Jonathan's failure will haunt S/South

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Jonathan’s failure will haunt S/South — Obasanjo •I’m not responsible for his failure •Says education in the North will reduce insurgency •Wants Buhari to do the needful on Boko Haram

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday said the perceived failure of exPresident Goodluck Jonathan in office amounted to a betrayal of the collective aspiration of the South-South geopolitical zone.

He also noted that Jonathan’s record in the estimation of Nigerians, would haunt the zone for a long time.

Obasanjo, who said this in Benin at the eleventh convocation ceremony of Benson Idahosa University, said even though he assisted Jonathan in becoming president, the latter should be held responsible for alleged under performance.

The former President who delivered a speech titled: Effective Education, a Panacea for Societal Development and Transformation, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to use education to sustain the progress made so far in the war against Boko Haram insurgents.

His words: ‘’I have also said that you can help anybody to get a job, but you cannot help him to do it. Let us get it clear, there is nobody who has got into any position who has not been helped by one person or more.

“To become Nigeria’s Head of State, it was my performance at the war front that earned me the position. Now if General Gowon had not sent me to the war front, you would not have known whether I could perform or not. He sent me to the war front and I thank him for that. And because I performed we share the credit. If I had failed, Gowon would not have shared the credit, he would not have shared the commendation with me, I would be alone.

“I believe that the opportunity that presented itself in 2010 for somebody from the minority to become the president of Nigeria, was such that should not have been misplaced. He should never lose the opportunity but what he

did with it is entirely known to him. And don’t forget that what he did or did not do with it, will reflect for a long time on that part of the country.

And don’t take that lightly, what he did or did not do with it, will reflect for a long time on that part of the country.

For those blaming me, was I the only person who supported him?

“I was not the 18 million voters who voted for him. You that asked the question who did you vote for, is it not Jonathan?’’

Spread of insurgency He further identified the alleged refusal of governors in the North East geo-political zone to pay their counterpart funds to the Universal Basic Education ,UBE, as one of the factors responsible for the spread of insurgency in the region.

Obasanjo noted that had the governors paid their funds, children in the zone would have had free and compulsory education rather than engaging in terrorism

acts.

His words: “Education is a moral enterprise which we need to reengage the issue of Boko Haram. President Buhari should also tackle it from the angle of moral education. If we are able to tackle Boko Haram with education in our schools, both in the social media that they use, we will dilute their messages and positively win their hearts and others who have been swayed by the terrorists.

“To succeed with counter messages, we need to be more appealing, and truthful and as intense as those of Boko Haram. The capacity of all teachers should be strengthened to deliver such messages. Morning and afternoon assemblies of our primary and secondary schools should have a strong dose of such messages.

Our airwaves and social media should also be saturated with such positive messages. Even if we defeat Boko Haram, we need education to sustain the victory.

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (middle), former Military Administrator of Bauchi State, Navy Captain Rasheed Raji (right), Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajeed Alli (left), former Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite (2nd left), and son of the governor, Abdul-Rahmon (2nd right), at the Muslim Praying Ground, Lantoro, Abeokuta, to mark 2015 Eid-el-Fitr yesterday.

Defeating Boko Haram

“In 2010 there was a survey of education in Nigeria and among the six geo political zones.

In the South-West, it was 79 per cent that are educated. In the SouthEast, it was about 78 per cent. The North East, where Boko Haram operates, it was 19 percent and that is one of the reasons people believe that Boko Haram was a menace waiting to happen. It doesn’t matter what we do, we

have to reverse that trend. Maybe the situation has even gone worse in the last five years because people have moved out of school. Some schools have been destroyed and we cannot fold our arms and say it is up to the North East.

“It is up to all of us. In Nigeria, we have to do what should be done to bring parity in the area of education across the length and breadth of the country. The Boko Haram insurgency is a serious problem which

we pray will be a thing of the past soon. I am sure that President Buhari will do the needful to exterminate this scourge.

“That is one of the reasons President Buhari is travelling to the US next week to secure the support of the American government in fighting terrorism in Nigeria. As we tackle it from the military front and other angles, we should also tackle it through the power of education which is what you have asked me to talk about today.’’

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH TO OBAMA: Tell Buhari to prosecute corrupt Nigerian leaders •Says EFCC has failed Nigeria

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

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HEAD of President Muhammdau Buhari’s visit to the United States of America, the Human Rights Watch has called on President Barack Obama to prevail on the Nigerian leader to translate his anti-corruption rhetoric into decisive prosecution of any former and serving public servant found to have embezzled Nigeria’s wealth.

The group which observed some key areas in the nation’s life that require a workable approach, particularly urged the US President to press on Buhari to immediately investigate and bring to book those involved in the alleged unapproved spending of crude oil earnings by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Federal Ministry of

Finance.

In a 1,196 word letter to President Obama on next week’s visit to the White House by President Buhari the Executive Director of the international human rights monitoring and advocacy organisation, Mr. Kenneth Roth urged President Obama to assist Nigeria in managing its economic, social and security challenges.

The letter partly reads: ‘’ Corruption and weak governance mean that Nigeria’s tremendous oil wealth, which could have been used to improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians, continues to be squandered and siphoned off by the governing elite, leaving poverty, malnutrition, and mortality rates among the worst in the world. These problems are most acute in the north, the country ’s poorest region, but also in the

resource rich Niger Delta where widespread poverty and unemployment, exacerbated by environmental degradation and corruption, have created popular unrest and facilitated the growth of extremist groups. ‘’ The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and its public sector counterpart, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, have failed to effectively tackle high-level corruption and financial crimes in the country. ‘’A number of senior state-level officials, including former governors, have recently been arrested and face prosecution for corruption.

Buhari will need to go further and match his anticorruption rhetoric during the election campaign with a readiness to confront entrenched corruption and

lack of transparency in the conduct of government business. This will include addressing recent scandals around unilateral withdrawals and unapproved spending of crude oil earnings by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Federal Ministry of Finance as exposed by the office of the Accountant General of the Federation.”

“To this end, we urge you to press Buhari to fully investigate and prosecute, in accordance with international fair trial standards, all cases of corruption implicating senior political figures and improve the independence of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission through greater security of tenure for the commission’s chairperson. We also hope you will encourage the enactment of federal and state transparency laws that

require all members of the National Assembly, federal ministers, the President, and state governmental officials to issue and publicize annual declarations of the total value of all personal assets.” ‘’ Against all odds, Nigeria has succeeded in carrying out peaceful presidential and gubernatorial elections.

This outcome is a landmark for Nigeria, but the country faces some very serious economic, social, and security challenges in the coming period. We appreciate the cautious approach your administration took with the previous administration and hope you will continue to call for greater respect for human rights and the rule of law as an essential component of Nigeria’s ability to manage these challenges effectively.”

6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

Dasuki still under house arrest, may face court cash meant for the puraggrieved that he was ahead action Meanwhile, it was chase of arms, last year. not allowed to join other

BY SONI DANIEL

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MMEDIATE past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) may be charged to court for alleged corruption, security sources said last night in Abuja where he has remained under house arrest since Thursday when operatives of the Department of State Services besieged his Abuja residence.

Dasuki, we gathered was not allowed to go for the Eid al Fitr prayers yesterday. Nine vehicles were said to have been impounded from his house.

A source close to DSS who confirmed that his passport has also been siezed said that “they are gathering information for a possible court action.”

The security sources said that Dasuki was

Muslim faithful for the Eid Prayers, marking the end of Ramadan fasting.

It was gathered that Dasuki could challenge the action by seeking legal redress in order to enforce his fundamental human rights in the days

gathered that the $15 million seized by South Africa has been returned after legal and diplomatic processes initiated by the former National Security Adviser.

The South African government seized the

It would be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was forced to resort to the alternative market to obtain arms when western powers blocked every access to the formal international arms market.

Leadership crisis forces Senate to shift resumption date to July 28

By Henry Umoru

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TRONG indications emerged yesterday that following the lingering crisis in the Senate over principal offices by the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the PDP, the leadership of the Senate has shifted the resumption date for plenary to Tuesday, July 28.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that the move became imperative against the backdrop of

the fact that both parties were yet to resolve the power sharing issue.

The positions in dispute are the Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip.

A source told Vanguard that the change in resumption date, was to calm nerves, just as it would allow both groups that emerged during the struggle for Senate presidency to come together, brainstorm and

harmonise with a view to arriving at a common position for the overall interest of the Senate.

According to the source, the shift would allow for a Committee headed by Governor Adams Oshiomhole to present its report to governors elected on the platform of APC. The Unity Forum which supported Senator Ahmed Lawan’s aspiration and Senator Bukola Saraki’s Like Minds are expected to attend.

Tragedy averted as 2 FirstNation aircraft collide at Lagos Airport

By Adekunle Aliyu with agency report

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RAGEDY was averted yesterday at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2) in Lagos following a ground collision of two aircraft belonging to FirstNation Air-

ways. A similar incident had occurred at the airport on July 6, following the collision of two aircraft belonging to Emirates and Hak Air. It was gathered that Friday’s incident which happened at about midday involved two Airbus 330 conveying not fewer

than 250 passengers.

The two aircraft had their bodies partially damaged as a result of the collision.

A source at the airport said that one of the aircraft was taxiing from the runway to MMA2, to disengage passengers while the other aircraft was preparing to take off to PortHarcourt Airport from the

same terminal. The source alleged that the pilot may have been misdirected by the marshals who directed the pilot to taxi to the wrong part of the apron.

According to the source, the Port-Harcourt bound aircraft was parked at Gate 4 while the arriving aircraft was bound for the Gate 3 of the terminal.

Lekki robbery suspect sues police over detention

By Abdulwahab Abdulah

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BI Tosan, the 20-year old suspected member of the four suspects arrested and paraded by the police over the March 12, 2015 robbery of the Lekki branch of First City Monument Bank, has dragged the police to court over what he termed “detention without bail.”

To this end, he was seeking damages in the sum of N1m, claiming that it was unlawful for the police to continue to keep him in detention without admitting him to bail.

The twenty-year-old, arrested on April 5, 2015, was paraded by the police along with three others - Duke Odogbo, 38; Lawrence Kingsley, 31; and Ekelemo

Kuete, 30.

He is seeking a court order directing the police to immediately release him on bail.

In a fundamental rights suit he filed through his lawyer, Chief S.W. Baidi, argued that his client’s continued detention without bail was an “infringement and curtailment of the applicant’s constitutional right to personal liberty, freedom of movement and presumption of innocence.”

Besides, he wanted the court to declare that his “arrest, torture and continued detention by the State AntiRobbery Squad, Ikeja without bail was a violation of his human rights, preserved by sections 34(1)(a), 35(1)(4) and Section 41 of the 1999 constitution.”

Stop bemoaning PDP’s mishandling of Nigeria, Cleric tells Buhari mishandling of Nigeria

By Ochuko Akuopha, Oleh

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ENERAL Overseer of Trinity Gospel Mission, Delta State, Rt. Rev Diamond Emuobor, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to proceed to lead Nigeria ‘out of the woods’ and stop bemoaning the mishandling of the country by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Emuobor, in a statement, said Nigerians did not vote for the All Progressives Congress, APC for it to “lament the

by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP but to fix the wrongs in the polity.”

He said: “Fix Nigeria with your APC manifesto and stop making excuses.

Why has Buhari started shouting his inability to meet his obligations to lead because money was stolen from the vaults of Nigeria?”

Saying that the president had not attempted any measure of relief promised by his party, the statement noted that, “bemoaning the decadence of the past administrations as the reason of APC’s inability to perform is to say the least, a defeatist agenda.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015 — 7

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Eid-il-Fitr Celebration

WCC, Catholic bishop congratulate Muslims at Eid-el-Fitri

BY SAM EYOBOKA

Without God’s protection, nobody is safe T — Buhari ...As youths besiege him

HE World Council of Churches, WCC, the Chris tian Association of Nigeria and the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos yesterday congratulated Nigerian Muslims and their counterparts worldwide for successfully completing this year’s Ramadan fast commemorating the first revelation of the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad according to Islamic belief.

They also called on the Muslims to utlilize the spiritual significance of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the gains of Ramadan which is also regarded as one of the five pillars of Islam to pray for a speedy end to the incessant terrorist attacks on innocent Nigerians across the nation.

At the occasion of the Islamic festival of Eid el Fitr (the end of Ramadan), Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of the WCC in a message issued on Friday, highlighted the potential for people of faith, especially when they work together across religious boundaries, to be a powerful force for global good.

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Friday stated that no level of military and police security alertness could be sufficient if God withdraws His shield from mankind.

The president stated that without God’s protection, no one was safe.

Buhari’s religious assertion followed his encounter with a crowd of worshippers many of whom were youths who struggled to get a hold of him at the National Eid Prayer ground in Abuja where he had gone to pray in the early hours of Friday.

Sharing the experience with a delegation of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja residents led by Permanent Secretary of the FCT Ministry, John Chukwu; the National Security Adviser, General Babagaba Monguno (rtd), the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase; among others who were in his residence within the precinct of the Presidential Villa, Abuja to pay him Sallah homage, President Buhari recalled the attempt on the life of former President of United States, Ronald Reagan, saying that only God protects leaders.

Reagan was shot in the chest and in the lower right

Ramadan: Your devotion to Allah will not be a waste — Ashafa

BY FEMI AJASA

S President Muhammadu Buhari having an handshake with one of the children, while Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo admire, during the Sallah homage at the Presidential Villa on Friday. arm. He suffered a punctured lung and heavy internal bleeding, but prompt medical attention allowed him to recover quickly.

President Buhari thanked the people for coming to pay their homage saying they were privileged as residents of FCT. “I thank you most sincerely for fulfilling the tradition of greetings for whoever occupies this place. I thank you very much for your loyalty to the country, as represented by our institutions and the system.

“Today, during and

immediately after the prayers I think I was bombarded by the youths who almost overwhelmed the security. I had to hold tight to my gown to get to my car. I was advised to enter the car from the ADC’s side and I refused.

I went across trying to hold my hand to the wild youths who wanted to see me.

“On an occasion like this, it shows that after what happened to President Ronald Reagan of the USA, it is only God Almighty that protects leaders, because in a mob like this, anybody with a sharp knife can get access and do a lot of damage.

“So all the policemen that were deployed and soldiers since six o’ clock in the morning before I came out two hours later in the rains, could not protect but only God protects. I hope God will continue to protect us.

“Please convey my thanks and happy Sallah to all your families and relatives back home and I congratulate you for the privilege you have which is that as residents of the FCT, you have the privilege to come and meet me and shake hands with me and take picture with me. Other Nigerians are envious of you if you don’t know it”, the President said smiling.

Eid-el-Fitri: IBB, Abubakar drum support for Buhari against insurgency “I call on Nigerians to ground.

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WO former Heads of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) and Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), yesterday urged the citizenry to support the Federal Government in its

efforts to win the war against insurgents.

The two former leaders made the call after joining others to perform the two Rakaah Eid-el-Fitri prayers at the Minna Eid-el

Babangida urged Nigerians to be patient with President Muhammadu Buhari administration and support it in the efforts to not only end insurgency but also boost the country ’s economy.

Ambode celebrates with Muslims, says lessons of Ramadan should be sustained

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AGOS State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday joined Muslim faithful to mark the Eid-El-Fitri celebrations, just as he called on them to sustain the lessons of the Ramadan Fast beyond the season.

The Governor who spoke when he hosted scores of Muslim faithful to a feast at the Lagos House, Alausa, urged them to imbibe the tenets of the season and

ensure it reflects in their daily activities.

“Let me use this medium to felicitate with our Muslim brothers and sisters on the completion of the year 2015 Ramadan. Ramadan has come and gone, but the lessons of the month remain and we should as worshippers sustain them in our everyday activity”.

“Let us put to use the lessons of Ramadan, which essentially is that of peace.

Let us remain peaceful and

eschew vices by remaining steadfast in our journey to make Lagos state a better place for all of us”.

“We may differ in tongue and faith, but we all remain equal before our creator, the owner of heaven and earth”.

“It is my fervent prayer that the Almighty will continue to increase us in wisdom, health and wealth.

May we witness many more celebrations”, the Governor said.

support the present administration in the country in its efforts to end insurgency and regenerate the economy,” he said.

Also speaking, Abubakar said there was need for the citizenry to be more vigilant in order to help government overcome insurgency, especially in the North Eastern part of the country.

Also speaking, Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger prayed “Allah to accept our devotion during the Ramadan.” He also prayed to “Allah to guide the leadership of the state and the country at large to enable us overcome our challenges.”

The governor enjoined the people of the state to continue to co-exist peacefully irrespective of religion and ethnicity.

ENATOR Gbenga Ashafa representing Lagos East Senatorial District has extended his prayers to all Muslim faithful, saying their devotion during the just concluded fast to Allah will not be a waste.

Ashafa who made the statement in his in Ramadan message to his constituents, asserted that the end of this year’s fast lends credence to the perseverance and discipline of Muslims and Nigerians as a whole.

He urged them to allow the lessons of Ramadan permeate their souls, “Let the lessons of this fast permeate your souls and I pray that your show of devotion to Allah would not be a waste.”

Whilst wishing everyone a peaceful celebration, he thanked Lagosians for their cooperation and support so far for the new Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, and restated his commitment to the ideals of change as espoused in the blueprint of the All Progressives Congress.

He added, “I humbly ask my well-wishers and the good people of my constituents to perform random acts of kindness to people in need, to their neighbours and fellow citizens.

KOGI guber aspirant congratulates Muslims

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OGI State governorship aspirant under the platform of APC, Dr Yaqeen Habeeb has congratulated Muslims on the completion of the fasting of the month of Ramadan as they celebrate the Eid-ilFitr festival. In a his Eid-il-Fitr message made available to Saturday Vanguard, Habeeb urged Muslims to take the blessings of the month beyond the month of Ramadan, adding that the lessons of the month included but not limited to building self-control, self-restraint, self-education, self-evaluation, and sacrifice. These virtues, according to him were necessary for peaceful co-existence and building a strong and self reliant economy. While soliciting the support of Kogi indigenes for their mandate at the forthcoming primary election as the party candidate, he advised other well meaning people of the state to invest their wealth in the state so as to provide jobs for the unemployed. “‘My focus is to develop the State through industrialisation by which we will create jobs for our people and improve infrastructure in the State.”

He called on other politicians to be guided by the principles of service to their father land rather than self-interest.

8 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

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I will not tolerate indiscipline — New Army chief

Ango Abdullahi to Buhari: Steer clear T of NASS mess, work for Nigeria

BY NDAHI MARAMA & BALA AJIYA, DAMATURU

SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

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ORTHERN Elders Forum leader, prof.

Ango Abdullahi has warned President Muhammadu Buhari, to steer clear of the crisis being orchestrated by some members of his party at the National Assembly and focus on the major task of finding solutions to the problems facing Nigeria.

Abdullahi, gave the advice while speaking in an exclusive interview with Saturday Vanguard in Abuja.

Adbullahi, a former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, and former Special Adviser to President Obasanjo on Food Security said: “My advice to Buhari is that he should steer clear of the mess and concentrate on his job of repositioning Nigeria.

“As far as I am concerned, I don’t see the distraction in the NASS as important. It is being caused by some persons who sneaked from the PDP to the APC to fight for their personal interest under the guise of playing politics.”

Reminded that the President cannot achieve any results without getting the full support of the NASS, Abdullahi pointed out that the legislature has no choice but to stand by the president in moving Nigeria forward.

He said that Nigerians would be ready to defend and stand by the President once he is able to unveil his policy direction for bailing Nigeria out of the current economic crisis.

The NEF top brass

pointed out that members of the NASS would be trying to keep pace with the president once he is able to work for the overall wellbeing of Nigerians who have been made to suffer unduly over the years.

He said that ‘politics of hunger’ was responsible for the current level of deceit

and dishonesty in the Nigerian polity and asked Buhari to be firm in dealing with people who have stolen the country’s wealth with impunity. “Buhari has to be very cautious with people who are determined to distract him from achieving his set goals for Nigeria and deal decisively with those

Buhari appoints Muhammadu new Commandant-General of NSCDS

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

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From Left; Victor Osibodu, Chairman Board of Directors, Special Olympics, Nigeria with Clem Ugorji, Director, Public Affairs and Communications, CocaCola Nigeria Ltd and Foluso Phillips, member Board of Directors, Special Olympics Nigeria duringa a sendforth receiption for Special Olympics Nigeria Althletes to Los Angeles in Lagos. Photo;Akeem Salau

Invasion of ex-NSA’s home: PDP accuses Buhari of witch-hunting Jonathan’s men SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

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HE stand-off between operatives of the Department of State and the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), continued today, with the former military officials holed up in his palatial

home at 13 John Khadiya Street, Asokoro.

The security operatives are insisting on arresting and taking him to their headquarters on the precincts of the Presidential Villa, but Dasuki insists he must be told why they want him there.

He resisted arrest throughout Thursday evening and reportedly called in his military aides

Boko Haram: Solution can only come through regional effort — French Envoy

BY VICTORIA OJEME

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RENCH Ambassador to Nigeria, Denys GAUER has said that to successfully combat Boko Haram, the solution can come only through a common, regional effort.

GAUER who pointed out that Nigeria has a central role to play in the fight, said France would not relent in its effort at providing the Nigerian forces with intelligence and military cooperation.

GAUER stated this during the celebration of his country’s National Day in Abuja.

He said though his

who have stolen the nation’s wealth with impunity over the years ,” Abdullahi said.

Reflecting on the appointment of service chiefs by PMB, the NEF leader described it as a reflection of Federal Character, saying that Buhari had proved to be a national leader by so doing.

HE Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai has said that he would not tolerate indiscipline in the Army.

The COAS, fielding questions from journalists in Damaturu on whether the over 4,000 soldiers that were sacked by the Army during the Boko Haram fight would be recalled, he responded that; “I don’t know how they would become a problem to us. But what I would tell you is that I cannot tolerate indiscipline in the force,” Buratai replied.

The Chief of Army Staff explained that his coming to Damaturu to celebrate Sallah with the troops is part of the measures to boost the morale of the troops on ground and assess the equipment and the discipline of the soldiers so as to come up with a better approach to counter insurgency.

He said: “I cannot tell you why I am here on the strategic level, because it’s a strategic decision. We all know the importance of Damaturu and Yobe State in particular. My presence here is to improve civil, military relation, we need the cooperation. My presence will boost the morale of the troops.’’

country is strongly supporting the neighbouring countries and encouraging them to closely cooperate with Nigeria as well, concerted effort is needed to nip the activities of the sect in the bud.

“In the field of security, we have been working hand in hand over the last year, since the regional summit organised in Paris in May 2014. France is fighting terrorism everywhere; in Iraq and Syria of course.

When terrorists were on the verge of simply taking over Mali, we intervened to help that country. Later on, we

extended our effort to the whole Sahelian region, and to prevent threats coming for the uncontrolled south of Libya.

“You may have known also that President Hollande was in Yaoundé, Cameroon, some days ago.

He met President Biya, he encouraged him to work with Nigeria closely.

President Hollande, during that visit, also said that if it is needed, we will be ready to organise another summit. So we are doing all that is possible to encourage real regional cooperation for common fight against Boko Haram,” he said

later in the night to ward off the DSS men who swooped on his residence in four unmarked Hilux trucks.

Based on the fierce resistance allegedly put up by Dasuki’s security men, the DSS reportedly changed tactics and reinforced its team and sealed off every point through which Dasuki could possibly escape from the well fortified residence sharing the same perimeter fence with Akwa Ibom State Governor ’s Lodge in Asokoro.

The effort of the former NSA paid off as the DSS failed to take him away to its office as at 3pm on Friday but effectively cut him off from participating in the Ramadan festivities, which were in high gear at the time of his travails.

A top security official said that many exotic vehicles were taken away from the premises of the former security adviser to unknown destination.

The source also said that some very vital service documents that might help the security agents in probing the ex-NSA were also carted away between Thursday night and Friday morning.

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu as the new Commandant-General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Muhammadu succeeds Dr. Ade Abolurin, who has retired from service. A statement by the Special Adviser to the president on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina on Friday confirmed the appointment.

According to the statement, Muhammadu who hails from Muye in Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State was an Assistant Commandant-General of the NSCDC before his new appointment. He holds a B.Sc in Sociology from the University of Sokoto and a Masters in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Meanwhile, President Buhari has congratulated Abolurin on his successful tenure, wishing him a happy retirement.

PTI urges FG to regulate oil, gas sector

BY OJO OLAMIDE

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call has gone to the Federal Government to enact requisite laws to regulate the operations of the Oil and Gas Industry in Nigeria to enable the optimal exploitation of the opportunities in the Oil and Gas sector.

This communique was issued at the end of the workshop on learning managers of oil and gas and allied companies and PTI management held at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Effurun, Delta State.

The acting Principal/Chief Executive of the Institute, A.J Orukele stressed that PTI had the capacity to train the appropriate manpower for Gas development in Nigeria.

He reiterated that the Institute must assess the gap in terms of quality of training, infrastructure, quality of instruction between its impressive record in the past and its prevalent state in terms of efficiency and service delivery, further urged the Institute to exert effort to bridge the gap between right curriculum and the right competencies required in the Industry.

Security agents smash 3-man robbery gang, arrest one

BY PEREZ BRISIBE

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TOR-OGOR local vigilante in synergy with policemen from the ‘B’ Division, Agbarha, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta state, in the early hours of Friday, smashed a 3-man robbery gang and arrested a member of the gang with others fleeing into the bush.

According to witnesses, the gang was operating along the Adjekota-Agbarha road in the early hours of Friday before the security agents on getting a tip off of their operations, swooped in on them.

It was gathered that the gang had laid siege on the road as at 6am and had succeeded in dispossing road users and commercial motorcycle operators of their items.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015 — 9

BRIEFS

Onitsha petrol tanker fire latest: Anambra gives mass burial to 32 unidentified victims v...Obiano, Ezeonwuka, others in tears

BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO

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HE remnants of 32 dead victims of May 31, 2015 petroleum tanker fire disaster that claimed about 69 persons in the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra state were yesterday given a mass burial at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church Cemetery, Obosi, by the state government, amidst tears and sorrow.

Addressing a mammoth crowd at Afor Adike market square, opposite the Cemetery, shortly before the 32 caskets containing their remnants were lowered in a wide grave, Governor Willie Obiano described yesterday as one of the saddest days of his life, adding that the incident was a calamity.

Obiano therefore reminded tanker drivers of the standing government order which allowed them to ply the roads in the state only at nights, as part of measures to reduce the high risk of fuel tanker accidents and its attendant volume of casualties, adding that defaulters would be made to face the law.

In his speech, a prominent Igbo leader and

A cross section of memebers of the NBA Warri during the their Law Week in Warri yesterday. the Ogirish Igbo of Igboland, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, commended Obiano for recognizing the importance of giving a befitting burial to all the Igbo sons and daughters who died either during the civil war or during the Bakassi boys and Boys Oyee era or even through road accidents.

Ezeonwuka attributed most of the criminalities, abominations and societal ills bedeviling Igbo land to handiwork of angry spirits

of the dead people who are hovering about restlessly because they were not given a befitting burial to enable their spirits be at rest.

In their separate speeches, while the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Akabike explained that the mass burial of the deceased victims were being done based on internationally acclaimed standard, Vice Chairman of Nigerian Red Cross Society, NRCS, Anambra

state chapter, Prof. Peter Emeka Katchy disclosed that the 32 caskets containing each of the deceased victims has a warrant of burial with a special mark and number placed on them for easy identification.

The traditional ruler of Obosi Kingdom, Igwe Chidubem Iweka III, in a telephone chat, told newsmen that according to Obosi custom and tradition, a reigning king does not attend burial ceremonies.

Delta bullion van tragedy: Doctors amputate victim’s He added that the driver left leg the middle of the road when presently on admission at of the bullion van would be

the oncoming 911 Mercedez

BY EMMA AMAIZE, Benz lorry, noticeably Regional Editor, Niger avoiding the bullion van Delta rammed into her.

Sympathizers rushed OCTORS at the Delta Mrs. Akporode to the State University Central Hospital, Warri Teaching Hospital, from where doctors referred DELSUTH, Oghara, have her the next day to surgically removed the left DELSUTH, Oghara. She is

D

leg of 31-year-old teacher and mother of four children, Mrs. Onome Akporode (Nee Kator), crushed, July 13, at Udu, Udu Local Government Area, Delta State, by a vehicle escaping from the irresponsible driving of a bullion van driver and others manned by police escorts.

As at the time of this report, Saturday Vanguard gathered that doctors were contemplating also amputating Mrs. Akporode’s right leg in a frantic bid to save her life.

The Victress School, Aladja teacher, who just finished transaction at the First Bank of Nigeria, Udu Road branch, had crossed the first lane and was waiting on the pavement at

the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital under severe pains and lack of money.

Commissioner of Police, Delta State, Mr. Yakubu Alkali, told Saturday Vanguard, yesterday, that all the policemen and bank officials involved in the unfortunate incident have been arrested.

prosecuted while the policemen were already undergoing orderly room trial.

The victim’s husband, Mr. Micheal Akporode, has spent more than N500, 000 in the past few days to save her life without assistance from the bank.

APC chieftain’s murder: My father didn’t want to leave the house — Deceased son

T

HE Festac residence of late Shalewa Daramola, a chieftain of All Progressives Congress, was filled to capacity as sympathizers thronged to condole with the bereaved family.

His 38-year-old widow, who still found it difficult to come to terms with the rude reality of his husband demise, was speechless for hours as she only gave a blank stare to those around her. Entreaties for her to speak to Saturday Vangurad failed as she was still in shock.

It was learned that the late Daramola who received a text message notifying him of an official meeting at the Local government secretariat didn’t want to leave his home that afternoon.

According to the deceased second son who spoke with our reporter, yesterday, “My father didn’t want to leave the house because it was drizzling and we didn’t see him off outside like we normally do, when we asked him when he will be coming back home, he said he didn’t know but he will return soon”.

We gathered that the 38-year-old widow received the news of her husband’s death while on her way to Lagos yesterday (Thursday) from Abuja.

Family sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity said: Tare had travelled to Abuja on Monday but was on her way to Lagos yesterday when she received the news.

Early that morning Daramola called her while she was at the park about to board a vehicle from Abuja to Lagos.

Later at about 5pm she received a call from someone (names with held) that they were presently in her house and they heard that her husband had been shot and that he had been taken to the hospital. Later at about 6pm she received another call saying that her husband had been confirmed dead.

Saturday Vanguard learned that the couple who had been married for over 17 years were supposed to attend David, their first son’s graduation ceremony yesterday who just completed his secondary education before the incident occured. Their other children are Gideon 14; and Sharon, 10.

Describing his father as a gentleman, 17-year-old Gideon, told Saturday Vanguard that “I would miss my father’s care and his love, I would miss his advice. My father is a very gentle, loving a caring man.

The 45-year-old father of three was killed in front of the party’s secretariat located at 3rd Avenue, ‘K’ Close, House 12 Festac Town, where members of his party were sharing Sallah gift.

Daramola, who was the party’s Assistant Treasurer in Amuwo Odofin, was said to have stepped out to check his car, when one of the gunmen, in his 20s, emerged from an adjoining close and accosted him, demanding for money.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that detectives from the Lagos State Criminal investigative department SCID,Yaba, Panti Lagos visited the crime scene yesterday morning.

Sedition: NBC neutralises “Biafra Radio” broadcasts

Why we’re honouring Asagba — Asiodu

BY HUGO ODIOGOR

P

ROMINENT indigenes of Asagba have outlined reasons they are honouring His Royal Majesty, Professor Chike Edozien, the Asagba of Asaba who marks his 90th birthday this week.

A week long programmes of events released in Asaba yesterday by the planning committee said the ceremonies will commence today with visits to historical and tourist sites in Asaba.

Prominent White cap chief of Asaba told Vanguard that they have set aside this event to immortalise Prof. Chike

Edozien whom they described as a living legend. He is the 13th Asagba of Asaba.

The Izoma of Ahaba, Chief Philip Asiodu, Chief Odogwu and Prof.

Epiphany Azinge who spoke to Vanguard in separate interviews in Lagos yesterday said “the 90th birthday of the monarch is the most auspicious time to appreciate Prof. Chike Edozien for the numerous accomplishments that have come to Asaba during his tenure. Among these are the reforms in some traditional practices in Asaba as well as the rapid infrastructural development in Asaba in

the past 24 years when he became the monarch.

The three High Chiefs Asaba and indeed Anioma people appreciate the Asagba for mobilising Anioma people towards the realisation of the Delta North to produce governor of Delta State which was achieved with the victory of Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa Both Chief Asiodu and Chief Sony Odogwu said” at the Asagba’s age he provided the intellectual focus and strength that served as the rallying point for other traditional rulers from Delta North, who resolved to sink their differences to fight for a common cause.

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

N

ATIONAL Broadcasting Commission, NBC on Friday said it has “neutralised” illegal broadcasts from Biafra Radio which it said has “shattered” the peace of south east zone of Nigeria with hate and seditious messages.

It added that it had equally arrested its operators and confiscated many of their transmitters in various locations.

According to the Commission, the arrested operators had been taken to Abuja for prosecution.

A release by the Director-General of the Commission, Emeka Mba, stated that it efforts were being made to remove the transmissions of the illegal station from the satellite. The Commission further decried activities of the “illegal Radio station”, through the transmission of messages, saying that Nigeria cannot afford another blood-letting after the civil war.

It however asked Nigerians to unite against the station.

The statement reads in part: “The national Broadcasting Commission, has effectively neutralised the illegal broadcasts from the seditious pirate radio station that has recently shattered the peace in parts of the south east of Nigeria with unsavoury hate messages.

10 —SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18 18, 2015

EID-IL-FITR CELEBRATION

Sallah tragedy: Multiple blasts kill 15 •As COAS visits troops in Yobe

By Ndahi Marama & Bala Ajiya, Damaturu

T

HE Eid-el-Fitr celebra tion in Damaturu the Yobe state capital, was marred by bomb explosion

in two locations in the heart of the troubled North-East state. The explosions which went off at the phase one secretariat and the Gwange-sabon Pegi by cemetery road left 15 people dead, over 40

injured thwarting the festivity in the town.

The streets of Damaturu were immediately deserted as the early morning blast forced security operatives to adjust the restriction of movement from 6pm to 2pm.

The early morning twin

Bloody Eid-el-Fitr in Benue ... As gunmen kill ex-lawmaker, 20 others

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

I

T was a bloody Eid-elFitri celebrations in Benue state, following the killing of about 20 persons including a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stalwart and elder statesman, Chief Atoza Ihindan, in Katsina/ Ala local government area of the state.

Saturday Vanguard learned from a source that the septuagenarian and Second Republic lawmaker was waylaid and gunned down Friday morning in Katsina/Ala town by some unidentified persons

while inspecting ongoing work on the perimeter fence he was constructing round his piece of land.

According to the source, “the three armed men riding on a motorbike, waylaid Chief Ihindan at his construction site in Katsina/ Ala town on Friday morning around 10am.

“They stormed the place in a commando style, though, the old man had with him, his aide and a police escort who after noticing the armed men, made desperate effort to defend Chief, but he was overpowered by the well armed men who had superior fire power.

“They succeeded in kill-

ing the old man after shooting his police escort who was seriously injured and in critical condition at a public hospital in Katsina/ Ala at the moment.”

blast as 41 others sustained various degrees of injury.

Although the early bomb blast could not affect Eidprayers as hundreds of Muslim worshippers attended the prayers at various locations to thank Allah for the success of the

“After successfully executing their assignment, the gang fled and the suspicion is that it was that same gang or members of the same group of bandits that raided a beer parlor at a market square in Tor Donga, last night, where 12 persons including a woman, who was the attendant and her one year old baby were killed on the spot.

“After raiding and killing their victims at the drinking spot, the gang sped off on their motorbike and continued shooting indiscriminately at any person they came across. This led to the killing of another seven persons including a teacher in one of the local schools in the community.”

Aisha Buhari distributes food items to elderly, orphans in Kano women and children, esBy Abdulsalam Muhammad Wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Hajiya Aisha Buhari yesterday distributed essential commodities to women groups, Torrey Home, VVF Centre and Elderly Home in Kano.

Muslims worshipers at the Murtala Mohammed Square Praying Ground for the Eid-el-Fitri Sallah prayer in Kaduna yesterday.

Photos:Olu Ajayi.

From left, President, NASFAT, World wide, Engr. Kamil Yomi, Publicity Secretary, Mr. Banji Busari, Member National Council of Elders, Alhaji Ladi Ogunneye and Member Publicity Council, Mr. Bayo Tijani at the old secretariat, Ikeja praying ground Lagos to mark Eldiel-Fitr ’s prayer yesterday. Photo Lamidi Bamidele

blast, according to the State Commissioner of Police Markus Danladi, claimed 13 lives and was masterminded by female bombers.

The Medical Director of the Damaturu specialist hospital, Dr Adamu Fika said 15 people died in the

In an elaborate ceremony that was performed on behalf of the first lady, the wife of the former Military Administrator of Kaduna State, Brigadier General Lawan Jafaru Isah, Hajiya Zainab Jafaru Isah said that the First Lady considers the welfare of

pecially orphans very seriously.

“The wife of Mr President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari has directed me to announce to you that she is always happy to be associated with your welfare and happiness in life,” Isah said.

Ramadan fast.

The Chief of Army Staff, Major general Tukur Yusuf Buratai joined the State Governor and some government officials and military personnel in the Eid prayer held at the Yobe Mosque and Islamic Centre.

Shortly after the prayer, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam appreciated the coming of the Army chief saying he has a lot ahead of him in maintaining peace in the troubled area.

Buratai on his part said he was in the state to celebrate the sallah with troops on ground saying his coming here was strategic.

He also said it would equally stimulate military/ civil relationship and boost the morale of the troops, adding that the visit will afford him the opportunity to assess the equipment on ground and to assess the level of the threat posed by the Boko Haram militants.

While in the State, the COAS held discussions with officers and men on ground with a view to strategising in the fight against the insurgency.

From left: Deputy Gov. of Yobe State, Engr. Abubakar D. Ali, Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe, Chief of Army Staff Major General Tukur Buratai, State Assembly Speaker Adamu Dala Dogo and Major General Alani Gaffar Akunola during the Eid-El-Fitr prayers at the Damaturu Central Praying ground yesterday.

Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwa left and the Sultan of Sokoto, President-General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III, during the Eid-il-Fri prayer in Sokoto yesterday.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (right), acknowledging cheers during Y2015 Eid-el-Fitri celebration organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs at the Lagos House, Ikeja, yesterday.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015—11

Of Pedophiles and the

agony of Nigerian girl child

By CHIOMA GABRIEL

I

t is often felt and hardly spoken but the body language says it all. A pregnant woman who puts to bed perceives greater joy when the baby turns out to be a boy. The female child is welcomed with restrained joy by the parents. The expression of joy when a girl is born very often shows the parents would have preferred a boy. A girlchild is an endangered specie!

Right from the period of pregnancy, parents prefer to have male children. It feels good for their ego.

Would you imagine the pain of a woman who waited for years to have a child to call her own and C M Y K

then realised when she eventually had a female child that the body language of her husband and her in-laws was suggestive. Simply put, they would have preferred a male !

A woman recounted having a child after 15 yeas of marriage.

She was 47 when the first child landed and the initial ecstasy she saw on her husband disappeared when her bundle of joy dropped. He announced to the family members that gathered to hear the good news that it was only a girl!

The father-in-law had looked at the others and exclaimed “Ah! Just one and it is a girl. A male child would have solved all the problems!”

The joy that the new mother

felt died with those words! Only a girl child?

Then you just asked what was wrong with that?

Need anyone ask that question? The unspoken truth was that the male child would have been more preferable under the circumstances. She would have consolidated on her marriage and had a firm hold on the man because a male child would have guaranteed that.

It would have been a greater joy then even if the most preferred ended up being a menace in the society. The birth of many a boy-child was widely celebrated who ended up being a disappointment but who cares? With a boy, all is

I married another wife to protect my daughters because having a male child of my own would ensure my daughters get what it due to them

well by the calculations of mostly the fathers.

So who would blame a medical doctor who had five daughters from taking just another wife that would give him that male child? Even with his five daughters, family members dared say to his face that he was childless and went ahead to apportion his properties to themselves since nobody would inherit them in the absence of a male child amongst his children.

He told Vanguard, “ I have to marry another wife who gave me three male children. That was the only

Continues on page 12

12— SATURDAY

Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

male child is considered more important in the Nigerian society than the female child. A male child will carry the family name, and his children will have the same last name. If a family only has a daughter, the family name will die out.

Also, a son can be an heir to the father. A daughter cannot do this.

Endangered from birth

Continues on page 11

Endangered fr om bir th from birth Continues from page 11 way I could stop my brothers

from messing me up. I ended up having designer babies whose sex was scientifically selected. I'm talking about in vitro fertilisation and only male sex chromosomes were used to fertilise my three boys. When it comes to tradition, these villagers can ruin you. I married another wife to protect my daughters because having a C M Y K

male child of my own would ensure my daughters get what it due to them.”

In many parts of Igbo land, the situation is so bad that female children don't inherit from their fathers and if such a father has no son to inherit him, his brothers would take it all.

Although it takes both male and female to create life and it is often said that all children are a blessing and a gift from God , a

The difference between the girl child and the boy child has always been clear. She is quiet, soft and cuddly. Basically, her first gift is a beautiful doll to cuddle. And she grows up thinking things are to be cuddled and catered for while her male counterpart grows up different.

As a boy who is meant to conquer, he is bought a football or a toy gun and he grows up kicking things around. He kicks his ball at any direction and at anybody, even at his mother and into her pot of soup. He can do anything under his parents nose and get away with it. A girl child is taught the art of taking care of a man because her entire future is dependent on that. When she reaches a certain age, the common questions and admonition become “ Is she married? Go and marry and be under a man's roof!”

Definitely, she is being told to go and get kicked about because someone is being trained to do exactly that. Her male counter part is growing up and looking for bigger things to kick around.

He kicks bigger things about especially the female specie! To him, girls are meant to be kicked about and treated without regard because the girl child is the

A female leaves her job for her man while the male leaves his wife for his job

weaker sex who does not deserve respect.

Should it therefore be a surprise to see young girls being sexually violated by men or grown up girls being sexually harassed? She is seen as nothing other than an object of sexual gratification and a man's 'football' to kick about as it pleases him.

In the workplace, she is expected to 'sleep' her way to the top or be frustrated out of relevance without a blink!

The best thing ever to happen to her would be to get married and live under a man and bear useful children who are preferably male!

She is family-oriented while he is project-oriented. A female leaves her job for her man while the male leaves his wife for his job. Women leave their jobs because the men dominate the environment so aggressively and push her out of her domain. She creates territories. He conquers them.

No matter how you look at it, the girl child is on her way to utter deprivation, destitution and even extinction. In other words, the girl child is heading towards becoming an endangered specie if the present mindset is not changed.

In many parts of Nigeria, females were not given as many educational opportunities as her male counterparts. Thousands and thousands of years of genetic breeding may perhaps account for the dis portion.

You may have heard it from your know-it-all in-law, or a friend who happens to have one-of-each, or maybe even your doctor:

Continues on page 13

SATURDAY

Continues from page 12 Whenever issues about her are to be seriously discussed, it bothers more around sex.

Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015—13

Contr sial Controover versial legislation

Sex is a woman The most often question asked about a girl child is what age she can legally start having sex in Nigeria? This question may appear simple but it is complicated.

The new Child Rights Legislation stipulates that having carnal knowledge (sex) of a child below the age of 18 is a crime in twenty-four (24) states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. Akwa Ibom and Kwara states specify 16 years, whilst Jigawa State specifies 15 years.

But that isn't the whole story.

There are still complications in these stipulations because the traditional marriage systems stipulate generally the age of 12-14 years for girls to get married. There is no control over age when it comes to traditional societies. A new born female child can get engaged to a man old enough to be her father and by the time she is six or seven, be sent to go and live in the family of the man and no one monitors when he begins to have carnal knowledge of her.

In Igbo land for instance, child marriages from such ages below 10 years age are permitted. But the girl remains under the protection of her father in-law until she reaches the normal marriageable age of the community. But these usually look the other way when the man for whom a child is married for decides to consummate the relationship.

It is not different in other climes and religions. When a former governor who later became a Senator reportedly married a 13year-old-girl from Nigeria and a 15year-old girl from Egypt , hell was let loose but would one call him a pedophile?

The girl-child is very often sexually violated without recourse to the damage being done to her both physically and psychologically. It gets even worse when she is being violated by those old enough to be her grandfather or great grandfather.

Pedophiles abound in the Nigerian society and they wreak havoc in the life of the girl child on daily basis with impunity.

In Islamic religion, it is stated that Prophet Mohammed married a nine year-old-girl and gave out his own 10-year-old daughter in marriage.

The Prophet also instructed that young girls should be educated, and that marriage should never be at the expense of education. The Prophet ensured that both the nineyear-old and 10-year-old, though married were made to have full education, and the marriage was not consummated until his wife was eighteen years, and his daughter was nineteen years!

But one cannot say for sure if the Nigerian Muslim, who cites these examples, exhibited any such discipline as the Prophet exhibited.

The cases of VVF which is predominant in the North portray otherwise.

defilement of minors. Some of the initial propositions were discarded before the bill was passed.

History

Controversial legislation Recently, the Nigerian Senate passed the Sexual Offences Bill, 2015 which prescribes life imprisonment for rapists and those who have sexual intercourse with children or the under age.

The passage of this bill followed the report of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Chaired by Sen. Umaru Dahiru (APC SokotoSouth).

During the presentation of the report, Dahiru said the passage of the bill would give legal backing for the prosecution of sexual offenders. He said that if approved, rapists and those who sexually abuse children would bag life imprisonment while other sexual offenders would also be sentenced to serve various prison terms.

The then President of the Senate, Sen. David Mark, expressed delight on the efforts of the committee to evolve a stronger law against sexual violations.

David Mark had said, “I want to particularly thank and congratulate Sen. Chris Anyanwu, the sponsor of the Bill for initiating the process of this

amendment.’’

Senator Chris Anyanwu had listed some of the sexual offences captured by the Bill to include gang rape, lacing drinks with drugs with intent to sexually abuse, deliberately infecting partner with HIV and other diseases.

She also included child sex tourism, sexual harassment and prostitution of persons with mental disabilities. She said the bill had mandated the storing of names of sexual offenders in database for institutional and social discrimination.

“Culprits would never be employed in any institution where they may pose a risk to unsuspecting persons. You can see that the penalties are weighty,’’ she said.

Anyanwu also said convicted offenders would be subjected to compulsory medical examination, while “those that, however, bring false sexual allegation against any person will also be liable for punishment.’’

But the passage of the Bill was wrongly construed in some quarters who perceived it as justifying marriage at age 13 for the girl-child. But what the bill seeks to do is to protect people of different categories, minors, teenagers, the aged and people with disability from being sexually assaulted. The misconception was that the bill tried to encourage

Pedophiles abound in the Nigerian society and they wreak havoc in the life of the girl child on daily basis with impunity

Indeed, history is replete with instances of girl child sexual abuses in Nigeria. One of the cases involved Mayen, 15, who lived with her uncle in Kano. Her uncle had a friend who was a political powerful figure and often visited Mayen’s uncle. During one of such visits, he saw Mayen in his house.

He sought her hand in marriage and Mayen's uncle gave Mayen away to the Alhaji . Afterwards, there was a riot in Kano, and Mayen escaped and went home to her father in Akwa Ibom. The father would not allow Mayen to leave the house or return to Kano. He refused to buy Alhaji's plea that Mayen is his legally married wife, and he has come to take her back to Kano. Now, many think the Attorney-General of Cross River State ought to prosecute Alhaji for having carnal knowledge of Mayen who was 15 at the time of the marriage.

In Lagos, there was reportedly a similar incident when a 15-year old girl, Abike, living in Kano got married under the sharia law. On her return to Lagos, her father refused to accept that she was married because there was no parental consent.

The practice of child marriages in Nigeria has never been pleasant. Over the years, we have seen children being married out as brides when they should be in school. In the present day Nigeria, one would presume that child marriage has been outdated but that is far from the truth.

Sometimes, it appears that Nigeria has refused to see the importance of a girl child, her education and her future. The future of great women is being destroyed by their country because of greed and wickedness.

Politicians have used religious

Continues on page 14

14—SATURDAY

Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

The girl child is sexually violated all the time Continues from page 13 tactics to satisfy their selfish interest, satisfying their perversion on the breasts of the innocent girl child.

In the cases of Mayen and Abike, the Child’s Rights Laws of Lagos State and Cross River State respectively stipulate 18 as age of consent. The Law is clear that when conflicts such as these arise, the domicile of the father will be the domicile of Abike and that of Mayen but in their cases, there was no evidence of such consents given. They would have been valid if the consent of the parents had actually been obtained.

Issues like this come up often at different points across the 36 states of the federation. There are still 12 States of the Federation (11 in the North and 1 in the South) which have still not yet passed the Child Rights Legislation. The tenets of Customary Law and Islamic Law still hold sway in those states.

There are Statutory Laws on rape (Criminal Code and Panel Codes) in those states. Even if we leave all that, how about the absence of a law of statutory rape like in the UK where the Criminal Law specified 16 for the age of consent, where the girl is unmarried; whilst the Penal Code specifies the age of 14 years. On its own put, the Sharia Penal Code specifies the age of 13 years.

What the law in Nigeria says now is absurd. Any carnal knowledge before 18 is a crime except where a marriage (traditional or religious) has taken place in which case, no crime is deemed to have been committed.

The girl child is sexually violated all the time It is a story we read everyday on the passages of the newspapers. Fathers sexually violate and impregnate their own daughters. Minors are sexually abused by their guardians and other family members.

In February 2014, a man in Osun was reportedly arrested by the police and charged for reports that he had forceful intercourse with a toddler. 27-year-old Akeeb was said to have raped the twoyear-old girl at his residence in the Ifelodun Local Government area of the state.

In Lagos around the same time, a man was also arrested and charged for sexually assaulting a set of twin girls.

Yusuf , a cobbler reportedly made it a habit to fondle the little girls who are his neighbour’s children.

He was charged with these crimes before a Magistrate court sitting in the Ebute Metta area of the state. Yusuf, alongside his friend, Akibu, a bouncer who

happened to be neighbours with the girls’ parent at Lagos Island, were in the habit of calling the twins to their room to assault them by inserting their fingers into their private parts.

Their mother Mrs Akeem said she came to know about the assault when she discovered swelling around her daughters’ private parts while she was bathing them.

She asked them what happened and they told her it was Yusuf that has been assaulting them.

In another development, a man in Abuja was sometime arrested for having forceful sexual intercourse with a toddler.

Monday Godswill was said to have raped a 3-year-old girl after being found guilty of a previous rape.

The police in the Bwari area of the Federal Capital Territory arrested the suspect.

A police officer at the Mpape police station, who reportedly declined to give his name due to the sensitivity of the case said: “the suspect has been involved in a rape case before as record showed that he was arrested and actually charged to court for raping a four-year-old girl before but unfortunately, he was set free after paying a fine of N3,000.”

In Ogun state, a 60-year-old man was once apprehended by the police following reports that he had raped a young girl. The suspect, identified simply as Akinduro, was said to be the owner of a private hostel in Ikenne area of the state.

The 12-year-old girl, a student of the Mayflower school, was one of the residents of his hostel and

What the law in Nigeria says now is absurd.

Any carnal knowledge before 18 is a crime except where a marriage (traditional or religious) has taken place in which case, no crime is deemed to have been committed

Akinduro was said to have had forceful sexual intercourse with her twice.

The parents of the girl reportedly could not afford the exorbitant accommodation fee in the school, prompting her parents to send her to the private hostel. But the custodian, Akinduro, had carnal knowledge of her on two occasions and the girl could no longer cope with the situation and raised the alarm which attracted sympathizers.

In Taraba, a 27-year old man was arrested by the police and taken before a court on allegations of rape. William Julius, was reportedly arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Jalingo, the state capital, for having forceful sexual intercourse with a fiveyear-old girl.

The incident was reported by the victim’s father who accused the suspect of luring his little daughter into an uncompleted building where he then perpetrated the evil act.

Sometime last year, a teenage boy in Gombe was arrested after he raped a toddler. The unidentified 17-year-old was apprehended by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) after his victim’s mother filed a report.

The suspect was arrested in Kwami shortly after the mother of the victim, Malama Fatima Abdullahi, reported the case to Kwami division of the command.

The mother of the victim told the

Continues on page 15

SATURDAY

Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015—15

Female kid hawk er ace the great es hawker erss fface greates estt danger

Continues from page 14 police that the accused was their neighbour, adding that she became suspicious when the girl came back home crying. The mother discovered blood coming out from the girl’s private part and when she asked about the cause, her daughter pointed at the neighbour’s door.

Cases like these abound all over the country and are mostly under reported.

Female kid hawkers face the greatest danger You see these girls everyday hawking oranges, banana or whatever around the neighbourhood. Female hawkers are always all over the place but in many cases, those who patronise them end up abusing them and violating them sexually. Street hawking exposes young girls to all forms of hazards, including sexual abuse.

The World Health Organization estimates that at least one in five of world’s female population has been physically or sexually abused.

Esther, now 17, told this reporter that she started hawking as a child because her mother would pack satchet water for her to sell. She hawks around the busy streets of Alimosho in Lagos State until she was taken in by another woman as a house-help. “ When I was hawking for my mother, I always stopped by the woman's shop to play with her daughter and that was how we met. Her daughter was just my age and we got on well and she took me in to live with them. I was her daughters playmate and companion until a male relation came visiting. I was also doing house chores and she was nice to me. But her male visitor was my

nightmare. I lost count of the number of times he slept with me and to me, sex was like a service I had to render to him. I started having sex with him from age eight until I turned 11. He threatened me and said he would would deal with me if I told anybody. I was scared of him and he kept doing it until I got used to it. I never told anybody and besides, the woman was hardly around.

“He later went to the University and I stayed on with the family. But one day, the woman said she was looking for her money and accused me of stealing it. I did not do that. She sent me away and I returned to my mother and continued hawking for her. I suspect my mother knew a long time that I'm no longer a virgin even before I started seeing my menstruation. She once asked me who touched me and I didn't understand what she meant. But later, she came to spread my legs when I was sleeping to look through my private part and in the morning, she asked me again who touched me. Then, she stopped me from hawking and said I should go and learn hair dressing.”

Esther is just one of the many victims of the harsh Nigerian environment .The child on the street is exposed to malnutrition, respiratory tract infection, mental illness and substance abuse and the young female hawkers are in addition particularly vulnerable to all forms of violence including sexual exploitation by men.

Men tend to prefer young girls as sexual partners because they assume they are sexually inexperienced and as such are less likely to be infected with sexually transmitted diseases. In a society with poorly developed social network and intervention,many of the girls

accept it as their lot and fear being stigmatized if they should report.

For several years, the traditional Nigerian society has deliberately discriminated against the girl child especially as regards education with the wrong belief that subsequent marriage will deprive the parents and family of such investment. In order not to waste limited resources and to make the girl more “useful”to her family, she is given minimal education and the result is low aspiration and limited career and employment opportunities.

There are also stress related problems when some of these girls are given to rich families as house helps or baby sitters or are sent into the street to hawk.

The girl child is often sent onto

the streets to hawk all kinds of wares because of poverty related issues and to help supplement family income.

In a sex drenched society like ours, the girl child is more at risk.

A study on street children in Nigeria found that more than 15.4 % of female adolescent hawkers had procured abortion at least twice, had been pregnant without knowing who was responsible, had experienced rape and also contracted sexually transmitted infections (including HIV).

A more recent study showed that 30% of the violence experienced by girls on the street is sexual in nature. This is an issue of great importance because in the traditional African society, the concept of sexuality is enshrouded in secrecy.

Most abused girls do not report the crime because of the stigma attached to the issue.

Although the society has sympathy for victims of sexual violence, it also visits them with some stigma.

A study on street children in Nigeria found that more than 15.4 % of female adolescent hawkers had procured abortion at least twice, had been pregnant without knowing who was responsible, had experienced rape and also contracted sexually transmitted infections (including HIV)

Children should be cautioned against inappropriate behaviour directed at them —Chukwuma Mrs Josephine Chukwuma, the Executive Director, Project Alert on Violence against Women, said children should be cautioned against inappropriate behaviour directed at them.

Chukwuma said an informed girl-child would not be a subject of abuse, whether it was done by family members, friends or strangers. ``We need to empower the girl-child and we even empower her through information; information is knowledge. A lot of our children don’t get the right information from the right source at the right time.

There are a lot of things that come into play when a child is growing up including the environment, culture and, of course, the family. With family as the cornerstone, parents can only give their child the information they have. If they don’t have it, they can’t give.

Let a girl-child from an early age know the difference between a good touch and a bad touch.

“We call it age appropriate messaging. There’s a way you talk to a four-year-old child, it’s different from the way you communicate with a 10-yearold and definitely different from the way you communicate with a 14-year-old. But at the same time, you can get your message across. So it’s not too early to tell a four-year old or the threeyear-old, don’t sit on a man’s laps.

“Sit on the chair, sit on a stool, so if any uncle comes to your house and says come and sit on my laps, you’re a big girl.

Let her tell the uncle that she is a big girl and can sit on the chair. There is no offence, there’s no insult there.

“From the home, depending on the age, you can let them know what the public areas are and what the private areas are.

It’s not too early. People will say that you are teaching these children sex. No, you are empowering them to take ownership of their bodies and not allow their bodies to be abused by those who ordinarily should know better.

“We are in very horrible times. I don’t know what old men are looking for in the bodies of little girls.

Without sounding alarmist, we have an epidemic of abuse on our hands and it is only through awareness and vigilance that we can protect our children,” she said.

16—SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

BUHARI’S GOVERNMENT:

The Yoruba Strategy and Statement

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, Political Editor It is the first time in Nigeria’s history that the political leadership of the Southwest moved from the ranks of the opposition and contributed to the formation of a Federal Government. With the still unfolding crisis in forming the leadership of the National Assembly, leaders of the Afenifere Renewal Group during a visit to Vanguard give a different picture of the Yoruba quest in a democratic Nigeria

E

ngineer Segun Odegbami, the former Nigeria international spoke out of the experience garnered during his football days when he said that it was too early to say that the Yoruba have lost out after helping to enthrone the Muhammadu Buhari administration in Abuja.

“It is too early in the day to say the Yoruba have lost out.

It is not a sprint event, it is a marathon and when you start a marathon, those who sprint out the first, usually are the people that get tired,” the engineer styled as the Mathematical Odegbami said penultimate Monday.

Odegbami, who scored 23 goals in 46 appearances for his country was part of a delegation of the Afenifere Renewal Group, ARG who paid a courtesy call on Vanguard.

The group led by the ARG secretary general, Mr. Ayo Afolabi also included the executive director of The Yoruba Academy, Dr Ade Adeagbo, Professor Anthony Onipede and the ARG programme officer, Mr. Segun Balogun all spoke in the same vein.

Members of the delegation gave the impression that they were not in any way perturbed by developments in Abuja following the difficulties of the region’s political ‘leader ’, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in positioning the leadership of

the National Assembly.

But when pressed on whether the Yoruba was losing out, Odegbami sought to dribble himself out of the question by taking attention towards the other activities of the ARG, notably, the promotion of what he described as the Yoruba Agenda as encapsulated in the fitly framed Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, DAWN. DAWN as the delegation’s leader, Afolabi said, was simply a catchphrase for regional integration, a programme aimed at integrating the development of the Western Region.

Giving vent on the issue, Afolabi said:

It is too early in the day to say the Yoruba have lost out. It is not a sprint event, it is a marathon and when you start a marathon, those who sprint out the first, usually are the people that get tired,” the engineer styled as the Mathematical Odegbami said penultimate Monday

President Buhari

•Segun Odegbami

“The DAWN Commission is Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, DAWN. To the ordinary man on the streets, it is known as Regional Integration. The idea of regional integration was brought together by looking back at what our progenitors, fathers had done right from Awolowo and it is to see how we can move Western Nigeria forward. We are looking at it in terms of the economy, we are looking at in terms of trade, human development, infrastructure,” Afolabi said.

He was soon brought to task on how that idea could take hold with the dilution of the APC’s political hold in the Southwest, given the political idiosyncrasies of

•Anthony Onipede

•Ayo Afolabi

Governor Ayodele Fayose and lately, Governor Segun Mimiko in Ekiti and Ondo States. Ekiti and Ondo States are the two states in the region controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. “I take you to when the Yoruba Agenda was launched in 2012 in Lagos.

At that time, Olusegun Mimiko was the governor in Ondo State and Ondo State was adequately represented at that time. So, the developmental agenda is not essentially on political basis. It is based on the reality that the Yoruba will have to move forward in the terms of development in general.”

Asked if Governor Fayose

•Ade Adeagbo

was involved in the integration plans, Afolabi replied thus “Before he came into office, Ekiti was very much in it.” Pressed on whether Ekiti after the coming of Fayose had shown interest in the project he said: “None of our states opted out.” He went on to allude to the inclusion of some other states with Yoruba cultural leaning.

“We have gone further to bring some other states that have predominant Yoruba populations come into it.

Kwara is very much interested and the parameters are being worked out. I am aware

Continues on page 17

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015—17

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CRISIS:

Ekweremadu is a blessing to APC and Nigerian Democracy

BY JAMES UGWU

T

•Barr Ike Ekweremadu

he anti-democratic posture of the ruling APC to enforce party supremacy, and the recent call for the removal of Barr Ike Ekweremadu from the office of the Deputy Senate President, have posed a worry to political analysts and scholars who know, as it should be, that party supremacy is not constitutionally a thing for the floor of the Senate and that for there to be separation of powers of government for the independence of the legislative arm, the legislature must be left alone to choose her leaders.

The case of Hon. Aminu Tambuwal emerging as the Speaker of the 7th House of Representatives is a standing case in point where the House made her choice.

To me and most Nigerians, the positioning of Ekweremadu is strategic. The APC, in the election, failed to secure two-third number of senators that should allow it pass critical bills at the floor of senate. This means that the support of the 49 member PDP Senators would always be garnered by the ruling party to pass certain bills. The ascendancy of Ekweremadu, an experienced legislator, who knows the workings of modem democracy, to the office of Deputy Senate President should, therefore, can be a much welcome idea, not only to patriotic Nigerians but also particularly to the ruling APC which should see Ekweremadu as a bridge-builder between the 59 strange-bed-fellow APC Senators and the 49 PDP Senators. Better put, Ekweremadu is the Cornerstone of the APC and one wonders if the PDP would not withdraw her support and make it quite impossible for the APC to progress since they fail to appreciate the value of what was voluntarily given to them.

I am an interested Nigerian, who would be affected by a mis-

government, one who had at a time believed in the capacity of Buhari to lead Nigeria well, assisting as one of his principal witnesses (PW) at the President Election Tribunal (Appeal Court) Abuja in 2007, and one who by current development, would want him to succeed.

I, therefore, see the recent pursuit of APC as a distraction of President Muhammadu Buhari. President Buhari should resist personal or group interest that will deprive him the opportunity to use any experienced Nigeria, like Ekweremadu, in realizing his set goals for the country. President Buhari is strongly advised to heed to his earlier decision not to interfere with the internal dynamics of the National Assembly no matter the extent of push he receives from these self-serving politicians and groups.

Constitutional action led to the emergence of Ekweremadu.

The APC would have been well advised to use Ekweremadu to better itself rather than endlessly pursuit of an unachievable end.

Interestingly, this same Ekweremadu initiated the viable “Doctrine of Necessity” and he is today at the threshold of history. Let’s all watch carefully what God wants to do with this gentleman. The three months given to Nigerians for change is gradually exhausting and Nigerians are not comfortable with APC’s application for patience.

Allowing the new leadership of the National Assembly is the key to true democracy. I am inclined to the belief that Nigerians and APC will benefit from Ekweremadu’s wealth of experience.

Anything short of this, is a misnomer; a striving after the wind.

Basically, the academia and political scholars see the phenomenal development as a vast intellectual discourse , a case study, where Nigeria must benefit. It is therefore worthwhile that no person should interfere with the developments, or disrupt the flow of the wind that stands to assure Nigeria true democracy. Political scientists, academia, civil society organizations and Nigerians are watching the political developments.

UGWU, A PDP CHIEFTAIN WROTE FROM ENUGU STATE

BUHARI’S GOVERNMENT: The Yoruba Strategy and Statement Continues from page 16 Governor Uduaghan before he left office was very much in it. Don’t forget that all these states were part of Western Nigeria and that is why we christened it Development Agenda for Western Nigeria. We didn’t limit it to what you now see as the new Southwest.”

Dr. Adeagbo in his contribution noted the salutary role of the Yoruba Academy in laying the intellectual framework for the Yoruba Agenda that is at the heart of the reintegration plans for the people of the Southwest.

“The Yoruba Academy was responsible for the intellectual work that gave birth to the agenda of that integration. What we are saying is that for the Yoruba person wherever you live within the Southwest, that you will be able to have the same standards, potentials and also, that the infrastructure available to you must be the same. What we have done within that context is to ensure C M Y K

that our thinking is above politics and not the party you belong to, but to make sure that every Yoruba state is developed.”

Professor Onipede on his part sought to expatiate how the Yoruba Agenda for development has cascaded to the benefit of the rest of Nigeria.

“Even though DAWN is our brain child, but you will recognise the fact that there are six geopolitical zones and that our bold efforts is like a primer, a template which other regions can look upon. And they have started looking up to it,” the professor said.

“Even though we are primarily focused on Western Nigeria, if Western Nigeria is well developed, it would be like adding to the commonwealth and other geopolitical zones would also bring themselves up irrespective of political affiliation and push for development. It is a way of bringing politicians to be accountable to the

people.” Mr. Afolabi was to add to Prof. Onipede’s point when he referred to development initiatives from some other geopolitical zones which he claimed were instigated by what was seen in the Southwest.

“Beyond that, since we started it, there has been an initiative from the South-South known as the BRICS Commission and the North has also set up its own.

“When Chief Awolowo started up with setting up the WNTV, WNBS which was the first of its kind in Africa, no sooner did he set it up that the Eastern Region set up its own broadcasting house and the Northern Region also copied it. It is a way gingering every part of Nigeria to be able to move forward and aspire for development,” Afolabi said.

Eventually the discussion returned to the position of the Yoruba in contemporary Nigeria, and again, Odegbami was asked whether Asiwaju Tinubu who led the Yoruba

in the formation of the present government had lost out.

“Asiwaju is a Yoruba man and he is the leader of the APC, at least in the Southwest. That does not equate to the agenda of the Yoruba, it is a very thin line, but you must create that distinction. For example, some of us are not members of the APC even though we are fully sympathetic to the cause of the APC because we have among us those who belong to other political movements. “As I told you it is still too early, this is a game. I have found out that politics is a game where there are no scruples, where anything goes, it doesn’t follow rational thinking and calculations and some people master it more than the others. But one thing is clear, the Yoruba never set out to rule Nigeria or to control the Federal Government. We have always done well when we are making our contributions to our region first and that impacts on the rest of the nation.”

18—SATURDAY Vanguard , JULY 18, 2015

A

lot of excitement was recently aroused in Nigeria with the law which allows men to marry men, and women to marry women in the United States of America. So what?

The U.S. of A has every right to establish any marital order that suits it. It really is none of our business, except we have a way of thinking that Americans should be right in everything in order that we may copy them. They are an integral unit of what mentally constitutes our “role model”.

We had the European countries for that part, stemming from our colonial upbringing. America later joined in when she became our source of inspiration in the desire to attain political freedom as our right. And that has happened officially, though the “pupil mentality” is still extant.

But an irony is snagged in that psychological process. If we would wish Americans to behave properly, that is according to our light, it might make sense if it were because we wished them to imitate us. We have our sense of propriety and can discern what we believe is right from what is unacceptable.

However, it appears we would have them to be clean so that we could retain them as our role model... so that we might still preface our justification for some of our actions with “that’s what happens in America”. As it happens, that now would be for the so-called “gays” to fling at those who used to be considered “straight”. So, no one is any longer to be considered “queer”, or “bent”, or anything out of the ordinary.

In any case, a country like Canada had legalized same-sex marriage some ten years ago, and several other countries have followed.

The rejection of homosexuality is based mostly on religious grounds, at least, for healthy Christians. But even among the Jews from whom Christianity came, it was regarded as an abomination purely on moral grounds. No mention of it was made, for instance, in the Ten recounted, years ago, how he Commandments, although the was intimately embraced by cities of Sodom and Gomorrah an expatriate “gay” were destroyed because of the gentleman who was our

*se es the w orld go rround ound *sexx mak makes world

We do not have to do what anyone else does if we do not believe it agrees with our way of life

,

indulgence of the citizens in the abominable act. But it surfaced again. It seemed to have outlasted even The Flood. Perhaps that is why the Church of England has found it so easy to accommodate several aspects of the “gay” life. When it started the ordination of “gay” priests, it found a stiff opposition from the Anglican Communion of Nigeria which led to an eventual break. However, we now hear that a Nigerian priest is appointed to be secretary to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the Head of the Anglican Church of Britain.

It seems we are yet to make a clean break.

It would appear that the practice might have been with us in this country for quite a while. I never believed it until a co-worker

,

boss. According to him, he ran out of the office in utter confusion. But the man never repeated it, as far as we know.

However, there were many stories of such encounters which even involved some highly-placed Nigerians as far back as half-a-century ago, and it has almost become commonplace these days.

One cannot imagine Nigerians accommodating the practice as a way of life, all the same, because of the moral depth of the rejection with which it is viewed in all parts of the country. The idea that America is trying to put pressure on our high officials to declare a legal acceptance of the “gay” life may be just another manifestation of what has been described as a “global arrogance” foisted on the

•Fela rest of the world by the USA. We do not have to do what anyone else does if we do not believe it agrees with our way of life. But then, the issue is such a personal one since it involves sex. It used to be treated as a private matter, but since it was largely induced to “come out of the closet”, and sex has itself taken a new dimension in common interaction, the power of desire in its naked intensity has overwhelmed an alarming proportion of universal interests.

V

iew it from the ordinary meaning of love—which is accepted as what is being perpetrated in the normal act of sex.

That is what copulation equates in normal conversation, isn’t it? And in no way is it truer that “love makes the world go round”. Nature has endowed the act with such an overpowering sensation of mixed yearning for possession, and desire for conquest that, ultimate satisfaction

leaves the performer totally drained of passion. But while the feeling lasts, nothing appears too far, or out of reach, to sacrifice in the quest to win.

It cannot indeed be rightly limited to the desire of a man for a woman for variations exist even outside the scope of homosexuality.

There is the case of polyandry, for instance, in which more than one man marry a single woman. It sounds obscene, but it is a distinctly accepted tradition where it takes place. How would a man know which of the children from such a marriage is his? But that is a consideration that applies only to those who are involved.

But it is probably not more morally acceptable than polygamy in which a man marries more than one wife. This is more widely practised all over the world including, of course, Nigeria. Well known also is the

situation among the Mormons, or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints based in the United Saints. They flagrantly flaunt their polygamous way of life and have done so now for well over a century. When Brigham Young, their most famous leader died in 1877, he was survived by 17 wives, from 27 marriages, and he left 57 children behind. Does that ring a bell?

Well, there was our own Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. He might not have compared favourably with Brigham Young in head count, but he put the Mormon leader in the shade when it comes to pace: Fela married all of Young’s marital aggregate in one day.

A variety of reasons is usually given for any kind of multiple marriages, but Fela was very honest about his own motivation. As he admitted, it was to gratify his urge to sleep with women.

You see, he had no inhibitions about sex which is normally ingrained in our upbringing. We are made to shed the garish connotations of having sex, or of normalizing sexual relations, by wedding ceremonies. That is really no more than what all those rituals signify: the man is now free to take the woman to bed.

B

ut Fela knew where it is all going to, and lifted himself above the pretences and inhibitions. He brought out the truth with halfdressed young women who flaunted their sexuality in the faces of the audience.

Hubert Ogunde, as a matter of fact, did so earlier, but could not go so far. But Fela brought it all home, and two generations are still following in his footsteps.

Now in America, when a “gay” marriage takes place, it only means the man or woman is free to have sexual relations with someone of the same sex. What may be off-tune is that society is being made to approve the deed as though it were normal. But it is not normal, and never will.

It could be worse—or better. Just think if the “gay” idea were to be extended to accommodate homosexuality in polygamy.

What a real roundelay we shall be singing then. Let us face it: sex, not love, makes the world go round.

Time out.

SATURDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, JULY 18, 2015—19

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Le hildren marr Lett our cchildren marryy along the popular Ozumba Mbadiwe Street in Victoria Island, Lagos because the children of rich and influential parents were tying the knot, and all roads led to the high-brow hotel where the wedding was taking place. Those who went—I changed my mind at the last minute, thanks in part to the traffictalked about the opulence and the press of people at the event. One friend said she particularly enjoyed the ‘old school’ music that was played. ‘Old school’ music? Why should the music of the 70s be the dominant music at the wedding of children who were not even conceived at the time the songs became hit songs.

The answer is simple; the party was for

,

n article appeared in the Daily Times of the late 70s that struck a chord in me. It was written by one of Nigerians’ most celebrated columnists. Mr Peter Enahoro, writing as Peter Pan, wrote an article titled: ‘Let Papa Die’. It was an incisive commentary on a major social issue of that time. This, you must remember, was the period of the oil boom and the country ’s noveau riche, especially of the Southern persuasion, craved creative ways to celebrate their new wealth. One area that caught their fancy was man’s eternal fascination with the dead. Many chose to remember— and rebury—a father that had been long dead. Many suddenly remembered that they had not done the final burial of a departed mum or aunt. And why not?

The money was there now and they could indulge. The Daily Times, which was the newspaper of the times, made an industry of it. It wrote letters to those who had done obituaries a year ago to also do a one year anniversary; or those who had done a five-year anniversary to also do a ten-year anniversary and so on. The result was that the paper became very bulky with ‘Obituaries’ and ‘In Memorials’. Mr Enahoro, who must have been the Editor or Editor-In –Chief at the time, was certainly high up enough in the hierarchy to know that part of the newspaper’s considerable income came from the people’s newfound romance with the dead. Yet, it did not stop him from acting his conscience and urging the nation to stop this morbid revelry. He urged that people should allow their loved ones to die with dignity and stay dead rather than ‘unearth’ the dead as it were, with carnival-like activities.

Today, more than three and a half decades after, I feel compelled to re-echo his sentiments. Not at obituaries this time, but at weddings. The amount of emotional and financial investments that goes into getting our children to say: ‘I do’ are getting out of hand. Last week, a massive traffic hold-up took place

at a more private location. In fact, those who came at 2.30 pm when the event was supposed to have taken off and left at 6.30pm might not have seen either the bride or her mother. But they would have enjoyed good food and drink while indulging in small, social talk. It could have been a promotion party, a birthday party or any other party for all they cared.

There was no connection at all to the solemn coming together of two families for a life time union of their children which had taken place earlier. That was, it seems, another occasion for another place at another time. And you wondered what this party was all about.

Marriage is a tough institution. Let’s stop sugar coating it. It is also a life-time institution

the parents and their friends and the wedding just served as a good reason to call friends together for a good time.

One parent insisted on having King Sunny Ade at his daughter’s wedding.

It took the tearful objection of the bride and the entreaty of the mother to make him change his mind. The reason he even thought of it at all is because parents paid the piper at weddings and therefore dictated the tune: literally.

Just a week before, it was an engagement party that packed an event centre full. Only that over ninety per cent of those at the hall did not witness the engagement which had taken place

,

My appeal today is to our generation of parents to let our children marry in their own way. We should stop indulging in our fantasies. I wonder how many parents actually ask their children what they want before embarking on these grand schemes. Most of us financed our weddings during our time and the marriages were none the worse for it.

Most weddings were simple church ceremonies and the receptions were over in an hour. The best you got were lunch packs. Yet the marriages fared better on the long run than what we have today in spite of the millions of naira in wedding investments. But more

arah is the place of bitterness while Elim is the place of fruitfulness, M advancement, progress and fulfillment.

You cannot get to Elim until you have gone through Marah. This is why it is so important to deal with whatever issues that is causing bitterness in your life. Beloved do know that right where that bitterness started or emanated from, the solution is already there. We trust God that by this message you will enter into your liberty and become fruitful roundabout. This is your season to shine.

Too many people are filled with bitterness that is grievously ravaging their lives. They are so unhappy and miserable in life. Every the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: never received the promises of God for their little thing gets them upset and angry. therefore the name of it was called Marah. lives. Murmuring always limits the They are not able to flow and be blissful in And the people murmured against Moses, manifestation of the hand of God. life. Bitterness is a disease worse than saying what shall we drink? And he cried Notice that right where they murmured cancer and AIDS. It is a death trap. It eats unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed a tree, that the water was bitter was where the up the individual and ends up destroying which when he had cast into the waters, solution was. Know that the solution did the individual. Bitterness is the cause of the waters were made sweet: there he not just arise; it has been there before they so many sicknesses that has no medical made for them a statute and an ordinance, got there. What then is the implication? cure. It is indeed a great hindrance to one’s and there he proved them”.

The solution for every bitterness is right From the text above, the children of Israel where you are presently. Secondly, the fruitfulness. It is a tool that causes setbacks.

It is difficult to be bitter and make progress had just been delivered from bondage in solution must be applied. Moses had to the land of Egypt and they were on their cast the tree into the waters for the bitter in life.

Joel 1:11-12 says, “be ye ashamed o ye way to the Promised Land. They were water to become sweet. You can do the husbandmen; howl, o ye vinedressers, for praising God and suddenly they needed same and receive the same measure of the wheat and the barley; because the water but what they got was bitter water miracle. harvest of the field is perished. The vine is which they could not drink. This simply Beloved, as long as the children of Israel dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the points to the fact that in the journey of life pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and there will be challenges but until we were at Marah, the place of the apple trees, even all the trees of the overcome them it will be difficult to bitterness they could not go field, are withered: because joy is withered breakthrough. One fruit of bitterness is forward. They were static and away from the souls of men”. Know that murmuring. Murmurers never advance in unfruitful. Nothing good every of the trees mentioned in the text life because they never see a way out of could flow out of them. They have the capacity of producing and being their challenges. In the bible, all those that could not continue their fruitful but could not because there was murmured died in the wilderness. They journey. They could not get to Elim the place of fruitfulness. bitterness in the land. Hear me, no matter how great your destiny is ahead of you, you cannot fulfill it For more details, contact us at Christ Reality Church, beside Gossard because of the presence of Hotel, opposite First Bank Sports Ground, Community Road, Satellite Town bitterness. Bitterness is a stealer or P.O.Box, 3196, Yaba Lagos. Tel: 08023062635 08168955932; 08033378769. E-mail: of strength and killer of glorious Johnson_crm@yahoo.com. Website: www.christrealityministries.org. dreams and visions. It withers Our account details are Pastor Johnson Omomadia, Guaranty Trust vast potentials and cripples Bank, A/C Nos. 0005171407; Christ Reality Ministries, Zenith Bank A/C 1011711622. prospects.

In Exo. 15:23-25, the bible Worship with us on Sundays, 1st Service: 745am-9:15am; 2nd Service 9:15says “and when they came to 11:30am. Wednesdays Word Revelation 6pm. Counseling days Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. 11am-5pm daily or by appointment. Showers of blessing Marah, they could not drink of every 2nd - 4th Sat. of each month, 6 a.m - 7.15 am.

Bitterness to sweetness

C M Y K

importantly, the weddings were by us, for us. The parents and their few friends came as guests. It is the other way round these days where only a symbolic couple of tables are reserved for the friends of the marrying couple. I remember one that took place in 1978. There were just six of us. Yet the three children of the union are successful parents today.

We must question the rationale in spending millions on a wedding when one of the couple hasn’t found a job. We must also worry at the pressure we are putting on the marriage itself. Many cracks which later on widened into chasms started during the frenetic and totally unrealistic preparations for grandiose weddings. Many parents make unnecessary demands and transmit their frustrations to the children.

These frustrations seep into the young marriages and become toxins in their homes. It would have made more sense if bigger weddings meant more successful marriages. Unfortunately, the reverse seems to be the case as marriages of the children of the rich hardly outlast those of their poorer cousins.

Let the young be free. Free to find love and build on what they find. Let them be free to determine their expectations and realities. Let them grow and mature together on their own terms and in their own ways. Many daughters depend too much on daddy’s broad shoulders rather than discover the strength in their own husbands’. Many parents state too openly that their daughters could always come home if they found their marriages too uncomfortable. That was not the case in our time. You made your bed and were made to lie on it. Besides, what does not break you can only strengthen you.

Marriage is a tough institution. Let’s stop sugar coating it. It is also a lifetime institution. Let’s stop making it look like a nine-day wonder. The more time we spend preparing our children for the emotional and financial challenges of marriages rather than the frivolities and extravagancies of weddings, the better for our children.

But once the water became sweet they continued their journey to Elim. It is time to release whatever bitterness you have inside of you against your boss, the brother or sister that jilted you, the business partner that cheated you, the in-laws that would not allow you to know peace, the strange woman in your husband’s life, your closest friend that betrayed your trust, the leadership of our great nation, politicians etc.

The presence of bitterness is the absence of joy. Until joy takes its rightful place in your life you cannot be fruitful. Let go of bitterness and embrace joy so that you can be fruitful at Elim. Jesus is the source of all joy. Accept Him now as your Lord and Saviour. God bless you and bless Nigeria.

Do you want to experience the reality of God in your life? Then you should receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and saviour.

Pray this simple 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.

Your prayer request and praise reports will be welcomed. Our contact details are below.

20—SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015 ith a facade of neat compounds, trimmed hedges and a beautiful tennis court , the Kirikiri prison must approximate a well kept tomb . Because the rottenness is on the inside. Or nearly so. Extortion starts from the gates.

This should be the age of rights .

Domestic animals have a plethora of rights defended fiercely by humans . Yet , full blooded humans, citizens, wither in state custody in Nigeria. Kirikiri maximum prison has no barracoons but I wonder if some of its cells aren’t worse than those slave holding cages. Humans are held in conditions of such unspeakable indignity that should traumatize the conscience of any people, any cultured people.

Many agree with Dostoevsky that the state of a society’s prisons is a veritable measure of the society’s level of civilization. On civilization, we perhaps regressed. People now defecate, unabashed, openly, in daylight, on major streets in Lagos.

A traffic jam, a bus driver jumps down, runs to the back of his bus , backs the vehicle behind him, lets loose his fly and lets loose his bladder. Onlookers, some indifferent, others at best embarrassed for being witnesses, throw faces away, no disgust, no outrage. Only a few will cringe at the spectacle of a racing stream of urine on a tarred road. Shame has deserted us.

Public morality has become extremely elastic in Nigeria. policing and prosecution .

Despite oil wealth, prevalent The truth is that Nigeria, widespread poverty and anomie, comparatively, has a low unfortunately, mean that only imprisonment rate. But since we misery bordering on barbarity will have an abysmally poor prison provoke the merest of public capacity , our prisons are concern. After all haven’t some consequently grossly overcrowded. theorized that prisons cannot be If prisons are so decrepit that they more palatable than the average are only centers of retribution , living conditions of generality on degradation and torture then their the outside? So since many live value to the society must be unsheltered in abject poverty in reassessed. The majority of those Makoko, inhospitable prisons aren’t therefore altogether immoral in prisons are youths . Of what use in the circumstance? That perhaps is it that young men are processed explains why dehumanization of through prisons only to be inmates won’t abate soon. introduced to criminal careers?

But if the society chooses to What can be said of a society whose incarcerate offenders , should it prisons cannot reform young take more than time from them? minds? Whose prisons turn mere Should it ruin them? Even offenders charged of condemned convicts deserve misdemeanors and human dignity . Nigeria is a environmental offences to signatory to international treaties and conventions that prohibit cruel, hardened criminals. inhuman and degrading A remand or custodial sentence punishments. Prisoners have places a moral duty on the society. rights protected by the law.

The safety, health and well-being The painful truth is that the of inmates must rest on the majority of the prison inmates are society. So its not enough to say on remand, yet to be convicted, that like in Ajegunle is perilous. innocent . Even for convicted What the society owes inmates is criminals, the prison must aim to not mercy or charity but an reform and rehabilitate. The main obligation to protect their rights , essence of imprisonment must be to to promote their well being while protect the public from harm prior to in custody the reformation of the mind.

If Kirikiri maximum prison is Retribution and deterrence are good Nigeria’s flagship custodial penal objectives but without institution then the horrific living reformation and rehabilitation they conditions of inmates in other far mean little. flung prisons are better left Many agree that prisons globally unimagined. In the north east of have become crime colleges. Isn’t it the country, temperatures can hit why the rate of recidivism even in 45 degrees . Overcrowded prison English prisons is higher than 70%? cells with small windows , poor But if livable prisons cannot steer power supply and no generators convicts away from crime then sordid become ovens. You remember deplorable prison conditions must Gashua ? Late Gani Fawehinmi make criminals irretrievable had bad memories of confinement reprobates. The harsher the prison there. His air tight hot cell was the greater the incidence of post invaded by a multitude of lizards release criminal activity. and a swarm of flies. Many of our A crime infested society like prisons are colonial structures.

Nigeria will naturally be a society You know the love , that was, keen on punitiveness , eager to see between white colonial masters offenders behind bars. And if such a and their unruly subhuman black lawless society has a moribund , subjects. corruption ridden, criminal justice Fate dealt a cruel hand to a structure then chances are that friend two years ago. Many have impunity will reign . Crimes will go suffered similar fates. He was unpunished and conviction rates will charged for a non violent offense be low from poor and compromised

W

Nigeria’s inhuman Prisons. -1

C M Y K

that ordinarily would attract no more than 3 years in jail. The accused , then a putative first offender, was not in anyway a flight risk and posed no danger to witnesses and evidence.

The judge , reputed for firmness and uprightness , strangely bought into the overzealousness of the prosecutor and his fabrications and denied the accused bail. It was her prerogative and she exercised it without even considering the possibility of strict bail conditions to compel court attendance.

Many prosecutors in Nigeria, when they are not fixing cases, oppose bail applications rather perfunctorily.

They seek to have people remanded even when the charges preferred against them and their circumstances do not warrant such measures .

Brutality and unprofessional zeal cannot compensate for lack of prosecutorial depth. It’s widely known that lack of prosecutorial acumen and diligence prevalent across prosecuting agencies in Nigeria make admittance to bail nearly synonymous with acquittal.

So this friend was remanded in prison custody-( Kirikiri maximum prison) and was there for about 10 months before the judge saw reasons and granted him bail on health grounds. The sense of the injustice he was served is sharpened by the fact that he was discharged and acquitted of all the charges preferred against him two months later. His cruel fate gave me an opportunity of numerous visits to that prison.

Like all prisons , even prisons in the UK , many inmates are unfortunately persons awaiting trial.

But Kirikiri, like many other prisons in Nigeria, is home to persons who have been awaiting trial for ungodly number of years.

Many have been in custody for periods longer than the maximum sentences prescribed for their alleged offences. 70% of inmates in Kirikiri are on remand, yet to be convicted. Some have been on the awaiting trial list for upwards of eight years . Some, tragically, no longer have traceable case files. Yet they remain imprisoned by the state. Section 35 of the constitution guarantees speedy trials for accused persons. Routine, frivolous

and reckless adjournments can translate to some cases going without getting even a hearing for a whole year.

Warders blame judges and judges blame prosecutors and the police and many blame lawyers.

The trade in blames has thrived for ages, and even legislators come, contribute crocodile tears , leave , and forget. Lack of professionalism across board has been chiefly responsible for the tardiness that has enveloped the criminal justice process. A rickety process crippled by corruption.

Aptly described by the Amnesty International as a conveyor belt of injustice. The prisons are swarmed by persons awaiting trials. And they are innocent like everyone else until convicted.

Some poor and destitute souls rot in prison for minor offences because they cannot meet bail conditions. Judges grant bails and fix conditions, look away and let them languish. There is a skills acquisition programme but persons awaitingtrial who constitute the majority , spend years in jail , but will not benefit.

Overcrowding is common in many jails in many jurisdictions but literal squashing of prisoners in some cells in kirikiri must amount to inhuman and degrading punishment. Seven men forced into a cell where they must lie on themselves if they choose not to sleep in turns. And in the dry seasons with crazy temps and humidity levels , inmates sleep and wake in pools of sweat . The condemned prisoners cells have all the trappings of barbarity. At nights they have buckets for toilet facilities. And these humans share their limited floor space with loads of faeces and urine and hopelessness.

Then you wonder where the rich stay in these prisons? The warders have created different cells with different levels of comfort and which have different price tags. The VIP cell costs as much as N250,000 for admittance. My friend had hesitated on the night he came in and was made to taste the conditions in one of the condemned prisoners cell . A man on remand for practically failing to fulfill a commercial contractual obligation was made to spend a night with condemned prisoners in such filth. Early the next morning, without haggling, he paid and was transferred. Extortionists.

The condemned prisoners cell is their tool. Pretrial detainees are sent there to force them see reason to pay rents for less horrendous cells So money gave him some relief and access to some other privileges . So in a sense the conditions will remain terrible because the rich aren’t affected and the warders have to collect rents. The segregation is immoral but would have been less intolerable if it didn’t have the consequence of perpetuating the neglect of some sections of the prison, warder ’s bogeys. Where those of little means must then stay and learn their lessons of penury.

A man on remand for practically failing to fulfill a commercial contractual obligation was made to spend a night with condemned prisoners in such filth

TO BE CONTINED NEXT WEEK

SATURDAY

Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015—21

t t o r o r r r a ro P P Pa le le b a a n n o o s a a e r e T r T Tre TThhee Starting today we will begin the serialisation of short fiction by Ogaga Ifowodo, the award-winning poet, columnist and activist. The stories to be featured are from his work-in-progress entitled The Hostage, beginning with the story “The Treasonable Parrot,” his fiction debut featured in the AGNI Portfolio of African Fiction, edited by E. C. Osondu and William Pierce, published in volume 72 of the magazine in 2010. At the heart of the collection is the title story, a novella. As the general caption of this special serialisation suggests, the stories are set in Nigeria’s recent history of dictatorship as experienced by charactersprivately and in unsavoury social encounters caused by the relentless logic of the radical curtailment of freedom. Book your copy in advance!

BY OGAGA IFOWODO

E

verything depended on what the parrot remembered, but Colonel Jonas Akalo was a clever military intelligence officer who privately boasted his mastery of psychological and unconventional warfare. Privately, as this was only revealed at the end of his ingenious effort to unravel the secret of a failed coup. When he arrived with his men too late at the house of Chief Gregory Okotie, the civilian ringleader of yet another coup attempt in Nigeria, he sought at once, on seeing a parrot in a golden cage to put this mastery to use. For Colonel Akalo, nothing was ever too late and every case remained permanently open. So he did not think for a second of accepting defeat or even returning to plot a new line of inquiry in his den at the Directorate of Military Intelligence. The parrot transfixed him with its beautifully tinged orange, blue, and yellow plumes that contrasted so nicely with pearly eyelids around intense yellow-grey eyes and a ferociously curved ivory beak. With an almost imperceptible angling of its head, the parrot looked disdainfully at the intruders, then returned its gaze to the window as if willing its fugitive master to come this moment and rid the house of these unwanted guests.

The cage was on top of an antique gramophone cabinet in the brightest part of the parlor, and sitting there the parrot appeared every bit its own master now and a step away from showing Colonel Akalo the door.

Then one of Colonel Akalo’s men coughed, a waiting-for-your-order-sir cough, and snapped him out of his parrot-induced trance. Colonel Akalo looked around. Nothing in C M Y K

the parlor betrayed conspiracy or flight and it seemed that any second Chief Okotie might walk in the door to pick up his forgotten briefcase. Or that someone would emerge from a room. But nothing of the sort happened. Instead, Colonel Akalo took two quick steps forward and, pointing, declared with surprising vehemence, “That parrot knows the secret of the coup!” He ordered his bewildered aide-de-camp to bring the cage to him. The parrot remained icily indifferent to the green-clad men now violating its peace and privacy by this forcible relocation. Colonel Akalo took personal custody of the cage and right there began to build the case

against the bird. The parrot had to have heard something, and must remember what it heard, about the planning of the coup and the wellorchestrated escape of most of the ringleaders. Surely some midnight gatherings had taken place here. And of course none of the plotters would have cared for an instant about being overheard by a bird.

This was the perfect occasion to make use of the training in psychological and unconventional warfare that Colonel Akalo claimed to have received at a military academy in England. At Sandhurst, precisely, as the InspectorGeneral of Police, a childhood friend, would later reveal. The Inspector-

General had joined the police the same day Colonel Akalo headed for the army recruitment center, and he was the only source of intelligence on what the press very quickly dubbed “the mad colonel’s case.”

But he was quick to add that he’d thought nothing of his friend’s claim when he’d heard it five years ago. “I believed it to be a drinkinduced boast at the end of a long evening at the police officer’s mess,” he said.

Now holding a caged parrot that had doubtless overheard a coup plot, Colonel Akalo was almost delirious recalling how, a week after the commencement of experiments, the academy’s laboratory parrot had repeated whole bits of

classroom conversations.

He smiled, and his young aide, a lieutenant, was even more puzzled. But when Colonel Akalo then declared the parrot a traitor and ordered that the bird be arrested, the aide uncharacteristically lost military composure for a moment. His salute seemed merely demonstrative, and his compliant “Yes, sir!” too loud to hide his incredulity.

Colonel Akalo overlooked the impertinence and declared the operation over. Yes, he would crack the mystery of this coup, the only one to have fooled him completely. How had mutiny gone from incubation to execution without his getting wind of it? He considered it a personal affront that he, before whom even generals with the remotest connection to coup plots quailed “like women in labor,” as he never tired of saying, had failed to nip this one in the bud.

As the convoy of a pilot car, a jeep, his staff car, and two trucks full of “combatready” soldiers raced back to his DMI fortress, Colonel Akalo worked up a strategy for making the parrot tell him all that it knew about the coup. For maximum privacy, he would interrogate it in his bunker office, three floors below street level, from which no sound, however bloodcurdling, could be heard. With growing satisfaction he looked at the prisoner sitting in its golden cage beside him, as the sentry soldiers, on sighting his approach, threw open the gates and stiffened into green statues. He was sure of pressing every detail of the coup out of the parrot’s throat.

Just before going underground, Colonel Akalo called General Musa Barawo, the self-styled President and Commanderin-Chief, made a preliminary report, and asked for twelve uninterrupted hours before the first briefing. He knew what he had to do with his prisoner. He would painstakingly provoke the bird into confessing. He would compel it to disclose the whereabouts of Gregory Okotie and all the traitors who had escaped. “But parrots are tricky animals,” he said to himself, once again recalling the precious lessons of his special Continues on page 22

22—SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

The Treasonable Parrot

Continues from page 21 training. “And I’m going to have to be very patient.” He would follow every lead, however faint, in order to identify the gap in his net of surveillance. After the last coup attempt, he had promised General Barawo that there would be no other—certainly not in the next three years. That was how long he estimated the patience of the populace would last. Their anger, already at boiling point, was being stirred, quite propitiously, by increasingly troublesome democracy and rights activists.

Colonel Akalo’s aim was to make himself indispensable when General Barawo’s undeclared but widely suspected plan of dropping his uniform to become a civilian president was finally out in the open, and the country, in a tumult, was once again ripe for the taking.

General Barawo would be under immense pressure then. He looked forward to that moment when he would be king or kingmaker, the choice his alone. And it was obvious that the path to his ambition lay in making it unmistakably clear to all adventurous officers that no plot within the army, or in alliance with civilian millionaires for that matter, would succeed while he remained in uniform.

To prepare for the session with his prisoner, Colonel Akalo picked up his heavily marked copy of Crime and Punishment, its cover now woolly to the touch. “That novel was another source of his purported training,” the Inspector-General told an astonished public, adding one more tidbit to its growing fascination with the mad colonel. As he fondled the book and rose to go down to the interrogation bunker, Colonel Akalo remembered sitting spellbound, listening to the course instructor remark on “the immense psychological resources for intelligence work which that great C M Y K

murder story possesses.” By the end of the four-week class, he had read and re-read the novel three times, always delaying at the dialogues between the clever prosecutor, Porfiry Petrovich, and the murderer-with-a-cause, Rodion Raskolnikov. The clincher for him was the instructor’s view that if there can be murder to justify a theory, so also may interrogations be conducted to affirm guilt. He had been back in the memory of that realisation when he made the declaration that stunned his aidede-camp. Well, he would show him.

And he would show General Barawo, who chuckled before saying, “All right. Go ahead, Colonel. I trust you to surpass yourself once again.” Oh, he would show the whole world.

Colonel Akalo had twelve hours to be done with his prisoner before assuming his position as chairman of the special military tribunal to try the traitors arrested before they could flee. Chief Okotie or no Chief Okotie, he would deal with them swiftly and rigorously. This position as head of special tribunals had become his special prerogative. His

work in the last two had pleased General Barawo so much that, but for his promise that there would be no further coups, he was sure to head every future tribunal until he retired from the army or indeed became king and not just kingmaker. He had built a fearsome reputation from his work with the first. Every day he relived with indescribable glee that glorious hour when two lieutenant-generals in fetters, one of them the army chief of staff, his own boss, flopped at his feet and wept, begging for their lives. From the day that news of the generals’ unspeakable conduct made the headlines of every newspaper in the country, complete with photos, he was perceived as the very hammer and barrel of the gun that sustained the regime of General Barawo.

But that was now the only thing to console Colonel Akalo. He looked at his watch and was alarmed to learn that ten hours had passed since his vaunted training began to prove useless to the reality before him. In just two hours he would make his report to General Barawo, and he had yet to extract a single word from the parrot. The bird had remained so still throughout, never changing its perch once, that he had several times doubted if it was still alive. He’d done everything he could think of, from gently questioning to plucking five of its tail feathers, but the parrot had kept its beak firmly closed. At first he found its eerie stillness curious and understandable. After all, this austere underground bunker was a far cry from Chief Okotie’s sumptuous parlour. But it wasn’t long before this feeling gave way to irritation and, finally, boiling anger.

The bird, rather than answer questions, continued to stare unblinkingly at the peak of his service cap. What was it on the cap that so fascinated the plotting parrot? When he removed the cap,

the parrot kept its piercing gaze on his glistening forehead. Colonel Akalo sensed himself unhinging.

“Just what are you staring at?” he asked.

He heard only the echo of his voice, followed by a silence that further frayed his nerves.

“We shall see,” he said. Then looking the bird closely in the eye, he added, “I suppose you will not talk. Perhaps your coup-plotting master swore you to silence, but you will soon know you are better off talking to me. If you tell me everything you heard while those traitors planned their coup, I will set you free. Now, talk.”

The parrot was unmoved by the bribe. A bead of sweat rolled off Colonel Akalo’s cheek. At the thin edge of fury, Colonel Akalo struck a match and threw it into the cage.

The parrot fluttered without even changing its perch. The match went out and for a moment Colonel Akalo relished the whiff of burning feathers. He laughed. Short, high pitched snorts that carried with them the depth of his burgeoning malevolence. The parrot resumed its implacable stare at Colonel Akalo’s forehead and, suddenly, an awful thought stole into Colonel Akalo’s mind. He realized now that he had one choice. He would either break the bird or the bird would be his death. He shivered and stood up, paced around his grey metal desk, which together with the chairs on both sides was the only furniture in the room, and returning to his seat, saw why his choice had become so bleak.

“I cannot accept defeat at the hands of a mere bird,” he said aloud, pounding the desk with his right hand.

He pictured the inevitable sneer on General Barawo’s face, and worse, his aide’s barely concealed smirk of victory, when he emerged from his bunker with the wretched odor of defeat preceding him. But Colonel Akalo showed he hadn’t lost it all when he remembered the theory he was out to prove, its giddy promise, and resolved to break the parrot. A bright idea occurred to him then, but how could he not have thought of it all this time? He had seen his error. He had adopted the psychological investigator’s model without his technique. He needed to change tack, but what had he not tried that could pry the furtive parrot’s beak open?

Yes, he had got it! He would simulate a conversation among the traitors, casually dropping in their names. In that way the bird’s memory would be jolted, and unable to resist its nature it would start to talk. Yes, he had got it right at last! Colonel Akalo pulled out a liter bottle of Red Label, wrung off the cap, swigged two mouthfuls, and began. He was midway through the second rehash of his invented conversation when the parrot finally squawked. Colonel Akalo was elated. He hadn’t quite caught the words, but he was sure the bird had spoken. He leaned towards the cage and stared at the parrot, but it was so still he feared he must have imagined hearing it speak. Colonel Akalo was downcast. He tipped the bottle again and cast a bleary look at the parrot, furious that it could To be continued

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015—23

BY LOUIS AMOKE

J

ust recently, Gov. Ugwuanyi of Enugu State in keeping faith with his campaign promises on investment promotion, agricultural development and social housing delivery etc, embarked on an investment assessment visit to the proposed East-Gate Enugu Airport City Development project being anchored by a private sector investor, NECI Land Development Corporation Limited.

The proposed project which has 142 hectares of virgin land adjacent to the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, has the potential of creating a wide range of business opportunities in the state and the entire eastern states at large. It is also an innovative business idea that involves the establishment of key investment components such as air cargo terminal, logistics hub, light industrial zone, duty free and export zone and commercial and residential real estate.

The governor ’s visit was sequel to a proposal presented by the owners of the large expanse of land, which sought government’s backing and political will to enable them embark on a massive and innovative development drive in partnership with the state government under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

The project which is a revenue generation venture has a variety of business segments, which are of immense benefit to the state’s drive to generate revenue, critically needed to surmount the adverse effects of the economic crisis in the nation due to the nose-diving of the oil prices in the International market.

The segments according the said proposal, include: Skyview Estates, which will house mixed residential single family homes; core area, mapped out for business, entertainment and tourism; Enugu State Housing Development Corporation (ESHDC)/NECI joint venture residential real estate development project, which will cover 81 hectares of the land; aqua culture for aquatic farming (for export) and processing industries; greenhouse perishable goods (for export) and light industry; aerodrome and aeronautical facilities; and reserved areas for mixed use – residential development and airport support structures extension.

•Gov Ugwuanyi with the representative of NECI Land Development Corporation

IGR: Ugwuanyi

rings a bell on investment drive Under the agro based segments, the company is proposing a strategic partnership that would entail the direct involvement of the Enugu State Economic Planning Commission in encouraging and supervising all Local Government Areas in the state to work with its agro professionals and experts to identify agro products unique to their areas for processing and exportation through the industries that will be located close to the International airport.

Such products according to the proposal include: ose-nsukka, utazi, okro, palm wine, honey and fresh flowers.

Under the housing development, the company is proposing a strategic partnership with the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation (ESHDC) for the government to provide access roads to the area both external and internal, other

infrastructure and logistic requirements to be agreed upon. And in return, the government gets 57% of the virgin land, boosts its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by 85%, attracts development to its clusteradjoining new development areas, creates jobs, and exposes itself and the entire eastern states to a wide-range of international business opportunities, among others.

Consequently, it will not be out of place to assert that the above proposal from NECI Land Development Corporation Limited is a quick positive response to the governor’s vision to “partner with the private sector, not only in housing development but also in agricultural development and industrialization” as he passionately stated in his

One is optimistic that Enugu will soon be the destination for the economic hub of the entire eastern states

inaugural address. It is also a timely answer to the clarion call by the governor ’s quest that “ we want people who are ready to enter into strategic partnership with us to develop Enugu State. We will provide the necessary legal and policy framework to make investment thrive.

“It is on this note that I wish to call on our people in the Diaspora and the business community to key more freely into the new phase of development in Enugu State. I enjoy their overwhelming support and goodwill for which I will remain grateful. Now, it is time for them to consummate this support by investing more at home and using their wide network of contacts to boost socio-economic development in the state.

Although it is said among our people that ‘Ebe onye bi ka o na awachi’, it is also a fact that ‘Aku ruo uno, amara onye kpara ya’ “.

From the above scenario, it is believed that the governor ’s investment drive and his strive “to look inwards and harness those potentials which free oil money has blinded us from exploiting” have received a boost and have also presented the state an opportunity to make a mark towards advancing the development of the state.

With the recent constitutions of a 15-man Economic Advisory Committee, the Nsukka Urban Renewal Committee and other innovative initiatives being considered for revenue generation, foreign investment drive, employment generation, development etc, one is optimistic that Enugu will soon be the destination for the economic hub of the entire eastern states.

It is therefore, gladdening that the governor as a visionary and foresighted leader who had earlier declared his commitment to drive with full force in partnership with the private sector, investment promotion, agricultural sector renewal, provision of critical infrastructure, human capital development and skill acquisition, has by this visit to the proposed East-Gate Enugu Airport City to assess and evaluate area, displayed his willingness to fulfill his campaign promises to the electorate.

•Amoke, is the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity

24 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

By KEHINDE AJOSE 08054680266

Nigerian artistes battle for honours at MAMA tonight Emotions ran wild last year when Nigerian superstars, Davido, Clarence Peters,Tiwa Savage and Flavour clinched a total of six awards at the 2014 edition of MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) held at Durban’s International Conference Centre,South Africa.

When you mention MAMA, what comes to mind is a pan- African celebration of youth culture and music which parades the best performances, glamourous personalities, beautiful venue and an unforgettable entertainment ambiance .The awards has undoubtedly become Africa’s leading music ceremony.

•Seyi Shay and Patoranking

By Kehinde Ajose

2015 looking to be Nigeria’s big year Out of the 15 categories, Nigerian musicians are nominated in 13.

The likes of Olamide, Seyi Shay, Patoranking and Phyno are top contenders.

In addition,the organizers of the awards have introduced a new category called MAMA Evolution. This category is meant for established artistes who have made a huge impact on the African music scene, taken African music to new heights around the world and pushed the boundaries of creativity. The winner for this category will be jointly decided by MTV Base and online voting via Twitter and Instagram. Nigerian representatives, D’Banj, Asa, Psquare and 2face are battling with other African contingents in this category. They are Fally Ipupa (DRC), Samini (Ghana), HHP (South Africa) Chameleone (Uganda), Black Coffee (South Africa) and Anselmo Ralph (Angola).

Psquare ready to bounce back?

•Mavin Records acts

T

he talented Afropop duo were the biggest losers at last year’s edition of MTV Africa Music Awards.

The duo were defeated three times. They lost out in the categories; Song of the year, Best Group and Artiste of the Year won by Davido.

Perhaps, they may triumph this year as they have been nominated in the Best Group category and Evolution awards category.

Will Davido’s magic work again?

T

he rising pop star, Davido was the king at the 2014 MAMA. He was crowned the biggest artiste in Africa. The Aye sensation won the Artiste of the year award defeating South Africa’s Mafikizolo,Mi Casa, Psquare and Uhuru.

Fast forward to 2015, Davido has been nominated in a total of three categories which are: Best Male, Best Collaboration (Davido C M Y K

•Olamide and Phyno

•Psquare featuring Uhuru & DJ Buckz – The Sound) and Video of the year (Davido Featuring Uhuru & DJ Buckz –The Sound).The question on the lips of everyone is this: “Will Davido’s magic wand work this time around”?

The Olamide,

Phyno joker

N

igerian rappers,Olamide and Phyno are nominated in Best Hip-hop category. The duo who recently dropped Two Kings album are contending alongside some of Africa’s best in the hip-hop arena.

They will have to slug it out

with nominated artistes in this category which include Cassper Nyovest (South Africa) , K.O. (South Africa) Youssoupha (DRC)/

Dorobucci on the cusp of history

N

o one knows what Dorobucci really means, in spite of that the song has spread like wildfire, becoming one of the biggest songs to emerge out of the Nigerian soil. Don Jazzy gathered his merry men when Mohits imploded, this birthed the song

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015 —25

By AYO ONIKOYI,

lead to the release of his album. In this song, Dbanj goes back to his first love by playing the harmonica.

9

1

.Jaywon featuring VectorBack to sender directed by Clarence Peters In 2014, Jaywon released the song Back to sender featuring Vector. He recently released the visuals of the song and it is directed by ace cinematographer Clarence Peters. The video features Pasuma, LKT,Yomi Fash Lanso and many more.

2

.Vector-Kanawan Dabo Vector has unveiled a new song titled Kanawan Dabo.

The song is a freestyle tune that his Northern fans can connect to.

3

•Yemi Alade Dorobucci .The song features Mavin Records acts including Dr Sid, Tiwa Savage, Korede Bello, Reekado Banks, D’Prince, D’ija and Don Jazzy himself. The video currently has over 10 million views The song has been nominated in the Song of the year category alongside Lil Kesh Shoki remix, Cassper Nyovest Doc Shebeleza, Yemi Alade’s Johnny and Wizkid’s Show you the money

All eyes on Yemi Alade

I

n the past few years,Yemi Alade has become one of the most consistent and influential songstress in Nigeria. For this year’s MAMA the Johnny singer bagged two nominations for Best female artiste and Song of the year.

In the Best Female category,Yemi is up against Vanessa Mdee, Seyi Shay,Bucie and Busiswa.

“I am very thankful to be nominated. Being nominated means you are appreciated and this makes me a star. I am happy and I hope to win”.Yemi declares in a recent interview .The light skinned singer has also been added to the list of performers for this year’s MAMA. She will be joining 2face, Psquare,Wizkid ,Seyi Shay, Ne-Yo, Jhene Aiko, Young Thug, Davido and others to add excitement to the event.

MAMA returns to South Africa for the 2nd time.The event holds at C M Y K

•Davido the Durban International Convention Centre, KwaZulu-Natal today on Saturday, July 18, 2015. Comic star, Anthony Anderson has been announced as host of the event.

Anderson recently co-hosted the BET Awards in Los Angeles.

My parents saw my venture into music as hopeless —Tmol

E

ugene Ubaka known as Tmol is a budding artiste who is convinced about his music aptitude. The talented singer and songwriter in a recent interview revealed that he started his music career as a chorister in church which metamorphosed into him becoming a highlife musician.The Tee square entertainment artiste reveals that his parents saw his music venture as hopless. “ My parents saw my venture as hopeless but today my song Ezinne di ukor is a favourite among music lovers.

Tmol who has to his credit many released songs remarked that there is need for parents to give support to their children. He also charged parents to be supportive and also help them rediscover their talent.

This talented singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and performer who hails from an agrarian community of Ejeme Aniogor in Aniocha South Local government area of Delta State added that he hopes to use his music to bring limelight not only to his community but the state and called for support.

. Iyanya-Applaudise directed by Aje Films.

Afro pop star,Iyanya has finally released the visuals of his much anticipated song Applaudise. The video boasts of cameo appearances from Banky W, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Ubi Franklin and others.

4

.Stonebwoy-Fantasy girl produced by Kulcha Riddim Rising dancehall singer,Stonebwoy is back with a new song titled Fantasy girl.

Recall that Stonebwoy clinched the award for Best African Act at the BET award weeks back.

5

. Dear Kelly featuring Cynthia Morgan-Dat Girl South African singer, Dear Kelly makes an unusual return with a collaboration with Cynthia Morgan. The song is a mid tempo dancehall tune

6

. Black Reverendz featuring Sound Sultan-Won ti gboro Years back, Black Reverendz broke into the industry with the song Ayangba girls. The duo returns with a new song titled Won ti gboro featuring Sound Sultan.

7

. Sefiya-Nwayo directed by Duks Arts Budding Afro pop artiste,Sefiya has finally released the video of her song Nwayo. She collaborates with Iyanya in the remix of the song.

8

Dbanj- Knocking on my door The Koko master Dbanj is celebrating his 10th year anniversary in the industry with songs and videos that will

.Wizkid-Ojuelegba remix featuring Drake and Skepta After enjoying massive airplays, Wizkid steps a notch higher by featuring Drake and Skepta in the song Ojuelegba. According to reports,Skepta played this track for Drake while he was out in the UK for the Wireless festival and Drake decided to lay his verse on it.

10

Reekado BanksCorner produced by Baby Fresh Reekado Banks is no doubt one of the most consistent artistes of his generation.

The Mavin records artiste has released a song titled Corner after basking in the success of Katapot

11

Olamide-Lagos boys produced by Pheelz YBNL boss, Olamide who has been releasing songs back to back has served his fans yet another song titled Lagos boys. The song is produced by Pheelz

12

. Yungsix featuring OritsefemiBlessings directed by Unlimited L.AFast rising hip hop artiste Yungsix has released the visuals for his inspirational song ,Blessings. The video was shot in Lagos.

13

.Maido featuring Ice prince-Wider directed by Ruff ikonz films Maido returns with a groovy song titled Wider. He features Ice prince in this song. The track is produced

by Jay Paul Beats

14

Sarkodie-Mewu Ghana’s renowned hip hop star has released a new song to mark his birthday. The song has been released in the form of a music video titled Mewu.

15

Wande coalAshimapeyin directed by Unlimited L.AWande coal released an Afro pop tune titled Ashimapeyin off his soon tobe-released album last week and followed up with the video this week..The song has become a must have among music lovers. It is produced by Sarz and directed by Unlimited L.A

26—SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

My marriage is intact — Emeka Ike •Denies being a wife beater

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ONTRARY to rumour making the rounds that Emeka Ike’s wife,Suzanne has filed for divorce after 13 years of living with the actor, the former has refuted the claims, insisting that his marriage is intact.

The actor also denied being a wife beater. The buzz last week was that Emeka Ike’s wife had filed for divorce and that the case will be coming up on the 22nd July.

In a chat with HVP, the actor described the rumour as unfounded, blaming it on those who are envious of his marriage.

According to him, “As I’m talking to you now, I have not received any divorce notice.

There is nothing like that happened. I have not received any letter from anybody. I am a Christian, we don’t divorce.”

Noting that there are challenges in every marriage, Emeka Ike wonders why people should be more concerned about pedaling falsehood without considering the aftermath of their action.

On his alleged habit of bat-

tering his wife at the slightest provocation, Emeka Ike denied the allegation, saying that he has lived with her for 13 years. “If I am a wife beater, she wouldn’t have lived with me for this long. She spent the first year, second year and so on, and she did

popular film maker and blogger, Charles Novia has revealed that his newly floated TV station better known as “Teens Africa TV” will hit the airwaves in November.

The controversial film maker disclosed this, while in a chat with HVP, at a recent event in Lagos.

He said,the TV station will operate on the Dstv platform, noting that it’s ‘one of his biggest dreams in life. “It has been a dream patiently nurtured and harnessed since 2006 and it’s time to actualize it,” he said. “This is the biggest project I have ever undertaken in my whole life; one which promises to change lives positively and to mould futures for the better,” he admitted.

EbonyLife TV hosts ‘Meet & Greet’ with Mr. President, young professionals in diaspora

not label me as a wife beater. Why is she doing so now?,”the actor queried.

Emeka Ike’s wife, Emma is said to have filed for divorce following tales of domestic violence. The marriage is blessed with loving four kids.

BY IYABO AINA

A

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Charles Novia’s TV station takes off in November

•Emeka & wife

Steph Coker back with Online series

•Stephenie

STAR SPOT

FTER a nearly 10-month hiatus, popu lar MTV Base presenter and actress, Stephanie Coker, is set to take the showbiz industry again by storm as she debuts her highly anticipated online series “Steph Rocks TV.” Speaking on the online series, Stephanie said, “Steph Rocks TV is an interactive online show developed by November 28 Productions that tends to give current and prospective returnees who want to experience life on the African continent a voice.

Season One of the online series, according to her, will cover everything from entertainment news to social media trends, music, fashion and lifestyle tips delivered to audiences in Coker’s quirky, unfiltered demure infusing sass into reality television”.

On the idea behind the project, Steph said “In an era of countless blogs, and reality TV shows, young people have all kinds of viewing choice and the content they consume is all about entertainment. I wanted to create a website series that will entertain and educate teens, tweeds, and College Students and young professionals who want to know more about Africa.”

•Mo Abudu

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BONYLIFE TV, Africa’s first Global Black entertainment and lifestyle network, is set to host President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR), and young professionals in Washington, D.C. to a ‘Meet & Greet’ interactive session in honour and commemoration of the President’s momentous visit to the United States of America on the 21st of July, 2015.

The Meet & Greet, an EbonyLife televised interactive event with Mr. President and Young Nigerian Professionals will include scholars and professionals from all over the United States. The event has essentially been designed as an avenue to meet with, and interact with Mr. President, on the prospects and challenges involved in the governance of Africa’s most populous nation and the role that our young professionals need to play.

The EbonyLife TV Meet & Greet is being held at the prestigious Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Washington DC, home to Nigeria in Washington D.C, an

absolute honour for EbonyLife TV and our invited guests.

The TV station continues to soar daily as the most vibrant platform watched by the youth and young professionals around the world and the Meet & Greet is in continuation of the channel’s tradition of celebrating the best of Africa and indeed, Nigeria, as well as an extension of the nation building role it played towards the 2015 General Elections.

According to the Executive Chairman and CEO of EbonyLife TV, Mo Abudu, “As a channel quintessentially made for the youth, home and abroad, we are extremely pleased that President Muhammadu Buhari appreciates the youth and has demonstrated this commitment and passion even on this historical event to Washington DC by agreeing to include them in his very busy programme schedule. As such, he will be meeting with Young Nigerian Professionals in the Diaspora at this important Meet& Greet being organised by our channel. For this, we’re very grateful to Mr. President and his hardworking team.”

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015 —27

EMMA WILLIAMS ‘My journey with ‘Stolen Lives’ R

ising Nollywood producer,Emmanuel Williams who walked out of his Public Relations job to pursue a career in film making definitely will be sure he did not take the wrong decision.

With his debut movie, Stolen Lives’ due to be released into the market in September, Emmanuel is on a mission to write his name in gold.

The movie, which he said took him three years to produce, stars Nollywood finest, including Alex Ekubo, IK Ogbonna, Ruth Kadiri, Omi Ugbeye, Beverly Naya, Jide Kosoko, Bulky Wright, Kunle Coker, Biola Williams among others.

Stolen Lives, according to him,

is the story of four girls from different backgrounds with different stories to tell. The story revolves around Amarachi, Janette, Jumoke and Anita.

Amarachi who is the lead character in the movie was raped at a tender age, while her cousin Janette ended up being HIV Positive. Jumoke fell in love with a cultist and Anita found solace in the arms of older men.

According to Williams, the movie which script was written by award winning writer of Kunle Afolayan’s “ October 1” and Rita Dominic’s “The Meeting” , Tunde Babalola frowns at the social vices affecting the Nigerian youths. It also explores such themes as rape, cultism and drug abuse among the youths. Though Williams is about three years working behind the cameras, he has already become one of the fast rising film

makers in the industry.

Narrating his story to HVP recently , Williams said, “My film making career started while he was working with Buferzone communications, a PR and Media Relations outfit.

The company is actually into media relations and productions. I was more involved in the production aspect of the company. We did production for government agencies including National Health Insurance. We did talk shows for them, drama series among others. I was involved in the production of these TV series and that’s where my interest in film making started growing.

After three years working with the organization, I decided to walk out of my job to pursue a career in film making. That’s when I set up my own outfit called Cross Entertainment.

“It is a movie for the youth that talks about the social vices that affects Nigerian them. We talked about cases of rape, drug abuse, sex abuse, and cultism. The film also is

aimed at promoting core family values.

Bob Manuel to bag Chieftaincy title POPULAR Nollywood actor and politician, Bob-Manuel Udokwu has been designated for a chieftaincy title.

•Emma Williams

Shan George vows to use village juju to fight pirates

By ANOZIE EGOLE

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OLLYWOOD actress and producer, Shan George is currently disturbed with the activities of pirates in the Nigerian enter tainment industry, as she has vowed to deal with anybody who attempts to pirate her new movie titled, “ One good Man.” The veteran actress warned that she is not going to take it lightly with anybody who tries to pirate her job. The actress took to her Facebook page recently to hand down the warning. She writes, “As usual, I’m suffering day and night, burning the mid night oil, spending the little money in my pocket to make sure I do a good job. ‘While pirates are busy chilling and doing nothing. So, since the Federal government has refused to do something about pirating of our movies in Nigeria.

‘I’ve decided to use my village juju to protect this my new film, ‘One Good Man.’ Nollywood, police, fire brigade, Army, EFCC, SSS, Air force, Lawyers and all those concerned, please bear me witness. When my village juju and thunder •Shan begins to fire pirates left, George right and center. Don’t blame me,” she warned.

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•Bob Manuel

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The honour will be conferred on him by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Nollywood (ONN).

In a statement by the sociocultural group, Eze(Dr) Harris Chuma, Bob-Manuel will be conferred with the ‘Eze Ndigbo of Anambra State Nollywood’ title, which literally means ‘King of Anmabra State-born Nollywood practitioners.”

Chuma said, the honour is in recognition of the showbiz empresario’s unrelenting effort in revitalizing movie activities in his home state. He

is also to be honoured as an active promoter of Igbo culture and language using the platform of Nollywood and other entertainment outlets.

The actor will be presented with his staff of office at the forthcoming Igbo Film Festival scheduled from August 9 through 11, at Ogbunike Civic Development Centre, AborAmawa-Ogbunike, Anambra State. The festival is being organized in partnership with the Anambra State Ministry of Information,Culture and Tourism.

Nollywood stars pastor Chris Ekeh

join

...as he celebrates birthday with Kirikiri inmates, orphanage

OLLYWOOD stars, including Chinyere Wilfred, Ruth Kadiri, Princess Chineke, Vivien Ike among others are billed to join celebrity Pastor, Chris Eke as he celebrates his birthday anniversary with inmates at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, in Apapa, Lagos, this morning.

Chris is a prolific preacher of the gospel. He’s the founder and general overseer of the Word and Spirit Assembly, located in Ijegun, Satellite Town, in Lagos.

He’s being described as ‘a shining light of his generation.’

During the visit, the prolific pastor will be putting smiles in the faces of the inmates who have been shut out of the world by the walls of the prison. The following day, the firebrand pastor will also be visiting the Heart of Gold Children’s Hospice in Surulere.

According to him, the essence of the project is to give back to the society. “I want to use my birthday anniversary to touch as many lives as possible,” he said.

•Chris Ekeh

28 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

By ANOZIE EGOLE

Going by Femi Otedola’s reputation and influence, the oil billionaire could have given his daughter, Florence Otedola known in the entertainment industry as DJ Cuppy, anything she wants including any plum job she desires. But his daughter has charted a course for herself in the music industry as a singer and DJ. In this chat with Showtime Celebrity, DJ Cuppy opens up on her relationship with her dad, her upcoming tour of eight countries in four weeks, and her relationships with men:

W

hat is your tour all about?

I think the Cuppy brand has come a long way in-between having my first and second degrees and building a career in Disc Jockeying in a very conducive environment. And I know how well my brand has been accepted. I am very happy about that. I am not only going on the tour to inspire Nigerians but also to inspire all young African women around the world. If I look at my career plan, there is a long goal ahead and I hope we are going to come back with a very good result. I work very hard and I take my job very seriously and that is why I got support for this tour from amazing brands like GTB and Dangote Foundation. I think they have seen something in the Cuppy brand and that is why they are supporting us.

What else could you have done besides disco jockeying?

If I were not into Disco Jockeying, I think I would possibly be an oil trader. Before I got into this entertainment business, I was working very seriously with my dad and we had a lot of plans. My father is still one of my biggest supporters and I think it is very important for someone not to put all his/her eggs in one basket. And that is why I am also into education.

Would you have been this successful without your father?

That is a very nice question. It is very good to know that people could have the same platform but some are big while others are small. I always say thanks to education, which, seems to be an open door for everybody. But if you are not good and if you are not bad as an individual all you need to do is to keep on going and doing what you can. I would not say that I am an exemption but I have been doing this for a while now and I became bigger than I was in terms of this DJ work because I do it often. I think practice makes perfect.

Why did you choose to be in this career instead of many other jobs out there?

I think it is very important to follow your heart, choose the job that you like to do and you will C M Y K

never waste a day in your life. It is about personal fulfillment and with my dad I think I told him this is what I want and he told me that if I want to be a DJ, I have to be the best of it.

Was he not disappointed when you told him you wanted to be a DJ? No, he was not. I would like to use this medium to advise every Nigerian that there is need for us to support our children in their careers. My dad was one of the first people to say to me, “Cuppy, I know you can do it but you must be the best”. He is also my biggest critic as well and it is fantastic having that support and challenge. He is giving me that competitive drive; he made me not to get comfortable with my brand and my skill. So I think my dad is someone who is actually bigger than what people think. Cuppy brand is doing very well because of him.

What would you say inspired this African tour in eight countries?

This tour was inspired when I looked at my environment and potential. When I said I wanted to do eight countries in four weeks, a lot of people looked at me like I was crazy. You know the people that I had in mind that I actually wanted to work with said they were not really going to do this tour in four weeks. But after much considerations and everything and also with a great team and support from my brand, we are able to put the tour together. We also have challenges ahead but we are going to move on.

FEMI OTEDOLA’S DAUGHTER, DJ CUPPY OPENS HER HEART:

I am very approachable, she tells intimidated admirers •Says “Korede Bello and I are not dating Most of your songs have this foreign touch, what would you say inspires your songs?

For over ten years I lived in UK and USA before I came back to Nigeria, so I feel it is very important to get inspiration from your environment. And I wanted music that will open the minds of Nigerians, we are the biggest economy in Africa.

So there are lots of influences from the western world coming in. I also wanted to bring in the western influence into Nigeria through music; I am also an advocate of Nigeria. Wherever I go or whatever I do, I make sure I represent Nigeria. It is important for me to have that experience and also

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015 — 29

bridge that gap. As a brand I want people to walk into an environment and feel Cuppy without even seeing my face. So it very important to be unique, I am also putting all my time into this industry.

Who is your ideal man?

I am someone that is very ambitious and my career is very important to me. I am a very young individual. I like someone that is very confident and self assured, someone that is also very ambitious. Maybe in the future, that is something I will focus on or care about. For now, I am still learning about myself and I believe this tour will result in my coming back as a different person. I can tell you what I like now but I think that changes with time. Every young person is still discovering him/ herself. There are prospects to that except if you have a husband for me (Laughs).

Many people are of the opinion that you wouldn’t have been what you are today without your father. Did your father influence you?

Thank you for that question, I think it is wise to know that in April I was appointed one of the tourism ambassadors. A lot of people asked me how the thing came about. I would say it was because I did a song titled, “I love my country,” which was a great song, and the Minister of Tourism listened to it and liked the song. He thought it was a great way of inspiring the youths in Nigeria through song. So being a tourism ambassador in this country, I am looking at my potential role in tourism because the inauguration committee thought it would be great having someone that would represent Nigeria. I am a representative of the new Nigeria. A female DJ so unique and I think I am honoured by a presidential inauguration.

I am also looking forward to working as well.

Are you in any relationship now?

I can tell you that I am certainly not. Unfortunately with the tour coming and all the things we need to do, I do not have time to get in anything like that. Maybe I will find someone around Africa.

You said something on your instagram about having a crush on Koredo Bello?

Yes, the two of us always joke a lot. We always have jokes to share between ourselves. But dating is far from it. I think he is a great artiste who gets me excited as a result of his talent but nothing between us can be taken as anything serious. He is a good act and I think he has a lot of fans that look up to him.

,

What do you have to say about the rumour of the romance between you and Asa Asika, your tour manager?

I think the story between Asa and me goes a long way. We have known each other for over 10 years now, even before I started as a DJ. If you look at him as an individual and the way he comes across, you will see he is a guy who knows his onions. I think I cannot do this tour without a tour manager that knows his job and also well informed like him.

He is no doubt very ambitious. I think that when we were putting the team together there were many people we considered.

We taught about a new generation but the team we have here, I would say, is the best. This can be a good or bad team but all I know is that within ourselves, we put together a good team. It is also fantastic that we have a friend on board. So we are not dating and we have not dated.

I also think that I associate myself with very good people. I still have to say that work is not allowing me to associate the way I want

,

You seem to enjoy a lot of goodwill; everybody wants to be Cuppy’s friend. How do you know those who are real?

I think everybody knows how important I feel about my relations with people. I am a very friendly person and people who come with the wrong intention tend to realise that they have to change their intention. I also think that I associate myself with very good people. I still have to say that work is not allowing me to associate the way I want. I have my friends tell me that I do not have time for them any longer. I am still trying to figure out how to handle all those things.

Do you think as the daughter of a big oil mogul, your admirers are intimidated by your father’ status?

It is something that I cannot answer because I actually do not see myself in that light. I see myself as an individual. My dad and I are two different individuals and we have differences in the way we approach life. He is somebody that has continued to support me. I have never seen myself in that light, I think I am somebody that is very approachable and I love meeting people.

Tell us about your last relationship.

That is very hard to talk about because it was a long time agoprecisely two years. Because for me, anything that’s worth doing is worth doing well. In order for me to achieve what I wanted to achieve as the Cuppy brand, I have to give more than a hundred percentage attention to that.

C M Y K

30—SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

IYABO AINA 08184172548

Nicki Minaj uncensored!

31-year-old rapper and singer Nicki Minaj, with the name Onika Maraj is a famous rapper with a special style, mysterious background, and multiple personalities.

Her tremendous achievement in rap music has earned her a very popular reputation, but before becoming popular she was singing mix tapes on Jamaica Avenue in Queens, New York.

Then in 2009 she signed with the very popular Young Money crew and ever since then, she has worked with other well-known artists such as Jay-Z, Trey Songz, and Mariah Carey.

Five years after signing with Lil Wayne and becoming an international superstar, Nicki has transformed from being the one time innocent lady to a controversial star.

A lot of people think they know Nicki Minaj, but she’s just one woman, although an incredibly busy one who spends most of her time campaigning for her songs.

About her boobs, butt and nose implant controversies: Nicki Minaj has totally changed compared to when she was starting out and this has led many people to suspect that she has had several plastic surgery procedures to enhance her looks. If we are comparing her old photos and the most recent one, it is obvious that she had a boob job. In some photos, Nicki new breast appears much bigger and fuller than before; it indicates that she is possibly having breast implants.

In addition to breast implants, it has to be mentioned that she was also having butt implants. If we are observing the before and after plastic surgery, it is obvious that she was having a smaller backside and the new butt appears much bigger and tighter than it used to be.

Furthermore, the new rumor said that she was also having a nose job (rhinoplasty) was responded to by Nicki Minaj who denied that she had any procedures on her face, and disclosed that it’s just a makeup.

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Products and endorsements Minaj has been affiliated with several manufacturing companies and has endorsed a number of products during her career. Her first collaboration was a November 2010 endorsement deal with MAC Cosmetics which sold a lipstick, “Pink 4 Friday”, for four consecutive Fridays to promote her album Pink Friday. In 2011, Minaj helped introduce the Casio TRYX in Times Square, and created a six-piece nail polish collection for OPI Products with colors named after her songs.That December, Mattel produced a custom-made, Minaj-themed Barbie doll valued at about $15,000 for auction on charitybuzz.

In April 2012, Minaj helped launch the Nokia Lumia 900 in Times Square.

The following month, Minaj appeared in television and internet advertisements for Pepsi’s “LiveForNow” campaign, which featured a remix of her single “Moment 4 Life”. She endorsed the 2012 Viva Glam campaign with Ricky Martin, which raised $270 million for the Mac AIDS Fund.With designer Jeremy Scott, Minaj signed an endorsement deal with Adidas’ fall and winter 2012 campaign to appear in internet advertisements and commercials for Adidas Originals. Set to her song, “Masquerade”, her segment of the advertisement was filmed in Brooklyn and also featured Big Sean, Derrick Rose, Sky Ferreira and 2NE1 in other locations worldwide. The list goes on and on.

Touching story of Sylvester Stalone and his pet dog

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his is one of the SADDEST stories ever told in Hollywood. His name is Sylvestar Stallone. One of the BIGGEST and Most famous American Movie superstars. Back in the day, Stallone was a struggling actor in every definition. At some point, he got so broke that he stole his wife’s jewellery and sold it. Things got so bad that he even ended up homeless. Yes, he slept at the New York bus station for 3 days. Unable to pay rent or afford food. His lowest point came when he tried to sell his dog at the liquor store to any stranger. He didn’t have money to feed the dog anymore. He sold it at $25 only. He says he walked away crying.

Two weeks later,he saw a boxing match between Mohammed Ali and Chuck Wepner and that match gave him the inspiration to write the script for the famous movie,ROCKY. He wrote the script for 20 hours! He tried to sell it and got an offer for $125,000 for the script. But he had just ONE REQUEST. He wanted to STAR in the movie. He wanted to be the MAIN ACTOR. Rocky himself. But the studio

•Sylvester said NO. They wanted a REAL STAR. They said he “Looked funny and talked funny ”. He left with his script. A few weeks later,the studio offered him $250,000 for the script. He refused. They even offered $350,000. He still refused.

They wanted his movie. But NOT him.

He said NO. He had to be IN THAT MOVIE. After a while,the studio agreed,gave him $35,000 for the script and let him star in it!

The rest is history! The movie won Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Film Editing at the prestigious Oscar Awards. He was even nominated for BEST ACTOR! The Movie ROCKY was even inducted into the American National Film Registry as one of the greatest movies ever!

And do You know the first thing he bought with the $35,000? THE DOG HE SOLD. Yes,Stallone LOVED HIS DOG SO MUCH that he stood at the liquor store for 3 days waiting for the man he sold his dog to. And on the 3rd day,he saw the man coming with the dog. Stallone explained why he sold the dog and begged for the dog back.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015—31

By BENJAMIN NJOKU njokujamin@yahoo.com

South Africa comes alive as MAMA 2015 holds T

he beautiful city of KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa will come alive this evening as the prestigious MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) holds at Durban International Convention Centre (ICC), KwaZulu-Natal.

Already the city has been bubbling since yesterday with top music acts from across the continent thronging the venue for today’s event.

Top Nigerian musicians who are already having good time in the rainbow country include, 2face, Banky W, Darey, Iceberg Slim, Shaydee, Kcee among others.

The event, which will be hosted by American actor and comedian Anthony Anderson, kicked off yesterday with a press conference, which held at Playhouse Theatre, Durban.

The conference, according to the organizers, is for some lively preMAMA chat, insights and revelations from the host, performers, nominees as well as partners of MAMA 2015, including representatives of VIMN Africa, MTV Base and KwaZulu Natal Province.

2face, AKA, Black Motion, Bucie, Cassper Nyovest, Davido, Diamond Platnumz, Jhené Aiko are among the music stars who will be oerforming this evening. Others are NE-YO, Toofan, Wizkid, Yemi Alade, Seyi Shay, Flavour and Young Thug.

Also, Nigeria’s most popular music twins, Psquare joins the list of performers. The Okoye twins, alongside Flavour and Seyi Shay will be lighting up the stage with their hit songs at the colourful event.

Fanfare as MTN Foundation turns out jazz music ttalents alents T

he Agip Recital Hall, MUSON centre, venue for this year ’s 8th Graduation Ceremony of the MTN Foundation-MUSON Music Scholars Programme was filled to capacity with enthusiastic guests made up of music lovers, friends and relatives of the graduating students as the MTNF Awardees bow out of the two years Diploma programme.

The ceremony started with the MTNF/ MUSON Scholars appreciation concert where the graduands, exhibited their mastery of musical instruments and vocal renditions. Guests at the event got excited as the graduands played some contemporary Nigerian tunes with their classical musical instruments.

The 21 scholars, who earned Diploma in Music are the eighth set of beneficiaries of the MTN Foundation’s music scholarship programme.

The highpoint of the musical concert

AVRS boss hails Buhari over plans to tackle piracy

A

udio Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS), Nigeria’s sole Collective Management Organization for cinematograph films has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for paying attention to the need to end movie piracy and related forms of intellectual property rights abuse in Nigeria.

It would be recalled during his recent meeting with the permanent secretary and directors of the Federal Ministry of Information, as widely reported in the media, President Buhari had charged law enforcement agencies to “identify the perpetrators, sponsors and collaborators of copyright piracy, and bring them to justice.” According to media reports, Mr. President specifically urged law enforcement agencies to curb piracy in the entertainment industry, particularly Nollywood, noting that Nollywood practitioners have built a world-class industry through their own sweat and it is therefore incumbent on government to accord the industry necessary support.

Responding to this development, AVRS chairman, Mr. Mahmood Ali-Balogun commended the significant presidential directive and expressed the readiness of AVRS to partner with law enforcement agencies and the media in the task to curb movie piracy in Nigeria, which, according to him, has continued to hamper growth efforts in Nollywood.

Ali-Balogun, however, stated that the President needs to do more than just admonishing the law enforcement agencies; he needs to urgently follow up with the following initiatives:

C M Y K

*An immediate setting up of anti-piracy squad akin to SARS with an AIG/DIG in charge just as OBJ did for drugs counterfeiting. *An Executive Bill to amend the copyright law and make piracy an economic crime-like stealing, bunkering, drug trafficking with stiffer penalty with no option of fine. At the moment it is not considered an economic crime. If you steal a blackberry phone you go to jail without an option of fine but if you pirate a film you are asked to pay a fine of N10, 000 or go to jail for 3 months.

was the special appearances from MTN’s Brand ambassadors, Cobhams and Sound Sultan who displayed their dexterity in the art of singing and playing the instrumentals.

Mr. Dennis Okoro, Director, MTN Foundation in his speech commended the graduands for living up to the values of the MTN Foundation. He stated that such qualities as diligence and dedication coupled with their determination has made them successful on the programme.

“So far, the MTN Foundation has invested over N200 million in the MTNF-MUSON Music Scholars Programme. In the past 9 years, the programme has produced 212 music scholars who have received exposure to the highest standards of composing and production of world class music.

This is with the inclusion of the 21 Music Scholars that graduated in this 8th Graduation Ceremony ” Okoro said.

Speaking further on the impact of the programme, Okoro informed that “ recently, some of our awardees got opportunities to compete with the rest of the world in Italy and Spain. A lot of them are been sought locally and internationally and they are doing very well, making their marks across the world.”

Presenting the best three graduating students who had lived up to the standards of the MTN Foundation values of leadership, excellence, creativity and integrity, Ms. Nonny Ugboma, Executive Secretary, MTNF counselled the winners to ensure they maintain those qualities that made them distinct. The winners were: OladimejiAdelaja; Olusegun Alphonso and OlusolaOlufa. The graduands expressed their appreciation to MTN Foundation by rendering a special song titled “everywhere you go.”

The Guest Speaker, Mr. Yemi Akinsanya while commending the MTN Foundation for championing the Music Scholars programme expressed his assurances that the graduands will be good ambassadors of MTNF as they go ahead in their pursuit of excellence.

32 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

08 116759 759 081 6759759

‘We are here and we deserve respect’

O

ne plus-size blogger is sick of that fact that there seems to be a ‘right’ kind and a ‘wrong’ kind of plus-size. Corissa Enneking, who runs a body-positive blog called Fat Girl Flow, complained that mainstream media doesn’t showcase a wide enough range of bodies - even when it’s focusing on the plus-size community.

So in a bid to encourage

more diversity, the selfproclaimed ‘happy fat girl’ launched a body-positive campaign that aims to truly spotlight the various shapes and sizes that women come in by calling on them to show off their bikini bodies.

So Corissa took to social media to ask women who felt underrepresented to send her swimwear photos. In addition to Corissa herself, 21 women

complied, emailing over snaps of themselves in one-pieces and two-pieces, lounging in the pool and posing confidently on the beach.

The blogger than shared them all in a single post titled: ‘We exist: Diversity is Plus Size Bodies.’ The gallery includes snaps of full-figured women includingKellie Kay, Breian Brockington, Crystal Newton, and Angelina

Duplisea.

Readers responded enthusiastically to the post, praising Corissa for taking a stand.

‘To love and respect my body as it is is a lesson I am still struggling to learn, and it’s people like you that reaffirm this for me!’ said one woman.

Another commenter wrote on Cosmopolitan.com: ‘I think you all are beautiful and admire your strength to be comfortable in your own skin!!! We are all beautiful in our own ways!!! [sic]’ Corissa is glad that her message has reached so many people, since it brings her closer to her goal of having every type of plussize body represented in the media.

‘Having exposure to bodies that look like your own helps to make people feel included and part of something,’ she wrote. ‘The more exposure to different bodies we can get into

mainstream media, the more people will begin realizing that fat people are not invisible. You cannot look

past us. You cannot ignore us.

We are here, and we deserve love and respect.”

Meet the LEGLESS courier who travels 60 miles every day to deliver parcels...

E

verybody loves receiving a parcel and this Chinese postman makes sure he gives the people of his hometown extra special deliveries every day: inspiration.

Zhang Rihui, who lives in a town of 4,200 families in east China, has overcome being born without legs to deliver parcels by walking on his knees.

Every day at 9am Zhang, 60, rides his electric truck for more than an hour to pick up parcels from Jixi county, before returning to deliver them in his hometown Yangxi, which is situated 30 miles away, reported People’s Daily Online. The postman is determined not to let his disability get in the way and insists on delivering packages to his customers’ doors by walking on his knees and using rubber from tyres as make-shift shoes.

Zhang turned his life around when he realised that feeling bitter about his disability wasn’t helping him, so he resolved to live strongly.

He told Anhui News: ‘I was born handicapped and at first I complained. But the problem can’t be solved with

your complaint, finally I chose to face the reality.’

He added that although the income from his job wasn’t high, he believed that he could change his destiny through his hard work.

Up until three years ago, Zhang repaired footwear to earn a living, before a school friend, who owns a courier company, asked him to become a postman.

Originally Zhang only delivered parcels to local villages and towns but through his dedication he soon became the chief courier for Yangxi town and has been praised by customers for his sincere attitude and optimistic personality.

Finding a job still remains a challenging prospect for disabled people living in China, with most being limited to becoming hairdressers or matchbox makers.

As part of the 2008 Olympics, China made a promise to fine companies who did not fill two per cent of jobs with disabled workers However, despite this, many businesses are still opting to pay the penalty.

Lesbian couple told to stop kissing by security guards at food festival T

his photo shows the moment that a lesbian couple were left ‘shocked’ after people complained about the pair kissing at a food festival.

Mog Wilde and Freya, 35, from Pembrokeshire, were visiting the Cardiff Bay Food Festival when other festivalgoers complained about their ‘obscene’ displays of affection and a security guard was called to ask them to stop.

‘We were dancing to the live music and I kissed Freya because she looked so beautiful and it was her birthday.’ Mog said. ‘Then someone came up to us and told us it was disgusting and to stop because there were children around but this was a public place and we were not doing anything wrong.

‘I am quite fierce and not a shy girl so I brushed it off. But it did leave me a bit shaky’.

This happened on the same day Gay Pride was happening only 30 mile away in Bristol. It is 2015 not 1815. We honestly did not think this would happen here’. Onlookers reported how a handful of ‘middleaged ladies’ were offended C M Y K

by the display of affection and complained that it was ‘disgusting’ because ‘children were there’. And when security staff asked the couple to stop kissing, one eyewitnesses report that ‘Two straight guys came up and publicly supported the girls by kissing each other in public. ‘It was a jokey, possibly drunken, show of support by those around them at a festival, including two gay men who had also started kissing in support.’

Responding to the claims, a spokesperson for Cardiff council denied that the couple had been kicked out of the event. ‘Festival stewards received a number of complaints from members of the public about a couple who were engaged in a very strong display of public affection at the festival’, they said.

‘Once the couple in question had been identified a steward approached them.

‘They reminded them that sexual behaviour of this level was inappropriate

for what is very much a family event. ‘At no time did any Council employee ask the couple to leave. ‘The same course of action would have been taken regardless of the sexual orientation of the individuals involved.’

Man has ten kids with nine different women ...

ho’s the daddy: Kenzie Kilpatrick has tried to help W 50childlesswomenbecomemothers AmanhastoldhowhehasfatheredTENbabiesbynine

different women - after advertising his services through Facebook .Kenzie Kilpatrick, 26, says he has tried to help no fewer than 50 childless women to fulfil their dreams of becoming mums for free, claiming just travel and hotel “expenses”fromsomeofthoselivingoutsideBirmingham, where he’s from. Six of them are said to have given birth in the last ten weeks, welcoming two girls and five boys including a set of twins - into the world. Three others are due to have their children within the next month. Kenzie, fromYardley,saidhe“stumbledacross”theideaofbecoming a sperm donor after discovering sites about the subject on the internet. One of the couples who contacted him had spent£30,000onfailedIVFtreatment,whichwasanadded incentive, he said. “To know I’ve helped people who have suffered for so long, desperately wanting to have a baby, hasbeenmybiggestmotivator,”theformercareradded.“I also feel incredible knowing that I will have ten babies out there continuing my genes. “But I don’t feel like I need to know the babies or stay in touch with their families - I just

provided the sperm. I’m not attached to them. “It’s notthesamewhenyou’reamanasitiswhenyou’re a woman and you carry a baby for nine months.

Surrogatemumsfaceverydifferentemotionstowhat Ifeel.”

Openly gay Kenzie set up his own private Facebook group, Drama Free UK Sperm Donors, last June. It now boasts more than 200 members.

After being contacted by women, he arranges to meet them at their homes or in hotel rooms. He thenproducesaspermsamplethatthecouplescan artificially inseminate in private, using a syringe.

Kenziewillnotrevealhowmuchhehasreceivedin “expenses”,butinsistsanymonieshereceivedhave covered just travel and hotel costs, as well as loss of earnings.

He claims that six of the women, who live across the UK, have given birth in the last two months with the latest - a boy - born just last week. Another three expectant mums are due to give birth within the next four weeks, bringing his baby tally to ten.

Eight of the women are in lesbian relationships,

while one heterosexual couple had been trying to conceive for 13 years and had endured several unsuccessfulroundsoffailedIVF treatment,costing more than £30,000. Kenzie, who stresses that he has been tested for sexually transmitted diseases, said:“It’snotaboutthemoney.Ihavehelpedpeople to make a family, something they have truly longed for.Youcan’tbeatthefeelingthatgivesyou.“Itseems that I am incredibly fertile,” he boasts. “And as a man that does give me a sense of pride.”

But he admits the whole process has not been withoutcomplications.“Therewasonewomanwho conceivedbutthensuddenlychangedhermindand said she wanted an abortion,” he said. “I was devastated.Ievenofferedtolookafterthebabymyself if she felt that strongly. “However, in the end she sufferedamiscarriage.”

According to the Birmingham Mail, he says he now plans to end his days as a sperm donor.

“I am desperate for a child of my own and I have found a lesbian couple who want to co-parent with me,” he explained. He has, however, promised he willprovidemorespermdonationstothewomenhe has already helped to conceive - so they can have siblings with the same DNA.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, JULY 18, 2015 — 33

Certainly, there is no better way of motivating a worker than to ensure that he gets his salary as at when due.

The federation also did so well to let the Coach have the assistants he wanted included the Belgian Jean Francois Lusciuto. Initially, there were issues with his appointment but the NFF did well to apply to the Bureau of Public Procurement so as to have the necessary clearance to employ him as an expatriate.

As a well known strict individual, Oliseh seems to be the right man for the job because in the past dispensation, the players were over pampered and over rated hence they easily faltered even against otherwise weak oppositions that hitherto used to be an easy take for the Nigerian national team.

Already, the Coach has read the riot act to the players that the national team is no longer for journeymen who do not even command any starting shirt in the clubs. He also hit the nail on the head when he remarked that what we have today are just average players without any known star player that can, on his own, win a game for the team.

To this effect, he has warned that for anybody to be in the Nigerian national team, such a person must be in the top flight league of the country where he plies his trade or any player who must have played in any of the Nigerian age-grade national teams. “The state we are now in Nigeria, I think, we are all not very happy with it.

We say it as it is, but I must be very blunt because I am among my countrymen so let us call a spade a spade, gone are the days when we had individual players who can win matches for us out of their own individual efforts and that is what we had during my generation and the way out is this; if you don’t have great players, you need a great technical coaching crew and a great national federation to compensate for what you don’t have as regards these great players. But we have potentials even to be the best in the world, that is what I honestly believe and that is what my coaching crew also believe. “ The former Juventus of Italy midfielder has also warned that henceforth players must see their invitation to the national team as a privilege and not to carry on as if they were doing the country a favour by playing for her.

Granted that many analysts have written Oliseh off because of the fact that he has not coached any known national team or even a club but we While speaking at the have also seen some coaches unveiling, Pinnick promised to who never had any coaching ensure strict compliance to the experience, yet they were able letters of the contract which it to do well on their first attempt. entered with the coach. And as German legend, Franz if to demonstrate that gesture, Backenbauer and Pep the NFF has already paid Guardiola of Spain are two upfront the three months salary good examples of former of Oliseh and his assistants. players who despite not having much coaching experience still did so well with the teams they handled on the first instance.

One sure thing that goes for Oliseh is the fact that as a member of the prestigious FIFA Technical Study Group, he must have acquired a lot of experience that may not take him time to replicate on the players.

However, one thing that Oliseh must avoid like a plague is the urge to delve into marketing players. Experience has shown that it is one sure way for a coach to destroy himself because the moment he fails to sell any quality player, there is always that tendency to begin to ignore and antagonize such a player, and the result will be a negative effect on the entire team. Again, coaches tend to give undue privilege to players on their stable for •Mayweather marketing.

Traps

Oliseh must avoid! must avoid!

•Oliseh

BY JUDE OPARA

T

he public presentation of newly appointed Super Eagles Chief Coach, Sunday Oliseh by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday marked yet another welcome step by the Amaju Melvin Pinnick led executive committee.

The board which came to office on September 30, 2014 has continued to gradually but consistently take one step after another to fulfill its mandate of truly developing Nigerian football. First, it was the sponsoring of some Nigerian Referees to a refresher course in London. Later, there was the

trip to the same country for Match Readers made up of a select number of Nigerian coaches.

Listening to Oliseh present his position after the signing of the contract was enough to convince any doubting Thomas that the assertion of the NFF president, Amaju Pinnick that the former national captain could pass for the Pep Guardiola of Africa was not an over statement. The hiring of Oliseh after the exit of former Coach, Stephen Keshi is a right step in the right direction because it has proven that with the huge abundance of talents in the country, any coach who is focused will succeed.

One thing that used to derail

Nigerian coaches has always been the inability of the federation to fulfill its own side of the bargain as at when due, but with what we have seen of the present board, it is obvious that we may have said good bye to that dark era where coaches and players are owed salaries and allowances.

Ma yw eather must ffight ight me —Mundine Mayw yweather

F

•Mundine C M Y K

ighters like Amir Khan and Keith Thurman are pushing hard to land a fall showdown with WBC/ WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., who is scheduled to return on September 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

But yet another fighter has been beating the drum to get Mayweather in the ring. Former champion Anthony Mundine holds the WBC silver title at junior middleweight.

He says the World Boxing Council has him in line to fight Mayweather. “I know Floyd Mayweather is aware of me as a fighter, I just thought I would reach out to him. Not in a disrespectful way, I just wanted to get his attention. At the end of the day, I know it’s a long shot, but I believe I can give him a much better fight than he’s been getting. I think our styles are very similar,” Mundine told On The Ropes Boxing Radio.

“He’s a bit more skilled than me because of his experience, but I’ve been in big fights too and I’m at the point now where I believe I can mix it with the best of them. I’m a very colorful character and once they get to know my background and see what I’ve done and how I’ve done it, it’s very intriguing. I’m pretty brash and cocky in my own right; it will make for a good fight before, during and after.”

34 — SATURDAY VANGUARD, JULY 18, 2015

technical crew.

Of course, that is one important factor that we considered. We also have Salisu Yusuf, who is also one of the assistant coaches to assist Oliseh and possibly look at the home team and our local league and see how we can bring players from the local scene to inject into the Eagles.

They are working as a concerted team. Oliseh has told me that he wants to work as a team and he is very desirous, very ambitious, very excited and he sees it as a once in a life-time opportunity. Coaching the Nigerian national team is not easy because Nigeria is a country whose number one sports is football, number two is football and number three is football.

Everybody preaches football, so you know that you cannot go wrong. It is not that we cannot lose but how did we lose and how did we win. These are the things that we consider. If you lost a match gallantly people would appreciate you worked hard. And playing a game badly and winning will not endear fans to the team. I

•Eagles

•Amaju

What Oliseh told Pinnick about Eagles

Your choice of Sunday Oliseh as Super Eagles coach has been criticised by some who insist that his lack of experience at the top level will affect his ability to deliver the goodies for the national team He is a very sound coach.

Don’t say that he does not have enough coaching experience.

C M Y K

By the way, how many coaches have coaching experiences before getting big appointment? Marco van Basten, Betti Vogts, Joergen Klinsmann, even to some extent Pep Guardiola did not have that big coaching experience that people are talking about. If you have played like Sunday Oliseh, who played for Ajax, a developmental club, then you will appreciate his quality. Ajax are known for development of skills. The are like a school where you are properly trained.

So even if you go to Ajax alone, it is enough to coach any team.

Ajax of those days, I don’t know what it is today, was an institution for coaching. Players who came through the ranks went on to become successful

managers of clubs and national teams.

And besides, he has a very high intelligence quotient. And I found out that from FIFA and UEFA lately, that they hold him in very high esteem going by some technical reports that he has written. And he is someone who is very disciplined and diligent. I don’t think that we made a wrong choice.

Everything went through the various committees and when it came to my table, I had to approve it and the board ratified his appointment.

He has a relationship with his foreign assistant, Jean Franc Loscuito, which to you is a good development in achieving harmony in the

,

P

resident of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick was at the Warri City Stadium last Sunday to watch Warri Wolves’ league match against Enyimba. In between the game, he took out time to tell JOHN EGBOKHAN why his board is condemned to succeed. Excerpts.

And besides, he has a very high intelligence quotient. And I found out that from FIFA and UEFA lately, that they hold him in very high esteem going by some technical reports that he has written

,

believe Oliseh’s arrival is going to be one of our plans for sustainable football development. That is one of the reasons he was chosen.

Eight months after being sworn-in as President of the NFF, people are looking for dividends of this administration. And some are saying the dividends are difficult to find.

They can’t say that. What about the referees and coaches’ training? They can see a lot of improvements and they should know that only a few weeks ago, we had our case at CAS thrown out. Football is not something that you just wake up in the morning and start seeing results. It is not possible. I did not promise

SATURDAY VANGUARD, JULY 18, 2015 — 35 grants from FIFA and sponsors and of course World Cup money.

No, no, no. All those ones are different. If you look at the last dispensation, they prepared very well and qualified Nigeria for almost all events.

Preparations mean quality preparations, which in turn would translate to results and qualification. And what is preparation, it is early camping. Camping is not in tents, it is in hotels, allowances, feeding, travelling. All these consume a lot of money.

We are redefining a lot of things. We were sworn-in for four years and between these years, we believe that Nigerians will begin to see a gleam of hope. A gleam of hope in the sense of sustainable football development. We are looking at the local league, training referees, training coaches and we are also looking at youth developmental programme, a comprehensive template, whereby players will graduate from the junior level to the intermediate and to the senior side.

These are things that you do not see overnight. I know that Nigerians are very excited but we crave their indulgence to be patient with us. Rome was not built in a day. And I have never said that we are going to do magic within the first year. If we do magic, we are going to fall. All the issues have to be tidied up. We want to build the culture of sustainable football development. We are going global. Today, I had talks with the President of the USA Soccer Federation and he has invited us over to the USA to look at how we can build some ties, especially in the area of women football. We will also be meeting with the Chairman of the English FA, Greg Dyke and we are also looking at also building other ties elsewhere.

So we are looking at going very global.

It is not just confining our influence within the narrow confines of Nigeria. We are looking at going far beyond that. And that is what we are doing. The hardest things are those you do not see. I can tell you that there are lots of things we are doing behind the scenes that people do not

•Oliseh

when I came on board that the results would be seen immediately. When you want to see results immediately, then it means it is magic. Science is about preparations and that is what we are doing. Everything has to be prepared for. And people should also know that we inherited liabilities and some assets. So if you look at those things, the challenge is how do we marry them together. We have huge debts that we are still struggling to pay. We inherited these debts, which present their own challenges to us.

But the general thinking out there is that NFF is a house of money, flowing with huge

•Dikko

see. But I can assure you that at the end of the day, everything will come to the fore and people will see it.

The relationship between myself, Seyi Akinwunmi, Shehu Dikko and Ibrahim Gusau is wonderful. If four of us who I know are driven by the same vision, passion, love for the game, cannot succeed in running football, then something is wrong.

And if you look at the executive committee of the NFF, the board members are passionate about football development. They are anticipating a change, something different, something innovative and that is what we are trying to do.

This change message of yours is also going to affect what Sunday Oliseh brings to the Eagles, like his immediate target? Is it to equal Keshi’s achievement or surpass it? Do you expect him to win the Nations Cup at the first time of asking in 2017?

If he surpasses it good. If he wins better. If he equals it is okay. If he loses, like I told you earlier, we would look at how did he lose? If he wins, how did he win? I am not going to criticise anybody but I believe Oliseh has something to offer the Super Eagles and that is why the federation has deemed it necessary to offer him the job.

How do you feel as the President of the NFF with the performance of the Super Falcons and Flying Eagles at their respective FIFA World Cup tournaments in Canada and New Zealand respectively?

And what are you doing to ensure that such don’t occur again?

There are different ways of winning and losing. We lost physically and left the tournament but won in the sense that there are lots of prospects and future in the team. The Super Falcons played an exemplary game, especially against the USA who were of the highest standard.

But we also noticed certain deficiencies which we are working on right now, having seen their reports and are keen to rectify those deficiencies.

And the Flying Eagles are the team of the future and of course, we have decided to keep them together because they are the future Super Eagles. We are coming out with a sustainable football programme that will keep them together, play them in friendlies and make them know they are the future Super Eagles. We are working towards all these things.

But like I said, the most difficult things in football development are those you don’t see. They are the things we are doing silently and quietly. We want to work in obscurity so that once it comes to the fore, people will look at it pleasantly and say okay, they have been working.

On a final note, what is your long-term plan for our football, in fact, what legacy do you want to leave behind as NFF President?

To create a sustainable football culture that will aid the development of football potentials in the country.

C M Y K

36 — SA TURD AY Vanguard, JUL Y 18, 2015 SATURD TURDA JULY

Otunba Onabadejo becomes R otar Ro taryy Club DG

L-R: Immediate Past DG, Dele Balogun decorating the New DG Otunba Bola Onabadejo, while a Past DG Julius Adelusi Adeluyi looks on.

L-R:Oba Rilwan Aremu Akiolu, Oba of Lagos and Prince Julius Adelusi Adeluyi,

ROTARYClub, District 9110, Nigeria was again at the heart of world’s attention when the new District Governor was installed last weekend.

The new District Governor, Otunba Bola Onabadejo was decorated by the outgoing District Governor Dele Balogun at an event that held at Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Many other past District Governors graced the occasion as well as some personalities, including royal fathers and g o v e r n m e n t functionaries. Photos by Biodun Ogunleye

L-R:Incoming District Governor, Otunba Bola Onabadejo and the outgoing DG, Mr Dele Balogun.

St. FFrancis rancis College’s prom night

S

t. Francis College recently held a prom night at Sheraton Hotels and Towers for its graduating students. One of the graduating students is Ifueko Claire Oni-Omoregie, daughter of Vanguard’s Corporate Affairs Manager, Prince Victor Omoregie.

Ifueko Claire Oni-Omoregie

L-R: Odediran Sayo, Okwuo Judith, Kalejaiye Elizabeth and Oni-Omoregie Ifueko

Iva and Nevile NEVILE Ambakaderemou, Special Adviser to Amaju Pinnick when he was the Executive Chairman of Delta Sports Commission but now NFF President, has been hooked by Iva Oghene.

The wedding took place in Warri recently.

L-R: Past DG, Olawale Cole, Past DG Richard Giwa- Osagie and wife, Mrs Moji Giwa-Osagie

L-R: Mr Femi Falana (SAN), Rt Rev Issac Ayo Olawuyi and Alhaji Raheem Oshodi.

Bala Yesufu’s daughter bags Leicester varsity First Class honours

Graduand, Ms Rian Yesufu flanked by her proud parents; Chief Bala and Chief (Mrs )Anita Yesufu.

C M Y K

Rian Yesufu, daughter of Chief Bala Yesufu,Cadbury’s Head, Corporate and Government Affairs (West Africa) has bagged First Class honours in Economics from the University of Leicester.

Mr and Mrs Nevil eAmbakaderemou

Mr and Mrs Nevile Ambakaderemou with NFF President, Amaju Pinnick

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, JUL Y 18, 2015 —37 JULY

(Text Only)

The shoulderstand

T

hough the classic shoulder stand is executed without a prop, the variant under discussion here is done with the aid of chair.

Technique: Place a chair on the practice mat at one end. Lying on your back rather close to the chair, raise both legs and rest them on the chair forming a neat slant from feet to shoulder. Place the hands a little away from the sides. Breathe in slowly,

Exercise for stress-relief

rhythmically and deep into the abdomen. A minute or two will do at the initial stages. Follow that up with the dead man’s pose of lying completely still on your back.

Benefits: The shoulder stand affect the thyroid gland which normalizes metabolism and the production of heat and controls the heart rate.

The Plough Technique: Lie on your back with the legs stretched out and hands placed along the sides. Take in a deep breath and drawing up the knees swing back the legs while breathing out and let the toes come to rest on the floor behind your head. Keep the knees straight and stiffen up the muscles of legs.

Keep the breathing normal as you retain the posture for about 10 seconds.

To come out of the posture simply bend the knees and just roll down the back and straight out the legs flat on the floor again.

You may rest a little and repeat.

Benefits: The plough improves the elasticity of the spine. It tones the leg muscles and helps to rid constipation.

•The shoulderstand

Triangle Pose Technique: tanding with the feet rather wide apart, turn the trunk to the left and lowering it, place the palm of the left hand flat down on the outside uf the left leg while raising up the right hand and straightening it at the elbow.

Breathe normally and retain the position for about 10 10 or I5 seconds.

S

Benefits he triangle stretches the leg, spine, and trunk muscles.

It promotes flexibility of the hip spine and legs. It tones the nerves of the spine and the abdominal organs. It reduces pain in the lower back and invigorates the circulation.

T

•The Plough

•Triangle Pose

•Head-to-Knee

Head-to-Knee Technique: Sit with the feet stretched out in front of you. Now slowly lower the trunk till the forehead rests on the knees and with the thumb

and forefinger,form a ring around the corresponding big toes.With the elbows touching the floor lightl.Keep the breathing normal and retain the pose for about 10 to 30 seconds and

repeat thereafter for two or three times.

Benefits: This exercise stretches your back muscles and enable you move freely at all times.It also stretches the

back and hamstring muscles;and the digestive organs are properly massaged for improved functining.

Yoga Classes STARTED @ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola, Victoria Island Lagos.

9.00am — 10.00am on Saturdays

38—SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18 2015

My joy comes after a successful fashion show — Sola Oyebade

have a total of 50 designers scattered across the five days. Putting up the event is amazing. The cost is huge especially when you are doing it abroad; it involves thousands of pounds to put up such events. The staff crew over the days are over 150200 people. Back stage staff, front of house staff, Models, technical staff, designers, you got to feed them and make sure their well being is taken care of, especially in UK where there is lots of legislation on what you can and what you can’t do.

S

ola Oyebade, also known as Mr Mahogany is the creative director of Africa Fashion week London (AFWL) and Africa Fashion week Nigeria (AFWN). As the fifth edition of the AFWL draws nearer, Sola speaks on expectations for the forthcoming AFWL 2015, billed to hold from 7- 8th of August at Olympia West Hall, London.

As the creative directive, could you tell us what to expect at this year AFWL? This is the fifth year anniversary so it’s going to be a big show and this is the second year we are using the Olympia, which is very good for us.

It’s a fantastic venue. This year we are changing the format, we have enclosed the runway this time and the exhibition will be surrounding it. This year we have more designers, about 68 designers for two days. We have six shows, t hree shows from each day For the Gala show, we are going to have 15 designers, it is a lot of work but we will make it work.

What are the criteria for selecting models?

We are still going through the process of selecting models. We have thousands of models from all over the world that wants to do Africa fashion week London. The amazing thing is that, a lot of these models are ready to pay their own transportation and accommodation cost, just to do the show. We have so many applications more than what we bargained for, for

instance, you want only 50 models and you have over 3,000 models applying, that is the situation we are in now. I want internationally standard models, that means for the women they are going to be 5’9 and above and for the men 6’4 and above. I want something different in terms of their looks, I just don’t up standard and what we are trying to do is to give a variety of looks an advantage.

We are going to have light skinned models, the very dark skin, maybe bald headed, some with wigs, different varieties of looks and not just from Nigeria, Africa or Carrieabean, white models, Asians. I think Africa is made up of all nationalities

•Sola Oyebade not just made up of dark skinned Africa.

We want it to be our best show ever. I am behind the scene, so I am more concerned with the creative look , making sure the hair is right, makeup is fantastic, the clothes you are putting on the catwalk is great. I am looking at the quality of the stitches, the quality of the work; we want something up to standard internationally.

The biggest challenge we are going to have is the number of designers that we have lined up for the show now.

What inspires you on this job?

I have been doing it a long time, 25 years. I started as a model; I have never been a designer. I became a show producer running my own event company. London fashion w eek, New York fashion week, Glasgow fashion week, I can just give you endless list.

For me, my joy comes after the show, from feedback, when people say whether it’s a good or bad show. If I get the comment it’s a good show I feel great. But if it’s bad, it affects me.

Challenges on the job?

The biggest challenge we are going to have is the number of designers that we have lined up for the show now. As I always say to the team, 68 designers is much for two days. Even London fashion week that is done over five days only

-ZANDY B DESIGNS

•Afrolucious C M Y K

•Gisella Coutoure

•Gisella Coutoure

•Trish O for AFWL

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015—39

C M Y K

40—SA TURD AY 40—SATURD TURDA

W

Vanguard, JUL Y 18, 2015 JULY

hen you throw a pebble into water, ripples are inevitable and when the matter dropping into water is of much weight, falling from a great height, you can expect a great wave. That is what the US Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage did and we have not seen the end of the ripples yet. But one of the immediate fallouts was the call by groups in the US for the legalization of polygamy.

But the call, like that of same-sex marriage three decades ago in the US, is falling on deaf ears for now. But it might come to pass some day. After all “America is a free society and the custodian of democratic values.” it is a status symbol and sign of Already some Americans practice affluence. Sometimes polygamy is polygamy, even though they risk falling based on erroneous beliefs. In the on the wrong side of the law on charges 70s, my paternal aunt visited. of bigamy. Some Americans practice Somewhere along the line, she polygyny, where a man has more than asked my father when he was taking one wife simultaneously. Some a second wife. My father told her he Americans practice polyandry, where a had no such plans. She exploded: woman has more than one husband at “Ayo’vo hw’osho!( meaning having the same time. Some American religious only one wife can lead to groups practice group marriage, where impotency).

Some people became polygamists the family unit consists of multiple because their first wives did not husbands and multiple wives.

For all you care, polygamy might just bear children (“early enough”). be one of the solutions to America’s high divorce rate. One of the reasons women give for seeking divorce is infidelity. So all the men need to do is marry these They marry second wives and some women they are cheating with and bring them under the same roof with remove cheating as a basis for seeking the first wives. In many cases, they divorce. Just kidding. just gave the first wife a foretaste of Polygamy is an uncomfortable topic for hell. Ordinarily childlessness is very the average American, but we are at difficult for many women to handle. home with it here in Africa, even though No matter how much they try to some of us neither believe in it nor conceal it, you see the agony. practice it. It is indigenous to us, our fore Sometimes you meet a cheerful fathers were polygamous; some of us are woman even for the first time; if you still polygamists. Our Muslim brothers look beyond the cheerfulness, you practice polygamy. Some Christian see pain. Scratch a little and it is denominations practice polygamy. They childlessness. do not believe in the doctrine of one man, To now put her up with another one wife and will quote the Bible and use woman who will remind her of her King Solomon with his 700 wives and situation 24/7 is not cool at all.

300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3) to Many of these second wives are not buttress their position (that is a story for magnanimous in “victory.” They another day). rub it in with every available Africans practice polygamy for cultural opportunity and create such and religious reasons. For some others,

Polygamy opportunities when none exists. If any husband still loves and respects his first wife, the minimum he can do is have two homes, one each for the two wives, unless the first wife encouraged him to marry the second wife. But didn’t Sarah do a U-turn after encouraging Abraham to have Hagar, her maid? (Gen. 16:14; 21:10) I had some very interesting experiences about polygamy in my younger days. A few polygamists lived nearby, while some of them

Sometimes polygamy is based on erroneous beliefs

,

were relatives. They had their amebos (favourite wives) and avwiorovwes (least favoured or hated wives). Normally the wives took turns to take care (cook and man, or is it woman, the bedroom) of their husbands. An amebo could woman the bedroom six times over a period of three months and the avwiorovwe will be lucky to have one chance. I still remember how one particular avwiorovwe would happily run to my mum to announce that she would be the next to woman the bedroom. For amebos it was no big deal.

For every five wrappers an amebo got, the avwiorovwe would be lucky to get one. An amebo’s son could get away with murder, but

both avwiorovwe and her son would be hanged for misdemeanor.

Fights were common and the sons of the avwiorovwes were somehow stronger because they had been toughened by the treatment meted out to their mothers which cascaded down to them. So they, and by extension their mothers, always got into trouble. My mother went on a few peace missions.

A childless amebo was consoled and spoiled with gifts and constant reassurances of the husband’s undying love. Her turns to woman the bedroom were increased to improve her chances of conception, but a childless avwiorovwe was dead on arrival.

She was an outcast and a request to be given a chance to woman the bedroom to increase her chances of conception was met with the question: “Where are the results of all the ones I have been doing?”

In many cases, polygamy was a sign of wealth in those days, so many of these polygamists sent all their children to school( It didn’t matter that an amebo’s son could be given five kobo every day while the son of an avwiorovwe got two kobo or nothing for food during break). Many children of avwiorovwes took the opportunity of education and they are some of the movers and shakers of the society you see today.

For others, the unfavourable treatment meted out to their mothers got to them and derailed them. Some of the children of the amebos were pampered and got messed up in the process; but some took advantage of the favouritism and gained momentum from there.

Those were interesting times.

Looking back, it all looks like a fairytale.

,

Challenges before muhammad Sa‘ad Abubakar, Commander of the Faithful

By Abdurhaman A Animasaun, UK

T

he Sultan of Sokoto,His Eminence, Shaykh Muhammad Sa‘ad Abubakar is leader of over 70 million Muslims in Nigeria, the world’s largest black nation.

His profile and influence continues to rise. Not too long ago he was named the 18th most influential Muslim leader in the world. The influence of previous post British Sultans of Sokoto had been curtailed somewhat by, for instance, a rising degree of tribal sentiment among some Muslims in the country. The new generation of Muslims in the southern part of Nigeria proudly, if not loudly, accept the Sultan as their leader.

Shaykh Sa‘ad Abubakar has played a role in this new wave. The handsome selfeffacing retired army general has reached out to all sections of Nigeria in a way that no other traditional leader has done: and he is

still on the move. His message of peace and national cohesion places him in a different class from religious, ethnic, or political bigots. He has travelled wider than any other Nigerian traditional leader across Nigeria reaching out to other traditional and Christian leaders.

He has a lot to surmount.

Among Muslims, there are still those in the south for whom tribal sentiment and a yearning for pre-eminence are more important than Sultan Sa‘ad Abubakar’s overtures for Muslim unity. They are in the minority. Generally, Muslim intellectuals and educated youths in the south of Nigeria love the initiatives of the Sultan and accept his leadership.

Some of them are regularly in contact with him. He listens to them.

But, he has challenges in the north too. It would appear that while Shaykh Sa‘ad Abubakar is utilising his authority as Amirul-Mu’mineen to decide the dates for the beginning and end of Ramadan, and for the

Muslim festivals as he is so empowered to do in Islamic jurisprudence, some other Muslims would have it otherwise.

His overture to the Christian community will and should definitely provide an opportunity for willing Christian leaders to reciprocate.

Over the years, since independence, some have opined that the Sultan has no further function beyond announcing the dates of Muslim months and festivals.

Shaykh Sa‘ad Abubakar can and has always proved them wrong. Additionally, he would be further asserting his value to the Nigerian Muslim Ummah if he served as the hub for Muslims to submit proposals and plans for and discuss ideas about elevating Muslims in Nigeria. Also if the Sultan had a monthly broadcast to Muslims he could tell not only Nigerian Muslims, but also the world, what Islam is, what Muslims should be and how Nigerian Muslims should

Among Muslims, there are still those in the south for whom tribal sentiment and a yearning for pre-eminence are more important than Sultan Sa‘ad Abubakar’s overtures for Muslim unity

Here

conduct themselves.

Such a broadcast would be the first of its kind where a religious leader is addressing all believers in Nigeria.

An area which has always needed attention is the education gap between Muslims in the north and other parts of Nigeria. This could be redressed within twenty years with planning and the authority of the office of the Sultan.

Sokoto, under Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio, was a renowned center of knowledge. Those times could be brought back again.

This might sound herculean to some but the persona and stature built up

by His Eminence in so short a time is well and truly suited for the task.

AbdurRahman A. Animasaun.

Leicester, UK. afolanny@yahoo.com

SATURDAY

Diet Doctor Sugar detox he average person takes T in 22 teaspoons of sugar daily. This is more than three

times the amount suggested by nutritionists. Although it has never been considered a health food, new evidence shows sugar can do even more damage than previously thought. Extra calories raise your risk of obesity, which in turn sets you up for diabetes and heart disease. But weaning yourself off sugar can be daunting. It’s tough to dodge because it hides in so many foods, and it provides an almost addictive. Cutting down on sugar is really worth trying, so go for your sugar rehab today and make your commitment stick. Go for your sugar detox!

Beware of refined sugar The biggest sugar offender to steer clear of is refined white sugar, the kind spooned into coffee or added to baked goods. The bloodstream absorbs this simple sugar quickly, causing surges in blood glucose levels and insulin that can wreak havoc on the body.

Refined sugar is added to most food products during processing so beware. Avoid sugar passed off as molasses, honey, and maple syrup even though they’re not processed the way refined white sugar is,

Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015—41

Quit sugar for good! ease yourself off it slowly by taking one step at a time, so your body has time to adjust. Slower changes tend to last, says Avena, especially when it comes to diet changes.

Give up sugary drinks Soft drinks, fruit juice, sports drinks, iced tea—these and other sweetened beverages are sneaky sources of added sugar. One can of cola, for example, adds up to nine cubes, already a third more than the six cubes daily recommended limit. Sweetened beverages or drinks made from fruit juice are like liquid sugar, and they add lots of calories without satisfying hunger.

• Watch your sugar consumption!

No to pastries Pastries, cookies, muffins, and they have the same such as fructose in fruit and other white-bread, refined-flour harmful effect. lactose in milk products. treats offer little nutrition-wise but These get a pass as long as are dense with added sugar. And Sweeteners could be you consume them in their since they’re not hard to identify, worse original food form. Fruit, for it’s easy to slash them from your Exchanging sugar in instance, contains an diet. They mess with blood sugar favour of a chemical levels, setting up a cycle of sweetener like aspartame amount of sugar that is in better proportion with the grabbing a donut or muffin for or saccharin may not be amount of fibre and other energy that doesn’t last, says the answer. Artificial Kohn. Instead, get your carb fix sweeteners provide sweet nutrients in it. These other with whole grains. These are taste without calories, so nutrients mitigate sugar’s converted to sugar during when you consume these harmful effect. digestion, but because they’re the products, hunger isn’t Don’t be in a rush complex kind rather than the satisfied, leading you to Going sugar-free very simple type, they’re absorbed more crave more afterward. abruptly can lead to crazyslowly and provide steady energy. intense withdrawal Natural sugar is okay symptoms such as Ease off table sugar The types of sugar you headaches, anxiety, and If you’re used to adding don’t have to avoid are sweetener to your food and drinks, found naturally in foods, mood swings. It’s better to

give yourself time to ease out of the habit. Typically start your day with two spoons of sugar or honey in your tea or coffee? Cut back to one sugar for a week, then slash it to zero a week later—or sweeten it with a slice of orange or a little milk. Same thing with the sugar you put on top of French toast or cereal, or the maple syrup doused on your pancakes. Gradually reducing the amount will make it less noticeable that you’re cutting back, and you’ll be less craving-crazed for a sugar hit.

Pile protein on your plate Cutting out sugar is the perfect excuse to indulge in more healthy fats (nuts, olive oil, avocado, dairy) and lean protein (eggs, turkey, and legumes). Both keep you feeling satiated and energized, preventing the blood sugar rise and fall that can lead to hard-to-resist sugar cravings.

A protein breakfast help you start the day off right. Have a breakfast with protein and fat as the stars, like eggs and avocado, instead of the traditional starch and sugar combo, like a muffin or sweetened cereal.

Go with naturally sweet flavours To satisfy a sweet tooth without resorting to refined sugar, try cinnamon or vanilla extract added to coffee, cereal, or baked goods. They offer a sweet taste without sugar’s side effects, and zero calories.

8W AYS TTO O COPE WHEN YYOUR OUR P AR TNER’S SEX DRIVE EX CEEDS YYOURS OURS (II) WA PAR ARTNER’S EXCEEDS

W

e talked about 2 ways in which one can cope when the other partner ’s sexual drive exceeds one’s drive in the last edition; this week we are going to take a look at some other ways in which we can cope.

III. Try something different. If your relationship is in a standstill or things are getting a bit stale or boring, try something new that might excite him or her. You might ask your partner if anything in particular would appeal to him.

IV. Touch your partner affectionately without expecting or asking for sex. Just enjoy the experience and don’t get too caught up in who initiated it. Being goal oriented may lead to him or her feeling pressured, and you feeling rejected, if sex does not follow. Focus on enjoying the physical intimacy and increasing your pleasure at the moment.

Im a 43 year old man suffering from frequent urination. I have been to the doctors and I was told that my bladder is too big; this has seriously affected my erection, that in most C M Y K

cases I disappoint my wife with NO erection at all and this is causing serious problem in our marriage. Please save my home. What can you recommend that I use?

Ola Mr Ola, frequent urination can be caused by a lot of things ranging from diabetes, microbial infections to mention but a few. I’d advise you go for a wider test to really bring out the cause, cos I’m not sure it’s just because your bladder is too big. Be that as it may, Cleanshield with Gingko tea can help in the control of the frequent urination. I’ll advice you go for either Plant vigra , X-again , Libigrow or Rhino 7, Rhino 5 to help you get strong erection on demand. But if you want a more lasting result, you can opt for Vimax.

All these supplements are 100% herbal and as such very safe for use by all categories of men.

Im a 58 year old man and I have been seriously diabetic for as long as I can remember, though under control and my hypertension is also under control but I find it very difficult to get a strong erection and when I eventually

do, I will ejaculate in just 2 mins. I heard I can combine prosolution pills with a cocking or any delay cream. Please what is a cock ring and how is it used? Iyke Hello Iyke, a Cockring is a special type of rubber ring that you wear on your penis and roll down till it gets to the base of your penis.

In most cases, Cockring vibrates to give a special effect to lovemaking.

Cockring when used delays ejaculation and makes you last long on your woman; as long as 25 to 35 minutes depending on your body type. Apart from the fact that it delays your ejaculation, it also keeps your erection hard after ejaculation in case you want to go for second round.

Prosolution helps corrects premature ejaculation and also helps you go more than one round and that’s why its good to combine both.

While Prosolution is doing a permanent correction work, Cockring or delay cream like Stahard, forever yours or Prolonging cream to mention a few gives you an instant result and its reusable for as many times as you want. And for strong

erection, you can get Plant Vigra, Xmen or Xzen 1200.

Can I get another pack of Libigrow and Stiffnite pills? Both of them really worked for me and gave me very good erection unlike some other products Bill Yes you are welcome any time. Different product works for different people.

I need very small sized and cheap sextoys for women. Do you think I can get that from you?

Mariam Yes Mariam, we have very small sized vibrators and very affordable like the Vibrating lipstick, Silver bullet, Pink bullets, Gspot ticklers, Buzzing baby rabbit, Buzzing beaver etc just to mention a few. You can visit our website to see more on these sextoys.

These are all we can take for this week. Adults who needs any of these aphrodisiacs can cal 0 8 0 3 4 6 6 6 3 5 8 , 07059294782 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 )

42—SATURDAY VANGUARD, JULY 18, 2015 Dear Julie, I have been living in shame and most times, I’m very depressed.

When I was living with my uncle, one of his friends did something very bad to me and I have not been able to say it out until now. I was violently raped and on my own, I went to the hospital. I was told that I need to get a pap test and other tests as there could be damage from the force used. I’m really frightened about the whole idea of it. Do I have to be lying down and what do they do? It’s stressing me out! I’m 23 now but the rape happened when I was 22.

Chimaoke, Enugu

Dear Chimaoke, What happened to you was indeed very sad and I know how

We had sex and I’m itching juliecoker100@yahoo.com

I was raped you feel. Having to have a genital examination, can be stressful for someone who has been raped, and so I think you need to hear, that these feelings you are having regarding the examination are completely normal.

Feeling depressed about your

experience is to be expected and you shouldn’t have waited for this long before opening up. You could have spoken to a trusted friend or religious leader about your experience. It is not too late though as you need regular and consistent counselling to get out depression.

Her parents think we’re too young Aunty Julie, My girlfriend and I are both 17.

We met this girl six months ago at a concert I went to with some friends. Before, during and after the gig, we got kind of gusting and poking each other. I added her on Facebook and we started speaking. I immediately felt that there was an attraction between us.

For sometime, we have been texting and speaking over Facebook and met up a few times.

During these meet ups, we held hands, hugged and kissed. We admitted to liking each other, but here is the problem. I think it is ridiculous: her parents think we are too young. I’m almost 18 and

she is t 17.

I need some advice on this issue because even though I have not known this girl for too long, I’ve found attraction in her and it’s a pain having to get over someone before moving on to someone else, and I don’t want to move on, I want to fight for what will make me happy because I know she’s worth it.

Kenny, Lekki Lagos Dear Kenny, Her parents are right about the legal side of things. Both of you are still minors which means her parents are her legal guardians and responsible for her care and well-being. So it’s legal for her to have that kind of relationship and her parents do have the right to

have their views on who she dates and if she is old enough to be with you.

It’s common for parents to have worries and concerns when their daughters start dating, regardless of age differences!

If you think this girl is worth the time and effort , offer to hang out with her at her house. Get to know her parents and let them to get to know you. It’s important to be respectful of their boundaries and show them you are willing to follow their rules. It may take some time, but it’ll be worth it to earn their trust and they may become more relaxed. At almost 18 and 17 respectively, I expect both of you to be more focused on your education now and postpone serious relationship even though you can be platonic friends.

My mom is too protective Aunty Julie, I’m worried about my mom and her attitude to my relationships.

No lady seems good enough for me and she keeps sending them away. I’m currently dating my girlfriend for a year and a half now.

Recently, my overly protective mother saw me and my girlfriend making out on the couch. And then she separated us and made my girlfriend leave!

My girlfriend later called and told me that if my mom is going to control our relationship, then we may as well just be friends. I told her that it was okay because my mom usually gets weird like that.

After my girl left, my mom got mad and told me that she wasn’t allowed near our house any more.

I don’t know what to do! I really love my girlfriend and she really loves me, but my mom keeps getting between us and makes my girlfriend unsure if she still wants to date me! It is not the first time.

What should I do about my overly protective mom? Would I be able to settle down in a married relationship because the way she is going, an angel has to come down from heaven to meet her standard for me. I am 25, a University graduate and I’m working but I live with my mom.

Back-seat driver A wife was sitting peacefully in her cozy armchair sewing her husband’s socks. Her husband came in to the room and glanced at what she was doing, and started badgering, “HONEY be more careful! Please watch what you are doing! you don’t wan’t to poke your finger! how many times do i have to tell you! don’t look up when your’e sewing!

There you go now slow and steady, nice even stitches. The wife puts down the needle and thread, looks up at her husband, and says, “What the hell is wrong with you? Do you know how many times I’ve sewn socks before?! “Exactly the point I was trying to get at”, hollered the husband, “do you know how many times I’ve driven a car before!?

I like that setting but she is encroaching too much into my affairs.

Bobby, Benin Dear Bobby, While you are living with your mom in her house, you need to stick to her rules I’m afraid! The best advice is to try to compromise with her show her that you are prepared to meet her half way.

Maybe you could explain to your mom that you really love your girlfriend and you would really like to have her blessing for you to be together. You could put it to your mom that you invite your girlfriend around to lunch over a weekend. Maybe you could offer to cook so that your mom and girlfriend have a chance to get to know each other. Or, you

C O C K - T A L E S “Honey”, said John, two minutes later, “please get me another one quickly before it starts.” “What the hell is wrong with you, you lazy good for nothing!” Hannah exclaimed, “do you think I’m your personal waiter!? You plop yourself down on your easy chair and expect me to be on your beck and call!? Is that all I’m good for!?

John sighs, and mutters under his breath, “It started….”

Adam and Eve Existence was so tranquil and peaceful for the young couple Adam and Eve, like straight out of a story book, until one unfortunate day when Adam showed up one hour late for supper. By the time Adam finally came home Eve was a nervous wreck, and her It started... imagination was working overtime. “Honey, what happened? Why John walks into his 5th floor apartment after a long day are you home so late?” Questioned Eve. “Oh I’m sorry! Adam of work, he exhaustively sinks into his favorite arm chair, responded with a wave of his hand, “I just lost track of the time.” puts up his footrest, turns on the TV, and turns to his wife Now Eve didn’t have a Mother or girlfriend around to calm her Hannah, “Honey, please get me a hard drink, I think it’s fears, after all it was just her and her Husband and despite Adam’s about to start.” Hannah rolls her eyes, heads to the kitchen, convincing act her overactive imagination could not be calmed. takes out a beer from the fridge, and brings it to John. That night after two hours of restlessly turning in her bed, enough

Dear Aunty Julie, My boyfriend and I had sex and a few weeks later, we discovered we were both itchy in our genital areas. We postponed sex thinking it was just a yeast infection, his symptoms being redness and a bit of bumps, mine being itchy redness.

Two weeks later, we had sex again, thinking it was cleared, because we were symptom free and then it came back again.

He has multiple bumps on and under his foreskin along with itchiness and redness. I feel slight itchiness and a little redness.

What might this be?

Kemi, Port-Harcourt

Dear Kemi, It’s really surprising that you are not having protective sex.

There are a few things it might be but I can’t really tell you exactly what it is although it does sound a bit like a yeast infection but you need to treat it to make it get better. You’ll need to see a doctor and explain your symptoms, which is a bit embarrassing but that’s the best thing to do. I recommend going to see a doctor as you two should get a routine test for STIs, especially chlamydia, as well as make sure you’re using a reliable form of birth control. So get in to see a doctor as soon as you can,

could invite your mom and your girlfriend out for lunch somewhere on “neutral ground” so your girlfriend doesn’t feel intimidated by your mom.

Your mom won’t be able to stop you from seeing your girlfriend unless your girlfriend decides she has had enough but she will be able to make life hard for you both. Try to work it out the most diplomatic way you can. If this fails, you may just have to stick to mom’s rules in the house.

Maybe you could spend more time with your girlfriend and her family. Who knows—maybe if you do that, then your mom might miss you and decide to be a bit more hospitable to your girlfriend.

If you are being respectful of your mom’s house rules but encouraging open communication between your mom and your girlfriend, hopefully you will get the outcome you want.

was enough.

“What in the world are you doing!” Hollered Adam jumping out of bed. “You know darn well what I’m doing” screamed Eve right back, “now you better lay still right now, and let me finish counting those ribs!

Feeling pregnant “Ok everyone,” said the the instructor at the birthing class trying to get everyone’s attention. “We are going to do an exercise now, that’s purpose is to help the men sympathize with their partners.” “We have here what’s called a pregnancy suit,” said the woman instructor, holding up an artificial stomach with a strap. “This imitates the feeling of being pregnant.”

Which Husband volunteers to be the first one to try it on?” “I will” said one man, taking the suit and trying it on. “This isn’t too bad said the man walking around. I think I could get used to this.” “Ok”, said the instructor smiling, “now I would like you to bend down and pick up my pen from the floor.” “You want me to pick it up?” he said hesitantly, “just as I would if I was pregnant?” “Yes!” said the instructor. “Honey,” said the man turning to his spouse “do you mind picking up that pen for me?”

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

Vanguard,JUL Y 18 anguard,JULY 18,, 2015—43

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

Would you help your friend’s ex get over his broken heart?

M

EN! You can’t live with them, you can’t live without them! But does the lack of male attention in your life mean boredom? It is times like this I wish I were at least 15 years younger! I was in the midst of some young sparks recently and what they had to say about men gave a new meaning to calling men’s bluff.

They’re all over 30, highly successful and some earn salaries that would make a lot of men green with envy.

One of them, Grace, a single mother of two recently told her partner, and the father of her kids what he could do with his tackle! “The man is insufferable,” she spat. “He kept on putting off our getting married—making it look as if he was doing me a favour. It was good riddance, I say. And to tell you what, I feel relieved! I have more time for me without a whining man getting on my nerves. So for now, no more men! There are a lot of things that need my attention now, so men can wait!”

“Really,” I said, slightly amused. “You mean you can really do without a man’s love?”

“Oh, aunty B, we’re not in the dark ages you know”, she groaned. “Okay, I admit there are times a man would come in handy, like when

It’s always advisable to get a bad relationship out of your system

,

you have a flat tyre early in the morning.” “I was thinking of something a little more basic like cuddling up to a warm-blooded dude once in a while,” I teased.

“Oh that,” she rolled her eyes, “One misses that alright. And it’s not just sex.

It’s silly things like feeling scared when I drive home alone at night—and dressing up in my fine gears to be wined and dined. But all that is not enough for me to jump back into the dating game.

I’d rather not. I’m still too hurt. And it’s always advisable to get a bad relationship out of your system before rushing into another one”. “Thank goodness there are alternatives to explore,” chipped in ravishing Angelica. Where do these

C M Y K

young things get the lustre of their skin from—apart from spending a fortune on being well-groomed that is? But I was more interested in the alternatives she had up her sleeve. “The fact that you’ve lost your man doesn’t mean sitting in with the TV night after night. The ideal solution is living it up by having wild nights out with your girlfriends”, she lectured.

The group was already drawing admiring glances from men as they nattered.

“But, we can do better, auntie B,” Angelica said, looking unappreciatively at the men

,

falling over themselves to get them drinks. “These men are just not it!” Lizy an events manager said conspiratorially that they all had at least one vibrator! It was then Grace shrieked with laughter. “There’s nothing like the real thing”, she cooed, “and who says you have to be in love to get a good bunk? Let’s face it, there are a lot of men out there wanting no strings-attached sex and they’re not after your money either. I’ll tell you what happened to me recently. A very close friend started an affair with a money-bag and was ready to leave her husband as soon as Mr. Money-bag had found a suitable flat for her. I was close to her husband too, but my friend made it clear my sympathies should lie with

her. When she finally left, I thought I owed it to Segun, the husband to help him pull himself together. So I started calling in on him to see if I could stock up on anything he’d run out of.

But what he needed most of all was a shoulder to, cry on. He was the innocent guy here and it wasn’t fair he should suffer so much pain.

“Sometimes, I’d help him tidy up or make him something to eat. Like most

W

men on their own for the first time in years, he just wasn’t looking after himself properly. Then one day, 1 called in and found him bawling like a baby—like he was having a breakdown. I instinctively put my arms around him to console him.

It was terrible seeing a strong man sob like that.

But suddenly, Segun kissed me. I didn’t even recoil—he was so forceful and desperate that my body responded instantly. Still kissing me, he pushed me backwards onto the sofa.

His hands were all over me.

He must have craved closeness and comfort, not to talk of the touch of a woman, that in seconds, we were having rough sex. He kept on whispering into my ears: ‘Tell me you need me, that you like what I’m doing to you.’ I did as he asked. When it was over, he quietly thanked me, said I’d made him feel alive and like a man again. We both knew the same thing would happen again. But I didn’t feel guilty sleeping with my steady afterwards. I believe what I’d done was a good service—helping a needy friend. Having said that, I could never do what Segun’s wife did. I love my partner and I’m not that

selfish. I would never leave him for another man. To me, sex with Segun was therapeutic for him.

“So when I took a bowl of fresh fish stew to Segun a few days later, and we ended up rolling around on his bed, or the day after that when we didn’t even make it to the bedroom, it wasn’t about my feelings— it was comforting a friend.

The icing on the cake was that the sex was fulfilling.

“As far as I knew, I wasn’t having an affair. From the start, I encouraged Segun to date other women and urged my partner to introduce him to some female friends, which he gladly did.

“Months later, he met Mercy. She’s a lovely lady and madly in love with Segun I’m genuinely happy for them both. Naturally, the day Segun told me about Mercy was the last day I shared his bed. He didn’t need me that way any more. But if anything, our friendship has deepened. I don’t regret a single thing. I felt I was simply helping a friend. We never made empty promises, were honest with each other— which is always the best policy.”

Be careful that broken heart doesn’t kill you!

e all know that being in love puts a smile on one’s face and a spring in steps as well.

And we also know that when things go wrong, love hurts. Scientists believe it’s really possible to die of a broken heart. In the 1960s, researchers found the first links between unhappiness and heart disease. A study of 4,500 men, published in the British Medical Journal in 1969, showed 40 per cent rise in deaths from all the men in the six months after bereavement.

The most significant increase was in deaths from heart attacks.

The problem was that no one could explain why this was happening or measure the effects of this type of stress on the body. But, now chemical tests are being developed which show exactly how loneliness and unhappiness can wreak havoc on our health. Cardiologist Martin Cowie, of the Royal Brampton Hospital in London, explains: “High levels of stress clamp down the immune system, such that the body is less equipped to fight disease. Individual organs, including the heart, will not function as well as if there are already problems, such as furring of the arteries, these may start to produce symptoms. Much of the research, so far, has involved bereavement but we know that divorce and separation produce similar levels of stress.

Research also shows that women cope better.

“Men tend to rely on their partners for social support and, when that partner has gone, they

do less well. Women are more likely to have a network of people to talk to,” says Cowie.

He explains the effects of heartbreak are complicated, and occur over time. “Human beings need love and affection and when these needs are frustrated, it can be a major source of stress”, he says. He’s found out that people suffering from relationship problems are more likely to pick up colds and flu. Why? the brain responds to severe stress as if dealing with a life-or-death emergency. It triggers the release of two hormones—the ‘fight or flight hormone adrenaline which can increase heart rate, and the hormones cortisol which can damp the immune system.

His latest research has shown that those under stress have lower levels of the antibody immunoglobulin. A (Ig A), which we use to ward off invading microbes, such as cold germs. Acute stress can also interfere with the heart’s rhythm, leading to shortness of breath and palpitations and, in extreme cases, a heart attack.

Unhappiness can also lead to a rise in smoking or alcohol consumption levels increasing the risk of illness and accidental death. So, if love really does hurt this much, should we try to avoid it? ‘No’, says Cowie, the heart responds beautifully to emotions.

44 — SATURDAY

Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

YETUNDE AREBI

Much ado about sex toys

J

ust as the level of available information about sex and sexuality is on the increase daily, same is true of people’s need to seek, explore and enjoy themselves sexually. A lot of couples have now realised that achieving sexual fulfilment may no longer be in the wham-bam-thank-youma’am style, or simply put, duty sex. Sex is an art and therefore subject to varied interpretation, creativity and study. A person’s sexual fantasy and what gives them pleasure and satisfaction are quite unlikely to remain the same throughout their entire lifetime. Thus, some couples may hit it hot at the beginning only to lose steam midway.

The lucky ones stick it out and endure in silence, pretending that good sex is not a priority in their relationship, while some others may turn to other channels for their satisfaction. The truly honest and dedicated couples talk their ways into finding solution.

That is why communication remains the key to relationship success as very few people are born with the ability to read minds.

Experts believe this is where sex toys come in. Sex toys are designed to offer both men and women additional sexual pleasure and can be used alone or with a partner, just as you can masturbate on your own or with a partner. What many people fail to admit is that foreplay is a form of masturbation as it is designed to help stimulate and arouse the sex organs in preparation for the main course. There is no doubt that outlets for sale of sex toys have been on the increase in recent times. However, there are many myths in the minds of people about sex toys, especially in our part of the world. Most of these myths are due to stereotyping, limited information and enlightenment as well as beliefs and orientation. For the purpose of education, here are a few facts about sex toys we all should know. Do have a wonderful weekend!

Myth: If a woman has a sex toy, she won’t need a man.

Fact: Although many sex toys like vibrators may resemble a real penis in shape, these C M Y K

can’t replace a real penis. With a real penis, you can feel greater joy and pleasure. However, there’s no harm in masturbation, as it can improve how you function sexually. Sex toys are also used by many couples during sex to enhance sexual pleasure. Plus, sex toys are not human; they can only do what they were designed for. Nothing can replace the warmth of a human body lying next to you, nor the strength or a virile male arm around your body.

Myth: Sex is less natural.

Fact: Everyone believes that they desire natural sex. But the truth is that what everyone desires is pleasurable fulfilling sex. What sex toys do is enable both male and female enjoy more intense and pleasurable sex. There are various designs and types to meet one’s needs and preferences.

Plus, they can be used at any time during the act, such as during foreplay, mid sex and afterplay, especially where one of the partners (the woman) has yet to reach her peak and the man is done.

Sex toys can help you live out your fantasy, just as they can also help you to discover yourself sexually to improve your sex life. Take for instance the condom which is usually used as a safe-sex tool. The condom may also be used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation as it helps to sustain erection and prolong the sexual act.

Myth: Vibrators ruin women for sex with men.

Truth: Does driving ruin you for walking? No. It just gets you to your destination much faster.

Sensitive body parts respond to erotic stimulation no matter what the source. Vibrators bring women to orgasm faster than other types of erotic stimulation, but they don’t change a woman’s ability to respond to anything and everything else. So, far from ruining women for sex if performed without a vibrator, it can actually help women respond to other types of stimulation.

Myth: Sex toys are only for people who have a bad sex life, or no sex life.

Truth: The use of sex toys has become common for men and women. Many couples use sex toys during sexual intercourse. It’s not only people who have a bad sex life that use toys for improving their sexual function. Couples who

enjoy successful relationships can use sex toys to improve their sexual functions.

Myth: Sex toys are addictive.

Truth: Sex toys aren’t harmful. It may happen that women who use sex toys regularly may get used to them and won’t feel adequate arousal with a real penis. It may cause embarrassment to the partner.

However, with optimum use of sex toys, you may not only improve your sexual function but quality of sex life as well.

Myth: Sex toys are for perverts.

Truth: If a pervert acts out his fantasy on a sex toy, should that be a problem to anyone? I would rather a pervert helps himself or herself out without hurting anyone. In fact, a man who fantasises about raping can save humanity the agony by buying himself a lifesize doll he can thrash around as he pleases, rather than attack some innocent women or young girls.

Being kinky behind closed doors is also quite normal if you are with a partner or rather a consenting adult. Everyone is entitled to enjoy sex using whatever means or aid that is acceptable to them. Besides, what you do in your bedroom is nobody’s business.

Myth: If a woman needs a vibrator to have an orgasm, there’s something wrong with her or her man.

Truth: This is absolutely not true. What is true is that a sex toy, a vibrator for instance, can make it easier for a woman to become more intensely aroused and reach orgasm quicker. Women who have difficulty reaching orgasm only need to be sexually stimulated more intensely or for a longer period and this, a vibrator can help with.

Not every man enjoys going down there with their mouths just as it is not every woman that loves to be given the tongue.

So, what fingers and mouth can’t do, the vibrator can. A man should learn to have sex the way his woman desires him to, since he can easily reach his peak.

SATURDAY

C M Y K

Y 18, 2015—45 Vanguard, JUL JULY

46—SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

How my boyfriend’s do A

s soon as she saw her baby son’s face, Chloe King felt an overwhelming mixture of happiness and

heartache.

Though she was overjoyed to have a healthy boy, he looked so much like the daughter she lost that the full depth of her suffering came rushing back.

That same crippling feeling hit her with even more force this week when she read about the death and funeral of a three-week-old baby called Reggie Young, killed by his family’s small terrier in Sunderland.

It took her back to the room where she discovered her own baby savaged by her boyfriend’s ninestone pit bull terrier. Her beautiful Ava-Jayne had been limp, whitelipped and covered in blood.

And she relived the agonising moment she heard her 11-month-old daughter was dead – as she sat in a cell accused of her manslaughter.

Though police quickly cleared Chloe of any blame or neglect, she cannot forgive herself for trusting the dog’s owner, Lee Wright.

“Since little Reggie’s death I’ve started having nightmares again,” she says. “I don’t know if the flashbacks will ever go away. My heart went out to his poor mum because I knew she’d be scarred like me. You can’t block it out.”

Chloe, a health and nutrition student from Blackburn, Lancs, has never talked publicly about Ava’s death, but agreed to speak exclusively to the Mirror in the hope of preventing another tragedy.

“The only thing you can do is try to stop it happening to anyone else,” she says. “People must be vigilant. If someone reads my story and takes an extra few seconds to make sure their dog is away from their baby, they could save a life.”

She has also found new strength after reuniting with Ava’s father Dean Corless, 25, and giving birth three months ago to their son, Archie. Chloe says: “When I set eyes on him for the first time my heart ached. He’s the spitting image of Ava. But it brings me comfort knowing a little piece of her will live on in her brother.”

Archie’s dad Dean, a factory supervisor, adds: “He has given us a purpose again. I’ll treasure the 11 months we had with Ava and she will never be forgotten. Archie is Ava’s future, and ours too.”

Now the couple are campaigning for better awareness among parents about dogs in the home so we don’t hear again and again of such avoidable tragedies.

Chloe says: “When you give birth to your child you never expect to have to see them taking their last breath. People may have read about C M Y K

•Victim: AvaJayne Corless was killed at 11 months

Ava’s death but thought it could never happen to them. But it can.

“I can’t take back what happened, but I can try and stop it from happening to other parents, because there is no pain like it. It only takes those two seconds to change everything, and as a mother you never forgive yourself.”

•Jailed: Lee Wright, owner of killer pit bull

Last month Wright, 27, was jailed for 18 weeks after he as found guilty of possessing a dangerous animal.

He claimed terrier Snoop, which was destroyed at the scene, was an American bulldog. But two experts told the court it was a banned fighting pit bull Chloe says: “Lee has dragged this out for 16 months and shown no remorse for what happened to Ava. I told him I didn’t know how to cope with losing my child and he said, ‘I know how you feel, I’ve lost my baby.’ He meant that dog, the thing that killed my daughter.”

Chloe met Dean in 2010 but they parted four months after Ava was born in April 2013. She became friends with Wright and they began dating in January 2014.

“He seemed a genuinely nice person,” she says. “It wasn’t really serious and I had only stayed at his house three times. I asked about the dog first – what breed it was and whether it got aggressive. It had never barked or growled at me and he said it was as safe as anything.

And I trusted him. But I messed up.”

At Wright’s trial it was revealed

•New life: A reminds Chlo

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015—47

og killed my daughter

•Fresh start: Chloe and Dean with Archie, aged three months

,

Archie oe of Ava

that the dog had killed a neighbour’s cat the year before and was known to locals as “Killer.”

Chloe goes on: “When I went to Lee’s house I’d take Ava straight up to bed and the dog was kept in the kitchen with a speaker and a large golf club blocking him in.”

On February 10, 2014, she put Ava to bed at Lee’s at 8pm and checked on her three times, the last at 9.45pm.

“Ava had been teething and I’d been up for two nights,” she recalls.

“I fell asleep watching TV downstairs with Lee. I woke up around 11pm and Lee was walking up the stairs. I followed him into the bedroom – and the dog was coming out.

“I picked Ava up. She was really floppy and her head flopped back but I thought she was just in a deep sleep. I hadn’t noticed the blood. I laid her on the bed and started cuddling her. I was holding her close and she was making a grunting noise. Then Lee turned the light on.

“That was when I knew. She was so pale and her lips were white and her eyes half-open. Her neck was

When you give birth to your child you never expect to have to see them taking their last breath. People may have read about Ava’s death but thought it could never happen to them. But it can

,

bleeding. I could see the injury. I noticed drops of blood on the floor.

“She wasn’t moving and I remember feeling her last breath. I thought I’d woken up in a nightmare and it couldn’t be happening.”

Ava had a four-inch gaping wound in her neck, multiple rib - fractures, a punctured lung and grazes covering her head, arms and chest.

Chloe says: “I called 999. I thought I was going to collapse. But I was kissing Ava. I wanted to kiss it better. The operator told me how to do CPR, which I did for five or 10 minutes.

“Lee was sorting the dog out. I thought I heard him yelling at it.

Then the police and ambulance

•Aftermath: Police scour Wright's home in Blackburn arrived and took Ava to hospital. I wasn’t allowed to go with her.”

That was because both Ava and Lee were under arrest for child neglect. She recalls: “I was numb. I couldn’t think. I felt I was living someone else’s life. I had to give my clothes for evidence and they said they were going to search my house.

I kept praying Ava was in surgery and they could save her, but at 1am, when I was being held in a cell, I was told she was dead – and I was rearrested for man- - slaughter by negligence.

“I remember telling the police, ‘You know I haven’t done that’. But I didn’t care what happened to me... my little girl was dead.”

Chloe was bailed after 24 hours and later told she would not face charges. The inquest into Ava’s death heard that police who interviewed her felt “she was a victim herself of what happened that night. She was a very young mother who cared deeply for her child”.

Chloe started organising her daughter ’s funeral with the help of

Ava’s dad, Dean, and the couple grew close again. She says: “We supported each other, we understood what each other was going through. But Lee wouldn’t take no for an answer when I broke off the relationship, and he sent me cruel messages, saying Ava was better off dead than with me as a mother. His attitude is despicable.”

The judge who jailed Wright, and banned him from keeping or owning a dog for five years, said: “You allowed a dog of over nine stone in weight to come into contact with a young child asleep in its bed.

“You must have been aware the dog had access and the dog killed that child in an offence of the gravest harm imaginable.”

Chloe says: “I feel relieved that he’s been jailed although I wish it was for longer. But nothing is going to bring Ava back.

“Dean and I are trying to rebuild our lives and remember Ava as the bubbly happy little girl that she was.

And now we have Archie to help us remember.”

C M Y K

48—SATURDAY VANGUARD, JULY 18, 2015

Proffering solution to SMEs and devaluation of Naira

F

rancis Eniterai Ogbimi is a researcher and Professor of Technology Management (TM). He has been conducting research and teaching TM for decades at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.

He is also a staff of the African Institute for Science Policy and Innovation (AISPI), OAU. In this chart with Saturday Vanguard Business, he revealed how learning is the primary source of developing SMEs in any economy world over. At the same time, warned that devaluation of Naira during oil fall is killing Nigerian economy.

Providing credit for the SMEs operations when other components like power supply is not there, how does it look like?

“Everything Nigeria has been doing during the past three decades about what the nation describes as SMEs has been wrong. Successive governments in Nigeria have attempted to enhance the production in the SMEs sector to enable it contribute optimally to economic growth in the nation. The initiatives included the establishment of the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank; the establishment of the Nigerian Bank for Commerce and Industry; before the deregulation of the financial service sector, banks were required to channel a minimum portion of their credit portfolio to the preferred sectors, including SMEs; the Rural Banking Scheme ( establishment of the Community banks system); the World Bank assisted SME I (1985) & II (1989) Loan Projects; the establishment of the Peoples Bank; the Family Economic Advancement Programme (1997) and the establishment of the Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative Bank.

Some other initiatives meant to promote the growth of the SMEs were: The Small and Medium Enterprises Equity Investment Scheme (SIMEEIS) – SIMEEIS was a contribution of the banking industry to the reform of the Federal Government; the National Economic Reconstruction Fund (NERFUND); Establishment of the Bank of Industries (BoI) and the African Development Bank’s Export Stimulation Loan Scheme (AfDB-ESL). These credit supply schemes were organized because of the fallacy that capital investment is the primary source of SEGI or the belief that the economy is in the bank. They all had to fail because capital investment is not the primary source of SEGI and the bank is in the economy. Learning – education and training, is the primary basis of SEGI”.

“Also, there is no such thing as supplying electricity first, then build roads and bridges before embarking on industrialization. It is industrialization that Nigeria should promote, not the supply of electricity, not the growth of the SMEs. We analysed the data collected by Aluko, et al. (1972, 1973) from 27,343 SMEs units (including bakery, blacksmithing, bicycle repairing, brewering, brick making, carving, carpentry, drum-making, dyeing, electrical, furnituremaking, grain-milling, gold-smithing, knitting, mat-making, motor repairing, printing, saw-milling, shoe making, spinning/weaving, tailoring, watch repairing, welding, and miscellaneous). The broad scope covered by the survey shows that true effort was aimed at learning and promoting true growth, industrialization and development in the 1970s. Our analysis showed that 35.6 per cent of the people in the SMEs surveyed was illiterates, 55.5 per cent had primary school education, 8.8 per cent had modern/secondary school education while 0.1 per cent had university education. With that type of educational background among the people in the SMEs sector, the SMEs were not ready for transformation.

The educational background of the people in the SMEs must be improved substantially to promote rapid development in

the sector”.

“Our analysis also revealed that the great potential of the SMEs in Nigeria is in promoting high-intensity learning. Whereas 37 per cent of the workforce was self-employed, 12.5 per cent worked for wages and 50.5 was apprentices. The average apprenticeship period was 3.5 years. A relational analysis of the apprenticeship population and period revealed that the wealth creating potential of the SMEs in Nigeria can be doubled in 3.5 years, increased four times in seven years and increased eight times in 10.5 years. The potential of the SMEs is not so much in providing permanent jobs as in teaching apprentices and

generating new units and promoting the growth of knowledge.

The Nigerian experience has been that any time the global price of crude petroleum falls, the Central Bank of Nigeria always adopts the option of devaluation of the Naira. What do you think about this practice?

Margaret Thatcher, the Late Prime Minister of Britain, once said that ‘to destroy a nation, you first destroy the currency.’ The British Prime Minister was speaking from her memory about the experience of Germany.

The Axis led by Germany lost World War I to the Western Allies.

The Allies therefore demanded $33 billion from Germany as war reparation. Germany could not pay.

Consequently, the Allies forced Germany to sign the Versailles’s treaty which contained the mandatory currency d e v a l u a t i o n programme ( Stolper, et al.,1967; and Glahe, 1977). The German Mark had exchanged 4.2 units to the Dollar in 1918 at the end of the war. The German SAP started in 1919. One year into the German SAP, 1920, the German Mark exchanged for 63 Mark to the Dollar. In 1921, 200 Mark exchanged for one Dollar. In 1922, 2000 Mark exchanged for one Dollar. By 1923, the German Mark collapsed, 4.2 trillion Mark exchanged for one Dollar. The German economy and the machinery for fighting the war were destroyed. The Germans and Germany were destroyed. Could the Allies have subjected Germany to the German SAP to strengthen Germany economically and in military terms at the end of the war?

The mandatory devaluation of the German Mark destroyed Germany, a world power. Mandatory devaluation has no benefit for agricultural/artisan economies.

The mandatory devaluation dismantles the production-activity linkages in the economy. The activity-linkages are destroyed by the sudden increase in prices, by

presenting money (foreign currencies) as commodities rather than means of exchange and by increasing speculation and decreasing all learning (long-term activities) in an economy. The artisan industry is dead in Nigeria because there are no more apprentices.

Young people do not want to learn work as motor mechanics, electricians, blacksmith, furniture and upholstery makers, radio and television repairers, plumbers, panel beaters and spray painters, tailors, etc. Rather, young people are riding motor cycles and selling imported articles and Dollar/Pound and making quick money.

Before the establishment of guilds, skilled workers existed in Saxon and Northern England in the period 5th12th centuries. Weaving, pottery, glass blowing, construction work, minting and metal works, were the common trades of the day in England. Britain did not establish any educational system till long after the nation achieved the modern Industrial Revolution (IR).

It was through learning on the job that artisans acquired the knowledge, skills and competences that characterized the first modern IR which Britain achieved in the period 1770-1850.

Economists, accountants and bankers in the Central Bank of Nigeria always adopt the devaluation option because they do not know anything else to do since they do not understand the development process. What Nigeria should do is to promote rapid technological growth and industrialization. Nigeria and many other African nations were forced to adopt SAPs because the West claimed, African nations had become too heavily indebted from consuming too many manufactured goods they do not produce. How does Nigeria today compare with Nigeria in 1986? It is almost 27 years of disgrace for Nigerians and other Africans. Africans are probably illiterates with respect to African problems. If Africans were knowledgeable with respect to African problems, African nations would never have adopted SAPs and their contents including the mandatory devaluation machinery – the foreign exchange market, deregulation and privatization.

Dell’s window 10 promotes knowledge and productivity

S

ince Nigeria is becoming a target for ICT destination for improved global technology and business as well, Dell Inc. has joined other vendors in the industry to launch Windows 10 on its enterprise devices. Dell’s Wyse 7000 and 5000 series now are the latest of its kind which features Windows 10 I0T Enterprise, and it will be available before end of the month.

Following the need of softwares in a global competitiveness, the new Window 10 tends to provide additional flexibility for organisations looking to deploy Microsoft Azure-based VDI and offer demanding knowledge workers with powerful, secure endpoints that do not compromise on performance or productivity.

In addition, the Wyse vWorkspace 8.6 goes beyond supporting Microsoft Hyper-V and

Azure platforms. Also other Windows 10-based VMs which brings improved connectivity for Windows, Linux and Chrome devices are more flexible than through HTML5.

Vice President, Commercial Client Software and Solutions, Dell, Steve Lalla said, “Contemplating when and how to manage a migration to Windows 10 is top-of-mind right now.

Desktop virtualization offers organisations the flexibility to manage this migration on their terms, and we have collaborated closely with Microsoft to enable our customers to easily deploy

and run desktop virtualization with Windows 10-based Wyse thin clients and Azure-ready vWorkspace software starting July 29.”

General Manager, Windows Business Planning, Microsoft, Bernado Caldas also added that, “With the proliferation of new devices in various form factors and an increasingly mobile work force, many organizations are looking to provide their employees a seamless, reliable, consistent and secure on-demand access to applications and Windows from wherever they are.

Home Lo tt er o winner Lott tter eryy presents second house tto odwin Oji, a worker with Hitech Construction Company in Lekki, Lagos G state, has won a second three-bed room bungalow

in the on-going promo lottery by The Home Lottery Limited.

Oji who hails from Benue State won the second house in the promo scheme valued N12,360,000 (Twelve million, three hundred and sixty thousand naira) after he played the lottery on June 25, 2015.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony recently at Gold Estate located on Ishefun Road, Ayobo in Alimosho Local Government Area, Oji said, “When I received a telephone call from an official of the company that I have won a house, I did not believe at first. I used to tell my madam and colleagues in the office that I have won a house in the lottery promo being organised by Home Lottery but they would not believe me, but now that the house and the keys have been presented to me, I now believed that the lottery scheme is true”.

When asked if he would live in the house or hire it out, he said, “I will live in the house.”

Managing Director of The Home Lottery Limited, Mr. Kelvin Otung said he was very happy

about the growing interest of Nigerians in the scheme.

Otung said the company plans to give out about one thousand houses annually in the promo. Locke

Homes Limited being the development partner in the project, is engaged with develop-ing properties in various parts of the country to meet these needs.

L-R: Managing Director, Home Lottery Limited , Kelvin Otung, presenting the 2nd home wnner, Godwin Oji , while Pius Agbo, a relative of the winner looks on in the on-going Home Lottery Promo, at Gold Estate, Ishefun Road, Ayobo, Lagos recently.

SATURDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, JULY 18, 2015—49

Don't kill NNPC, kill the monster within ravo! I have been vindicated on subsidy. President Muhammadu B Buhari you indeed understand what subsidy is. We have been clamouring for transparency, honesty and accountability in running the affairs of the NNPC. Last Monday, the President aligned himself with my campaign that subsidy removal was not the issue but the management of our petroleum resources.

According to the President, ‘’I have received many literature on the need to remove subsidies, but much of it has no depth.’’ He said that lack of security, sabotage, vandalism, corruption and mismanagement, not necessarily subsidies, are the most serious problems of Nigeria’s oil sector.

The President said ‘’ When you touch the price of petroleum products, that has the effects of triggering price rises on transportation, food and rents. That is for those who earn salaries, but there are many who are jobless and would be affected by it’’.

The President directed the NNPC to review the existing agreements for the swapping of crude for refined products.

The President’s understanding of the subsidy regime was a masterstroke, and marks statesmanship. It reminds one of this quote by Sir Winston Churchill: ‘’You can measure a man’s character by the choices he makes under pressure.’’

The President agreeing to beam a searchlight on the NNPC to kill the monster is the solution. NNPC should not die. With potentials for up to 6000 investment opportunities when we refine a barrel of crude, our economy for now revolves around Petroleum and the NNPC. Our National Oil Company and indeed the refineries are strategic for energy,

technology, employment, improved skills acquisition, increased GDP, and increased fiscal revenue and therefore a reduced national destabilisation owing tensions. They are national assets that should be guarded jealously for the diversification of our economy for sustainable development.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration can leverage on petroleum refining as a fulcrum to jump-start the Nigerian economic development especially now that the price of crude is very low in the international market. We ask what the job of the national oil company is if it kills its refineries and imports refined petroleum products?

The NNPC swaps crude of 450,000 barrels per day in an agreement to reciprocal exchange for refined products worth that same amount. At the same time they import refined products of same quantity with attendant subsidy claims for what has been taken care of in oil swap or Offshore Processing Agreements (OPAs). That is the fraud. NNPC when you refine, import goes, subsidy dies; My bet on that.

Chevron that visited the President last Monday has downstream investments in South Africa and has no refinery in Nigeria.

South Africa could be described as a nonproducer consumer nation in terms of oil. Shell the biggest player in Nigeria has a refinery in Durban, South Africa. Also, Shell owns the Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd Singapore with a refining capacity of 462,000 barrels per day.

Exxon Mobil Corporation of the United States, the largest refiner in the world with 37 refineries in 21 countries has no refinery in Nigeria. It owns the ExxonMobil Refining & Supply Company in Singapore with a refining capacity of 605,000 barrels per day capacity. That refinery is the 5th largest in

the world. Its refining capacity is higher than our four refineries combined capacity of 445,000 barrels per day.

Up till now we have six export terminals that are owned and controlled by the oil majors; Forcados and Bonny (Shell), Qua Iboe (ExxonMobil), Escravos (Chevron), Brass (Agip) and Penington (Texaco). That stranglehold of the oil majors is still very much there since they discovered oil on Sunday 15th January 1956 at Oloibiri. NNPC should engage oil majors constructively.

For the umpteenth time we have called for change of attitude in the management of our petroleum resources but nay we are lone rangers until the President now wielded the big stick. A Middle East friend of mine jocularly told me of how he went to the towers and met his friends’ celebrating the election of their boss in 2013 as the president of the African Refiners Association. He said he was startled that the celebrating president, an NNPC group executive director was a superintendent of four refineries in Nigeria that could not refine a barrel of crude. That is the Nigerian paradox of not having a functional refinery but leading a group of refiners in Africa.

We had tolerated a group that had developed this penchant for crude gains they have over our commonwealth. Is it corruption, subsidy scam, oil swap scam, oil theft, no record keeping, no bookkeeping, looting, name it; you will find them in the NNPC. Fiery Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el Rufai was in his elements last Monday to advocate for the abolition of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He was indeed full of extreme emotions, a situation any rational thinking being would solicit for even in a near war situation.

El Rufai , the Guest Speaker at the annual lecture to mark the 81st anniversary of Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, said that with the NNPC controlling about 40 percent of Nigeria’s revenue, it had constituted itself into a ‘parallel government’. He reeled out figures of what NNPC did not remit to justify killing the NNPC. One appreciates the frustrations of El Rufai, but let us tarry a while. El Rufai as a student of corporate governance would admit that the NNPC should be investigated before giving it a death knell. A dangerous reptile in the house does not warrant setting the house ablaze to kill it. Let us find out what happened to forestall a recurrence. Nigerian Banks that were either private or public were similarly killed because of lack of punishment and reward system, the hallmark of corporate governance. Do we kill Nigeria or form another country because it is dubbed a corrupt nation? Nigeria is made

up of many individuals that do not believe in Nigeria. We need to reform them.

Let us examine our legal and regulatory frameworks that make sleaze to thrive. How is it done elsewhere? Nigeria is not the only country with National Oil Company. Out of the 12 member OPEC, Nigeria is the only one that her petroleum managers kill their refineries and import petroleum products even from non-producing consumers.

A non-producing consumer nation is that which oil production is 10 percent or less of their consumption. Japan, Germany, South Korea, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands and Turkey are in this category; most of Nigeria’s refined petroleum products are imported from West European countries.

The oil glut is compounding our situation.

The Nigerian crude is floating on the seas and in storage tanks with no destination because there is no refinery demand in Europe. We now discount our crude to have interested buyers in the international market.

Meanwhile, ExxonMobil’s reports that its international refining business is taking advantage of low cost of crude to refine oil in every market in which it operates.

ExxonMobil profits from its network of global refineries, is manifold in the first quarter of 2015. NNPC is not taking advantage of refining to keep us in business.

Mr. President, as you embark on the United States trip on July 20; in continuation of your presidential honeymoon with the west, issues of bilateral talks on the checkered relationship should be on the cards. For example the United States have not imported a barrel of Nigerian crude since July 2014 even when it increased crude imports from other countries. For a trade balance for now, we want their oil majors to come and set up oil process plants and refine in Nigeria.

Again, we must articulate a position for bipartnership strategy to curb oil theft and maritime security in the Togo Triangle.

Stolen crude end up in European refineries.

President Buhari should tell President Obama that New York is a major hub for money laundering of illegal oil proceeds.

Nigeria should also demand for a repatriation of laundered money from other global financial hubs including London, Geneva, Singapore and elsewhere.

Assurances should also be given of a review of the legal and regulatory frameworks in the operations of the petroleum sector to make oil majors operate not only in the upstream but also in the downstream sector for a balance in joint venture business relationships.

I

n my construction of the generations of our dear country, I assumed the role of a social builder or a construction engineer. I drew upon the existing structure of the United States of America and I was quick to capture the strong generation known as the builders. This is the generation that forms the “foundation” of the present. I identified the compatriots, who dominated the independence struggles and those who took over leadership from the colonialists as our own version of the builders. It is however, unfortunate that this particular generation was unable to conclude the task of laying foundation because some very serious unresolved issues country… and if one digs deep into led to the outbreak of a this, there will be a veritable “research civil war. It is for this finding,” which is that the dismay cuts reason that I named that across all generations. It is this set of people, the pre-war, characteristic item that probably led “ b e f o r e - t h e - w a r to the major conflict among the elite generation. In this piece, of the first builders, the political class, I am going on to interact the military and the technocrats and with people of this which resulted in their self destruction extraction. before they were able to even discover, Franz Fanon, the great not to talk about concluding their task.

Social theorist postulates Of course our history records major that “each generation hostilities, which eventually became must out of relative ethnic and almost, if not, resulted in obscurity discover its aim, an attempted genocide. I use the fulfill it or betray it,” and I phrase “attempted genocide” because ask, is this the case with there has not been any national or our generations? Left to international definition of the nature of me, I will rather believe the conflicts, hostilities and the eventual that the generations have war that our dear country experienced had some major problems, in the mid to late 1960s. This equally one of which is an inability forms part of the faulty foundations by to discover their aims. Let the builders. I have this joke that even me make it clear that I am the post modern leaders, in a bid to not condemning my protect and defend (as if adhering to the people, past and present, letters of the oath of allegiance to the but merely expressing my nation and the constitution) the status worries over the repetition quo, literally “banned” the study of of trends which we History in schools by our children. How constantly condemn. For then can we know who the builders are, instance, we need to ask their aims and how far they either this question, why it is that fulfilled or betrayed them? I lament the virtually all of us exclusion of History. unequivocally express Getting back to the task of discovering dismay over the the generational aim, could we possibly developments in the trace our dilemma to the inability of the

The gener ation of builder generation builderss

C M Y K

builders to discover its aim? Well to a certain extent, yes. I hate making categorical statement because I believe that I lack the strength to remain in a position. I am a restless, flexible creature but I will dare it this time. The major problem that we have had across generations is our inability to come up with acceptable definitions. We are quite creative and crafty, as a group or combination of groups, but we have not exerted enough energy towards defining who we are and what we need and where we are and where we are headed, amongst other very serious issues.

I have managed to go through our (1999) Constitution (as amended) and my impression is that we succeeded in adapting what is in existence in other places and also in the pool of scholarship. That was only able to give us letters of the laws and because of lack of originality, we miss the spirit or the essence of the laws.

This cuts across all facets of our societies. Take for instance, even though not constitutional, a cab or bus operator in Lagos must obey the law that requires his passenger to buckle the seat belt. For this reason he put a rope across the chest of the passenger and pleads with him to hold it as if it is fasted and the law “enforcers” will see that he has observed the law. Yes

indeed, but the letters. The real essence (spirit) of that law, which is the protection of life, is swept under the carpet. This is an unfortunate exemplification of our tendencies. So I insist that our builders did not discover their aim and this does not mean that they never achieved anything, but their achievements were accidental. Taking the bull by the horn, now I ask, what did they set out to achieve? One would ask, additionally, after the fight for c o n s t i t u t i o n a l independence, what next?

I am yet to come across a definite program of action. many of us thought it was disturbing when the North objected to an early request for independence by their southern colleagues for emotional reasons, but if the reason was because they thought we needed to get ready and make proper preparations, then I believe they understood the role of builders. Building is beyond the fascination with responsibilities, it entails “counting the cost.”

A builder identifies his site and makes sure that the site is capable of holding his

structure. This is in terms of both the nature of the site and the size of the site. A builder makes sure that he has capable and adequate expertise and the adjoining support systems that will enhance his construction. A builder also ensures that materials are available for the specific structures he intends to build. I will avoid the boredom of technicalities and equally save myself from a possible embarrassment of an intruder by concluding with the essential need for a builder to consider the material for construction. First the strength of materials (quality) and the critical mass (quantity) of the materials; a good or professional builder avoids substandard materials and workmen as well as inadequate supply of materials. This we all know and we ask, did our builders know this? If so, were they guided by this knowledge? We are not talking of Architectural Construction, but Socio political and Economic Construction. If it had been architectural, the physical appearance of the structural defects would have automatically indicted the architect; but in the sociocultural and economic realms, the defects are deep and undetected by visual examination because they are buried. Finally therefore, the generation of the builders has ended without conclusion. I cannot condemn it because it was not opportune to conclude. It was engulfed in an inferno it consciously ignited but I want to suggest that it is however, never too late to restart building.

50—SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

We’ve signed death knell on cultism in Delta —Cp Alkali D

elta State Commissioner of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, recently, spoke on the crime situation in the state.

Excerpts; The crime situation in Delta State so far is tolerable, but compared to the last three months, kidnapping and armed robbery have been high. Where we cannot prevent, we are detecting.

In the last month, we have arrested kidnappers and rescued not less than 12 victims. We have also arrested not less than 20 armed robbery suspects including those that unfortunately died in the exchange of fire. We have been able to arraign them before the court of law. The militancy is not a problem for now. They are listening to us whenever they come out to disturb public peace either because they have not been paid their wages or they have a problem.

Cultism is also a problem but we are seriously dealing with the situation.

Cultism is rising in Ogwashi-Ukwu, Agbor and Ibuzor but, we have been able to nip it in the bud by destroying their dens and arresting over 24 cult members. We have also been able to stop them while preparing to unleash mayhem. We were able to arrest them, round them up and recover their instruments of violence.

The recent launching of the safer highway is another bold step we have taking so far. It is one of the major programmes by the Inspector-General of Police. We launched it with 15 new patrol vans to be manned by not less than 237 officers to make it around the clock affair. It will be a 24-hour around the clock patrol of our highways and hinterlands especially, in Warri, where we have locked down by dedicating five vehicles and officers to ensure that all entry and exit points are manned.

We have also mapped out as pin down points, all delicate lines where crime is found. The police and the Quick Respond Squad, QRS is also based in Warri and we have eight teams there.

The Special Anti-Robbery team have been decentralised. We have opened an outfit for Special Anti Robbery patrol team in Agbor, Sapelle, Ugellei and they are doing a good job.

Our strategies are continuously been improved. The governor has also promised to come to our aid in terms of C M Y K

improving our logistics, both in communication and some stipends for the officers who are embarking on this patrol. We are also developing a welfare scheme for them so that they can improve and commit themselves to this job. We hope to make sure that continually, we review crime prevention and control strategy. We have been able to take care of our borders with the contiguous states of Edo, Anambra and Bayelsa states. In terms of our river rine areas, we are in partnership with Nigeria Navy. Our marine department has a working tool. We have our gun boats even though we are having problems with putting them on patrol on daily basis, because of the problem of lubricants because it consumes a lot of petrol. We are on top of the situation but there is room for improvement. We are continually seeking for people’s assistance, people’s co-operation which we are getting from Deltans.

Cultism is also a problem but we are seriously dealing with the situation.

Cultism is rising in OgwashiUkwu, Agbor and Ibuzor but, we have been able to nip it in the bud by destroying their dens and arresting over 24 cult members

Challenges The challenges are always there but you cannot be defeated by them. For instance, you might not be able to get fuel on the control price, you might not be able to get it in black market. Also, the challenges of the rainy season, it is not easy to get our men protected in terms of the real accoutrement . Well, the challenges are surmountable either by improvising or by making sacrifices which we are always trying to do.

Implementing IGP’s crime strategies The Inspector- General of police strategy in terms of investigation of crime, we are proactive. What we do now is to marshal our evidences on cases before we arrest. This has made it possible for us to have minimum of people being detained with us and it has also reduced the allegation about police asking for bail money, detaining people for longer days and so forth. The IG has directed that if any complaint comes before us, it must be investigated well.. For instance, if somebody complains to us, whether he has been cheated or he has been duped, defrauded or assaulted or whatever, it is the responsibility of the police to investigate the case properly. What we do is to ask the person to provide enough evidence in terms of facts and figures in either materials or whatever, before we reach out to the person being complained against.

And, as soon as we get that person, we oblige him the opportunity to avail him with the allegation and the person gives his own side of the story. After careful investigation, if the

complainant has a case,we arraign them in court. If the person is able to defend the allegation, we still give him justice. This is one aspect which shows that our investigations have improved. The issue of I have been detained and money has been taken for bail has greatly reduced. That has improved IGP’s zero tolerance to corruption in the force.

Policemen attached to private individuals That is one good thing that has improved our level of manpower in the sense that the deployment to government house has been pegged down to a specific number which enabled us to withdraw a lot of policemen and force them to the field. We have also withdrawn policemen from people that are not entitled to it and we have sent these officers to the field.

This now makes us look like police that is not only policing the elite. It is now police that police the larger society. We try to provide more policemen on the field so that crime prevention and control can also be seen from the perspective of providing safe environment to the entire society.

Mopping up arms What we do is to embark on searches from time to time and mopup all these unlawfully acquired arms that are in the hands of criminals. In the last one month, I think we have been able to recover a lot of arms, particularly this locallymade cut to size double barrel and single barrel cut to size. One aspect that is still giving us a little problem is the issue of the vigilante which in the actual sense are doing very good job but, we really educate and lecture them that the law frowns at them using prohibited firearms. But to a large extent, we allow them to use dane guns and other things in conjunction with the police when they are on patrol because certainly, you cannot go on crime prevention or to a crime scene these days empty handed. Whatever supernatural power you have, you still need to have something to, at least, defend yourself.

Final knell on cultism One good thing is that we have a law to prosecute cult members in Delta state. The state house of assembly enacted the law which we are using.

We are also synergising with other security agencies including the local vigilante, to seek for information about them. We go after them before they even go out. We have broken their syndicate in Agbor We are succeeding in arresting and we are charging them and we are ensuring that the law takes it course.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015—51

“On that fateful day, he left the house at about 7am, after our morning devotion .

He said he would buy ingredients to cook soup on his way back. He usually came back around 5am. At his usual time of arrival, the children went outside to wait for him . At the sound of a motorbike, they rushed outside thinking he was the one, until some leaders in my church came . They informed me that my husband was involved in an accident and took me to my sister’s place where they dropped the bombshell.”

•Late Kehinde Ojenehin

•Widow... Mrs Ojenehin

Plumber plunges to death from scaffolding, a week to 50th birthday •We reared two chickens for the event but...wife

BY EVELYN USMAN

T

he family of Ojanehin was looking forward with great expectations to July20, 2015. It ought to be a day of celebration because its bread winner, Kehinde Oluwanisola Ojanehin, was born same day, five decades ago in his Ilaje village, Ondo state.

In preparation, they bought two chickens which they started rearing six months ago, with the hope of using them to celebrate Kehinde’s 50th birthday. But alas! This is never to be.

Rather than the much anticipated celebration, fate has dealt the family with an uncanny blow, just a week to the celebration. But the man died.

Kehinde , as he was popularly known, was a plumber. He reportedly left his Isheri Oshun abode in Lagos, last Saturday, to work for a customer in Ejigbo

area., Lagos. Unfortunately, while washing the tanker hung on a scaffolding, he reportedly lost balance and fell, landing his head on the concrete ground. He was rushed to the Isolo General hospital, where doctors battled in vain to resuscitate him.

Meanwhile, his wife, Mrs Alaba Ojanehin, who was awaiting his arrival,without the slightest inkling of doom, was reportedly getting agitated owing to his seeming delay. This was because she had prepared eba, while waiting for her husband who had promised to return early with the ingredients for soup. Then, the screeching tyres of a motorbike was heard outside. Apparently thinking it was her husband, Mrs Ojanehin, told one of her children to go and collect the bag from him.

But before the child could step outside, the passengers on the motorbike entered .

They turned out to be members of Four Square

Gospel Church, Jakande branch, where the Ojanehins worship.

The visitors were said to have cajoled the woman into following them to her sister’s place where the news of her husband’s demise was broken. To say she was amazed is to say the least.

On hearing the news, she reportedly sat transfixed , staring into the air , obviously finding it difficult to fathom the reality of what she has just heard.

My sad story When Crime Guard visited her abode, Mrs Ojanehin was sighted sleeping on the couch . But on seeing this reporter , she stood up and offered a space close to her .

She began her story with tears. “We never envisaged this kind of tragedy would befall us. My husband left home that fateful morning at about 7am, promising to come back. But he never did. The most painful aspect is that he would have been

while washing the tanker hung on a scaffolding, he reportedly lost balance and fell, landing his head on the concrete ground. He was rushed to the Isolo General hospital, where doctors battled in vain to resuscitate him 50 years next week. We were planning for the celebration. He promised to make the celebration low key, with members of his family. He had boasted in his characteristic manner that we would all enjoy that today. He planned celebrating it here (pointing to the sitting room). He said he would be the one to kill the fowls we have been rearing towards the celebration, unknown to us that he would not live.

Where do I start from At this point, she paused , looked round and beckoned on her last child, Samuel, who was playing without the slightest knowledge of what has happened. When Samuel came to her, she cuddled him and continued: “I do not know where to begin from. This tragedy has plunged us into sorrow. It has also saddled me with the responsibility of taking care of four children alone, a task that we were barely managing as a couple. Our first child, Daniel, 13, is in Junior Secondary School 2.

Tobi is our second child, he is 11 and in JSS 1. Victor 9, is in primary 3 while Samuel 5, is in nursery 1.

They are all in private schools and my husband did all he could to ensure that he did not default in their school fees. He paid a total of N60,000 as school fees for four of them. But now that he is no more, I do not know where to start from”, lamented the widow who works as typist in her church.

She described her husband as an easy -going man stressing that she would forever miss him in all ramification. “ My husband was a loving man. He was kind and prayerful. These were some of the attributes I saw in him that made me marry him. I married him as a plumber in 2001.”

At this point, sympathisers interrupted, by consoling her and giving her words of encouragement.

Among them were members of the widow’s family and her church members.

One of them, Mr Adewale Adeagbo, who is the President , Council of Four Square Men ,CFM, said the church would also miss the late Kehinde. He said : “He will be remembered for his special way of clapping, which was different from other worshippers. He was very prayerful and an active member.”

The incident, as gathered, was reported at the Ejigbo Police division.

52—SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

My mathematical game can make primary one child solve WAEC mathematics —Dikeoha Okwu, inventor of Dikeohamatics

BY FRED IWEJORA

D

r. Dikeoha Okwu studied at Corpus Christi College, Achi, Oji River LGA of Enugu State, and he went on to the University of California, Berkeley, Carlifornia, USA, where he majored in mathematics games and methods.

After his years in the United States, Okwu returned to Nigeria and lectured at the University of Jos, Plateau State, for a year before inventing a radical system which he says will make a primary school pupil attempt WAEC mathematics.

Armed with Dikeohamatics, the several methods, games and kits invented by him to make learning mathematics easy and of course many letters of recommendation from notable Nigeria ministries and parastatals, Okwu has been shouting himself hoarse about the importance of understanding mathematics by Nigeria as a nation. He believes lack of such knowledge has caused all the woes of our country. Would the new government in Nigeria look his way this time around? In this interview he attempts to explain further.

Could you throw more light on this new way of understanding mathematics?

I call it Dikeohamatics. It is my radical way of simplifying mathematics so that children, especially Nigerian children, will develop love and interest in and for it. I want to

stop the chalk and talk monotony of teaching mathematics to make our children love maths in merrymaking. It is said that monotony kills interest. Nigerian children do not even know what is being done in linear measurement.

Our measurement of feet, yards and miles were practically done. It is the belief of Nigerians that when you place children in class with cane in your hand, they must learn. No way.

We have to match practical with theory unless we want to continue being a buyer and a beggar nation.

We keep on buying and begging. It is very unfortunate. We can’t produce basic mathematical instruments. I strongly believe that unless Nigeria pays attention to mathematics, nothing shall ever work.

What kind of games are you talking about?

I have over 1,500 games in mathematics to aid teaching and learning of the subject. I have also developed mathematics story books which have so much simplified mathematics for easy learning and appreciation. In it we use the tortoise and the elephant to tell the stories.

And that is practical mathematics in a funny way and made easy. Children watch television much more than they will read their books, so we also arranged something that will be on television for them, but they will learn mathematics by so doing.

Could you give more details on this special topic?

We developed the programme topically, the numerals, roman and

Arabic. We have games on logarithms, equations, LCM, HCF, and all mathematical topics. If we methodically handle these, Nigerians will be mathematicians unconsciously.

Nigeria has more or less created fear in the classrooms. Once you bring a whip into the mathematics class, you cause problem. You cause brain block and adrenalin is released and everywhere is blocked. But with Dikeohamatics, the child enjoys mathematics because he is at play while learning. Numbers will be played with while studying geometry; shapes will be easier to identify if I get all the 64 of all shapes and set up tables for groups. When I say give me triangle, they will run to get it with all happiness and play. He is being controlled by himself and no one is forcing him to.

You talk as if your games are only for the children?

No, it is for all. I have maths programmes from kindergarten to first degree. I have also a game programme for Ph.D students. I have guided several Ph.D students. But I talk children because they are the foundation. If they develop skills, it would last them a life time. The problem of mathematics is not the final degree type Your games are all in Igbo. Is there any reason for that?

None is in Igbo, but they have Igbo nomenclature. Should I invent American games or Japanese games?

It does not follow. This is the mistake Nigerians always make. What about Igbos and Yorubas who learn English language or Latin? It is not a problem at all. It is whatever you call your dog that it answers. The names show that it is only originating from Igboland and that is all. It has every right to go around the world like other inventions have done. For instance, my game for simultaneous equation is called Si muta nu Dikeoha. Even if you do not understand Igbo, follow the game. Japanese have Judo or Takweando and the language of such games is Japanese which is strange to the world, but has started to be known by the players. You can see world sportsmen trying to make the Japanese commands. Why should people now say that Dikeohamatics is Igbotic. There are a lot of Greek or

I have over 1,500 games in mathematics to aid teaching and learning of the subject. I have also developed mathematics story books which have so much simplified mathematics for easy learning and appreciation

Russian names which we can’t even pronounce but no one says it is not good. But I don’t mind because even if I could teach only Igbo people or only Enugu people mathematics, I will be happy and fulfilled. Let other people teach in Hausa or Yoruba or Urhobo or other languages in Nigeria so Nigeria will be better for it. I have developed a game show called O tu daya ni which is a combination of the three major languages of Nigeria. I have never seen a country that loves what others have more than they love their own like Nigeria. That is why many women and men go into bleaching their skin to become white. I have once in a while put out releases on thinking Nigeria and buying Nigerian made goods. That is why it made me sad that Prof. Dora Akunyili who felt deeply about this, died. Think about the names you hear around the world. Ford did not name his car a Nigerian name; Aman Peugeot, the French automaker did not call his car a Nigerian name; Mercedes Benz is not Nigerian. Nigerians are very funny. When I say my name is Dikeoha and my mathematical ideas are Dikeohamatics, they say it is Igbo; what do they want? Just play the maths game which teaches the subject with ease and don’t bother about the name of the inventor. Do you think that Mr. Honda would have called his fine car Dikeoha? I have developed mathematical games of international worth, treating the subject from primary 1-SSS3. I have treated all the topics. I developed far easy ways of solving Pythagoras, simultaneous equation and more. It is a novel idea.

Nigeria sure needs to hear this.

What have you done to see that this idea is seen by policy makers?

I had written President Obasanjo to try me. I spent over N16.5m traveling to and from Abuja, flight tickets, hotel accommodations and more but could not succeed. The former president had sent one Tunde Awosika to me and I was invited to Aso Rock. But I arrived

Continues on page 53

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015—53

Continues from page 52 Abuja and spent several days at a hotel and he never kept a single appointment until my money exhausted and I ran back to Enugu.

I feel bad that the media in Nigeria has no room for inventions and inventors. Most media houses have gone extra commercial to the detriment of the nation and more edifying issues that grow a country.

There is fire on the mountain now; we should all begin to run. Inventions make a nation yet we are not moving any inch. The world is already researching to find alternatives to oil but we are still asleep.

A few years ago, I had mathematically projected in a radio programme that Nigeria Super Eagles won’t do well at a soccer tournament in South Africa in 2010. It happened that way and people called me all sorts of names.

Do you win without any preparations?. There is mathematics in soccer and Nigerians don’t even know it. When Germany or Spain or Italy wins, you may be shocked to note that the players went to do mathematics on the field. My analysis of the Super Eagles players revealed to me that they were quota players from all the states, who could not do calculations properly, but going to play with qualified players and teams.

We have to have time to promote and encourage our inventors because that is how to go. It worries me to see that we have several Nigerian educated people yet we import common rules from China.

It is shameful. It is horrible.

I recall that I had written to Senator Uche Chukwumerije to explain all I have been through trying to sell these ideas to government. I even showed him all the commendation letters I have received from some of the ministries and government parastatals, including the Federal Ministry of Education and even to the Nigerian Educational Research Development Council (NERDC). It did not end there as I also had a proposal to the Federal Road Safety Commission on a game show on speed limit which then Corps Marshal Osita Chidoka recommended, but nothing came out of it. Do you know that the speed limit of a taxi within a city is 50km? How many people know this? My game show would have done this teaching with ease for an ignorant populace who do not even understand why they should drive carefully. Our plan was to introduce the road safety game show to schools because research has shown that everyone is a driver and a passenger. Nothing came out of that recommendation till date.

However, I feel good that my mathematical laws and games are now recommended by the Federal Ministry of Education and Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC). By this singular act, I cannot just be called a professor but a mathematical law giver, the likes of Newton, Pythagoras etc.

It must have been really frustrating. So what do you now want from Nigeria and Nigerians?

I want an individual with the utmost power like the President or the Education Minister or the Youth and Sport Minister or a state governor or local government chairman to muster the courage or the will to implement my recom-

My mathematical game can mak hild solve makee primar primaryy one cchild WAEC mathematics mended ideas. A very strong policy is required to back it up for mass appeal.

I want the President to authorize the organization of workshops around Nigeria where I will demonstrate what I am talking about. I would demonstrate how a primary one pupil could solve some WAEC maths. I have done that before but we need to do more.

We planned to do a nationwide demonstration and suddenly no one says anything about it and it died down. I lost money and got discouraged. I am still not tired yet because I understand the importance of mathematics in life. Other countries are benefitting from their knowledge of maths and it keeps me wondering where we are headed. Nigeria should be serious with its inventors, a lot of whom have developed local content capable of having world appeal.

Note that I showed the Federal Ministry of Education how to make a child in primary one solve some WAEC mathematics in 2007. They acknowledged it in unity. I have the letter.

Have you ever thought about mass production of these games?

I have mass-produced and many of them are being beaten by the rain where they are packed. I also have a letter urging principals to cooperate with me.

I worry that Nigeria is still toying with its destiny by the total disregard for mathematics. Maths is a science of decision making. No nation thrives without decisions.

Imagine that Nigeria can’t still take decision about producing

common rules let alone motor cars and bicycles and aeroplanes. I recall my father had a car before Nigeria's independence. He used to call able bodied men in the village to come and whine it to start. Today it is not the same as inventions have helped the world. Cars are now even remote controlled. Our leaders should start to look inwards to discover these talented people scattered around Nigeria. I know of one man who imported the sand used to build his house in Nigeria. Aba boys who make good shoes have to put a foreign label to satisfy the Nigerian psyche for foreign goods to sell them.

Shame!

Does it mean that no private family has heard these hues and cries of yours and benefitted from your invention? And must you wait for the government, since they also wish to see private sector participation?

I must confess, several families have had their children benefitting from these mathematics games. I remember the Ofoegbus, the Onwudiwes, the Jooks etc., who are all in Enugu. But I feel Nigerians as a whole will benefit more from it.

That is the reason I am calling out to the federal and state governments. I will not begin to call names of the families whose children hitherto knew nothing about maths but ended up scoring A’s in WAEC exams. I just go into the market to buy mangoes and tomatoes. I place 10 tomatoes and minus 5 tomatoes that is 10T minus 5T to teach algebra and other topics in mathematics.

Many have said that Nigerians do

I want the President to authorize the organization of workshops around Nigeria where I will demonstrate what I am talking about. I would demonstrate how a primary one pupil could solve some WAEC maths

not know the importance of the subject. Could you teach us some lessons here on the important of mathematics to life?

You are correct, because if we knew the importance of maths, we won’t be where we are today as a nation.

Mathematics is as important to life as the air we breathe. For the farmer, it helps him take decision on what to plant and what to keep, what to sell and what to store. It helps us keep statistics of all things and it is only with statistics that you can have a mean, a mode and a median to give you probability. Nigeria has no analytical sense because of low knowledge about mathematics and it is affecting the nation. I do not know where we belong. We are not super power; we are neither semi-super power nor even third world. Without maths, our country has no tool for decision making.

Are you not discouraged that for over 35 years you have been pushing on for Nigeria to promote their inventors like you and no one seems to be listening?

At first I was discouraged but when I recalled that someone must be the sacrificial lamb, I bowed. I have been the guinea pig and will never stop talking about Nigeria’s impending doom because of lack of interest in scientists and local inventors. I remember Abraham Lincoln who tried several times to win a political position but failed in all until he attempted the presidency and won. I regard myself as the winner because when I get bored and want to enjoy myself, I bring out one of the games and play with neighbours. I feel happy that my game is making people relax and entertained and also to learn maths.

What is the way out for Nigeria in this seeming quagmire?

Nigeria should challenge our universities enough to produce basic implements and instruments for farming. We cannot be farming the same way our forefathers did. They see their mates plying the streets with Keke NAPEP and you want him to go farming which has not been made easier. We have to challenge our institutions and school system to be more practical enough to support all these ideas because not doing so is like building a house without foundation. Again, when they are challenged, Nigeria should also do its bit to support inventors. Could you ever imagine what would happen to Nigeria if oil dries up or sells for $10 a barrel? I cry when I realize that the simple implements and instruments we use in Nigeria are still being imported from China. Look at trees here and there, but we can’t still produce common measuring rules.

These were my pains which caused me to realize that we have failed because we have not followed mathematics and taken it seriously and that we do not know mathematics because we were not taught to love it. That was why I decided to develop Dikeohamatics. It is all encompassing. We have also spread out into other areas other than mathematics. If Nigeria takes note of mathematics and makes it imperative to be learnt, then the country will be better for it.

The banking system should stop playing a parasitic role in Nigeria economy. A situation where a bank cannot lend a helping hand to a riskfree business venture unless the proprietor has some millions of collateral to show for it is a sad story to tell.

54—SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

BY GARBA SHEHU

P

resident Muhammed Buhari will go to Washington, DC 19 – 24 July, on a visit that is sure to positively reset the button of Nigeria – United States relationship.

This will be President Buhari’s first visit to the U.S. as the elected leader of the world’s largest black nation and Africa’s biggest economy.

In addition to several hours of engagement with President Obama and other key officials inside the White House, President Buhari will also engage with Vice President Joe Biden; Secretary of State, John Kerry; Congressional caucuses and leaders; the defense establishment; the private sector and Nigerians in the Diaspora.

The timing of the visit is quite auspicious. By tradition, the United States does not usually accord this type of welcome to new national leaders until they have settled properly in their jobs.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bulus Paul Lolo who leads the Ministry in the absence of a substantive minister says the goal of the visit is to revitalize Nigeria – US relations which have bilateral, regional and global ramifications.

All issues will be on the table.

Discussions will cover security, defense, economy, commerce, trade, agriculture, law, financial and other crimes, counterterrorism, and immigration.

The Americans see Nigeria as the most strategic nation in Sub-Saharan Africa. They want to listen to President Buhari’s vision for Nigeria and see how they can key into it to forge a stronger bilateral partnership for mutual benefit and for the good of the African continent.

From the point of view of commerce and investment, the United States is seen world-wide as a great facilitator and President Buhari’s visit to the White House this early in the life of his administration will certainly boost the confidence of American investors in the Nigerian economy and assure them that they can safely do business with the country.

Human rights are a strong issue that

Presidents Buhari and Obama

Buhari goes to America governs or directs U.S. international relations. It is on account of this that the last Nigerian administration was denied military procurement and training.

Happily for us at this time, we have a new government that has expressed its full commitments to the defense and promotion of human rights. President Buhari recognizes the abiding need to respect and protect the rights of our citizens.

The protection of the well-being of the citizen is the primary purpose of government. When it comes to human

THE GREECE DILEMMA:

The Failure of Ethical Leadership

BY IKE UDECHUKWU

G

oogle provided a definition of ethical leadership: “Ethical leadership is leadership that is directed by respect for ethical beliefs and values and for the dignity and rights of others. It is

thus related to concepts such as trust, honesty, consideration, charisma and fairness.”

Mr. Tsipras, Prime Minister of Greece, came to power a few months ago promising to eliminate or reduce the austerity the Greeks were experiencing.

Life for Greece since they joined the EU, had never been harder and more tumultuous than in the last four months.

The Greeks placed their trust in Mr Tsipras to help reduce their burden. As at July 5th, 2015, Mr Tsipras not only rejected the terms of a bail out by the EU and Euro zone in his negotiation with these institutions, he also called for a Greek referendum to reject the terms of that bail out. He won that

•Tsipras referendum with about 61% of the votes.

By July 12th, 2015, the same Mr. Tsipras, was found capitulating to the EU and the Euro zone on bail out terms, even worse than what he rejected during earlier negotiations, and in contradiction to what the Greek people

rights, the Buhari administration has made it clear that respect for the rule of law and human rights is non-negotiable.

The disagreement we have with those who accuse our military of all manner of atrocities is that they ignore the peculiarity and the sometimes extreme circumstances of the war against terror going on in the country. Soldiers or even their commanders respond to issues on the spur of the moment and sometimes, the exercise of control becomes a challenge. Even with the leading nations of the world, we have seen such

had earlier voted in their referendum.

The lesson of leadership here was not merely one of outsized courage and principles, which also matter in leadership, but one that was devoid of key and core elements of ethical leadership by Mr Tsipras at every stage of the negotiations. Mr Tsipras showed diminutive respect for his creditors, the EU and the Euro zone, by calling for an unnecessary referendum designed to embarrass the EU while bolstering his power base in Greece. He has gone further to engage in creating a severe cognitive dissonance in the minds of the Greek people, whose effect is yet to be fully explored and tallied. Mr Tsipras

This Greece situation where ethical leadership was required should also serve as an important lesson for nations seeking global assistance in dealing with their economic, diplomatic, national security issues on the global stage

challenges in Iraq, Iran, Libya and Syria. The important thing for the government is to draw lessons and learn from them.

To go back to the necessity of the visit, especially in view of doubts raised about it by Thisday Saturday Editor, Shaka Momodu, it is important to state that the dynamics of the world have since changed from his narrow and passionate standpoint. Nationalism cannot be outmoded. But it can be tampered by realism.

An important back-drop to this visit is the commitment of the G-7 industrialised states to support Nigeria’s war against terrorism and help General Buhari achieve his objective of giving the nation a new lease of life.

As the president said in his inaugural speech, never in the history of Nigeria have we ever seen such outpouring of goodwill and support from the international community.

The U.S. is the center of the world right now. This visit is sure to Nigeria and its new leader greater recognition by the world.

President Obama and indeed, all America leaders, agree to receive only a few leaders on this type of visit. This visit, coming so early in the life of the Buhari administration should be seen as an acceptance and recognition of how important we are as people and country.

Highlights of the visit will include President Buhari’s meetings with President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden; Secretary of State, John Kerry and bilateral meetings with the US AttorneyGeneral, the Deputy Secretary of Defence and the U.S. military establishment.

President Buhari will have series of meetings with influential groups including the US Chamber of Commerce and the Corporate Council for Africa. The President will meet the Congressional Black caucus; leaders and committees of the U.S. Congress and the Nigerians in the Diaspora. He will also interact with other interests groups at the US Institute of Peace. * Garba Shehu is SSA to the President (Media & Publicity)

has in effect, trampled on trust, honesty, and fairness during his leadership in the Greece crisis. Ethics matter in leadership, whether Mr Tsipras believes in this axiom or not. Leaders must always be aware that whether their decisions are perceived as good or bad, the perceptions of their actions must always be seen as being ethical.

Followers are more likely to endure the consequences of a leader’s decision when they perceive such decisions to be ethical and to be in their interest. A leader who considers ethics to be central in decision-making, can proudly consider them self as being an ethical leader. Too often, such leadership is either in the minority or completely absent when and where they are most needed.

Mr. Tsipras must now devote the necessary energy to help the Greek people deal with their crumbling economy and a psychological state that can best be described as being in a state of cognitive dissonance. Greek leadership must also come to terms about the value of ethical leadership in global transactions where trust and integrity are paramount when huge deals have to be seized. This Greece situation where ethical leadership was required should also serve as an important lesson for nations seeking global assistance in dealing with their economic, diplomatic, national security issues on the global stage. I hope this

lesson has been learned by Mr Tsipras and Greece.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, JULY 18, 2015 — 55

NIGERIAN LEAGUE WATCH......

Rangers, Enyimba

in Oriental battle

•Imama Stories by John Egbokhan

I

t is becoming increasingly difficult to predict which direction the pendulum will swing in the Nigerian top th flight, which enters its19 week tomorrow with some mouthwatering games to savour in the festive season of Ramadam.

The last seven days were loaded with surprises, which have been the menu on offer for football followers.

While teams like Sunshine Stars, Enyimba and Wikki Tourists have made the top three their preferred zone, others like Sharks, Heartland and Kano Pillars have moved away from dangerous zones to the relief of their fans who were

•Ikhana

beginning to wonder what was going wrong with their darling teams. Whoever says the league train is not moving on strongly must surely be in a trance and there is no better way to knock such a person out of this self-induced slumber than to watch tomorrow’s oriental tango at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium, where Rangers International confront rivals Enyimba in a must-see match. There is no love lost between these two eastern brothers, who appear to come to blows whenever they play each other. Rangers lay claim to being one of the pioneers of the league and arguably one of the best teams in the country but Enyimba appear to have the bragging rights having

won the Champions League twice, the only Nigerian side to have achieved that feat since the inception of Africa’s top tie competition.

Enyimba have enjoyed more stability in terms of funding and management, especially during the two-term regime of Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, while Rangers have endured tales of poor funding by successive Governors of Enugu since 1999. But the Rangers story seem to be changing this season after Coach Kelechi Emeteole was shown the way

olphins are lovely but fragile sea animals.

Because of their fragility, they are endangered as other predatory animals in the sea go for them as easy preys.

That seems to be the story of Dolphins in the Nigerian league. The Port Harcourt outfit are living in precarious waters on account of their 19th position in the 20-team table.

While fellow Port Harcourt side, Sharks have swam outthof infested waters from the bottom spot to the 17 position, it seems that Dolphins have become entangled with more problems as they now flirt with relegation, no thanks to their in the last two weeks into meagre 17 points from 18 games, averaging a point per game, a very poor record for a team which boast of being from the oil rich state of Rivers, with fans beginning to look for the person who will s a v e Dolphins from going Gov down into Wike t h e Nationwide League.

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Dolphins

Enyimba seem to have the advantage going into the tie , having thumped Sunshine Stars 3-1 midweek to lay down the gauntlet for the others that they mean business in their quest to wrestle the title from the grips of three-time champions, Kano Pillars.

But Rangers would not surrender easily to their fierce rivals as a home loss would be akin to dropping six points by their fans, who always see the duel with Enyimba as a mustwin. Indeed, the stakes are high for coaches Amakpakabo of Rangers and Enyimba’s Kadiri Ikhana as they attempt to steer their respective teams to three points tomorrow.

Wikki work wonders against all odds

Who will save Dolphins?

D

out, allowing Coach Imama Amakpakabo to take charge of the Flying Antelopes.

Amakpakabo’s regime started on June 14, with a week 11 fixture against Kwara United.

Before that match, they were th 11 on the table with 11 points from 10 games, averaging a point per game. But seven matches on, the story has changed as they have stepped up to the seventh position, amassing 27 points, six less than the top three pack of Sunshine Stars, Enyimba and Wikki Tourists.

And they will attempt to close the gap on others when they host Enyimba in a grudge match that is clearly the game of this weekend.

W

ikki Tourists are working wonders in their push to the summit of the Nigerian top flight.

Against all odds, the Bauchibased side are redefining things as they push for supremacy against the likes of Enyimba and Sunshine Stars, who are only ahead of them on goals difference, as they all have 33 points from 18 games. And with the mid-season break just a game away after tomorrow’s round of scheduled matches, the general feeling in the camp of Wikki Tourists is that all things are possible if you believe.

Whoever thought that the Tourists will be amongst the top three sides at this stage of the league?

I guess not many expect perhaps the people who are conjuring the wonders in far-away Bauchi State, where fans are beginning to come alive with fresh hopes of a a resurgence of sorts for a team with a longstanding tradition in the team.

TABLE Team Sunshine Stars Enyimba Wikki Tourists Giwa Heartland Warri Wolves Ifeanyi Uba Rangers Kano Pillars Abia Warriors El Kanemi Warriors Nasarawa Utd Akwa Utd Lobi Stars Shooting Stars Kwara Utd Sharks Bayelsa Utd Dolphins Taraba

P 18 18 18 18 18 15 18 18 18 18 17 18 18 18 16 17 18 18 18 17

W 10 9 9 8 9 8 8 8 8 8 7 6 6 4 5 5 3 4 3 2

D 3 6 6 7 2 2 3 3 2 2 3 5 3 8 4 4 9 6 8 6

L 5 4 3 3 7 5 7 7 8 8 7 7 9 6 7 8 6 8 7 9

GF 28 24 24 23 26 20 21 20 20 22 16 17 12 14 13 15 14 12 16 15

GA 17 15 15 18 20 14 16 19 18 23 21 20 18 20 12 21 19 20 21 25

GD +11 +9 +9 +5 +6 +6 +5 +1 +2 -1 -5 -3 -6 -6 +1 -6 -5 -8 -5 -10

PTS 33 33 33 31 29 27 27 27 26 26 24 23 21 20 19 19 18 18 17 12

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015

Traps Oliseh must avoid >>33

What Oliseh told Pinnick about Eagles >>34/35

•Oliseh

•Eagles

•Amaju

Rangers, Enyimba in Oriental battle

>>55

CROSS WORD PUZZLE ACROSS

Tomorrow’s Fixtures

Lobi Stars Heartland Shooting Stars Nasarawa Utd Kwara Utd Abia Warriors Warri Wolves Sunshine Stars Rangers Akwa Utd

v v v v v v v v v v

Kano Pillars 12pm Wikki Tourists 4pm El Kanemi Warriors 4pm Dolphins 4pm Giwa FC 4pm Ifeanyi Uba 4pm Sharks 4pm Taraba Utd 4pm Enyimba 4pm Bayelsa Utd 4pm

1)Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Commission (NTDC), Mrs. Sally — (7) 4) L.G.A. in Borno State — (5) 7) Farm Tool — (3) 8) President, Nigerian Tennis Federation (NTF), Mr. Sani — (7) 9) President, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Bala Bobboi — (7) 10) Juventus FC Coach, Massimilliano — (7) 13) Muslim Cleric — (4) 15) Zambia ‘’Chipolopolos’’ Goalkeeper, Kennedy — (6) 18) Equatorial Guinea Capital City — (6) 21) Oyo State Head of Civil Service, Mr. Ismail — (4) 23) State in Nigeria known as ‘’The Light of the Nation’’ — (7) 25) Former United States President, Mr. Warren — (7) 26) Nigerian Premier League Club — (7) 27) Sick — (3) 28) Nigerian Capital City —

(5) 29) Abia State Capital — (7) DOWN 1)Niger State Capital — (5) 2)L.G.A. in Yobe State — (7) 3)Former Imo State Governor, Mr. Ikedi — (6) 4)Technical Director, Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Navy Commodore Omatseye — (7) 5)Country in Europe — (7) 6)Former Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Mr. Godswill — (7) 11) Germany National Coach, Joachim — (3) 12) Cambodian Currency — (4) 14) Former Ugandan President, Mr. Idi — (4) 15) South Africa ‘’Bafana Bafanas’’ Coach, Ephraim — (7) 16) Head of National Office, West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Mr. Charles — (7) (17) Country in Africa —(7) 19) Honduras Currency — (7) 20) Lever — (3) 22) L.G.A. in Oyo State (6) 24) Delta State Capital (5)

Solutionon on page Solution page2119

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C M Y K