.

Fashion and celebrity magazines , known for its notoriously racy covers and highly sexualized content are high-selling and boast of high readership.

Sex is everywhere: Music videos, movies, reality shows, ads, online porn, prostitutes in video games. The more sexual content kids watch and listen to, the earlier they’re likely to have sex themselves.

Music, video games, and the Internet are also filled with sexually explicit, often-degrading messages that can shape kids’ attitudes about sex Sex is also reductive; it reduces humanity to something very basic, primal – the opposite, perhaps, of the civilised, social selves we present to the world. It’s about the relationship between the biological and the social, the animal and the human.

Sex is the id that pushes man to war.

This means that there is much potential for tragedy when it comes to sex. If it is the seat of our hidden, suppressed selves, it is by its very

nature where we are most vulnerable. The potential for disaster – for hurt, pain, exposure, suffering, guilt, shame, etc. is huge.

A research shows that teens’ main source of information about sex, dating and sexual health comes from what they see and hear in the media.

Experts say that the media can be an effective sex educator when it includes specific information on birth control methods and sexually transmitted diseases.

From many indications, teens think watching TV with a lot of sexual content influences their peers’ behaviour somewhat or a lot.

On average, music videos contain 93 sexual situations per hour, including 11 hard-core scenes depicting behaviour like intercourse and oral sex.

The current female teenager wants to be like Kylie Jenner and wears her pouts.

The Kardashians are the fastest selling reality show in the world and the twenty-first century young woman follows the Kardashian/ Jenner story like a religion.

Kim Kardashian or Kylie Jenner would break the internet any day.

And what is about them?

Sex. Hot sex enshrined in a family.

Cosmopolitan magazine has won several awards as the fastest selling glossy magazine .The magazine, and in particular its cover stories, have become increasingly sexually explicit in tone, and covers have models wearing revealing clothes. It was well known for sexual explicitness, with strong sexual language, male nudity and coverage of such subjects as rape.

The magazine currently features topics including sex, relationships, beauty, fashion and health.

Cosmopolitan has 64 international editions worldwide published in 35 languages with distribution in more than 100 countries making

Cosmopolitan the largestselling young women’s magazine in the world.

What keeps the magazine going was the sex talk.

Many strong magazines and newspapers across the globe have closed shop and others have ended up with only online publishing. They stopped doing well but magazines like Cosmopolitan and Playboy

Continues on page 11

SATURDAY Vanguard,

Sex and the man Continues from page 10 will continue to rule the world because of their contents.

Africa is not different. In Nigeria, the soft-sell magazines are the ultimate and men read them hidden inside the newspapers.

They stare on the half-naked bodies of Nollywood girls and fashion models while pretending to be reading the serious stories about politics and the economy. They watch online porn in their laptops and phones while they pretend to work on the serious stuff.

Sex and the girl child

Most thoughts about girls are all about sex. Girls often face pressures to engage in sexual activity.

Girls are more vulnerable than boys to the consequences of unprotected and premature sexual relations.

All the talk about sweet sixteen is about young girls and sex. The young men in their peer groups talk about girls, what they wear and their beautiful faces. When they see one, they size up her entire body features and get her enshrined in their minds to lust about later in the confines of their beds in the night.

From 1998 to the present time, the number of sexual scenes on TV has quadrupled. One in five children will be approached by a sexual predator online. 15-to 24-year-olds account for nearly half of all STD diagnoses each year. Watching a lot of sexual content on TV and listening to sexually explicit music lyrics increase the chances that a teen will have sex at an earlier age.

At a wedding reception in Enugu ten years ago, the new bride, a young female medical doctor was asked her greatest wish in marriage and she answered : ‘having children and having them all male’ Her disturbed uncle who gave her to the groom at the altar asked her,’what’s wrong with having a female child, you are female and so also your mother and sisters’.

She sighed before she answered,” it’s difficult being a female child and it’s difficult rearing them.’

She turned and looked at her shocked mother and continued: “ I saw the worry on her face each time our menstrual periods delay.

She made us her daughters show her the pad of our menstrual flow every time in the month. We showed her the blood-stained pad every day as young adults until we became completely independent. Some nights, I saw her sneak into the girls’ room to check on us, searching through our things as she walked on tip-toes. I saw the worry on her face each time things didn’tk go well with any of us her daughters. But I also realised that she didn’t feel the same way about her boys. When I asked her once, she said.’those are men, women will serve them’. I knew much is expected of a girl-child. I’m a busy person. I may not have the time to follow up on daughters if I have them. It’s difficult being female. It’s such a burden. So, I would rather have only boys.

“That is just a tip of it. Girls are mainly seen by guys as sex toys. As teenagers, you have to worry about guys grabbing you or touching you and that’s really nauseating most times. And I didn’t like the way my brothers handled their girlfriends. I don’t want a girl child. Men see women as objects of sexual

gratification and it is very wrong.”

Carol eventually had her three children, all boys through in vitro.

She had them carefully selected, had them fertilised outside with her husband’s sperm before inseminating them inside her womb. It was a costly method but she could afford that.

At a women fellowship forum in a popular pentecostal Church in Lagos, a woman lamented the challenges of training her three female children. As she testified and thanked God that at last all her three daughters had gotten married, she shared her story.

“It is not easy but God saw us through. It is these challenges that brought me to church.

Academically, my daughters had no problem because they always passed their exams. While sitting for JAMB, my daughters under the guise of attending JAMB lessons were using the opportunity to attend parties and visit their male friends. They were day students and were attending from home.

So, studying for JAMB was an opportunity for them to visit places they were not allowed to visit and do things that ordinarily, my husband and I would not tolerate.

“My husband eventually ended up allowing my daughters to bring home the men they were dating so we would follow them up and know who to blame when things go wrong. My first daughter eventually got impregnated by the man she

brought home and introduced to us and we had him marry her. That was how the three of them ended up marrying their boyfriends. Two are doing well in their relationship but one of my daughters is really in a bad bad marriage that we are praying that God turns things around.”

Sex and the man

Last year, a law-maker in the House of Assembly was the talkof-town among his people over his sexual scandals lately.

The lawmaker was allegedly pictured on Valentine’s Day with two runs girls and the source said he has been in the act of frolicking with these girls and often times assaults his wife whenever she confronted him The wife of this lawmaker at a time threatened to expose the sexual escapades of her husband with young girls in town but before she could actualise her threats, online media were agog with pictures of the lawmaker celebrating the year ’s Valentine’s Day with some teenage girls.

Mr Laurence Uchendu, school teacher said the trend in is becoming institutionalized. “ All men think about when they look at a woman is her body and sex. The ladies take advantage of the hunger in men’s eyes and seduce them. Even a little girl knows she looks attractive when she is wearing a new dress or a beautiful hair.

She’d start shaking her tiny waist

APRIL 16, 2016—11

to attract attention. I remember having to shave my little daughter’s new braids last Xmas and also stopped my daughters from braiding their hair. “ But looking at things critically, I think it’s all in the hormones. If you are a teenager, you are no stranger to the power of hormones. As a Biology teacher, I know that starting from as early as age 7 and 8, the body begins to produce the hormones that are responsible for the changes of puberty.

“Teenage hormones are the chemicals that cause the physical growth and sexual development that will carry you through your teens and into adulthood. As these substances take hold of your body, you’ll notice that your emotions, moods and sexual feelings are much stronger.

“Hormones affect your moods, emotions and impulses as well as your body. A lot of the mood swings that teens experience are caused by fluctuations in estrogen, progesterone and testosterone — the sex hormones. These same hormones will also affect the way you think about dating and sex.

Teens become much more interested in sex, sometimes to the point of obsession. You may find yourself attracted to other people in your peer group, even if you never dreamed that you’d think of them in a sexual way.

“It’s hard to feel that your body and mind are being controlled by the forces of nature instead of your own decisions. A lot of teens feel that the changes they’re experiencing are weird, freakish or unnatural, but in fact, almost everything that you go through during adolescence is a normal part of your development.

Chances are that if you’ve experienced a new urge or experimented with different behaviours, at least one adult in your life has been through the same thing”.

Looking at the situation, an experienced male journalist said that the essence of living is all about sex.

“You cannot avoid that talk. You have sex to have children. And soon, the children grow up and talk about meeting guys and babes because they too want to marry. And they start talking about sex.

A naked man does not attract attention but a woman in bikini would attract a thousand looks.

“Men go to wars over women and if you want to see a man’s greatest anger, go for his wife. There is something in a man that makes him want to kill and he would actually kill if you tamper with his woman. I was in Gambia for a programme and saw all kinds of women from Europe, old, middle-aged and not so young who came all the way to Gambia to look for younger men to catch fun with.

“You may call that the not too serious thing but that is what keeps the world moving. The world is all about sex and love and that’s what makes the world go round.

Whenever you see a lot of guys looking at one direction, there is a girl there attracting attention. A mighty man is reduced to nothing because of sex. Look at the story of Samson and Delilah and see how Delilah barbed Samson’s hair.”

Oftentimes, we hear old men call little girls wives. And ‘uncles’ ask little girls to come and sit on their laps. How many times have you heard your male visitors ask after your daughter with a leer? “ Oh is that Toyin? She has grown so much and beautiful, ehh? What

Continues from page 12

12—SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016

Continues from page 11 class are you now? That means that very soon, the suitors will start coming”, and he’s probably referring to a nine-year-old girl who just entered secondary school.

Why women fall in love easily

Somebody wanted to know why girls often fall in love and are too emotional in relationships that are meant to be just for fun and sex.

The nature of the girl child is emotional right from birth. She takes matters of the heart so serious.

As a child, parents buy her dolls and in these days of Barbie dolls, she learns to cuddle things, wash theirs clothes, bath her and she generally gets emotional to her.

She grows up that way learning to cuddle and be cuddled. She wants her things for herself. She wants wants her man to be exclusive. She knows she would one day marry and begin to rear children. Growing up, she often hears men calling her ‘wife’ and pretty even men that are old enough to be her grandfather.

She grows up knowing she has a huge responsibility of being a wife, mother and home maker.

“The sex matter has gotten out of hand,” says Tunmise, a legal practitioner.”The churches are not helpful. The church as a moulder of character and good behaviour has collapsed. Stories abound of pastors who ended up impregnating young girls who went to them for counseling and character molding. We all read the story of a 53-year-old pastor who reportedly impregnated 20 members of congregation claiming the Holy Spirit ordered him to have sex with them. The pastor was arrested for abusing the young girls and women at his Vineyard Ministry of the Holy Trinity. The pastor’s abusive behaviour was eventually reported to the police by his estranged wife who grew tired of his adulterous behaviour after he reportedly impregnated her young niece. You can imagine that kind of situation. Going to a church to seek a solution has become a problem. If the pastor doesn’t defraud you, he will sleep with your wife or impregnate your daughter. Pastors don’t preach holiness anymore. “

Sex and the scandal in the Church

Taking a cursory look at the sex-

Why women fall in love easily If the pastor doesn’t defraud you, he will sleep with your wife or impregnate your daughter. Pastors don’t preach holiness anymore drenched society , Pastor Adeleke Adesheri said the development is not new. “ The unregenerate does not give a damn about what he does and it has been like that for centuries. Sex is on his mind whenever he sees a female but this is not the same for a regenerated man. The Bible says don’t lust after her beauty and a man who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery. These days, women sleep next to their husbands using sex toys while men masturbate beside their wives. And God says he will judge adulterers Himself ”.

In one of his teachings, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy took on the issue of masturbation saying it is not sin. Severally, the pastor reiterated his stand on that issue thereby breeding confusion in the Christendom.

He also said the issue should not be regarded as his personal opinion but as a resolution from the Bible concerning it.

Pastor Chris, as he is popularly called, while reacting to more questions from members of the public who seemed to be confused about his teaching that masturbation is not a sin had said the act of masturbation in itself is not a sin against God but that Satan uses it to oppress people of God making them feel ineffective and inefficient in the things of God. He also said God is not offended by the practice but by any habit that takes hold of one’s mind.

But general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of

Nigeria, Pastor E. A. Adeboye soon took a swipe at him saying he was shocked at the revelation by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of the Believers Love World, a.k.a. Christ Embassy, that masturbation was not a sin but a habit.

Pastor Adeboye while addressing the ministers and workers of the church in Jos, north central Nigeria had said: “The pastor of Christ Embassy was quoted by the press as saying there is nothing wrong with masturbation. I want to tell you that everything is wrong with masturbation, it is a sin against God and against human nature. Anybody that practices it will go to hell and it is a bad habit you must not get involved as a Christian or as a pastor or worker in the Redeemed Christian Church of God! “It is a sin against God and your body is the temple of Holy Spirit. Masturbating is a way of defiling the body (1 Cor. 3:1618).”

He discouraged the members from such doctrine while admonishing them to be fervent with God and not to be carried away by every wind of doctrine.

Pastor Oyakhilome had said: “No matter how wrong you think this is in your mind, get this straight, in itself, it is not a sin against God. Satan uses it to oppress people of God, “making them feel ineffective and inefficient in the things of God.” He said for Christianity as a religion, this habit has nothing to do with God but a lot to do with the body of the person practicing it.

As expected of controversies, this generated mixed opinions with some supporting the controversial preacher’s position on the matter, while others think the pastor is wrong.

Sex and the scandal are one thing the church does not want to address. The church is living in denial and covering up the crap going on in the church.

Today’s church does not have the answers to the moral questions.

Indeed, the church has become part of the problem.

More scandals in the church

It is not only Pastor Oyakhilome that had a controversy over his sexual behaviour.

Sometime ago, a lady named Ese took to the social media with an allegation of her sexual relationship with a pastor of a popular pentecostal Church based in Abuja.

After making her serious allegation, nothing was said about the pastor ’s side of the story. Many felt she said the truth in her allegations.

But there is indeed a lot wrong with the church in Nigeria today.

Carnality had made the church its capital city. Pentecostal pastors compete with each other to accumulate wealth from the tithes and offering of their members who are being desperately exploited in many ways including making bogus claims about faith healing, paying dodgy characters to fake miracles on stage, making fuzzy pronouncements which they call prophecies, giving patients false reassurances and encouraging them to stop taking their medications with devastating consequences.

There is no end to what a twenty-first century pastor would do. Pastors have god-like statures and a cult-like following, which can overwhelm their naive members; and this often stops members from speaking out against sexual or psychological abuse. The story is not different in conventional churches like the Catholic church where some priests sexually abuse seminarians and church members just like in other orthodox churches. Indeed, sex is what makes today’s society go around.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016—13

FUEL CRISIS: Price hike looms, more hardship imminent

By Michael Eboh

N

igeria should brace up for more hardship, as the Federal Government’s decision to undertake a review of the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) next month, would certainly lead to an increase in the price of fuel.

This is due to the gradual rebound in the prices of crude oil in the international market.

When the review is concluded and a new price announced, it is expected that Nigerians would be made to pay between N95 and N110 for a litre of fuel, going by recent trend in the products pricing template of the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA. Signs of what to expect emerged this week, when the PPPRA pricing template for April 12, 2016, showed that the amount the Federal Government is currently paying as subsidy for fuel stood at N9.09 per litre.

This means that if the Federal Government was to hands-off subsidising the product and allow market forces determine the price, Nigerians would be made to pay a minimum of N95.09 to purchase a litre of petrol from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC) retail stations, and N95.74 per litre from other oil marketers.

The PPPRA had in the template put the Cost plus Freight of imported petrol at N74.83 per litres, with other cost elements hiking the landing cost of the product for marketers to N81.44 per litre. With distribution margins put at N14.30 per litre, the Expected Open Market price of the product rose to N95.74 per litre.

However, the Federal Government fixed the Ex-depot price, which is the price at which marketers purchase the products from depots, at N76.50 per litre, while the retail price was fixed at N86.50 per litre.

The price is expected to climb further, especially with the upward trend in the prices of crude, driven mainly by the fact that a deal is likely to be reached between OPEC and non-OPEC members on production freeze.

The meeting between OPEC and non-OPEC members is expected to hold in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday (tomorrow).

To this end, the hardship faced

by Nigerians would heighten, as the prices of goods and services would likely go up also. It is also important to note that the fuel

crisis would not go away when the price of fuel is increased, as it might even worsen, especially with the opposition to the planned increase.

However, if the country’s refineries come on stream and contribute significantly to fuel supply, the increase in price would be marginal. This is because a significant portion of the country’s daily fuel consumption would be supplied by the refineries, thereby, eliminating costs associated with importation of the product.

This, nevertheless, is a tall dream, as Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, had stated that even if the refineries were producing at optimal capacity, they would only be able to account for about 50 per cent of the country’s fuel

supply.

As it is today, the refineries are struggling to resume production at about 50 per cent of their installed capacity, while the challenges associated with the country’s pipeline network are yet to be addressed fully.

Therefore, to address the challenge of fuel supply as regards local refining, the NNPC had invited bids for the co-location of new refineries within the existing refineries’ complex. Nine companies indicated their willingness to build the refineries, from which the successful companies would be announced.

Chief Operating Officer (COO), Refineries of the NNPC, Mr. Anibo Kragha, said the open bidding was a demonstration of the

determination of the Federal Government and the NNPC to increase the nation’s refining capacity from 445,000 barrels per day to 650,000.

According to him, the aim is to leverage on the existing facilities to fast-track the take-off of the refineries as soon as possible, adding that a technical evaluation committee has been set up to study the bids and announce winners as soon as possible.

Analysts are of the view that unless the countries’ refineries work, while additional refineries are built to boost local fuel supply, the vagaries of the global crude oil market would continue to affect the country negatively.

Specifically, Professor Adeola Adenikinju, Director, Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law (CPEEL), University of Ibadan is of the view that for the country to solve its energy challenges, current emphasis on crude petroleum exports must stop and be replaced with seeing petroleum as source of energy and growth enabler.

He further called on the government develop a medium to long term strategies to anticipate developments in the oil market and also improve on the competitiveness of the economy and doing business conditions.

He also called on the government to promote vertical integration within the oil industry in order to develop a fully integrated economy that is able to generate jobs and development.

14 — SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016

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SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016 — 15

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16 —SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL16, 2016

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SATURDAY

Vanguard , APRIL 16, 2016—17

Puzzle over death of Police Inspector in Ebonyi

•Family petitions

coupled with alleged negligence from the police in Ishielu division. The petition signed by Okechukwu Nwaguma the National Coordinator of NOPRIN urged the IGP to investigate the hospital and the policemen in the division over the demise of the Inspector.

IGP, NOPRIN

Failure to carry out autopsy He said “ NOPRIN hereby requests the IGP to order an investigation to establish the actual cause of death including ascertaining the role of the ‘lorry driver’, the man presented as his ‘brother’, and why the DPO did not ensure an autopsy, but was more interested in seeing that the deceased was hurriedly buried. The other officers who were said to have been on duty with the Inspector when the ‘accident’ happened should also be required to say what they know. The Inspector was on the 27th February, referred to the Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki and the doctors said he needed a CT scan to ascertain if there was blood in his brain, but the Teaching Hospital didn’t have the CT scanner, and complained that he should have been brought earlier so that he could be stabilized. On February 28th he was taken to Enugu for the scan but he eventually died later that evening.

By Esther Onyegbula

T

he family of Police Inspector Michael Udoh Idiong attached to Ishielu Police Station, Ebonyi State Command, who was reportedly killed by a reckless lorry driver on February 19 this year has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase accusing the police and the hospital he was taken to of negligence leading to his death.

The incident reportedly happened after an unnamed lorry driver drove recklessly and ran over the middleaged Inspector while he was on duty with his colleagues. The driver was said to have been detained after the incident but family members to the deceased doubted the claim saying no one saw the suspect in police custody.

The family was also expressed disappointment with the reaction of the divisional police officer in-charge of the station to his wounded colleague after the incident.

No police representation during burial “The deceased Inspector’s wife requested the police to make the police ambulance available for her to convey her husband’s corpse home to Calabar, but the police said their ambulance was not in order. His children rallied and got an ambulance for N30, 000 to convey the remains, and the DPO hesitantly gave the wife the sum of N10, 000 but refused her request for a police escort to convey the corpse home. She had to accompany her husband’s corpse alone. The police also refused to carry out an autopsy on the body of the deceased Inspector who had served the Police Force for 33 years. The deceased Police Inspector was awaiting a promotion to the next rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) between March and April 2016.

Son of the deceased speaks Raymond Michael, the deceased Inspector’s son narrated how his father was allegedly killed to Crime Alert.

He said, “ At about 6am on the 19th of February, 2016, I saw a missed call from my father’s phone number but I did not immediately call back, hoping that he would call me again.

Shortly after, my mother called and told me that someone had also called her with her husband’s (my father’s) phone number and informed her that he had an accident the previous night, and asked if there was anyone in Ebonyi who could come and stay with him at the hospital, as he (the caller) wanted to leave the hospital.

Trip to Ebonyi from Calabar “My mother immediately left Calabar for Ebonyi and on getting to my father’s station- Ishielu Police Station, Ebonyi State Command she was taken to Maria Ines Hospital, Umuzoke - Ezillo Abakaliki, where my father was receiving treatment.

She met him unconscious, with plasters on his head and a deep cut on his hand. My mother inquired what happened to her husband and how it happened, but she was told ‘you should even thank your God you met him alive.”

At Ishielu Police station Raymond further stated that his mother approached the Divisional Police Officer of Ishielu Police Station and he told her that his father had an accident involving a 911 lorry, but failed to offer any explanation as to how the accident happened. He said; “My father regained some consciousness but, could not say what happened to him; he only managed to mumble few incomprehensible words, C M Y K

•Late Inspector Michael Udoh

not relating to what happened to him.

On the 22nd of February when the plaster on my father’s head was removed to dress the wound, my mother discovered that he had a stitched deep cut on the head.

DPO told my mother that the lorry driver was detained at the police station awaiting arraignment in court.”

Mr Raymond added that his late father did not receive the necessary medical attention and this led to his death.

Doctors at war “On the 25th of February, the doctor who had been attending to him took a day off and another doctor took over treatment. But when the first doctor resumed the next day, he complained that the second doctor and the nurses were not treating him according to his prescriptions in the patient’s file. The

Petitions IGP and NOPRIN The family has therefore petitioned the Inspector - General of Police through the Network For Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN) alleging that the Inspector died because of the shabby treatment he received from the hospital which they alleged lacked equipments such as oxygen, needed to sustain him

Cause of death still unknown “The injuries on the deceased Inspector’s head and hand were deep cuts, not bruises and were both stitched The family finds it curious how an accident with a lorry could just cause deep cuts on the head and hand. The police are yet to give the family any detailed, convincing and satisfactory explanation as to how the so-called accident that resulted to the death of their breadwinner happened.”

Unseen driver charged The petition further read “ The family learned that the Inspector was on night duty with his colleagues on that fateful night when the ‘accident’ happened .Before the Inspector’s corpse was conveyed from Ebonyi to Calabar, the DPO had on Monday, 29th February, told the Inspector’s wife that the lorry driver had been charged to court, although the family never had the opportunity to see him and ask him questions or to even hear from any of the other officers who were on duty with the Inspector.”

18—SATURDAY

Vanguard , APRIL 16, 2016

By Ifeanyi Okolie

A

64-year-old grandmother, Madam Mary Babalola, whose grandson, Oluwasun Babalola, aged 16 was killed after a gang of armed hoodlums invaded her shop at Idi-Araba area of Lagos State, has raised alarm that the suspected leader of the gang who is now in police net may come for other members of the family should the police fail to prosecute him.

How the attack was carried out The visibly worried grandmother who was still nursing the wounds she sustained during the attack told Crime Guard in her residence at Ilasamanja area of Lagos State that the arrested suspect, Wasiu Akinwande, a.k.a Oloriesho, in February 2015, led a gang of armed hoodlums to her shop, located at Aborishade, off IdiAraba area of the State, and they opened fire on her, her grandson and some other residents of the area. She explained that her grandson who was studying for his Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, SSCE, at the shop, was killed on the spot, while she sustained a bullet wound on her knee adding that another man opposite her shop, was also killed during the attack.

Killer of my grandson may come after the rest family; 64-year-old grandmother cries out he was killed during the attack until after nine months. They told me that he was shot on his head during the attack and his corpse was found under a bus close to my shop. All this while I have prayed and waited for justice for my grandson and I am glad that the man who led the attack has been arrested. I am a poor woman but I hope the governor and the Commissioner of police will ensure I get justice.” She pleaded

How I heard news of my grandson’s death “After the incident, I asked after my grand son and I was told he was fine. Nobody told me C M Y K

Recruitment and exploits The source further revealed that Oloriesho and his gang were recruited

Hunt for the leader of the gang Crime Guard gathered that before his arrest, operatives at the D9 section of the State Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos, trailed Oloriesho to his hideout at Mosalashi Street, in Mushin area of the State where there was a shoot out

Appeals to Gov. Ambode and CP Lagos While calling on the Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode and the State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, to ensure that the killers of her son pay for their crimes, Babalola said she has been bedridden since the incident occurred. “I can’t walk any more. The bullet shattered the bones on my knees and since I left the hospital, I have been bedridden.” She stated.

Flash back Giving a vivid account of the attack, Madam Babalola Said; “I was in my shop with my grandson who was studying for his SSCE exams at about 7: pm, when the hoodlums attacked the area. I saw Oloriesho in front with a silver pistol and I did n’t know who he was because I haven’t set eyes on him before.

The next was sound of gunshots and there was confusion everywhere. While I tried to run, I fell and discovered that I have been shot. When the boys left, people around that area came to rescue me and took me to the hospital.

between the operatives and some hoodlums who attempted to prevent policemen from arresting the suspect.

Police sources revealed that Oloriesho, has been on the police wanted list for long following several gang- related killings and other violent crimes around Mushin and its environs

•Suspect

•Late Oluwasun

in 2009 by a faction of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, which was involved in a battle of supremacy against their opponents and that Oloriesho and his gang had carried out several killings around Toll gate, Idi-Oro, New Balogun, Ogunjobi and Railway areas of Mushin before his arrest. His alleged criminal record, according to sources, showed that five members of his gang were arrested by the SCID operatives in January 2016 and an Ak47 belonging to the police which was snatched from a policeman murdered at Daleko area of Isolo, Lagos, was recovered from the suspect. The source further revealed that since his arrest, there have been no news of violent clashes or killings within Mushin area and to make sure they achieve a lasting peace in the area, the operatives went all out for Olorisho because he was the leader of the gang that had been terrorizing Mushin and its environs in Lagos.

•The wounded grandma – Madam Babalola

SATURDAY

Vanguard , APRIL 16, 2016—19

y o b u g u n E w o H e l c n u s i h d e p p a kidn

By Ifeanyi Okolie

O

n Saturday April 2, 2016, four armed men stormed the country home of a Liverpool-based octogenarian, Chief Edwin Chime, at Obinagu Town in Udi area of Enugu State and abducted him. The gunmen, who were armed with three locally made guns, whisked him away in an Audi 80 saloon car to an unknown destination.

24-hours after his abduction, his kidnappers, contacted his wife and demanded a N200 million ransom. The amount was subsequently reduced to N500, 000 and the 92-year-old man was released, 48 hours after it was paid to the kidnappers.

Miffed by the news of the octogenarian, who is based at the United Kingdom, the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, was said to have reportedly deployed operatives of his Special Intelligence Response Team, SIRT, to Enugu State to assist the State Commissioner of Police, Ekechukwu Nwodibo, in tracking down the kidnappers.

Crime Guard gathered that the SIRT operatives, on arriving Enugu State, went after users of the mobile phone which was used for in the ransom negotiation and they ended up apprehending three of the suspects, including one of the octogenarian's nephews , who organized the kidnap.

Sources disclosed that the suspects, identified as, Chinonso Onyebuchi, Chukwudi Azemenei and Collins Chime, were arrested separately by the operatives at Nnsuka, Enugu and Udi areas of the State. Onyebuchi, who is 28 years old, was described as the leader of the gang and ransom negotiator, Azemene, 22, was said to be the one who picked the ransom from the drop point, while Chime, 20, provided information and initiated the kidnap. A source, who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that the three suspects were arrested less than eight hours after they released their victim, and the sum of N170, 000 was recovered from them. The source added that one other member of the gang, identified as Ifeanyi is still at large.

When Vanguard interviewed the suspects, Chime disclosed that his uncle’s refusal to give him money to start off a business, was the reason he gave him out to kidnappers. Chime explained that the victim is his father’s elder C M Y K

•kidnap suspects, Chinonso, Chukwudi and Collins

brother and he approached him in January 2016, to give him some money but he did not.

“My uncle is based in Liverpool, United Kingdom. He came home in December for the holidays and I approached him and told him that I needed money to start a small business. He gave me N5,000 to go back to Lagos and join my cousins who are hustling there. I took the money but I wasn’t happy with what he told me because I wanted to go the university and I needed a small business to support myself while in school but my uncle didn't reason with me. Last month I was at Four Conner in Enugu to see one of my friends known as Coutonu, but while I met him, one of his friends, Chinonso showed up and while we discussed he told me that he was into kidnapping and he would like to recruit me if I could get him people to kidnap for ransom. Because of the money I was looking for I accepted his offer and told him that there was a woman in my town in Udi, known

as Odele, whose children were very rich and my Uncle who just returned from the Uk. Chinonso told me not to worry that he was going to take care of the business. Four days after our first meeting, Chinonso met me in Udi and he came along with Chukwudi and one Ifeanyi. They also brought an Audi car. I don’t know how they got the car. We proceeded first to Odele’s house and we didn’t find the woman in the house, from there we went to my Uncle’s house and we abducted him. He was taken to Chinonso village in Obiagu Town in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State. I didn’t go with them the first day, but I joined them later the next day. I was the one who fed my uncle but I was putting on a mask so he could not see my face.

We treated him fine. We also bought him his drugs. Chinonso was the one doing the negotiation and when the ransom was paid, Chukwudi picked it up at Four Conner Junction and I was given N50, 000 as my share. Chinonso, said that I was a small boy and new

in the business and that was why he gave me that amount. I had spent just N5,000 from the money when the police came and arrested me. I feel very bad, getting myself into this. I wish my uncle would forgive me. “ he pleaded Chinonso, told Crime Guard that this was his first kidnapping operation. He explained that he did car snatching but he decided to venture into kidnapping because he learnt it was less risky. “ I am a native of Obiagwu in Agwu Local Government area of Enugu State.

This is my first kidnapping operation. I ventured into it because Collins told me he had rich people who could get us good money. I met Collins Last month, through one of my friends know has Coutonu. He told me that Collins was his boy and he normally assist him to convey stolen cars to the destination he wanted. Collins on his part told me that after they had snatched a vehicle, they would tie the owner of the vehicle and dump him in a bush and would release him when they are successful with the crossing of the vehicle. Then he told that there was a rich woman in his area and one of his uncles that his based in the Uk and he would want us to kidnap them and raise some money. I contacted Chukwudi, he is my classmate in secondary school and he gave me a number of a guy, Ifeanyi, whom he met at the Ikoyi Prisons in Lagos State. When I met Ifeanyi, he suggested we got a car for the job and we went to Umunede in Delta State and we snatched the Audi saloon car from the owner. We drove down to Udi, we didn’t meet our target at the first place he took us to but we kidnapped a man at the second house we went to. The man was kept in my family house in Awgu and when the ransom was paid I got N112000 as my share and I spent all of it on drinks and women. I also lodged in a hotel before I was arrested. “ The Enugu State, Commissioner of Police, who paraded the suspects before newsmen said the arrest of the suspected kidnappers was made through a careful operation following a tip-off by some public spirited individuals in the state.

Nwodibo noted that two notorious gangs of kidnappers were rounded up by the police, explaining that the first syndicate led by Etim Amos of Abiakpo Ibo Road, Ikot Ekpene was behind the kidnapping of Mr John Abugu at GRA, Enugu; Mrs. Jane Ekweremadu and Mr Brooks Okwara at Agric Bank Junction, Independence Layout Enugu as well as Mrs Sandra Onu at New Haven, Enugu. .

20—SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016

Quota system and the Menace of Mediocrity

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uota system is a blight.

When it sits besides apostles of change and receives no contempt , no scorn, it undermines the authenticity of their message. It may have been necessary to glue a loose aggregation after independence.

Since at that infancy, peace and all inclusive participation were so indispensable justice could be kept in abeyance. There was no nation then. 56 years after independence, justice and fair play cannot remain onlookers. 56 years is enough time for political toilet training and teething. We haven’t fallen apart though we have sometimes bitten more than what Rwanda couldn’t chew . We will fall apart if we stagnate. The balm of prosperity has kept blisters soothed. But after the demise of oil, we will have to earn it. The cronyism that our quota system promotes fuels theft in public service. Easy prosperity induces prodigality and becomes a curse.

Exclusionary politics did Rwanda in. But that isn’t really our malady despite echoes of Biafra. When hunger seizes the land, the convulsions will be catastrophic.

We should be a nation now.

Federal character is indeed divisiveness. And if we are intent on change, then it has to be more than nail polish.

Corruption is endemic because

•Nigerian Defence Academy

It’s bad that people get in with inferior scores, it’s an abomination that they are promoted on state basis!

the moral foundation is soggy. Our political culture breeds and rewards indolence. The legitimation of arbitrariness and sectionalism is located in the adoption of quota system and federal character principle. If the National Defence Academy takes comparatively inferior candidates because some kind of balance must exist in the officers cadre in our military then we are never at our best.

We can no longer justify the trade offs. We can’t continue to pretend to unity. Quota system has outlived all usefulness. We can’t imagine a national football team so constituted. Politics is not football. But isn’t it outrageous that Army generals are promoted on states’ quota basis? It’s more than just injustice, it’s deliberate inefficiency. It’s enough that federating units are self governing and contributing representatives to the national assembly equitably. That ensures full democratic representation. That forecloses the political exclusion of any state. The machinery of federal government cannot

be held captive by parochial considerations forever. In the face of fierce global competition, we are on a self-destruct mode. When the public service is top heavy with mediocrity, mediocrity gangs up and banishes excellence.

Examinations may not be ideal but they are not stupid.

Justifications for affirmative programs lie in the argument that because of poor social conditions and lack of opportunity, the scores of the candidates from a certain afflicted group may not be a true reflection of their mental abilities.

True for blacks in America, false for any state in Nigeria. Different cut off marks for different states for admissions into national institutions in this country is grave injustice. Promotions and career progressions tied to states’ quotas are ludicrous. No state in Nigeria has suffered any chronic bondage or structural disadvantages. The degree of permeation of western education in the north is poor but it’s largely self -inflicted. 50 years is enough time to dismantle the socio cultural impediments to access to qualitative education.

The brand of political elitism in northern Nigeria is a scourge. The ruled are blindfolded. It is truly unfortunate but we cannot incentivize malicious opportunistic politics.

The other plausible justificatory argument is that the society is better if all groups are allowed participation in important sectors of the society. This argument is perhaps relevant where some groups have found themselves excluded from full political participation. Women and disabled persons should therefore be the only beneficiaries of quota system in Nigeria. The irony in Nigeria is that sections of the country that have benefited from quota system are same sections that have dominated control of important levers of government.

The Nigerian military is a case study. Or you may take the federal judiciary. Take the Police if you like. Quota system and its sister, federal character, carry the perfidy from the lowest rungs to the zenith of all federal careers. It’s bad that people get in with inferior scores, it’s an abomination that they are promoted on state basis! In many

places entry thresholds are deliberately made so watery.

Inclusiveness is good but these arbitrary privileges breed tension, cynicism and inefficiency. And they reinforce negative stereotypes about mental handicap.

Since ethnic rivalry is high, a culture of intense and healthy competition could have been entrenched. Excellence is mocked when it doesn’t confer priority. And to imagine that those who for instance dominate the law school exams do not dominate headship of the supreme court is absurd. It’s a travesty. Once lowered, the bars remain lowered everywhere. The polity aspires to nothing, mundanity rules. In politics as in civil service. In style as in substance. It’s mediocrity every where you go. Even political speech-writing is not spared.

When nothing is original you would expect a bit of poetry or ornamental prose. Parliaments were known for verbal flamboyance and political insights. Our legislative houses are peopled with those whose craftsmanship is unscrupulousness. They are too preoccupied with skullduggery to be insightful, too hardened by crude brinksmanship for style or distinction. Government houses in states drip with insipidity . The quality of decisions in our courts speak of our tragedy and perhaps hopelessness.

The central bank recently decided to take nepotism to new levels. Quota system opened the window, standards have been thrown out. The police have a chance at reformation with proposed recruitment of 10,000.

We have more than 10,000 young smart unemployed and poorly employed graduates. But quota system won’t allow the bar to be set high. Illiterate tipper drivers will jump in with forged school certificate results and be recruited.

Change that tolerates quota system based on state of origin is flimsy and perhaps hypocritical.

The poorest of the poor need efficiency in public service. Quota system and federal character are not in their overall interest. This change doesn’t need a leap of faith.

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CALABAR-LAGOS RAIL PROJECT

The proposed routes for the planned Calabar-Lagos rail line and all the cities that will benefit from the planned train project if eventually accommodated in the 2016 budget. Rail system boosts development.

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SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016 — 21

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he Vanguard Newspapers held its annual Personality of the Year awards last Friday at the Eko Hotel. It was a big, glitzy affair. Maybe it had more of the ‘big’ than of the ‘glitz’ because at a point, you had a feeling that the hall was too small for the guests streaming in. Two hours after the show was supposed to have started, some expatriates found themselves stranded without seats. An ambassador sitting next to me said by way of explanation that they were diplomats. I retorted by wondering why diplomats should be two hours late for any event! While one should say that the timing and seating arrangements could be improved upon, one should perhaps also add humorously, that these are some of the Nigerian traits that have refused the ‘change agenda’. I should confirm however, that three of the four people conferred with the ‘Lifetime Awards’ were there by six. The culprits were the governors. Some came three hours after the show was supposed to have started and still expected to be recognised! And they came with a retinue that not only disrupted ‘the flow of the show’ but made seating arrangements difficult.

A particular Governor from the Northeast whose state has been ravaged by Boko Harm came with such a large retinue that it became a subject of debate on our table of veteran journalists. One suggested that he would have had to charter a commercial plane to bring them all down. Another raised the issue of accommodation while a third joked about the ‘ester –codes and mary-codes’ that would leave the state’s meagre coffers. What applied to this Governor applied to the other governors who received their awards that night since they probably all came with a retinue of over 50 people each to receive their awards. Many of these governors have financial challenges.

Many cannot pay workers’ salaries due to dwindling revenue. Yet they have refused to moderate their lavish lifestyles. You do not need a retinue of three score people to follow you to receive an award, one of many at that.

Unfortunately, financial discipline and prudent management of scarce resources are far from the lexicon of our political leaders. If ever there was a time

titbits2012@yahoo.com

Money as a coward to prune the political hangers-on It is also my belief that sitting governors and make every penny work should not be recipients. After all, it is productively, it is now. never over until it is over. All too often, As to be expected, the narratives some recipients have become subjects of of the various awardees were EFCC investigation after leaving office. impressive. You don’t get to be And it takes something from the chosen for an award in a country credibility of an award when past of over one hundred and sixty awardees turn out to be stained by fraud million people without some and corruption. We all know how many achievement. What was not erstwhile bankers and governors have expected is that over 80% of them been de-robed and de-mystified after had been in politics or in public receiving countless awards. Finally, it office at some point in their careers. would help for the sake of transparency, And almost all of them are super if the yardsticks for choosing the rich. While I am not suggesting any awardees were spelt out. Then we would know why humble but nexus between political achieving people in private office and super wealth, lives don’t qualify. those responsible for the Two of the four governors awards should also not give who got the awards singled the impression that wealth out their colleague from Bornu and political office are part There is State as most deserving of the criteria for qualifying more to because of the security for the personality awards.

There must be men and politics than challenges of the state. The third recipient, his counterpart women somewhere who stealing from Gombe State, however have distinguished insinuated that Chibok girls’ themselves in the sciences, public kidnap could have been humanities and other resources avoided with a little bit of proprofessions who have never activeness. In his interview held public office but whose quiet achievements merit published in the Friday edition of Personality of the Year Awards. The Vanguard, he said Boko Haram used to Vanguard panel should seek them send advanced warning in those days out. Too often in Nigeria, even in and it would have been Gombe girls if the churches and mosques, we give he had not acted quickly in evacuating undue approval to wealth the girls within six hours of receiving the irrespective of how it is gotten. It warning. Did Governor Shettima receive is as if wealth, righteousness and an advanced warning and did not act achievement must go together. It quickly enough? is my belief that integrity and high What interested me however, was moral standing must rank high in Governor Kassim Shettima’s analysis of deciding the recipient of an award. what probably led to the insurgency in

B

ereavement refers to the period of mourning and grief following the death of a loved one. The origin of the word bereavement appropriately describes how many people feel about it: “to rob” or “to seize by violence.” How else do you describe a situation where the cold hand of death unexpectedly and inexplicably snatches a loved one? Unfortunately, this is one robbery you are helpless about. You scarcely know when the robber comes and even if you know, there is nothing law enforcement agents can do about it. It simply comes and rips your beloved from you.

There is this common saying that For many people bereavement comes “another man head na garawa.” with shock, denial, grief, anger, Many sympathizers simply do not acceptance and facing the harsh reality know what bereaved people go of the death of a loved one. Reactions through. They cannot imagine the are influenced by various factors. For pain and the trauma, neither can instance, Muslims seem to manage the they appreciate the nothingness loss better than Christians. The burial and emptiness bereaved people is swift and there is this feeling of Allah feel. Many simply add to the giveth, Allah taketh. Whether the grief bereaved person’s pain and grief and pain are suppressed, I do not know, with their choice of words: “It’s not but on the surface, Muslims seem to the end of the world,” “at least you fare better. still have other children,” “ you Age is also a major factor. While the have other siblings,” “ you are still loss of a loved one is painful, it is young (meaning you can remarry)” celebration when a person dies at a “at least, your mother was old” and “ripe old age,” but a loved one dying other such callous and insensitive in his/her prime or “before his time” statements. leaves the bereaved bewildered and For instance, even if a parent has inconsolable. Other factors that one million children, they tickle influence the bereaved reaction are him/her differently. One might be personal beliefs, inner strength and because of his great wisdom, closeness to the deceased; the cause of another because she is very caring, death and whether the death was the other might be the financial sudden or expected. backbone and yet another is the Bereavement has two dimensions, the parents’ confidant. The death of actual loss and the symbolic loss. When any of the children leaves a void old people die, the bereaved only feel in the parent’s life; each child is the actual loss, but with younger people simply irreplaceable. and people in their prime, you feel both If you are not adept at consoling the actual loss and symbolic loss. The bereaved people, it is better you symbolic loss is your thoughts on what come, stay for while and simply could have been if the loved one had say, “Accept my sympathy” and go not died, which makes the death all the away. Or simply visit the bereaved, more traumatizing. stay with him/her for some time,

Bereavement

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depending on your closeness, and tell him/her you are leaving and will be back. Consoling a bereaved person is one of the few occasions when less is better; the fewer words you say the better. The bereaved is not in any mood for long sermons anyway. He/she is lost in his/her world.

Many people experience death of a loved one before appreciating the enormity of what has been befalling other people. When you visit them to pay your condolence, you hear such statements as:”Na so this thing be?” “Is this what you went through?” It is at such times they realize they had been too nonchalant or insensitive to other bereaved people in the past. When you lose a loved unexpectedly, the pain you feel, the invisible fire that burns in you is like a foretaste of hell. It is not something people should trifle with.

Time, money and distance constrain people, but you should be concerned in whatever way possible and convenient (sometimes you inconvenience yourself) when people close to you are bereaved: phone calls, text messages, mails, visits, participating in the burial, providing support (financial, material and moral), etc. Bereaved people need it. Do not just be aloof. Sooner or later, you too will be at the receiving end. The inevitability of death means that everybody is going to

the first place. “This country is a country of two nations,” he admitted in a published interview in the same Vanguard edition. “The south is much more prosperous due to its investments on education. The son of a certified pauper can become an icon through education. Meanwhile all the secondary schools in Bornu and Yobe states are not up to the number of schools in Ibadan metropolis alone. We need to wake up from our slumber in the north and live up to our expectations. There is more to politics than stealing public resources.

“Secondly, most families have three to five children in the south but in the north, there is massive procreation without responsibility. Without being disrespectful to their line of duty, in the north, a clerk, cook or driver who earns 25,000 naira per month, will marry four wives and have 30 children.

He doesn’t care where the next meal will come from. So with desertification, illiteracy, unemployment, e.t.c, these are the recipe for disaster”.

When he was asked if Modu Sheriff, his predecessor left 67 billion cash he replied “it is partly true, but it is equally tragic in the sense that there is more to leadership than stockpiling funds in the banks. If Sheriff had invested half of what he stockpiled in agriculture, believe me, this madness would not have happened. Leadership is about development. The funds are meant for the people, not for banks.

But what I really want to take away is what Dankwambo, an accountant and the Governor of Gombe gave as part of the reasons for the poverty in the North-East. “By our location, there is fear and a lot of temptations on the people not to invest. An investor uses money and money is a coward. It doesn’t go to places where there is fear. Nigeria itself must understand that nobody will come because there are lots of uncertainties in the decisions and business plans we make for investors. If I invest money, I should be able to take back two to three times what I invest. I don’t think we have that type of template, not only in Gombe but in Nigeria as a whole.”

Hmmn! Food for thought and time to look at our template again. be bereaved at some point.

Death seems so distant and far in between when people are younger, but as they get older, it becomes a regular companion: loved ones, friends, colleagues, neighbours, church members, acquaintances, relatives. It just goes on and on. The truth is we either met everyone around us or they met us; therefore, we would either leave them or they would leave us. We should therefore savour and cherish everyone in our lives and be the best we can ever be for them.

Bereavement has two healers: time and death. Over time, depending on internal and external factors, the pain and grief wear off, or the bereaved dies (physically or emotionally) of pain and grief as we sometimes see among very close couples.

The Bible tells us not to mourn like those who have no hope. I know and believe, but looking at death as a strictly earthly affair, I am yet to see any other situation as hopeless and irreversible as death; the helplessness you feel is indescribable. Somebody you once shared a part of your life with lies motionless and there is nothing you can do about it. The only consolation for humans, beyond a better life hereafter, is that your legacies outlive you and a great man remains great even in death. So when some people rejoice and celebrate the death of a fellow human being, I laugh.

If he was greater than you while alive, he remains greater than you even in death. The only advantage the living has is that, you are alive and can strive to attain a greater life. But your own death is somewhere around a corner you do not even know. Shouldn’t you be more concerned about your legacies and the eternity that awaits you?

22—SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL16, 2016 It would appear that the one and only Jagaban, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State and Asiwaju of the Yorubas committed a slight faux pas in his public upbraid of Ibe Kachikwu’s utterances about not being a magician. Of course, the Minister of State for Petroleum,Dr Kachikwu is nothing of the sort as we all know, including the President, Commanderin-Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of Petroleum Resources who appointed him faultlessly to the position, in the first place.

Kachikwu himself need not have reminded anybody as such, especially the millions of impatient compatriots from whom he has no right, but every reason, to demand some measure of patience in the stifling circumstance of petrol starvation—that is what the populace consider it to be, not scarcity.

And they want the man who is in charge to “perform”, if not magic, then some appreciable stuff far from promising time limits that are like magic of which he later confesses a deficiency to accomplish. However, it is clear that the gentleman was under a thundering pressure, the like to which he had obviously never been subjected. But he would now have realized, as a public servant in such a high position, that it “comes with the territory”. All that could have been adequately explained by the Asiwaju to the minister in a personable fashion, instead of upbraiding him publicly in that angry manner.

In the alternative, the former governor might have adopted the ruse of employing the services of friends to deliver his rather harsh message, if he thought it was all that necessary. One suspects that is what Kachikwu has probably done through one of his friends and associates from the tone and timbre of the ripostes that have been lodged to Tinubu’s bilge. But there is a hidden danger here in the excessive concern of those who are forever poised to wail more than the bereaved. Nothing would delight some members of the Peoples Democratic Party than being able to create a fissure within the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, as it is today. Specifically, a fall-out between President Muhammadu Buhari and Asiwaju Tinubu would be catastrophic to the political existence of the Federal Government and its constituents.

But what could be sweeter to the lips of the “opposition”?

Anyway, the long queues seem to have grown shorter at the petrol stations, though the prices still range between one hundred and one hundred and forty naira per litre.

That is still very unhealthy. The entire episode of the recent petrol scarcity tells an unpleasant story about our security situation. In a circumstance presided over by law and order, as we sometimes deceive ours to be, no petrol station can openly sell its wares above the regulated price. Neither could one find the products on sale away from the stations at exorbitant prices

aspects of change under the unwavering gaze of policemen. Nor would policemen, especially in uniform, become participators in the hoarding and distribution of the illicit products, as was rampant within the fuel stations.

Not only within the circumstances of the filling stations, but also in every aspect of our petrol industry has corruption, naked corruption, taken over the reins of conduct. The situation of the NNPC, the heart of them all, has undoubtedly become a story of integrated malfeasance in the discharge of its functions. The effort to equally make it a history should come with the “unbundling” —even if the word has been withdrawn, it is the act that matters —in the shredding of the infernal coalition that has virtually turned the god-given blessing into a man-made curse. It was a cesspool in which many unclean elements waddle to the detriment of the whole nation.

But when Kachikwu mentioned, or was accused of mentioning, that the entire rotten structure would be “unbundled”,phiam! He found himself thrust before the inquisitors of the legislature. That was enough to make anyone lose track of the time projection he was making about a delicate proposition like the oil situation in Nigeria.

Consider it for a moment: here we have the sixth, or is it fifth, oil producing nation in the entire world, and it could not produce sufficient or ready supply for its own use; it had to import the crude product which it had produced, because it refused to refine it since it had made its refineries ineffective through a studied process of desuetude; so that it had to pay itself into debt from circumstances that otherwise had made others extremely wealthy. Can you imagine that? If you had read it in a book, you would say, of course, it could only happen in a novel. But fiction has come to life here and employment is scarce; some of the

•Dr Ibe Kachikwu jobs that are available cannot fulfil their regular wages, while the cost of every material has gone through the ceiling. But Kachikwu cannot say “unbundle”, if he can say it in other words.

So here we find ourselves borrowing money—from the ends of the earth. China must be offering incense before the statutes of Buddha for bringing Nigeria to Beijing, cap in hand, and almost on its knees, to ask for a “facility” to shore up our deficit budget. Think of, for how long China would have been longing to have Nigeria in its massive arms.

Now, the 2016 budget could actually be called several names: it was missing and was found; it was “padded” and then “deflated” of some capital projects; so many

important heads have rolled for its survival. And because of its massive reliance on borrowing, a major controversy has erupted, cascading its progress through those massive gates of Aso Rock to the law courts.

But even more interesting, the Minister of Finance has taken to writing articles in connection with it. It is the third she has now penned, by her own meticulous count— and it is the foremost accountant of the realm counting, so she must be correct.

However, why all this fuss about a “deficit budget”? Bill Clinton is the only American president who has not

appropriation. The devious roles of the committees in orchestrating the face-off between the legislature and the presidency is particularly regrettable.

But as one former senator reminded this correspondent, it is nothing new.

Political Editor

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The budget war

he budget war between the presidency and the legislative branches of the Federal Government may have panicked many political stakeholders; especially partisans of the All Progressives Congress, APC. The fact that the two branches of government are wholly controlled by the party would indicate a measure of laxity on the part of the party in its control of its members.

That the National Assembly and the presidency would go into open warfare to project their claims of propriety on the budget would indicate a lack of consensus in the party hierarchy on its manifesto.

It is not as if budget fights are anything new.

Since the advent of the Fourth Republic spats over the budget had become a recurring decimal in the relationships between the National Assembly and the presidency. In fact, it was believed by some that after the pitched battles between the National Assembly and the Goodluck Jonathan administration that nothing worse could have come. But now, the APC has seemingly put a lie to that.

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The fights of the Jonathan administration were, however, notably concealed by the tact and tenacity of the administration’s legislative liaison, Senator Joy Emodi. The House of Representatives in that period was especially trenchant, and there were times when the legislators were said to have gone on retreats in hotels in the quieter areas of Abuja, notably in the Maitama area to plot against the administration. In the midst of their plotting, the legislators were often amazed to find Mrs. Emodi strolling into their midst to disarm them.

It is a pity that the present administration has not constituted an adequate response team to navigate its ideas in the parliament. Even its leg man in the Senate, Senator Ita Enang, a former senator who ordinarily should be able to navigate all issues is, however, challenged by local politics.

He is one of the leading critics of the former governor of the state who incidentally is the leader of the opposition in the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

That is, however, not to remove the insidious role of the Senate and House committees on

Stopping truancy in the House of Representatives It was apt that a member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Asabe Villitas brought a motion last Thursday on the second anniversary of the bestial kidnap of more than 200 female students from a government school in Chibok, Borno State to the floor.

Reflective of the solemn anniversary, Speaker Yakubu Dogara and some members donned red fez caps depicting the fate of the 219 missing girls.

Provocative comments were also made by some members, most memorably, Nnena Ukeje, Onyemachi Mrakpor, Abdussamad Dasuki among others.

However, the sombreness of the occasion was seriously defiled by the general indifference by nearly everyone else that did not speak on that occasion. The chamber was not just less than a quarter of the members present.

As concerned members spoke on the issue some with passion, most of the other members could be seen chatting in groups, laughing and some walking about lackadaisically. As the debate on the motion progressed the whip repeatedly sought to quieten the noise that emanated from the indifferent legislators. It is a serious indictment of

operated under one in recent history. And you will remember that what he did was to gather together what you might call the “stakeholders”, at the beginning of his administration—much like our own President Muhammadu Buhari too did.

Though it would seem it was not exactly for the same purpose, since it was not supposed to achieve the same result. But, there seems to be nothing too lifethreatening to a nation about a deficit budget which means, basically, that there would not be enough funds to cater for the proposed needs of the nation, without having access to a loan from some sure and steady source. The indications are that we shall have the necessary access to the facility in China.

But, some people who are not directly involved in the law-making, or lawenforcement process in the country, are against any borrowing at all. They maintain that the money which had been purloined from our treasuries is simply enough. They would encourage the Federal Government to heighten the processes of recovering the purloined assets, as it is doing, or else face the music of a legal deterrent. Although only one of the senior barristers has come out to declare such intentions, there is a suggestion of more blowing in the wind.

If that happens, it will be part of the change that we should expect. Never in our history has any citizen taken the government—any government, federal or state—to court over budget matters. Is it good for the well-being of the nation? Was that a part of what we desired when “we, the people” tabled out our aspirations? Of course, we have to expect a justification of our “trivet” system of government and hope that any of the legislative, executive or judicial “leg” of government would cover up for the other in our favour wherever there was a default.

The homecoming of Buhari from China promises to be full of interesting times in some areas. Lying in wait for him was the Budget he would not sign until every proper aspect was in place, and there waiting for him, or his Minister of Finance, rather, may be a juicy court case that is the first of its kind.

That, too, is change.

Time out. the chamber which at one time portrayed itself as the conscience of the people of Nigeria.

Given the seriousness with which some other legislative houses in the world including the United States Congress have taken the cause of the Chibok girls, it is rather lamentable that the majority of Nigerian legislators have yet to show passion and pain on the issue. But kudos to those legislators who identified with our missing girls on that day.

Dalung’s dangerous dive into football politics Almost every concerned stakeholder is now having to question the propriety of the appointment of Mr. Solomon Dalung as the minister of sports given concerns that he may dip our football and other sports to the point of irrelevance. His actions in the House of Football have been particularly suspicious. When the minister called stakeholders to a “peace” meeting between Mr. Amaju Pinnick and Mr. Chris Giwa, many people smelt a rat given the fact that nearly everyone with the notable exceptions of Giwa and perhaps Dalung had put the schemes of the former administration to foist Giwa on the Football Federation behind. Pinnick, whether you like him or not, had been officially recognised as the president of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF. The fact that Giwa is from Dalung’s Plateau State has not helped matters. Mr. Dalung should be seen to act above board in keeping the NFF united.

SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016—23

F

or some time now Nigeria hasbeen experiencinga wobbly energy infrastructure in terms of power generation and distribution.Theconsequence of this unsteady critical infrastructure is that we have perennially become a potentially great nation; having the capacity to develop or succeedfor decades.

The world looked up to Nigeria that has become a potential giant from the continent of Africa, with her vast natural and human endowments. Today we are not in the club of great nationsbecausewe have not been able to utilizeourinnate releasing mechanisms to stimulate instinctive behaviours.

We have not been successful in making the most of the potential energy to generate electric power for needed socioeconomic development.We traversed energy sources from hydro tofossil fuels.

In the early 2000s we embarked on grandiose electric generating projects with virtually no provisions for gas supplies to power generating plants.

Some generating plants were sited in areas not close to gas sources.

Pipelines were connected to power plants but for unknown reasons became vulnerable and vandals' havens. The result was some generating capacity without corresponding distributing capacity. It is inexplicable that Nigeria of the 21st century cannot generate and distributeup to 5000 megawatts of electric power from petroleum, save for security which can be addressed if we are serious.

With insufficient powerand relying on western technology and global warming crusadewe are becomingenervated, restiveand restless,and contemplating alternatives. Renewable energy sources are solar, wind, biomass, biofuel, geothermal and hydropower. We have comparative and competitive advantages in known conventional energy sources as fossil fuels of coal, oil and gas. Nigeria is now touting and palavering about nuclear energy for electricity while some countries have started phasing them completely.

Nations that acquired nuclear energy

Nuclear Nigeria, potential Nigeria facilities have varied stories to tell.

Nuclear energy economic safety and labour problems are reasons for shutdowns in the United States. France has cancelled several planned nuclear reactors and has replaced aging nuclear plants with environmentally safer fossil fuel plants.

Germany announced a planned phase out of nuclear energy in 1998.In Italy a 2011 referendum rejected the 2009 legislation setting up arrangements to generate 25 percent of electricity from nuclear power and bringing new nuclear plants to a halt. This was a fallout of the April 26, 1986 Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the present day Ukraine (defunct Soviet Union).

As a frontline state againstapartheid, Nigeria established the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commision (NAEC) for the

Expertswarnthat with proliferation of nuclear energy in relation to medical technology, geochemistry, mineral explorationand petrochemical analysesterrorists may in the near future use nuclear devices to launch dare-devil attacks

national nuclear energy programme implementation with nuclear research centres at Zaria and Ile Ife in 1976. We did not progress beyondthe 30 Kw Chinese miniature neutron source research reactor commissioned in Zaria in2004 .

The nuclear programme was in response to fears thatthe defunct apartheid regime had acquiredweapons of mass destruction including biological, chemical and nuclear weapons.

Heralding majority rule, South Africa dismantled the nuclear weapons, making her the first nation to have done so.

President Buhari early April 1, 2016 at therecently concluded Nuclear Security Summit in Washington pressed for Nigeria's nuclear energy development for her energy needs.In March he eagerly welcomedthe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Yukiya Amanoand his agency's support for Nigeria's 1000 MW nuclear facility expandable to 4000 MW. One believes that liquid fossil fuel energy source especially natural gas is cheaper in all ramifications. High construction costs, strict building and operating regulations, and high cost for waste disposal make nuclear power plants much more expensive to build and operate than plants that burn fossil fuels.It cost even more to decommissionnuclear plants when they cease to be productive and wastes are very serious contributors to pollution.

If we may embark on this mission all

G

od is a very present help in time of trouble (Ps. 46:1). He is the solution to both known and unknown troubles. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

He is Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent. That means He is all knowing, all powerful and everywhere at the same time. What a wonderful God you have at your disposal. I prophesy that this God will help you in this remaining three months mightily.

All over the world things are failing.

The best that men can offer has not been able to change things. The truth is that man cannot change the situation. How can you change a situation when you are not the solution? Only the unchangeable changer can change and right whatever is wrong. The wisdom of men is nothing compared to the wisdom of God. “The foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Cor. 1:25). The only one that can help you out of every situation is God. Hear me well, man cannot help you. The man that you are looking up to, to help you also needs help.

Psalm 60:9-12 says, “Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me into Edom? Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? And thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies? Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for He it is that shall tread down our enemies”. Only God can thread down your enemies.

Remember, He is all powerful, all knowing and everywhere at the same time. He is limitless. He knows all about the situation and knows how to bring about the solution.

Jesus told His disciples to feed the multitudes but the disciples said it was not C M Y K

God will help you (II) possible because they were in the desert and the amount of money in their disposal was nothing to write home about. Yet Jesus said to them to go and look even though He already knows what to do. Finally they came to Him and said all they could get was five loaves of bread and two fish and concluded by saying but then what are these among so many. Jesus response was simple. He took them and gave thanks and told the people to sit down and feed them. At the end there were twelve baskets of leftovers from the little that was placed in the hands of Jesus. Do you need help? No matter the trouble, He is more than willing to help you. He promised to make a way of escape out of the challenges and He surely will.

Again, I repeat Ps. 60:11-12. It says, give us help from trouble: for vain is

the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for He it is that shall tread down our enemies. In 2 Chron. 20, the enemies came against Jehoshaphat to battle. The enemies were more in numbers, stronger and well prepared for battle. It seems as though there was no way out for them. Fear came upon the people. Jehoshaphat did not call upon his army. He looked up to God for help because vain is the help of man.

He trusted in God to help them out.

He looked up to the hills from whence cometh his help. He refused to trust in chariot and horses. God in response to Jehoshaphat’s confidence in Him was to help him out. He told Jehoshaphat where the enemies camped and followed them to the battle after assuring them that the battle is the Lord’s and not their own. All Jehoshaphat did was

For more details, contact us at Christ Reality Church, beside Gossard Hotel, opposite First Bank Sports Ground, Community Road, Satellite Town or P.O.Box, 3196, Yaba Lagos. Tel: 08023062635, 08168955932; 08033378769.

E-mail: johnson_cr m@yahoo.com.

Website: www.christrealityministries.org. Our account details are Pastor Johnson Omomadia, Guaranty Trust Bank, A/C Nos. 0005171407; Christ Reality Ministries, Zenith Bank A/C 1011711622.

Worship with us on Sundays, 1st Service: 7.45 am – 9:15am; 2nd service 9:15 – 11:30am. Wednesday World Revelation 6pm. Counseling days Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. 11Am – 5pm daily or by appointment.

Showers of blessing every 2nd - 4th Sat. of each month 6 a.m – 7.15am.

stakeholders involved from the conception to commissioning including NAEC leadership and two host communities proposedin two states must be kept intact.We learnt that since appraisal teams visited in 2009, no follow ups have been made to any site. Nigeria is supposed to have actualized the Nuclear Programme infrastructure between 2006 and 2017.

One may wish to advise on the dangers and fears expressed by industrialised nations that have nuclear power.

Chernobyl was the worst power plant accident and won't be inhabited for at least 20,000 years.The battle to contain the contamination and avert a catastrophe involved 500,000 workers and cost about 18 billion rubles(1RUB =USD29.97) 1986 conversion rate.

The fourth and finalNuclear Security Summit of April 1, 2016 initiated by President Barack Obama for52 world leadersand four international organisationscommuniqué cautioned on the security of nuclear materials, facilities and the preventionof nuclear terrorism.

China which is the country with the fastest growth in nuclear power is using nuclear energy to bridge the gap in their energy supply, and address the challenges posed by climate change.

China put her nuclear energy development on hold after the March 11,2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.

Expertswarnthat with proliferation of nuclear energy in relation to medical technology, geochemistry, mineral explorationand petrochemical analysesterrorists may in the near future use nuclear devices to launch dare-devil attacks.Top priority should be given to nuclear security toprevent terrorists from using the internet to attack nuclear facilities.

Let us understand what Glenn Seaborg a 20th century chemist said that: People must understand that science is inherently neither a potential for good nor for evil. It is a potential to be harnessed by man to do his bidding. Let us have a plan out to stop being a potential Nigeria. to seek God’s face and began to sing praises. This doesn’t make sense but then the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.

The bible says that as they sang God set ambushment in the camp of the enemies and they began to kill themselves until they were all dead leaving behind multiple blessings for Jehoshaphat and his people to possess.

What do you trust on? Your job, bank account balance, contacts, business, parents etc. These can only offer you a temporary help that will eventually fail.

Put your trust absolutely in God, for He is the one that can thread down all your enemies just as He did for Jehoshaphat. I release grace upon you now to receive help from God. God bless and help our great nation Nigeria.

Have you given your life to Jesus? If not, please pray this prayer. Father, I come to you as I am. I invite Jesus into my life to be my personal Lord and Saviour. Wash me cleanse with the blood of Jesus and empower me with the power of your Holy Spirit. Thank you Father for saving my soul and making me your child.

24 — SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016 Edited by Ayo Onikoyi 08052201215

Some artistes don’t know they are stealing —Ruby Gyang

BY KEHINDE AJOSE

C

hocolate City act, Ruby Gyang didn’t get on the gravy train of entertainment by taking the elevator, she took the stairs, step by step, before she had fame beaming her way. She might have been super successful with her cover of Adele’s Hello and had a landmark career feat on singing on the same stage with Africa’s legendary singer Youssou N’dour but no one will fail to acknowledge that Ruby has something of greatness in her DNA.

•Ruby Gyang

Her Journey from Jos to Lagos Ruby didn’t have a road all cut out for her. she had to get up from her comfort zone to find her own road and travelled it all the way alone, not knowing what laid at the end of the rainbow.

“Jos is a slow-pace town compared to Lagos, so moving to Lagos was a total culture shock for me” she began her story. “ I felt like I was in a totally different country. It was nothing like what I had experienced before. When I came to Lagos, I alighted at this place called Obanikoro. There were a lot of people there and a lot of noise. Living in Lagos was at first tough. What I came here to do motivated me to adapt and acclimatize. Now, I am almost considering myself a Lagosian” she recounted.

First performance in Lagos According to her, living in Lagos has never been easy but her dream saw her through. After series of ups and downs, she got her first break and it was an invitation to perform at a place called Taruwa. With a sense of exhilarating nostalgia she recalls the experience: “My performance was in a place called Taruwa. It is known as the hub of other genres of music that are not pop. It was an Acapella performance and the reception was nice. My first major performance was at Industry Nite. Industry Nite is for pop artistes. I performed one of my songs titled Okay. It is a slow song. I had released it a year before. As I was singing, I noticed that people where singing the song in the crowd. I couldn’t believe it. Omawunmi was there. By the time I was done, the applause was great. For me, that showed me that there is a place for me in the industry. I might not be able to go everywhere the way Wizkid, Davido or Yemi Alade would, just because of their genre of music. But there are people who want to hear my kind of music and we need to keep on pushing it. For me, that was like a sign from heaven saying: “Girl, you are in the right place - do it”.

On Adele’s Hello British singer, Adele, stormed the entertainment world with the lead single, Hello, from her third studio album ‘23’ last year. It was a smashing effort from the singer after three years of silence and its fever caught on with almost every singer across the world that many singers tried to do their own cover of the song.

Ruby Gyang, like many in Nigeria, was not left out.

“Adele had been away for three years and the first week of her return, she had millions of reviews on her song. We haven’t heard from her in years and she just showed up and changed the game. That is a true star.

That is a super star. When I was doing the cover I was nervous because Adele’s voice is just perfect. I said: “I love this song and I just have to do the cover.” I didn’t listen to it much, but when I recorded it, I voiced it a

C M Y K

lot of times because I just had to get it right. When I knew I had imbibed the song was when I did it and made it my own. I knew that the song had become a part of me” she said.

Was she shocked by the acceptance of her effort on the cover?

“I wasn’t shocked. I was only informed more” she replied. “ I realized that here in Nigeria, we don’t understand the concept of cover songs. People think you should not sing other peoples' song but your own. I grew up listening to a lot of soul music.

It’s common for another soul singer to sing a soul singer’s song. Singing it and adding their own flavour to it. For me, that’s like the highest praise you could give an artiste. You cover a song when it touches you and it’s like you are honouring the artiste who did the song originally” Her take on relationships “I read the bible a lot and there is a passage that says two cannot work together except they agree.

You need to have shared values and common beliefs.

That is what determines how you treat people. Your view on relationships and your view on life. Kindness and humor, the ability to laugh is absolutely important to me. Life is hard, so having someone you can laugh with is absolutely important. The ability to have good conversations is also key for me.” she said.

Unlike many of her peers, Ruby doesn’t believe in money or looks in a relationship. She told Showtime Celebrity what her options are in this regard: “For me it’s more about how rich you are in your heart because money can leave. If he looks like Idris Elba it will help, but seriously though, I think that if I can love the person’s heart, it doesn’t matter how they look really. Looks fade, so I look more at the permanent things: Your heart and your mind, those are the things that matter more to me.

On the recurring controversies rocking the industry “When there are two people in a room there is bound to be controversies. I am happy that people are speaking out how they feel” she says. “ My CEO, M.I, has come under lots of attacks. He is always the kind of guy that believes in peace. He also speaks out and says you cannot always be quiet. If you are going to say something, you need to understand that I also have the right to reply. You can’t just throw damaging words and think you can just walk off. I think we are going to see a lot more of these controversies. The industry is becoming more sophisticated. We are going to see a lot more than that. I just hope that people will be classy and be smart about their remarks. Because what you put out there is going to stay out there. They just need to be mindful of what they say”.

However, the singer shares the opinion of some Nigerians who believe some of the controversies were engineered for personal interests.

“Some are orchestrated, some are not” she says. “ In showbiz, 90 percent of the things we do are not true, except for the music. A lot of stuff are fabricated. Stars are created. The smart ones use the controversies to move their careers forward.

On having a child for Jesse Jagz For me, I think a lot of writing has been very tabloidlike. It’s catchy when you refer to someone as another person’s baby-mama. For me, I see myself as a single mother who happens to have a child with an artiste. I have grown beyond that actually. It’s annoying because I

•R

SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016 — 25

am a very talented artiste and a great performer, but that is just what they focus on. I have just stopped focusing on it. I say to myself: “You know what?

People are going to write what they like. They will eventually be tired of it, may be after I win my Grammy”. My mum worked in the media, so I understand how the media works.

How she reacts to sarcastic comments on social media?

I ignore them because some people can be very rude. You can’t just hide behind a phone and expect to be treated well. Some are just offensive that I just block them off. Just as you have a right to say how you feel, I also have a right to block you. I don’t have to listen to your nonsense.

Ruby Gyang

Her take on female artistes who flaunt their sex appeals?

It pays. It’s real.

Sex sells. I am not saying I am for it, but I understand why they do it. I don’t do that because the focus of my brand is my talent. I am lucky in that regard because I can sing. The pop world is tough and they have to find ways to move. I understand why.

I am not going to shy away from being sensual, but I can’t do a bikini.

Her experience performing alongside Yousoou N’dour?

Youssou N’dour is a master. I never thought I was going to be able to perform with him. A dear friend of mine arranged it.

She said “Ruby, an event is coming up and they are looking for someone who can sing with Youssou Ndour. Even if they tell you to sing for free, go for free. I will pay you to do it.” So I went there and I did it. She happened to be in the front and she was just crying. For me, the best part was after he performed, he had a series of performances and said my performance with him was the best. I felt good. I didn’t get to meet him before the performance, I just rehearsed with the band. We did the song together and I remember watching that video when I was eight years old, years back on TV. What new projects are you working on?

I am working on my EP titled This is love.

This is love basically talks about love and relationships. It starts out with love for people and eventually loving yourself. It’s a material a lot of people can relate to, because it’s about love and relationships.

Why the fascination for love?

First, I am a hopeless romantic. I like the idea of love. I think that it’s just universal. Being someone who is a lover at heart and obsessed with the idea of relationships, It’s just natural for me to sing about it.

Accusations of plagiarism has been rife in the industry. What do you think about these accusations?

Some artistes don’t know they are stealing because there is no set rules or laws, I think the first way to deal with it is to educate people about publishing and copyright laws. People don’t know about these things.

How does M.I inspire you?

What is more inspirational than the story of a boy who came from Jos with just a dream. Now he is the CEO of Chocolate City, one of the biggest indigenous labels in the continent. What’s more inspirational than that? Being the CEO of an indigenous record label at the age of 34 is a success story. He didn’t do anything illegal. He just had sheer determination, passion for work and that belief in his dream.

Got Talent winners and judges

Agoha, El-levite, MC Pato dazzle at Christians Got Talent show

By Kehinde Ajose and Tofarati Ige

S

ecular singer turned gospel artiste, John Agoha; gospel artiste, El-Levite, and comedian, MC Pato, turned on style as headliners at the Easter Sunday’s Christians Got Talent show, powered by the Flaming Sword Ministry, Lewis Street, Lagos.

After some ministrations and comic intermissions by MC Pato, who cracked some hilarious jokes, El-Levite mounted the stage to deliver inspiring gospel songs that set a blissful tone for the day. Both contestants and the audience were then subjected to Agoha’s motivational session which was as stirring as it was exhilarating.

The singer showed the streak of a pastor as he ministered with such energetic dexterity that would make the •Agoha likes of Paul Adefarasin go green with envy before performing his hit single ‘Jehova’ The highpoint of the event was when a dance group, Chosen S t e p p e r s , emerged as the winner of competition.

Chosen Steppers is a dance group comprising of teenagers who are gifted dancers. They gave a theatrical performance of a •MC Pato song titled ‘Break Every Chain.’ An extremely talented singer,

Emex, attained the second position, while a teenage comedian, Super D, took the third position.

The initiator of Christians Got Talent, Dr. (Mrs.) Jackson, said that the event was borne out of the fact that Christians need a platform to showcase their talent. According to her, "Most of the time, non-Christians and Christians get mixed up. I believe there is need for us as Christians to have a strong fold. Christians should hold on to their qualities and talents, and also be proud of who they are. Everybody needs a start. Everybody needs an opportunity.

These young people don’t even have the self esteem to appear on television. Christians Got Talent is a platform to help groom these young talents. We should be proud of our Christian talents. Many of them started from the church. We want to give them the platform to be able to exhibit their talents."

One of the judges at the event, popular music act, John Agoha, practically stole the show with his performance and inspirational message to the contestants.

He revealed to them what they should expect in the entertainment industry, and how to prepare for the best in their career.

Other judges •El-Levite in attendance include Funmi Jehoshaphet, CEO of Gbengsman Music, Gbenga Adebajo, Gospel Reggae artiste, Hillary Ogbuaju, aka El-Levite, John Agoha, among others.

Other contestants at the event include Funmi Odetola, Flip Beats, Johnson, Godly Mimi, Baba Ara Sax, David, aka Super D, Samuel, Ebun, among others.

C M Y K

26—SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016

By KEHINDE AJOSE 08054680266

Harrysong serenading Gov Ohiomhole and wife

Rita Dominic

Nollywood celebrities speak on Vanguard Awards T

he Vanguard Personality of the Year Awards, which held penultimate Friday night, at the Eko Hotel and Suites, saw dignitaries from all walks of life in attendance. Entertainment celebrities were not left out. They turned out in their elegant and glamorous outfits to grace the event. The entertainers who were all excited to be at the event took turns on the red carpet posing for the cameras. These are what they said about the event:

By Juliet Ebirim & Iyabo Aina

•The event was a great one and I had a nice time

– Rita Dominic Speaking about the event, Nollywood actress, Rita Dominic, who stepped out looking as stylish and classy as ever in a sexy black outfit, said the award ceremony was commendable. “I like what Vanguard does. Though I’m used to attending award platforms for entertainers and artistes, coming out of that box to attend this has shown that Nigerians are trying and that people are doing well in their various fields. The event was a great one and I had a nice time.

next year.”

well done.”

•It’s avenue for us to know what the government has for us – Doris Simeon

•I’m using this medium to call on the president to help alleviate sufferings of the masses – Cossy Orjiakor

Pretty screen diva, Doris Simeon, commended the organisers while advocating for a platform where the masses can meet with leaders. “The award is a very good one and it’s also an avenue for us to know what the government has for us. I would like a platform like this to be created where we can say our minds. I really commend the organisers for a work

As usual, voluptuous actress, Cossy Orjiakor, who was also present, didn’t disappoint. She turned up in a black net gown that struggled to hold her boobs in place. “The award is really nice. I want to appreciate Uncle Sam for his continued efforts. I also commend the recipients. But I want to say that even though our president is

*The recipients should go back and do more —Imelda J.

•I hope to be here again next year again

– Ejiro Okurame On her part, beautiful thespian, Ejiro Okurame, said “I’m glad to be part of this edition. Vanguard is a prestigious national daily that has impacted greatly on the country.

The award is very credible because they take out time to choose the best. The recipients have really laboured tirelessly for this country. I also thank Uncle Sam, the publisher - it’s not easy for someone of his age to put an event of this magnitude together. It’s a nice award and I hope to be here again C M Y K

dealing with corrupt politicians, the truth is that things are really tough and the poor masses are suffering because they are affected most. I’m using this medium to call on the president to help alleviate the sufferings of the masses,” she said.

•Chizzy Alichi

•Doris Simeon

Pretty singer, Imelda J, also gave her impression about the event. In her words: “ I’m highly impressed and for the award recipients, it was a well deserved honour. Like Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state said, it’s a challenge. So the recipients should go back and do more. It will also motivate others to work harder.

The award is therefore both a challenge and an honour.”

Other movie stars in attendance include Jude Orhiorha, Kehinde Bankole, Mary Lazarus, Tamara Eteimo, Mercy MCJoe, Ijeoma Imoh, Bukky Fagbuyi, Jadesola, Princes Chineke, Ruth Eze, and many others.

SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016—27

By TOFARATI IGE 08068792241

Vanguar d Per sonality Aw ar ds: anguard Personality Awar ards:

How celebrities and their fans reacted on social media

By Kehinde Ajose

T

he Vanguard Personality of the Year Awards which held at Eko Hotels penultimate Friday has come and gone, but the celebrities who attended the grand event couldn’t resist the temptation to recreate the unforgettable moments for their fans on social media. From their glamorous outfits to energetic performances, selfies and videos, the star studded event got social media buzzing with nostalgia.

Cossy’s sensual video Cossy Orjiakor needs no introduction. Wherever she goes, her sex appeal and voluptuous boobs do the introduction for her. During the event, the sexy diva was lost in her own world. She posted a short video on her Instagram page where she smiled seductively, blew her fans a kiss and flaunted her famed boobs.

The actress who has a deep affection for pink captioned it: “Lovely event tonight -

•Simi

Sometimes, I think Nigerians should forget about the economy, its stress and problems so as to make out time to fall in love and appreciate the beauty in diversity.”

Mixed reactions trail Simi’s sexy outfit Talented songstress, Simi, gave an impressive performance at the event, thrilling the audience to her melodious voice.

Beyond that, her sexy blue dress became the subject of discussion on the lips of her fans.

One of them wasn’t pleased with the outfit and immediately expressed himself.

“Lovely dress, but very wrong for the occasion.

Except you are one of those women looking for “customer” amongst the country’s leadership. I seriously doubt that.”

His comment generated lots of responses. While some were approving her choice of outfit, others didn’t find it suitable for the event.

Chizzy Alichi’s super sexy dress got heads turning.

Budding Nollywood actress, Chizzy Alichi got heads turning with her sensual Akara dress. The stunning role interpreter couldn’t help but make a video during the event which she shared on Instagram.

In the video, she captured her laps, her boobs and beautiful makeup. Not even a word was uttered. Chizzy obviously was on a mission to seductively entertain her fans.

Harrysong got Governor Oshiomole dancing….fans react Harrysong’s effervescent performance was one of the high points of the event. The 5-star music artiste captured the moments and shared it with his fans on Instagram. He shared a

•Cossy Orjiakor

•Ejiro Okurame

picture where Governor Oshiomole and his wife were dancing to his song.

One of the fans puts it this way: “Na this artistes them dey use shift people mind from serious issues”.

Another adds:” What kind of dance is this?”

C M Y K

28—SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016

Wike set to reposition Rivers as AMAA 2016 berths in PH P

ort Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State is set to reverberate again as the pan-African reward system for the motion picture practitioners, African Movie Academy Award,AMAA, finds a new home in the garden city.

AMAA will be making its debut in Port-Harcourt this year, after it successful held nine consecutive editions in Bayelsa State, one in Abuja, Lagos and Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The Rivers state government recently signed the hosting right with the management of AMAA making the oil-rich state the second sub-national government in Nigeria to tap into the huge potentials of AMAA for destination branding.

According to a statement jointly signed by the state commissioner of culture and tourism, Mrs. Tonye Briggs Oniyide, on behalf of Governor Wike and the founder of the awards organization, Ms. Peace AnyiamOsigwe, hosting the award this year will be the beginning of a •Ms. Peace partnership that will add Anyiam-Osigwe immense value to the people of the state and the host city in particular as the government is determined to position Port Harcourt as a destination of choice in Nigeria and West Africa.

“We are repositioning Rivers State as a state ready for business with Nigerians and the rest of the world and our partnership with AMAA will become a veritable platform to attract tourists, global and Nigeria icons in business and the entertainment industry. We want to showcase Rivers State as a peaceful place where socioeconomic activities thrive and also the hospitality of our people.

There is a huge economy around entertainment and show business in Port Harcourt,” Mrs. Briggs said. The commissioner also added that the state will soon unveil a calendar of entertainment and tourism activities that will create job opportunities for the teeming youths of the state. Speaking on the new partnership with the state, AMAA founder, Ms. Anyiam-Osigwe said that it marks the beginning of a new phase in the journey of the continental awards that started 12 years ago. This year’s awards will now take place on Saturday 11 June, 2016 while the nomination night where nominees into the 28 categories will be announced will hold on Wednesday May 11th, 2016.

Ali Baba debuts as an actor •features in a stage play

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egendary comedian, Ali Baba, is billed to headline a new stage play, “Loud Whispers,” which will be staged on Sunday, May 1, to commemorate the workers’ Day. The play, an adaptation of the similar named book, written

by Joseph Edgar, unconventional investment banker and theatre enthusiast will be staged at the MUSON Centre, Lagos.

Ali Baba and a 20-man cast, featuring other talented thespians including Patrick Diabuah, Paul Alomona, Tony Okuyeme, Tony Offiong and Joy Ogbekene, will be performing a series of monologues through a mixture of dance and song. Particularly, Ali Baba in a genre crossing role, will be addressing current issues, throwing jabs at political and social actors, giving advices, an passing commentaries while entertaining and holding the audience spellbound in a typical fashion for which he is known. Speaking at a press parley, the Managing Director, Katunga Media, organizers of the play, Betty Abang said, “ Edgar’s book has elicited so much laughter and attention through its acerbic but comical banter on very topical issues. “ The play, according to her, takes a light hearted look at otherwise critical issues in Nigeria with a bid to relieve tension and build positive discourse on their resolution. The event, which coincides with Workers’ Day, aims to give workers an enjoyable entertainment alternative for unwinding. “It promises to be an exciting outing as theatre lovers would have the unique opportunity of watching Ali Baba in a genre crossing role delivering tongue-in-cheek quotes and massively entertaining the audience in ways for which we have come to regard and respect him,” the director of the play, William Benson said. For Ali Baba, “ It is not totally different from what I do as a stand up comedian.”

•Ali Baba

Zik Zulu Okafor’s Oasis to be adapted into a movie T

here are indications that the producers of Oasis, Zik Zulu Films, in conjunction with The Incubator, have concluded plans to adapted the popular TV series into a screenplay.

CEO of Zik Zulu Films, Mr. Zik Zulu Okafor, dropped this hint in a recent chat with HVP. Okafor said they are currently having a series of script conferences prior to adapting the sitcom into a screenplay.

“We hope to conclude the screenplay by May, and once we are through, we shall organize a press conference to announce the coming of Oasis movie,” the former AMP president added. Describing Oasis as an inspirational TV series, Okafor further disclosed it would be a star-studded movie, starring the likes of Richard Mofe Damijo, RMD, Genevieve Nnaji, Monalisa China, and Beverly Naya C M Y K

among others. It also plans to premiere in London, America and South Africa. “Between June and August, we will be concluding the production and getting ready to premiere the movie. The story would remain same, but the only difference is that what will run for almost 18 months will now come into a ninety minutes movies. This time, it will be more intense,

•CAST OF OASIS

more glamorous with staractors re-enacting the series. We are indeed moving from TV series into a big-budget movie,” Okafor further stated.

Okafor named Pastor Iluyomade of the City of David church as the Executive Producer of the movie, saying “Oasis will be a major movie for me.” The 30-episode telenovella, which is currently into

the seven weeks of its second quarter, started airing from October, 2014. As a sequel to the now rested sitcom, Heaven’s Gate, Oasis is featuring the likes of Beverly Naya, Moet Abebe, Tope Tedela, Segun Arinze, Monalisa Chinda, David Nnaji, Ifeanyi Williams, Mary-Jane Ugbaja, and Zik Zulu Okafor amongst others.

•Mr. Zik Zulu Okafor

SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016—29

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30—SATURDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 16, 2016

Rotimi Agbana 08137741609

Davido jabs Dele Momodu in new song; lands another sex scandal

•Davido

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ontroversial HKN boss and pop singer, David Adeleke, aka ‘O.B.O’ has once again thrown jabs at media mogul and Ovation CEO, Dele Momodu, in a new song he was featured in. In the new single titled Bahd, Badoo, Baddest by falz, featuring YBNL rapper, Olamide and Davido, the pop singer addressed Dele Momodu as his ‘boy’. This is not the first time Davido will be throwing stinkers at the media mogul; he did so in Humble Smith’s Osinachi remix. Recall that this war of words started late last year as a result of the feud that ensued between him and his baby mama, Sophie, who is also Dele Momodu’s niece. Meanwhile, the Aye crooner has landed himself in another alleged sex scandal. On Tuesday April 12th, 2016, a Twitter user with the handle @king_amarah shared some xrated pictures, claiming it was Davido in bed with a girl named Faith Nketsi with unprintable words accompanying them. The Twitter user made mockery of the singer saying money cannot buy him penis enlargement or elongation. Davido quickly responded too, but his choice of words were too vulgar and unprintable for this page.

Eniola Badmus, Davido land endor sement deals endorsement

ollywood actress, Eniola Badmus N has joined the league of Etisalat brand ambassadors. The telecommunication

company recently made the announcement on its social media page “9ja join us welcome the newest member of the etisalat family @Eniola_badmus. You still dey there? Shoe still dey wear you? Get that Etisalat Sim today and begin to enjoy awoof berekete.

After all, #WeallWantMore #YouDesserveMore”, Etisalat wrote. The actress also announced the endorsement deal on her twitter page “Thank God for this one.

Thank you to all my fans. God bless you all. #Etisalat #Badosky”.

In the same vein, afro-pop singer, Davido, has also signed a 2-year endorsement deal with international beverage, Pepsi. The artiste, who is also an MTN and Close-up brand ambassador, has joined the clique of Wizkid, Seyi Shay and Tiwa Savage as Nigerian brand ambassadors for Pepsi. He made the announcement via his Instagram page “New deal alert! My pepsi deal is sweeter than! 2 years with the best!

Thank you Lord for your continuous blessings!

•Davido @pepsi_naija.”

•Dele Momodu

Is 2face Idibia having extr al af extraa marit marital afffair?

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•2face

igerian Afro-pop music legend, Innocent Idibia, aka ‘2baba’, is allegedly having a secret extra marital affair with a London based sugar mummy. The said sugar mummy, Rose Benson, is a Nollywood actress and movie producer.

Rumour has it that the secret affair began sometime in 2007 when they met at an event in the capital city of Nigeria, Abuja. The 47 years old Rose Benson is said to be a London socialite who makes occasional appearances in Nollywood movies. Recall that in February 2016, 2face’s wife, Annie Idibia accused Ayabime Okpo, Raymond Dokpesi’s niece of having a secret affair with her husband, 2face. Though no statement has been released by 2face or his management, we seriously hope it’s just a rumour that has no fact or truth in it.

Ramon releases new single, unveils ‘Better Life’ competition

By TOFARATI IGE

My per sonal experiences personal with women inspired Recharge —Yinkz

By Kehinde Ajose

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•Eniola Badmus

udding Afropop artiste, Yinkz is one singer who has his eyes on becoming a hit maker in the Nigerian music terrain. The Recharge sensation who recently performed alongside Chidinma at Monrovia, says women inspired his groovy tune Recharge. “Recharge was inspired by my personal experiences with Nigerian women. I realized that females out here would more readily do anything for the money. The economy and bad governance can be blamed for all that. We as a nation can focus on empowering our women and daughters to be independent and make better decisions.”The song is a rich blend of percussion and rich instrumentals that will make you show off your dance skills on the dance floor.

udding and talented singer, Ramon, has B released a brand new hot track titled ‘Better Life.’The inspirational and groovy club

banger sees the young Ramon praying to God for a change in his circumstances for the better. It is without doubt that ‘Better Life’ will resonate with both party lovers and deep thinkers for its message and infectious danceable beat. According to Ramon, the song was inspired by hardship, and the desire to ‘move from grass to grace.’ Meanwhile, to herald and complement the release of the song, Ramon has also started the Better Life competition. All fans need to do is download the song from their favorite blog, make a short creative video and post it on Instagram with the tags @badmanramon and #BetterLife.

The lucky winners will end up being N10, 000 richer. Ramon, who is signed to Azalas Records, has also stated that from now till the end of the •Yinkz year, he will keep releasing new songs every other month.

SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016—31

08 1 1 6759 759 081 6759759

Babes For Trump

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arely-clad beauties in star-spangled swimsuits aim to bolster White House campaign.

DESPITE threatening to tear America apart with his divisive

politics, Republican hopeful Donald Trump has at least managed to unify one section of US society. The Twitter account @Babes For Trump features a bevy of barely-clad beauties all

When you've got to go...

pledging their support for the 69year-old presidential wannabe, often armed with little more than a star-spangled bikini and a killer physique.

In one picture, two GOP girls brave freezing weather to pose in stars-and-stripes swimsuits while in another, a woman bares her bosoms with the words ‘Trump 2016’ scrawled across them in

marker pen.

Elsewhere in the rapidly growing gallery of raunchy republicans, women can be seen posing with a wide variety of political props, ranging from firearms to bottles of booze, while all the time managing to reveal as much of their tanned and toned torsos as possible.

And one hilarious image shows a semi-naked woman watching a Trump speech from the comfort of her bed alongside the caption ‘Donald and chill’.

The twitter account, reportedly started by a group of male students, describes itself as ‘Making America Great Again, One Babe At A Time’.

And so while it remains to seen whether or not this helps Trump cement his place in the race for the White House, it certainly seems The Donald will have no shortage of ample support in the run up to the biggest US election ever.

Columbia pre-med student emails his professor pictures of himself ‘in hospit al’ hospital’ creative student’s hilariously bad attempt at getting out of A his midterm exams has made him

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hen you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go – amIright?

Well this woman found herself caught short while enjoying a day of drinking in Newcastle.

It would appear the unknown woman, who was out near the Millennium Bridge over the Easter bank holiday weekend, felt the call of nature while taking a nice stroll down the river Arijus Dukstas, 20, stumbled across the charming Tyneside scene, he said: ‘I was just thinking oh my god, it is only 6pm and none of it is even going in the river.

‘Her friends were just shouting and laughing at her, there was like six of them.

The events manager, from Newcastle added: ‘Her friend was taking a video. We just were walking past. ‘There was actually a couple that stopped and changed direction to avoid her.’

The picture has been shared hundreds of times on social media by various users.

Arijus added: ‘I think the main C M Y K

reason it was shared so much on social media was because the caption sums it up: ‘Happy Easter from Newcastle.’

‘People see mental stuff in Newcastle all the time and especially over bank holidays there are a load of people drinking all day, getting up to stupid things, so people found it funny or disgusting.

‘I’m an events manager so this kind of thing doesn’t surprise me, but it never happens near or in the events I manage,’ added Arijus.

The picture of the mystery lady taking a leak attracted more than 500 comments on Facebook.

Some slammed the behaviour as ‘disgusting’ and ‘scruffy’.

However, one user wrote: ‘If this was a lad it would be OK, she’s obviously mortal drunk, who cares?’

Another added: ‘Good for her!

Men can stop and pee wherever they want, why shouldn’t she?’

FYI, we wouldn’t recommend a person of any gender pee in the street.

internet famous.

Joker Terrell Finner, a premed student at Columbia University in New York, posted a photo on Valentine’s Day of himself with a pair of headphones shoved in his nose and a Macbook charger across his arm to make it look as if he was hooked up to tubes in the hospital.

‘I’m emailing these pics to my chem prof bc I had a nosebleed & had to be hospitalized & can’t take this midterm Wed, [sic]’ he wrote on Twitter.

Shortly before that, he had written: ‘I JUST SNEEZED AND MY NOSE STARTED BLEEDING OMFG I’M ABOUT TO DIE [sic]’ as if to create a reason for his fake hospital visit.

The photos also have the young man wearing a makeshift hospital bracelet with his own scrawl over it and wrapped in white linen sheets.

In his Snapchats of the images, he wrote ‘God got me’ and ‘Current situation’ to add to the joke. In the latter image the plug for the computer charger is obviously visible.

Shortly before that, he had written: ‘I JUST SNEEZED AND MY NOSE STARTED BLEEDING OMFG I’M ABOUT TO DIE [sic]’ -

as if to create a reason for his fake hospital visit.

The photos also have the young man wearing a makeshift hospital bracelet with his own scrawl over it and wrapped in white linen sheets.

In his Snapchats of the images, he wrote ‘God got me’ and ‘Current situation’ to add to the joke. In the latter image the plug for the computer charger is obviously visible. Since being posted on February 14, the photos have been shared 20,000 times and garnered just as many likes on Twitter.

‘When you wake up out a dead sleep to 75000 notifications that’s your viral tweet is going viral on Facebook,’ Terrell later wrote.

Six days after his original post, Terrell returned with a new photo wearing his makeshift oxygen tubes, poking fun at those who had taken his original post seriously.

Landed: Other users got the joke, with this man calling the story ‘one of the funniest things to ever hit the internet’ On Snapchat, he shared extra captions on the photo including: ‘Got discharged from the hospital. Gotta have oxygen though,’ with another adding: ‘Thanks for your prayers!’ Thanks to his new online fame, Terrell has been subsequently bombarded with comments, with some insulting him over the prank, calling him a ‘fool’ and telling him to ‘log off’.

32 — SA TURD AY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016 SATURD TURDA

Eric Rhima’s son weds in style

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nuoluwapo Aduke Fasoranti, daughter of Prof. Dupe Olatubosun and Efeoghene Clement Rhima, son of Chief and Mrs. Eric Rhima have sealed their romantic relations in a Holy matrimony. They exchanged marital vows before their families, friends and well-wishers at the Chapel Resurrection University of Ibadan, Oyo State on April 2, 2016. Photos by Dare Fasube

The groom's parents; Chief and Mrs Eric Rhima.

The newly wedded copule Mr and Mrs Efeoghene Clement Rhima.

The bride's parents Olatunbosun.

Prof. and Mrs Dupe Chairman of the occasion, Chief Adegboyega Awomoolo (SAN) and his wife Funmi Awomoolo (SAN).

R-L: SSG, Lagos State, Hon. Tunji Bello and other guests

Yusuf Akorede Akanni Seriki and his bride, Omobolanle Kudirat Opaleye.

Lagos APC chairman’s son weds

L-R:Mr Tunde Ajayi Ope, Mr Suleiman Alade and former Commissioner for Finance, Lagos state, Dr Adebajo Adewusi

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L-R: Bride's mother Ms Opaleye, Gov AkinwunmI Ambode of Lagos State, his wife, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, groom father's, Chief Akanni Seriki, Apase of Epe land, his wife, Mrs Akanni Seriki, Yeye Apase of Epe land and groom's mother.

R-L: Mrs Bolanle Ambode, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, Chief (Mrs) Akanni Seriki, groom's mother and others.

C M Y K

on of Chief Akanni Seriki, Chairman APC, Epe division and Apase of Epe, Yusuf Akorede Sanni has bidden farewell to bachelorhood when he took his bride, Kudirat Omobolanle Opaleye, to the altar. Their Holy Nikkai took place in Lagos recently before the mover and shakers of the State. Top p o l i t i c i a n s , businessmen and other high net-worth individuals, including the governor of the State, Akinwunmi Ambode graced the occasion.

Friends,well wishers, and close members of the families during the Nikkai ceremony

Lady and Sir Prince David Esegine of NTA Benin.

At V anguard P er sonality Vanguard Per ersonality of the Y ear a ward Year aw EKO Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island became the cynosure of all eyes penultimate Friday when Vanguard Media Limited hosted the crème de la crème of the society at its annual Personality of the Year award.

Left ;Mrs Dana Sanders, and Mr Victor Goteve, Admin Manager Vanguard Newspaper Limited, At the Vanguard Personality of the year 2015 award .

SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL16, 2016 — 33

C M Y K

34—SATURDAY

D

Vanguard,APRIL 16, 2016

Cruel fact:Diabetes affects more young people in Africa

iabetes is one of the most common non-communicable disorders today.

It is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by high levels of blood glucose. Symptoms associated with the disease as frequent urination, excessive thirst, increased appetite, weight loss among others.

Making diabetes prevention a priority if you’re at increased risk, is a big deal. For instance, if you’re overweight or you have a family history of the disease.

Everyone should seek relevant predicted that diabetes will information about diabetes and become the 7th leading cause adopt healthy lifestyles to of death in the world by 2030, prevent the disease. People and deaths from the condition already living with the disease would also rise by more than should also embrace available 50 percent in the next 10 management options to achieve years. control of their condition.

A consultant endocrinologist, Diabetes prevention is as basic a specialist physician who as eating more healthfully, diagnoses and treats diseases becoming more physically active related to the glands, Dr. and losing a few extra kilos.

Afoke Isiavwe, also advocated Making few simple changes in for massive public your lifestyle now may help enlightenment to draw avoid the serious health attention to the growing complications such as nerve, problem and rapid increase of kidney and heart damage. diabetes in the country and Recently, at a media roundtable organised by Nigeria Health Online recently, to kick off activities marking the 2016 World Health Day in Nigeria, the Minister of Health Prof.

Issac Adewole, recognised that diabetes is gradually becoming an epidemic worldwide and Nigeria remains one of the countries with a large number of people living with diabetes.

Adewole, who was represented by the Chief Medical Director of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Prof. Chris Bode, said Nigerians should be aware that diabetes is essentially a lifestyle disease and can be the world in general. prevented simply by adopting a Isiavwe who is also healthy lifestyle which involves Medical Director, Rainbow good diets, regular exercise and Specialist Medical Centre, health consciousness.

Lekki, Lagos, emphasised the “Diabetes is a silent killer, as a need for government to result of which many people in improve access to good the country do not know they have the disease and continue to diabetes care in the country to prevent some live without taking necessary complications now being precaution. There’s a great need experienced by people with for everyone in the country to diabetes in the country. join hands and prevent diabetes Most people may not notice while those already diagnosed these symptoms early, which should adhere strictly to their is why the condition is often doctor’s recommendations on referred to as a silent killer. control measures, “he urged.

Also many patients do not Calling for more awareness seek appropriate about diabetes in Nigeria, Medical Director, Roche Nigeria, management so they can adopt control measures until which co-sponsored the they begin to develop roundtable in collaboration with complications which could Rainbow Specialist Hospital, sometimes be deadly.

Lekki, Lagos, Dr. Jeanne “Poor management may Coulibaly noted: “Good health is lead to serious damage to the important for everyone to be heart, blood vessels, eyes, productive and be able to kidneys, and nerves,” she develop the country.” disclosed.

One person dies from diabetes Sadly, while most people every 60 seconds worldwide. with diabetes in developed Globally, about 347 million countries are people above people have diabetes in the retirement, the disease affects world and there is an emerging people in the productive age global epidemic of the disease between 35 and 64 in Nigeria due to increases in overweight, and other developing including obesity and physical countries. inactivity.

But more Nigerians need To give insight into the burden not die from diabetes. Isiavwe of diabetes, the World Health affirmed: “knowledge exists Organisation Coordinator, to reverse this trend through Lagos, Dr. Omoniyi Abidoye, targeted prevention and

*How lifestyle can help appropriate care. When diabetes is uncontrolled, it has dire consequences for health and well-being. It is clear that a diabetes epidemic is also an epidemic of complications.”

In a presentation entitled “Why is Structured SelfMonitoring of Blood Glucose, SMBG, so important?” , the Acu-Chek Product Manager, Roche Products Limited Mrs Folashade Olufemi-Ajayi, said people living with diabetes should be

involved in the management of their condition so as to achieve good control of their blood sugar and prevent the numerous complications associated with disease.

She said self-monitoring of blood sugar by patients increases (patients’) motivation to keep blood glucose within target. Selfmonitoring enables patients to achieve appropriate metabolic control, avoiding hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and reducing the likelihood of developing long-term complications of hyperglycemia such as blindness or renal failure.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in its first Global Report on diabetes launched on April 7 as part of activities

Everyone should seek relevant information about diabetes and adopt healthy lifestyle to prevent the disease

Lose extra weight: If you’re overweight, diabetes prevention may hinge on weight loss.

Every kilo you lose can improve your health, and you may be surprised by how much.

Make healthier choices: Low-carb diets, the glycemic index diet or other fad diets may help you lose weight at first, but their effectiveness at preventing diabetes isn’t known nor are their longterm effects. And by excluding or strictly limiting a particular food group, you may be giving up essential nutrients.

Instead, think variety and portion control as part of an overall healthy-eating plan.

What your doctor should do: If you’re older than 45 and your weight is normal, ask your doctor if diabetes testing is appropriate for you. Go for blood glucose screening if you’re 45 or older and overweight; you’re younger than 45 and overweight with one What you should do to or more additional risk prevent diabetes factors for type 2 diabetes Get more physical — such as a sedentary activity: There are many benefits to regular physical lifestyle or a family history of diabetes. Share activity. Exercise can help your concerns about you lose weight, lower your blood sugar and boost diabetes prevention with your doctor. He/ she will your sensitivity to insulin offer additional — which helps keep your suggestions based on blood sugar within a your medical history or normal range. Aerobic other factors. exercise and resistance What government should training can help control do: diabetes, but the greater Urgently begin public benefit comes from a enlightenment about the fitness program that huge prevalence of includes both.

Eat plenty of fibre: Foods diabetes in the country, high in fibre include fruits, its grave consequences and the need for action vegetables, beans, whole and involvement by grains, nuts and seeds.

Fibre in your diet may help everyone.

The Federal Ministry of you reduce your risk of diabetes by improving your Health also needs to include blood glucose blood sugar control, lower testing in the standard your risk of heart disease operating procedure of and promote weight loss health services just like by helping you feel full. blood pressure testing for Go for whole grains: all patients visiting the Whole grains may reduce hospital. your risk of diabetes and Similarly, urgent help maintain blood sugar levels. Try to make at least formulation of policies designed to provide half your grains whole better access for effective grains. Many foods made management of diabetes from whole grains come in Nigeria. To this end, ready to eat, including diabetes-related drugs bread, pasta products and and devices should be many cereals. subsidized and duty-free. marking the 2016 World Health Day, noted: “Good management using a standardized protocol can potentially prevent complications and premature death from diabetes using: a small set of generic medicines; interventions to promote healthy lifestyles; patient education to facilitate selfcare; regular screening for early detection and treatment of complications through a multidisciplinary team.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, MARCH 16, 2016—35

(Text Only)

Sure relief for overweight Incline Plane Technique:

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it down with legs extended, place the hands behind you and raise your body up such that you are on just your hands and feet. Retain the pose for some 20 seconds, rest and repeat.

Benefits: This posture strengthens the hands and abdominal muscles.

The Boat

Technique: Sit down with the legs extended in front of you.

Raise both legs up and touch the toes with the finger tips. Stay in this position for 20 seconds.

Rest and repeat.

Benefits: The boat reduces the size of the belly and improves the muscles of the back.

Yoga Classes @ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola, Victoria Island Lagos.

10.00am — 11.00am on Saturdays

•Incline Plane

The Crab Technique: Stand with the feet and three feet apart. Bend the knees and from the inside, place the hands on the feet.

Benefits: The Crab, the leg and abdominal muscles are relieved.

•The Crab

•The Boat

SEXUAL ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS

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ack of communication about sexual problems and lack of caring can tear your marriage apart. If you have waited several months to talk about intimacy problems with your spouse, you've waited too long. But before you try spicing up your sex life with bedroom toys, sex advice books, or sexy lingerie, work on your communication skills and spend more time with each other.

Irrespective of this, you can overcome sexual problems in marriage or relationship in 5 ways; 1) Feel good about yourselfself-confidence is truly an inside job. Plus, you need closeness and distance to make passion come alive.

2) Feel good about sex - You can choose to believe that sex is a precious gift to be savored and celebrated or see it as a relief to stress and an aid to sleep. These beliefs will actually help your brain release more productive hormones.

3) Feel good about your mate Maybe your mate has let themselves get frumpier over the years and they bear little resemblance to the person you fell in love with. That may seem unfair, but you can still become more attracted to your spouse just as they are right now 4) Getting in touch with your senses - sexual intimacy is about shedding the stress and getting in touch with the present moment. It’s a sensuous C M Y K

DEALING WITH SEX PROBLEMS IN MARRIAGE II

experience, which involves your senses. Learn to breathe deeply throughout the day and give your full presence to the moment at hand. Look for the sights, sounds, fragrances, flavors and sensations that are enjoyable.

5) Talk to your mate about sex and your desires - The important thing is to talk to your mate as if you are on the same team, refuse to believe that your future will be dictated by your past.

Im a 55 year old diabetic and slightly hypertensive man with no erection at all. I have tried many enhancers to no avail, but a friend of mine introduced Superhard to me. Can I also try it, cos it worked for my friend who has the same health issue as I do -Olu Hello Olu, Superhard is a herbal supplement that gives string erection on demand and also corrects weak erection when used for some time.Superhard has proven to be very effective with no side effect like headaches for diabetics and the hypertensive, though the rate at which result is gotten in individuals varies but Superhard is very effective and you should give it a try.

Thank you so very much Viewden, I got Prosolution from you last month to correct premature ejaculation and I now last more than 30mins before I ejaculate. Should I continue to take it? I also heard about Manup and Boss rhinogold for strong erection, can I try them? LK Prosolution is very potent in

correcting premature ejaculation but you have to take it for 2 to 3 months consecutively and must be used back to back i.e don’t give a break even for one day in the usage. Manup and Boss Rhino gold are very potent in giving strong erection on demand and you can give them a trial. Others are Powerzengold, Libimaxplus, Plant vigra I bought penis pump from you last week and in the course of pumping the penis, I notice anytime I pump, my penis increases but after like 3 hours , my penis goes back to its original size, what can I use to achieve permanent enlargement? Yinka Penis pump doesn’t give a permanent enlargement for a fact; but the best that will give a permanent one is the Vigrx plus or Extenze plus. When you combine the penis pump with the Vigrx plus, you get a permanent enlargement, cos as the pump is causing a blood flow to the penis tissues, its opening up the penis for a quicker enlargement. Vigrx plus and Extenze pills which tends to work slowly, works longer on the tissues to give a more permanent result.

What is the difference between Rhino 5 and Rhino 7 cos I want to try the two – Iyke For Rhino 5, one capsule last for 5 days, and one capsule of rhino 7 last for 7 days.

Rhino 7 doesn’t give headache but rhino 5 occasionally gives headache but they are both herbal, safe for use and give very strong erection on demand, enlarge the penis for the period of sex and give a good stamina.

These are all we can take for this week.

Adults who need these aphrodisiacs can call 08034666358, 07059294782 from 8am to 6pm on Mondays to Fridays and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays OR place your order at www.viewden.com. For further enquiries, send an email to us at: vieweden@yahoo.com, viewden@ymail.com.

Kemi Fawole (MD Viewden)

36—SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

Marriage matters; really?

I

t’s a known fact that more and more couples live together yet never marry, often in partnerships that dissolve with depressing speed and regularity. These types of couples are called Rainbow families, consisting of a mother and an array of children fathered by different men. Even the words: husband and wife; are gradually dropping out of our vocabulary and the word, ‘partner’ is seen as a modern replacement. It describes all couples, even if they are husband and wife.

Does it matter—this steady erosion of a time-honoured institution? After all, if people live together, have children together but never get around to tying the knot, isn’t that much the same thing as marriage anyway? According to an increasing number of a group of academics and policy makers all around the world, wouldn’t give him the more emphasis should be time of day. He assured placed on the slogan— me his wife had moved Marriage Matters. Some of the on and now lived with home truths these professionals her lover. I shouldn’t want to spread is the fact that worry; he’ll get a divorce children raised in two-parent as soon as they hit the homes are far more likely to do statutory time apart. well at school, stay out of trouble with the law and “What was I expected graduate to happy wellto do but to clutch at adjusted lives. straws and pray he came Yet the fact remains that through with his millions of single mothers do a promise? After we had brilliant job against all odd, but, our son, I got pregnant nonetheless, it remains a fact again. It was an accident that two parents are always and Henry travelled going to be preferable to one. “I agree with all these postulates,” said Mandy, a successful caterer and mother of three— from two ‘partners’. “But what happens when you think you’re going into a relationship that could lead to marriage only for you to find out the man you thought would be a prospective husband is nothing but a loverat? I was a qualified dentist with the world at my feet when I met Henry. We courted for two years and marriage was never discussed because I thought it was a given.

W

“

hen I discovered I was pregnant, I wasn’t really worried. I had a good job, so did Henry. All we had to do was to plan a wedding before my child was born. We even went through the charade of a traditional engagement ceremony when a friend discreetly asked if I knew Henry had a family abroad, and he was still married? I didn’t believe her but Henry confirmed the story. He said he was estranged from his first wife with whom he had a son.

He didn’t mention the fact he was married because he knew I

Not all marriages are destined to last the course

abroad purportedly to sort out his divorce. He got in touch for a few months then called he had some medical challenges and had to stay on longer to sort them out. That took a long time and I had our daughter alone. Then it was obvious he lived with his ‘estranged’ wife all the time he was away—and they had another baby! You can always trust the grapevine here to give you the low-down on any dirt you wish to know.

“I had to move on of

course. I’d started the catering business as a side-kick until I discovered I was so good at it and had a lot of regular clients. I resigned and went into fulltime catering. I was obviously no candidate for a spritely bachelor looking for a wife.

Jide was a widower when we met some ten years ago and he made it clear he wasn’t getting married again. He said he was doing a good job looking after his four children and didn’t want to confuse them by bringing in my own baggage. He was a caring gentleman and when I told him I wanted more children, he readily agreed. He’s more a hands-on dad than the creep I had my first two kids for, and he’s still very much around, giving me all the emotional and financial security I want. Of course I would have loved to be married but what I have now is the next best thing!”

More controversially, increasing evidenced also suggests that it makes a huge difference whether those two parents are married or simply cohabiting. No least because it has been established that one in two cohabiting couples break up before their child is aged five—compared with one in

12 where the parents are married. Yet this is not just about children. It’s about the parents’ lives too—married couples have longer, more successful lives and are less prone to mental illness and the temporary solace of drinking and drugs….

“Yes, marriage matters,” agrees Mandy, but can anything be done to promote it? In the laissez-faire, anything goes ‘all families are equal’ doctrine, it’s simply not seen that marriage is the standard of contented long-term relationships. Today, no one’s life choices could be assessed or criticised.

If anything, marriage is seen as tantamount to domestic slavery rather than the surest route to lifelong happiness. Not all marriages are destined to last the course. Some married couples will find through bitter experience that they are happier apart than together, and it’s entirely right that divorce is no longer the badge of shame it was for my mother’s generation.”

Unhealthy living is responsible for cancer—not your genes M

ost cases of cancer may be associated with unhealthy lifestyles rather than our genes, experts have claimed.

According to researchers, factors in the world around us— from diet to sunlight, cigarettes and disease— play a far bigger role in fuelling cancer than DNA. In fact, about 90 per cent of cases would be wiped up if these triggers could all be avoided, they said.

While this may not seem surprising, scientists have long been divided over the issue. The controversy was stoked last year when researchers claimed that most cancer cases are caused by errors in DNA that are generated at random as the body ages and its cells divide. The

study concluded that this meant most cases of the disease are down to ‘bad luck’, rather than living an unhealthy lifestyle. The latest study used some of the same data as the first piece of research—however it came to the opposite conclusion.

Writing in the journal, Nature, Dr. Yusuf Hannun, of Stony Brook University in the US, said that while luck plays a role, factors in the world around us are far more important. These include our diet, alcohol intake, whether we smoke, getting sunburn, some viruses, pollution and possibly other factors that have yet to be identified. In the study, he claimed that the genes we inherit from our parents

actually only account for a very small number of cancer cases. He concluded: “These results are important for strategising cancer prevention, research and public health.’

Experts have praised the research, saying Dr. Hannun had built a ‘compelling case’ for his argument and that these results demonstrate that a large proportion of cancer is caused by environmental factors and are preventable if their underlying causes are identified. ‘If we could wave a magic wand and get rid of all possible external risk factors there would still be cancers. But there would be fewer of them.”

SATURDAY

Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016—37

YETUNDE AREBI Yetty5050@yahoo.co.uk tweeterhandle@yetundearebi 08054700825

Nigeria’s self-styled open marriages (2)

D

ue to my colleague's resolve to keep his second marriage at all cost, his new wife may found permission to help herself out with some extra toppings of hard muscles. According to him, he'd since found out that such "sh.t happens" all the time and many of those who condemn things publicly, often embrace same when the table turns to them. But my friend's uncle's wife was not so lucky. She did not only fail to get away with adulterous acts, but paid gravely for it.

I find the story rather heart breaking whenever it crosses my mind and it taught me a few lessons about relationships. According to the story, and some parts of which we witnessed, my friend's uncle, happened to be an only boy of six children born by their parents.

Naturally, his sisters' worlds revolved around him. He was everything to them, their baby, their big brother, support and idol. Their parents had invested richly on him, being the only one to travel outside the country to further his studies. But things changed when Brother, as we fondly call him, met and fell in love with one of the village belles. They considered her a wayward gold digger and were not happy with their brother's decision to make an honest woman out of her.

Having been born and raised in the same village, they were well acquainted with pocket details of her sexual dalliances and were convinced that their brother deserved better. Though the lady's family were not exactly poor, but they said it was clear right from childhood that "Sister" as we later called her had her eyes on great things which she was convinced that her beauty could get her. And she used it to full advantage according to one of Brother's siblings who belong to the same "age group" as Sister. Besides, with the plans their brother had laid out for her, she was an unnecessary expense to their family. With only a Secondary School Leaving Certificate to her name, he was going to be responsible for her education to higher institution. They considered her a sheer waste of time and resources, especially since Brother was schooling abroad and the two were not likely to live together for a significant period at a time. But the heart wants what it wants and at the end of the day, Sister and her mother, for the siblings were convinced that everything she did was with the knowledge and support of her mother who was also not considered as a very good example of married women in the village.

For many years, it was a tug of war between Brother, his wife and his siblings who kept insisting that rather than marriage slowing down Sister, it had only empowered her to sink deeper into the pit of sexual immorality. For, though Brother was fulfilling his own responsibilities as husband and father, she was far from being grateful for her exalted position. For a man that saw her through the College of Education and then the University, much was expected of her than what the sisters insisted she was dishing out to their brother. Their greatest pain, being that she thought

C M Y K

They considered her a wayward gold digger and were not happy with their brother's decision to make an honest woman out of her she deserved and was entitled to everything she was getting and never failed to stick it in their faces whenever she had the opportunity. In and out of school, there was a trail of rumours and speculations about her chain of lovers and one particular one had it that while at the University, she dated a fellow student and lecturer for obvious reasons. But, though Brother's ears were full, he still stood his ground, maintaining that she was his beloved wife and mother of his children and above all else, he trusted her and until he had physical evidence of her alleged promiscuity, he had nothing to discredit her innocence.

One would have thought that for his unflinching support, Sister would at least, muster the will power to shake off what now appeared to be a compulsive behaviour or addiction. Extra marital sex was pleasurable, especially where legit sex was not so regular as Brother was similar to the legendary "Ajala" who travelled all over the world. She continued in her set ways and at one point, the story had it that she was bringing her lovers home.

Perhaps, to reduce her contact with environments that could act as incentive to her alleged hobby, Brother set her up on a business of her own, worth several millions of Naira but this only infuriated his siblings the more. They were convinced that their brother's relationship with his wayward wife was not natural and he was indeed under a spell most likely facilitated by his mother-in-law who was reputed to be of similar character. They were always of the opinion that only iron can sharpen iron and the only way to prove to their brother that they were right about his wife was for them to travel the traditional path also. They would invoke the oracles and make her take the oath of fidelity to her marriage.

They were convinced that she would fall like a pack of cards in no time.

Initially, Brother had always insisted that he had no interest in such a thing, they finally got his consent

after one particular new year family meeting. He agreed that they invoked the wrath of the oracles upon his wife. He however warned that the deal had nothing to do with anything that might have happened in the past, but for any fresh affair thereafter. At this juncture, one would think that "Sisi ologe" would hang her boot and resign to the "services" of her husband alone. A habit becomes a need where will power fails.

But perhaps, like many of us too, she had come to believe less in the efficacy of the powers of the oracles, or she had become convinced in the full proof capability of her own oracles.

When the illness began, it was Brother again who took her to the hospital when it became clear that what they assumed was malaria and typhoid fevers had turned into an indescribable illness, travelling all round her body and rendering her immobile. At a point, Brother was said to have asked his wife if it was not the juju of the oracle at work, but Sister denied having crossed the line and maintained her unflinching devotion to her marriage vows. They said she even swore upon her life and those of her children, that she had not been unfaithful to him. But back in the village and amongst close relatives, Sister's illness and how God had finally caught up with her was already making waves. And though her mother stood up in her defence and picked quarrels with everyone that she could, she did not waste time in travelling to Lagos to see things for herself. Unfortunately, it was in her presence that a white garment prophet who had come to visit another patient in the hospital, informed Brother that they should take Sister home as her illness was not medical. If she could confess and necessary rituals performed, her life could be saved. Not done yet with their charade, mother and daughter packed themselves off to the village for solution rather than make a confession, perhaps, still in their delusion that their own powers were infallible.

It has been almost 10 years now. Sister has become even less than a shadow of her once beautiful self and has remained in the village, her once glamorous, rich life over. Still, Brother insists that, had she confided in him, he would have protected her because of his love for her and her children. But beyond that, because he is no saint and is guilty of same offense. The only difference is their sexes, she is female and society does not approve of such laxity on the part of women.

Yet, there are men who willingly set their wives up for the sexual pleasures of other men, especially for material benefits and money. The movie, Indecent Proposal readily comes to mind. While most of such relationship eventually break down after the ugly deed might have been done, some couples sometimes turn out to be two of a kind. A lady once told me that she took the decision to end her four year old marriage after she found out that her husband had deliberately set her up for a rump with the MD of one of the companies he did business with. She had gone to the man's office on his behalf that day and left highly embarrassed and humiliated after the man informed her that she was being used as a bait to win a contract.

He told her that he considered her a sister and would never do such a thing with her, more so, she was someone's wife. They had a big fight that night and then, she knew the marriage was over. She would rather prostitute of her own free will than be used as a pun.

However the couple in a story told by a close friend, lived up to their marital vows of "for better, for worse".

The husband was the pimp and took her to the clients and they made no attempt to hide their business from family, friends and neighbours. The "guy man" had brought his ludicrous trade from Oyinbo land where he'd been deported from after serving a jail sentence, and found a willing adventurer in a very pretty, young girl, old enough to be his daughter. They both died as a result of complications from HIV/AIDS a couple of years ago and the neighbours were glad to see their backs.

Finally, another group I find amusing are women who not only know of their husband's affairs but even give approval and lure other women into their arms.

Shocking? Funny? I really don't know, but it runs contrary to natural dictates. What we know and are familiar with, is that no woman would willing share her man, or encourage him to take another. But now, there is a new brand of women who openly discuss their husband's affairs with other women, believing that they are helping their husbands to teach these women a lesson! Weird right? But this trend is fast spreading like a wildfire. These women have dubiously conceived in their minds, that it gives them a sort of control over their partners and even encourages him to commits himself more to them. Hmm! I will keep this under wrap for another day. Do have a wonderful weekend!!

Vanguard, APRIL 16 16, 2016 ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

38—SATURDAY

Medical student, Olumuyiwa, Skye Bank new campaign to showcase brand's future seeks help to save life possibilities

•Oluwamuyiwa needs help A Third year medical student, Olaoluwa Oluwamuyiwa, (Dr Lulu) who is down with renal failure has appealed to Nigerians to help save his life.

Born on February 16, 1988, 28-year old Oluwamuyiwa hails from Ondo State from a small family of four, comprising his parents, himself and his younger sister.

Dr Lulu, as he is fondly called, began to experience difficulties in pursuit of his childhood dream to become a medical doctor in 2000 when his father lost his job. Shortly after, he had a ghastly accident that made him unconscious for several months. He has been unable to fully use his legs well till date. Undeterred by the challenge, Dr Lulu travelled to Ukraine to study medicine, but had to abandon the study owing to financial difficulty.

He came back to Nigeria. But refusing to give up on his dream, he went to China after some years to study medicine again. He is

currently in his third year.

However, Dr Lulu now faces a major challenge as he is suffering from renal failure. He is currently undergoing dialysis pending the time he will be able to raise the N7m required for kidney transplant.

His family has appealed for assistance from good spirited Nigerians and corporate organizations to help raise the funds. He undergoes three dialysis sessions every week at the cost of N60,000, with his friends and family helping him run around to raise the fees to ensure he lives.

You can help keep Dr Lulu alive by donating to OLUWAMUYIWA OLAOLUWA OYINDE’s account no.

0108134961 at GUARANTEE TRUST BANK. Enquiries can also be made via telephone numbers 08177356420 (OLAOLUWA) or 08036607719 and 08029140079 (Dr Lulu’s father).

Twenty-Five lives set to be transformed by Twenty5wishes

By Juliet Ebirim n a bid to bring to reality h e Itdreams of 25 young

people in Nigeria, within the first quarter of the year, Twenty5wishes initiative was recently launched at Clear Essence California Spa & Wellness Resort, Ikoyi Lagos.

An initiative of Queen Martins, Twenty5wishes was borne out of her desire to create a platform that will grant the career wishes of young people under

•Queen Martins flanked by wishers and wish granters

thirty, who aspire to be skilled or to upgrade their skills in their areas of passion.

Twenty5wishes is designed to inspire and motivate young people to be dogged in the pursuit of their dreams.

It presents a platform through which dynamic young individuals can meet and engage with industry influencers, as well as receive business set-up. The process involves three phases. First is the training phase, in which wishers will be attached to different wish granters for specific periods of training.

After this, a showcase will follow where wishers will have the opportunity to showcase themselves on premium industry platforms.

The third phase is the last phase where wishers will be equipped with work tools to facilitate their businesses.

The twenty-five wishers were selected from a list of referrals and personal requests sent in. The wish team screened these referrals and requests on their merit. In order to be eligible, individuals must demonstrate passion in the particular field in which they desire intervention.

The founder of Twenty5wishes, Queen

Martins said, “This initiative is part of our strategy to encourage and create empowerment for the youths in Nigeria.

The launch, which was well attended, will serve as a benchmark for subsequent ones. It is time for the youths to step up their game and stop stifling their dreams. At Twenty5wishes we believe that the lives of our youths can be better enhanced if they are empowered and given the right opportunities.”

In order to make this initiative a success, Twenty5wishes has partnered with different industry leaders including Kelechi Amadi Obi, Nimi Akinkugbe, Africa Fashion Week Nigeria (AFWN), Beat FM, Ginani, Sun of the Soil, Mercy Aigbe, Terfa TilleyGyado, Fashion & Art Academy, Lagos Photo Festival, Lady Biba, Montaigne place, TARA, OSC college of fashion, Tobbinator, August Udoh, Mona Matthews, Okunoren Twins, Jide Odukoya, The Voice Photography, Nlele Institute, Elmoor Consult and Zapphaire events.

S

kye Bank Plc. has broken a new campaign that attempts to restate its achievement and commitment to invest in an ‘unlimited future possibilities’.

Skye Bank one of Nigeria’s leading lenders and Systemically Important Banks, SIB, renowned for innovative brand campaigns disclosed that the new campaign which is part of the 360 degree communication plan put in place to celebrate the year-long celebration of the 10th anniversary of its merger and the evolution of the Skye Brand, flaunt impact of the Institution on key sectors of the national economy and re-state its future commitment.

The story of the Bank which grew modestly from the 2006 merger, has continued to confound and demystify several positions of scholars and literatures on M & A and has consistently shown resilience throughout its existence, coming through unscathed.

The current campaign, focuses on amongst others, the Bank’s humble beginning when it was an unknown brand with no distinct identity, nor presence, and ranking 23 out of 25 Banks in Nigeria’s Banking industry by various measure criteria, to being classified as one of the Systemically Important Banks (SIB), and ranks among the top 10 lenders in Nigeria and one of the top 50 in Africa.

Other areas of focus of the campaign include the Bank’s significant contribution and impact on the nation’s hospitality industry. In 10 years, the brand supported the highest number of international hotels and hospitality chains in Nigeria, as well as several home-grown brands that have attained international standards.

In impacting the hospitality sector, Skye Bank has contributed

greatly to the development of the nation’s tourism industry and by extension, supported job creation for thousands of Nigerians.

In the area of the all-important Agricultural sector, the Bank is known to have rekindled national enthusiasm towards farming and agriculture. In partnership with the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), through the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) implemented one of the most successful agricultural funding models in Nigeria’s history. The process ensured the elimination of the hitherto entrenched corruption that was associated with the distribution of fertilizer in the country. ‘’By 2013, over one million Agro-Allied and Small holder farmers had experienced significant yield in food crops across Nigeria”.

In the area of SME, Skye Bank’s footprint is indeed bold, as the lender has supported and nurtured arguably the highest number of SMEs in all sectors of the economy, and in all the socioeconomic zones. The bank has supported many one-man-businesses to large industry players and national corporates and even supported many of them to become publicly quoted at the national Bourse, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Shedding light on the rationale and underpinning idea behind the new campaign, the Group Managing Director and CEO of the Bank, Mr. Timothy Oguntayo is quoted to have said, “having clocked a decade of our merger, there is the need to remind stakeholders and the general public how our Bank has impacted individual, groups, corporate, government and the society at large through creative and impactful intervention. “You know it is very easy to forget where we are coming from, but through this new campaign, we are reminding the general public and every stakeholder of what the Skye brand has been able to achieve and the critical sectors we have impacted over the years.

Every claim made in those campaigns are real, have substance and not superfluous”, the CEO submitted.

Glo gives data subscribers free smartphones

N

igeria’s next generation network, Globacom, has launched a special promo that would enable telecoms subscribers who buy the company’s data plans to get free smartphones worth the value of the data plans.

Stating this in Lagos recently, Globacom said, when a subscriber buys a data plan for either N15, 000 or N18, 000, he will receive a smartphone worth the same value at no extra cost.

According to the company, the N15,000 data plan comes with 1.4Gb data bundle for the next 12 months, giving subscribers a cumulative of approximately 17Gb at the end of the plan period. In addition, the subscriber gets a free handset worth N15, 000.

In the same vein, “any subscriber who buys a data plan worth N18, 000 gets 1.7Gb data per month for the next 12 months, making a cumulative data of approximately 21Gb, and a free smart phone worth

N18, 000”.

The network disclosed that the promo is for those seeking to upgrade their phones and for first time data users.

Globacom said the promo is particularly attractive to young professionals who seek to enhance their occupational efficiency while also boosting their social lifestyles.

The company advised its subscribers wishing to take advantage of the extraordinary offer to visit any of the Gloworld outlets spread across the country, adding that the promo will create huge excitements, particularly at these austere times.

“Glo Mobile is a leading telecom company making Nigerians proud by offering the most innovative services at pocket-friendly rates. We give our subscribers more data than any other network. With this promo, we have further demonstrated why we are the game changer in the data market. Apart from the huge data at the most competitive price, subscribers who buy this offer will get a free smartphone. Nothing can be better than that”, Globacom said.

SATURDAY Vanguard,

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

M

r. Kenneth Kobani is the Secretary to Rivers state government. He, however, has a reputation that precedes his present position being a scion of one of the famed families from Ogoni land in Rivers State.

The murder of his father, Chief Edward Kobani was one of the things that set the stage for the equally controversial judicial murder of the world-renowned playwright and environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa.

There is no doubt that Kenneth has advanced beyond the setting his famed father attained in the politics of the Niger Delta.

He has served twice as a commissioner in Rivers State, been a minister and is presently the Secretary to the State Government, a position that gives him oversight over all the affairs of the state government.

It is that position of oversight that has roused him to rise against what he sees as an attempt to rubbish the image of the state.

He spoke against the assertion by President Muhammadu Buhari that Rivers State has become the country’s most violent state, Kobani in an encounter with Vanguard said: “You know I respect Mr. President very well. We must respect the President.

If he is not given the right and proper advice then it is likely, he will make statements that will not be entirely true.

Rivers state is not the deadliest state, it is certainly not. About 500 people were killed in Agatu, Benue State. I don’t think we had that number of casualties in Rivers State. You heard of Abia where they beheaded people. Kidnapping is reported in Lagos, Imo, and virtually all parts of the country. Look at the sad incident in Kaduna involving an army Colonel, who was kidnapped and killed.

Unfortunately, the APC leadership in the state continue to lie to Mr. President, and I think the President need to be very conscious of these type of characters because they have a long track of misleading people.”

Affirming that Governor Nyesom Wike was doing everything to redress the challenges of insecurity in the state, he said that most of the killings in the state were largely cult related.

•Kenneth Kobani

They are telling

Buhari lies

—Kobani, Rivers SSG •Says bad boys are turning good in Rivers Noting that most of the problems were inherited, he said: “We inherited multiple communal crisis encouraged by politicians from the other divide.

When we came into office, we made sure we dealt with the problem of cultism that is a challenge in most parts of the state.

“In Ogoni area, we have resolved the situation in Bomu

community. The bad boys have all dumped cultism. Between Dege and Webiera communities is also another long-standing problem.

We are trying to bring those communities together. We are resolving boundary disputes that are behind some security challenges already.

On the last rerun elections in the state, Kobani alleged that military intervention in the exercise in his Gokana local government area

APRIL 16, 2016—39

and alleged inclusion of fake materials among the ones brought by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the exercise resulted in suspension of the election in the area and other local government areas in Ogoni.

He described his arrest by the military on the day of the rerun election as an abduction, stressing that they bundled him into an Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC because he reportedly insisted that fake materials should not be used for the rerun elections.

Continuing, he said the military violated court orders to have participated in the elections.

“The military came to supervise the rigging. Tell me why the soldiers of Nigerian army whom we have been having very proud of will storm INEC and start ordering people to move photocopied documents to go and do elections, and when you object to it, they abduct you. Let them tell us what they arrested me for?” he charged.

“I have not been told what they arrested me for except that they had an ulterior motive that results that were already written by the APC would be declared, and we refused, we resisted it and we will continue to resist it.

“It is the right of Nigerians to resist election rigging. If our soldiers allow themselves to be used by some desperate politicians then what do you expect? I believe that they were misguided. I know the Nigerian army is a very proud institution.

In the end, those who were responsible for misleading them will also be held to account.”

Kobani reechoed it during the chat that fake materials were among materials allegedly brought for the exercise in his local government area Affirming that the violence during the election was stoked by the determination of the security agencies to take side against the PDP, he said: “There was no violence until they tried to force fake materials on us. We have protested the actions of the soldiers brought to rig the election, and we hope disciplinary actions will be taken against them.”.

On how a peaceful rerun elections could be achieved in the eight local government areas where the exercise was suspended Kobani advised security agencies and INEC to encourage one man one vote anytime the rerun elections are conducted “It is one man one vote that we need. Security agencies, INEC should do what is right, and we won’t have problem. When fake materials arrive for the elections what do you expect? Or somebody goes to announce result that bears no relation with what happened then you are giving room for crisis.”

40—SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

T

HERE is rat race for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP ticket for the September 10 Edo State governorship election.

Currently, the four leading aspirants on the platform of the PDP are Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Chief Solomon Edebiri, Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekwmwen and Earl Osaro Onaiwu.

The four aspirants during sensitization tours of the party to various local councils earlier in the year, agreed to drop their personal ambition for the party’s interest. They agreed that any of them that gets the nod of the party to represent it would have the support of the remaining three. They, like other PDP faithful in the state, agreed that the party must work assiduously to regain the governorship seat, which it lost to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN which joined other parties to form the All Progressives Congress, APC Oshiomhole first rode to power through the judicial process, which annulled the election of Prof. Oserhieme Osunbor of the PDP and later won a second term.

Ahead of the forthcoming PDP governorship primaries, can the four aspirants hold on to their promise of not jettisoning the party’s interest and support whoever emerges as its flag bear? This is the question that is agitating the minds of party faithful in the state as each of the aspirants is eminently qualified to fly the party's flag, if chosen, as a peep into their profile reveals.

PASTOR OSAGIE IZE-IYAMU After Oshiomhole, he is about the most popular active politician in Edo State today. He has a very rich political resume. A Benin-politician of Orhionmwon Local Government Area extraction, he was both a former Chief of Staff and Secretary to Edo State government during the Lucky Igbinedion (19992007) administration.

After falling out with the then PDP leadership over the de-registration of some members of the party, he joined forces with others to form the Grace Group, a pressure group within the PDP that left the party to form the AD and the Action Congress in Edo State. He was Vice Chairman South- South of the defunct ACN. He, however, returned to the PDP last year after falling out with Oshiomhole. His defection to the PDP was also followed by some APC lawmakers in the Edo State House of Assembly.

He was the Edo State Coordinator of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organization for the 2015 Presidential election.

Though the Redeemed Church pastor is still an aspirant, many people already see him as the PDP governorship candidate. He has political structures within the 18 local government areas of Edo State. He is forceful and understands the politics of the state very well, he has been reaching out to different groups, galvanizing support for his ambition. It seems politicians in the ruling APC see him as the likely PDP governorship candidate and are already focusing on him and planning for how they will curtail him.

What the ruling APC had against him which they would use to campaign against him if he picks the ticket of the PDP is his closeness to the former Governor Lucky Igbinedion when he was his Secretary to Government. But PDP faithful from his camp have quickly countered this, saying that many APC's henchmen such as the State party chairman, Mr. Anslem Ojezua and Commissioner for Works, Mr. Osarodion Ogie, among others also served in the Chief Lucky Igbinedion administration.

•Matthew Iduriyekemwen

•Chief Solomon Edebiri

•Osagie Ize-Iyamu

EDO 2016:

The battle for PDP ticket “As Chief of Staff and later Secretary to the Government, I never awarded or execute any contract. I only followed the directive of the State governor in executing government policies”, he said.

On why he decided to contest the race, he said: “Sometimes people tend to give the impression that it is a crime to have an ambition and prepare for an office. I think it is desirable that those, who aspire for an office, should not be those who were drafted in, had no plan and were not prepared for the office. It should not be a situation, whereby someone felt he could use them and conscript them into the race.

“Political offices are very challenging.

Anyone aspiring to occupy a political office must show proof that he is prepared for it. I have lived in this state all my life. What people call (political) structure is what I call goodwill. There is no part of the state, ward or local government that I do not have personal friends. I'm talking about people I could stay in their houses and eat based on long term relationships. So, when people talk about political structure, it does not necessarily mean control of political parties but being able to have credible men and women, who are close to you in all parts of the state. That, to me, is a credit.

“As for my ambition, I have had the opportunity of serving in government and I know the workings of government more than a lot of people. I also thank God for good education. I cannot see my state being misled and mismanaged and be indifferent. It is natural and patriotic to have an ambition under such circumstance.

“When people say that I have held the

ambition for a long time, I laugh. In 2007, they said I had the ambition but it will interest you to know that nobody can point to a single poster that I printed. Yes, I was in the forefront of the Grace Group and we were very visible talking about internal democracy. Common sense told me that the outgoing governor then came from my senatorial district and there was the need for some form of equilibrium in the political arrangement of the state. I too also was in the forefront of ensuring that someone from another senatorial district became governor. I believe I have paid my dues and my ambition now is propelled by the mismanagement of our commonwealth and the need to redirect the drift in our state”.

CHIEF SOLOMON EDEBIRI He was the revelation of the 2012 governorship election debate organized for candidates. Then, his policy plans and what he would do to bring the state out of the woods when elected endeared him to the people of the state. However, he had contested the election ond the platform of the now defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, a party that was not very popular in Edo State. He came third in the April 22, 2012 governorship election.

He led the Edo ANPP group into merger with the ACN and the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC to form the APC. He joined the PDP in 2014 after complaining that only the ACN group was running the show in the new APC. Edebiri has never occupied political office before; hence, he is seen as a "decent" politician.

Buoyed by the outcome of that

•Earl Osaro Onaiwu

election, Edebiri has once again thrown his hat into the Edo State governorship ring for the July, 2016 election. Asked why he decided to contest again, he has this to say: “I am a member of the PDP. My first and primary assignment now is to convince leaders of the party and members of the party that I am best suited for the governorship position.

“Looking at the past and where the PDP is coming from, the party certainly needs a man that can bring the unity in the party, a man who can create hope for the people, a man that can re-build the party. If you look at this backdrop, the party needs a great unifier, PDP do not need anybody that will divide the party into two factions.

“So, our primary focus now is to ensure that we go to the primary successfully and we go to the field. I enjoy a lot of public support and I am very confident that if the PDP can trust me with their mandate, Edo People will trust me with their larger mandate to govern the state. That informs my commitments to this struggle. The people have watched me over the years, they have seen my antecedent, they have seen me and believe that this is the time.”

When asked to comment on how his party the PDP can avoid the mistakes of the past which caused it to remain in opposition for almost eight years and what it can do to avoid the seemingly crisis rocking the APC in the state, he said that every political party usually has its own individual differences adding it was usually a part of the democratic process.

“So, if APC is having one or two differences, I don’t see it as crisis and before you know it, things will come together and they will continue to work together as a party. So for me, APC has done their eight years, PDP had served their eight years tenure before, so the people of Edo State are the best judge over who they trust with their mandate in 2016 election.

“I also want you to know that it was Adams Oshiomhole’s name that won him the mandate in 2007 and 2012, it was not the name of the defunct ACN; the party used Adams’ name and they rode to victory. PDP should also look for a name that can sell the party and use that person to sell the party. PDP must be very careful not to select anybody that the people may not want. I am not here to speak on behalf of other candidates but I am here to say that if they can trust me with their mandate, the people will be grateful to the PDP by voting the party.

As a man that has interests in several business concerns, he believes that the best thing that any state can enjoy from every government is to become an income generating state not just through VAT. “We

Continues on page 41

SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016—41

EDO 2016: The battle for PDP ticket Continues from page 40 seem to be limiting our IGR to VAT, taxing people, market women, taxi drivers and hotel owners etc. The best way to generate income for the state is to make it an export, manufacturing state, a production state.”

He promised to introduce in the state one agro-system, that is, that one local government, one crop system if elected as governor of the state adding that, “if we can endowed them with one commercial crop, for instance, cassava in Uhuwmnode, timber in Ovia North-East, groundnut in Akoko-Edo etc, and we now harvested and commercialize it, bringing in the factories, we are producing and selling outside, then Edo State will be the industrializes and becomes a tourism destination.

Although he has the outlook of a lightweight politician, who many say may not be able to tackle the ruling APC, and some people think that he has not built a political structure that is capable of winning the PDP ticket or the final election, but this may be the greatest undoing of those who underrate him in the contest.

MATTHEW IDOURIYEKEMWEN Matthew Iduriyekemwen, a former majority leader, Edo State House of Assembly, was Edo commissioner in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. His ambition and acceptability cut across the three senatorial districts. He has the support of the youths and prominent party leaders like former Minister of Works, Architect Mike Onolemenmen.

He may pick the party’s ticket owing to his unflinching loyalty. He has the record of not decamping from the party since its inception in 1999. He recently said only the people and not PDP Governor’s Forum will decide who the party governorship candidate in Edo will be.

His mission as governor borders on laying strong economic foundation for the state and creating enabling environment for investors Commenting in an earlier interview on the quality expected of the next governor of the state, he said: “There are so many aspirants in the field and as I have always said, it is nice and proper for everybody to aspire. The most important thing is that who is that person that can deliver the election to the party? Who is that person that can make the election easier for the party to claim back the seat of governance in this state?

Who is that person that the electorate will feel more comfortable with electing him to govern the state?

Who is that person that will best represent us against the opposing parties knowing that one of the major parties

How Imo police rescued kidnapped reporter

By Chidi Nkwopara, OWERRI

M

that we are going to fight against is the incumbent party not just at the state but at the federal level?. So, saying whether I think I will be the favourite, I honestly know that I have all it takes to win the primaries.

On his expectation of the party primaries, he said: “As far as I am concerned, if the primaries are free, fair and transparent… because perception is key; if I run primaries, lose and I find out that fairly I have lost the primaries and there was nothing in the situation that would have changed the result, I have seen that the person that emerged, for instance, if it is not me, was the right person who could have emerged without any external influence and interference tailored towards picking a choice person, as a loyal party man I will accept the result. But in a situation where, the thing is skewed out of the normal, the thing is not transparent, free and fair, you cannot avoid rancour then. And once there is rancour it then becomes the bane of the party. But I think that having learned, having gone through the mills, we have learned our lessons from previous experiences, we have seen that even persons who have been assisted by this party (PDP) to pick tickets have all dumped the party at different times. People have contested elections on the platform of this party; people have been elected governors on the platform of this party, etc. They have all, at the time they think that the party is not attractive, dumped the party and gone elsewhere, as they say, to look for greener political pastures. I think it is the time for the party to actually look at everybody’s records. First and foremost, whoever must emerge in PDP must be a committed party member; the person must be someone that PDP can say ‘yes, he is PDP. The person must be someone that you know that tomorrow when he becomes the governor of the state he will still recognize that this party took him there.

“Anybody who is in the party right now is a party man. And once you are a party man, loyalty to the party comes first. I did primaries in this party before, I didn’t win but I have remained in the party till today. And watching the results of the elections in all the places that I have

influence it was clear that I didn’t lose. When I say somebody is a loyal party man, I know you are interpreting it that somebody decamped and returned to the party. Those things do not really bother me. If at the end of the day, in the opinion of party members, they see that any of the people who have shown interest emerges and the process is not transparent, can you stop the people from getting angry? But if the process is free and fair and anybody emerges then every other person will say ‘yes, in the circumstance there is nothing anybody would have done, this person would have won.

The normal thing is let us work with the person’. But in a situation where the thing is skewed in favour of someone, may be right from the choice of delegates, and it is manipulated, it will take you so much effort to pacify and calm nerves”, he said.

His major weakness, people say is that he may not have the capacity to lead a state like Edo. But there are those who countered this saying that a man who was the Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly for two terms and an NDDC former Commissioner is not a political neophyte.

EARL OSARO ONAIWU EARL Osaro Onaiwu was the director-general of the Governor’s Forum in Nigeria. He later became the DG of the PDP Governors’ Forum during a split in the Forum.

Oniawu cut his political teeth in 1983 when he was a member of the Youth Vanguard for Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia campaign team and was appointed as an Adviser to Ogbemudia, one of the youngest to be so appointed.

He has promised to bring to Edo State what he had lend to other governors as the Director General of the Governors’ Forum.

Onaiwu believes in fair play and has told those who care to listen that whoever wins the PDP ticket will have his blessing and support.

Many see his absence from the main politics of the state when he served as DG to the Governors’ Forum as his greatest weakness as he was said to be out of the mainstream of Edo State politics.

r. Temitope Kutiyi, the Imo State Correspondent of Channels Television, woke up on Sunday, April 11, 2016, and carried out his usual official duties for the day, before retiring to his residence at the Federal Housing Estate, along Umuguma road, New Owerri.

He would have cursed anybody that told him that danger was lurking same day at the corner. He was lonely in the house, as his wife travelled to see her bereaved sister. Naturally, he securely locked the house, played some of his favourite music, watched the news from Channels Television and quietly retired to his bed. He had a good sleep until the early hours of Monday, April 11, 2016, when hoodlums struck.

My story “The rampaging kidnappers neatly cut the electrified wires on top of the fence, scaled through the perimeter fence and stormed the gate house, where our two Hausa security men were obviously having a sound sleep. The hoodlums dispossessed them of their phones and some other personal effects at gun point, before smashing the front door of

my house.

“The deafening noise was what jolted me from my sleep. On getting up, I saw myself standing face to face with the hoodlums. They asked for money, which I didn’t have at the time.

From the way they acted, it was clear they did not know who I was and what I did for a living. It was after they had taken me away that they got to know, through their informants.

Inside the forest “They blindfolded me and took me away. I found myself in a thick forest, which was their rendezvous. When they asked for the telephone number of somebody they could contact, I gave them the name of Nnamdi (surname withheld). My captors contacted Nnamdi and he did exactly what I expected him to do. Let me put it on record that Nnamdi quickly made relevant contacts and clinically executed what I expected him to do.

Sounds of gun fire “At a point, we started hearing the sound of gun from a distance. My captors kept moving me deeper and away from the direction of the firing. Not too long after, they blindfolded me again and led me to a road, which they claimed was Port Harcourt road. I trekked for about five kilometres before help came my way.

A motorcyclist ferried me to

Avu before I knew where I was. I was not treated badly but I must also say that I didn’t fancy eating anything throughout the period of my captivity,” Kutiyi said.

Police swing into action Narrating what the Imo State Police Command did on receipt of the news of the reporter ’s abduction, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu said the control room immediately dispatched a rescue team to Kutiyi’s residence, adding that before their arrival, the hoodlums had taken their victim away.

Receives credible information “The Command spread its dragnet through which credible information revealed that the victim was in captivity and taken to the kidnapper ’s den within Ohaji/Egbema local council area of the state.

Further information revealed that the victim was being held in captivity at Ohoba, Ohaji. Armed with this information, I put together a rescue team of over 100 operatives which I personally commanded.

The team carefully and methodically proceeded to the identified location of the hoodlums and their captive. We commenced operation cordon and search which lasted over three hours.

42—SATURDAY

Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016

EDO 20 16 GO VERNORSHIP ELECTION: 201 GOVERNORSHIP

It will be unfortunate if godfatherism is allowed to rear its head again — Dr. Clement Alile

By Mike Ebonugwo

T

he occasion was the thanksgiving service to celebrate the birthday of Engr.

Chris Ogiemwonyi, a governorship aspirant in Edo State on the platform of the All Progressives Party, APC. Among the throng of well-wishers was Dr. Clement I. Alile, a highly respected veteran politician who had in the past held varied positions in government and the civil service, and one who is said to have garnered sufficient experience to be considered an authority on matters pertaining to politics and power in Nigeria.

Remarkably his presence at the event where he enthusiastically felicitated with the celebrant had sent tongues wagging with the suggestion that he had openly endorsed Ogiemwonyi to succeed Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as governor of Edo State. Confronted with this, Alile, who served as a commissioner in the defunct Bendel State Government and was Special Adviser, Federal Ministry of Transport and Aviation in the General Ibrahim Babangida Administration, had this to say: “I have known him( Ogiemwonyi) for about three decades now. Of course I am here to celebrate with him. He called me under a very short notice to tell me that he is going to have a thanksgiving service to celebrate his birthday; of course he is an old friend and long standing ally. I was a Commissioner in this state some 30 years ago and I was the pioneer Secretary to the Edo State Government and Head of Service.

I was also a governorship candidate. With a big stake I have in this state, I must be interested in what is going on. So, I can only wish the state well.

“Having said that, I am sure the people that saw me here would say I have come to endorse Chris Ogiemwonyi because I know of his intentions. I don’t think the word endorsement should arise now at all because he is eminently qualified to be a governor of a state and so are some of his colleagues.

So, it is not a question of endorsement. I am a democrat, I have been exposed to governance both at state and at federal level.

So what we have always preached C M Y K

since democracy took over from the military, we have always preached internal democracy amongst all parties. So, you know if you talk of endorsement that issue becomes very pivotal to a reason of everybody, especially for a state like Edo State which is a foremost state in this country. When you talk of Edo State public service, Oyo State public service and Lagos State public services these are very mature states; and so we begin to consider some attributes of whoever is to govern such states. Such a person must have had exposures, some management of men and materials and in Nigeria, the public service offers just that. As I talk to you today, we no longer have public service. Public service that was put together by the likes of Simeon Adebo and Jerome Udoji, w h e r e government order and financial instructions were the compass of t h e institutions.

“So we, f o r instance, no longer h a v e them. So when we a r e talking of who is to govern these states, we are talking of people who have been exposed to governance, who have served the government at different levels and had experience from management of men and materials with humility, dignity, respect, candour, comportment; that is what we want; we don’t want charlatans, we don’t need ‘babies’ that are being fed with baby milk; we want mature, self-confident people. I will prefer among all of them to have a confident man, that is one who has self-confidence, who has been exposed. Any government that is fraudulently put together through some private arrangements will of course be a fraudulent government in terms of employment, in terms of appointment, in terms of contract award, in terms of general management of the people.

“Edo State is a role model and that is why there should be no such thing as endorsement. I have not come here to endorse Chris Ogiemwonyi

but I am telling you of the attributes that he possesses; and that is why I have always said let there be an open playing field for all of them and let them demonstrate what they are capable

•Clement Alile

of doing. I will not vote for anybody that is being led by godfathers and my supporters will not either. Would you, for instance, say that Hon. Pius Odubu, the Deputy Governor of state is not eminently qualified to be a Governor after having served for about seven years in that capacity?”

But what does he then say to the rumour making the rounds that the state governor has already anointed a candidate to succeed him? In response to this he had restated his position that: “Whoever is to govern the State must have demonstrated his personality; what he is able to offer. That again is why I was saying that endorsement ought not to be the issue at all; the individual should be self-confident and have a mind of his own. I have been weaned by my father and mother to face the world; I am too old now to adopt a new father and

that is to tell the people that here comes a self-confident man.” And he also feels strongly that “if the governor has done that, he is not doing himself any good; he is diminishing himself and whoever he has anointed; I think we have grown beyond that. This State in particular, has grown beyond that!”

So, in essence, he is saying that the people should be allowed to pick a candidate of their choice. His answer was: “Yes! In militocracy, the president will just say I appoint so, so and so military governor to go and govern so, so and so State; you and I could not say no. We have grown from that into a democracy; democracy should be allowed to grow and mature”. He did not stop there.

“But if the governor goes ahead to do this, well it can then be said that we are retrogressing, we should be seen as progressing. Then I am saying the mantra of the whole nation is that which defines and redefines internal democracy in political parties and that should be allowed to hold. The governor himself, if it is the governor of this state you are talking about, had on several occasions, said that there should be internal democracy, there should be no godfatherism, there should be no anointment; many have heard him say it; if indeed he has made a Uturn, then it is unfortunate for Edo State.

“We are a foremost state in this country and I must say so. I have served at State and Federal levels and our voices were heard when we spoke at public service fora.

People opened their ears to listen to us because we are experienced, we are exposed, we are leaders who have served here from the time of Osadebey all through to t h e military era; and a n y Military Governor t h a t w a s posted here a n d w e w h o h a d served in the civil service found ourselves in such cabinet, led the cabinet with the amount of experience and exposure behind us and there was success in this state compared our colleagues in other states. So the state should be allowed to grow. The time of feeding bottles or baby milk is over.

Whoever wants to be a governor in this state should have selfconfidence and should not allow himself to be diminished by statements that the governor has endorsed a candidate; that’s backward.”

His parting shot on Ogiemwonyi was: “Let me say once again that I admire his comportment, selfconfidence, experience, exposure, maturity and I think he also eschews violence because the person we are talking about is a peaceful man. So also are some others in the race.

They should all be on the same level playing field. No apron-string, no feeding bottle for anyone!”

SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16 , 2016—43

Suddenly, Ambode's wife rescues this woman!

Y20 16 Fir own Hall mee ting: Y201 Firsst Quar Quartter TTown meeting:

By Bose Adelaja

Ikorodu residents lament lack of basic I infrastructure •As Ambode unveils plans to open up axis

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

L

AST Thursday, Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, as part of his living up to one his campaign promises, rendered his 2016 first quarter account of stewardship before a large crowd at Ikorodu Town Hall, who thronged the venue.

The forum, held in the East Senatorial District, was the third in the series of quarterly meeting by the governor, which had previously been held at West, Central Senatorial District.

Those in attendance at the colourful and security tight event included: Senator Gbenga Ashafa, representing East Senatorial District and Chairman, Senate Committee on Transportation, All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos State Chairman, Chief Henry Ajomale, Oba Ajibade Agoro, the Ranadu of Imota, Traditional chiefs, market women, residents, among others.

Lite rail project Worried by the anticipation of residents on the ongoing lightrail, the governor said that the completion date for the first phase of the light rail would be achieved.

He added “ The phase 1 of the Lagos Blue Line rail project is now 85 percent completed.”

Expansion of Ikorodu-Itoikin road to eight-lane In a bid to ease the gridlock in Ikorodu axis after the relocation of Mile 12 Market and Oko-Baba sawmill to Imota Local Council Development Area, LCDA, the governor noted that the road will be expanded.

Ambode lamented that since the construction of the road in 1967, there had never been any major work on the ever busy road.

His words, “we will expand the road into an eight-lane road with inclusion of rail at the middle. It will be a Public, Private Partnership, PPP project. The investors are ready.”

Though he did not state when the MOU will be signed, but the governor said that at the end of the construction work, “the state will have completed the ring road project in the state.”

Ambode further told the crowd that the road may be tolled to accommodate constant maintenance of the project.

Also, the governor disclosed that the plans had been concluded to construct another access road to ease traffic gridlock in Oworonshoki axis of the state.

Ban Okada on Mile 12-Ikorodu road Responding to the complaints by residents of Ikorodu over the activities of “Okada”, Ambode after putting to an informal vote, instructed the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni and the Chairman of the State taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences Unit, to confiscate any Okada found plying the road.

To establish disability funds The state government has also concluded plans to establish disability fund, in order to cater for the physically challenged persons in the state.

Ambode disclosed that this was part of the activities to reduce the rate of physically challenged persons who involve in begging business in the state.

Ambode, who also responded to

residents’ requests on the need for the expansion and rehabilitation of the Otoikin road network, assured that government will explore the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative to transform the Ikorodu-ImotaAgbowa-Itokin-Epe Road into a standard eight-lane Road.

Security He noted the commitment, determination and massive investment in security equipment in the last few months had yielded positive results saying, the prompt rescue of the kidnapped Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary Girls by Security Agents and the quelling of the recent Mile 12 crisis in the state were pointers to his administration’s commitment adding that he was ready to pay monetary compensation for information on hardened criminals as

also been installed and retrofitted on many roads too numerous to list here.

“We would give greater attention to Ikorodu and its environs immediately.”

Infrastructure He disclosed that the contracts for the construction of fly-overs in two of the state’s high traffic zones-Ajah Roundabout and Abule-Egba Junction were awarded and work has started saying the two projects will be delivered on schedule wby April next year.

“Work has also started on the Berger pedestrian bridge. Work is at an advanced stage on the Ajasa Command and Aboru-Abesan link road to ease traffic on the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway and link the various communities. “The phase 1 of the Lagos Blue Line rail is now 85 percent completed.

Job creation

•L-R: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, in a warm handshake with Senator Ganiyu Solomon and Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello during the Y2016 First Quarter Town Hall meeting, at the Ikorodu Town Hall, Ikorodu, Lagos, on Thursday part of efforts to make Lagos crimefree.

Light up Lagos project On the Lagos Light Up initiative, he said in the first quarter, 68 communities who had been without electricity for five years, in Lekki/Ise/ Odeomi in Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area of the state had been connected to National grid to the.

“We have also commissioned the street lights from Ile Zik in Ikeja to the Sango old toll gate and from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport to Oshodi. Street lights have

According to the governor, the board of the State Employment Trust Fund had been constituted and N6.25 billion, which represents the state government’s commitment to the fund for first year had been paid to the fund.

“By next quarter, we will report the successes of this fund in terms of beneficiaries and employment,” he said.

On education, Ambode said the state government in last quarter paid over N561million for 46,000 candidates that are sitting for the WAEC examinations this year.

T was election day and this housewife joined others in her neighbourhood to exercise her right to vote. Unfortunately all she got was a broken hip bone for her trouble. From then, life became a living hell for her and her family.

“It all began with the inevitable expenses on medical treatment as she underwent two unsuccessful major surgeries in two Lagos general hospitals. That practically wiped out all the family’s savings. On account of this, she had cried all day as she considered her bleak future. “But in a happy twist of fate she recently had an encounter with the wife of the Lagos State Governor Bolanle Ambode, an encounter that has since changed the blighted course of her life. Suddenly Mrs Folake Muritala, a petty trader, can smile again.“She told Saturday Vanguard she had gone to Epe to cry out to Governor Akinwumi Ambode. It was during the visit that she had the opportunity to be interviewed by the Governor’s wife.

That fortuitous encounter opened a door of opportunity that will soon see her being flown abroad for a major surgery with all expenses, including flight, to be met by the wife of the governor.“Folake’s ordeal began in 2003 after a stampede in the Epe area of Lagos. She got her thigh broken while scampering for safety.“On that fateful election day, according to her: ‘’I was about casting my vote when suddenly there was a stampede that eventually led to the death of some people’’.“Her ordeal was to take her to Gbagada and Ikorodu General Hospitals for major surgeries. She was also on admission at Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital, Lagos where doctors also tried endlessly to revive her broken hip.“Fortunately for her, she was among 50 lucky women who benefited from an empowerment programme put up by the Hope for Women Foundation, HOFOWEM, in conjunction with Mrs Ambode.“The financial empowerment which took place recently was packaged for widows and mothers with multiple births. It was also meant to provide medical support for the less- privileged. Each beneficiary smiled home with the sum of N250,000.“Mrs Ambode urged the beneficiaries to make use of every opportunities available to them, saying: ‘’Í urge the widows here to take the issue of economic empowerment very seriously. They must seek to be gainfully employed through a regular paid job or vocational skill that would generate regular income to meet their vital needs. A stable income gives some guarantee of happiness and preserves the dignity and self worth woman. The Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, WAPA, will be readily available to assist you in this regard through its vocational training centres located across the state’’.

Folake (2nd left) flanked by Mrs Bolanle Ambode (3rd left) and others during the programme

Lagos releases 184 prisoners in two days

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

T

he Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Oluwafunmilayo Atilade has released a total of 153 inmates from the Ikoyi Prison since Wednesday, as part of her continued prison amnesty exercise.

It will be recalled that Justice Atilade had earlier on Wednesday, released 153 prisoners at both the Kirikiri Medium and Maximum Prisons, and another 31 Thursday, making a total of 184 prisoners released by the Chief Judge in two days.

Speaking during her visit to the Kirikiri Prisons Thursday, the Chief

Judge said that her administration was committed to decongesting prisons in the state, and that situations where cases are allowed to prolong unnecessarily in courts would no longer be tolerated.

While admonishing the freed prisoners not to return to crime again, Atilade stated that her administration would continue to review cases of inmates who have no business being in prison.

According to her, “Those of you that have been released today (Thursday) should see this as an opportunity for a new beginning. You must henceforth be of good behaviour and never return to crime.

“The purpose of carrying out this exercise is to achieve a reduction in the awaiting trial population in prisons; situations where cases are allowed to unnecessarily drag on in court will no longer be tolerated,” she said.

The Chief Judge noted that one of the reasons why many deserving inmates do not benefit from amnesty programme is that the State Directorate of Public Prosecution does not always provide the Prison Decongestion Committee detailed information about the awaiting trial inmates.

She therefore urged the directorate to develop mechanism where case files of inmates could easily be accessed and reviewed by the committee.

44—SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016

Real battle City, Bayern face Atletico

M

ANCHESTER City will face Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final.

The first leg takes place in Manchester on April 26, with the return leg to be played at the

Bernabeu on May 4.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid host Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich.

City dodged a mouthwatering clash against their

Minister ignorant — Bassey

FOOTBALL RULES:

By Tony Ubani

P

aul Bassey is one of the very few Nigerians who knows football and understands its rules and statutes. He should know because he is also one man with too many caps decorated by FIFA, CAF, NFF, as a symbol of his knowledge of the game.

A veteran sports journalist, columnist, Publisher, Chairman of Akwa United Football Club, member of NFF’s powerful Technical and Development Committee, CAF General Co-ordinator and instructor on Club Licensing, member of CAF and FIFA Security, member of FIFA Media Committee, amongst others.

Today, Bassey who is respected and revered by many countries and goes as an emissary of world soccergoverning body to settle disputes in football is being ignored like the Biblical saying that a prophet is not recognised in his country.

As the two combatants for the soul of Nigerian football, Amaju Pinnick and Chris Giwa ignore laid down rules and statutes of FIFA and risks suspension for the country, Paul Bassey has lashed out at the “ignorant” sports Minister the Federal Government imposed on sports for toying with the game of the people. ‘’I weep for Nigeria because we have people who know but are not consulted to resolve issues on our football. It is more annoying when you realise that these Nigerians are respected and called upon to settle scores in other countries that have similar challenges.

Without being immodest, there are Nigerians who work for CAF and FIFA and yet our football administrators have failed to tap from their wealth of experience only to plunge us into needless debates. It is a shame. Myself and Aisha Falode, among other distinguished Nigerians, are not recognised. Maybe, because we are Nigerians’’, Bassey, one of the few Nigerians who has covered all the major sporting competitions in the World – African Cup of Nations, African Women Championships, Commonwealth Games, World

Cups, Olympic Games, said.

Bassey attributed ignorance on the part of the Sports Minister for escalating the crisis in Nigerian football. ‘’We’ve not been lucky to have knowledgeable sports Ministers. And this is the main reason why we are always swimming in crisis. And it is a pity that those that the Minister surrounds himself with have either not told him the truth or he has refused to listen to the voice of reason.

Football laws and statutes are sacrosanct. They are not meant for ordinary courts and any Minister who does not know that is ignorant. When we have the opportunity to meet with the Minister, we’ll tell him the truth. What they do not know is that whatever wrong decisions they take against Pinnick, no matter the

•Paul Bassey years it takes, FIFA must return to status quo until Pinnick finishes his tenure.

Bassey also did not spare Pinnick. ‘’Pinnick has been acting alone. He knows that

there are Nigerians in CAF and FIFA but he has simply ignored them thinking his wisdom is enough. We cannot continue like this’’, Bassey emphasised.

Day 11- year-old girl tormented male club champ M

ARYLOVE Edwards is not only 11 but also petite. But in her lies some resilience that makes her a rising tennis star.

She just returned from a West AfricanInternationalTennis Federation junior event in Togo, where she won the event for the under 14 girls.

That feat triggered Bade-Victory Olu, a man of above 30 who, in spite of his age, still cherishes competitive tennis to weigh his capacity against the little girl.

Bade sees himself as a club champion and prefers to play with young coaches than fellow club members at the Sunfit Fitness Centre and Golden Tulip Hotel all in Amuwo Odofin.

He recently returned from

South Africa on a tennis training tour. That boosted his confidence and even entering a national competition was on the card. But something happened at the Golden Tulip tennis court last Sunday. Bade had felt that he could train Marylove when coach Chibunde on a light note said that the girl could beat him. He felt it was a joke taken too far.

From one word to another and a match was fixed. Chibunde sent out a text message to club members to come and watch the match at 5 pm. It took less than seven minutes for Bade to coast to a 2-0 lead,, breaking Marylove and taking his serve in the first set. It appeared that he was going to sail to victory. But

Bade (left) tennis coach and unpire Chibundu and Marylove before the match.

Marylove put her acts together and what followed was such an amazing tennis that Bade was only returning balls and hoping that Marlove would commit unforced errors. She did but hit more winners than her unforced errors. Bade bruised his knee while stretching to return a shot and even needed the wound plastered. Marylove took the first set 6-3 and club members applauded.

“She likes hitting shots so I’ll just return all balls and make her make mistakes,” Bade murmured as he returned to his seat at break time, confirming the observation of this reporter. But it did not help him even as his game appeared awkward and somehow frustrated Marylove who battled with Bade’s high balls. But she still took the second set 6-3 and while she was being hugged in celebration, Bade was lying on the court in pains. Was it a true groin problem or was he feigning another injury after a match with an 11-year-old girl? Bade lost the match and the N200,000 betting and the winner was the young girl whose father and sponsor were there to cheer her. Bade received some kudos for his passion for tennis and interest in developing young players. He sponsored the match and now plans to sponsor a tourney for the best eight national tennis players.

In that case, he is a winner too —-OnochieAnibeze

incoming manager’s team.

But the draw means that Guardiola’s last act as Bayern boss could be snatching the trophy away from his new club in the final.

City have never made it past the last-16 in the competition.

They face the daunting task of silencing Cristiano Ronaldo, the Champions League’s highest ever goalscorer.

Ronaldo has been in scintillating form in Europe this term with 16 goals, including a stunning hat-trick against Wolfsburg on Tuesday.

The former Manchester United man was so good he was hailed “the best player in the world” by Los Blanco boss Zinedine Zidane, as the forward closes in on a new Champions League record.

Ronaldo only needs one more goal to equal the record he set during Real’s La Decima triumph in 2013-14.

Munich overcame Portuguese champions Benfica 3-2 on aggregate to set up their tie with Atletico.

But if history is anything to go by, they should be worried considering the result the last time two clubs met — Bayern ran out 4-0 winners in the 1974 European Cup final. The final is being held at the San Siro on May 28

Liverpool face Villarreal in Europa League

L

IVERPOOL will play Villarreal in the Europa League semi-finals — after their stunning Europa League comeback win over Borussia Dortmun Thursday night. Jurgen Klopp’s Reds will play the first leg at El Madrigal on April 28 before the return leg at Anfield on May 5.

In the other half of the draw Shakhtar Donetsk face Sevilla.

The final is in Basel’s St Jacob-Park in Switzerland on May 18 and Liverpool will hope to lift the trophy they last clinched back in 2001.

Etu still Warri Wolves boss

T

OP journalist and admin istrator, Moses Etu remains the boss of Premier League side, Warri Wolves, the club have said.

It was reported yesterday that Neville Bekederemo was now in charge but in new clarifications made to reporters, the club said Etu remains the boss of the team as General Manager.

The club said they were impressed with the performance of the club under Etu and would offer him all he needs to steer the side to great heights.

SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016 — 45

Omeruo ttar ar gets Eur opa League argets Europa W

ith his club in Turkey now 5th on the log in the SuperLig after their 1-0 win over Akhisar Belediye Genclik Ve Spor, Eagles and Kasimpasa defender,

By John Egbokhan

P

Kenneth Omeruo has said that the main target for the team is to make sure they feature in he Europa League come next season. According to him, having regular playing time

Evah raises alarm over Rio Olympics

resident of the Nigeria Rolling Skating Federation, Comrade Joseph Evah has warned that Team Nigeria was heading for a disastrous outing at the Rio Olympics holding in the summer.

The biggest sporting spectacle in the world runs from August 5 to August 21 in the Brazilian State of Rio de Janeiro and with about three and half months to the opening of the Games, Evah, who is the Coordinator, Ijaw Monitoring Group is worried with the seeming slow pace of preparations of the athletes by the country’s sports administrators.

Speaking after being officially recognised as the President of the Nigeria Rolling Skating Federation by the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Evah said Team Nigeria was preparing to fail in Rios because of the sluggish pace with which the Sports Ministry was attending to athletes preparations.

Noting that while other serious countries like USA, Britain, Jamaica, Kenya, Ethiopia, Germany, China, South Africa, Egypt and Russia can read into the PRESIDENTIAL PARADE: Comrade Joseph Evah (c) with some athletes of the Rolling and crystal ball to predict the Skating Federation at the National Stadium, Lagos last week. number of medals they will win in Rio based on the advanced level of sports ministry, whose duty demoralising as athletes at the Olympics. It is not preparations that have gone it is to see to their success train with obsolete possible. You cannot reap into the Summer Games, in those qualifiers. equipment and without where you did not sow. We Evah said the same cannot “What goes on here is competent coaches and are are going to reap rubbish in be said of Nigerian athletes, simply unbelievable and expected to perform magic Rio with the way we are who he quipped were at a loss as to where their next meal will come from, not to talk of thinking of what colour of medals they will win in Brazil.

“Are we really preparing leading Africans in the main Nigeria and also assist for the Olympics, which will draw of 20 International Nigeria players to scoop n what looks like a new start in some few months players. international ranking dawn for Nigerian time? I don’t think so based tennis, no fewer than 250 Christian Paul (1267) and points. on our body language and Interestingly, the point international players from general lack of preparations over 35 countries have scoring tournament is being for the biggest sporting used by foreign players to arrived in Abuja for the event in the world”, Evah boost their ranking in the serve off of the preliminary spluttered out in an ITF circuit. round of the Tombin interview with Saturday The International Futures 1 today.

Vanguard Sports.

Tennis Federation (ITF) has And it will be a monthContinuing, Evah, known confirmed Silver badged long of tennis carnival in for his unrelenting struggle Patrick Kamuhia and Saidu the Federal Capital for the Ijaw people said Musa the bronze badged Territory as players battle “ with what I am seeing, we Nigerian for the for precious international are heading for a disastrous ranking points and for the Tournaments. The duo will outing at the Olympics be assisted by several locals, some few dollars to because our sports Nigerian umpires including make ends meet in these administrators are simply Samuel Sunday and others trying times for most preparing our athletes to to run the matches Nigerian youths. fail. As a speak, no serious The ITF in its bid to There will be two weeks of preparation is being done to Tombin Futures, followed by encourage the Nigerian make our athletes compete another two weeks of Dayak players to earn points also with the other athletes they allocated four wild cards to Futures, making it a will face in Rio. the home boys to get into bumper feast of tennis for “Which level of the main draw. tennis faithful in Abuja preparations have our Mohammed Sagnet (272), The two tournaments, athletes going to the Rio Karim Mahmod (429), Isa Tombim and Dayak are Games attained in the last Tawel (818) and privately driven by Tombim one year? I dare say, Sports Development limited Zimbabwean Duncan nothing. Even those who Mugabe (1033) beaten and Dayak Engineering are going round to battle to Services, who are driven by twice in Nigeria by the qualify for the Games are Nigerian players in Lagos the passion to improve the not being supported by the and Abuja last year are the standard of the game in

 Plans big for Roller sports

since he moved to the club has really helped his confidence as a player, as its what every top player desires.

going to the Olympics”, warned Evah.

He urged the Sports Ministry to chart a new path of preparation method for major competitions like the Olympics, stating the usual fire brigade approach

by Nigerians to events is going to get them nowhere near their target of medals attainment.

Meanwhile, Evah has stated that he plans to make the Nigeria Rolling Skating Federation a sport that youths can turn to for a better living.

While expressing his delight over the unity in the rolling family, Evah pledged to reposition the game for optimumum success He urged stakeholders to join hands to uplift the sport, enjoining the athletes to see themselves as part of the building blocks for the development of the sport. He also called on well meaning Nigerians and corporate organisations to support the Federation through donations and financial sponsorship.

“We cannot do it alone. We need the support of the corporate world to make our country safer through the instrumentality of sports. I believe that sports can solve this country’s problems but are we ready to make the sacrifice”, Evah asked rhetorically Evah said that a task force would be set up to monitor rollers, who have formed the habit of ‘hanging’ on moving vehicles along major road in the country.

Tombim Futures qualifying round serves off in Abuja

I

Moses Michael (1333) are Nigeria’s highest ranked players in the main draw.

46—SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016

UNENDING CR

By John Egbokhan

C

hris Giwa's attempt to seize the reins of power at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) last week after securing a ruling from the Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau State has brought to the fore once again the naivety of the nation's sports ministers on football matters.

Giwa, owner of Premier League side, Giwa FC has been in the news since 2014 following his purported election as NFF President on August 26, 2014 in Abuja.

He polled 27 votes to defeat former vice president Mike Umeh who got two votes in an election where 29 out of 44 members participated in the voting exercise.

But the process was flawed in its entirety because it was not coordinated, as stipulated by the Federation of International Football associations (FIFA) by either the then sitting president of the NFF, Aminu Maigari or the general secretary Barrister Amadu who, among many others, walked out of the Congress hall at the Chida International Hotels. First, election was not in the agenda. The then minister, not the federation initiated the congress.

And despite the recognition of Giwa as Maigari's successor by the then Sports Minister, Dr. Tamuno Danagogo, FIFA went ahead to rightly cancel the election on August 29. It went further to warn that it would ban Nigeria if Giwa and his new executive committee failed to vacate their seats.

That warning whipped Danagogo back to the line, as he disowned Giwa's election, urging him to vacate office and contest for the real election, slated to hold on September 30 in Warri, Delta State, from where the former Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Amaju Pinnick emerged NFF President.

Pinnick's ascension to the highest position in football administration in Nigeria was duly ratified by FIFA but Giwa went to a federal high court in Jos, to obtain a ruling pronouncing him

NFF President but FIFA maintained its stance, stating that it was not answerable to a ruling of an ordinary court of law but to the Court of arbitration for Sports (CAS) Giwa withdrew his case from court and headed for CAS in Lausanne, who subsequently dismissed it for lack of merit, in effect upholding Pinnick's victory at the September 30 poll in Warri.

But like a bolt from the dead, Giwa went to the same Federal High Court, Jos on April 8, obtaining a ruling reinstating him as the President of the NFF. This followed initial moves by the current sports minister, Solomo Dalung to reconcile Pinnick and Giwa, which degenerated to a free for all on January 21.

The meeting called by Dalung had all the trappings of reopening the already settled leadership crisis in the NFF, taking a dangerous turn when the Pinnick and Giwa almost engaged each other in fisticuffs.

It was a big show of shame, bringing to the fore the unenviable roles played by Nigeria's Sports Ministers in the rubbishing of the country's sporting image in the eyes of the world.

And it got even worse recently when the current sports minister, Solomon Dalung in his first first reaction to last Friday's court ruling told feuding parties in the NFF crisis to respect the court ruling, vis-a-vis, okaying the sacking of Pinnick and reinstatement of Giwa as NFF president.

Dalung's stunning statement, as contained in his twitter handle said “the rule of law must prevail and all parties must respect the verdict”. It went viral.

He then fuelled the growing feud when in a statement he urged both parties to be guided by law, inter alia Jos court ruling.

“This current administration believes in the rule of law and all of our actions must be guided by the provisions of the law. Therefore, anything that suggests the contrary will not be in the interest of the nation.’’

The minister was not done yet. He said that the Pinnickled executive committee had a 30-day right to appeal the court decision.

“The decision of the court will only take effect if the right to appeal expires and the Pinnick-led board fails to exercise its right. It will be

A Sp Mini

•Dalung •Alex Iwobi

•Pinnick

out of place for any group of persons who have enjoyed the protection of the law to now turn round and want to deny the other party of their own right”, added Dalung in the statement issued by the Ministry of Sports.

His remarks were considered infuriating and showed total lack of the way football operates globally. Attacks came flying from everywhere. The football community rose in unison to condemn him for displaying a total lack of understanding of the appropriate path for Giwa to channel his grouse with the current NFF board.

Nigerians also questioned the minister's seeming poor understanding of the right path to settle sports disputes, a sad commentary on the people running Nigeria's sports.

With a tidal wave of attacks hauled at him, it probably dawned on Dalung that the public saw him as an enemy of Nigerian football, particularly as it relates to what FIFA could do to Nigeria if Giwa was allowed to take over the reins of power at the Glass House following the court ruling.

And the minister would soon be forced to beat a retreat after FIFA threatened to ban Nigeria from all international football, should the Giwa sham be allowed to go unmitigated.

In a letter entitled, “Verdict of the Jos High Court,” and addressed to Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, FIFA warned that the Jos Federal High Court decision, “if implemented, would likely be considered as an interference in the internal affairs of the NFF and the case would be brought to the highest authorities of FIFA for consideration of sanctions, including the suspension of the NFF.” The letter signed by FIFA’s acting Secretary General, Markus Kattner, read in part: “We acknowledge receipt of your correspondence dated April 8, 2016 with regard to the ruling of the Federal High Court in Jos, which apparently nullified the elections of 30 September 2014 of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF).

“In this respect, and first of all, we would like to remind you that according to articles 13 and 17 of the FIFA Statutes, all member

SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016—47

RISIS IN FOOTBALL HOUSE:

orts ports ister's u-turn

•Giwa •Mikel

associations have to manage their affairs independently and with no influence from third parties. In addition and according to article 68 of the FIFA Statutes, recourse to ordinary courts of law is prohibited unless specifically provided for in the FIFA regulations.

“Furthermore, it is the duty of each member association to ensure that these provisions are implemented by its members and possibly take sanctions against those who fail to respect these obligations.

“Lastly, we would like to stress that the plaintiff in question already filed an appeal in relation to the same matter with the highest judicial sport authorities, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and that the said appeal was dismissed by the CAS on May 18 2015.”

With these facts as stated by FIFA, Dalung eventually made a volte-face by noting that no court order enthroned Giwa as NFF President.

Speaking on Wednesday at the 2016 extra-ordinary congress of the NFF in Abuja, Dalung said the following: “The court order that was served on me was dated 2014. I have not seen any court order dated 2015. As a lawyer and as the minister of sports, till today I have not received any court order.

“Sadly, most people involved are rumour mongers, mischief makers, enemies of progress of Nigeria, and they decided to embark on speculations to destroy the relationship built and maintained over years in the football family.

“We are government and government deals with established institutions. When we came into office, we inherited the office in the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) “If a government is replaced, we will also be informed as how it has been replaced and why.

So, as a government we will change our position. The football family must go back and put itself in order. It is not for

me. I don’t elect presidents, I don’t vote presidents.

“Let me categorically state here, if football laws say don’t go to court and if someone has decided under section 41 of the Nigeria constitution to go to court, he has opened up a floodgate for an endless litigation, because the process will have to come from a court.

“And I think those that drafted the FIFA constitution wanted to abort this long process. But if the man has said he is going to a conventional court, fine. And I have gotten a judgment. The same judgment gives the man you took to court for power to appeal. He has 30 days to do that.

“I am even worried with this news of Jos court order. Where is it from? I have not seen any court order. I am not saying there is none. If there is a court order, I am the minister, bring it to me.

“I have not seen it. Please those of you with the Jos court order, bring a copy for me to

see. We are interested in your unity. All those even fighting are all members of this same family ”, added Dalung, who hails from Plateau, the same state with Giwa.

Remember his first reaction to the court ruling in Jos on his twitter handle: “The rule of law must prevail and all parties must respect the verdict.” What a U-turn he has made now.

Retrospectively, it is not the first time in Nigeria that football disputes are taken to the ordinary law court, with the plaintiffs seemingly drawing some backing from the sports ministers in charge. And rather than discountenance such moves abinitio,the ministers tend to pander at first to the whims of the aggrieved plaintiff, until FIFA wades in, with the threat to ban the country from the game.

Observers are watching with bated breathe to see if Dalung would keep his pact of the bargain to allow FIFA verdict on the 2014 NFF election prevail for the good of the game. He may have no choice

SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2016

•Solomon Dalung

•Paul Bassey

*Says football laws are sacrosanct

We have an ‘ignorant’ Minister — Bassey

>>44

Real Madrid face City in Champions League semi-final >>44 NPFL FIXTURES TODAY v Heartland TOMORROW Sunshine v El Kanemi Tornadoes v Ikorodu Utd Nasarawa v Plateau Utd Rivers Utd v Pillars Giwa v Rangers Lobi v Akwa Shooting

UNENDING FOOTBALL CRISIS:

Dalung’s surprise u-turn

>>46/47

CROSS WORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1 General Secretary, National Union of Petroleum & Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Comrade Joseph – (7) 5 Director-General, National Agency for Food & Drugs Administration & Control (NAFDAC), Mr. Paul – (5) 8 Connection – (3) 9 L.G.A in Kogi State – (5) 10 Ondo State Capital – (5) 11 Tunisia Capital City – (5) 12 Vice President, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Issa – (5) 15 Former Super Eagles Striker, Victor – (5) 17 Paddle – (3) 19 North Korean President, Mr. Kim – (4,2) 20 Former Nigerian President, Rtd. Major-General Aguiyi – (6) 22 Protein Source – (3) 24 Muslim Holy Book – (5) 27 Muslim Faith – (5) 30 German President, Joachim – (5) 31 Italian Prime Minister, Matteo – (5) 32 Sea-Bird – (5) 33 Deity – (3) 34 L.G.A in Lagos State – (5)

35 Minister of State for Health, Mr. Osagie – (7) DOWN 1 United States President, Mr. Barack – (5) 2 L.G.A in Cross-River State – (5) 3 Kano Pillars Chairman, Alhaji Kabiru – (5) 4 Country in Africa – (6) 5 Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru – (5) 6 Major Ethnic Group in Nigeria – (5) 7 L.G.A in Anambra State – (7) 13 Greek Alphabet – (3) 14 Volcanic Deposits – (5) 16 Twelve Dozen – (5) 17 Number – (3) 18 Equipment – (3) 19 Indonesian Capital City – (7) 21 Ocean – (3) 23 Haitian Currency – (6) 25 Scope – (5) 26 Minister of Labour & Employment, Dr. Chris – (5) 27 Lagos State Capital – (5) 28 Tunisia “Carthage Eagles” Midfielder, Mohamed – (5) 29 Linear Measure Unit – (5)

Solution on page 23

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TODAY EPL Norwich Everton Man Utd Newcastle West Brom Chelsea

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Sunderland Southampton Aston Villa Swansea Watford Man City

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SERIE A Bologna Carpi Inter Milan

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Torino Genoa Napoli

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LA LIGA Getafe Las Palmas Eibar Celta Vigo

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Real Madrid Sporting Gijon Real Sociedad Real Betis

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BUNDESLIGA Leverkusen FC Augsburg Hoffenheim Darmstadt 98 Werder Bremen Bayern Munich

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Frankfurt Stuttgart Hertha Berlin Ingolstadt 04 Wolfsburg Schalke

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LIGUE I Paris St Germain Bastia Bordeaux Gazelec Ajaccio Lorient Troyes

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Caen St Etienne Angers Lille Toulouse Reims

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EREDIVISIE Vitesse Arnhem AZ Alkmaar Feyenoord Roda JC Kerk

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Heracles Almelo PEC Zwolle Groningen PSV Eindhoven

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