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CONFERENCE
NEXIM bank MD /CEO Robert Orya and UNCTAD Secretary General , Dr Mukhisa Kituyi at the 3rd international conference on finance and Development in Ethiopia
Dr. Mike Onolememen, a former Minister Of Works (middle) during the doctoral hooding / commencement ceremony of the Walden University, Minesota, USA where he graduated with a Ph.D degree in public policy & administration.
New DSS DG orders demotion of 100 officers •Redeploys Marylin Ogar to Borno Control, Command Center BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI, ABUJA
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here is growing disaffection in the Department of State Security Service (DSS) following the decision of the new Director General, Lawal Daura, to reverse the promotion of about 100 officers carried out by his predecessor, Ekpeyong Ita, and approved by the Jonathan administration. Also, a Deputy Director and spokesperson of the department, Mrs. Marylin Ogar, has been redeployed to Maidug-
uri, to serve in the DSS were engaged in special component of the Mili- security operations in tary Command and Con- the Presidential Villa and other special duties trol Centre. Sunday Vanguard in several trouble spots gathered that the offic- in the country”, a source ers, who had suffered said. stagnation for years and promoted by Ita are mostly those who put their lives on the line for the nation and were engaged in deadly operations. “Among them were those that took part in BY KOLADE joint operations with the LAREWAJU military and police personnel in Operation ZaTHE Petroleum and man Lafiya (war against Product Marketing ComBoko Haram), those who pany (PPMC) may this
Buhari, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in an interview with Sunday Vanguard, went on: “Very few
The source added: “But we were on joint operations duty and, at a point, they banned officers from moving out of operational areas to read and carry out promotion
examinations. So who is to blame? We can still go for post promotion training if the DG insists and that would be a better option than this demotion.”
PPMC to sanction marketers for diversion of petrol
Buhari will probe Jonathan Continued from page 1
Sunday Vanguard learnt that the new DG has directed that, henceforth, only officers who attended promotion examinations would be elevated.
countries can they (looters) hide in and how long will they hide? So, it doesn’t mean that anybody that has ill gotten wealth will not regurgitate it.” Interview details on page 41-43
week sanction major marketers of petroleum products over allegations of sabotage and diversion of products meant for Abuja, a situation that is causing fuel scarcity in the nation’s capital. In Abuja, fuel queues have been on the increase despite huge allocation of products to the nation’s capital prompting the PPMC to launch an investigation into where the products were being diverted to. The PPMC is particularly worried about the diversion of its product and the source of the products being sold on the Suleija/ Kaduna road. An official of the PPMC told Sunday Vanguard that a total of 111 trucks was released into Abuja city on Thursday but with only very petrol station dispensing fuel by the weekend. Rather than sell the fuel to motorists in Abuja, some marketers who got the fuel were believed to have diverted such allocations to Suleija and Kaduna where they are sold at very high rates. The PPMC official who confirmed that major mar-
keters of products would have to be seriously warned and sanctioned said “we released a total of 111 trucks into Abuja city alone on Thursday. I don’t believe that all could have been sold by yesterday to warrant the long queue we have having today [Saturday] in Abuja “What we are suspecting is that most of the volume have been diverted outside Abuja because if one takes a drive on
Suleija/Kaduna road, you will see that all the stations along the road are selling despite the fact that we didn’t supply them. “111 trucks can refuel a total of 73,260 vehicles at the rate of 50 litres per vehicle. This week alone, we have dispatched 386 trucks inside Abuja alone and that can refuel 254,760 vehicles at the rate of 50 litres per vehicle. This is sabotage” Sunday Vanguard au-
thoritatively gathered that security agencies may be invited to look into the alleged diversion even in the bid to sanction the erring marketers to serve as deterrent to others. The decision to deal with the erring markets id said to be because as long as the black markets exists outside Abuja and the “saboteurs” still exists, the petroleum product would always find its way to the market where a litres is sold at N120.
Kolade harps on good corporate governance BY OLAYINKA AJAYI
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former Nigerian High Commis sioner to the United Kingdom (UK), Dr. Christopher Kolade, has stressed the need for corporate governance. Kolade gave the advice while speaking at the 2015 Roundtable on Corporate Governance organized by the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island Lagos. The roundtable was held under the theme: “A case for Corporate Governance Audit for Nigerian Public Companies”.
According to Kolade, who was the Chairman of the occasion, “Good corporate governance has a role to play in the success of any company or business enterprise”, adding that “the theme of the Roundtable is to find out whether we conform to the letter and spirit of corporate governance”. The guest speaker at the roundtable, who is also the Head, Strategy and Entrepreneurial Department, Lagos Business School, Dr. Chris Ogbechie, stated that corporate governance involved a set of relationship between a company ’s management, its board, shareholders and other stakeholders,
“Corporate governance failures damage reputations undermine and erode confidence. Strong Corporate Governance is part of a successful business strategy and good governance can enhance an organisation’s competitive position; assist in retaining superior employees; attract top notch directors and contribute to long term improved financial performance”, Ogbechie said. The Vice- President of the Institute, Dr. Nat Ofo, who spoke to newsmen shortly after the event, said the way out of the Nigeria’s economic doldrums is for government to do the right thing at the right time.
PAGE 6 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 19, 2015
$182m Halliburton Scandal: Buhari orders preparation of case-file By Kingsley Omonobi, Abuja
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S President Muhammadu Buhari travels to the United States (US) today to engage President Barack Obama in talks on economic, security, financial and anti-graft issues, it has emerged that he has ordered the preparation of the casefile that would lead to the prosecution of the indicted persons in the $182 million Halliburton bribery scandal. Sunday Vanguard gathered that the President’s directive followed the requirement by the US government of evidence to show that Buhari was ready to prosecute the suspects in Nigeria for their roles in the bribery scandal before it could partner other European countries in releasing the $141million dollars allegedly looted from Nigeria and lodged
in various overseas banks. According to top security sources, Buhari, based on the outcome of investigations by the panel set up to look into the scandal, is scheduled to tell Americans officials during this week’s visit that all those indicted, including former Heads of State, a former Vice President, two former Group Managing Directors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, will face prosecution to defend themselves. To further convince the US officials that the kangaroo trial that took place during the Jonathan administration, which saw a former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to the President being arraigned and then let off the hook following alleged connivance of certain government institutions, will not re-occur, the
President will tell them that private legal practitioners, who cannot compromise because of past government patronage, will be commissioned to handle the case. It will be recalled that the recent directive by Buhari to reopen the Halliburton bribery case led to the discovery that the $26.5 million plea bargain money released by the oil servicing firm as part of efforts to shield the company from prosecution was not in any government account.
•From left: Senator Sam Egwu, Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi and an official inspecting the renovation of the Governor’s Lodge, Abakaliki at the weekend.
10 feared dead as Boko Haram attacks Borno Christian community By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri
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USPECTED members of Boko Haram, on Friday evening, invaded Sabon Gari Manjakwa villages of
Hawul Local Government Area of Borno State, killing no fewer than 10 residents and leaving several others with gunshot wounds. The insurgents, according to reliable sources, stormed the village at about 9pm with AK47 rifles and petrol bombs which they used in setting many houses ablaze. The insurgents also
snatched one of the three patrol vehicles donated to the vigilante group by one public spirited individual from the area. Hawul is a predominantly Christian community and about 230km drive from Maiduguri that has witnessed serial Boko Haram attacks. Residents claimed there was no single military deployment
to the area despite pleas. The terrorists according to Mallam Yakubu Isa Manjakwa came in large numbers and succeeded in sacking the farming communities. “Another disaster has befallen us today as terrorists attacked our villages and killed many people on sight. They operated for more than four hours before they left”, Manjakwa said.
24 HOURS AFTER PDP LEADER’S MURDER
Couple assassinated in Benue •Tsav, ex-police boss, seeks help
The Oba of Onigbongbo land, Munirudeen Yussuf (left), in a handshake with the 9110District Governor, Rotary International, Rotn Bolaji Onabadejo, while the President, Maryland Rotary Club, Rotn Dr. Olufemi Akodu and others watch at the club’s presentation of a portrait to the monarch during a visit to his palace.
Salaries: Ebonyi govt reassures workers
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BONYI State government has reassured of the imminent resolution of the impasse between it and the organised labour in the state over the payment of workers salaries. Briefing newsmen at the Executive Council Chamber of the Government House, Abakaliki, on the state Executive Council meeting, the state Commissioner for Information, Sen. Emmanuel Onwe, said the government accorded priority to the welfare of the work force, and reiterated that Governor Dave Umahi had a fruitful meeting with the leadership of the workers on how to address the lingering issue of payment of salaries. He said that the council noted, with dismay, the directive by the leadership of labour unions that workers should embark on strike with effect from Tuesday, when the committee set up by the state government on the matter had already started making attempts to resolve the problem. Onwe, who remarked that the council expressed dis-
appointment over the procedure adopted in awarding contracts by the immediate past government, cited the contract for
the building of two hostel blocks and a lecture hall at Ebonyi State University permanent site as an instance.
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ARELY 24 hours after the gruesome murder of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leader, Chief Atoza Ihindan, and 20 others in Katsina/Ala local government
area of Benue State, two unidentified armed men, in the early hours of yesterday, murdered a couple, Mr. And Mrs.Tyav Yina, in their home. Sunday Vanguard gathered that the couple, who owned Tyav family local cooperative, were killed in their Katsina/ Ala residence by the armed
I still cook for my husband — Aisha Buhari •As President’s wife host children to Sallah party By Levinus Nwabughiogu
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IFE of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, yesterday, said that despite her present status, she still cooks her husband’s food. She gave the revelation at a party she organised for children drawn from different parts of the country in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to mark the Eid-el-Fitri celebration at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Her remark followed an excuse to depart from the party amid dances by the children. “I’m going to leave you soon. I want to go back home to cook for my
husband because my children are here playing with you. Nobody is at home, only my husband. So, I want to go back home to be with him and also cook dinner for him”, she said. She further stated that the Sallah party was an indication of the seriousness her husband’s administration attached to the welfare of the youth. She said, “On occasions like this, we celebrate with children, especially the less privileged, including those in the various internally displaced persons’ (IDPs) camp. We love, appreciate and share with their present situation. “The reason for this is to promote warm interaction
and sharing what we have with one another. On this note particularly, we decided to celebrate with all children from different background”. She charged the children to obey their parents and teachers’ instructions both at home and schools. “The future of this great country lies in your hands. You are to compliment the efforts of government by working very hard in school and be obedient to your parents. Tomorrow you may become president, the president’s wife, Senator, honourable members, governors, medical doctors, teacher, journalist, engineer, nurse, lawyer and the rest of other honourable professions”, she added.
wielding men who stormed their home on motorbike. “The two assailants stormed the home of the couple on motorbike at about 7am and went straight to the living room, shot them severally after which they shot sporadically in the area as they fled”, a resident said. Reacting to the unending killings, former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, urged the Federal Government to beef up security in the state. Tsav said, “What you see happening in Katsina/Ala is becoming uncontrollable because hardly a day passes without reports of gruesome murder. This is how Boko Haram started in the North East. “I have called the attention of the Inspector General of
Police to the ugly development because I feel disturbed; I’m urging the Federal Government to deploy more security operatives to the state because it appears the personnel on ground have either been overwhelmed or compromised. “I must confess that the present Commissioner of Police is doing his best as a thorough officer, but it appears his subordinates are not doing their jobs.” When contacted, Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Assistant Superintendent, ASP, Austin Ezeani who confirmed the killings, said the Commissioner of Police, Hyacinth Dagala, had detailed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge
of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Unit to move into the area.
Delta dep gov seeks stakeholders’ input on BRT project
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eputy Governor of Delta State, Barrister Kingsley Otuaro has said the State Government would consider the perception of benefitting communities and other stakeholders in arriving at a collective decision on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Scheme in Effurun-Warri. Otuaro spoke at the Governor’s Office Annex in Warri at a meeting convened for stakeholders to get first hand information even as he
sought support for the present administration in its determination to be fair and just in distribution and execution of basic amenities in the state. Despite the slide show presentation by representative of the contracting firm, Mr. Biodun Otunola, on the viability and delivery of a standard BRT project, which he said was currently hampered by funding and compensation matters, several stakeholders were not persuaded.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 7
POSER OVER ACTING INEC CHAIR:
Who will Amina Zakari hand over to? •••As her tenure ends on Tuesday By Jide Ajani
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N March this year several eminent Nigerian lawyers eruditely argued on the legal lawlessness surrounding the attempt to remove Professor Attahiru Jega, the then Chairman of INEC, by praying that he proceeded on compulsory leave. In making a legal case for the implausibility of that proposition, it was argued that “By virtue of the provision of Section 157 (1 &2) of the Constitution, the chairman or any of the members of INEC may only be removed from that office by the President acting on an address supported by two-thirds ( 2/3) majority of the Senate praying that he be so removed for inability to discharge the functions of the office (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or any other cause) or for misconduct”. By this argument, it is clear that removal of an INEC Chairman or any National Commissioner is illegal, without reference to 2/3 majority of the 109 members of the Senate for any other reason whatsoever. Therefore, by this assertion, the purported letter granting Amina Zakari an early exit and a new mandate at INEC,
received from the Head of Service, is a “strange animal” to Nigerian law. Relatedly, the same legal schools of thought argued that “under the Constitution, the two grounds for removal of a chairman of INEC or any of the members of INEC from office are: (1) inability to discharge the functions of the office (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or any other cause); or (2) misconduct. Neither was adduced in the case of Amina Zakari, making her exit on July 21, 2015, a decidedly legal issue, beyond the Head of service, and outside the ambit of presidential authority without reference to The Nigerian Senate. The latter position is legally muscular, mainly because as the eminent Nigerian lawyers argued in March, this interpretation does not admit of any other cause, cannot be stretched by any mischievous elasticity of legal hermeneutics, because “the clause ‘any other cause’ under Section 157 of the Constitution, must be construed, esjudem generis”, as lawyers say, hence, “the chairman of INEC or any of the members of INEC can only be removed from office for inability to
discharge the functions of their respective office, whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or “any other infirmity”, not to possess or dispossess others of the mandate, or to execute a temporary mandate at INEC for “any other cause” whatsoever. Flowing from the above, it can be stated e m p h a t i c a l l y, unequivocally and without any iota of contradiction, that any act, orders, directives etc made by, carried out for or on behalf of INEC, in the name or order of Amina Zakari, after July 21st 2015, shall be illegal, null and void, and of no effect. It shall be construed as a matter or issue, a directive or order that was never made, did not exist and construed in illegality. Hence, It will not be stretching the truth by any scintilla of illumination, that to use the leadership of Amina Zakari as INEC leadership beyond July 21st is to embark on a risky voyage of illegality, fraught with many potential and possible political and administrative misadventures, because the legal mandate of Amina Zakari at INEC, as properly constituted before institutional laws for elections in Nigeria,
•Amina Zakari, Acting INEC Chairman expires on the night of Tuesday, July 21, 2015. If any person or group of persons, should therefore embark upon any electoral exercises, delineation of constituencies, registration of voters, or validation of any electoral registers in any constituencies within Nigeria, on the orders of such a defective mandate beyond the 21st of July 2015, such a person or group of persons embarks upon an illegality. The germane question beyond
July 21, is not any of the arguments advanced so far in regard to Mrs Amina Zakari, such as, whether she is qualified to be a chairperson of INEC, or ethically acceptable considering her consanguine and other issues that may or may not injure the impartiality and autonomy of INEC; the apt and most significant question is? Where will she derive the mandate to act beyond July 21 and who will accept such an individual with a legal defect as the arbiter of an election? Admittedly, such a defect is incurable, because no one can embark upon a potentially contestable election by starting on an illegality. This means therefore that the most important question on the minds of all properly constituted authorities in Nigeria, who will not want to impregnate the polity with needless crisis, and who will not want to constipate the Independent National Electoral Commission with the gruel of indigestible illegality, is who will accept such an arbiter for elections? This is because, as the erudite legal arguments of March 2015 has clearly enunciated, that Section 158 (1) of the Constitution forbids any premature removal of an INEC national commissioner for any reason by the President,
by providing that “in exercising its power to make appointments or to exercise disciplinary control over persons, INEC shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other authority or person.” Moreover, it was also well argued, that, the spin that the Interpretation Act says that “he who appoints can suspend” does not apply to The INEC Chairman and members of INEC, who enjoy “security of tenures” under the Constitution, and therefore cannot be manipulatively and grotesquely removed from office before the end of their five-year tenure through any crude euphemism. In particular, INEC as a body is singled out by the constitution in section 160 that its internal affairs is not subject to the control of the President. Given the aforestated legal positions of the Nigerian constitution, which any breach of, constitutes an impeachable offence, before the legislature, the question before all Nigerians, as of the moment shall be none other than; who will Amina Zakari hand over to on July 21st 2015? This constitutional order must be carried out, without any vacillation or the nation will proceed to step into a chasm of illegality.
PAGE 8, SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 19, 2015
The Peter Obi Principles By Valentine Obienyem & Alexander Ejesieme
TRIBUTE IN BRIEF A former governor @ 54
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R. Peter Obi, the quintes sential man of honour, was born on the 19th of July, 1961. He is therefore 54 today. It has become customary among Nigerians to use the period of one’s birthday to crown one with unmerited praises. We know that in our clime, once one can boast of a few wads of the naira notes, one can commission friends and well-wishers to take him to literary sanctity through adverts containing what, most times, are far from the man’s true character. As Obi turns 54 today, you may not see many adverts on him, pontificating on unmerited higher spiritual values just as it was even when he was a governor. He normally would urge those that approached him to use such monies to support worthy courses in the society. That was his style and that remains his style unto this day. In Nigeria of today, if there is one man that merits to be celebrated, that man is Mr. Peter Obi, essentially in terms of the values he has created. Indeed, it can be said of him that institutions he passed through in his on-going pilgrimage on earth became better because of the afflatus of his touch. Those close to him would have discovered that his consuming passion is how to contribute to the progress of civilisation. We must note that in today’s Nigeria, Mr. Peter Obi has introduced a new governance module. Here is a politician who has
By Daniel Okeme
TRIBUTE IN BRIEF A life in the service of God
decided to do things differently, always insisting that it smacks of insanity to keep doing the same thing the same way and expect a different result. While others in positions of authority use sirens to disturb the peace of neighbourhoods, Mr. Obi detested such act. He shunned the use of VIP lounges at our airports, preferring, instead, to queue up like other ordinary travellers. Most importantly, Obi was a lone ranger in advocating what could be called the principle of allocating resources to the end users. Rather than concentrate on monitoring of projects, government at all levels are concerned more with transactions, serving as clearing houses for funds meant for end users. One of the consequences is that when an organization wants to assist an institution, the fund would pass through the government where it is cut into half under strange headings like administrative costs before reaching the end users. But to reduce all these bureaucracies, Obi championed the concept of funds meant for any intervention project going straight to the point of use. Mr. Obi did this so wonderfully in Anambra State and the results are still there for all to see. What the schools, hospitals, towns and other institutions who were beneficiaries of this innovation have done with their funds were exemplary. Most times projects that would take government contractors forever to finish with countless variations were completed in record time. It is only those who lived in Anambra during the period of chaos that will understand and appreci-
ate the former governor, Mr. Peter Obi. In those days, Anambra carried on as if she was being controlled by Bedlam. Let Bishop Hilary Okeke who is in a position to judge those days speak: “Indeed, before Mr. Peter Obi became the governor, Anambra State looked like a state abandoned by God. Many people in Anambra State really believed that Anambra State was abandoned. Political turmoil and turbulence generated by godfatherism halted development in the state. The little money that would come to Anambra State was used to settle the godfathers. An attempt to shake off the tentacles of the godfathers resulted in wanton and reckless destruction of gov-
•Peter Obi
In Nigeria of today, if there is one man that merits to be celebrated, that man is Mr. Peter Obi, essentially in terms of the values he has created
quered brought out his essence to the people. He was the first person to unseat a sitting Governor through the courts, he was the first to come back from impeachment and to go for tenure interpretation. Besides, Obi did so much for Anambra State which made him not only the darling of the state, but a darling among Nigerians. Today, Obi is a reference point in playing decent politics, belief in the rule of law and adherence to principles. These are edifying credentials of a true reformist. I expect Obi to suffer because as Machiavelli said, it is difficult to introduce a new
Iyke Obi: 1963 — 2015
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was in Asaba, Delta State capital, on the 2nd of July, 2015 for the swearing-in ceremony of Commissioners and Special Advisers by Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa slated for the following day. James Ikechukwu Obi (esq.) was to meet me in Asaba in the morning of the 3rd. But I got a call from Okporua Chris Oghene, our mutual friend, at about 9:30pm on the 2nd that Iyke was shot by gun men and that he would call me back as he got more information. He called me again by 10:30pm that Iyke was no more. Both of us cried and cried and cried on phone. We both could not sleep all through the night making several calls in order to get possible positive report on Iyke. What a jungle where life is short, nasty and brutish. James Ikechukwu Obi was born on 11th of August 1963 in London to Hon. Justice James Abadike Obi of Abbi in Ndokwa West LGA and Chief Mrs Anne Obi of Umukwata, Ukwani LGA. James Ikechukwu Obi, intelligent, diligent, and meticulous from his early days grew up under the special care of his parents. He attended Uvwie Nursery
ernment houses and property. Schools at all levels suffered abysmal neglect; public hospitals suffered the same neglect; life was listless as people in Anambra State were bereft of a sense of direction and responsibility. One could liken the state of affairs then in Anambra State to the situation in Israel at the time of the Judges. In those days there was no king in Israel, and everyone did as he saw fit” (Judges 21:25). Lawlessness was the order of the day; gross indiscipline, general insecurity and lack of respect for human dignity and life, lack of development in most public sectors and loss of confidence in government.” Indeed Obi became governor when Anambra was faced by all manner of problems. His coming into power was equally turbulent. However in his characteristic doggedness each challenge he con-
•James Ikechukwu Obi (esq.) and Primary School in Effurun from 1968 to 1974 from where he proceeded to St Patrick College, Asaba. He later transferred to St. Peter Clavers College, Aghalokpe where he completed his secondary education in 1979. Iyke as he was fondly called, proceeded to the State School Of Art and Science Sokoto for his advance level. He got admission to the University of Lagos to study Law in 1982 and graduated in 1985 with a Degree in Law and subsequently moved on to the Nigerian Law School in Lagos where he was called to bar in 1986. After his youth
service in Rivers state, Iyke practiced Law at the Law chambers of T.J. Okpoko & Co. for one year before he proceeded o the United Kingdom for greener pasture. While in the United Kingdom, Iyke was on a regular shuttle between the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Nigeria where he was involved in business. Iyke joined the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC) as a pioneer staff in 2007 as a Deputy Director and was promoted to Director in 2010 and appointed Head of the Department of Public Affairs and Community Development. He was among the team that worked with the Interim Management Committee (IMC) that restructured the commission. After serving for three years at the head quarters of the Commission, Iyke was transferred as a Zonal Coordinator of the Ndokwa Zonal Office based at Kwale. He was dedicated to his work and gets to his Kwale office on a regular basis before 8:00am. He was a human being who cherished the plenitudes of life. If his smiles was disarming, his laughter was lungful and robustly infectious. He was
colourful, but never flashy, sociable without being noisy. His was a life devoted to the methods of the mind, the priceless treasure of quiet moments. Hence he choses his company judiciously. He was well spoken, a jolly fellow and a man with a global soul. He loves people and he cherished to be loved in return.
I got a call from Okporua Chris Oghene, our mutual friend, at about 9:30pm on the 2nd that Iyke was shot by gun men and that he would call me back as he got more information. He called me again by 10:30pm that Iyke was no more
order because the person doing so (Obi) will have opposition from those that benefited from the old order and lukewarm defenders in those that are not sure of its success. In spite of paid critics and lukewarm defenders, Obi marched on and rescued Anambra State. The man is not a saint, but certainly a man with high moral standards. In the world of wealth, he may be among the first 100 Nigerians and yet he is unobtrusive about it. Obi has a happy family and can be called the man without cant. •Valentine Obienyem and Alex Ejesieme contributed this piece from Awka.
Iyke was more than a friend. He was my brother, counselor, confidant and “my comrade at arms”. We shared in each others triumphs and moments of pain. Our families shared our friendship and comradeship. He was God fearing and a devout Catholic. He lived his life to the full maintaining his dignity and personal creed to worship God and honour Mother Mary. He loved being at peace with everybody. Iyke Obi will be lofty remembered for his tremendous contributions to the development presently going on in the oil Producing Areas of Delta State. It has pleased God to call him at this time and as mortals we are always bound by the will of Almighty God. His death is a huge personal loss to many of us. Our consolation is that while he was with us, he lived his life in the service of God and man kind. Good night my brother, confidant and “Comrade-atarms”. Goodnight! May the angels lead your soul to heaven till we meet at the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ, to part no more. Goodnight!!! Iyke was laid to rest at his hometown Abbi on Friday 17th July, 2015.
*Okeme, Editor of the Freelance Eleven, writes on behalf of the Committee of Friends
SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015,
NDDC: Poor funding of an intervention agency BY SAM AKPE
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n the immediate past, Bassey EwaHenshaw, even as a ranking senator, was well known for demonstrating a self composure that left no one in doubt as to his depth of maturity. He never talked just for the sake of talking. Anytime he raised his hand to speak on the floor of the Senate, it was clear that Ewa-Henshaw had something serious to say. In few words and short sentences, he made his points. Even when he walked from his seat to place a committee reports near the Senate Mace as required by legislative tradition, he did so with dignity. Not much has changed about him. There seems to be no hurry in his actions although the tone of his voice suggests a quick match. These attributes have nothing to do with his princely stature and height. It has more to do with his professional orientation and personal self discipline. Trained in America as a banker, Ewa-Henshaw has this boardroom charisma that seems to emphasise the belief that bankers talk less and think more. These recollections came to mind last week when Ewa-Henshaw, who is now the chairman of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), dropped a bombshell regarding the unbelievable huge indebtedness he and his board members inherited less than two years ago when they assumed duties; shortly after their appointment by then President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. By the way, in the last few weeks, Ewa-Henshaw and his team at the NDDC have been visiting some of the nine states of the Niger Delta;
BY GBENGA OKE
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he Nigerian media seems to have witnessed another breakthrough with the new marriage between Nigeria’s Channels Television and Germany’s International broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, (DW) over the weekend. Both Television Stations have come together to develop a relationship that will create partnership in the areas of content development, sharing of ideas, designing of contents which will include documentaries that will be aired in both countries. The partnership according to both parties will make Nigerians to begin to watch live broadcasting reports from the German stock market and this will give Nigerians opportunity to have context and valuable insight into the European economic issues. The signing of the memorandum of understanding, MOU which took place at the Channels Television station at Opic Estate, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, was witnessed by pressmen both from Germany and Nigeria while the Chairman/CEO of Channels Inc, Mr John Momoh and Director General of Deutche Welle, Peter Limbourg both addressed the conference. According to the MOU, the new DW news channels which was launched on June 22, broadcasts 24hours of continuous news coverage in English and is available to viewers in Africa on the SES-5 satellite. African issues will also have an important place in DW’s news cycle with a special segment dedicated to news and events.
•The Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu (right) exchanging pleasantries with the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Sir (Barr) Bassey DanAbia,(left) while the Chairman of the 4th Governing Board of the commission, Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw (middle) watches. The NDDC team was at the Government House in Umuahia on a courtesy call to the governor. commissioning projects. Details of such commissioning and the specific impacts of the NDDC to the people of the region is a story for another day. Accusations and more accusations have continued to trail either the success or the failure of NDDC since its inception. It’s time for a deeper, factual insight. For someone credited with a huge sense of modesty both in conduct and public utterance, Ewa-Henshaw’s revelation should attract more than a passing glance NDDC stakeholders. This was how he put it: “Funding remains a
major challenge and obstacle to the progress that we could have made. For example, since 2001, funds held back by the Federal Government is now in excess of N800 billion.” It is an open fact that the Act establishing the NDDC requires that the Federal Government should provide 15 per cent of monies paid from the federation accounts. However, since inception, NDDC has only been getting 10 per cent of that amount. Specifically, the NDDC draws its funding from three major sources: the
federal government, the oil companies and the state governments. Government of the nine states of the Niger Delta region, are statutorily expected to contribute 50% of the ecological fund to the commission. Between when NDDC was established and today, findings show that the commission is yet to collect a kobo of that fund from the states. This raises the question: is there no provision in the Act establishing the commission that would compel states to make the payment? On assumption of office in December 2013, Ewa-Henshaw said the current board of the NDDC inherited over 7,000 projects alongside liabilities in excess of one trillion naira, stressing that, in the past one year, the interventionist agency has been striving to complete on-going projects instead of initiating new ones. He observed that in spite of inadequate funds, he and his colleagues have remained undaunted in their determination to complete all on-going of projects as directed by the federal government. The NDDC Chairman said however that despite inadequate funds, the board and current management of the commission have recorded some noteworthy achievements in the completion of projects and the execution of development programmes. “We have so far completed and commissioned six university hostels and awarded 1,021 overseas scholarships for Master degrees and PhD programmes in engineering and sciences. Several other inherited projects are also in the process of being completed, including the specialist hospital in Ikom and the Adiabo bridge project,” he said. The calm-looking managing director of NDDC, Bassey Dan-Abia, said NDDC has since “metamorphosed from an agency that is determined to make a difference, to one that is making the difference. We are now a new transformational NDDC with a more cohesive and inclusive leadership, reaching far beyond the
Channels TTV/Deutc V/Deutc he W elle launc V/Deutche Welle launchh new par tner ship partner tnership
L-R: General Manager Operations, Channels TV, Kayode Akintemi; Vice Chairman of Channels TV, Sola Momoh; Chairman/CEO Channels TV; DG Deutsche Welle and Head of Distribution Deutsche Welle, Sevan Ibrahim-Sauer. Other events that will be taking place includes introduction of regionalized programming like Africa on the Move, DW will increase its foothold in the African media landscape and by the end of the year, the project will include approximately 90videos as well as audio and online portraits about “African Champions” who are working to make difference in their communities. Speaking at the event, the Chairman of Channels Inc, Mr John Momoh described the new partnership DW as a relationship made in heaven. His words, “ The whole idea is to be able to tell our stories working with DW
to share our stories to Europe and the rest of world. It’s a great day for us and a good beginning”. “The relationship between Channels TV and Deutsche Welle is one that is long overdue as the global village gets to shrink further everyday with the evolution of technology. Our strategy is to tell the African story especially that of Nigeria from the African perspective so that we do not leave this key element of definition of who we are, what we do and why to other people to tell on our behalf”. He said further, “it is in view of this policy position that Channels Television
agreed to get into strategic alliance with one of the biggest media organizations in Europe and the world. As we all know, Channels Television is a new television station that broadcast news on the hour, every hour for half an hour and we are acknowledged as the home of news and recognized globally as the most reliable source of news in Nigeria and indeed Africa from within the continent”. “Hence, Channels TV will take the lead in covering Nigeria and the rest of the African Continent to share these stories with Deutsche Welle that has recently launched its English speaking news service broadcasting across Europe and reaching other parts of the world too. We will therefore not expend too much energy in covering Europe as our partnership with Deutsche Welle means that we can share content across both continent and take advantage of each others strength”. Responding to Momoh, the Director General of Deutche Welle, Peter Limbourg described Channels Television as the most reliable with high reputation in Nigeria hence the decision of DW to work with them. He said, “I think it is important to have a strong partner and Channels Television is our very strong partner because they are very reliable, absolutely recognized here in Nigeria, strong in the market, they have high reputation”. “Their coverage of the last election was done with a lot of expertise and lots of
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component states and always ready to collaborate with willing partners.” In Bayelsa State, Dan-Abia described the corps members’ apartment complex built by the commission as the first of its kind in Nigeria. The edifice, which has 44 airconditioned self-contained rooms would accommodate at least 88 NYSC members. It is fully fitted with water heaters and other conveniences, including a large conference room and multiple sporting facilities. Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State described the activities, programmes and achievements of the NDDC as a revolution that is in line with what his administration is doing. “I appreciate the NDDC and the partnership it is offering to the state. We affirm our desire to continue to support the commission,” he said. More cheering however was Dickson’s decision to encourage his fellow state governors from the Niger Delta to demand for proper funding of the NDDC as envisaged in the Act establishing the commission. Dickson agreed with Ewa-Henshaw that the obvious poor funding of the commission has limited its ability to execute critical infrastructural projects, such as regional rail line, and major roads and bridges that would impact on the wellbeing of the people. He urged the federal government to give special attention to states in the region, given the challenging terrain of the various communities, which requires huge funds and efforts to develop. In Dickson’s words: “The Niger Delta is an endangered region; even the colonial masters, before they granted independence to Nigeria, recognized the existence of this region as a special area, and designated it so. They did this because they were aware that the developmental challenges of this area are more than the challenges of most other parts of the country.” He said the Niger Delta challenges were ecological and environmental and that that realization should affect the release of funds by the federal authorities to the NDDC.
international viewers respected them for that. We were really impressed with the level of journalism here and we are happy to have found this partner”. He said. We are very happy working together with you. Working together does not mean visiting each other alone, we have concrete projects and we are going to start with daily live programme from Frankfurt to Lagos, latest news from German stock exchange and Nigerians will get economic news about Europe in Africa especially Nigeria”. Enumerating some of the programmes that will be viwed in Nigeria, Limbourg said, “We are starting with Africa on the move which will showcase African champions to the world. We will show more on what is happening inAfrica. So I think thisAfrica on the move shows special people doing special things and who are champions and game changers in their various environment. We in Deutsche Welle, feels with all the problems Africa has, one has to report great things that are also happening in Africa. I believe the world needs to see great opportunities Africa and Nigeria especially has. So we are trying to ensure we bring a new dimension from the African news especially in Nigeria not only reportage of bad things like terror activities. After my visit here, I am even more convinced to do this partnership and am happy we have this series on the move”. He however said, “This partnership is not a one sided thing, we have to also learn from each other, we have share knowledge and in the future, there will be in house training which Deutsche Wella academy will provide”.
PAGE 10—SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015 the elections? “When the election was tough for the party and the areas which I conquered for them were many. I conquered many Kalabari towns, Ogu-bolo, Okrika, Nkoro, Opobo and all those places. They know, the government knows”.
What is wrong with hunting witches?—2 “The evil that men do lives after them….” William Shakespeare, 1564-1616, in JULIUS CAESAR. had indicated my intention to take us down memory lane about the mounting cases of political murders committed by Nigerian political witches when the Federal Government announced the intention to revisit those cases. Call it witch hunt or what you like, the fact is, there are too many cases begging for investigation and prosecution of somebody. Perhaps that will check the tendency to commit political murders. Recently, one of the suspects paraded by the police in Lagos “confessed” to participation in the murder of a politician during the last election. If the police are diligent, many more will be arrested in addition to the hired assassin.
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However, political murders have been with us since 1999. Below, I reproduce an article written in August 2009, mostly because one individual who openly admitted his role in the mayhem in the Niger Delta is still alive and those he claimed hired him are still alive as well. Buhari might want to start from the known to the unknown. HOW THE PDP CREATED THE MILITANTS - 1 DELE SOBOWALE “You mentioned that people are being used, dumped and killed, have you been used before?” “Of course everyone knows I worked for the PDP in the first and second coming of the party. In Rivers State. There is no one who does not know that I was used to get votes for the party”. “At what point were you invited by the government to assist in
Old soldiers never die Let me have men about me that are fat, Sleek-headed men and such as sleep anights. Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look, He thinks too much; such men are dangerous.-Julius Caesar, - Shakespeare t is often said that old soldiers never die, but they just fade away. You would then expect a soldier worth his salt to stand his ground to protect his people and country and will do so with pride and purpose. That should primarily be the purpose of being a soldier. You would also expect that they will be a disciplined lot, a source of pride to the nation and envy of other nations. You would think so, won’t you? The heads of the Nigerian armed forces instead, looked too wellfed, rotund, thick-girth and not fit for that purpose. So it is an act of mercy that they were relieved of their duties and put of their misery to the relief of the nation. Apparently, the cull came a week before Buhari was due to meet Obama to discuss a strategy against Boko Haram with the American defence forces, a move that was not possible
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under the Goodluck administration. In fact, the relationship between the Nigerian armed forces and its American counterpart under that last administration stalled because the Americans were denied access to fully assess the military situation and so that they can assist in a coordinated military action to eliminate the activities of Boko Haram. The American left in dismay and shocked at the wanton disarray of the actions by the Nigerian heads of the armed forces’ lack of focus as well as documented evidence of alleged human rights violations. Last administration, in light of this, tried but failed to make a deal with the Americans to equip its military with Cobra attack helicopters, the Americans weren't having it. The finger of blame was then pointed at the Americans, that if they had been sold the attack helicopter then, they would have been able to bring down the insurgency in no time. Of course, this was a case of a poor work man blaming his tools. It
Vanguard interview with Atake Tom, July 21, 2009, page 10. In a three part series published on this page earlier in the year titled
came as neither surprise nor shock to me. Since then Nigeria had been visited with several political murders, and to the everlasting shame of the Nigeria Police, none had resulted in prosecution of anyone. In no state had the political assassinations been better documented than in Akwa Ibom State between 2009 and 2011. There was respite only after the 2011 elections. Several groups of stakeholders had provided us with the catalogue of horrors in Akwa Ibom State between 2009 and 2011 when a declarative order was given by a powerful individual asking his
In Lagos, Oyo, Ekiti, Rivers, Imo, Abia and even Nasarawa States, etc, we have scores of political murders unsolved. Why should we not hunt down the witches who devoured human lives at will? Why? STALWART, CRIMINAL OR MILITANT, I had written authoritatively that the political class, especially the ruling party in each state creates its own class of criminals by first granting them the status of party stalwarts. Atake Tom’s confessions during this interview
political enemies to be crushed. Yet the individual had never been questioned – suggesting official complicity in the crimes. One does not need to be a crack detective from Scotland Yard or a top notch FBI agent to know that when only the political opponents of an
would have made no difference; in fact, it would have ignited the war against terror. The American State department spokesperson said at the time of the cancellation, that the sale was cancelled because of the concerns about Nigeria’s inability to use and maintain this type of helicopter and the on-going concerns about the Nigerian Military ’s
many of the protests and objections were exactly that from the army on the ground; that they lack equipment to fight the insurgents, they requested that they have better amunitions to fight the rebels, who were better armed with anti-aircraft guns and armoured personnel carriers. This was what was cited in the defence of the mutinous officers that there was poor equipment, in effective leadership and poor
No leader of men should look the way our head armed forces looked; their stomach so heavy, it groans to be free, they needed extra material for a uniform that should be worthy of pride, their cheeks so rosy after years of over indulgence and their fitness, no longer pass muster protection of its civilians when conducting military operations. It speaks volumes, does it? It was the very same reasons given by the Americans, for not sharing intelligence with the Nigerian security officials as they were concerns about Boko Haram infiltration. During that time they were a number of desertions and 54 soldiers from the 111th Special Forces Battalion were sentenced to death for mutiny after they refused to join an operation against the insurgents. Many times it seemed that the insurgents were better armed than the army. And
tactics that impeded the forces to adequately fight Boko Haram. The Nigerian army was once prided amongst Africa’s largest and best militaries and they played a pivotal role in peacekeeping missions during civil wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Once, not any more as the once great army can no longer fight the likes of Boko Haram, and it allowed the terror grow and to take control of some parts of the north-eastern states of Adamawa and Borno. This is in spite of the fact that Nigeria’s defence budget is more than $6- billion and among the highest in subSaharan Africa. There has been grand scale
individual and their relatives get killed or kidnapped then the place to start investigations is with the individual - even if all that emerges is circumstantial evidence. To leave such an individual untouched because he was highly connected is sufficient proof of official conspiracy. In Lagos, Oyo, Ekiti, Rivers, Imo, Abia and even Nasarawa States, etc, we have scores of political murders unsolved. Why should we not hunt down the witches who devoured human lives at will? Why? Despite this record number of murders, none of the Commissioners, the AIGs nor the Inspector Generals of Police, who served from 2001 to 2015 can claim credit for solving any of the murders. Was it incompetence or unethical neglect of serious crimes by those paid to secure lives? ONE MORE ON F I N A N C I A L “ W I T C H E S ” HUNTED DOWN. “We start this part of the book with allegations against Dr Chimaroke Nnamani and the Government of Enugu State.” Chapter 9, of PDP: C O R R U P T I O N INCORPORATED. When ex-Governor Nnamani, was accused of misappropriating Enugu State funds to
establish private companies – including Rainbownet, Capital City Automobile etc, in 2006, his Chief Press Secretary, Dr Festus Adedayo, now plying his trade elsewhere in Nigeria, published an advertorial in the GUARDIAN on January 29, 2006 in which he made the following claim in defence of the former Governor. “Yet, the fact that it [Rainbownet] is doing business in Enugu does not mean that it is owned by Governor Chimaroke Nnamani” (p 251). Last week, on July 7, 2015, the lawyers defending Nnamani in his case against the EFCC, pleaded guilty on behalf of several companies including Rainbownet who were charged with the former Governor for embezzling N7 billion from Enugu State. The assets forfeited were valued at N5 billion. Next time somebody like Festus Adedayo shouts “ witch-hunt”, don’t be too hasty to believe him. I did not; and that was why I took him to task in the book. There might really be a witch to be hunted down and eliminated. No thanks to Nnamani, Enugu State is now N5 billion poorer. Who made that “ witch” a Governor over the people? Once more, I feel vindicated by the court judgment.
corruption and the low ranking soldiers were denied regular payment and sometime they do not receive the paltry monthly sum of $100-per-month salary for weeks on end. They say, an army marches on its stomach, these army were poorly paid, over-worked, illequipped and hungry; not a winning combination for an effective army. So these head of armed forces, it is apparent that these former mighty men of action could not fight their way of a paper even, if their fattened lives depended on it. Their uniform groaning after a life of inaction and being treated and feted like emperors so, no wonder, the nation’s walls were unguarded and the insurgency left to kill, maim and pillage at will. So you see, why the past administration, filled their mouths and stomach so that they can render them unless, unfit for office and poor leaders of men and women tasked to guard the people and the nation. The rot was very high up, it left well intentioned soldiers illequipped, demotivated, undisciplined and demoralised. Revenue meant for training, equipment and defence was misappropriated and diverted on their watch and the past administration stuffed these men of valour and so as to render them useless so they are not good to man or beast. Only those who are heavily biased and
equally stuffed would disagree that the Nigerian military’s handling of Boko Haram in the last six years has been a success. It has been a mitigating disaster and has cost thousands of lives, many more maimed and injured, thousands abducted 1.6 million displaced, billions in lost earnings and business and a country at the mercy of the murderous marauders. They failed at their duty to serve and protect. In fact, there have been alleged serious cases of human rights violations and two of the officials who were dismissed Alex Badeh, the Chief of Defence staff, and Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, the head of the army have been cited in a recent Amnesty International report that accuses them of being responsible for war crimes committed under their command. I hope that at some point they will be brought to justice if they are found wanting. This dismissal should not be a golden handshake instead, it should be what it is; a dishonourable discharge. No leader of men should look the way our head armed forces looked; their stomach so heavy, it groans to be free, they needed extra material for a uniform that should be worthy of pride, their cheeks so rosy after years of over indulgence and their fitness, no longer pass muster. Our borders and open door for insurgents to come and go at will and neighbouring countries often coming to the aid of the sleeping giant of Africa.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 11
Buhari! Beware of public opinion!!
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n a democratic society like Nigeria, an elected President is the embodiment of power. Such power does not really belong to him; rather, it belongs to the people. Put differently, the President is merely a custodian of the people’s power making it imperative for him to feel their pulse all the time and ensure he always acts on their behalf. What this suggests is that the President is obliged to listen to public opinion. But then, to determine public opinion on a subject is not easy considering the improbability of unanimity of opinions on an issue. In fact, in matters of opinions, the public can be divided into three groups: the apathetic that pay little or no attention to any issue; the articulate, that are always cynical; and the active, that are often vocal. Bearing in mind that there could be gains and dangers in listening or failing to listen to any of these groups what should President Buhari do? The
premise of today’s article is to remind Buhari of what he already knows as a former head of state that public opinion in Nigeria usually portends more danger than
Buhari must be daily confronted by several issues which may be mistaken for public opinion and which are constantly at variance with what a leader personally experiences good To illuminate this premise, let’s take a few occurrences in the nation since May 29th this year when the current government was instituted. First, is the issue of the request by state governors for loans to clear months of unpaid workers’ salaries. The vocal public represented by state governors made it look like as if the consensus was for the loans to be granted.
PhD,Depar tment of Philosophy, University of Lagos 08116759758 opuruiche2000@yahoo.com
The absurdity of primitive accumulation
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ccording to some estimates, Nigeria has made over $500 billion from crude oil sales since the mineral was first discovered at Oloibiri in 1958. However, considering the parlous state of the country today as documented in the last 10years by relevant agencies of the United Nations with respect to Human Development Index (HDI), it is crystal clear that a significant proportion of that money has been mismanaged by military dictators and agbata ekee politicians. Indeed, the alarming level of unemployment, destitution, hunger, feeling of alienation and hopelessness being experienced by Nigerians that is, existential poverty in all its ramifications - indicate beyond any scintilla of doubt that members of the ruling elite entrusted with the power to manage our resources have failed abysmally - and they are getting away with it. Sharp decline in the quality of governance began with the entrenchment of military dictatorship from 1970, and the situation has grown worse ever since. Presently, public office holders at the topmost echelons of authority are competing with one another to determine who would accumulate more wealth in the shortest possible time to the detriment of ordinary Nigerians.The cumulative effects of chronic mismanagement at all levels of governance are evident in all aspects of our national life, to the extent that at the
While some people may have felt it was perhaps the most humane approach to the issue, others were as usual apathetic on the subject. As soon as the loans were
moment many states cannot pay their workers for up to ten months, not to talk of the heavy debt burdens piled up by governors. Meanwhile, political godfathers, elected public officials, their family members and acolytes are enjoying sybaritic lifestyles made possible through primitive accumulation. But what is primitive accumulation, an expression I have used in this column several times without defining it? The term 'primitive accumulation' is derived from the combination of two words, namely 'primitive' and 'accumulation,' which gives an insight into what the phenomenon under consideration is all about. According to Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary, the word 'primitive' means, among other things, "ancient, antiquated, old fashioned, [and] crude." On the other hand, 'accumulation' is the noun form of the verb 'accumulate,' whose connotations include "to heap or pile up, to amass: to increase greatly: to go on increasing." From the foregoing, "primitive accumulation" is the obsessive-compulsive acquisition of money and other material possessions far beyond what is needed for dignified human existence. In other words, it is an almost irresistible desire to acquire things one does not really need to live well. Now, human needs can be arranged under two broad levels or categories. At the material level, every
granted, a new public opinion surfaced that the loans should not have been granted because state funds were partly squandered to rig elections while the balance was embezzled. Of course, this is a popularly held opinion. So if it is right to provide loans to prevent workers from premature deaths, is it also right to in a way replace embezzled funds instead of recovering them from the looters? In which case, does that not human being requires food, decent shelter, clothing, access to health care, and a dignified means of earning a living as an adult. At the psychospiritual level, each person requires love, care, respect, a feeling of belongingness, and a set of structured beliefs or philosophy to serve as existential compass for navigating the extremely challenging journey of life. It is easy to discern that both the material level and the psychospiritual level are intimately connected, although a large number of Nigerians tend to overestimate the importance of the first category and naively think that mere satisfaction of material needs automatically guarantees satisfaction of psychic needs. Certainly, a person's philosophy of life, whether consciously articulated or absorbed unconsciously or subconsciously as part of the socialisation process in a given society, largely determines the person's attitude towards material possessions and, by implication, how he or she goes about trying to acquire them. Therefore, to say that someone is engaged in primitive accumulation is to affirm that the person so described has a crude and antiquated disposition towards life, towards material things. An acquisitive or greedy person is dominated by strong desire to accumulate money and things not because he really needs them for healthy productive living but because he derives a sordid kind of satisfaction in merely stockpiling them. The psychological foundation of primitive accumulation is an obsessive-compulsive craving for tangible things, which leads to what the American sociologist, Thorstein Veblen, called "conspicuous consumption."Sometimes, it
run counter to the highly anticipated aggressive fight against corruption? To make matters worse, another major fight - the one against insurgency does not appear to be progressing as the insurgents have become more active. This has been attributed to what Premium Times in a kind of opinion poll found to be President Buhari’s current slow approach to governance. The posture according to findings by the paper was in particular affecting the prosecution of the war against the insurgents in the north east. Many government officials and some retired security and military experts who spoke to Premium Times reportedly expressed the view that the decision by the President to allow uncertainty surround the tenures of the service chiefs and the National Security Adviser he inherited was greatly affecting the war. Indeed, the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party ’s spokesman, Olisa Metuh who has suddenly become vibrant said on national television last Thursday that government was yet to do anything new. When the President later announced the sacking of the service chiefs, he probably thought he was on the same page with public opinion until another major political party, the Labour Party, said the sacking of the service chiefs was done in a hurry and as such
condemned it. In a statement issued in Abuja the National Chairman of the party, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, declared that, “it is my candid opinion that Mr. President should have exercised a little restraint in sacking the service chiefs; he should not have taken that action in a hurry. He should have considered the totality of what is on ground.” Since the man issued a statement in his capacity as chairman, was he really doing so on behalf of the party considering that he also stated that the statement was his candid opinion? The Labour Party’s statement, probably entertained the president particularly the part which stated that “But the fact of the matter is that his action may have also been informed by the security report he had. We do not know what is available to him, which made him take that action hastily the way he did it.” In other words, Buhari must be daily confronted by several issues which may be mistaken for public opinion and which are constantly at variance with what a leader personally experiences. One of such issues concerns the alleged order by the President that military check points throughout the nation be dismantled - a decision which Presidency sources say was influenced by the President’s personal experience. The story was that Buhari as a person was
once held up in traffic for hours at the outskirts of Abuja as a result of a military check point. When he eventually got to the spot of action, Buhari a former military leader was enraged to see his otherwise precious soldier operating like a traffic warden engaged not in any security checking of vehicles but directing traffic. Should such a traveler who later became President seek public opinion before stopping the drama? But then, bearing in mind the anxiety of the nation for an end to insurgence, should the President’s order have been understood even by robots to include the North East where bombings had been on the increase? The history of bombings since insurgency started has shown that checking points are irrelevant. So, what next? Two years ago, there was an unconfirmed story that one signals officer of the Nigerian Army in Lagos had designed a kind of close circuit television with which activities in a place as far as Kaduna can be monitored from Abuja. Should that not be our interest now instead of fruitless checking points which further traumatize our people? Well, public opinion can be spoken or written; it can also be manifested in meetings and demonstrations; but public opinion does not have to be coherent; which is why mob action is often appreciated as rash. In other words, a leader should beware of public opinion
could be the long term effect of chronic poverty and deprivation in early childhood; in other cases it might just be the result of changing values in the society characterised by supplanting of intellectual and moral merit by showy self-indulgent materialism. Whatever might be the cause, primitive accumulation, excessive craving to acquire more and more without considering actual need, is a symptom of psycho-spiritual disequilibrium that provides
positions as opportunity to accumulate money and property beyond the dictates of reason. Unlike before when good name, honesty and integrity were highly regarded and parents insisted on knowing the source of their children's possessions, nowadays people hardly bother about such things.The operating Machiavellian principle now is: "Where and how I amassed my wealth is nobody's business; as long as I have made it my right to enjoy what I have is absolute." In fact, public officials who concluded their terms of office without acquiring mansions, exotic cars, fat bank accounts and so on are ridiculed by relatives and friends as fools for serving the community with honesty and sincerity of purpose. Even, the newfangled swanky Pentecostal churches have elevated acquisitiveness and craving for primitive accumulation to the level of a categorical imperative. In many churches, money-intoxicated egomaniac pastors and general overseers preach the bizarre doctrine that God is no longer the God of the poor but of the rich, that wealth is a definitive sign of God's blessing and favour. The absurd glorification of material possessions in places of worship aggravates the problem of corruption in Nigeria by providing warped spiritual gloss and justification for what is truly a symptom of spiritual malnutrition. Hence, avaricious politicians and crooked businesspersons regularly pay huge tithes, a contemporary form of indulgences paid to the Catholic Church in the medieval period, to pastors as appreciation for the latter's spiritual intercession on their behalf. But is it reasonable to steal public funds to satisfy one's
craving for primitive accumulation? Can money, mansions and "all the good things money can buy" guarantee real joy and happiness? It is disappointing that despite overwhelming evidence that, once the basic needs for food, shelter, clothing, good health and dignified employment are met the necessity for material possessions goes down considerably, people still make the deadly mistake of thinking that happiness and inner joy is directly proportional to the quantity of things one has. That is certainly not the case. I am convinced that acquisitiveness beyond the point necessary for dignified existence leads to neurosis, anxiety, unhappiness, and to all the physical ailments associated with bulimic accumulation. Unknown to those accumulating primitively at public expense, their irrational behaviour is analogous to that of a hungry man who, because of greed and anxiety, atehuge quantities of food at a time after stealing a large basin of rice prepared for members of the community, which was entrusted in his care. Of course, he cannot escape the negative gastronomic consequences of his bulimic behaviour. The alarming degree of financial rascality and recklessness by public office holders in Nigeria is partly the result of poor upbringing, lack of adequate understanding of what public service is al all about, and a distorted world outlook. Most times, Nigerians measure themselves, and are measured by others, based on their material possessions - or lack of it. This is an error borne out of a wrong conception of what it means to be human.
The absurd glorification of material possessions in places of worship aggravates the problem of corruption in Nigeria by providing warped spiritual gloss and justification for what is truly a symptom of spiritual malnutrition.
fertile soil for the kind of corruption which has been crippling Nigeria for decades. Largely Nigeria, like other countries of the world, is an acquisitive society, a society in which to acquire, to own and to make a profit have been elevated to the status of sacred and inalienable right of the individual. This explains why Nigerian politicians and top civil servants see their elevated
To be continued
PAGE 12—SUNDAY VANGUARD,JULY 19, 2015
President Buhari: Only listening and talking to himself
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t has now entered the official category of “ ridiculous,” and possibly, the potential of impeachable constitutional breach. Nearly two months after his inauguration, President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to constitute and announce an executive council. This is a serious breach of presidential power. To be clear, it is a constitutionally grey area, what time limits a president has, before he could present his cabinet to the National Assembly. While the constitution is silent on this issue, it is nevertheless clear that Nigeria shall be governed by an executive branch of government comprising the president with an executive council of state. The executive council as prescribed by the constitution is not a rubber stamp council, nor is it a cosmetics cabinet, or merely part of the furniture of presidential power in a presidential system of government; the president and the Federal Executive Council is the full and constitutional executive authority of the federal government of Nigeria, with full executive function, at the head of which is the elected president. The president, following his election is required to appoint the council, and in the appointment of the nation’s National Executive Council, to be broadly inclusive, and to reflect federal character. There is purpose to every constitutional requirement. Two important aspects of what may now possibly constitute the breach of the constitution by this president, and with impeachable possibilities is that the president of Nigeria has failed to establish an executive government since his inauguration close to sixty days and has been governing alone, like a tyrant, with no recourse to conciliar input. This is the meaning of absolutism. This president is governing as an absolute president. The president is taking fundamentally weighty decisions on behalf of this republic, largely with a small inner circle of presidential staff, and these decisions, in the nearly sixty days of this presidency have implications for the federation. The president has entered a potentially dangerous area: he has absorbed and assumed every leverage of authority, and is acting as his own adviser and ministers in all the most important areas of executive action. It is a breach of the constitution that requires that every president shall act based on the authority and advise of his ministerial council, which the constitution mandates him to appoint, but whose function the president is never to absorb. The law requires the president to appoint a council of ministers to fully constitute the executive authority of the land otherwise the government does not exist. Failure to do that, presumably is a willful breach of the constitution which the president swore to uphold. It is grounds also for assessment of his competence and preparedness to govern. It is
within the mandate of the National Assembly to make that call; that is to determine that the president has shown incompetence and lack of preparedness to assume full authority of presidential power held in trust for the nation. On determining that the president is incompetent, the rule of law requires the National Assembly to proceed with the impeachment of the president. There is surely enough ground at this very moment, to begin to question the president’s mental preparedness to govern. A
Buhari has been listening only to his own voice. The nation is in shambles. There is no clear policy direction almost sixty days after the inauguration of the new government
president who, nearly two months after, has yet to write and notify the National Assembly and present a list of the ministers of his government, certainly presents a unique problem, and gives profound cause to worry, and grounds to question his competence and mental readiness. It raises issues of accountability. Perhaps it hacks back to Buhari’s background as a military head of government, and his greater comfort in the pyramidal structure of authority, with him perched at the top of the pyramid, rather than the roundtable of council government. In the executive council, even though he is the head of the executive branch, and even though all those who sit in that roundtable serve at his pleasure, the president is more a choirmaster than a Regimental Sergeant Major. His ministers are independent authorities. Once appointed to the Executive Council, they are equal in a system that makes the president head of the executive, but still primus inter pares with his ministers. Like them, he has one vote. In other words, in a constitutional democracy, and in the presidential system, the president does not have absolute power; his power is distributed and diffuse, and is embedded in the power of the council. To act outside and above the executive council, is to brook overreach, and act in the manner of the character in the Igbo fable of power called, “Eze-OnyeAgwanam” – the tyrant who listens only to his own voice. And Buhari has been listening only to his own voice. The nation is in shambles. There is no clear policy direction almost sixty days after the inauguration of the new government: no economic policy; no foreign policy; no clear national defence policy. Nigeria’s domestic policy under this president remains
unclear because no one has articulated it, nor is there any clear political direction in the system. Ministerial authority is constitutionally necessary to classify, legitimize and give accent to every decision of government, and generally put a hand on the lever of public governance. In delaying the appointment of ministers, and presenting them to the National Assembly for confirmation, Buhari has postponed every act of government, or at the very least, slowed down the activity of government. The effect is confusion at the very center of the federal government. The Naira continues to slide dangerously; the president certainly is not receiving any clear economic advise, nor is there any clear action plan to address Nigeria’s economic reality. This is driving prices up; drying out the circulation of money, creating uncertainty, and putting Nigerians mentally and physically at great risk. Various contractual obligations are on a hold because investors do not yet know the shape of Nigeria’s economic policies. Many jobs have been lost as a result. Fewer still have been created. Nigeria may soon face the Greece situation. The president’s dawdling over the appointment of ministers has real time effect, and it is a capital mess. Let us say, for instance, that we have another Ebola scare, how does the Federal Ministry of Health, respond without its political leadership? Who would direct the coordination of disaster relief in the case of a national health emergency? Bureaucrats do not act outside of political directives. The president presumably has assumed the role of the Minister for Defence. But by all definitions, Boko Haram is now legally a war of external aggression, the fight against which requires strategic coordination between Defence, Internal Affairs, Finance, and Justice. There is no cabinet-level response and coordination. The fierce, renewed Boko Haram activity after the decisive gains in the last days of the Jonathan presidency reflects the policy and strategic confusion and the summersaults of Buhari’s oneman administration. Now, Buhari is about to embark on his first official foreign trip to the United States. The question every sensible citizen must now be asking this president is, what briefs and advisories has the president received before proceeding to this most important foreign trip that may shape his foreign policy action? How can a president embark on such an important diplomatic mission without cabinet input? In short, what foreign policy action plan is available to the president? It is unprecedented. Without the political leadership of a foreign minister, the president will proceed blindly. These are the implications of a president governing alone – listening and talking only to himself – playing “Eze-OnyeAgawanam.”
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PROLOGUE
HUNTED, HAUNTED GOES THE HUNTER
Boko Haram as Achilles’ heel of Service Chiefs Lessons President Buhari must learn about terrorism False genocide propaganda that helped Shekau’s men BY JIDE AJANI
P
•Major -General Abayomi Olonisakin, Chief of Defence Staff
•Major-General T.Y.
Buratai, Chief of Army Staff
•Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff
• Air
Vice Marshal Morgan Monday Riku, Chief of Defence Intelligence
Why Buhari axed 14 Service Chiefs ahead of US visit! C M Y K
•Boko
•Rear-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff
Haram fighters.
rejudice! Wicked prejudice! The consequence of the wickedness of prejudice is the present spate of criminal activities passed off as terrorism in some parts of the north of Nigeria. To fully understand the sometimes deadly effect of prejudice, please follow this near-death real-life situation (as detailed in World’s Weirdest (newspaper stories): “According to the Charlotte Observer of 1926, the Reverend Mr Taylor and the Reverend Mr Dick conducted a learned public debate at Edenton on the question: ‘Will the Negro retain his present colour in heaven?’ Mr. Taylor contended that the Negro’s colour will change. It is not clear what scientific evidence Mr. Taylor marshaled to support his argument; the report merely illustrates how weirdly racial prejudice may affect otherwise intelligent people. But cases of individuals’ skin changing colour have occurred; and in places where facial law operate, the results can be disquieting. “In January 1970, Mr. Alphons du Toit, for example, a South African White, was stung from head to toe when he walked into a swarm of bees in the middle of
Continues on page 15
16 Sac vice Sackked Ser Service Chief ook lo Chiefss ttook loyyalty ttoo Jonathan too far —Brig. Gen. Idada Ikponmwen (retd)
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Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015
By Kingsley Omonobi
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t was a sack signed and sealed by Boko Haram. President Mu hammadu Buhari merely delivered it. Months before they were relieved of their appointments, last week, even the worst analysts of the Nigerian military had seen it coming. The Boko Haram insurgency, which has become a sore thumb in our national life, vis-a-vis the killings in the North-East, apparently played some key role in the axing of Air Marshall Alex Badeh as the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS); Major General Kenneth Jacob Minimah as the Chief of the Army Staff; Rear Admiral Usman O. Jibrin as the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) and Air Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu as the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). Badeh, Minimah, Jibrin and Amosu were appointed into the military top posts in January 2014, by former President Goodluck Jonathan. That was at the heat of the Boko Haram insurgency and the expectation from government and Nigerians was that the Service Chiefs would give a breather on the insecurity challenge. But for the last one and a half years of the Jonathan administration, it wAs a ding-dong affair between the Boko Haram insurgents and the military, with the former taking territories, especially in Borno and Yobe states while bombings and killings of innocent people were the order of the day. The kidnapping of the more than 200 Chibok school girls in April 2014 compounded the situation. The intensity of the insurgency also caused a shift in the dates of the 2015 general elections. And it was not until that point that the military added some bite to the war against Boko Haram in the course of which some territories lost to the terrorists were recovered. The President, on assumption of office on May 29, put the war against the insurgents on top of the list of his priorities. One of his first actions in office was the relocation of the military command to Borno State, the epicentre of the insurgency. MeanWhile, it was clear that the days of Badeh, Minimah, Jibrin and Amosu as Service Chiefs were numbered simply on account of what was generally viewed as the military’S poor response to the Boko Haram insurgency. The day of reckoning for the Service Chiefs came late week when Buhari fired them. Even if the President had wanted to retain them in office beyond last week, Sunday Vanguard learnt that Buhari’s visit to the United States (US) from today, rendered it a nullity. The Nigerian government is banking on the US help to contain the Boko Haram insurgents. The calculation, it was learnt, is that should the President make a good case for such help from the Americans during the visit, he must be seen to be serious about repOsitioning the Nigerian military for the war against Boko Haram. “The firing of the SerC M Y K
e ic v r e S d e x a i r a h u B y Wh ! it is v S U f o d a e h a s f Chie
Even if the President had wanted to retain them in office beyond last week, Sunday Vanguard learnt that Buhari’s visit to the United States (US) from today, rendered it a nullity
sources, improve and equip the vice Chiefs is the beginning of the reposiarmed forces, putting in mind actioning”, a source said. countability, to ensure that any sus“The calculation is that the Americans may pected corrupt tendencies are nipped ask President Buhari why military comin the bud”. manders (sacked Service Chiefs) were still On the day Minimah handed over in place when, after several months of beto his successor, Major General ing in control and getting huge financial supTukur Buratai, this is what he said port from the Jonathan administration, Boko as an aside, “To senior officers and HarAm continued to bite hard. other members of the armed forces, “The likelihood is also that they will I want to say you guys are better off present Buhari with figures and ask how because in your own case, due prothis huge amount of money voted to comcess is followed before you are rebat terror was spent? Why is the result not tired. showing? The thinking is that any Ameri“You are given six months’ Notice; can aid to come will be on the grounds you proceed in pre-retirement holithat you have a new team with new thinkday and plan your next movement. ing faculty, a team that is tested and will But as Service Chiefs, we don’T have spare no effort in ending the Boko Haram that luxury. It is either you hear it mayhem”. just on the radio or television. So if The source said President Buhari will now you aspire to be a Service Chief, you be able to look at US President Obama in also know that you have that price the face and say he has a new team in place, and that the team is trusted, has integrity, Continues on page 15 and primed to actualize his mission of ending Boko Haram insurgency. Continuing, the source said, “Buhari will tell the Americans that he has set machinery in motion to investigate how the huge amount of money so far released to fight insurgency was spent and why, after such releases to the security agencies, many of the equipment promised to deal with Boko Haram are nowhere to be seen. “President Buhari will also show the Americans a blueprint detailing how •Buhari he intends to employ new r e•Obama -
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Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 15
Boko Haram as Achilles’ heel of Service Chiefs Continued from page 13
Johannesburg. He turned black. A housewife was shopping nearby when the incident occurred, and declared: ‘He was unrecognisable.’ Another passer-by telephoned for an ambulance. The official at the other end of the line asked: ‘European or non-European?’ The passer-by replied; ‘Non-European – I think.’ “Accordingly, Mr. du Toit was put into an ambulance for non-Whites and
driven to the non-White section of Johannesburg General Hospital for treatment. “While the patient was being given emergency treatment, however, the nurses discovered that he was white. Should they carry on regardless, or interrupt treatment to have Mr. du Toit moved to the White section? Prejudice won; and in a desperate state, the unfortunate patient was wheeled out of the non-White area and into the White. His condition was critical. “The vagaries of apartheid were further exposed by the case of Mrs. Rita Hoefling, a white South African woman who had an operation to remove her adrenal glands in 1969. After the operation, her skin turned progressively darker and darker, discoloured by pituitary secretions. A Cape Town hospital worker, Mrs. Hoefling found herself being treated as a black maid, ordered off Whites Only buses, subjected to countless slights and humiliations. In January 1978, she wrote a formal letter to protest to the South African Premier, John Vorster, to tell him ‘what apartheid is doing to my life and those of others’. “Skin changes may, of course, work in reverse through a pigmentation disorder, Eddie Mae Kearney of New York changed from black to white in 1959. In 1981, she turned black again – spot by spot”. In today’s Nigeria, prejudice plays a major part in virtually every aspect of its daily existence. And it is nowhere more pronounced than in the attitude of some leaders of Nigeria’s majority tribes – Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba; and recently the Ijaws – towards other minority tribes. The trajectory between the apartheid story, the attitude of some leaders of Nigeria’s majority tribes to the
•Boko Haram fighters.
Yes, President Buhari has performed his first ritual of changing Service Chiefs. This should be matched with good sense and strategy to defeat the bad guys – and not to continue an encore ritual of musical chairs
minorities, and the present state of war in Nigeria can be located in the staccato and tongue-in-cheek pronouncements from the early days of Muhammed Yusuf ’s ragtag evangelical group, to the infancy of members of Jama’atu Ahliss-Sunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad (Western education is evil), otherwise known as Boko Haram, and to today’s band of criminals terrorizing the nation. Going through the indifference and reckless statements made in those very bad, sad early days of Boko Haram – and even as lately as the campaigns for the 2015 elections would not bestow any scintilla of decency on this piece, especially the statements that seemed to send the wrong signal that except persons from a particular section of the country is elected as President, Nigeria would know no peace. Prejudice. Worse still, the Ijaw man, who became President and Commander-in-Chief, elevated prejudice to another level. And whereas it did not as much manifest in government appointments, it bore its destructive fangs more in the nature of extra-governmental leaders who reduce Nigeria to not even the entirety of the Ijaw nation but a tiny sector. Therefore, as the naivety about proprietary control of the Nigerian state begot another form of naivety, the fundamental directive principle of state policy, which should be the enthronement of peace and stability and
the well-being of the citizenry, was laid bare on the slaughter slab. The prejudice, which sank deeply, befuddling a visage of the clear and present danger that, in 2009/2010 and early 2011, could have been crushed had Nigerians been united and the government of the day decisive, was allowed to become a monster. Now, northern leaders are asking Nigerians to support Buhari against Boko Haram. The opposition at that time even rejoiced and, in some more bizarre instances, tagged the war against terror as genocide against the North. Beyond the tokenistic ritual of changing Service Chiefs, tons of letters of condolences by The Presidency expressing grief, preachments vowing to crush the insurgency, the Jonathan administration conducted the campaign against the terrorists like a shell. To be fair, however, the needed intelligence, which would have been provided by Nigeria’s neighbours, never came; just as the military hardware that was promised by the West was never supplied – even with Nigeria’s cash. Add to this litany, a bumbling President. Whereas Jonathan told CNN mid2013 that in six months he would reappear on the cable channel to tell them that BOKO HARAM had been defeated, the reality, by May 2014, was that stories of Nigeria and Boko Haram on CNN were stories determined by and predicated on the exploits of the terror group. It is this over-simplification of the state of war that Nigeria is in that should be a lesson to as well as serve as guide for both President Buhari and leaders of the All Progressives Congress of Nigeria, APC, who still make statements that Boko Haram would disappear in a couple of months. For instance, having dislodged the terrorists from their known bases, what counter measures are in place in terms of IED-detection strategies, mass mobilization, public enlightenment, support for and protection of Islamic clerics who have been speaking openly against the terrorists with a view to changing the evil narrative? Yes, President Buhari has performed his first ritual of changing Service Chiefs. This should be matched with good sense and strategy to defeat the bad guys – and not to continue an encore ritual of musical chairs.
Why Buhari axed Service Chiefs ahead of US visit! Continued from page 14
to pay. But, above all, being the Chief of the Army Staff has been fulfilling” Sunday Vanguard learnt that the former COAS was briefed by the Presidency ahead of the sack, last week. Presiding over the 2nd annual quarterly conference of the Chief of the Army Staff to review the Army’s performance in the war on terrorism and other forms of violence, including cattle rustling, kidnapping, bombings, criminality, etc, which commenced on Monday, July 13, the COAS was said to have been called to the Presidential Villa. C M Y K
On his return, he told the gathering of officers, including GOCs, Principal Staff Officers, Corps Commanders, and Commandants of training institutions, to go and watch television for breaking news. However, nobody could fathom what was going on as the normAl practice is that everybody, apart from the COAS, will keep his phone outside the conference room. It was much later, during lunch break, that calls started coming in and it became known that the old Service Chiefs had been dropped. Badeh, Minimah, Jibrin and Amosu were not the only Service Chiefs who fell on account of the Boko
Haram insurgency. Their predecessors had to go to give impetus to the anti-terror war. They are Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike (CDS), Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (COAS); and Vice Admiral Iko Ibrahim (CNS) under whom the military fought to restrict the Boko Haram crisis to Borno and Yobe states, and end it there. Ihejirika succeeded Lt. General Abdulrahman Bello Bambazzau under whose tenure the Islamist group gained ground in 2008 when its leader, Mohammed Yusuf, was arrested and killed in controversial circumstances. In the meantime, there are high
hopes that the new Service Chiefs: Major General Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin (CDS), Buratai (CoAS), Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (CNS) and Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar (CAS), given their robust backgrounds, and workIng in collaboration with the President, himself a retired Army general, the end of the Boko Haram insurgency may be near. Analysts are also not overlooking the appointments of a new National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), aNd Air Vice Marshal Monday Riku Morgan as Chief of Defence Intelligence as crucial steps to stopping the Islamist group.
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Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015
Sacked Service Chiefs took loyalty to Jonathan too far —Brig. Gen. Idada Ikponmwen (retd)
•’Senat irming milit ar op br ass appointments’ •’Senatee has no reason conf confirming militar aryy ttop brass SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY
B
rig. General Don Idada Ikponmwen is a former Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army and also its former Director, Legal Services. Idada, who was involved in several legal battles in the Army, including the prosecution of three admirals over the missing African Pride oil tanker in 2003, expresses shock over the Federal High Court’s recent declaration which stripped the President of the sole power to appoint Service Chiefs. He notes, in this interview, that the declaration would not stand the test of time, just as he believes the step would politicise the armed forces and threaten the security of the nation. The erstwhile Army chief also speaks on the sack of Service Chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari and the dismantling of military road blocks across the country. Excerpts: You condemned the comment by President Muhammadu Buhari that the names of the new Service Chiefs will be sent to the Senate for confirmation, but there is a court ruling on the issue which seems to strip the President of the sole power to appoint Service Chiefs? I am displeased with such a declaration because it tends to turn the Constitution upside down. It is even more shocking that the court agreed with the argument that the Armed Forces Act, which was enacted during the military administration of General Abdulsalami Abubakar and was a replica of the 1993 Armed Forces Decree, was declared to be a law not in the category of the existing laws in Nigeria. The decision cannot stand the test of time. I don’t think we have seen the end of the matter. My worry is that many people, especially those who would not take the pain to read the Constitution in all its ramifications, may just get the impression that it is the position of our Constitution. I feel very disappointed about that judgement, and I think this is one of the reasons some people believe there is lack k of thoroughness, lack of expertise amongst some of our judges. What really makes you feel the court was
C M Y K
wrong in its judgement? The provisions of our Constitution with regard to the powers of the President in terms of appointments to high public offices including that of the Service Chiefs are very clear. Wherever the Constitution intends to have conditions placed on the President like the need to consult, have a nomination from certain bodies or the need for confirmation by the Senate, it is very clear on those points. Even a casual look at the provisions of Section 147 dealing with the appointment of Ministers, the provision of Sections 230 and 238 will show that the Constitution is not silent on the conditions necessary to appoint top officials to federal executive positions. Section 147 in particular, which deals with the appointment of Ministers, makes it clear that confirmation by the Senate is a pre-requisite. Nobody becomes a Minister unless the Senate has approved the nomination. The same way with the appointment of the Chief Justice of the Federation. Section 230, Sub Section 1 requires not only that there will be a nomination from the Judicial Service Commission, but also that the nomination made by the President must be sent to the Senate for approval and confirmation. Same applies to the appointment of the President of the Court of Appeal. On the nature of our Presidency, Section 130(1) says “There shall be for the Federation a President” and proceeds to add in 130(2): “The President shall be the Head of State, The Chief Executive of the Federation and CommanderinChief
I feel very disappointed about that judgement, and I think this is one of the reasons some people believe there is lack of thoroughness, lack of expertise amongst some of our judges.
of the Armed Forces of the Federation.” On the strength of these provisions, it is clear that the President is not a mere figure-head or ceremonial President. Added to this is the fact that he is elected from all the constituencies of the Federation and is thereby vested with grassroots support, which is greater than the mandate of all legislators put together. Sections 133 and 134 of the Constitution explain the power exercisable by the President and Commander-InChief. Section 218(1) says: “The Power of the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation shall include power to determine the operational use of the Armed Forces of the Federation” The provision that is directly relevant to the appointment of the Service Chiefs is Section 218(2) which says: “The power conferred on the President by Subsection (1) of this Section shall include power to appoint the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff and Heads of any other branches of the Armed Forces of the Federation as may be established by an Act of the National Assembly.” From the foregoing, it is clear that the power vested in the President to appoint Service Chiefs is in no way fettered. If the Constitution had intended to place any restriction or condition, it would have said so unequivocally as it has done with regard to other positions created by the Constitution; for example Sections 230(1) relating to the Chief Justice and Justices of the Supreme Court of the Federation and the President of the Court of Appeal. In all these Sections,
the Constitution, in no uncertain terms, spells out when either consultation with the Council of State or nomination from some other bodies or confirmation by the Senate is required. Section 218(2) is therefore unambiguous and does not lend itself open to any unwarranted debate or academic exercise. Section 154(1) provides, in general terms, that the appointment to the above listed positions shall need the confirmation of the Senate in deserving and specific positions; whereas Section 154(2) proceeds to specify where confirmation shall not be required. Such positions not needing the confirmation of the Senate include: the Council of State, National Defense Council or the National Security Council. Section 154(3) states clearly that in the appointment of persons to the position of Chairman/ Members of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the National Judicial Council, the Federal Judicial Service Commission and the National Population Commission, the President shall be required to consult the Council of State and no more. From these provisions and others earlier cited, it becomes obvious, on invocation of the doctrine of expressio unius exclusio alterius, that it is improper to drag in the requirement of confirmation from the Senate or even consultation with any other body for the appointment of Service Chiefs in the Federation of Nigeria. Having come this far, it becomes necessary to take a look at the existing laws to see whether, indeed, the relevant portions of the Armed Forces Act, AFA, are in consonance with the Constitution. What about the issue of existing laws? In its ordinary meaning, the concept of existing law carries the meaning of any law, any enactment or instrument whatsoever which was in force before the promulgation of the Constitution. The Armed Forces Act, which was enacted as Armed Forces Decree (1993) during the military era, existed before the promulgation of the 1999 Constitution. The fact that CAP A20, Laws of the Federation
Continues on page 17
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Continued from page 16 of Nigeria (2004) altered the name of that law, with little or no modification, does not take that law outside the scope of existing laws under the 1999 Constitution. It is noteworthy that unlike the NYSC Decree 1993, the Public Complaints Commission Act, the National Security Agency Act and the Land Use Act, the Armed forces Decree/Act was not listed as one of the laws to be carried over in 1999 so as to enjoy the status of Constitutional provisions. On the strength of both Section 315(2) and 1(3) of the Constitution, which is the supremacy clause, the aforementioned provisions of the Armed Forces Act, in so far as they are not consistent with the provision of Section 218(2), must be null and void to the extent of the inconsistency. Section 1(3) provides: “If any other law is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution, the Constitution shall prevail and that other law, shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void”. Whereas Section 218(2) empowers the President to appoint his Service Chiefs at his discretion, the Armed Forces Act, which, on the contrary, places restrictions on the exercise of the same power vide Section 18(1) and (2) of the AFA, makes the latter clearly inconsistent with the Constitution. I am not aware of the provision of Section 218(4) (a) and (b) which provides that the National Assembly shall make laws for the regulation of the powers exercisable by the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and for the appointment and disciplinary control of members of the Armed Forces of the Federation. It is seriously contended that the provisions in Section 218(4) (a) and (b) are general provisions aimed at ensuring that laws are made to guide against arbitrariness and abuse of power. While pointing out that even the National Assembly has never made any such regulatory laws, it must be emphasised that the general provisions in Section 218(4) cannot override the specific power granted the President in the same Section to appoint Service Chiefs without any restraint. We practised the presidential system from 1979, then there was a military administration again. If you add Shagari’s regime to the regimes we have had after Abdulsalami handed over to civilians, you have a total of 18 years that we have practised the presidential system wherein the National Assembly is expected to pass laws to regulate the powers of the President in his exercise of powers as Commander of the Armed Forces. But there has never been such a law. So the discretion of the President is the law as far as appointment is concerned. However, because the President is a politician, his powers need to be regulated in terms of the use of the Armed Forces. That is the area that should be of concern to the National Assembly. But the National Assembly has not even passed a single law in all these years. From the foregoing analysis, the provisions of Sections 218(4) (a), (b) and 219 cannot constitute any justification to deny the President the discretion availed him by the same Constitution with regard to the appointment of Service Chiefs. Politicizing the appointments of C M Y K
Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 17
inevitably arise when the Command of the Armed Forces, particularly in terms of appointment, becomes an issue for the National Assembly.
•Ikponmwen...We need new strategies against Boko Haram.
’Senate has no reason conf irming milit ar op confirming militar aryy ttop br ass appointments’ brass Service Chiefs The declaration to the effect that the President cannot appoint his Service Chiefs without the confirmation of the Senate is manifestly wrong and dangerous for our nation as it will, inevitably, lead to negation of discipline, coherence in command and control of the armed forces which are predicated upon the existence of a unified command. The issue of command of the armed forces is a very serious, professional military issue which has very serious implications for the efficiency, efficacy and virility of the armed forces. Let me emphasize that the efficiency of the Armed Forces thrives on what we call unity of command. Discipline, promotion, deployment, everything that has to do with the armed forces must come under a unified Command where there can be no ambiguities, no conflicts as to responsibility, and this must be so because of strategic reasons. The moment you divide command in the armed forces, you divide loyalty and loyalty is supposed to be 100 per cent to the command of the armed forces. The command of the armed forces revolves around the Commander in Chief and officers commissioned into the armed forces that hold positions from time to time. The moment you break or negate this unity of command, you don’t have an army. You will have a bunch of people who, for selfish reasons, are running from pillar to post, from senator to senator, trying to butter their own bread. Therefore, you cannot afford to make appointments in the armed forces an all- comers affair, and when I say all comers, it includes the National Assembly. The duty of the National Assembly is to make laws, conduct oversight functions and regulate. An attempt has also been made to highlight that a substantial part of the reason for the collapse of the First Republic was the absence of a powerful and clearly discernable
The declaration to the effect that the President cannot appoint his Service Chiefs without the confirmation of the Senate is manifestly wrong and dangerous for our nation as it will, inevitably, lead to negation of discipline
leader, and that this phenomenon accounted for the choice of the presidential system. In the same breath, the point has been emphasised that the Command and control of the Armed Forces must not be allowed to be compromised on the altar of politics. This compromise would
But don’t you think this will make the President dictatorial? Let me tell you that where we are today, by virtue of the type of Constitution or the system we are running, is not by accident. This country was used to a parliamentary system of government for many years - both before and after independence, particularly after independence. We were running a Westminster type of government for five years before the military struck and pulled down the First Republic. What was the reason? I want to emphasize that one of the reasons why the parliamentary system was dumped in this country is because it was too amorphous, cumbersome, it lacked an identifiable leader who commanded the followership and support of the generality of Nigerians. It lacked grassroots support. It was bedeviled by the concept of collective responsibility. That is why Nigeria opted in 1979 for a President that will be powerful, who can make quick decisions, consult when it is necessary. So the President is deliberately a powerful man by our structure. But that is not the end of the story. That is why you find Section 218, Sub section 4 talking about powers to regulate the powers of the President. The National Assembly is supposed to use its laws to regulate such powers, but like I said before, no such regulations have been made. In other words, the President, by default of the National Assembly, remains a man whose executive powers are not restricted to just the appointment of Service Chiefs, but the entire armed forces are at his discretion. Do you think the recent change of the Service Chiefs will bring to the end of the Boko Haram insurgency? Certainly, everybody in Nigeria knowns now that from what we saw in the greater part of the last administration that the military establishment has been very seriously compromised. It was obvious that, like most other public appointment holders, their loyalty was to the former President and his aides and it was also very clear that they were doing everything to sustain the former administration and to prevent change. The certificate issue was just only one of the measures that showed that bias and compromise became the name of the game. Besides this business of bias, incompetence and inherent corruption manifested in the way the fight against Boko Haram was carried out, most inefficiently, most unsuccessfully. The failure was so obvious that people were asking, is it that the military was not properly equipped or motivated? Some traced it to lack of equipment, soldiers were running away to face the enemies that were reasonably well equipped. Hundreds of soldiers were being court-martialed for unwillingness to fight because the officers believed they were on suicide mission. The Jonathan administration sent our soldiers on suicide mission because there were no equipment despite so much money being expended. It was also clear that the Minister of Defense had become nothing but a figure head with no powers, whereas it was the Service Chiefs and the NSA office that were
spending the money contrary to existing rules and procedures. I don’t think the military had ever experienced this terrible situation in our history. And all of these were due to undue politicization of the military and corruption at the top level. So obviously the change that was made a few days ago was the most desirable change, it is over due given the mood of the nation. I knew it will come and even the Service Chiefs knew they had to go, it was not a surprise to anybody. I honestly believe that changing the Service Chiefs is just the beginning of the reorganization and repositioning and re-orientation of our military. It is necessary at this stage to start making the military professional again and to redefine the concept of loyalty properly. That loyalty must be to the Constitution not necessarily to the individual ruler. When the leader is good, like I believe President Buhari is, there will be no problem or dichotomy, it will mean that loyalty to the President is the same thing as loyalty to the nation. Those who have been appointed are very well groomed, well trained officers. I believe they will be able to fashion out their policies and their modus operandi in line with the deals the President represents. Fighting Boko Haram with new strategy The way Boko Haram is going now, the group has resorted to guerilla tactics. It is obvious they are no more in the position to hold territories, they now run here and there, it is obvious that they are fast losing. Unless this trend is properly checked with the right methods, it could stay on for a long time, resulting in more damage of lives and property in this country. This time around, our strategies must change to emphasis on cooperation and support of the local populace and also give bite to intelligence gathering and speedy dissemination of information and intelligence. With tat, insurgents can be dealt with in their hide outs, in the areas where they assemble and manufacture their bombs; it will also be easy to identify who are their supporters and sponsors. We must also ensure that the welfare of the security operatives is enhanced, they must be motivated even as we are negating the propaganda of the insurgents. Because the insurgents propaganda is saying that this government is bad, government must also make sure that they re-orientate our people to know that what these people are saying is not true. So the National Orientation Agency, the Ministry of Information must make sure that we turn our people against these terrorists. Public opinion must change in favour of our military and government and against the insurgents. And of course the military must be properly funded to meet their task. Abolition of military check points I have always said that the Constitutional role of the armed forces is not routine policing. We don’t want to turn our soldiers into traffic police and warders, there must be strategic and tactical value as regards to their deployment. Therefore if we must see road blocks mounted by the military, it must be areas where we have insurgency or serious insecurity.
PAGE 18— SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015
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My door is still open to marriage – Ayo Adesanya
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oluptuously beautiful and sexy Ayo Adesanya has rightly made an entrance into the Nollywood hall of fame as she celebrates her 20th anniversary in the industry at the age of 45. The entire month of July, has been about accolades and ovation for the highly talented actress. While basking in the euphoria of the anniversary celebrations, Ayo, who had a tumultuous marriage and even messier divorce saga with her former husband, actor and producer, Goriola Hassan, took time out to tell Potpourri that her 20 years journey in the make-believe world had not been all rosy. She spoke about marriage and love and posited that even though her marriage didn’t work out she still believed in love. She was asked if she could still marry again. “When people ask me that question, they just get me confused. Fine, God said we should come to the world, get married and multiply but you know what? I’m beginning to think marriage is not for the whole world. It’s not everybody that agrees to that because
these days, people are getting so hostile. People fall in love; it’s not as if you don’t find love but does it really last? You keep wondering that today they’ve broken up, tomorrow they’ve broken up; it’s not a good thing really. When you’re asking me if I’m going to get married again, I’m not God because you really can’t play God when it comes to what is going to happen. Tomorrow, I might just meet somebody that would sweep me off my feet, so it’s not as if I’m closing the door totally. God is the owner of my life, so if he says okay, this is what he wants. But then, it doesn’t mean you cannot be happy if you’re not married. I want the coming generation to be happily married, I want them to settle, I want them to believe in love, I want them to have a peaceful life and a peaceful home; I encourage it. Because I’m not married does not mean that I do not understand what love is, I know what love is, I know what romance is, I understand it so well” she said
Uduak Isong preaches love in new movie ‘Falling’ set to hit cinemas By JULIET EBIRIM
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hot new movie ‘Falling’, starring Nollywood’s finest ‘Desmond Elliot, Kofi Adjorlolo, Blossom Chukwujekwu and Adesua Etomi’, is set to be premiered this September. This is the first movie from the stable of Closer Pictures owned by Uduak Isong Oguamanam. ‘Falling’ is written and produced by Uduak Isong Oguamanam and directed by Niyi Akinmolayan. Speaking to the press about the movie, script writer and producer, Uduak disclosed that it’s the first time she’s doing a big budget movie. “I’m passionate about this one because it’s my story and I’m
producing it myself. I spent about 10 million naira on the movie. I’m known to make low budget films, but this is the first time I’m trying something bigger. This is also the first time I’m making a movie for the cinemas. I’m hoping to break records with the opening weekend.” Continuing, she said “ My first movie was ‘Okon in Lagos’. I also did ‘Okon goes to school’, ‘Desperate Housegirls’ and others. I used to distribute under my sister’s (Emem Isong) label, this is my first project under my own production company, Closer
Omotola, Alli Baba to be honoured at 2015 AAA N igeria’s screen diva Omotola Jalade Akehinde and the nation’s king of comedy, Alli Baba will be honoured at the prestigious African Achievers Awards, AAA, which is scheduled to hold in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 25, 2015. Confirming the decision to honour the two prominent entertainers, the AAA through its principal partner, Rex Idaminabo said the duo of Omotola and Alli Baba was most qualified due to their outstanding contributions to the transformation of the entertainment
industry in Nigeria and in Africa. According to Rex, ‘’while Omotola’s zeal and consistency created the needed breakthrough for Nollywood to thrive, Alli Baba took the comedy business to a different level in the country. Both Omotola and Alli Baba created a path for others to follow. They showed other artists the desired paths, and today, entertainment has become one of the main industries in Nigeria and in Africa that pays more people than any other industry. ‘’ He said it was proper to select few
Pictures. I’ve learnt a lot from my sister and I think I can now stand on my own. My sister is the best around, I learnt production values from her and that quality must be given top priority.” “The story is about a lovely couple who thought they had everything and nothing could ever separate them. There’s an accident and the husband gets into a coma, so the woman is torn between
letting him go and waiting for him.” She added. `Falling’ is a highly emotional and thought provoking drama which touches on the subject of love, marriage, commitment and devotion. Imoh and Muna believe nothing can come between them until Imoh has an accident that leaves him comatose for months. Will Muna hold out for him or will she pull the plug?. The movie will hit the cinemas on September 18. achievers from the entertainment industry as it has over time become a business and profit driven sector that is responsible for the creation of job opportunities. The organizers also stressed on the importance of tourism and entertainment industries, saying it was because of the symbiotic relationship between the two that it will be recognizing the renowned tourism and traveling agencies in Nigeria, VIP Express, saying the company has set precedence in Africa and the world at large. The first African Achievers Awards was presented to Archbishop Desmond Tutu in recognition of his fight for Human Rights, Justice and Peace.
STOP PIRACY NOW! STOP BUYING PIRATED MOVIE AND MUSIC CDs, DVDs. IT IS KILLING THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. STOP! C M Y K
SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 19 Onikoyi68@gmail.com
My pastor-dad buys my bikinis – Queen Adakole Fast-rising Nollywood actress and model, Queen Adakole has her eyes only for the top. The 24 year-old Benue State dark-skinned beauty is set to take the entertainment industry by storm with her target of reaching out to a minimum of 15 million people. Her acting started in 2005 when she featured in ‘Queen of tomorrow’, a film that was shot in Ghana, Benin Republic and Nigeria. But soon after that, she had to quit acting at her parents insistence, because of their belief that she would not
complete school if she continued to be mesmerised by the alluring world of acting. She listened to them and quit acting to pursue her education squarely. She returned seven years later and this time her parents supported her wholeheartedly. She ‘s a bit of a daddy’s girl and confessed to Potpourri how she is so close to her dad who is a pastor. “My father is a pastor, but he’s one of my biggest fans. When I’m on a stage or somewhere performing, the first clap I hear is from my dad and it has always been like
that. Let me tell you one secret, my dad buys me most of my bikinis” she quips Adding, “He’s a pastor in the Republic of Benin. He buys my bikinis and underwears till date. My mother has also been very supportive. She’s my P.R.O (Public Relations Officer). She’s always telling people about my movies and stuffs. I have the best family.”
I can never leave Nollywood for anything — Desmond Elliot
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amed actor turned legislator in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Desmond Elliot is really enjoying the time he has spent so far in the House, but he says that does not mean he plans to leave his primary constituency, Nollywood anytime soon. In a recent chat with Potpourri, we asked if his job as a legislator meant it’s goodbye to acting for him, and he would have none of that. He retorted, “What kind of talk is that? Why will I leave an industry that puts food on my table? It’s not goodbye at all; this is just the time to learn the art of being a good legislator. I
probably might not be in front of, or behind the camera anymore, but I will still advocate for policies that promote and encourage the industry. Piracy is a major problem the entertainment industry is battling; issues of structure, and film villages are also things that we will talk about in the course of the coming four years.” The actor however admitted that he is learning a lot of things in the House, and he said this much. According to him, “I’m learning fast; I read a lot of books and I’m also picking up some things from the House. There are wonderful ranking members and staff that I’ve met, and they’ve been very helpful. It’s been good so far.”
Fresh dating rumours trail Flavour, Chidinma
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ince their colabo on the hit song ‘Ololufe’, Flavour and Chidinma have not been able to bath themselves clean of dating allegations. No doubt the video depicts Flavour and Chidinma in some suggestive positions and the song message did not help matters as they profess love to each other. In the hit of allegation after allegation, the duo have come out to dispel the dating rumour, clearly stating that whatever they did in the video was professional and had no substance in their real life. Some believed them just as many wrung their noses in disbelief. But when Flavour posted another picture of himself and Chidinma on Thursday on Instagram in a most compromising suggestive manner, tongues began to wag again. “Hmmmmm... . Both of you know what is going on between you guys... Anyway nice shot” says one comment. “Can’t they take pix together? Nigerians with dirty minds X_X if u work in an office won’t u take pictures with ur female colleagues? “ shot back another comment. “Ha ha they are in love jo” retorts another.
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PAGE 20 , SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015 Onikoyi68@gmail.com
Many Nigerian artistes dress poorly because of poverty
already. If Iyanya had waited for MTN, he wouldn’t have gotten to where he is now. The Nigerian music industry is not for lazy people as fans forget people quickly; that’s why you see people like Olamide releasing songs every other month. Some people will say it’s luck that determines success, but I don’t believe in luck because it’s a magician’s word; I believe in fate and God’s favour.
— John Agoha *`I am a lover boy’ By TOFARATI IGE
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he first thing that strikes you about John Agoha is the feminine air around him. Even though the texture of his voice and his gesticulations are a bit effeminate, he is a man who is definite and firm about his goals in life. In this chat with Showtime Celebrity, he speaks on his career, his crush and Genevieve, and the types of women he likes. Excerpts…
•John Agoha
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ell us a bit about your background… I was born and raised in Benin City, but I’m from Imo State. I started doing music at the age of ten when I began singing in the church choir. Later on, I became a Choir Master, before I got discovered and I went to a music school called BenJos Showbiz Academy. From the music school, I started modeling professionally round Africa. I later travelled, and when I came back, I went for Star Quest, and the competition actually made me to believe in myself because then, I didn’t have the intention of pursuing music as a career. Out of over 5,000 people that attended the audition, I was the only one that was picked in Benin. From there, we came to Lagos and I emerged the first runner-up. Tell us about some of your songs... I have ‘Omalicha’ which was
a huge success for me. After that, I released ‘Selense’ followed by ‘Chocomilo’ on which I featured Dammy Krane. What’s the inspiration behind Chocomilo? I and a producer friend of mine were just playing with the keyboard and the idea came up from there. It’s a love song, and as we were playing the song, Dammy Krane came around and said he wanted to be part of the song. The video will be released soon.
I’ve discovered that looking good opens doors for me
You started singing at an early age, was it due to your parents’ influence? Not at all. I’ve always had an amazing voice, and I started from the children choir. Actually, my mother wanted me to go to school and have all the degrees in the whole world, and also become a pastor. That’s why I was quite reserved in my childhood; I didn’t do most things other kids did. That’s why I still have a feminine attitude till date because I grew up around women. It has also helped me because I’m not loose. How would you define your music? The kind of music that I love is Jazz, but because of the Nigerian setting, I started with Highlife to RnB, and right now, I do Afro-Pop and Carribean. Most of your songs are
about women, would we be right to call you a lover boy? Yes, I’m a lover boy. You once said you faced a lot of discrimination when you were in Star Quest, why do you think so? I was like the stone the builders rejected which later became the cornerstone. Other people watching from home were seeing my ability, but in the house, nobody wanted me in their group and it wasn’t as if I had a bad character. It actually got to a point I told Star I wanted to leave the competition. There was a guy who was like the star in my group and he was the one always bringing out the concepts. However, there was one day that we had the least votes and we were almost being evicted. I then made a suggestion of a song that we should sing, and when we did the song, we went from the least position to the top. That was what actually won me their respect in the group. We were supposed to win that competition, but I don’t know what happened. If we had won, perhaps, we may have been bigger than KC Presh. But right now, all of us in the group are doing well. In your opinion, as a former singing reality show contestant, why do you think winners of such shows don’t achieve much success? Some of them are just lazy, and they feel they’re stars
You once mentioned that you lost a lot of relationships in the past because of your music career, will you be willing to take any of them back in the future? Hmm...a lot of people actually gave up on me, even my pastor. I can remember my pastor told me that music is not a career for responsible people; that it’s for touts. The only person that did not reject me is Phillip Trimmel of Music Africa and my mom. Nobody out there can say they contributed to my success; it has been God all the way. You were reported to have said that you can do anything to have Genevieve in your bed, what’s the cause of this obsession? Genevieve is my crush. When we were together at an event recently, I told her that. I like petite woman who I can ‘possess.’ However, I know I can’t get her because there are some political issues involved, but if she’s willing to be mine, I’ll drop anything for her. Even your music career? No, I won’t drop that, and she’ll understand. She’ll even be the one encouraging me. If she agrees to marry me today, we’ll do the wedding tomorrow in a quiet way, because I don’t like elaborate weddings. It’s supposed to be a quiet affair. What does fashion mean to you? It means so much to me because I believe that the way you look gives you an edge. I’ve discovered that looking good opens doors for me. I still have plans to establish a workshop where I’ll design my own clothes. Which fashion blunder do you think most Nigerian artistes commit? They wear busy on busy, and I think it’s because of their background. A lot of them were hit hard by poverty so it’s hard for them to know the right combination of attire to put on. We don’t have more than four artistes that dress well in Nigeria, and they are: D’banj, Ice Prince, Darey, Sexy Steel.
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SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 21
Ge tting in yyour our o wn w ay Getting own wa BY ONOZURE DANIA
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hen a woman feels hurt, scared, or uncertain with a man, often times she will act out on her feelings in indirect ways to try and get the man to see what she’s feeling and relate to her and start talking about it. She wants for a man to recognize and pay attention to her feelings and to understand her.
But this is not how men react and respond when it comes to pain, fear, and uncertainty. Men seek to avoid or break through all these things and their minds are constantly working to figure out how to get rid of these things all together. Of course, love and life and relationships don’t work this way. But it doesn’t keep men from trying, or from wanting the world around them to work this way. Lovers
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There is a point when being a woman shows up and acts overly emotional, upset, and insecure and does things that are unattractive to a man, it’s bad enough. But then when a woman sees the damage that her behaviour has done to her relationship with a man and she starts to feel bad about that too, things quickly go from bad to worse. Each time she calls a man and he hears her voice, he •Seun, 37, resides in Abuja, needs a lady, aged 26-32, who is God fearing, tall and beautiful, for serious relationship, that will lead to marriage.09096784852 • Amuno, 34, employed, needs a lady, from Kalabari, in River state, for a serious relationship. 08030694430 • Tony, 48, 6ft tall, a businessman, from Delta state, needs a sincere and responsible lady for a serious relationship, aged 31 and above. 08053918200, 09030181641 •Goodluck, 29, resides in Lagos and employed, needs a lady for a serious r e l a t i o n s h i p . 0 8 0 2 2 0 0 3 5 8 8 2 , 0813309498 •Mike, 48, a businessman, needs a wealthy, fat and fair in complexion lady, aged 40 and above, for a serious relationship.08068537434 •Grega, 33, hardworking, tall, and chocolate in complexion, a Christian, needs a humble and hardworking lady, for a serious relationship. 08153229094 •Olusegun, 54, tall dark in complexion, self employed and resides in Lagos, needs a faithful, pretty, tall, slim or moderate, educated lady, for a relationship. 07037132452 •Morgan, 34, 6ft tall, gentle, dark in complexion and resides in Bayelsa, needs a lady for a relationship that can lead to marriage. 08064379060 •Karo, 24, a graduate resides in delta needs a sexy rich lady for a relationship. 08168439544 •Steve, 25, handsome, gentle and educated, from Lagos state, needs a beautiful, influential and sexually active lady for marriage. 07037177183 •Chidozie,35, a graduate and resides in Abuja, needs a responsible slim, tall, fair in
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instantly knows she’s still in that place of fear, worry, and emotional uncertainty. And this will keep pushing the man further and further away. When taking a different approach, the answer isn’t to try and talk through all your uncertain feelings with a man if your goal is to connect with him and keep building his interest and attraction for you, the answer is to do the things that create attraction in him. Stop talking and thinking about the problems you’re feeling between you and start being the woman a man naturally feels excited and
joyful with when he’s around, then, when you’re in a close and connected place, talking to a man and getting him to share and understand and even initiate conversations about your feelings and your relationship, will be easier than you ever thought possible. So stop doing the things that will push men away and start doing the things that tons off other women and then naturally build more interest and attraction inside a man.
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PAGE 22— SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015
When Are You Coming To My Church?
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any people had asked me in re cent pSt what I think about the growth of Nigerian churches in the United Kingdom. To be honest I had not given this a thought before, but I know majority of the people I encounter on this subject seemed agitated or sort of discomfort by what they refer to as “black churches”. Everyday in the UK one brand new Nigerian church springs up. I am delighted by this growth. Not for anything outrageous though, but they give me and many Nigerians the alternative to a traditional white church. These new churches offer me and many other Nigerians the opportunity to “feel at home” on Sunday while I sing songs that I grew up with and also dance to the talking drum during the offering or thanksgiving sessions. They also allow me the luxury of listening to “powerful” songs booming through the speakers without any threat from neighbours. I am not alone in this thinking. Like many Nigerian Christians visiting UK or staying for a while, the first desire is to find a church where they can mix and mingle with their fellow country men and women. Our instinct abroad is more liberal, relationshipwise, than at home, making it easy for us to so “flow” with each other, not minding the language or ethnicity. “Church relationship” has not always been easy as this in the UK. Arriving in the ancient city of Edinburgh on a cold Saturday morning in 2003 I remember looking forward to worshipping in any church the following day as there was no Redeemed Christian Church of God, the Winners Chapel or any other Nigerian church in the city then. I could not contain my excitement as I and my family joined the congregants for worship at the only black church on Leith Street. It was not a Nigerian church, but no doubt, it felt like one. The Praise and Worship session was done in different African songs it’s lots of vigorous Dane steps. The warm welcome we received “kept us” till later in the year when the RCCG commenced Sunday services at the Odeon Centre, Wester Hailes. Soon the Odeon Centre became the rallying point for Nigerians living in the city - to worship and also socialise. It did not take long though before other black churches sprang up in Edinburgh built around the model of the RCCG. It should be noted, however, that these churches not only satisfy the social needs of the diasporans, but also help to a greater extent in re-igniting the fire of Christianity in a nation that was once reputed to be its flag bearer. The gains of these new generation black churches cannot be denied as you see them in every corner of the cities of UK and are now an integral part of the history of Christianity in the country.
You can therefore imagine my excitement as I sat in the audience in Manchester City on Friday under the ministration of the General Overseer, RCCG Worldwide, Pastor Enoch Adeboye. This was not my first attendance at the Festival of Life in the UK, but at every visit I cannot but marvel at the influence the RCCG has gained in the country. As Daddy GO came on the stage, I looked at the excited faces of people around me. They were all full of expectations. The FOL always produce a serene sort of atmo-
These new churches offer me and many other Nigerians the opportunity to “feel at home” on Sunday while I sing songs that I grew up with and also dance to the talking drum during the offering or thanksgiving sessions
sphere where individuals throw aside the garbs of pretence or pride that is usually associated with Diasporans. One worrying fact for me every time I attend FOL is that these events are mainly populated by blacks. The Manchester meeting was no exception. There were a few white people in the audience but at an event that has become worldwide a first time attendee may be left wondering why the composition of the audience was lopsided. The largest concentration of white or light coloured people in the hall were the hired security, audio-visual and the technical staff. I am aware that the seeming lack of interest of the white population in these black churches is of great concern to church leaders in the UK. One tends to wonder if the brand of Christianity that is preached in these churches sound different from what an average white person would be interested in. Or is it the “modus operandi” of the services? One thing that is clear is Christianity is waning fast in popularity among the “native” population. In the UK as obtained in other developed countries of the world, there are new gods that people serve
religiously. They are drugs, homosexualism, sodomy, money, alcohol etc. These ‘gods” have replaced the love of God in their hearts and therefore no thought for the religion of their forefathers. Events such as FOL are organised to help the country find its way back to God. The crowd ., come in with one expectation or the other. Many had come to Manchester for the first time to see and hear the famed “Daddy GO” who the Prime Minister David Cameron had sought out for prayers at the April 2015 London’s Festival of Life, just before the May 2015 General Elections. To an average Christian in the UK, Pastor Adeboye is no stranger as he is reputed to pastor the fastest growing denomination in the country. In every city, from Scotland to Wales, England to Northern Ireland there is at least a parish of the church. The total number of parishes of RCCG in the UK is put at over seven hundred. No other church has such network of parishes. When David Cameron sought the “audience” of the FOL, London “attendees”, he fully realised the “power” that could be bestowed upon him in such gathering. Although the visit was meant to be low keyed, there was no doubt that it was a campaign strategy by Tory party campaign team, considering the number of potential ethnic minority voters that Cameron could appeal to. And judging by the audiences’ claps of “approval” many did include Cameron’s re-election among their prayer requests for the night. The RCCG, is the “door opener” for thousands of other ethnic-minority controlled churches that spring up daily in UK cities. However, the iconic church buildings are gradually becoming “extinct” in the country as some have been pulled down while the surviving ones are now homes to pubs, clubs and exhibition centres. On the other hand, the emerging black churches are finding productive uses for abandoned warehouses. These churches are different from the types that the likes of Camerons grew up to know and recognise. The big churches with slate roofs, large spires, pews and pulpits are all gone. With the advent of the black churches Cameron had a rethink as he told Daddy GO, “you’ve proved that church is people, church is a family, and it doesn’t matter what the roof is made of, because with your energy, your devotion, your love of Jesus Christ, you raise that roof every time.” While these “black churches are growing, the challenge right now is how to get the indigenous people to become part of them. Without success in this area, it will continue to be a congregation of Nigerians or Africans with nostalgia for how they worship back at home.
Spirit Husband, Spirit Wife D
ear readers, thanks for your interest in Joyful Homes. In due course, we’ll publish the issues raised by you. This week, I am addressing an issue that has been of concern to many. It is the issue of spirit husband and spirit wife. Many people, single and married, are victims of spirit husband or spirit wife. Who is a spirit husband or a spirit wife? I would like to share with readers a message of Pastor Gbenga Oso, aka Daddy of a Million Babies, on this issue. He defines a spirit husband as a spirit that comes in human form to have intercourse with a man or woman in his or her dream. The activity is sometimes so intense that the one who is having the dream feels as if it is real. A victim of such an evil spirit will find it difficult to either get pregnant or impregnate his wife or even get into a relationship that could lead to marriage. This spirit being is evil. It is not of God. The activity of this spirit is not limited to married couples. Spinsters or bachelors also have this experience. In the case of singles, the victim will find it difficult to get married. Pregnant women also have this experience. When it happens to a pregnant woman, there is a high possibility of a miscarriage. The activities of this evil spirit are not limited to reproductive life. It could also hinder one from making any form of progress, financial, etc. The activity of the spirit husband or wife is not due to the victim’s promiscuity or the urge for sex. Not at all. Usually, the spirit husband or wife is as a result of an evil covenant one may have sealed knowingly or unknowingly. Or an affliction of the enemy that wants to truncate the destiny of the victim. For instance, a woman who, in the course of looking for a child, may visit a herbalist ( this was the practice in many African settings before the introduction of Christianity). She could get pregnant but before then, the herbalist would have told her to bring some items for sacrifice. Once that is done, she gets pregnant and bears a child. What is unknown to the woman who consulted the herbalist is the source of the child. Who gave the child? What were the terms? Since there is no free lunch even in the spirit world, the condition may be a dedication of that child to the god who gave the child in the first place. The influence of spirit husband or spirit wife could make IVF unsuccessful. For as long as the spirit spouse maintains its hold on the victim, even IVF is likely to fail. In other cases, it could be attacks from people, especially relations who do not wish the victims success in certain areas of life. Before you blame some parents for their consent to this
evil covenant, the truth is that those who got them involved never told them such a bond exists or the source of the children. A particular demon may take the child as a wife or husband or limit the child’s progress. This secret is never known until the child is grown up and may never be known until a superior spiritual power reveals it.
How does the spirit operate? It comes to the victim in a dream in human form in most cases wearing the faces of people known to the victim. It could be the face of the lady’s former boy friend, a colleague in office, the face of her father or even the face of her fiance or husband. It could even be the face of a fellow church worker or even your pastor. At other times, the identity
She knew someone was h a v i n g intercourse with her in her dream, but didn’tknowthat was why her relationships never ended in marriage is completely veiled. How to handle it The way to handle this is not to make enemies unnecessarily. Oftentimes, those whose faces you see in the dream are innocent. So, don’t go fighting wrong battles that could strain your relationship with innocent persons. Let me share with you two cases: one is that of a married woman and the other a single lady. For the married woman who had been waiting for about 15 years, she was a victim of regular intercourse from her spirit husband. The first effect was that the couple got Where alienated sexually. husband and wife are distanced sexually, how can pregnancy occur? Even with the best of treatment from doctors, she NEVER got pregnant and this created tension in the home. After a long search for children, she decided to stop visiting herbalists. The challenge was so intense that even in some churches where she went for vigil, the spirit husband remained, having intercourse with her.
Finally, she started attending a Pentecostal church with a focus on child-bearing. During one of the services, it was revealed by a Word of Knowledge those behind the attack were all women related to her and her husband. The good news is that finally God gave her a breakthrough and she had a son. In the case of the single lady, whenever she was in a relationship that was leading to marriage, the fiance would call if off. Unknown to her, a spirit husband had been attacking the men who proposed to her. She knew someone was having intercourse with her in her dream, but didn’t know that was why her relationships never ended in marriage. Meanwhile one of the men she had relationship with got bold enough to tell her. This man had a dream in which another man appeared, beat him black and blue and told him to leave ‘his wife’ alone. The young man knew he was not in any relationship with any other person except this beautiful lady. So the message was very clear.. The beating, according to the young man, was so intense that when he woke up, it was as if pepper had been poured on his body. So, he told the lady and called off the wedding. Now, this is not the best approach to handle this spiritual challenge. The Word of God sets free
The Word of God is adequate and those who have the opportunity to have genuine deliverance may go for it. Victims can protect themselves with the Word of God. Let me recommend the following Bible passage: Isaiah 54 vs 17, “No weapon formed against me shall prosper.....”. The victim may read this every night with a prophetic declaration that he or she is free from any covenant with spirit husband or wife. This should be done repeatedly before the victim goes to sleep. Also useful is James 4 vs 7: “ Submit yourself therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you”. Pray this also several times before going to sleep with a declaration that you are free from any influence of the enemy. Some of those who have broken through testified that they also used a CD of Laughter Foundation called “ Names of God”. They listened to it regularly especially before sleeping and the yoke was broken. Anyone is this situation needs not give up, just keep trusting God and doing the right things and your breakthrough will come. It is well.
… Remember to share your thoughts and experience with us at joyfulhomes2015 @gmail.com
SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 23
Do you have a way you cope with your man’s philandering
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ave you ever r e g r e t t e d decisions that have reshaped your life, whether for better or for worse? At a recent gettogether with a couple of friends, we became so relaxed, some of us started discussing our dead marriages. Out of about 12 of us in the group, only three were currently in their ‘husbands’ homes, we’ve all fared pretty well after the divorce, but would any of us have wished she’s acted differently, knowing how mercurial the state of matrimony is now? “The end of my marriage came as a terrible shock to me,” confessed Abi, a pharmacist running a lucrative chemist. “But it shouldn’t have. Even though I was with my husband for over 15 years, the cracks had started shortly after the birth of our third son. “We never really stopped to address the reasons why we seldom turned on each other, why sex had been so mechanical it had lost its pleasure. Instead, we limped along for another eight years when the end finally came. And it was because my husband fell in love with a personal assistant in his office and wanted to be free to enjoy a better relationship. He
couldn’t afford two homes – he simply left us to be with his new heart-throb. He took only his things and left us to continue to enjoy the perks we already had in the home. As if that was enough to salve his conscience for letting us down. “When he left, I found myself in a very lonely situation. The children had their own lives and I realised the reason I had clung to my hollow marriage was because of the fear of being on my own. It was Ngozi here who put a stop to my feeling sorry for myself, she always hated seeing me down and dragged me along with her to parties – even the ones she attended with her husband. Thanks to her efforts, I found a responsible man who’s since made a tremendous change in my life. “Would I have stayed with a husband who didn’t even want me? I had no choice when we broke up but we would have broken up sooner or later – the love we once had died and I prefer my current partner. His input to my life’s been more than my exhusband’s. Love4 dies. You set out to make the best of your marriage without reckoning on the negative forces against your
happiness ...” “Stephanie agreed with her. A bit on the reserved side, we were all bemused when her marriage broke up only for her to settle with a toy boy less than a year after. We thought she was jumping into fire without touching the proverbial frying pan. Jim, her ex, is a civil engineer who had worked for years with an oil company in Tripoli and only came back to Nigeria when he’d made enough money to settle down. “Very few people could guess the type of marriage we had”, Stephanie said sadly,. “Jim is one of a very small number of men who do not
Rapid ageing: The anti-dote
The Camel
I
T’S normal in this age to expect scientific proof of anything and everything. If science has a stand-point on something we want to know it. We are encouraged to do or not to do. This means we live our day to day lives with a lot more confidence. We do not have to tread too gingerly as if in total darkness. One of the things we should all know by now, if we don’t already is the proven fact that exercise can reverse the hand of the clock. Exercise can make you feel younger and live life fuller. Try and introduce a daily exercise discipline into your life. Early morning is best for some. Well, temperaments differ. In this case suit yourself. What time you exercise should not matter much. The practice is the thing. For me the total lack of need for any tool is what I find most appealing about yoga. C M Y K
Once you’ve picked up the techniques to performing a few of them all what you’ll ever need for practice is just a little space and enthusiasm hinged to the knowledge that you’re doing yourself a great favour. Don’t dwell on the negative thoughts of what happens to those who fail to exercise. You should think thoughts that say you’re improving physically, emotionally and mentally. There are times when we feel very low in spirits and in the body. The practice of the postures will restore your sense of aliveness. It will help put back the joy into your life. The Asians or postures are definite anti-depressants. If you have been unduly assailed by too much excitement you can practise the relaxation technique to quieten you down. In fact a daily practice of say twenty minutes of relaxation is good for everyone. More so if you are hypertensive. Remember there’s proof that with the practice of meditation high blood pressure can be reduced to levels only possible before with medication. The body must go through one hell of a housecleaning to do that. Remember the body is self-healing.
ejaculate every time they make love. We’d made love several ties before he eventually came. He got an erection, wanted and enjoyed love-making but only managed an orgasm every two months or so. A friend I confided in referred to it as having `dry’ sex, whatever that meant! “By the time we decided to put an end to the marriage, our love making had deteriorated to a set way: Frequency was two or three times a month. We only made love in bed, even though we live in our own house. As our love life dwindled, he always refused to make love, politely giving the excuse that he was tired.
You only need to take away the obstacles and presto! Let’s see how you get by with the following two postures: The Camel Technique: Sitting on the legs and toes out stretched put the palms of the hands float down just behind the toes. Now lean on the hand and throw the head back. Take a deep breath and
He seldom expressed his feelings about the state of our sex life and left me frustrated, even though Id explained to him how unhappy I felt. I tried to compromise and accept the difference in our sex, drives in the hope that our sex didn’t seem t produce any clear fluid when he got really excited as most of my ex did, not to talk of really ejaculating. He later confessed he’d always had a low sex drive but believed I had exaggerated the problem and that there were couples who had lived successfully without sex. That was when I realised if I wanted children and a decent sex life, I should make alternative arrangements. Dele (her current beau) opened my eyes to how fun true sex could be and it was no context leaving my husband. “You call him my toy boy, but he’s only seven years younger than I am. I was thrilled when I go pregnant right away, after we got together and now we have another one. I’m contented. The two children of the union is more than enough compensation for me – and Dele is a wonderful dad. “I don’t want a second marriage. I’d had one and that experience has put me off the institution for good. I definitely have no regrets
about past loves as I now have all the emotional stability I need and can handle”. Mary ’s story is quite different from the two whose endings were happy. She was married with a child when her husband sprung another girl’s pregnancy on her. “I was aghast”, she said. “We’d scarcely been married three years when this happened and when another man showed me affection, I wanted revenge. Labi worked near my office and it was easy having a relationship with him. He pursued me relentlessly with presents and clandestine outings – what I wished in my marriage. “He ran a successful business and continued to spoil me rotten with gifts, money and foreign trips. I couldn’t care less if my husband got the whole neighbourhood pregnant, I ignored him, was hostile to him and nagged him endlessly about his late nights and infidelity. His friends tried to save our marriage but their wives were on my side. Unfortunately, I discovered Labi was consoling a lot of wronged wives, that I had no choice but to cut my losses. I don’t regret anything, however”.
slowly lift the heels and thrust forward the lower part of the body and humping up the chest which means your spine being arched. Retain the posture for a while and return to sitting on the heels with the head held high and breathe out. Rest and repeat. Benefits: The camel posture affects the go-nards and thyroid glands. The spine regains elasticity. It
is also a great help against constipation and gas. Head to knee posture (standing) Technique: Stand with feet together. Raise your hands straight over head. Breathe in as you do so. Now bend your upper body down dropping your hands. Keep your breathe out. Keep the palms down and your forehead brought into contact with your knees. And stay in this position for a while and as you inhale return to standing position. You may repeat a couple more times. This posture maintains elasticity of both spine and hamstrings. Those into sports will do well to practise this very posture. It’s a great insurance against pulling hamstrings a common happening at athletic meetings and soccer games. This posture massages deeply the regions of the abdomen and pelvis. Women folk who suffer painful periods should practice this before the onset of their periods. With it they get relief.
Yoga Classes STARTED Physical Therapy Centre @ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola, Victoria Island Lagos. 9.00am — 10.00am
Head to knee Posture
on Saturdays
P AGE 24 — SUND AY Vanguard , JUL Y 19 , 2015 SUNDA JULY
bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 08056180152, SMS only
Can you ever get over a husband’s betrayal with your best friend?
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etting married could be a breeze most of the time, but settling down to married life and actually making a success of it takes all the ingenuity you can muster; without having to grapple with unforeseen furies – like a chose ‘ relative’ you take as a best friend stabbing you in the back. When Fatima got married seven years ago, she was quite happy to make Keji her chief bridesmaid. “We virtually grew up together in a large family!” she said. We were remotely related but most importantly, we were inseparable and knew each other’s secrets. “Kabiru and I had tried for a family before we got married, but when nothing happened, we decided to go ahead anyway, convinced that nature would soon take its course. But month after month went and nothing happened. Whenever Keji, who was now working at the other end of Lagos called to ask how things were, I always gave her the same answer; `No news yet’. `I’m praying for you’, she’d always assure, and it was nice to have a good friend to share my anxiety with. “With time she was transferred back to the head office of her firm and decided to have a big 25th birthday party. I was excited about attending but Kabiru wasn’t so keen. He’d never taken to her friends, calling them too frivolous and care-free but I insisted we went. Arriving at the party, the crowd wasn’t what we expected and my husband soon
relaxed. I was amused he had so much to say to Keji. At one point I was irritated by the attention he was paying to Keji but didn’t say anything so as not to ruin her party. Days later, I found Kabiru scrolling through my phone. `What are you doing?’ I asked. `I was looking for Keji’s number, I promised to forward some business contacts to her. “I felt a bit uneasy but stayed quiet. They continued texting each other and it became annoying. She called one afternoon to ask if she could stay with us for a few days. She wanted some tiles put in on the floor of her flat and needed to give the workers some space. I didn’t think it was a good idea, but my husband couldn’t have been more enthusiastic, `She’s your friend’’, he insisted, “ you should help her
out!” So, reluctantly, I agreed. Within minutes of arriving, she and Kabiru were chattering away like old friends. The next day, they came in together from Kabiru’s club. I was shocked. Couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken me. Things were getting too dangerous for my liking. I decided I wasn’t prepared to feel uncomfortable in my own home. `You’re going to have to leave’, I told her coldly when she came to meet me in the kitchen. I’m sure she could sense how I felt. She moved out the next day, phoned to thank me for putting her up with us and said she hoped we were still friends. “She still communicated with Kabiru on a regular basis. `Is there something going on between you two?’ I asked him once. `Don’t
be silly ”, he sneered. `What could I want with her?’ Yet, he continued to stay out late under one pretext or the other. Days later, we were to attend a close friend’s birthday party, but Kabiru urged me to go on without him as he felt a bit queasy. I didn’t want to leave him alone but he said he would be fine. The party was a it dull and I left early so I could see if Kabiru was getting better. I let myself in and the sitting room was a bit dark. `Hello luv’ I called as I went to the bedroom. As I opened the door, I froze. The most disgusting scene I’d every witnessed was being played out in front of me. Keji was lying naked on our bed – and there was my husband on top of her, kissing her passionately, his hands caressing her body. “I let out a piercing scream and they both
Electrical love
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OUR column to express your loving thoughts in words to your sweetheart. Don’t be shy. Let it flow and let him or her know how dearly you feel. Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail: sunlovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope: “LOVE NOTES"
Love is just like a electric connection. When you use the right connection, love stands strong and not finding any reason to clash, break or developing any symptom of fighting. Relationship with good connection is just like a light with a full current. It might take a period of time to make a standard connection that will bring peace, not a connection that generates fight, and a standard relationship should not require or all based on sex,flirting and money.... It should be a relationship that will lead you to the way of God and make you be a person that you will be proud of tomorrow and you should try to build the connection of love, honesty, wisdom and God fearing in the life of the person.... Then
looked up in shock. `You pair of scum bags! I yelled. They scrambled for their clothes and tried to cover themselves up. I ran out of the flat and went to a friend’s place. I tried to erase the awful images I’d just witnessed from my mind but it was no use. My husband of less than two years was having sex with a close friend who was also a relation! I couldn’t make sense of it. To me, it was pure evil. What make it worse was that I’d seen the strange attraction between them unfolding before my eyes. Could I have done anything to stop it? My husband and I were still trying for a baby, and had even been to a fertility clinic. Not knowing he’d been sleeping with my socalled friend. When I got home the next day, I couldn’t even bear to look him in the face – he thoroughly disgusted me. I told him I didn’t want to meet him in the flat when I came back. The lease was in my name. He tried to plead that it was a mistake and a one-off. But I refused to even listen. He left the flat alright and moved in with Keji. They both made efforts for us to patch up our marriage. They looked so contrite that I fleetingly thought about patching things up with him, until another friend told me Keji was pregnant. Now my humiliation was complete. They were going to have the happy family I’d always wanted. All I’d prayed for was a child of my own – now my husband was having one with my close friend …
“Keji had since had the baby but Kabiru moved out of his own flat. Most of our relatives are disgusted with both of them, and spineless Kabiru couldn’t stand the scandal. Now, I’m moving on with my life and looking forward to having a future with a man who wants to be with me and only me”. It works for a wallet too! (Humour) A man who had performed circumcision in his community for more than 50 years decided to retire because of failing eye-sight. Throughout those 50 years, he had taken home the foreskin from each circumcision and stored it in a big truck in his basement. He decided to take this truck to his good friend, the leather designer, and ask him to make something with them to commemorate his career. The leather designer agreed to the strange request and told the man to return in two weeks’ time. “Come in, come in”, said the leather designer two weeks later. “It is all done, I think you will be pleased”. With that, he opened a small cupboard and handed the man a beautiful wallet. The man couldn’t hide his disappointment. “You don’t like it?””. Asked the leather designer, looking crestfallen. “No, no, its not that”, said the man, “” its superb. It just doesn’t seem a lot for all those years work”. “Ah, my friend, you don’t understand. This is a unique wallet. When you rub it, it turns into a suitcase!
you can beat your chest and say you have created and provided a strong connection in the life of somebody... CHARLES CHIDUBEM OGBONNA, 08169186581,08170268800
You are my song
You are one song that has never run out of tune in my heart. And that's the reason why I am searching for the right words to quantify my love for you because it's beyond estimation. But the best mathematicians have come up with is infinity. I will always love you till infinity . Akachukwu Ferdinand, akachukwuferdinandc@yahoo.com 08063819314
SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 25 08116759757
DOUBLE TRAGEDY IN FUGAR
Policeman shoots two mourners dead ...as headmaster’s funeral ends abruptly abruptly. Angry youths attacked the police officer but the intervention of the Chairman of the LGA, Mr Emmanuel Momoh; John Akigbe; and other leaders in the area saved him, even as he was disarmed immediately by the members of a vigilante group at the burial. Edo State Police Commissioner described the incident as accidental discharge, saying however that the suspect had been arrested and will face the law accordingly.
•The late Sandra Emaku
SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY
T
he people of Fugar in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State were thrown into turmoil on Saturday, June 27, 2015, when a trigger happy police officer, attached to a traditional ruler, shot dead two women during the burial of a former headmaster, Hon. James Oshioriamhe Etu. Other mourners at the occasion took to their heels following the gunshots which hit Sandra Emaku and Aishitu Aliyu, both of them nursing mothers. Sunday Vanguard C M Y K
learnt that trouble started when the children of the deceased were dancing as part of the funeral. One of the traditional rulers (names withheld) who graced the occasion stood up to leave. As if drunk, one of the police officers attached to the monarch started shooting sporadically with one hand. The two women fell to the bullets of the officer. While Sandra was a relation of the deceased headmaster, Aishatu, who is not from that community, came to mourn with her friend, Christiana Adams, a daughter of the deceased. The burial ceremony ended
Sporadic shooting The Coordinator of the Vigilante Group in Etsako Central, Mr Samson Oseghemwen, who witnessed the incident, narrated how it happened to Sunday Vanguard. His words: “That day, I went there as a member of the age group of one of the sons of the father that died. While we were there, a traditional ruler came with so many people and there were some mobile policemen who escorted them to the place. The police men were shooting sporadically.. When the monarch was about leaving, one of the policemen was holding the gun with one hand and the thing slipped off his shoulder. Before he could control the gun, two people had been shot dead. There was pandemonium and people started running in all directions. My men and I tried to protect the police man from mob attack otherwise they would have killed him. His gun, magazines were taken away from him and his identity card torn from his uniform, it was me who found them and returned them to the Divisional Police Officer in Fugar”. Asked what could have led to the shooting by the police officer, he said, “I don’t think it was intentional but it was a kind of overzealous police man who wanted to
As if drunk, one of the police officers attached to the monarch started shooting sporadically with one hand. The two women fell to the bullets of the officer please his master by shooting indiscriminately in a crowded place and holding the gun with only one hand and he was not strong enough to do so. “The family of one of the deceased persons is still waiting for the corpse to be released for burial. The police said the case has been handed over to the state CID and that they need permission from Benin before burial can take place, but the one that died almost instantly was taken to Ogbona UBTH, she died there. I was the one that said they should remove the corpse because the UBTH in our area here refused to put the diseased in the mortuary. We conveyed the corpse back to Fugar General Hospital mortuary and, about two or three days later, her family came to remove it for burial because they are Muslims, but this one is still there for almost three weeks and nothing is happening. “On Monday, I called the Area Commander who now told me that all the family needs do is to get a burial
certificate in Benin so that they can remove the corpse for burial from the specialist hospital in Irrua. With the corpse in the mortuary, tension is building up; the earlier the corpse is buried the better for us and we want a cordial relationship with security agents. The sad thing is that this young lady from Fugar just delivered a baby barely two months ago and she has four other children. So it is sad, very sad”. Regret Christiana Adams, whose father was being buried, regreted that the incident took the life of her friend, Aisatu. “When we were dancing, the monarch, escorted by some mobile police men, was even dancing with us, when we heard people shouting, ‘he has killed her! he has killed her’!. When I ran to the scene, people were running. Some persons were protecting the police man so that he will not be beaten, that is all I could remember before I fainted”. Asked how she felt when she woke up to find out that her friend was one of the victims, she wept profusely. She stated: “The incident was like a film; we could not even continue with the burial of my father because of the problem and I even lost my best friend who came to help me. As a family, we feel bad because we couldn’t conclude the burial. My friend came from Warri because of me, now she has been buried in Auchi, heir village. We have known each other for years and it was that Saturday that she came here. She was married with two kids. “I have talked with the family, but because of the issue, I have not been able to go back to Warri where I am based even though she has been buried according to Muslim rites”.
Continues on page 26
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SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015 08116759757
Policeman shoots two mourners dead difficult for us to bury her. They should release the corpse to us, they cannot kill our daughter and then seize the corpse”.
Continued from page 25 Drunk policeman Emaku Paul, elder brother of Sandra, appealed to the police to release the corpse of her sister so that she can be buried. He lamented that three weeks after the incident, the police were yet to explain the killing. “By tradition, I am the father of this lady that was shot by the police. The entire family feels very bad about the incident. We are aggrieved because this is a young lady of 26 years with four children. She died and left behind two months old baby. She went there because the wife of the man that died is our aunt. When the news came to me that our sister had been shot by a police man attached to the traditional ruler, I did not believe it. I was told the police man was drunk because he was shooting anyhow. I don’t know if government doesn’t train the police properly, why will a police man handle a rifle and use it to kill my innocent sister? Now my sister lost the husband last year. They killed her leaving four children behind, how are we going to take care of them? The police officer has turned innocent children to
It is not our tradition to keep corpse in the mortuary – Momoh
•Emaku Paul (elder brother to •Mr Emmanuel Momoh, Chairman Etsako Central LGA the deceased Sandra)
•Samson Oseghemwen (Chairman Etsako Central vigilante group)
•Christiana Adams (The lady whose father was being buried. Her friend Aishatu Aliu was one of the women shot dead)
orphans. “The challenge now is how to take care of the children because, when the deceased was alive, she was engaged in petty trading and was taking care of her children.
So we are appealing to the Federal Government to come to our aid. Another thing that is bothering us is that since the incident happened, the police have kept her corpse, making it
Free Blood Pressure, Sugar Le ests in W arri Levvel TTests Warri
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non-governmental organization, Respite and Support for Diabetics and Hypertensive Initiative, has organized a free fasting blood sugar and blood pressure test for over 1,000 people in Warri in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, with a promise to extend it to other towns, villages and states across the country. The management consultant of the NGO, Mr. Austin Oghoferuo Desi, said that the NGO incorporated in United Kingdom 2009 and Nigeria in 2011 was interested in reducing stroke victims. “The NGO is aimed at relieving people of sickness and preserve and protect good health of those who have diabetics or suffer from hypertension and those with weight problems by setting up respite centers equipped with qualified and diagnostic testing equipments”, Desi said. “Our mandate is also to advance education of the public in diabetics and hypertensive related conditions and provide details of treatment and the importance of diet and exercise, and fulfill such other purposes as may from time to time be recognized as practices and mobilize communities for a C M Y K
healthier environment and good hygienic practices”. Desi explained that many people have died from diabetes and hypertension or lack of knowledge and good management of their condition, adding that the programme therefore seeks to expose participants to the prevention and management of the conditions.
Installation of the Isama of OnichaUgbo
The Chairman of Etsako Central LGA, Mr Emmanuel Momoh, also spoke on the tragedy His words: “I am not quite happy with the way the police are handling the matter. Even if you have taken the suspect into custody, you must let the victims families know that you are showing concern. As we are talking now, no member of the police force has come to this house. And we want the corpse released; it is not in our tradition to leave corpse in the mortuary especially when it happens in a manner like this. The police keep tossing the family around. They will ask them to go to the Area Command, the Area Command will say go to Benin. It is becoming an act of provocation and, as the local government Chairman, I am not quite happy; we enjoin them that we require autopsy to be conducted on that corpse. We want to
know and have something to show the children that this is what killed their mother.” It’s a taboo-HRH Etokhana Alhaji Jackson D.A.Etokhana, the Ogie Avhianwu of Avhianwu, described the incident as a taboo. “I feel really bad because it happened at a time we never expected such a bad news. One, the woman was a nursing mother and I understood that she just lost her husband. For such a young woman to be killed like that as a traditional ruler, I feel bad,”he stated. “The way the incident happened at a burial ceremony is a bad omen; it is a taboo because the burial that was being done didn’t call for such an accident to happen. The man that was being buried was an elderly man and he was being given a befitting burial that he deserved. I don’t know how far the police have gone with their investigation, whether it is an accidental discharge or careless shooting. There was no reason to shoot in that place because everything was going on peacefully”.
UI community celebr at es Dr BABA celebrat ates BABATTOLA at 60 All roads led to Jesus the King Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God at the Redemption Camp on Saturday, July 4, 2015 as the University of Ibadan community, family members, colleagues and friends converged for the thanksgiving service in honour of Dr. (Mrs.) Lydia Adeola BABATOLA (nee Ladapo) who clocked 60 two days earlier. A Senior Lecturer in Horticulture at U.I. Department of Agriculture, Dr Babatola is a lover of songs, an ordained evangelist, a loving mother of Olapeju, Jesukemi, Omotola and a dutiful wife of Rev. (Prof.) J.O. Babatola. •Celebrant doing what she loves most (singing) with her brother & wife
BY TOMMY ANADUAKA
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ll is set for the formal installation of Chief Michael Onuwa Diji as the Isama of Onicha-Ugbo in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. According to a statement by a media consultant, Mr. Emma Fejokwu, the event will take place on Saturday, July 25 and will be performed by the traditional ruler of the town, Agbogidi Obi Victor Chukwumalieze 1 (JP). The community is wearing a new look ahead of the programme as it hosts visitors from across the globe.
•Celebrant with a colleague at UI, Dupe Adeniji
•Celebrant with children, mama & family members
SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 27 08116759757
By removing 6,000 idle youths fr om Delt tree ts, from Deltaa sstree treets, Ok ow Okow owaa has ssttar artted well —Onyewonsa BY ABEL KOLAWOLE
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e is a journalist with bias for investigative journalism. Sunday Onyewonsa is the Director-General of the Delta Democratic Alliance, DDA, an advocacy group for good governance in the Niger Delta. DDA worked to ensure victory for Governor Arthur Okowa of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State gubernatorial election. In this interview, Onyewonsa says Okowa has started well. How did the Delta Democratic Alliance, DDA, settle for Senator Okowa for the governorship race amongst the aspirants then in Delta State? DDA is a group with membership drawn from professional groups in Delta State. Ours is a group of brilliant men and women who can hold their own anywhere in the world. We identified Okowa as a man who has passion for the people of Delta; detribalized, intelligent, honest and, above
all, God-fearing. Of all the contestants then, Okowa was the best and remains the best. He’s a brand very easy to market. In all of these, his antecedents gave him a strong power of bargaining and, on the vehicle of logic and common sense, DDA unanimously adopted him as it’s candidate. Today, DDA is proud to associate with a team that is fast-tracking prosperity for the people of Delta. What are those things that make you think the governor has started well and also sure that he would end well; could that be a prophesy? The position of DDA is an obvious fact. It’s a fact that Okowa is building, like a football coach, a formidable team; fotifying his political environment for the tasks ahead. A look at the first batch of appointments made by this rare gem speaks volumes of a political colossus poised to lead his people into a world of prosperity. Starting from the appointment of the Secretary to
•Sunday Onyewonsa the State Government, SSG, Hon. Festus Ovie Agas, through Festus Ochonogor to the likes of Chief Fidelis Okenmor Tilije, Vincent Uduaghan, Monday Emu et al, you won’t agree less that Okowa is ready to re-write the history of Delta in the positives. With a huge indebtedness of N636bn according to the governor, how do you think he would achieve his desired objectives for the state? The major element here is his zeal, the will, the passion, love...to end decades of poverty and underdevelopment in oilrich Delta State. He has a team capable of breathing life into a dead economy any day. Okowa parades economic wizards who are respected in their various fields; given free hands to operate, these world renowned professionals would join their expertise with the governor to
catapult the state above its peers. The internally generated revenue, IGR, of the state is another area the governor would deploy his wisdom. The IGR base of the state has the propensity to grow if well managed and I suggest the governor appoints an insider who knows the rudiment of the agency to manage it instead of a politician. Leakages should also be blocked. You know as well as I do, that th e governor has began the process of removing idle youths from the streets. He has come up with the Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurship Programme, YAGEP, and Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme, STEP. These are two life changing innovations capable of making the state of Delta a model in West Africa. The initial target of the administration is 6,000. Just imagine removing 6,000 idle young men and women from the streets in favourable engagements and possibly another 6,000 in quick succession, who say the this governor won’t end well? The governor would end well because he has started well and that’s the trait of successful men all over the world. As a group, what are your expectations from Okowa’s government ? In the fullness of time, Deltans want to see and live in a prosperous state where the youths are meaningfully engaged rather than building more liabilities who run after
self-acclaimed political leaders who turn them to mere thugs and miscreants while their children live in affluence in secured environments all over the world. In Okowa we have found that man whom Deltans had craved for over the years. Deltans hailed him when he told his newly appointed commissioners not to place advert to congratulate him on.his birthday. He is seriously yearning for greater state and people. Don’t you see his opponents at the polls pulling surprises at the tribunal and what would be the position of the DDA then? What surprise? For us in DDA, we do not envisage any surprise at the tribunal because there’s nothing surprising about the frivolities of the so-called opponents of the good people of Delta. To fight Okowa is to fight the people and destiny of Deltans. The people shall resist any attempt at impeding the fortunes knocking at the doors of Deltans as Okowa leads us into prosperity. Who are the people behind DDA? Stronger than the structure of any political party, DDA has men and women of impeccable character behind it. They are big names I won’t want to mention here but we have a tested and trusted Grand Patron in Governor Okowa while others are musketeers whose strength and support for DDA can’t be measured.
Peace in Ondo oil communities non-negotiable — Stakeholders BY DAYO JOHNSON, AKURE O facilitate the development in the oil rich communities in T Ilaje and Ese-Odo axis of Ondo State, stakeholders have resolved that the peace across the creeks is not negotiable. The stakeholders met at the instance of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) . The agency is saddled with the responsibility of making life meaningful for the people in the disadvantaged communities and to curtail the agitation of youths.
In attendance at the meeting were traditional rulers, youth organisations, security agencies, political leaders, women groups, community agitators, officials of the Nigeria Army (NA), Nigerian Navy (NN) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). Welcoming the participants to the meeting held at Igbokoda, in Ilaje council area of the state, the Chairman of the agency, Pastor Johnson Wole Ogunyemi, said the parley was to remind the people of the mandate areas of OSOPADEC on the need to treasure peace and collectively consolidate the
onerous peace -building process in the communities. Ogunyemi pointed out that the theme of the conference, “Peace and Security Initiatives for Sustainable Development,” was chosen to picture the extant realities of the people in the mandate areas. He explained that the commission had taken measures to ameliorate hardship, lack and unemployment in the mandate areas and in pursuance of Caring Heart Projects implemented by Governor Olusegun Mimiko. According to him, OSOPADEC
can do more only if there is peace and security in the communities. He mentioned some of the Commission’s projects to include the establishment of Lakwa Vanguard comprising 300 youths and eleven supervisors to remove weeds from waterways in Ilaje and Ese-Odo local government areas.” Others are: “Construction of Skill Acquisition Centre and Ultra Modern Market at Ugbonla and Ugbo respectively, asphalt overlay at 6.5km Ojuala-Ipoke Road, construction of 1.7km concrete walk-way at Bolowho, construction of model schools and health
centres across some communities, rehabilitation and asphalt overlay of Igbokoda-Ayetoro Road (Phase one). “Extension of National Grid from Igbokoda through Aboto to Araromi Sea-side and Igo, construction of water treatment facilities at Aboto to treat two million gallons per day and the laying of 45.61km water rising main along Igbokoda-Ayetoro Road, construction of 10km footbridges in 157 communities and disbursement of bursary to students of tertiary institutions from the mandate communities.”
Onuesoke and the Newtwork for Good Governance By Lucky Fasa Eghagbevwa hief Sunny Onuesoke is a Delta state Peoples C Democratic Party (PDP)
•Onuesoke
chieftain,one time Delta State governorship aspirant, and one politician who has distinguished himself in all aspects of human endeavor. Onuesoke is a man well respected and loved by the people of Delta State, not essentially because he is generous but through his foundation, The Onuesoke Foundation,he has touched so many lives. Notwithstanding the fact that Deltans failed to see who this humanitarian is and decided otherwise in the 2007 gubernatorial election, yet he has continued to show his love to his people through scholarships to indigent and down trodden in the society and the restoration of our
environment so as to reduce the negative effect of climate change on all of us. Onuesoke has devoted himself totally and sparing nothing in his quest at filling up the gap left by the government of the state on the life of the Delta child. He has given financially, materially, psychologically and morally to the restoration of these kids who wallow in abject poverty and absolute neglect. I met Network for Good Governance (N4GG) Boss, Chief Sunny Onuesoke over eleven years ago in Warri at Daddy’s bakery where he came to eat with his Delta State governorship aspirant posters in his hand. I introduced myself to him as the contractor committee Chairman of Enerhen community. He was pleased to meet me and quickly shared with me his vision for Delta state. Though I laughed at him then, but he later proved beyond
reasonable doubt that he is a leader with a golden heart. He is a perfectionist and expects high professionalism from everyone that work with him. He is a man with a great vision and I believe strongly that Onuesoke will complement the government of our amiable governor, Dr Oghenegare Ifeanyi Arthur Okow,a if made part of his administration. For instance, when it was a taboo for an Urhobo to stand by a Delta North candidate as a governorship aspirant or candidate, Onosueke stood by our beloved Governor Ifeanyi Okowa convincing everyone and spending his money for the cause of Okowa. I am not saying he is the only one that funded Okowa’s campaign, but he is the only one from Delta Central who spent his resources,time,energy and the N4GG crew both in public and
door to door and even in the late hours of the night by coming out in public and boldly saying it that Okowa was the answer . For this and all that he had done for the ordinary people of Delta State, Onuesoke deserves a pat on his back. Like Senator Ighoyota Amori, Onuesoke believes in developing and empowering talent and this he had evidently done to the best of his ability. For this and many more I wish to dedicate this acknowledgement piece to him so that others may also know who the man Onuesoke is. He was born without a silver spoon, yet, he shares the fruit of his personal struggle with the less privileged. I can only hope that you keep him in mind and also support in this dream.
•Eghagbevwa lives in from Asaba
PAGE 28— SUNDAY, Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015
Larr gose emerges Larryy A Agose Music and praise for Grace Ogbemi @ 80 55th President of Lagos he first female lawyer in Delta State, Grace Birogbemi Ogbemi, has joined the octogenarian club Rotar taryy Club as she celebrated her 80th birthday last weekend. For the legal amazon, it was celebration
T
galore all the way for herself, her family, and a host of friends, including her relations from the Edukugho family. The celebration which was tagged ‘An afternoon of praise and music’ held at he Cappa Estate in Lagos. Photos by Sola Oyelese .
The children from left , Mrs Aninn Emuwa, Mr Emeka Emuwa , Mrs Oyemi Solola, Engr . Franklin Ogbemi, husband , with Mrs Grace Birogbemi Obgemi, celebrant , Mrs Alero Barlow, first child, Mrs Ari Ogbemi and Mr Etan Ogbemi, son.
L-R: Mr Tony Idehen, Engr. Festus A.O. Oseni , Mrs Anne Oseni and Mr Kunle Olumide.
L-R: Mrs Bridget Rone Orugboh, Mr Aji Rone Orugboh and Engr Kola Omikinie.
F
ormer Public Relations Adviser of the Nigerian Breweries Plc, Rotarian Larry Agose, has been installed as the 55th President of the Rotary Club of Lagos. In a ceremony chaired at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, Lagos, recently, Agose was installed amid pomp and pageantry. Photo By Diran Oshe
Rot. Adeoye Tugbobo, Past President, Rot. Larry Agose, new president being decorated by Immediate Past President, Ayo Banjo
L- R: Otunba Bolaji Onabadejo, the District Governor 9110 Nigeria, Dr. Chris Ogbechie, Chairman, Diamond Bank Plc, Rot. Ayo Banjo and Larry Agose, new president. L-R: Mrs Alero Balow, Mr Demola Oluwayemi and Mr Kunle Elebute
L-R: Chief (Mrs) Tessa Egbe Ikimi, Mrs Patricia Arawore, Mrs Bose Clarke and Mr Kelly Arawore
L- R: Rot. Adeoye Tugbobo, Larry Agose and Rotn. Ayo Banjo.
Valedict or vice/graduation ceremon angel College aledictor oryy ser service/graduation ceremonyy of Ev Evangel The 2015 graduation valedictory service/graduation ceremony of Evangel College, Okokomaiko, which attracted dignitaries from outside and Assemblies of God Nigeria, took place on Wednesday 15 July, 2015.
L-R: Rev. Dr. H.U Ogbonnaya, D.S of Badagry District, Assemblies of God Nigeria; Rev. Dr. Nwaclark, secretary; and Rev. Dr. J.A Ikpe, Deputy District Superintendent C M Y K
Mr. Moses Egwu, Vice Principal, Academics, and Mrs. Florence Okpo, HOD of Science
2015 graduands of Evangel Okokomaiko, Lagos, in procession.
College,
SUND AY SUNDA
Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015, PPA AGE 29
Help! •4-yr-old girl with genital cancer needs lifeline By OLA AJAYI, IBADAN
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our-year-old Alaka Islamia with protruded abdomen is dying. And unless Nigerians who still have milk of kindness flowing in them come to her aid, her sun may sorrowfully set at dawn. The girl, born on November 1, 2011, is stretching her two arms desperately begging well-meaning Nigerians to save her from death. Her health challenge was discovered when she was one-month- old. Since then, her parents have been running from pillar to post trying to find solution to the problem. According to her mother, Mrs. Alaka Rashidat Bola, who lives at Oritamerin, Ibadan, there was a cancer that grew around her genital. In fact, the growth was at the place where her private part should be. She sought medical advice on what to do, but,
C M Y K
up till now, she is still expecting mercy to drop like a gentle rain on her. When she visited Vanguard Office in Ibadan for assistance, she said, “Please sir, do whatever you can to help me. Both her father and I have tried all we can. We have spent everything we have. But there is no solution yet. We gave birth to her on November 1, 2011 and, when she was about a month old, I discovered an abnormal growth at her lower abdomen. I told my brother about it who suggested I should seek medical solution. He directed me to Agege and later to Ikeja General Hospital. At Ikeja, we were told to wait till 2014 before operation could be done on her. “But, we could no longer bear the excruciating pain she was experiencing as a baby. We then proceeded to the University College
When the parents could not afford the medical bill, they had to consult a private hospital at Eruwa where the mother claimed they spent over N200,000. The move only gave the girl temporary relief Hospital, Ibadan. She was placed on drugs that cost us N20,000 weekly to stabilize her probably to prepare her for surgery. Then for her operation, we were given a letter marked HSD 9/Vol. XVI and dated September 30, 2013”. The letter of cost of treatment, which bears the name and signature of one Mrs. O. O. Adesokan who signed on behalf of the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee and Chief Medical Director of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, states: “With reference to your letter dated September 3, 2013 on the above subject, I write to indicate details of the cost of the treatment of your patient in this hospital as shown below: OperationN55,825, drugs and dressing-114,279, blood(x5)-N30,000, laboratory investigationsN175,900, x-ray-3,000, angiography-N3,000,
*Alaka ... received temporary relief histology-N6,000, feeding-69,000, radiotherapy-N100,000, accommodationN115,000, medical consumables-N120,000, service charge-N1,000 and miscellaneousN25,000. The total amount is N818,004”. This cost is an estimate subject to change with time and course of treatment. When the parents could not afford the medical bill, they had to consult a private hospital at Eruwa where the mother claimed they spent over N200,000. The move only gave the girl temporary relief. She was operated upon and the problem seemed to subside. Alaka was enrolled in a private
school at Olomi, Ibadan, but soon developed complications. Apart from her private part which the cancer has blocked, it spread to her stomach and forces her to bend while walking. Now, she has stopped going to school because of the problem. The little girl is appealing to wellmeaning Nigerians to consider her plight and lend a helping hand. She should have another surgery. Help can reach her through her mother’s account details: Diamond Bank Plc, Account Name-Alaka Rashidat Bola, Account No. 0062132395. The mother’s phone number is 08116917793.
PAGE 30—SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 19, 2015
Why Buhari should not discard key areas of the National Conference report
that are not politically correct, and have not served the interest of some parts of the country, there is so much in the report that we can deal with and is capable of impacting positively on the polity. So, I will urge the President to take that which he considers to be good and he can discard what he thinks is not important. But what I think will not serve the interest of this country is a whole sale condemnation of that report for whatever reason. I think that President Buhari is a listening president and I believe that together with the National Assembly, that report will not be consigned to the footnote of history. th As the chairman of the 90 birthday of the Asagba of Asaba, are you preparing for the event? We have made appreciable progress. We want to use it as an opportunity to showcase the culture and ways of life of Asaba people. We also want to use it as a platform to show gratitude to the Asaba of Asaba, as a first monarch that is second to none in Nigeria. We did not lose sight of the fact that apart from being a monarch, the Asagba has been an intellectual of the highest order, one of founding fathers of the University of Ibadan, in terms of indigenous scholars that the school has produced, and somebody who carved a niche for himself at MIT, Boston and North Carolina University; so given that pedigree, we feel that, at 90, this is an opportunity for us to celebrate him.
— Prof Azinge •’We are sparing no expense to celebrate the Asagba at 90' BY HUGO ODIOGOR
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rof. Epiphany Azinge, a former Director General of Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, (NIALS), was, recently, appointed as a member of the Commonwealth Secretariat of Arbitration Tribunal (CSAT). In this interview, Azinge speaks on political developments in Delta State and Nigeria. The governor of Delta State Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, recently, cried out that he inherited a debt of N636 billion. This has been the trend across the country. Is there no way we can legislate against the practice where outgoing governors mortgages the future of their state and frustrate their successors with humongous debt burdens? It an unfortunate situation in the sense that the debt profile, as stated by the Governor Okowa, is mind-boggling. My experience in government tells me that it is almost a norm that the government of the day caters only for its own interest first, believing that the next government would sort out itself. It is a case of survival that went astray, but I don’t think that we can legislate on that. The challenge I see is that when the government of the day, as represented by the governor, controls all the arms of government, then what we have seen here will always play out. The whole essence of separation of power is to prevent this sort of situation through checks and balances. It to ensure there is, to an extent, a measure of autonomy and independence of the other arms of government as guaranteed by the Constitution. But in a situation where the executive arm of government lords it over other arms of government there will be this type of abuses. Our Constitution is very clear on how certain things should be done and a good number of these things could not have happened without the consent, knowledge and acquiescence of the legislature. If the legislature was strong and independentminded enough to say that this cannot happen, the executive arm alone cannot go ahead with it. That some of these things have happened can only be traceable to the fact that the consent of the legislature was obtained. So, it is the government not the governor, not the executive arm of government that conspired to put us in this kind of mess. So I take it that this lack of prudence in management of the economy and elements of fiscal financial recklessness or whatever you may call it, has been exhibited because of acquiescence of the legislature. But all said, experience has shown that when governors are in office, it gets to the stage where they come face to face with C M Y K
history and more often than not, this comes towards the end of their administration. At this stage, somebody is now struggling to see how history would record him and especially, what legacy they want to leave behind. Then they begin to embark on projects, some well conceived some not. The whole essence of chapter 2 of our Constitution, which is all about Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, is what any governor that is worth his name should familiarise himself with, and use that as the basis for governance. Indeed the Constitution says “that people should aspire to conform not comply” in Chapter 2. I can assure you that any governor who strives “to conform with the provisions of Chapter 2 the constitution,” will not find himself in a situation where he will put his state back to the time of N636 billion debt. So far, it is regrettable and I also sympathise with the new governor. But I think it should be a mark of leadership for him, to navigate through this murky waters. The information of the indebtedness is already in the public domain and Deltans should know that Governor Okowa is walking tight rope. What has come to the open will be a signal to all and sundry that it is not going to be business as usual. People should be prepared to tighten their belt. We have seen some states are already taking loans to run their administration. Are we likely to go that way? Or are we likely to find ways to improve on our IGR and stem the tide of conspicuous consumption? Okowa must cut down on the extravagant culture of politicians and government functionaries. Naturally, people will complain, but it will not be good for the governor if civil servants begin to complain over unpaid salary. Although many states are owing salaries, Delta has maintained a culture of paying its workers as and when due. Okowa should not become the first governor of Delta to default in payment of salary if he hopes to retain the goodwill of the people. The history of not paying salary must not start with him, if he plans to stay in office beyond 2019, I believe that he has the strength of character to get out of this hopeless situation in which he has found himself as the governor of Delta State. We now have a new political party at the helm of affairs in Nigeria. What is your position on the implementation of National Conference report by the new administration? At a point in time it was almost becoming the most important issue for campaign at the national level. Members of the present ruling party were not favourably disposed to the National Conference and they alluded to the fact that conference report is not their priority. I don’t think the President has
The challenge I see is that when the government of the day, as represented by the governor, controls all the arms of government, then what we have seen here will always play out made any reference to that report. To me, you can politicise anything for the purposes of politics, but when the dust settles, politics would have given way to governance and statesmanship. The President should sit back and find a way to to look at some of the issues contained in that report. Former President Goodluck Jonathan presented the report to the last National Assembly which did not want to be seen to be implementing a report made by people who were not elected as representatives of the people like they are. So, maybe out of self preservation, the new National Assembly may not want to consider the report but they can take aspects of the report for politics and ideas also for governance and decision-making. If that is done, even without giving credit to the report and those who fashioned out, all that Nigerians want is progress. But the thrust of the report is that there should be restructuring of the system somewhere along the line and I bet you those who participated are strong enough in the system to continue agitation whether implemented in the shortest possible term or in the long term. So, my take on this is that you cannot throw away the baby with the bath water. There is so much contained in that conference report that will serve the interest of this country of policy, in terms of law, in terms of administration and what have you. So my take is that we should give that report a kind of breathe of life and recalibrate it in such a way that even if there are some areas
What is the programme like? The birthday will run from July 21 through to 28, but we have worked out a plan of action that will enable us to use this period to rebuild and refurbish some of our tourist infrastructure, especially, some sites that we consider to be the top class tourist attractions in Asaba. We are starting with a tour of tourist sites in Asaba. The sites include Ani Ahaba. We also have colonial sites like the Anchorage of the Lander brothers, Mungo Park building, the early cemeteries and missionary schools, in Asaba amongst others. Indeed, we have counted about 32 sites, including the Government House, Delta State House of Assembly, St. Patrick’s College Asaba. We noticed that when people visit Asaba, they have no idea of what to do. So, we want to use this opportunity to promote these tourist sites. The birthday programme will kick-off with the induction of the Asagba into a Hall of Fame in Asaba. This has never been done before and we imagine that a monarch cannot induct himself. But we feel that it will be symbolic and exemplary for us to do that as a way of showing appreciation for the transformational tenure and the peaceful nature that we have enjoyed under the reign of his majesty, it will be also an opportunity to eulogise, th applaud and congratulate him on the 90 birthday. Thereafter, there will be a world press conference where the Asagba will give account of his reign in the past 24 years, make public statement. He will also make projections into the years ahead. After the press conference, there will be a cultural exhibition close to the palace. This exhibition will run throughout the celebration period. This is where the rich cultural assets and artefacts of Asaba people will be presented to the public. On Wednesday, July 22, we expect about 60 groups, individuals, institutions, corporate bodies, indigenes and non indigenes of Asaba to pay homage to the Monarch at his palace. On Thursday July 23, there will be dance carnival and musical float that will go round Asaba. The carnival has been planned to rank among other notable carnivals in the country like the Calabar, Uyo and Port Harcourt carnivals. The carnival troupe will end its parade at the Arede in Asaba. The musical concert has been planned to get the youths to participate. We know that if not properly handled, the young people may feel excluded and many people may feel that it is elitist. The football competition, which has kicked th off, will come to an end on July 26 . The grand finale will be attended by the Asagba, who will present the trophy to the winners.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 31
BY SAM EYOBOKA AND OLAYINKA LATONA were no extra-security THERE measures in all the approaches to the Redemption City of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, last weekend, to support the palpable speculations that Nigeria’s number two citizen, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, was expected at the July special Holy Ghost service held under the theme; “That you may have life”. Nobody was willing to confirm the source of the belief, yet everybody was cocksure the Vice President, who is also a pastor in the church, would be part of the gathering especially because the service coincided with the 30th anniversary of the church’s School of Disciples. There was severe traffic at the Otedola Bridge, which helped to fuel the speculation that some very important dignitaries may be responsible for the situation. But that was not to be as everybody entered the camp and participated in all the events of the weekend which began with the Holy Communion service on Thursday night. By Friday, it was a near full house and the mass choir thrilled the audience to spectacular sessions of praise and worship as the crowd, including a motely of traditional rulers and their entourages, heartily responded to high pitched drum beats and instrumentation that filled the well lit atmosphere with gyrations to shrug off the cold winds in the camp. The General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, and one of his spiritual sons, Regional Evangelist J.T. Kalejaiye, outlined over a dozen nuggets for a prolonged life. Taking the introductory sermon in what he described as an attempt “to give you fish, Daddy will come to teach you how to catch the fish”, Kalejaiye said, pointing out that there were three striking stages in human life: Formation (which was done by God), deformation (which was accomplished by Satan) and transformation (which has begun under the watchful eyes of Jesus). He maintained that physical life is like a loan, but can be endured or enjoyed, can be terminated and can be prolonged, noting that the principles for prolonging life includes the following: You must keep God’s commandments; fear the Lord; honour your parents; hate covetousness; need the giver of life; and eat well. “Take your food as your medicine in order not to take your medicine as your food,” he emphasized. Kalejaiye, who compared the ministries of Jesus and Satan, both of whom, he maintained, came to this world for specific missions, have numerous workers working day and night to actualize their separate assignments, stating that for the Kingdom of God to enthrone righteousness, the cardinal element in the war between the two kingdoms, “it is better for the disciples of Jesus Christ to be faithful than to be famous,” stressing that both kingdoms are striving to populate their separate kingdoms. Turning to his immediate constituency, which has come under adverse criticism lately, Kalejaiye, who stated that he had won over 10,000 souls in the first half of this year, stressed the need for Christians C M Y K
•Pastor Enoch Adeboye
•Evangelist J.T. Kalejaiye
Pastor Adeboye, Kalejaiye’s nuggets for prolonged life to re-order their priorities, shifting emphasis from self glorification to being steadfast in the work of evangelism, challenging them to wake up from their current slumber, adding “Jesus desires to have you and has actually paid the price for your life.” Shortly after the ministration, wife of the General Overseer and coordinator of School of Disciples, Pastor (Mrs) Folu Adeboye, led the crowd of worshippers to pray for the peace of Nigeria as well as all the nations of the world under the siege of terrorism and other violent situations including same sex marriages. Pastor Adeboye, who was honoured along with a professor of agricultural engineering, Prof. Fola Aboaba, Chairman of Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, Elder Felix Ohiwerei, among others, by the School of Disciples, began tracing the history of the School of Disciples, saying that nobody becomes a Christian without going through the school. According to him, it was one of the innovations responsible for the current growth. Quite naturally, he began his message for the day by building on the foundation that had earlier been laid by Kalejaiye by attempting to define life itself, saying that there were things in this world that people think they know but do not really know. “What is life? Suddenly, you discover that you can’t define some of the things you want to define. In higher mathematics or higher philosophy, when you come across something you cannot define, we go round it by defining it by what it is
The General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, and one of his spiritual sons, Regional Evangelist J.T. Kalejaiye, outlined over a dozen nuggets for a prolonged life not. For example, we can say that life is the opposite of death and it is correct.” Adeboye defined death as a permanent separation from people, places and things with emphasis on the permanence, stressing that it makes his teaching job easier when he assume the definition: ‘Life is the opposite of death,’ proceeding to outline things associated with death including sorrow, loss, loneliness, and identifying the agents of death to include sickness, poverty and hopelessness. He pointed out that restoration was the exact opposite of hopelessness. On the contrary, he argued that abundant life consists of
joy, good health, healthy eating, good sleep among others. Speaking on the theme of the programme, “That you may have life”, Adeboye, dressed in dark blue trousers and a white stripped shortsleeved shirt, urged anybody wishing for abundant life which includes joy, sound health, companionship, glorious hope and good sleep, must keep his tongue from evil, depart from evil, must do good always, seek peace always and pursue it; love God for He is life. Drawing inspiration from various scriptural references, Adeboye continued by saying that those seeking long life, which is a matter of choice, must at all times love, fear and obey God, beware of curses, honour their biological and spiritual parents, live holy lives and avoid fruitlessness, stressing the need for evangelism. He told the participants to “stay away from actions that would attract curses. When God saved you it’s for you to save others through evangelism,” noting that to understand life people need to know those things associated with death including sorrow, loss, loneliness among others. In another development, the RCCG general overseer has advised members of the Nigeria Police Force to put their trust in God, adding that it is only in God that their safety and protection can be guaranteed. He made the statement at a special prayer session tagged: “Divine Security” organised for Police officers and men at the church national headquarters in EbuteMeta, Lagos. Appreciating the efforts of the Police in ensuring peace and stability in the country, Pastor Adeboye noted that policemen face a lot of challenges and attacks in the discharge of their duties. He therefore admonished members of the force not to put their trust in any man but trust God who alone is able to surround them with the needed wall of protection. “Safety is of the Lord; no matter how determined your security forces are, they cannot stop demons because demons are not visible to ordinary eyes. Arms of flesh cannot protect one. Only the Almighty God,” he said. Narrating his experience, Adeboye said: “Several years ago, I was asked not to go to my village because the evil forces want to use me as breakfast then. I stayed away for 13 years; but later I was home sick and a friend told me he would take me to one Baba in a village not far from Akure to fortify me and nobody will be able to touch me. “The old man tried all his best, he ate my goats and other things and then he fortified me and I was getting ready to go to my village. Then this man called me and asked where is this my village that they said I should not come to and I mentioned it. “The man exclaimed and I asked him why? He told me he was the chief herbalist of the village and that he inherited all things from his father. According to him, his father sent him to my village for postgraduate and therefore I should not go. But thank God that at last He protected me”.
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BY SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN-CITY
The question on the lips of Edo people is, who succeeds Governor Adams Oshiomhole when his second term ends on November 12, 2016? For the people, this is very important so that the state will not go back to the years of under development and inactivity. However, the Comrade Governor has been very difficult to predict on who he has in mind to succeed him in his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). After the general elections, the governor invited all the party leaders to thank them for their support that gave the party victory in the polls in Edo, but used the opportunity to warn that since the race for who succeeds him was still a little bit far, he would not condone any aspirant calling meetings or trying to factionalize the party in the name of putting structures on ground. In that meeting, many of the people gunning to succeed him under the APC platform were all there seated. They include his deputy, Dr Pius Odubu, a former governor of the state, Prof. Osarhiemen Osunbor, a former governorship candidate of the PDP, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere, a former Minister of State, Works, Engr.Chris Ogienmwonyi, and Osarodion Ogie, the state Commissioner for Works. The governor informed them that he would not entertain any form of distraction to governance of the state arising from the 2016 race, stressing that when the time comes, he will, in consultation with the leaders of the state, ensure that a credible candidate emerges. Oshiomhole went on to proscribe all groups within the APC and threatened to sanction anybody involved in the formation of any political group within the party. Most of the aspirants who have been uncomfortable with the Edo in Safe Hands, a political pressure group led by his Commissioner for Works, Ogie, hailed the governor ’s move. Ogie is seen as a big threat to the ambition of other APC aspirants due to his closeness to the Comrade Governor. It was not surprising therefore that most of the aspirants relocated to Abuja to face their private businesses while they work underground to avoid Oshiomhole’s wrath. From the results of elections so far in Edo, the aspirants are aware that without the support of the Comrade Governor, it will be difficult for any of them to fly. But the launching of the Edo Mass Movement (EMM) by the two-time former governor of the old Bendel State, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, penultimate weekend, in Benin City, is a signal that searching for a credible successor for Oshiomhole will not be an easy task. Following what he described as the superlative achievements of the governor, Ogbemudia had vowed that good governance will not be compromised in the search for Oshiomhole’s successor. As a result, he launched the EMM to search for a credible candidate that could even out perform Oshiomhole, asserting that whoever the EMM decides will be the candidate of the people irrespective of the political party the candidate may belong to. Before choosing the candidate, Ogbemudia disclosed that the group will meet with all the aspirants before the end of the year to tell the people of Edo on why they want to govern them. The EMM is made up of community leaders, youths and market women across the three senatorial district of the state. Ogbemudia enjoys a cordial relationship with the Comrade Governor; so it will not come as a surprise to many if he works with OshiC M Y K
EDO 2016
Oshiomhole, APC contenders and the fear of the PDP defectors *The Ogbemudia search group
mine who becomes the APC candidate because, apart from being the leader of the party in the state, he has become the political leader of the state. And for the PDP, it seems they may have re-strategize on where to zone the governorship after the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan by President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC. Initially, a former Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, was said to have zeroedin on a former Minister of Works, Arch.Mike Onolemenen, who is from Edo Central like Anenih, but Sunday Vanguard learnt that the former BOT Chairman may be looking towards Edo South knowing that the APC will cede its ticket to the district which has about 57 per cent of the population of the state. Onolemenmen,Ize-Iyamu, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, Senator Ehigie Uzamere, Chief Solomon Edebiri, Lucky Imasuen are the governorship aspirants of the PDP expected to run for the primary. The situation is causing unease in the party as some of the aspirants are calling for the removal of the state Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, who they fear may play a leader ’s script. Sunday Vanguard learnt the former BoT Chair may be looking at Edebiri as a suitable candidate while his area (Edo Central) produces the deputy governor. But the problem is that this calculation may hit a brick wall if the primary is not allowed to be free and fair.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole omhole to produce the next governor of the state. Super rich aspirants However, APC’s headache is how to manage some of the super rich aspirants who defected to the party from the PDP. As a matter of fact, the popular Rice Man, Kenneth Imasuagbon, is the latest to defect from the PDP to the APC. The educationist, who decamped only two weeks ago, is one of those with deep pockets coming into the party to battle for the governorship ticket of the APC. Ordinarily, Oshiomhole should have been happy to have them in the APC, but the governor seems worried knowing that crisis may engulf the party after the governorship primary, particularly since some of them are capable of using money to influence party leaders. The worry is expected particularly after the governor had fought his political battles over the years and brought the PDP to its knees, retiring the political god fathers. After the crisis that rocked the state APC that led to the exit of Pastor Osagie-Ize-Iyamu and Chief Tom Ikimi, Oshiomhole had emphasized his desire not to entertain further crisis in the party, especially, ahead of 2016. Before then, the major groups in the APC were the ones led by Ize-Iyamu, who later defected to the PDP, and the deputy governor, Odubu. But as it seems, the APC may have ceded the governorship to Edo South barring any last-minute change. If the party leadership agrees on that, it
There is no doubt that crisis may engulf the two dominant parties in the state after the governorship primaries, expected some time in April 2016, but the advantage the APC has is an Oshiomhole who will be prepared to tear whoever the PDP brings apart during the campaigns and his developmental projects which he will easily remind the people about means that will end the ambition of Osunbor and Imasuagbon who are both from Edo Central. The people of the Central, known as the Esan, have argued that they are yet to enjoy the governorship after Osunbor’s tenure was truncated after one year in office by the Appeal Court ruling which ushered in the Oshiomhole administration. However, Oshiomhole will deter-
April 2016 primaries Ize-Iyamu, Uzamere and Iduoriyekemwen might hit a hard one in the heart of the party rather than succumb to any form of dictation. There is no doubt that crisis may engulf the two dominant parties in the state after the governorship primaries, expected some time in April 2016, but the advantage the APC has is an Oshiomhole who will be prepared to tear whoever the PDP brings apart during the campaigns and his developmental projects which he will easily remind the people about. Besides, with the emergence of the APC at the federal level, the party will no longer suffer intimidation from security agencies as unleashed in the past on APC leaders. Though Edebiri will make a good candidate for the PDP, the party will need a strategic, rugged and masses-oriented candidate, ready to dismantle the political machinery of Oshiomhole, determined to install an APC candidate as his successor, to make an impact in the election. And that is where Ize-Iyamu and Iduoriyekemwen come in. But again anyone who underestimates the political experience and doggedness of Uzamere may be making a big mistake because he has all his political victories against all odds. He is one person among the PDP aspirants that must be feared by others if they don’t want their ambitions to be truncated by the old war horse.
SUND AY SUNDA
Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 33
Underrating Obasanjo was PDP’s undoing — Bode Mustapha BY KOLADE LAREWAJU
Hon. Bode Mustapha was in the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003 under the aegis of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) before defecting to the PDP where he rose to become the National Auditor of the party. Chief Mustapha who has since left the PDP to join the All Progressive Congress (APC) in this interview says the alienation of former President Olusegun Obasanjo from PDP spelt doom for it.
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hat is your view of the cri sis in the National Assem bly? As much as I believe in the independence of the legislature, no matter how you look at it, no legislator got to the National Assembly without a party. No matter your post, be you President, Governor, Senator or Local Government Chairman, you are a product of a party. And we haven’t gotten to the stage of independent candidature in Nigerian politics. From the way we learnt politics from the days of UPN and NPN, which I was involved in, the party is always supreme. I believe we will get to that stage even with what is happening now, because the minute you refuse to allow the party have its way you have made mockery of democracy and party politics. Then what is the essence of having parties and parties sponsoring candidates for office. So the party at some point must have its way. I believe in party supremacy. How do we now solve this impasse? To me if I were in that situation what I would do, especially when the party said we recognized the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, I would have said I would tow party lines in respect of the other principal offices because the romance with the opposition wont last for too long it won’t last. I wont trust the PDP people as far as I am concerned. Even if I will, I will still believe that the interest of the party must be protected. The party must have a reason for taking the decision it took, more so when the party has met the people half way by conceding and saying ‘we recognise the Senate President and the Deputy and Speaker and the Deputy ’. My advice is that for peace to reign and for the party not to be seen as a lame duck, the Party should have its way. Some people are complaining the President Mohammed Buhari is slow? It is better to be slow and get it right than to be fast and miss it. That’s number one. Number two, before the election every right thinking Nigerian knew that the country was at the precipice. But the enormity of the damage that was done was not known to anybody. One would have expected that the out gone administration would have given President Buhari its hand-
• Hon. Bode Mustapha ing over note, at least six weeks before inauguration. What is the essence of having so much time between the election and the inauguration? It was for transition. But in this case there was no transition. So the President has to start from scratch. He had nothing. As we read in the papers, 8000 paged document was given to Mr. President a day before assuming office. He had to go through it. And you see, we civilians always underestimate the military guys. They are trained administrators. I will give an example, if you give Baba Obasanjo a-400 page document and he asked you to come back in two days, you will see his markings on it because he would read it to educate himself, make corrections and stuffs like that. I am sure the President is doing that. He has to know the enormity of what’s on ground. it is better. The slow and steady wins the race. And I know he would not do anything or allow anybody to make him a rubber stamp in taking decisions because the buck stops on his table. In the last administration everybody was doing what they want and at the end of the day it was Goodluck Jonathan. So somebody has to take responsibility and if President Buhari has to take responsibility he must know the enormity of what’s on ground. Now the Permanent Secretaries in the various ministries are now briefing him one on one letting him know situation so that he can juxtapose what he read in the document he got and he will know the state of affairs in each ministry before he deploys his troop. To me he is not slow. He is doing Nigeria a world of good.
How do you think he should handle the issue of Boko Haram? I remember years ago that former President Obasanjo said we had to use the carrot and stick method and I am sure he said it from his wealth of experience as a war tested General be cause as we are we are in a war situation and even where there is war there is even jaw jaw. And from what i
Before the election every right thinking Nigerian knew that the country was at the precipice. But the enormity of the damage that was done was not known to anybody
read in newspapers, there maybe the possibility of negotiating with Boko Haram. I hope and pray so. but how much of what is to be negotiated and stuff like that I don’t know. After all we had the militants and there was a programme and it stopped. if that would happen in the case of Boko Haram, as long as it does not affect Nigeria and if its going to bring about peace i think that should happen. As a former leader of PDP what do you think made the party lose that woefully? To them they said who was Obasanjo? And as such they could do away with Obasanjo and his boys, the Oyinlolas, Bode Mustaphas and the Segun Onis. I cannot understand if there is a leader of the party in the former President who before his eyes his party was being dismembered. People were trying to say that even the man who God used to bring you to office is a nobody and you could not curtail all that rubbish. Now Jonathan is no longer in office, let us see how many of those people with him before would still be around him. We will see how many of those who led him astray that will still be with him. Former President Obasanjo was trying to protect him, because he knew what the hawks could do to a person in office. He thought Obasanjo was going to run his office for him. Run his office for what? President Obasanjo is the only person who has nothing to look for in this country. The only person who will be in the same position is President Buhari when he leaves office. Then he would become President of Africa like Baba Obasanjo. Baba wanted the best for Jonathan but there were people who did not know in the first place how he got there and they now became the king pins and these were people Baba have tested and found to be disasters. This is why we have found ourselves today where the Dollar is being changed to over N270. We had the loud mouths who thought they could insult anybody and they have done the the colossal damage. The PDP say it would bounce back? Good luck to them. I am not interested in them. I have said it that I am no longer with them. Why should I be interested in them? They killed the party themselves. They were behaving as if they were too big. As more and more people defect to APC will it not be over bloated? No that was how people were trooping to PDP when it was in power it was not over bloated. The leadership of the APC expected this to happen and that’s why the leadership said people can come into the party and work for the party for 2019. That is the only way you can show that you are a party man. So some people who want to join the party because they are after largeese will leave when they see that there is no largeese to share. The party will never overbloated.
P AGE 34 — SUND AY PA SUNDA
Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015
BY OLAYINKA AJAYI Chief Victor Umeh, the immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), is a life member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, alongside former APGA National Secretary, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi. In this interview, Umeh bares his mind on the new leadership of APGA and expectations of party stakeholders from the current helmsman, Dr. Victor Oye. He also speaks on the crisis in All Progressives Congress (APC), the first 30 days of Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. r. Victor Oye, three years ago, was a member of the Progres sive Peoples Alliance (PPA) and Abia government official. Then he emerged as APGA chair. What recommended him? Victor Ikechukwu Oye is somebody who has the capacity to lead APGA. He has enough experience. In electing him into the office of National Chairman of APGA, we were conscious of the challenges that lie ahead of his tenure. We are convinced he can lead the party. He is well educated. He has master ’s degree in communications, and he is a doctoral fellow in communications from Oxford University. He has also been around government. He is seasoned journalist. He understands the dynamics of his office and will be in a position to have firm control of it. On our part, we will give him all the support he will need to make APGA a strong party. … For me, having left office as National Chairman of APGA, thankfully to God, I must be a member of the Board of Trustees of the party, so long as I remain a member of the party. That is to say that if I choose to be a member of APGA till death and APGA is still there, I will be a member of the Board of Trustees. So, you see that we are part and parcel of the party. Apart from that, we are part of other bodies in the party, like National Executive Committee, the National Caucus and the National Convention. So, at all times, we are part of the decision making processes of the party, myself and the National Secretary who exited from office with me, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi. It is a constitutional thing. It is provided for in the party’s constitution. Dr. Oye is coming in on a very strong pedestal, on a clean slate, no legal hangover. The one that is outstanding at the Supreme Court is just a matter, of course, that of Maxi Okwu and that one will die off. So, that being the case, he is not inheriting any litigation against his leadership. So, he will be able to concentrate. This is unlike the huge distractions we got from our pioneer chairman, Chekwas Okorie, and along the line Maxi Okwu aided by former Governor Peter Obi and they used all kinds of processes to disorganise the party. So, under the leadership of Governor Willie Maduabuchi Obiano as leader of the party and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Dr. Oye’s National Working Committee will focus on how to build the party, rather than how to contend with internal crisis. On former President Goodluck Jonathan and APGA support Jonathan lost the presidential election in the South-East because he mismanaged the support he got from the stakeholders. Number one stakeholder in the South-East in any election is APGA. Because he took our support for granted, he planned the execution of the election against APGA, he failed in the South East. I am sure he is taking stock of what happened to him in that election. Had he displayed a mutual spirit in that election, the story may have been different today. The plan was to wipe out APGA in the South East and hand over everything to PDP. He was deceived in that thinking by the enemies of APGA who told him that if APGA could be dispensed with, they will have a free run. I believe in his next life, Jonathan should have learnt a clear lesson. One thing that nature establishes is that you do not pay good deeds with bad deeds. Because we were campaigning for him with all our hearts and some manipulators in the PDP who were overtly ambitious for their own positions in the National Assembly elections got him to believe that we were not
time, the APC was celebrating that their rank was swelling, without anticipating that this is a marriage of people from various parents and at the right time everybody will return to his or her parents. So, what happened at the National Assembly inauguration, particularly in choosing their leadership, is something that what we call in Igbo land, Izu kaa nma na nne ji. That is to say that people from the same mother will always come together at any critical moment. That was what played out, but because the APC leaders were not prepared for it, they were taken unawares. APC also mismanaged the choice of leadership of the National Assembly. By conducting a mock poll openly ahead of that exercise, they had already shown the red light to everybody. By doing their mock poll and showing it on television saying these people have won, those things are not parliamentary. You do not elect the leadership of the parliament outside the parliament. They could lobby internally within the party
D
• Chief Victor Umeh
Victor Umeh: APGA survived plot to kill it in the South-East *On NASS leadership polls: APC punished for its naivety even supporting him. These were the stories we were told after the election. They were inundating Jonathan and his wife with stories that APGA was supporting APC and therefore they were given all the logistics support, the police, the army including INEC to work with them, and they went ahead to return themselves and allowed Jonathan to fail. In the South East, you have 15 senators, all PDP. They used those machineries to manipulate themselves into those positions and in the House of Reps. Their master, they abandoned him. So, he lost that election in the South East. Comparing what happened in the South East in 2015 to what happened in 2011, Jonathan got over five million votes in 2011 while, this time around, he couldn’t get up to three million votes because the elements were working for themselves. I have explained this elaborately in the past. So, that was it. As for PDP fielding a candidate against me in my constituency where I contested for Senate, despite the fact we didn’t field a presidential candidate, it exposes them to public judgement, how they could carry others along. It was not only that they did not complement that support we gave to President by not fielding a presidential candidate in my own case; they also went out to make sure that they used everything available to manipulate and rig the election against me. I leave everything to God because today man proposes but God disposes. When they finished that exercise PDP had the biggest loss. The loss of the presidency was the hugest loss the party can suffer. That is why the party is scattering, in disarray because they left the main prize to pursue little things, and the little things consumed the main prize. Meanwhile, we are in the tribunal to contest my loss of the senatorial election. We are very hopeful that justice will be done. On APC senators and the PDP alliance I think it is a clear manifestation of the weakness of the political institutions we are running in Nigeria. For democracy to be successful, it has to have very strong institutions. What am I talking about? The electoral body, the political parties, and so on. What we have in Nigeria have been very weak political institutions, and it is through political parties that you produce leaders for the country... So, the main bad aspect of our democracy in Nigeria is indiscipline among party members where people when they get the opportunity to get into exalted positions place
How can a party want to meet with its elected members in the morning of the inauguration? What were they going to achieve for a meeting that will hold before 10a.m, when the House will be proclaimed? .... I think APC did not plan well ahead of that inauguration of the National Assembly themselves above their parties. They rebuff every move aimed at keeping the party vision intact. At the National Assembly, it was an embarrassment that on the day the National Assembly was inaugurated, the National Chairman of the party and high ranking members, including Senator Bola Tinubu, were at the International Conference Centre waiting to have a meeting with their elected lawmakers, waiting for the President to attend the same meeting, only to hear that the President finally did not come and that something had happened at the National Assembly behind them. It showed a clear communication gap within the system. My question at that time, what rattled me, how can a party want to meet with its elected members in the morning of the inauguration? What were they going to achieve for a meeting that will hold before 10a.m, when the House will be proclaimed? The letter of proclamation will be read by the President at the floor of both Senate and House of Representatives. So, I think APC did not plan well ahead of that inauguration of the National Assembly. Again, they were naïve not to have anticipated what happened, because the people who came to form the APC had different interests. When the people so-called New PDP left PDP to merge with other parties to form the APC, they should have known that all those groups were coming with their own political interests that they could not to find accommodation for in the parties they were exiting from. So, they will carry their interests to the new body. But at that
system, to say ‘support this’ or ‘support that’. But to go and conduct polls and announce results on television before the inauguration was an act taken too far by APC and they paid dearly for it. If they had had one house before the inauguration, nobody would have been sure of who will win, but they had ordained people publicly and announced ‘these are your leaders’ in a multiparty parliament. It doesn’t happen that way. That gave room for alignment and realignment of forces and they were punished for that. I think that is not something that should not be allowed to weigh the country down. The leaders of the Senate emerged through constitutional means. Even if it hurts the arrangement inside APC, they must know how to contend with it. Saraki who has emerged Senate President emerged did so through a constitutional process. They can’t fault him. And I find him as somebody who is competent, somebody who can discharge the demands of that office. Be if his party leaders were not planning for him to be Senate President, well, he has emerged through the support of other senators in the Senate. So, they must support him. APC has no option than to support Saraki. 30 days of President Buhari I think 30 days is too short to assess the performance of the President of a country. What we have been used to in the past had been 100 days in office assessment of what people in government have done. I think Buhari’s critics are getting it wrong. With the revelations coming out from the former administration, it is obvious that any person who will want to succeed will want to walk very carefully. You have to tread very cautiously. You have to know what you have inherited before you take decisions on what to do. During the campaigns, there were promises of great changes to be made. But on assumption of office, what we have been reading from The Presidency about what they inherited from their predecessors, obviously they will need time to get their acts together. Too much damage was done to the system. It’s playing out, because within the week of Buhari’s inauguration, Nigeria had no light. Everywhere in the country was in darkness. And that was a regime that succeeded another regime that spent about $20billion on power. That is a little summary of what you would expect in other areas.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 35
Fighting crime in Lagos — Whither CP Aderanti’s magic? BY EMMA NNADOZIE, CRIME EDITOR The announcement of a new Commissioner of Police for Lagos State, penultimate week, by the InspectorGeneral of Police, Solomon Arase, came as a surprise to many. The resentment that greeted the announcement should be attributed to the events that heralded the change of baton. Prior to the announcement of Ajani- Fatai Owoseni, as the new police chief helmsman in Lagos, CP Kayode Aderanti held sway amidst a seemingly rising wave of crime in the Centre of Excellence. However, the wave was being systematically doused by an unwavering commitment towards intelligence gathering and tenacity of purpose as was boldly demonstrated by the dreaded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, under the watchful eyes of Aderanti. The crime bursting trend started no sooner than Aderanti assumed duty in the state on September 9, 2014. Then, armed robbery was taking a heavy toll in Lagos. Aderanti mandated the then officer in charge of SARS, Abbah Kyari, to go all out against the hoodlums and bring them to book. Based on the marching order, detectives at SARS swung into action. Through the deployment of cutting edge technology, intensive surveillance and aggressive patrol, five notorious armed robbery suspects that specialized in snatching and selling of cars were rounded up with the staggering recovery of 15 stolen vehicles. The vehicles were recovered within the state and in different locations outside Lagos including Abuja, PortHarcourt and Benin City. This feat kickstarted several other breakthroughs within the period Aderanti presided over the police affairs in the state. Barely a month later, another spectacular feat was recorded. This was after information was received about some deadly trans border armed robbers in Iba, Festac and Igando areas of the state. On receiving the information, Aderanti held an all night long meeting with detectives at SARS before issuing directives on how to face the task ahead. Bursting bank robbries Thereafter, two SARS decoy teams stormed the hideout of the robbers at Victory Estate, Iba along LASU/Igando Road where two suspects were arrested. Their confession led to the arrest of six others including their armourer and gang leader from whom exotic cars were recovered . Rifles hidden in a specially constructed compartment underneath one of the cars were also recovered. The suspects confessed to several operations including a bank robbery in Port Novo, Benin Republic, a filling station and bureau de change robberies in Mali, attempted robbery at UBA at Shagamu Road, Ikorodu, Lagos, several robberies in Port-Harcourt, Kano and the biggest of it all, N100 million successful robbery in Alakija area of Lagos from which one of the kingpins built a mega mansion in Onicha LGA of Ebonyi State. ‘Senator Nwobodo’episode In the same vein, the command recorded a breakthrough when it arrested a suspected international arms dealer in far away Onitsha, Anambra State,who allegedly confessed to have sold over 200 AK47 rifles C M Y K
and coasted leisurely back to base without confrontation from security agencies. While palpable fear gripped residents of the area and environs over the manner of the operation, most people were furious with the police. That was when the crime fighting ability of Aderanti was glaringly put to test. He rose to the challenge and kept on assuring that he would get the perpetrators of the heinous operation. He summoned a meeting of all Commanders of the police combat units including the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operation, Deputy Commissioner of Police State Criminal Investigations Department, Panti, Yaba, Rapid Response Squad, RRS, SARS, SIB, Marine and Police Mobile Force and impressed it upon them that the crime must not go unresolved After more •CP Kayode Aderanti •New CP Ajani- Fatai Owoseni strategic meetings, they were able to get clues on the crime. Six decoy teams of SARS were smuggled from Mali to several criminals and dispatched to Delta, Ogun, Ondo States and militants in Anambra, Rivers, Bayelsa, Abia, Ikorodu in Lagos under the direct supervision of Enugu and Lagos states. Another arrest was Aderanti. The efforts paid off on March 20, carried out after information filtered out about a 2015, eight days after the robbery attack when gang that used EFCC uniforms to rob bureau one Duke Odogbo, the suspected leader of the de change operators in Abuja and Lagos states gang, was picked up in Warri, Delta State. of foreign currencies. A massive manhunt was Another alleged key member of the gang, launched and detectives arrested the alleged Ekelemo Kuete, 30, who was said to have kingpin, one Princewill Eze, 55, alias Senator driven one of the speed boats on the day of the Nwobodo. robbery, was picked up in Majidun area of Interestingly, the suspected notorious leader of Ikorodu, Lagos State. Two more suspected the gang lived in affluence at the high-brow members of the gang were arrested through VGC and owned a fleet of exotic cars. His diligent follow-ups. All arrested suspects confessions led to the arrest of a female confessed to the crime and recoveries were Lebanese and suspected member of the gang, made. Amira Abdallahi, 32, and others. Several stolen Revelations vehicles were recovered but the shocking aspect The arrests assuaged the boiling anger of of the recovery was that of N4m and $13m Lagosians. The contempt the people had for cash allegedly found on them. The suspected the police on the heels of the Lekki robbery kingpin had somehow escaped arrest previously turned into praises for, especially, Aderanti, He either escaped or allegedly got security who personally commanded the operation. It agents to compromise. also elicited curiosity as revelations from one While these successes were being recorded, of the suspects showed that the gang launched the dare-devils remained undaunted. They the attack from a settlement inside the creek intensified efforts at both armed robbery and close to where naval men, Customs and marine kidnapping while the command spread its police have bases. The revelations raised salient dragnets and, in most cases, succeeded in questions concerning the workability of the rounding them up. generally touted synergy between security agencies Then, there was the biggest of the attacks that in the state. In fact, it was as if the police were shook Lagos and environs. A gang of armed just allowed to carry their cross when concerted robbers stormed two banks through the lagoon efforts could have contributed towards water front on Admiralty Way in the high checkmating crime. brow Lekki area of Lagos on Thursday, Brazen robbery and breakthrough March 12, 2015. They went inside the bank This scepticism raised its ugly head, few weeks premises, ransacking the vault, Automated after, when another gang struck at Ijede in Teller Machines (ATM) and dispossessing Ikorodu area of the state. They invaded the area several members of staff of their valuables. also from the waterways and robbed two banks After their movie-like operation, the bandits located at Ipakodo carting away huge sums of left in their trail five corpses, three of which money. The brazen manner of the operation and were policemen who, though on another the fact that they, once again, escaped without assignment, engaged them. Three civilians, hindrance triggered fresh anger amongst residents including a 15-year-old girl selling fish in the of the area and beyond. For the second time, the area, were also mowed down. ability of Aderanti to bring the bandits to book Top level meeting came to the front burner and tongues wagged over The robbers operated for over two hours the alleged involvement of soldiers in the robbery. without the intervention of the police at the As usual, the Commissioner of Police kept on nearby Maroko station. Worse still, the bandits assuring that he would make a break through. He escaped through the same route at the lagoon was on the verge of accomplishing the task when a shocker came. He had been re-deployed to Force Headquarters, Abuja, while a successor was posted to Lagos. That notwithstanding, Aderanti and his team from SARS worked all night and, at the end of the day, before handing over, rounded
Prior to the announcement of AjaniFatai Owoseni, as the new police chief helmsman in Lagos, CP Kayode Aderanti held sway amidst a seemingly rising wave of crime in the Centre of Excellence
P AGE 36 —SUND AY PA —SUNDA
Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015
By LUKA BINNIYAT A bomb exploded penultimate Tuesday morning in Zaria, Kaduna State’s second biggest town, killing no fewer than 26, injuring several others and destroying the livelihood of thousands of hawkers and beggars. Immediately after the explosion, Governor El Rufai banned hawking and begging in the state, saying beggars and hawkers were susceptible to being used by terrorists to bomb targets for a fee. Typical of El Rufai’s policies, the order has attracted praises and condemnations. Those who praise the governor describe him as an agent of orderliness and sanity, while those condemning him see him as a villain who has no sympathy for the poor and punishes those without means of survival. Meanwhile, no one can authoritatively state the social, economic and even political implication of the governor ’s directive, due to lack of data. Sunday Vanguard tried finding anyone with an idea on the number of persons engaged in hawking and begging in Kaduna State, but met a brick wall even as El Rufai, when asked on the number of people in that category, briskly replied: “We don’t have the statistics yet. But that is what we are working on right now”. The governor spoke in Kakuri, a Kaduna suburb, last Tuesday, shortly after the inspection of the rehabilitation centre for beggars. Were hawking and begging to be incorporated into economic activities, Kaduna State would be grossing millions from taxes. Saidu Saleh, an unemployed sociology graduate from Ahmadu Bello University, told Sunday Vanguard that he had done a study on street hawking in Zaria in 2011 as an undergraduate. He said that in Zaria city and suburb, there may be close to 6,000 hawkers made up of school-age children, and adults who can not secure regular jobs. He said that they may be grossing in as much as N3 million per day, taking an overall average profit of N500 per day. That then should translate to N90 million per month or N1.08 billion per year from Zaria town alone Kande Yusuf, Director, Street People Care Foundation, SPCF, based in Kaduna, said the Foundation conducted a survey on the number of beggars in Kaduna town, and that it was astonished at the number and how much income was generated. “After our study of the situation in 2013, we
*Beggars ejected from the streets. Inset: Gov. El-Rufai
El Rufai, beggar-millionaires in battle for Kaduna streets We are giving the authorities three days to rescind their decision or risk being victims of a spell we would cast on them through prayers discovered that there were at least 8,000 persons engaged in full-time begging, from which they support an even larger number of dependants. We also have others that are not into fulltime begging, or are circumstantial, temporary beggars. This group may add over a thousand. On the average, a beggar may earn between N200, N500 and even N2,000 a day depending on several factors. And if you aggregate that sum and share by their numbers, we concluded that these 9,000 beggars may
each earn N200 per day. That means that in Kaduna town alone, N1.8 million per day, or N54 million per month goes to beggars all from charity. The figure for a year would be N648 million. Now, if do a rough estimate for the entire state, you may be looking at a few billions of Naira per year, just from begging”, Yusuf said. A few days after the announcement of the ban, the Kaduna State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, on Wharf Road, was besieged by scores of physically handicapped persons who came with their dependants. They came to protest the embargo on begging – and to inform El Rufai about the battle he had sparked off. The spokesman for the beggars, Abdullahi Jugunu, a visually impaired person, who is said to live in a decent accommodation, owns a car and speaks good English, told journalists in Hausa that the governor had stepped beyond his bound. A fuming Jugunu said: “Apart from feeling insulted, we will be seeking legal redress against the government, first for defamation of character . “The ban which came only
after the Zaria blast is a subtle way of calling us terrorists. Our right to life is now under threat because our existence is hinged on begging activities on the streets. “We are giving the authorities three days to rescind their decision or risk being victims of a spell we would cast on them through prayers. Our promise for now is that we will be returning to the streets for our normal business.” Last Tuesday morning, a day after the expiration of the ultimatum, the beggars camp on Kano Road. By 10:30am, El Rufai arrived the camp. Whether intimidated by the reality of seeing the dimunitive governor and all the fuss about him, or cowed by the intimidating security arrangement around El Rufai, all the bravado of the beggars protest disappeared while one Mallam Abdullahi Samaila welcomed El Rufai and explained the beggars plight after which he asked for assistance on daily survival in the face of the ban. In response, the governor told the beggars to their face that some of them were
being used by terrorists to courier bombs at a price. “From security reports, I have been told that terrorists use some of you, would give you a bag containing explosives with the reward of N5,000 to keep somewhere with the promise of giving you the balance when you return. But you never always return. Because they will detonate it on you and their targets,” he stated. “On this note, let me announce that the deputy governor, Arc. Barnabas Bala Bantex, has donated two cows for your Sallah celebration. As for me, I will further add all that is required to make you have a great Sallah celebration”, El-Rufai told them, as they shouted out thanks after which the governor left. The hawkers, they just don’t have any space in the arrangement of the governor. They are now locked in a cat-and mouse game with officials of the Kaduna Environmental Protection Agency, KEPA. And hundreds have so far suffered arrest and prosecution. Poverty and hunger would, however, always push them to the streets. And KEPA officials would be waiting.
SUND AY SUNDA
•Hon. Gbajabiamila
Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015, PPA AGE 37
• Dogara, Speaker
REPS RESUME, N I A G A AG T H G I F O T TO SET
Gbajabiamila will not be Majority Leader, Dogara insists BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU
T
he House of Representatives is expected to resume on Tuesday after three weeks break occasioned by the leadership crisis bordering on the sharing of principal offices. But emerging signals indicate that the House will not resume for plenary on the said date as the lingering crisis is yet to be resolved and may now resume on Tuesday, July 28. The Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, had, last week, while receiving All Progressives Congress, APC, Mobilisation Youth Forum, assured that the crisis would be resolved before resumption. Dogara, who told the APC youth forum that “all of us are loyal members of the party,” however argued that the ongoing crisis was part of the challenges that resulted from the victory of the 2015 general elections. But he assured: “Everything is being done in conjunction with the party; in conjunction with the leaders of the party to ensure that by the time we reconvene all the issues that were there would have been dealt with. I can assure you, that is the only way we can get things right. “I don’t see these things as major crises as you rightly pointed out. Things must change, that is the matrix of APC, it was on that, that so many of you abandoned your comfort zone and voted for us to be here, so we understand the expectations on the part of Nigerians not only APC supporters alone… “I hope we should be able to bury our differences so that when we resume announcement will be made for the remaining four leadership positions in the House of Representatives. “I’m speaking on behalf of the House of C M Y K
Representatives; I’m not holding brief for the Senate. But I sincerely believe that by the time we resume this matter will be a thing of the past.” But despite the assurance and his plea, the truth remains that all the actors in the crisis appear to have taken hardline positions. Worse still, the leadership of the All ruling APC also appears not to be ready to find a middle ground for the warring camps. The House is expected on resumption to constitute the body of principal officers which has become the bone of contention, constitute committees and their heads which may also generate fresh crisis and also begin deliberations on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, ahead of the preparation of the 2016 appropriations and other oversight functions. But with the reality on ground over the leadership tussle, it has become apparent that Nigerians expecting the crisis to be resolved as soon as possible will have to wait for more time to come for this to take place. Inside sources in the House said that but for some external forces wanting to ‘humiliate’ the Speaker to teach him a lesson for challenging the decisions of the APC, the House leadership would have resolved the matter. The sources also claimed that if the APC national leadership should respect the doctrine of separation of powers as has been
The uproar over leadership position which is supposed to be a party affair has become a national problem, trying to bring governance to a standstill
exhibited by President Muhammadu Buhari who had vowed not to be dragged into the crisis and hands-off the matter, the Speaker and his deputy, Yussuf Lasun, are were capable of handling it. “The uproar over leadership position which is supposed to be a party affair has
become a national problem, trying to bring governance to a standstill. Other political parties in the House that may have tried to manage their differences, if any, cannot carry out the legislative duty they were elected by their constituents to perform because, the ruling party, APC, cannot manage the crisis and, by extension, its victory especially at the federal legislative level,”one of the sources said. The House has to shift from the Tuesday resumption date because Dogara and his camp insist that the spirit of federal character where all the six geopolitical zones are included for principal officers ‘positions in the APC should be respected, while the Femi Gbajabiamila camp that has the blessing of the party leadership stand on the supremacy of the party and the need for the presiding officers of the House to carry out the APC’s directives. The party leadership had specifically recommended Gbajabiamila from the same South West geopolitical zone with the deputy Speaker for the
position of the House Leader and Mohammed Monguno, from the Speaker’s North-East zone, as the Chief Whip among others which the Dogara camp rejected. Those opposing the directive claimed that with the Speaker from the North East and the deputy from the South West, it is unfair to give two positions to the two zones when four geopolitical zones are supposed to share the four positions, adding that going by the letter from the party to Dogara, the North Central and the South East will be excluded from occupying principal officers positions. However, one of the supporters of Gbajabiamila, Hon. Philip Shuaibu, representing Etsako federal constituency of Edo State, faulted those agitating for zoning as he alleged that there was hypocrisy in their position. He said, “The situation in the National Assembly today does not actually follow federal character. What the party has simply done is, we have accepted the Senate President, we have accepted the Speaker, how do we make the National Assembly succeed to make sure that it is positioned to drive the policy of change that the APC stands for having forgiven them for the first disappointment and what will they do? “The warring factions, the people that believe should have won this election that the party supported lets streamline the positions to have them on board so that it will not be a win, win situation, there will be no winner, there will be no loser, everybody will be a winner and that was the principle that the party took for the present leadership that has been chosen. “For me, a Rep from South-South, I will feel cheated that we are supposed to produce the Speaker, but the same people now that are talking zoning said SouthSouth produced only four Reps, South-East produced only two Reps and they are using numbers, at that time, it favoured them. “Now, it is not favouring them and they are talking about zoning. So, for me, I think the principle of zoning was jettisoned ab initio because the President and the Vice President are from two major zones, South-Eest and North. “Now, if you check who is the Senate President, from North, who is the Speaker, from North, so if you are talking about federal character, as far as I am concerned, federal character has not reflected in who becomes Speaker and who has become the Senate President. “So, it has been jettisoned, I support what the party has done but at the same time I think flexibility is the watch word and I am happy that the party was flexible to accept Saraki and was flexible to accept Dogara. They also should be flexible so that this row does not consume them.” But another lawmaker from the South East and also a member of the APC, Hon. Austine Chukwukere, representing Ideato South/ North federal constituency of Imo State, said it will be uncharitable to exclude South East from the principal offices going by the alleged humiliation, harassment and intimidation they faced before they won election in a zone that was dominated by the Peoples Democratic Party. Chukwukere said that some of them in APC from the South East were tagged Boko Haram for bringing the party to the zone and that some of their supporters were beaten, arrested and detained, noting that some of his colleagues from other zones now supporting the exclusion of South East did not face the humiliating situation they faced during the general elections. Besides the issue of principal officers, Dogara will also face another uphill task to constitute committees. Already, the signals coming from the Senate is suggesting that all is not well especially with the alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Rules which said the new rule favouring equitable distribution of committee headship to the six geopolitical zones. The Speaker draws his inspiration principally from the minority PDP and anything done to shortchange the party’s lawmakers in the composition of committees would be a threat to his position. The APC elements in the House will also want to have the upper hand in the composition of committee headship.
PAGE 38— SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015
Akpabio
Manager
Sekibo
Akpabio, Manager, others clash over Senate Minority Leader By Henry Umoru
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HE 8th Senate inauguration, Tues day, June 9, was followed by the election of former Kwara State governor and immediate past Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Senator Bukola Saraki, APC, Kwara Central, as President of the Senate while the Deputy Senate President of the 7th Senate and senator representing Enugu West, Ike Ekweremadu, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, retained his seat. It was an intriguing session as Saraki emerged with only 59 senators present of the 109 lawmakers in the upper chambre. Ekweremadu, being from the opposition PDP, surprisingly emerged thereby giving room for a bipartisan Senate. The events may have come and gone, but the wounds of the opposition party producing the Deputy Senate President have not healed. The Senate went on three weeks break that would lapse on Tuesday, and, as the senators resume plenary, all the unresolved issues seem set to rear their heads and, if not properly managed, the lawmakers may head for a show down especially as the other principal offices would be filled. Prior to the break, Saraki had announced Senator Ali Ndume as the Senate Majority Leader; Senator Ibn Na’Allah as Senate Deputy Majority Leader and Senator Francis Alimikhena, Edo North, as the Deputy Majority Whip. The Senate President, who merely announced the three principal officers of the Senate following their nominations by senators of their various zonal caucuses, did not announce the occupant for the position of Senate Majority Whip. The APC had put forward its list which was as follows: Senate Majority Leader (North east-Senator Ahmad LaC M Y K
wan); Deputy Majority Leader (North central-Senator George Akume); Senate Chief Whip (South west-Senator Olusola Adeyeye) and Deputy Chief Whip (North west-Senator Abu Ibrahim). The list was however jettisoned at the zonal caucuses of the party, thereby producing their own candidates. While the ruling party, the APC has these positions, Senate Majority Leader; Deputy Majority Leader; Senate Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip, the opposition PDP has the Senate Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader; Senate Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip. “The PDP, however, said, through the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, it would not interfere in who emerges as principal officers of both the red and green chambers and that, in line with the Standing Orders, the officers would be elected through the caucuses of the party. The PDP, unlike the APC that did not zone the positions, resulting in the theatre of the absurd at the House of Representatives, zoned the respective principal offices to the six geo- political zones, with the South South getting the Senate Minority Leader; Senate Minority Whip was zoned to the North Central; North East has Senate Deputy Minority Leader and South West has Senate Deputy Minority Whip. For the House of Representatives, the PDP zoned the Minority Leader to South South; Minority Whip goes to North West; South East has Deputy Minority Leader and North East has Deputy Minority Whip. It was gathered that its caucuses had settled for the immediate past Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta and senator representing Delta South, James Manager, for the position of Minority Leader; the immediate past Senate Committee Chairman on Power and senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Philip Tan-
The PDP, however, said, through the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, it would not interfere in who emerges as principal officers of both the red and green chambers and that, in line with the Standing Orders, the officers would be elected through the caucuses of the party
imu Aduda, for Minority Whip; and former Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and senator representing Gombe South, Joshua Lidani, for Deputy Minority Leader. The North Central, which has the position of Minority Whip, may have settled for Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda because he was a member of the House of Representatives with good working relationship with his colleagues, especially now that some of his fellow colleagues and friends in the House of Representatives are now senators. Meanwhile, some weeks ago, the immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, indicated interest in the Minority Leadership position of the Senate. Akpabio coming into the race, as gathered, is causing a sharp division in the South South Caucus of PDP, because, before now, the senator that was extremely qualified for the position in line with the Senate rules was Manager who has been in the Senate since 2003 and, with the rule of ranking, he ordinarily would not have had any problem getting the position, but the former Akwa Ibom State governor, a source said, wants to use his influence as the immediate past Chairman of PDP Governors' Forum to get the post. To drive home his fight for the Minority Leader's position, Akpabio, last week, stormed the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza where he met with the National Working Committee, NWC. Asked by journalists after his visit, Akpabio, who explained that he was still holding consultation on the matter, said that the decision would ultimately belong to PDP members in the upper chamber of the National Assembly. Also challenging Manager is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence and Army in the 7th Senate, Senator George Thompson Sekibo, PDP, Rivers East, and Senator John Enoh, PDP, Cross River Central. However, there are very strong indications that Manager is being edged out of the Senate Minority Leader race ahead of Tuesday when the names of those who will occupy the minority offices in the red chambre would be announced. According to a PDP senator on the development, “We are seeing the APC crisis now; ours is in the making because by July 21, if we too don’t sort ourselves out, we can at best say that what is capable of weakening the PDP ahead of its role as a viable opposition party in the years ahead may have been planted. We all thought the issue of Senate Minority Leader had been laid to rest until the DSP(Deputy Senate President) called us for a meeting in his house where he sought people’s opinion on the propriety or otherwise of selecting Senator John Enoh for the position.“ I think it was from there the former Akwa-Ibom governor got the feeling that if the matter has to be revisited, then he would take a shot at it, but he doesn’t know that his ambition is against the rules of the Senate as regards the selection of its principal officers.“ Before then, we were all facing the challenge of the suggestion by the former president and his wife that we should consider Sekibo from Rivers but the duo of Ekweremadu and Wike kicked against it.“ From all indications, if we don’t step in on time, our earlier decision backing James Manager may fail as you know what money can do in politics; we can’t say money won’t work in this circumstance."
SUND AY SUNDA
Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015, PPA AGE 39
INTRA PARTY BATTLE IN KATSINA
Why I dragged Masari to court over council chairmen – APC chieftain That is a joke, I believe. The people of Katsina know me very well. They know the quality of my integrity. I cannot be bought. The people know that I am always on the side of the people. And I have worked with all the governors that ever passed through Katsina State on issues relating to the masses. I worked closely with the late Umaru Musa Yar ’Adua, who was my very close friend I worked with him, including the immediate governor, Ibrahim Shema. As a matter of fact, I went to court against the administration of Shema. Before then, I was also close to Shema. He was listening to advise, but when he also wanted to have caretaker chairmen, I called this same Governor Masari, who was then in the opposition as APC, that we should all challenge the action of the governor and that if we don’t, and he get away with it, the action may eventually come back to hunt us. That is exactly what is happening now. And what was it at that time? The governor wanted to amend the local government law reducing their tenure from three to two years. The state assembly, not only approved it, they also gave the governor the power to appoint caretaker chairmen. To answer your question, I don’t have any connection with the PDP, never.
BY OLALEKAN BILESANMI
All Aminu Maigari is a member of Progressives Congress, APC, the ruling party in Katsina State. Last week, he, through the High Court in Katsina, restrained Governor Aminu Masari from making good his threat to sack the state elected local government chairmen. What could have motivated him into taking sides with the opposition at the expense of his party,? This and many other questions he tries to answer in this interview
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RE you a card carrying member of the All Progressives Congress? Yes, I am a card carrying member of the APC. I registered at my ward,Wakilin Kudu I, Polling Unit: Unguwar Alkali A.P.C Registration card No. 06009452 with Registration date: 11/2/2014, shortly after the party was consummated with other parties. Why are you taking the party to court? First and foremost, I am a human rights lawyer. As a matter of fact, I am the most senior lawyer here in Katsina State. I had earlier spoke to my party that it was unconstitutional to sack the elected local government chairmen and replace them with caretaker chairmen. Section 7 of the constitution stated clearly that it only recognizes elected local government chairmen. So, as a lawyer, I cannot stand by and allow the constitution trampled upon, just because such unconstitutional action is in the interest of the party. My country is above the interest of the party. Without the country, there wont be a constitution. Constitution can only exist if there is a country. That was mainly reason why I decided to go to court.
Aminu Maigari
Is that not an anti-party action which could lead to expulsion? It is not. Nobody can expel me because I went to court for interpretation of the constitution. My party was going wrong. I am a lawyer. I cannot be here and see that things are going wrong and I do nothing about it. That is not anti- party. I am not working for anybody but Nigeria. We have won the first step of this illegality. Which is the first step? The governor wanted to sack the chairmen. So, we went to court, asking it to restrain them from doing so. The court has ordered the chairmen not to hand over to anybody. In other words, everybody should maintain the status quo. That is the first step. I don’t know why the governor is unduly in a rush. I don’t know why. I don’t want my party and my governor to be embarrassed, that is why I took this step. I discovered that when you are on the side of the truth, you are labelled radical. I don’t mind if telling the truth is radicalism, so be it. I am radical.
C M Y K
Nobody can expel me because I went to court for interpretation of the Constitution. My party was going wrong
Rather than taking the party to court, why didn’t you call them and tell them this? I did advised them but they wont listen, I guess the euphoria of being the governor is still in the air. Nobody could tell him the truth that you are wrong Mr. Governor. I told him ever before he embarked on this action and before we went to court. It was because he refused to harken to advice, that was why I decided to come to public. I could not have done otherwise. For how long you have been practising as you said you are the most senior in Katsina? I was called to the bar in 1978. I later went to UsmanDanfodio University to lecture before the former governor of old Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa, appointed me as special adviser on legal matters. I later returned to Katsina state polytechnic to lecture, before eventually set up my chambers in 1984. Could it be that you are being sponsored by the opposition to destabilise your party?
Some also alleged that your action is motivated by self interest aimed to shore up your dwindling popularity? (Laughter) I have been in this game since 1984. What kind of popularity am I looking for again? I have always been popular. When I was taking other governors, including military administrators to court, was I not popular then? When your action violates the constitution, regardless of who you are, I always go to court. For that, I have created a very high reputation for myself in that regard. Now we are talking about change,which you all know was the mantra that brought our party to government, both at the state and federal levels. What I expected us to be doing now is looking at how we can better the lot of the people that voted for our party. Now, you are busy setting one panel after the other to probe the last administration. Do you know that the four years we signed for is less by almost minus two months now. Time is going. If you are busy running after your predecessor, when are you going to do the real business, when will it begin to have effect of the common people ?you will only be distracted by this minors around you. If we are saying the action of the past administration as symbolized by the party,PDP, is wrong, why would you that claimed you are for change be doing the same thing. It does not make sense to me.
PAGE 40, SUNDAY
Vanguard, JULY 18, 2015
PRESIDENT’S VISIT TO THE US
What Buhari should tell Obama —Hon. Agbonayinma
EMMA UJAH, ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF
The relationship between Nigerian and the United States of America in the last part of the last administration was anything but cordial. It got so bad that at a point the United States bluntly refused to sell to Nigeria, badly-needed arms with which Nigeria could fight Boko Haram. America did not only refuse the arms to Nigeria , she also frustrated several attempts by the nation to buy such arms from elsewhere in the world. The excuse of America was that there was no guarantee that the Nigerian military would not use such arms to commit human rights abuses. The fact that several thousands of helpless Nigerians, including women and children were being killed by the Boko Haram did not move the Obama government. The government of former President Goodluck Jonathan had to look elsewhere to purchase arms that helped turn the tide in the anti-terrorism was against Boko Haram, shortly before Jonathan left office. In this interview, Hon. Johnson Agbonayinma, representing Egor/Ikpoba/Okha Federal Constituency of Edo State, urges that Nigeria must engage America if the nation is to witness the desired rapid development. He specifically advised that as President Muhammadu Buhari jets out to Washington where he will meet top American officials, he should plead with President Barak Obama to help Nigeria in all areas of her national life. Excerpts:
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hat in your opinion should dominate the talks between President Muhammadu Buhari and President Obama in the trip to Washington? If we are serious about developing the Nigerian economy, we must engage America. If we don’t engage America, that means we are not yet serious about development. The issue of going to China, yes Chinese are trying, they are doing very well but what they are bringing to Nigeria is C M Y K
different from what they are taking to America. Most of what we have here are substandard. Talking about quality, we have no quality control. So I am appealing that as we want development in this country , it can be done but we must be ready to engage those who are ready and willing to assist. America has given so much . They have done so much in helping other nations to develop the world. Today, go to Dubai , 10, 15 years ago Dubai was just a desert. It was America that came to their aid and that is where Nigerians travel to buy
properties, send their children to school , leaving Nigerian to lie fallow. It is we Nigerian that will build this country. No other persons will come and build the country for us but first of all we must take the bold steps in the right direction. I haven’t seen anything serious in engaging American companies going into serious relationship because if Americans are going to help you, they will give you the best standard not what we are having from other parts of the world currently. Look at some of the infrastructure that we have. What the military built many years before I was born, go and see, if you try to put a nail through the wall, it can’t go through. What in your opinion went wrong with the cordial relationship between Nigeria and America? America Promised help to Nigeria on Chibok girls but we haven’t seen anything as much as the public knows. What we are supposed to do is to show that we are really a serious minded people. This issue of corruption is one of the greatest bone of contention. That is the reason why we are on trial because so much has been given in terms of grants aids that have come into this country. Unfortunately, they always go into voicemail. It goes to thin air; it goes to people’s pocket. Until we realize that it only we Nigerians that can make it happen in our country. We must all put Nigeria first . if you don’t value what you have, other people will help you devalue it. If you love Nigeria, if you value Nigeria, you must care, you must guide it jealously so that you see that Nigeria moves forward, regardless if political affiliations we must build Nigeria together. So it is my advice and appeal to the government of the day, that if we go to America, yes Mr. President is going to visit the United States, he should do whatever it talks to tell Mr. President that he needs
help. He needs help in all its ramifications in building this country. It can happen. It is possible. It is doable. It is only when we are really serious. Why do we go to other countries, because people want to put money into their pockets by taking substandard equipment and paying less and at the end of the day, we are paying more for it and we are undoing ourselves.
If we are serious about developing the Nigerian economy, we must engage America. If we don’t engage America, that means we are not yet serious about development
Some have alluded to the disagreement over the same-sex marriage as the factor that has strained the Nigeria-US relations. To be honest with you, I don’t see that as a factor. What is important here is that over the years, America has given so much to Nigeria and they want to see that whatever they are given is used for the purpose for which it was given. They have information at their disposals that most of the help they are giving to us, the masses have not been able to benefit from it. The Nigerian public is yet to see those good things that others like Britain, Germany and others have
also given to Nigeria. But nobody talks about it so we are our own problem. The gay issue, for me, you can’t tell me how to run my house, my private living room . whatever you do in your private living room is your private business. I am happily married. Those who choose to do otherwise that is between them and God. Iam not hear to judge, castigate or condemn anyone. Do you have same sex situation in Dubai? Does Dubai have same sex marriage ? No. Did America help to develop Dubai? Yes. That is not the rationale behind this issue. The bone of contention is not about whether you are gay or no gay. What is important is for us to develop Nigeria so that the ordinary citizen can benefit for them to be part of the government of the day; see dividends of democracy, no rhetoric about it. How can the nation benefit from the Nigerian Congressional Caucus of as an official member of the Congressional Member Organisation? The Nigerian Caucus is a bipartisan caucus in the congress dedicated to advancing friendship, understanding and cooperation between the United states and Nigeria. The caucus spearheads proNigerian initiatives and legislative efforts in all areas including improving security and human rights. The purpose of the caucus is to educate Members of Congress about Nigeria and Nigerian-Americans on critical issues impacting human rights, terrorism, economic and business development as well as, protect the character and ensure a realistic portrayal of Nigeria and NigerianAmericans in the media and in Congress. With the recent emergence
of the dangerous terrorist group Boko Haram and the deaths and kidnappings happening in Northern Nigeria, it is important to engage and cultivate Members of Congress on Nigerian issues.
SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 41
AFTERMATH OF MASSIVE LOOTING
Buhari will probe Jonathan’s govt —Adesina, President’s Spokesman
•Explains the delay in Ministers appointment •’How new Service Chiefs emerged’
•Femi Adesina
BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU
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here are many questions Nigerians are craving answers to concerning the Buhari administration. For instance, why hasn’t the government appointed Ministers six weeks after it was inaugurated? Why would President Muhammadu Buhari, as the leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, not intervene in the free- for- all at the National Assembly? Is he disappointing the South-West zone which massively voted for him at the polls? Is the President anti-Igbo by leaving them out in the appointment of Service Chiefs? Will he probe past government officials? Is he corrupt himself? Why is he going to the United States of America, USA, when there is terrorism war raging in his backyard? From his office at the State House in the Presidential Villa, to a hotel room in Wuse 2, Abuja, I was able to finally, after two weeks, get hold of the workaholic Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to President Mohammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity and a staunch believer in the President’s cause, to provide answers to these questions during an interview on Thursday night. Excerpts: It has been more than 30 days C M Y K
since the new administration was inaugurated. How do you assess it? Well, I think that is a little bit unfair because you know how I will assess the administration since I work with the President. But then to be fair and impartial, I will say, yes, the President is on the right course, maybe because there are also some facts that are previously unknown, but I just know that the President is laying a foundation for a new Nigeria. If he can continue on the wind of change that he rode on to office and continue building on the same foundation, definitely change will come. But he is laying a completely new foundation and, when that foundation is fully laid and the country continues, you will see that change is truly here. When you were announced to be the Special Adviser, how did you feel? Did you see it coming or you never expected it? I was announced May 31, but if you remember, on May 20, ThisDay had speculated the story. The moment ThisDay speculated it, anything could happen. So, it was just a question of, will it happen or not? Since ThisDay speculated it, we knew anything could happen, but, before then, no. It could have gone either way anyway. How does it feel settling down to work with President
Muhammadu Buhari in this capacity? It is a rare opportunity. Out of 170 million people you have been called to work for your country, it is a rare opportunity, and I will say it feels good. I have left positions that are eminent. I have been the Editor-in-Chief of a national newspaper, President, Nigerian Guild of Editors. I was satisfied in those positions, but then, coming to serve your country can’t be compared with anything. So that is why I left those positions to come and serve because I believe in the President. If it was another administration led by someone that I don’t believe in, I wouldn’t come, but I came because I had always believed in President Buhari. Were you prepared for this assignment irrespective of the fact that you have occupied other positions? If you had spent 29 years in journalism like I have done, then you are prepared for a lot of things including this assignment. If that is the question, yes, I have a background that prepared me for this assignment. But if your question means did I think it was going to come, I will say no, I didn’t think it was going to come. My mind didn’t go to it and I have always supported President Buhari since he was a military Head of State. I had admired him. In fact, the day he was overthrown was one of the
I had always said we needed a correlation in order to get PDP out. So when that correlation came through the emergence of All Progressives Congress, APC, I felt there was a good chance in 2015 and it has happened.
worst days of my life. I felt very sad for Nigeria; very sad for him and his family, very sad about everything. I didn’t think that government should have been toppled. If that government had lasted, Nigeria wouldn’t have been where it is today. So, when he attempted to come through the ballot box since 2003, I had always supported him and, even when it seemed like he stood no chance, I still believed he was the best candidate. In 2011, I had always said we needed a correlation in order to get PDP out. So when that correlation came through the emergence of All Progressives Congress, APC, I felt there was a good chance in 2015 and it has happened. But to think that I was going to work for him, no, it didn’t cross my mind. What are the attributes that really drew you to the President? The first one is his simplicity. I just love his simplicity. He is a very simple man. Then I like the fact that he is very straight forward. I like people who know where they stand with anybody. It is either yes or no. When he says yes, it is yes; when he says no, it is no. Then, of course, integrity, to me, counts a lot. The fact that every man can testify that he is a man of integrity gets me because I love integrity and then transparency and accountability. A country like Nigeria where anything goes and then you see a man that has chosen to be transparent and accountable. Look at all the positions he has held in this country, yet he remains a simple man. I love that kind of person. Why can’t I support him? Why can’t I point Nigeria to that kind of person? He is Continues on page 42
PAGE 42—SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015
Obama told him to just give us information on where the loot is hidden and we will help you recover it and the government has been working on that. So, that shows that looters will never go free.
Continued from page 41 good for our county? So that is why I did it. But many Nigerians don’t really share these ideas. Some will be quick to dismiss all these, saying that beyond the facade, you may discover many others things when you dig deep. Well, if they say that, they have a right to their own opinion but then we want to see the evidence to justify that. You don’t need to look far. Just look at the positions the President has held: governor of NorthEastern State, which is now six states: Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa and Taraba. Then he went on to become the Minister of Petroleum Resources and held that position for three and a half years. Can you hold such position and not have oil blocks? If anybody thinks President Buhari has an oil block, let him show it to us? After that, he became Head of State and he was there for 20 months; after that, he was Chairman, Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF, and we know all the achievements he made in that position and then today President. Not many Nigerians have this kind of pedigree and who are not going to be stinkingly rich. I am not saying President Buhari is a poor man, but then I don’t think he is stinkingly rich when he held all those positions. He should be stinkingly rich and it is only a very rare Nigerian that will not be stinkingly rich after holding those positions. You said when he was toppled you were truly sad. Now he has another opportunity! What do you crave for? Or do you say he has changed from who he used to be and perhaps may not realize those things that he would have truly accomplished if his government then had continued? Whether he has changed, yes, I would say he has changed in some areas and, in some areas, he remains the same. You know that age tempers a man. Age has tempered him but for good. Remember, after he was inaugurated, some officials of the former administration were about travelling out and the security officials and agencies were stopping them and, you will recall that a statement was issued that they shouldn’t be stopped. That shows you that the man is really temperate now rather the old Buhari. The military man would have packed all of them immediately he was inaugurated and they would be heading for jail and then you would be sifting the weeds from the shaft there after. So, that already shows that he is a different man, a more mature person, a more reflective person, a more contemplative person and that can only come with age. Again, you would see what played out in the National Assembly. You know he is a man who wants to respect the Constitution. That shows he is already different from the soldier C M Y K
•Adesina
’Reason for the delay in Ministers appointment’ that ruled this country. If he was a person that didn’t want to respect the Constitution, he would have interfered in the selection or the election of the leadership of the two chambers, but he left them and said anybody that emerged, he will work with. What he didn’t know is that not everybody was going to respect the rules and we saw what played out. In terms of whether he is a changed man, yes, he is a changed man. He is a true democrat now. There are so many things that have come up in just six weeks of the administration that show you that this is a man that respects the Constitution and will continue to respect it. So, he is a changed man in those areas, but then there are some areas like accountability, transparency, integrity; of course you know that he will never change in those areas and that is the reason he was elected. Imagine a man who was a military leader 30 years earlier getting elected just on the basis of integrity, transparency and accountability; you know that kind of man will never change that. Some persons argue that if this man doesn’t exercise his authority, things might still go wrong because a leader is a leader. Being the President of Nigeria, he is the leader of the party in all ramifications. There is a proverb in my place that an elder doesn’t sit idly while the goat dies in tethers. He can’t be
sitting while things are going wrong. If you also permit me to quote another proverb or a saying that a tiger doesn’t proclaim its tigress. A tiger doesn’t need to come out and say ‘I am a tiger’. When he does that, go and check properly, he can be a cat, but when you see a tiger, you know it is a tiger. So, he doesn’t need to ride over everybody before they know that he is a leader and indeed he is a leader. He has the traits, the characteristics and all the potentials. He has everything it takes to be a leader. He doesn’t need to throw his weight around before everyone knows he is a leader. Let me take you back a little to the issue of allowing the last government officials to travel. Does that mean that he has hands on probity, assuming there was something to probe? He has said it that money in billions of dollars will be recovered. But you know the world is too small a place for anybody to hide if you are running from justice. The world is too small a place to hide. You will be fished out. So, there is no need that you say they should not be heading for jail if eventually the law goes after them. Very few countries can they hide in and how long will they hide? So, it doesn’t mean that anybody that has ill gotten wealth will not regurgitate it. They will. Remember when he went to Germany for the G7 summit, he met with President Obama and
He has said it that money in billions of dollars will be recovered. But you know the world is too small a place for anybody to hide if you are running from justice
Is he going backwards? I mean where is he going to start to probe? He can’t afford to go too deep into the past or else it will be destructive for his administration. There are some things you can’t close your eyes to while you don’t want to shine the torchlight into the dark recesses of our past; immediate past where things are evident. The Yoruba have a saying that the corpse we buried, the leg is sticking out and, if you bury a corpse and the leg is sticking out, you can’t pretend. When there are trails all over of the monies in billions and trillions, then a responsible government can’t close its eyes to that. Let’s look at insecurity. In the last two weeks, the bombings have increased. People have expressed fear that the government’s efforts in the past one month and two weeks haven’t really paid off because I know that the President, immediately he was sworn-in, travelled to places and there was this assurance. But then it does appear much hasn’t been done in that direction? Let me draw an analogy. One day, the world woke up to hear that Osama bin Laden had been killed by the US Navy Seals. But did you know how long it took to plan that operation? It took 24 months of painstaking planning. Drills, simulations, all that happened until they got him. I am not saying it is going to take 24 months before this government breaks the back of Boko Haram. I am just telling you that planning needs to be carefully done and that is what is being done. In his very first week in office, he went to Niger, Chad and why did he go? Because of this Boko Haram thing and one major reason he went to G7 is because of the Boko Haram issue because the leaders of G7 said ‘come and let us know what we can do to help’. After that, the leaders of Chad, Niger, Benin Republic, Defence Minister of Cameroon also came here under the Lake Chad Basin Commission. They are planning. Before the end of this month, after he comes back from America, he is going to Cameroon and why is he going there? Still on Boko Haram and you know there is a multinational task force they are contributing to and Nigeria has released 21 million dollars for the joint task force. That is money Nigeria can use in other areas but it has invested 21 million dollars in that joint task force. That shows seriousness and I think July 21 has been picked as a date for that force to swing into action. Nobody can fairly accuse this government of not doing anything about Boko Haram. It is doing a lot and, eventually, we will see the end of insurgency.
Continues on page 43
SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 43
Continued from page 42 Let’s also look at the appointments so far made by the Buhari government. The government has been accused of lopsiding the appointments. It has been people from the North. That’s the impression out there. Those people from the North, are they Nigerians? So, if they are Nigerians, they have the right to be appointed and then I am sure there could be up to 500 appointments still ahead. Federal Boards that just got dissolved alone had 601 appointments. They are going to be filled. The cabinet is going to be constituted. Other persons and aides are going to be appointed. As at the time they began to talk, only nine appointments had been made and they said eight northerners and one southerner. They forget that some of those appointments are statutory, the next in rank. They just have to be the ones that will take those positions and some of those again are security chiefs. Security is an area where you take the very best. It is not something you subject to emotional considerations or other primordial sentiments. Take the very best who can deliver particularly at a critical time like this. So those who have started counting, I think it is premature. There about 500 appointments left to be made and, when those appointments are made, that is when they can begin to analysis. Doing it after nine appointments, I think that is hasty and fault-line in our country. Nigerians are too suspicious of leadership, other ethnic groups, too suspicious of many things. If we are less suspicious, then this wouldn’t have come up yet. There are still these feelings from the members of the public that President Buhari and his political allies in the SouthWest, people like Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, have fallen apart; that, in fact, the President has disappointed the South-West that massively voted for him at the polls. How do you address this sentiment? I am glad that you used the word “these feelings” which is different from reality. Just a couple of days ago, Bola Tinubu himself came out to say there was no rift between him and the President. I think things that are unfolding are part of our political experience, political development. You will see that in the next dispensation, most of the things that happened now will not happen because the actors would have learnt. If the President in the next dispensation wants to leave the leadership of the chambers of National Assembly to elect their own leaders as President Buhari has done, the party will need to play its own part. Everybody involved will play his or her own part so that what has happened now will not happen again. It is part of the learning curve, but for anybody to say the West is disappointed, it is C M Y K
not true. A lot of people who voted for President Buhari in the West have been loyal to him. Even those who didn’t vote for him are beginning to see that he is a leader worthy of their support and they are giving their support. Do you really believe in the Presidency of Mr. Buhari to radically move this country away from what it used to be, judging from the fact that he is an old man now? Won’t his age really affect him? You have heard the saying that old wines are tastier. Buhari is like a wine that gets better with age. I said this earlier and, I repeat again, he gets better with age; sound, sober, contemplative, not rash. You see what is happening now, Boards have been dissolved. There are terminations and new appointments. You know he could have done that in the very first week and then he could have made mistakes, but this is the sixth week and he is doing all those things and I think, at the end of it, all Nigerians will be glad that they elected him. I don’t foresee failure; no, it will not happen, but it will demand that Nigerians will give him support and work with him but I believe in the change that was promised to this country.
and agencies will also come to brief, so that we have a complete picture of what is happening in government and then, after that, anything can happen. When the Ministers themselves come, they will be glad that they are coming into a system that is cleaned up for them. If they had come immediately, this house cleaning won’t have been done because they would have occupied space and continued in the old fashion. So, let Nigerians, who trusted this President and gave him their mandate, continue to trust him that he is working for them and he is doing the best for them.
Some people in the SouthEast aren’t happy at the appointments of Service Chiefs because they feel that none of their sons was there. If we are talking of engaging the best hands, couldn’t you have found some of the best hands in the South-East? Mark the word of Mr. President, all the Service Chiefs he appointed he never met anyone of them except the Chief of Army Staff that he met casually in Chad. He was the Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force. Just before current appointments, So, all of them got appointed based on their service records. you were a practising journalist Now, are we going to say that and, ordinarily, you would have been worried that this government, we will subject efficiency to ethnic and regional after six weeks, hasn’t appointed balances? I am not even the Chief of Staff. We are saying that it is not talking about the time it has taken, constitutional. yet no Chief of Staff, let alone There is Secretary to the Government of the federal Federation, SGF, and then character in Ministers. But I remember, before our now, they repeatedly said they will Constitution, hit the ground running after but there are inauguration. What has happened? some areas One thing is clear, it is where you constitutional to have a cabinet can’t sacrifice because the Constitution says there must be a Federal Executive Council efficiency for ethnic or and Ministers must be appointed regional from at least one state each. I said balancing. earlier that the President respects Get the very the Constitution. So, that shows you best that can that he is going to constitute a cabinet. Now, you can’t compare one do the job particularly at administration with another. Obasanjo appointed his Ministers in a time of crisis July. Yar’Adua also in July, but that is like we have in security. So, I not a reason for any other don’t think it government not to appoint earlier would have been than July or even later than July. proper Each government responds to the situation and circumstances in which shopping for it finds itself. What this administration met on ground is an Augean stable and it needs to be cleaned up. I can tell you that Nigeria was left in a mess by the last administration and it needs some clean up and, without a clean up, you continue to build on a wobbly foundation and, one day, that structure will come down. So, why don’t you then take your time to lay a fresh foundation and build up on that foundation that is what President Buhari is doing. The cabinet has not come but it will come and, when it comes, it will be building on a freshly laid foundation. You see that in the past few weeks, he has been taking briefings from Permanent Secretaries in different ministries. When the Permanent Secretaries conclude their own, chief executives of parastatals
people to fill positions as critical as Service Chiefs if they aren’t the very best we can get.
Three key things are going to be on the table in America. They are more than three but these three will be key
The President is going to the U.S. Let me say it is the mother of all visits. What should Nigerians expect from that trip? Three key things are going to be on the table in America. They are more than three but these three will be key. First is the fight against insecurity. Nigeria is going to be asking for America’s assistance in terms of intelligence and in terms of equipment. If this succeeds and we get all that we want of course, we know it is going to make an impact on the war against insurgency; so that would be a key achievement of that trip. Again, something that would be on the table in America is the anticorruption war. If we have money outside in billions of dollars, you know what that means in Naira. That is more than an annual budget. If we recover that money, it is to the benefit of our country. Then the third thing will be the Nigerian economy. America used to buy 30 percent of Nigeria’s oil. Now, it is less than five percent because they discovered Shale oil and gas. So, in what way can America boost our economy? This will be a major thing and, at the end of it all, this will be to the benefit of Nigerians and, of course, a visit to America, like you said, is the mother of all visits and the fact that the American President has invited our President shows that they believe in what is happening in Nigeria. Don’t forget that the same Obama came to neighbouring Ghana and never came to Nigeria. The fact that he invited the Nigerian President shows that the acceptability rate of Nigeria has gone up in the international community.
•Adesina
vicce w Serrvi ow ’Ho Chiefs emerged’
PAGE 44 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 19, 2015
IGF: Worr orryy o ovver poor par ticipation of African participation business leaders By Emeka Aginam
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HILE other developed countries are actively participating in the internet governance, poor participation of business leaders from Nigeria and the rest of the African continent is worrying stakeholders in the African Information Communication Technology ecosystem. This development, according to keen observers if allowed to continue will affect African continent from reaping the benefits of promise of the digital economy. The Internet Governance Forum, IGF, is a community that facilitates a common understanding of how to maximize Internet opportunities and address risks and challenges that arise. But despite equal opportunities given to every country, there has been little or no voice by African business leaders in internet governance. Just recently, African business leaders including thirty Chief Executive Officers from Nigeria had gathered in Abuja at the Chief Executive Officers round table organized by the African ICT Alliance, (AfICTA) in partnership with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) with the theme “Mobilizing African Business Leaders for the future of the Internet” to discuss the future of the internet. Domain name registration still a virgin market in Nigeria In his opening speech, Dr. M.O. Afolabi, former Deputy Executive Secretary, ECOWAS Secretariat who chaired the forum said that domain name registration is still a virgin market in Nigeria and the rest of the African countries. “This is the time for Nigeria to tap into the opportunity. This is a wake up call for the government. We cannot continue to be consumers of IT services but also producers”he said. Nigeria to be digitally inclusive society by 2020 Outlining proposed strategic
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plan for the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, 2015 to 2018, the Director General of the agency, Dr. Peter Jack told the gathering that absence of a national IT master plan, connected government framework, e government strategy and interoperability framework were part of the challenges facing the agency but assured that NITDA would build an inclusive digital society by 2020. Earlier in his opening speech the Chairman of AfICTA, Dr Jimson Olufuye told the gathering that while mechanisms for funding exist to bring in NGOs, civil society, and even the technical community and academia to participate in events and relationships, no similar opportunity exists for small businesses, due to existing UN rules and other barriers. Active engagement of business leaders needed According to Olufuye, “We believe that the active engagement of business, along side other stakeholders, and with governments will contribute to an outcome at the high level event that recognizes that we can, in the years ahead, achieve the vision of an information society for all,
Active engagement and participation of business leaders and government needed for inclusive internet governance forum
and bring forward those from all developing countries to benefit from the promise of ICTS. The core challenge: Marilyn Cade, ICT Strategies mCADE LLC while speaking on the state of the internet said that access was still a core challenge for not only the three billion connected, but the next four billion. According to her, capacity building, affordable devices and resiliency must be solved for digital economy. Sustainable development goals, she said must be integrated into post 2015 WSIS agenda to advance Information Society and affect role of business as leaders from developing countries. For Mary Uduma, former
MTN rrolls olls out HyNe tL TE ffor or high-speed HyNetL tLTE broadband in Lagos the new one, switch on the new modem back in the office or at home – and they are ready to ommitted to driving its bold Business Unit, adding, “This is C browse. new digital world vision also part of our resolve to take In a similar development, through the delivery of small businesses to the next business-enabling solutions and technology, MTN Business has rolled out its enhanced broadband Internet service, MTN HyNetLTE, across Lagos. The upgraded MTN HyNetLTE was designed to drive greater efficiency, improving the way you live, work and play. “Our objective is to continuously create new value for our customers,” stated Mr. Alexander Ibehre, the acting Head of SME Segment at MTN Nigeria’s Enterprise
level through technology. The incredibly fast MTN HyNetLTE service is indeed positioned to help SMEs have an awesome broadband experience, do business much better and ultimately turn into huge success stories.” Customers who have the old HyNet modems also have an opportunity to swap those modems FREE for the all-new LTE-enabled devices. All they need do is to simply visit any MTN Walk-In Centre, submit the old modem in exchange for
MTN Business is offering both existing and newcustomersup to 10GB of free datathis summer for every new subscription. Plus, the bonus data is available for use anytime of the day. MTN HyNetLTE, which offers an array of plans to suit customers’ usage patterns,is currently available only in Lagos and is coming soon to other cities across Nigeria where customers currently enjoy the existing MTN HyNet service.
Huawei brings PPad ad TI 77.0 .0 ttoo Nigerian mar markket
s part of its original approach to balancing productivity, content creation and consumption in one portable media pad device in Nigeria, Huawei has unveiled Huawei Pad T1 7.0. The Pad T1 7.0 is a seven-inch tablet that comes with a 1.2GHz Quad Core Processor, 1GB RAM and 16GB ROM. While the platform of Android 4.4 kit Kat OS with Emotion launcher makes it fast and reliable, according to Huawei. However, the high connectivity of the device keeps it well above its counterparts. Pad T1 also comes with 2G/3G voice calling facility to help you remain C M Y K
From left: Dr. Sola Afolabi, Team Leader, Accelerated Trade in West Africa, Dr. Peter Jack, Director, National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA and Dr. Jonson Olufuye and Waudo Signanga, Chairman, Kenyan Computer Society in Abuja at the just concluded African ICT Alliance, (AfICTA) Chief Executive Officer Round Table in partnership with Internet Corporation Assigned Names and Numbers, ICANN. Photo by Emeka Aginam.
connected. “Work or pleasure, it has all the features to balance both,” Huawei said. “The Pad T1 has a 4100 mAh battery for performance that is more effective and staying power. It is equipped with an IPS HD screen in a stunning 7-inch display. The rest of the specs include a 5MP rear camera with LED flash. “The media pad also has a slim (8.5mm) metallic unibody build, which is sleek and light, and is both fashionable and portable. With a 4100mAh battery for lengthy browsing, streaming and gaming, the tablet, which is “also equipped with GPS and Wi-Fi is capable of running for 12 hours
of HD video playback.” the Senior Marketing Manager, Huawei Technologies, Nigeria, Olaonipekun Okunowo, explained . According to him, “The large, bright and crystal clear screen delivers a better pixel density providing a premium content viewing experience. Either watching videos or reading magazines and e-books, the Huawei Pad T1 provides an immersive media consumption experience. “We are really excited to launch the Huawei Pad T1 7.0, an outstanding media pad designed for those who want to enjoy unparalleled entertainment.”
President of Nigeria internet Registration Association NIRA, in her contribution said that it was time Nigeria host IGF. Nigeria needs to get involved in IGF “We need to get involved in the internet governance otherwise other developed economies will continue to spy us. There is new business in the internet economy”she said. Market for top-level domains still poor: Also speaking, the President of Association of Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Engr. ;Lanre Ajayi said that the market for toplevel domains (ngTLD) was still poor. Stating that technical handicap in the domain name registration should be addressed, he said that there is huge opportunities in the internet that should be tapped. Also speaking, the Chairman, Computer Society of Kenya told the gathering that business cannot survive in the internet that is not open. According to him, ICANN should be private sector led, noting that there was need for security in the internet. Recommendations: The forum while bidding for Nigeria to host the 2018 edition of Internet Government Forum in the communiqué after the conference believed that Nigeria and the rest of the African countries have the chance to steer its course and to get the policies right. Acknowledging the roles played by stakeholders in promoting the Internet and ICT for development in the country, the participants were concerned at the enormous untapped business potential in the internet sphere.With the continuing efforts of government, international organisations and other stakeholders to develop enabling environment for the Internet and ICT for development, the forum also recognised the responsibility of states to respect, protect and fulfil cyber safety.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 45
TAXING LUXURY ASSETS
The questions begging for answers, by Adediji, NIESV President BY UDEME CLEMENT
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he move by the Federal Government to impose tax on luxury assets, in particular luxury homes is unsettling for many stakeholders in the housing and construction sub-sector of the economy. While some professionals see the plan as a way of government punishing Nigerians who work hard to make wealth and turning a blind eye to people who take all the money broad, others called on government to roll out programmes aimed at revamping the entire industry for job creation and sustainable growth. Mr. Bode Adediji, the 19th President, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), also a professional in the industry spoke on the urgent need for government to assemble a adhoc committee of experts to review the sector, warning that any hasty taxation policy may be counterproductive or harmful to the sub-sector and the entire economy As a stakeholder in the housing and construction subsector of the economy, what do you think will be the consequences of government’s intention to tax people living in mansions? My first reaction to the news of government’s intention to impose tax on luxury properties is this, since the emergence of this present government, quite a number of fundamental pronouncements have been made, which are capable of altering our entire socio-, economic and the political landscape. But as a professional, I am worried about the fact that this present government has not come out authoritatively to tell us the present state of Nigeria’s economy with incontrovertible facts and figures. Also, it is good to make a pronouncement such as the imposition of additional taxation on luxury properties, but the questions are, what are the fundamental modalities for the implementation and what are the consequences? For example, some governors in the North have unilaterally gone to withdraw all the hawkers, traders and beggars from the streets in their states. But another thing is, what is the mechanism for providing immediate source of income for all those people withdrawn from the streets? How are they going to be fed, clothed and housed? That is why I see a kind of disconnect between Nigeria’s political class and the masses who infact suffer under the burden of persistence mismanagement of the economy in the past decades. Coming to the issue of taxation on luxury properties, the matter is much more fundamental than the conventional issue of taxation. I will call on government to say that before they take any further action on this matter, an adhoc-committee made up of frontline
•Mr. Bode Adediji professionals within the housing sector, law and sociology must be assembled to dissect the modalities for implementing this new policy and the consequences on the generality of Nigerians. Beyond this, I will like to raise one fundamental issue. Can this government list out a compendium of available options to arrest our socio-, economic and political decay, for the entire country to be engaged in debating the optimal steps or actions that must be taken? For instance, a man worked for his money and built his own palace, another man worked for government, either as a civil servant or contractor, stole the nation’s money and took the whole money abroad, without any empirical evidence on ground in Nigeria that indeed this man is a multi-millionaire. The import of this comment is that, government if care is not taken could be seen to be punishing those who labour day and night to drive the modicum economic activities we see in this country, while apparently turning a blind eye to those who keep on stealing money from various government coffers, and with unprecedented armour of impunity from one regime to another. Another point government should bear in mind is that instead of looking at luxury properties from the angle of taxation, they should put measures in place to reposition the industry for greater development. I am not saying that any policy from this government to use the housing sub-sector to revamp the economy and provide jobs for the youths is wrong. For me, if a civil servant, a politician is willing to bring billions of naira from abroad to be channelled into Nigeria’s economy even through the construction of luxury apartments, this will be a platform for creating employment and increasing the
growth and development of our economy. Subsequently, taxation that are known to law and to common sense may apply thereafter. But to portray all landlords who live in decent homes as deserving of punishment, I will be the last person to concur with such a policy. Therefore, government should take a stock of all those luxury buildings they are talking about to see what percentage of them, particularly in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt have now justified the huge investments pumped into constructing them, when in fact many of them have remained unoccupied for the past couple of years. Whether we like it or not, this is another phenomenon of waste, which portrays this country as being grossly mismanaged. From your point of view as a professional, what level of taxation should government impose on mansions located in Ikoyi and the ones at a place like Surulere? What I said earlier is applicable under the modalities for implementation. Government just waking up one say to slam landlords living in what looks luxurious will be counterproductive. Until government can assemble a adhoc-committee of professionals across the building environment, law and sociology, any hasty approach in slamming landlords of luxury homes with taxation is going to be counterproductive, if not out rightly harmful to the economy as a whole. It will be wrong if the government deliberately goes to punish anybody who lives in a luxury home, who indeed has just merely expressed his choice of either passion or satisfaction by building a luxury home, in contrast distinction to some of
For me, if a civil servant, a politician is willing to bring billions of naira from abroad to be channelled into Nigeria’s economy, even through the construction of luxury apartments, this will be a platform for creating employment and increasing the growth and development of our economy.
his friends who have chosen either to marry more wives, take all the money abroad or to engage in some other wasteful life styles that do not contribute to economic growth and development. With the declining oil prices at the international market and continuous depreciation of the Naira, will this method of taxation generate sufficient revenue for government to run the economy? I will like government to be cautious and to roll out some of those policies within the context of overall government plans and programmes for the revival of Nigeria’s presently moribund economy. If government imposes tax wrongly on some people living in luxury homes in contrast distinction to those who carry all the money abroad as you said, can this in a way discourage honest individuals from working hard to make wealth in the country? Infact, when I recommended that government should set up a adhoc committee, I deliberately added sociologists and social anthropologists to be part of such a committee. This is because the social scientists will be able to tell us the role of luxury goods vis-à-vis the stimulation of interest and passion of all human beings, particularly the youths in working round the clock if only to gain access to income level, which will entitle them to live in luxury homes, buy luxury cars and private jets, but be punished by taxation. Your question is right because when there is nothing to aspire to, people will not work
hard. Will this new policy of taxation also affect top government functionaries and those in the political class who own houses across the country? Well, the truth about identity of those who own luxury properties in Nigeria remains a sensitive and complex issue. This is because the entire landscape of ownership of luxury assets in the country, be it mansions, cars and even privates jets is dominated probably in equal measure by private sector operatives as well as public civil servants, either still working or retired. It is amazing that by the time you dissect that landscape, the dominant figures will even be politicians, past and present. What government is trying to do in terms of imposing tax on luxury assets is not new. For example, about two years ago, the government of the Republic of Cyprus unilaterally slammed millionaire citizens of that country and foreigners who had more than $1million in their fixed deposits a compulsory tax of 10 percent, so as to rake in money to fund the functioning of government in that county. But in Nigeria, our major problem if the truth must be told is not absolute lack of conventional income going into government coffers, but there are rapacity of a section of leadership both in public and private sectors to engage a culture of un-cautionable corruption and expatriation of resources to countries that are even richer than Nigeria. For me, the sensible thing for this government to do is to roll out plans and programmes to revamp the housing and construction industry, rather than jumping into a taxation orgy, or crippling the sector with additional burden of taxation, which by implementation may not add any material value to government’s revenue. Can you give us more insight into how the implementation may not add material value to government’s income-flow? For instance, what if government collects tax on luxury homes and the money ends up in private hands What will we gain from it? These are some of the issues we are concerned about in the industry and the economy as a whole. Will this new policy not add to the burden of multiple taxation already facing investors in the industry? The property sector has been afflicted by the syndrome of multiple taxation and reckless sundry charges, all which combined to frustrate genuine investors from participating in worthwhile investments in real estate. For instance, charges that developers suffer even to get town planning approval to build any estate in many parts of the country are terribly outrageous, apart from other charges inform of property tax, land use charges, consent fees, stamp duty, estate duty, capital gains tax and many others. Infact, the list is endless.
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ECA, World Bank and FRSC BY JONAS AGWU
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hen I set out last to do the piece on motorists and the new driver’s licence, the intention was not to blow the trumpet of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), but rather to allow public perception be the judge on our service delivery. It was, therefore, exciting when one of my readers , fired back, saying that while these services look good in the Federal Capital Territory, as confessed by most applicants, the reverse was the case in other parts of the country. According to Chidi Michael, from Umuahia, the Abia State capital,” The public view about your services is peculiar to Abuja. Please extend same to your offices nationwide. Also consider making the temporary license between 4 to 6 months since it is obvious that the permanent one cannot be ready within two months that the temporary one allows. All those issued temporary at Umuahia always return for renewal of the temporary as the permanent one is never ready”. Like I said before, there were over 13,000 permanent licenses uncollected at the Wuse Zone 7 Driver ’s License Office in Abuja. I equally said that as part of measures to get these licences to the owners, we resorted to phone calls to clear the backlog even though it is not our responsibility to do so. As I write, the same measure is being extended to other parts of the country while the other processes are being fine-tuned to serve the public better. The result is that unlike the perception of my friend from Umuahia, permanent license are being processed quicker than ever before although there is the need to tidy up the collection process and other issues that might arise. But while the FRSC ponders over areas that need rejigging, I must say that I am an apostle of balanced criticisms and so I believe that we, at least, deserve some kudos in areas where we are striving to get it right, and knocks where we fail. This is why the news filtering from Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, excites me although there are is plenty room to improve. The fact sheet staring us in the face says that, each year, nearly 1.3 million people die as a result of a road traffic collision - more than 3,000 deaths each day. 91% of these road traffic deaths occur in low- and middleincome countries such as Nigeria. Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among young people aged between 15 and 29 years. The relief is that these deaths and injuries can be prevented through immediate and concrete action. 2015 is therefore a crucial year for road safety because of the mid-term review of the United Nations Decade of Action for road safety (2011-2020) to ascertain where we are and how effective we have been; how high we have kept road safety as a priority, through concrete and measurable implementation, the importance of monitoring and evaluation and the quality of available data. It was with this in mind that more than 20 African governments met during the 3rd
While the FRSC ponders over areas that need rejigging, I must say that I am an apostle of balanced criticisms and so I believe that we, at least, deserve some kudos in areas where we are striving to get it right, and knocks where we fail • Julius Agwu
African Road Safety Conference in Addis Ababa to review progress made thus far in meeting the goal of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. The meeting also received a report from the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) on the status of efforts across the continent to implement the UN Global Plan for the Decade of Action.Sadly, the UNECA review found a widely divergent range of performance and in particular a lack of institutional capacity to tackle Africa’s road traffic injury problems. However the same review singled out Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa as the “top three performers among 23 countries” in accomplishing the activities of the African Road Safety Action Plan. Although progress is being made, performance of the plan based on five pillars (road safety management; mobility; vehicles; road users; and post-crash response) has been varying with some countries performing well in some pillars but failing in others. The report noted that around 40% of countries are in the process of implementing more road safety management activities while more than 30% have not taken significant action to harmonize data formats and use international standards in reporting. The conference brought together African governments and NGOs, together with the African Union, the World Health Organization, the World Bank Global Road Safety Facility, the World Bank’s Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Programme (SSATP), the New Economic Partnership for Africa (NEPAD), the African Development Bank, the UN Economic Commission for Europe and nongovernmental organisations including the Global Road Safety Partnership, the International Road Federation, the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), Amend, South Africans against Drink Driving (SADD) and the FIA Foundation. The meeting was addressed by Ethiopia’s Minister of Transport and, via video, by the new UN Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt. Key issues on the agenda
included data management, regional catalytic funding for road safety, road infrastructure safety and efforts to tackle drinkdriving.Improving road safety in Africa’s cities was the theme of a presentation by the FIA Foundation’s director, Saul Billingsley. Highlighting the workplan of the African Sustainable Transport Forum and citing a new report by the African Progress Panel, he argued that a projected doubling in the population of many African cites, combined with a youth demographic bulge and increased motorization made safe and sustainable transport a priority for Africa’s policymakers. What really has the FRSC done to deserve this at a time when back home there are dissenting voices on its service delivery especially on the driver’s license. The FRSC activities perfectly align with all the five pillars of the UN Decade of Action on road safety since 1988 even before the UN advocates on this model were rooted. On road safety management which is the first pillar, the following significant initiatives were taken; assented to the Vienna and Geneva Conventions, and the establishment of the Federal Road Safety Corps via the FRSCE
Act of 2007 which empowers FRSC as Nigeria’s lead agency for road safety management. The lead agency on road safety is a World Bank requirement for all countries. The Corps has also bridged the gap by initiating a national strategy which has given birth to the FRSC Strategic Road Map, and Nigeria Road Safety Strategy (2014-2018) while in the area of data for monitoring and evaluation, the FRSC dashboard, database on road traffic crash, data on road traffic offenders ranks as priority. Under pillar two, which deals with infrastructure, there exists a safe corridor project, which is World Bank funded, while it conducts road safety audit on roads nationwide. Under research and development, it makes government legally responsible for improving standards of road infrastructure. On pillar three, which deals with safe vehicles,FRSC promotes vehicle safety regulation through guidelines for establishment of motor vehicle administration in states ,ensuring that new cars pass safety and crash test standards, collaborate with Nigeria Customs to prevent importation of new/old cars that reduce set safety standards. The commission has blazed the trail on pillars four and five
respectively. Pillar four emphasizes road user behavior where, through education, it has developed road safety curriculum in schools, rebranded road safety clubs in schools, and also rebranded the special marshals to include celebrity special marshals and diasporas special marshal, a measure to involve a larger segment of the society in the fight against road carnage. Its efforts in the area of compliance to speed limits led to the September 1,2015 agreed as enforcement date for commercial vehicles to fix speed limiters in their vehicles ,while the battle on overloading is on. Meanwhile, its campaign to promote pedestrian safety, compliance to drink-driving laws, enforcemement of safety helmets by cyclists and increased pedestrian protection regulation are worth mentioning. In the area of driver ’s licence,FRSC promotes the establishment of graduated drivers licensing system for novice drivers, sets and regulates standards for driving schools, while in the last pillarpost crash-the following are noticeable initiatives-; Under pre-hospital care, it utilises toll free number(122) for prompt response to road crash victims anchored by FRSC Call Centre, expansion of ambulance service, road clinics and help areas nationwide and the provision of early rehabilitation to minimize both physical and psychological trauma. In the area of crash investigation, there exists today a safety engineering unit responsible for compulsory investigation of crashes involving over six deaths while it encourages justice for bereaved and injured victims of road crashes. These initiatives are responsible for the accolades the FRSC received from the World Bank which adjudged the commission as a model lead agency in sub Saharan Africa and the developing countries and is not surprising responsible for the level of partnerships through funding in the areas of infrastructure development and capacity building just to mention a few. *Agwu is the spokesperson for the FRSC
Oil firm resumes operations as Delta govt resolves rift with host communities
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he Deputy Governor of Delta State, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro says the State Government was happy with resolution of the long-drawn dispute between the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and Urhobo/Isoko communities which led to the recent re-opening of operations of the oil company. The Deputy Governor, who thanked both parties for sheathing their swords, had stepped into the dispute at the Governor ’s Office Annex, Warri, June 27, 2015 at the instance of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who Otuaro said was
determined to operate a people-oriented and peopleparticipating government. “It is pursuant to this that as a government, we thought it wise to call on you for this meeting. We believe, just as the present administration is strongly concerned about the interest of all Deltans, so is the production of Oil and Gas that form the basis upon which Delta State Government can deliver on her manifesto to Deltans. So there must be a meeting point between the interest of the communities as well as that of operators of these facilities”, Otuaro said. “I am glad to hear from
NPDC that the facilities are reopened and workers are back to work”, Otuaro said, while thanking the communities and NPDC for putting behind their differences in a MOU signed by the parties”. Executive Director, Operations of NPDC, Engr. Kris Ugwu, who represented the company said NPDC would henceforth live up to its obligations, promising that that in the next few weeks, it would pay up outstanding operational fees for 2014 and look forward to commence same for the first quarter of 2015.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 47
Tony Elumelu Foundation Bootcamp: Olusola’s 21 Lessons of a Great Entrepreneur
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HE 2015 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme, TEEP, Bootcamp was a platform to stimulate the thinking of youths in Africa towards entrepreneurship. Held in Covenant University, Otta, the forum attracted about 1,000 entrepreneurs. TEEP is championed by one of Africa’s richest men, Tony Elumelu. The programme seeks to identify, grow and create 10,000 start-ups across Africa that have developed ingenious solutions for pressing economic challenges in their communities and countries; to improve lives, generate employment, and create prosperity and wealth. The event had public figures who spoke to the entrepreneurs selected by the Tony Elumelu Foundation, TEF. One of such speakers was Lanre Olusola, popularly known as the Catalyst and recognized as a top notch Life Coach and psychologist in Africa. Olusola, who anchored a session, set the ambience aglow with his energy and motivational
•Some of the participants at the event. presentation. Speaking on the theme: 21 Lessons of a Great Entrepreneur, Olusola shared real experiences from his life as a serial entrepreneur and now successful life coach. References were also made to Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, who he described as models for
entrepreneurs. It was also an avenue for him to present his latest book titled: The Money Book, which he described as a guide to all who aspire to be great. The book, he said, would be released this month, adding that it would be sold on leading
online stores in Nigeria. According to Olusola, to be successful in any career, it is important to understand the principles and laws of money “Money is given to all but not received, managed and sustained by all,” he explained. He emphasised the importance of thoughts, words and positive
speaking, noting that staying positive is key to success and growth. Emphasising the importance of social media in the life of an aspiring entrepreneur, Olusola encouraged participants to grab the opportunity the new media offers. In that regard, he asked entrepreneurs present to ensure they tweeted all he would say, in order to reach a million more entrepreneurs globally. At the end of the session, some of the attendees expressed delight at the contents of the lecture. “Heard so much about Lanre Olusola but the encounter at TEEP Bootcamp nailed it for me. Thanks to Tony Elumelu and Tony Elumelu Foundation,” Chioma Ukonu, one of the TEEP beneficiaries tweeted. Similarly, a Kenyan participant, Mr. Eric Onyambu, tweeted thus: “The Catalyst, I am the first Kenyan to get your book, The Money Book” Those at the event included; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Prime Minister of Benin Republic, Lionel Zinsou, Tony Elumelu , Parminder Vir, Founder/CEO of Ebony Life TV, Mo Abudu, Nollywood screen icon Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, CEO, Bestman Games, Nimi Akinkugbe, CEO of the Bank of Industry, Rasheed Olaoluwa and former Securities and Exchange Commission’s Director General, Arunma Oteh.
Why Nigeria needs human capital development — Onyemere BY UDEME CLEMENT
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r. Ifeanyi Onyemere, is a Peak Performance Strategist and the Chief Executive Officer, Blue Ocean Strategy Limited, which is into capacity building programmes designed for investors in various sectors of the economy. So far, he has trained over 5.000 youths across Nigeria. He spoke on the need for the new government to invest massively in human capital development to enhance sustainable growth. The unemployment rate in Nigeria is rising, especially among youths. What will you advise the new government to do? Government needs to invest
massively on entrepreneurship and human capital development, which can be achieved through capacity building.This will in turn increase economic activities across the country in order to create jobs. I believe strongly that our socio-economic growth and development can only be achieved if we develop the required human capacity through training and retraining of all categories of our workforce, both in the private and public sectors.This strategy led to the establishment of BlueOcean as a multi-disciplinary training and management consulting company to train and retrain the Nigerian workforce. What are the economic benefits of BlueOcean Strategy to Nigeria’s economy?
•Mr. Ifeanyi Onyemere We promote economic growth and development through capacity building. We have trained thousands of Nigerians in business leadership, business
strategies, sales/ marketing and management. We also create jobs for Nigerians thereby tackling unemployment. As part of our corporate social responsibility, we established the Youths Career & Leadership Development Foundation (YCLD), a non-profit and non-political organisation, on which platform we train Nigerian youths on career and entrepreneurship. So far, we have impacted on the lives of over 5,000 youths across Nigeria. Twice every year we organise free conferences. One of such was the 7X conference and participants learned skills that will help them to align the right goals with actions, to achieve success in their businesses. We also provide management training, consultancy and
research for performance improvement in all sectors of the economy. There is also the telecoms aspect of the company. We partnered with Airtel Nigeria to provide telephone services to over 150 Nigerian companies. We help organisations to increase productivity, which in turn increases the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of our economy. For instance, our telecoms unit supports a lot of businesses across the country. companies in turn provide services that support the economic growth of Nigeria. Our objective in the next 10 years is to be a world-class multidisciplinary training and management consulting company delivering the best value and uniqueness to Nigeria and African as a whole”.
Imasuagbon donates N70m worth items to winners of Essay competition SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY
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ORMER Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Barr Kenneth Imansuagbon, yesterday donated 200 I-pads and cash gifts estimated at over N70million, to winners of the 7th grand prize giving ceremony of Kenneth Imansuagbon Essay writing
competition for students. The event took place at the Akin Deko main auditorium of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and the benefiting schools includes Junior/ Senior Secondary School and Tertiary Institution respectively. Dignitaries at the well attended event included the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, Chairman of the occasion, Professor Gregory Akenzua, former Minister of Information,
Chief Tony Momoh, Vice Chancellor of the UNIBEN, Prof. Faraday Orunmwense, some members of the Edo State Executive Council and many others. In his remarks, Imasuagbon who dumped the PDP for the APC recently, expressed his commitment to continue to support the development of education in the Country adding that education remains the only tool that can liberate the down trodden in the society just as he hinted he would extend the competition to
NOA writes religious leaders to help stop use of kids as suicide bombers
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he National Orientation Agency (NOA) has advised parents and religious leaders of the two main faiths in the country to monitor their wards and followers especially under-aged children so as not fall into the hands of sponsors of insurgency in Nigeria. Director General of the Agency gave the advice in an open letter to leaders of the church and Mosques around the country in
the wake of discoveries that the insurgents now use under–aged children to convey explosives. According to him, “it has been observed that the insurgents have resorted to increased use of females and the under-aged to perpetrate acts of terrorism including suicide bombings and placement of explosives devices in high population areas. He said the current stand of
President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to stamp out insurgency need to be complimented with collective concerns, efforts and vigilance, by reporting all suspicious objects and movement of persons to any of the security agencies. He asked communities to form neighbourhood association to enable members to watch each other and the community for the purpose of enhancing safety.
other states of the federation. He commended the Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for giving education a top priority in his administration noting that Edo state can now be described as an I-pad state.
Former Minister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh, who admonished the students to remain focused in their studies as they are the future of the nation, commended Imasuagbon for his kind gesture.
Delta youths urged to have faith in Okowa By Egufe Yafugborhi
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ENIOR Special Assistant to the Delta State Governor on Youths and Community Development, Mr Victor Egbo, has urged youths in the state to have faith in Senator Ifeanyi Okowa’s commitment to improve lives Deltans, assuring that the governor will keep his bond. Egbo made the appeal when he led youths at a prayer/ thanksgiving session at the Anglican Church of Nigeria, St. Paul Cathedral, Oleh, Isoko South council area to mark Governor Okowa’s
birthday as he turns 56. Speaking from personal experience, Egbo who is also the President,, Isoko National Youth Assembly, said, “Okowa is a realist, whatever he says, he does. We were having prayers for him during the elections. He attended and promised that if he wins, I will be one of his SAs. He kept his promise. He told participants at the session that praying and giving thanks to God on Okowa’s behalf was the best birthday present youths could give to the governor. “All we have is God and I think that is the best gift we can offer the governor on his birthday”, he said.
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08023145567 (sms only)
Nigerian Church endangered if Boko Haram captures Plateau---COCIN president
Olu of Warri, others at Foursquare Men retreat
By Sam Eyoboka
By OLAYINKA LATONA
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RESIDENT of Church of Christ in Nigeria, COCIN, Rev. Dachollom Datiri has warned that the Nigerian Church will be at risk the moment the Islamic fundamentalist group, Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'Awati Wal-Jihad (Western education is forbidden), better known as Boko Haram establishes a caliphate in the Middle Belt state of Plateau. The COCIN president, in an interview with Martyrs CRY, a newsletter of the Voice of the Christian Martyrs stressed the need for Nigerian Christians to unite and intensify prayers as well as give generously to reinforce the Christians in the Middle Belt, arguing that Christianity in that region may soon collapse under Islamic pressure on the Middle Belt. Rev. Datiri maintained that the impact of Islamic fundamentalists on the church in the region is unquantifiable, stressing that the destruction is unbelievable. "In Bauchi State, the Tafawa Balewa Area has been under constant attacks. Even after the elections, the congregations there were attacked. It is only the grace of God that is sustaining the brethren there. Coming to Plateau State, communities outside Jos are being attacked almost on a daily basis. "I cannot tell you how many Regional Church Councils have been decimated in these attacks. All these are communities not far from Jos. The Muslims kill Christians and destroy their properties. The media report is usually that these communities have been attacked by unknown gunmen or by Fulani herdsmen. The underlying motive is to destroy the Church. "Even in Nasarawa State, we have lost no less than five congregations. When you ask who is responsible for the destruction, security officers will claim they are unknown gunmen or Fulani herdsmen. Yet, in most instances, they come dressed in military uniform. Where did the Muslim insurgents obtain the military uniform that they wear when going to destroy churches?" the cleric asked. Asked about the implications of the attacks, Rev. Datiri said his church is the predominant denomination in Plateau as well as in some parts of Bauchi state, maintaining that COCIN forms probably 70% to 80% of Christians on the Plateau. "If they succeed in destroying COCIN, they would have succeeded in eradicating a sizeable portion of the Church on the Plateau. Since their goal is to wipe out Christianity in Plateau State, in their bid to overrun Nigeria with Islam, eliminating COCIN on the Plateau is tantamount to overrunning Nigeria with Islam. "Plateau State", he further argued "is a big hurdle for the Islamists in their quest and overcoming COCIN on the Plateau is a sure sign that they have conquered Christianity in Nigeria. "So, they concentrate their forces on eradicating Christianity on the Plateau. It is only by the grace of God that we are surviving. We
O
L-R: Pastor Obafemi Olukoga (Maintenance Dept.), Pastor Segun Adegbiji, Head, Media and Public Relations, Pastor Tunji Adigun, Head, CRM and Pastor Deji West, Executive Member of Team Nehemiah at the media briefing on RCCG Convention 2015 scheduled for August 3-9. keep asking God for strength, wisdom, and courage. But, I must tell you, it is heartbreaking. At times I receive phone calls in the middle of the night from members asking for help and in the background, I hear the sound of gunshots. It is tragic," he narrated. According to the church leader, the most veritable remedy to the attacks is for the Church to be united, "speak with one voice and let the world know that Boko Haram and the Fulani herdsmen are orchestrated attacks on the Church. All the Christians in Nigeria must see these attacks as intentionally designed destruction against the Body of Christ in Nigeria. The unity of the Church will go a long way in solving the problem." "The target of all these Islamic attacks is the Church and the goal is to destroy the Church so that Islam can take over," Datiri said, lamenting that in the midst of the ferocious attacks, compromise is still noticed amongst ministers of the gospel, even in the affected areas. Acknowledging that it is a serious problem in the Church, the COCIN helmsman said: "As the devil is working through Boko
Haram and the other insurgents from outside to destroy the Church, we also notice that unsanctified ministers of the gospel also weaken the Church from within." He stressed the urgent need for the Nigerian Church to unite to confront this evil agenda to eradicate Christianity in the country, and intensify prayers and intercession, particularly for the Christians in the North. The cleric debunked the argument that the objective of Boko Haram was not religious, arguing that the average Muslim believes that he is born to rule and dominate every other person in Nigeria. "To them, everything is the same — religion, politics, commerce, and so on. So, if you do not practise the religion that they believe in, then you imply that you are not under their control and they will fight that. "The only thing that will save the Church is for us to be united. If the Nigerian Church can unite, they will stop these Islamic attacks. I think that the biggest problem Nigerian Christians have is that we lack genuine Christian conviction. For many Nigerian Christians, their faith is superficial, it is only on the
surface. We need to develop deep faith and the way we can easily do that is to pay attention to Biblical discipleship. If we cultivate genuine Christian conviction, our problems will be over. "One important area in which we appeal for the support of Christians nationwide is meeting the needs of the victims of these attacks. In most instances, those who survive are often impoverished. Every means of livelihood is intentionally destroyed by these rampaging forces. "Their homes are burnt to the ground, their properties are burnt, their food is destroyed and even their farmland is destroyed. The Fulani herdsmen intentionally go to the farms and destroy the food crops. The aim is to impoverish the people, destroy their economy so that they can dominate and control them. "There is a great need for material and financial support for the brethren undergoing these persecutions. They need clothes, foods, medical treatment and so on," Rev. Datiri appealed to fellow Christians in the country.
RCCG's convention begins August 3 The only thing that will save the Church is for us to be united. If the Nigerian Church can unite, they will stop these Islamic attacks
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HE 63rd annual conven tion of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, begins on begins on August 3 at two venues---the current auditorium and the new one at Simawa Road which is still under construction. Addressing newsmen at the church's Redemption Camp, Head of Media and Public Relations, Pastor Segun Adegbiji flanked by several ministers of the mission, said the new arena will host plenary sessions of a few evenings of the week long
programme on an experimental basis. According to Pastor Adegbiji adequate arrangements have been put in place to host participants from the 24 regions of the church spread across 188 countries of the world. According to him, the theme of this year's programme is; "The All Sufficient God", stressing that this year's convention is for those who are serious and desire a great encounter with the all sufficient God and want to see Him in action including those who are thirsty for salvation.
VER 10,000 male partici pants including His Maj esty, Ogiame Atuwatse II, the Olu of Warri with several of his traditional chiefs, gathered at the Ajebo campground of Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria last weekend for the church's annual Council of Foursquare Men (CFM) retreat. Theme of the three-day programme was; “Empowerment for Greater Glory”. The event featured a variety of ministrations including seminars on entrepreneurship, business and career talks, all packaged to equip and remind participants that, as salt of the earth and light of the world, they are duty bound to be change agents wherever they find themselves. The general overseer of the church, Rev. Felix Meduoye, in his message, charged the men to put into practice all they have learnt during the programme, stressing that as Christians, frequent spiritual empowerment is crucial for success in their respective divine assignments. Urging the men to exhibit God’s glory in their day to day activities, Meduoye said the purpose of empowerment is to place one in a vantage position to contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of the nation. Emphasising the need for constant spiritual empowerment, the General Overseer maintained that such empowerment “ will enable us as men to overcome various challenges of life including and not limited to family, health, personal, business, ministry amongst others. God is counting on us to manifest His glory in all areas of life. "God has made available enough resources for us to overcome any life challenge," he stated, noting "it is God’s will that we declare His glory in all realms of human existence.” CFM national president, Brother Churchill Ayerume described the retreat as "awesome," adding that "no one can have good success without deep knowledge of the word of God. Success goes beyond physical prosperity. Only wealth acquired righteously will abound." Chairman of the retreat planning committee, Mr. Thomas Omorobe was impressed by the large turnout of participants, arguing that if participants put to practice what they learned at the retreat, the nation will be better for it. One of the speakers, Brother Benson Ogunbamiwa urged churches to teach biblical virtues that will help build solid Christian foundation. Sharing his experience, Timileyin Akinpelu from Foursquare Kingdom Embassy, Igando in Lagos thanked God for the opportunity, saying the ministrations were heart-touching and impactful just as Mr. Tope Ajayi joyfully appreciated the retreat planning committee, who he said, did a marvelous job. His words: “This year retreat is unique in its entirety; right from the logistic, turnout of participants to the ministrations, I have been wonderfully blessed. I appreciate the efforts of the organising committee".
SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 49
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OW many times have you heard these kinds of testimonies? “Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! God has blessed me with a brand new car.” “My wife just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.” “Glory be to God, I have just been promoted at work.” These testimonies are invaluable, but you must admit they are run-of-the-mill. In the first place, they are not limited to believers. Unbelievers also buy new cars, have children, and get promoted. But there are testimonies that separate the sons of God from the sons of men. Those testimonies are usually preceded by a death, after which they reveal the power of resurrection.
Living death Imagine you are in church when Lazarus gives this testimony: “Praise the Lord! I fell sick and died. After four days, the Lord Jesus raised me from the dead.” I bet you would sit up and really pay attention. Or imagine you were there when Jonah says: “Praise the Lord! I was thrown overboard on the high seas. A big fish came and swallowed me. I was in its belly for three days and three nights. While there, I phoned Pastor Joshua and told him to labour in prayer with me. After three days, God answered and the fish vomited me at Nineveh harbour.” Now, how about that for a testimony? Jesus was crucified and he died. On the third day, he rose triumphantly from the dead. On his resurrection, he told his disciples: “You shall be my witnesses.” What does it mean
THE RESURRECTED LIFE today to be a witness of the death and resurrection of Jesus? You have to experience a living death and then be resurrected from the dead. You have to be thrown down a well; sold off as a slave; and then resurrect in Egypt as the prime-minister. A resurrected man is a completely different kettle of fish from a natural man. A resurrected man has been fed to the lions. He has overcome death and no longer fears death. Indeed, he can no longer be killed. John says: "they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelation 12: 11). There is no other way to overcome in life except by undergoing a living-death. Jesus says: “He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Revelation 3:21). To overcome like Jesus, we must be prepared to enter into the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings. So doing, we experience first-hand the power of his resurrection. It is at these imperatives that
Don’t believe in any faith where the dead cannot be raised back to life many of us draw back from following Jesus. (Hebrews 10: 32-35).
Triumphant life The life Jesus gives is the resurrected life. Jesus does not just say: “I am the life.” He says: “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25). Before there can be life, there must be a death and then a resurrection. Hannah says: “The LORD kills and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and brings up.” (I Samuel 2:6). The true Christian life is “the resurrected life.” The promised abundant life in Christ is a life after death. To live it, we have to become a Lazarus. We have to die in our afflictions and then be raised to newness of life. Jesus says: “a grain of wheat that falls on the ground will never be more than one grain unless it dies. But if it dies, it will
produce lots of wheat.” (John 12:24). In the scriptures, God reveals himself as the resurrection and the life to a number of people, including Job, Joseph, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel. The revelation follows a familiar pattern. God decrees their death in afflictions, and then he raises them back to life. The new life inevitably makes them impregnable to the travails of life. Sons of God must conform to the image of Christ. Jesus died and rose from the dead. Thereafter, death no longer had dominion over him. By the same token, the life of the redeemed is the resurrected life. Without death there can be no resurrection. Therefore, the redeemed is a man or woman who died and has risen from the dead. The problem here is that most Christians simply do not want to die. But if God does
not kill before he makes alive, then the motions of sin in us would soon corrupt and defile the new man in the redeemed. Jesus warns: “No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Matthew 9:1617).
Life after death In this life, life does not prevail over life. But death normally triumphs over natural life. Therefore, to be victorious in this life, we must conquer death. Death boasts: “No matter what you become, no matter what you acquire, I will get you in the end and bring it to nothing.” Since death is always victorious over natural life, the only life that is worthwhile is the life that has prevailed over death. If your life cannot prevail over death then you are done for. The victorious life is life after death. If Jesus had performed all his miracles, only to die like any other man, he could not have been the Messiah. He
SAME SEX MARRIAGE:
The world is challenging the Church ----Monsignor Osigweh By CHRIS ONUOHA
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ATHOLIC priest, Rev. Monsignor Sylvester Osigweh has condemned same sex marriage currently being promoted by the West including the United States which recently voted in favour of the anti-social behavior, arguing that the world is gradually challenging the Church. Monsignor Osigweh of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Ifo in Ogun State, who recently celebrated his 81st birthday anniversary, in his prebirthday sermon, lamented, why America known as ‘God’s own country’ should contradict morality with self gratifying excesses. His word: “The world is now challenging the Church which is the central controller of morality in the world. The introduction of these things; man marrying man, woman marrying woman...I say, it is against God’s recommendation. But they are trying to control and condemn God’s recommendation." He encouraged those are steadfast in the belief that God had instituted marriage to be between one man and one women should not be swayed by current wave of un-Godly doctrines, stressing "anything that has to do with a man marrying another man is immoral and criminal. It is against God’s rules.” Osigweh who is also the Spiritual Director of ‘Jesus is Love and Power Catholic Healing Ministry’, stressed the need for Christians to remain steadfast in the Lord. “The world is full of evil people who are promoting evil. All these things belong to the world. They are trying to recruit you into their immoral life with
all manner of gimmickry into the world. Jesus, in one of his sermons said, ‘the road that leads to heaven is narrow and rough while the one to hell fire is broad and alluring. All they are looking for is earthly pleasure, merriment, freedom which they abuse," he stated. Continuing, he warned Christians; "do not patronize it and never recommend it to anyone," sympathizing with President Barrack Obchat who, he said,
found himself in a leadership position among very powerful and influential Congressmen. “America will love the good things about you and because they cannot be you, will want to contradict and influence you. I think Obama should not be blamed in this matter because he couldn't have done otherwise because of the power play in the Congress. "However, children of God should
remain steadfast in serving and worshiping God always. Nobody should think that it will be all rosy or bitter all the time. God has his way for every individual. It is the way an individual understands his way that will make God allow him to operate. If your choice is good or bad, He will allow it. He has already spoken; never you do wrong, follow the right way and do the right thing,” Osigweh said.
Kalejaiye, others storm National Stadium for Restoration night
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By
IYABO
AINA
RUTH Foundation Christian Church Centre, Omole Phase 11, Olowora, Lagos has concluded plans to convey people from different locations in Lagos, to the National Stadium in Lagos next Friday for an all night programme tagged “Restoration Lagos.” Addressing newsmen in Lagos, pastor
of the church, Rev. Julius Sajuyigbe said the programme ordained by God for the restoration of the state is designed for all residents irrespective of tribe, religion or denomination. According to him, when he received the greenlight for the programme which will feature the likes of RCCG Regional Evangelist, Pastor J.T. Kalejaiye and Apostle Wole Oladiyun as guest speakers, “I immediately
RCCG set for ‘Riding on Prophetic Wings’ 2015
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he Redeemed Christian Church of God, Lagos Province 38 Headquarters, is set to commence the Year 2015 edition of its annual weeklong program, ‘Riding on Prophetic Wings’. Termed‘BethelExperience’,this year’s edition th is billed to commence on Sunday 19thJuly 2015 and will end on Sunday 26 July 2015. According to reports gathered from the church’s representative, this year’s edition of the week-long program will feature various activities including intense worship, fervent prayers, deliverance, powerful praise ministrations and insightful teaching
of the word, with a view to giving all attendees the ‘Bethel Experience’. Ministers of God expected during the eventinclude,PastorJ.TAshaolu,Pastor Peter Balogun, Pastor BukolaOlanrewaju and Pastor OluDavid among other anointed men of God. Also ministering during the program are anointed Praise and Worship leaders like Mike Abdul of the famous gospel music group; Midnight Crew, DV Choir and fast rising gospel songstress, Bola Thani. The event will hold at the Church auditorium at No 1, Destiny Avenue, Off KarimuLaka Street, Egbeda, Lagos.
called Apostle Wole Oladiyun and he expressed joy when I told him about the programme." He stated that arrangements have been perfected for buses in strategic places like Ajegunle, Ikeja, Agege, Iyana Ipaja, Abule Egba, Ajagbandi, Apapa, Mushin, Lagos Island and so many other places to convey people to the venue of the programme for free. "In addition, we are also giving out free clothes, food and drinks to people at the venue," he said, pointing out that it will indeed be a restoration night for Lagosians. The pastor said Alfa Sule and some artistes will be on parade in recognition of the fact that music plays a significant role in evangelism.
might still have been a remarkable man. But he would nonetheless have been just another prophet. Don’t believe in any faith that cannot guarantee the resurrection of the dead. Don’t believe in any faith where the dead cannot be raised back to life. Only Christianity guarantees this. Even in my ministry, the Lord has used me to raise the dead back to life. Just think about it. If there is no life after death, then the poor and the needy would be the most miserable people on earth. However, Jesus says: “God will bless you people who are poor. His kingdom belongs to you!” (Luke 6:20). Why should a man come into this world just in order to encounter all kinds of problems and, at the end of it all, simply die? Paul says: “If our hope in Christ is good only for this life, we are worse off than anyone else.” (I Corinthians 15:19). The problems of this life only make sense in light of the life after death. It is the life after death that makes this life bearable. It is the life after death that gives meaning to this miserable life. Therefore, even in this life, God is determined to socialise us into the resurrected life. Even in this life, God insists that we lay down our lives so he can raise us from the dead. Listen again to the words of Jesus: “Therefore my Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from my Father.” (John 10:17-18).
BSN Board meets in Warri
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HE Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) holds her 48th annual national board meeting in Warri, Delta State from tomorrow. The meeting will be declared open by the Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa at First Baptist Church, Warri on Tuesday. The meeting, being hosted by the Southern Zone of BSN, will be presided over by BSN national president, Dr. Aaron Nuhu and it will discuss past and future activities of the organization concerning Bible work as well as examine her accounts for the past one year. The General Secretary, Rev. Dare Ajiboye is also expected to present his report for the year under review at the meeting. Expected at the meeting are the patron of BSN, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, GCFR, trustees, national officers, delegates from across the country and senior members of the management team of the organization.
Cornerstone Sisters hold programme
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aughters of Zion’s Sisters Fellowship, Cornerstone Parish of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Okota, Isolo, Lagos will hold its annual programme on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July, 2015. The programme with the theme: The Winning Couple, will feature Pastor Mrs Toro Sokoya as the guest
speaker. It will be flagged off Saturday with evangelism by 10 am while the main event for the day is slated for 5 pm. The two days event will be rounded off on Sunday with a special thanksgiving service on the theme: The Winning Family at the church premises, 126 Okota road, Opposite Zenith Bank, Okota, by 8 am.
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VIEWPOINT By Livinus Nnebedum
VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF
Four agents of education, socialization
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RAINING of children must entail Socialization and Education involving moral and academic Education, interaction with good peer-groups, contact with media, the religious, the teachers in the schools and the government. If a human baby is taken away at birth from the mother and raised in complete isolation, such individual would lack essential attributes of human being. Thus it is the act of living together that makes man a real man as he interacts with his fellow human being. Therefore the process of making an individual fit in and play his part in society is the function of education and socialization. Family As Organ/Agent Of Training Children:
Training of youths for a better society Family here include parents and other members of the family whether nuclear or extended family. It is the parents that lead the way in training children to develop the different types of acceptable behaviour in any society. The mother, father, and all other members of the family must take active part in children upbringing. Moral training, discipline and academic training financially and otherwise are the primary responsibilities of the parents. Schools As Agent Of Training Of Children: Entering school is the first step away from the family into the outside world. Here the child interact with the school environment, the peers and all categories of teachers. The teachers play the role of parents. All the schools in Nigeria public or private at all levels must
inculcate moral, discipline and academic training for all the students. Religious As Agents Of Youths’ Training: All religious sects in Nigeria should continue to preach moral instructions so as to mould good character for our youths. If there is any religious sect that is not involve in moral preaching or paying lipservice to that, this is the time for
All religious sects in Nigeria should continue to preach moral instructions so as to mould good character for our youths
the right thing. Hence Nigeria is now battling with multiple problems of insurgency, political upheaval and indiscipline, thuggery, rapping, kidnapping and other numerous social ills. Moral and religious instructions should be a core subject right from nursery school through primary to secondary school level. Adequate control measures against cultism must be adopted in all schools. Government As Organ/Agent Of Training Of Youths: The building of schools, payment of teachers’ salaries and provision of security in schools against secret cult should be the primary responsibility of the government. It is necessary that the government and various religious sects should introduce moral and religious instructions as core subject in all preprimary, primary and post-prima-
ry schools across the country. This will help to ensure discipline and bring about good moral behaviour among our youths and future generations. In fact religious instructions should be made a compulsory subject in all schools starting from nursery through primary to secondary school levels. At this juncture, it is the duty of the government and the various religious sects to introduce this and ensure its proper implementations. It is recalled that before the Nigeria – Biafran civil war, the early missionaries that came to Nigeria brought along with them education and Christianity. Moral instructions and discipline were invoked at that period but today it had gone moribund. How and when do we revive moral in our school system and our society as a whole? This is the time, no time is too late. •Nnebedum, a public affairs analyst, is of Anambra State ADP, Aguata Zonal Office.
Kogi 2015: The variables that will change the equation! VIEWPOINT By Phrank Shaibu
VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF
Calculations ahead of guber poll
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VER since the general elec tions of 2015 were conducted in Nigeria which delivered a new President from an opposing fresh Political Party, the APC, the polity has been very awash with explosive and robust interpretations as the outcome was considered unusual from an African country. Varied debates are on-going especially on how and why the call for change in Nigeria manifested into reality within a very limited period particularly at a point when the ruling party, the PDP was claiming to be the biggest political Party in Africa. Indeed, the elections of 2015 will remain a worthy topic for study or scholarly research for a long time. It may even turn out to be a very difficult task for accurate deconstruction by political analysts, historians and even next generation scholars on political transformation in Africa’s self styled democracy. The huge and growing assumption by mostly the International Community that a large section of Africa dwells in masked democracy is no hidden secret. Their postula-
tions that most African Leaders engage in obscure practices that encourage or permit impunity and existence of skewed electoral bodies which operate at the whims and caprices of those who appointed them is very real. However, the great dismay, lies in the fact that even when such contemptible leaderships are associated with weak administration and corrupt practices which combine to grossly retard progress for the governed, those in power fear not. More so, even under these twisted democratic settings, removing leaders legitimately from authority is a rare possibility except through very unrefined means. Indeed, anyone with faint knowledge of Africa’s practiced democracy may agree that the quest for change by the electorates especially when it involves a ruling party is hardly ever achievable through an electoral process. As such, smooth transition is least permissible except where violent revolutionary actions are introduced which most times, result in multiple deaths, lawlessness and even disintegration of the State. Thus, what happened in Nigeria during its recent general elections of 2015 is certainly a clear departure from normal. The uniqueness of forthcoming Kogi state gubernatorial election is
not in doubt as it will be very remarkable for many reasons. Aside the fact that it is going to be the first major election after the 2015 general elections; it will also be a fresh opportunity to open another chapter in the PDP troubled politics. The popular assumption is that the same discontent with the PDP in the Presidential elections may recur in the Kogi elections largely because the party leadership in Kogi state is not any different from the National PDP leadership that is plagued with allegations of corruption, bad leadership and breach of trust of the electorate. Any modern intelligent political observer on Kogi politics, would readily attest to the fact that the present Governor’s existence in PDP is now a big thorn in the flesh of the PDP and huge political liability. The gap between his electioneering promises and delivery has reached a crisis point and the people of Kogi State understand this situation perfectly well. The few supporters of Governor Wada Idris in the diminished PDP may find this honest statement quite disappointing. Even their hope that through imposition Governor Wada Idris will be extended another chance to serve a second term is an illusion and any buyer of such fables may either have just re-
How not to reform DESOPADEC VIEWPOINT By Michael Tidi
VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF
Repositioning an intervention agency
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variety of reactions have continued to attend the present attempt on the part of Delta State Government to amend the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC law, ranging from tacit support to outright rejection. Unfortunately, the true reason for the proposed amendment has not been adequately considered on the part of those shouting to high heavens on how not to reform the commission with this crucial aspect of the exercise relegated to the background amidst a plethora of unfounded allegations and dirty politicking. As such the important
work of amending what is a very important law to the oil producing sections of the state appears to be playing second fiddle to increasingly needless acrimony arising from ignorance and mischief making. If nothing else, the position many critics are assuming is certainly how not to reform this critical interventionist agency. Some of the cases being made by certain opponents of the amendment are so unreasonable that they give the impression that reforming DESOPADEC is unnecessary in the first place. This is truly surprising because if Deltans from the oil producing sections of the state are in agreement about anything at all, then it is that the commission, as it is presently constituted and is being run has been a disappointment with seeds of failure planted in its legal framework, poor management, corruption and
paucity of vision. Some interest groups have even raised eyebrows at the term ‘ethnic nationalities’ in the proposed amendment whereas under the present framework the commission has always been run on the basis of ethnic nationality. Besides, such preoccupation with mere semantics amounts to stirring a storm in a teacup since we are all aware that all oil producing areas and communities belong to specific ethnic nationalities. Funny enough, none of those currently lampooning an amendment they have clearly not critically studied will ever dare say the commission has been a success so far. Instead, many of them have been calling for reform and restructuring of DESOPADEC for years and it is quite confusing that they are now at the forefront of opposing the solution to a problem they identified long ago.
joined us from the moon or could be one of those that encourage the continuous pillaging and plundering of Kogi State resources for self aggrandizement. In very blunt clarification, the PDP primary elections of 2011 which smuggled Wada Idris as the candidate of the PDP in the Kogi gubernatorial race remains a classic instance of political impunity in our recent history. Kogi state voters are still very annoyed over how the PDP manipulated the electoral process and switched their choice candidate, Jibrin Isa Echocho with Idris Wada. Indeed, the plot to ensure that the stolen mandate of Jibrin Isah was never recovered was beyond the PDP members as even the then Chieftains of the PDP at the National leadership level blocked all efforts by aggrieved persons to get redress by ensuring that they frustrated every avenue including disregard for the order of the courts. From hindsight, one will be right to state that the PDP certainly took an extreme risk in ignoring the desire of its members and till date, it seems the PDP has not found a solution because the Kogi PDP still hangs the toga of shattered credibility and integrity courtesy of the unresolved saga of Wada and Jibrin Isa Echocho. Even now, Kogi state
is still enmeshed in many controversies of inappropriate leadership and ill-advised political decisions just like the allegations that were heaped on President Goodluck Jonathan’s led administration before its fall. Already, there appear to be a shared view among Kogi youths regarding the qualities of next governor of their state because since the word emerged that Jibrin Isah Echocho, the winner of 2011 PDP primaries is being pressured to contest, many Kogi youths have raced to support his political quest as a sure way of ensuring that their generation does not lose out in their desire to produce a capable hand for the Kogi state governor. The speculation on Jibrin Isah Echocho seems to be sending shivers down the spines of some other prospective contestants who understand that in a properly conducted election under the new reformed electoral system, where rigging is made very difficult, a popular candidate like Echocho will be every one’s bet for a win. Whatever happens in Kogi elections may not just be a pointer to Nigeria’s new political trend but a yardstick to confirm the sustainability of its new found electoral credibility. •Shaibu lives in Lokoja, Kogi State.
Whereas I quite agree that each and every stakeholder is entitled to key into the process of amending the DESOPADEC law, I believe it is most disingenuous for anyone to criticize the proposals without offering any meaningful, credible or workable alternatives. Since we all agreed that DESOPADEC has failed us as regards delivering on its mandate, it is then automatically the obligation of government to intervene unless it wants to abdicate its duty to its constituents. Such dereliction of duty would have been pounced on by the same critics of the present exercise as indicative of the abandonment of the oil producing sections of the state. Where the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has been alive to his responsibilities by trying to reposition the commission into an agency that is internally efficient and externally effective in terms of delivering on its mandate, it becomes quite mischievous for armchair critics to insist on truncating such a patri-
otic process. This is to be expected as many of those hiding in the shadows and currently sponsoring hack writers and rented crowds to oppose reform in the commission are wellknown beneficiaries of the present status quo in which a rich minority of self-centered persons and greedy interest groups benefit tremendously from embezzlement and lack of transparency in the commission to the detriment of the silent majority of Deltans who belong to the oil producing ethnic nationalities. We must reject their divisive agenda of introducing grossly unfounded issues of ethnic coloration into what is clearly a good-natured determination on the part of a responsible government to meet the aspirations of the long abandoned people of the oil-producing sections of the state. •Tidi is Special Assistant on News Media to Governor Okowa
SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015,
VIEWPOINT By Olubunmi Aboderin
VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF
Affordable housing across the country
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S state governors desperate ly look for ways to boost their internally generated revenue base, here’s a radical idea for them: Use whatever influence you have at the federal level to push for the removal of the Land Use Act from the constitution, then proactively support those working on getting that piece of legislation reformed, and allow their recommendations to be effectively implemented in your respective states. With the current system, it is estimated that less than five per cent of housing units have formal title registration. Reforming the land management system will open up the possibility of bringing the remaining 95 per cent of existing housing into the formal title registration loop. There is a shortage of affordable housing in Nigeria. Some estimates say we need 14 to 17 million more units than what we currently have. Others say the figure is closer to 40 million. Either way, reforming the land management system will release the choke-hold on private sector urban housing developers who have the ingenuity and the energy
Imperatives of reforming the Land Use Act to tackle the multimillion housing deficit, which the states’ housing corporations, ministries of housing and their federal counterparts, are trying valiantly to satiate. Think of what the states would gain directly in increased transaction volume through stamp duties, fees, PAYE, and indirectly through reduced unemployment, increased civic satisfaction and so on. This can be achieved if the bureaucracy is trimmed down, the response times are faster, the process is transparent and the per unit processing cost is reduced. Prior to the Land Use Decree of 1978, a dichotomous system prevailed in country. In Northern Nigeria, the land was vested to the governor who then apportioned or utilised it as he deemed fit. One could say it was a form of controlled socialism, in comparison to the free market system adopted in the South. In Southern Nigeria, other than areas selected for public purposes, land was owned by individuals or clans and passed along from one generation to the next. Permission however had to be sought from the governor before land rights could be assigned to aliens. In the absence of a formal titling and reg-
istration mechanism, the system in the South threw up endemic problems of multiple sales of the same parcel of land to various buyers. The South also experienced land speculation, problems with acquiring land for public purposes, exorbitant pricing, and the social malaise resulting from the accumulation of land by those who had unjustly dispossessed others of their property. The Land Use Decree was created ostensibly to solve these problems and to install one codified land administration system across the country.As can be imagined, the decree was not popular in the South. People accustomed to owning land were effectively turned to tenants via the wholesale transfer of land ownership rights to the governor, and compensation was only paid for developed land or agricultural land. The decree also empowered governors to issue Certificates of Occupancy which would allow the possessor to use a specific piece of land for a pre-defined period of time. And more importantly, the consent of the governor had to be given before any transfer or transaction could be done with the land, (including mortgages or assignments). This specific provision is one of the protago-
On GOtv’s New Pay-off: Live It, Love It VIEWPOINT By Efe Obiomah
VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF Testimonials on pay-TV
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ESSRS Nwaobodo and Adindun Nnebedum are GOtv subscribers, who both live in Enugu. I met them at a GOcustomer Forum organised for GOtv subscribers in Enugu last year. The GOcustomer Forum is one of several customer engagement initiatives of MultiChoice, which provides subscribers an opportunity to ask questions, air their views and learn more about the GOtv service. Unlike other subscribers at the Enugu forum, these gentlemen opted to give testimonials during the question and answer session. Mr Nwaobodo said that GOtv helpss child development. “My daughter
learnt how to say her first words from watching children’s programmes on GOtv,” he said. For Mr. Nnebedum, GOtv, through its documentary channels, is great source of education for him. These testimonials underscore the new GOtv pay-off line, “Live it, Love it”. GOtv enables youthful guidance through friendliness. If your toddler is a follower of cartoon series like “Barney and Friends” or “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”, with the great sing-alongs, then Mr Nwaobodo’s testimonial would be very relatable. As geography students in secondary school, we relied on textbooks to understand natural disasters like earthquakes, avalanches, tornadoes and volcanic eruptions because these conditions are alien to our environment - and thankfully so. Many of us will probably never
experience an earthquake, witness a hurricane or see a whale, but documentaries can give a reasonably good understanding of what such natural occurrences look like or feel like or why they happen. The height of Mount Kilimanjaro, measuring 5,895 meters, is unfathomable when you read about it. But the emergence of pay-TV, with dedicated documentary channels such as GOtv’s Channel ED and Discovery World, enable us to appreciate the greatness of Mount Kilimanjaro much more than any textbook ever would. Documentary channels expose us to previously unknown facts. For instance, from programmes such as Ultimate Animals on Nat Geo Wild, we learn that a flamingo can only eat when its head is upside down, or that some snails sleep for three years at a stretch.
nists causing the current bottleneck in the mass housing industry. The potential quantum of paperwork that this must necessarily involve for a country with over 170 million citizens is mind-boggling. To expect all that paperwork to pass efficiently through the office of 36 people is unrealistic. It is a stumbling block to the proliferation of home ownership and it’s time to make a concerted effort to take the brakes off. In his essay, The Land Use Act: 11 Years After, Dr A. Nnamani, who was the Attorney-General of the Federation in 1978 said, “It seems to me that it is not healthy for the economy that the Governor’s Office should be flooded with these applications for consent.” We should not sacrifice efficiency on the altar of control. However, let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. There are some redeeming features of the Act. Let’s hold on to those while revising the ones that need revising. Updating the Land Use Act will certainly assist in taking us from where we are to where we want to be. It is one of several tipping points available to us as a country for moving millions of people out of poverty. Currently, close to 85 per cent of urbanites live in rented accommo-
dation which swallows up as much as 40 per cent of their salary, if not more. The need for reasonablypriced housing is further compounded by urban migration. People, mainly young adults, are moving out from rural areas into the cities. The population in Abuja is estimated as growing by nine per cent every year. In Lagos, the estimate is three per cent each year. Where will they live? Where will they work? At a real estate forum in 2015, the CEO of Lead Capital Abimbola Olashore estimated that the production of just 75,000 homes per year would create “at least 300,000 direct jobs and 488,000 indirect jobs.” Assuming the housing deficit is 17 million units, we would need to build 850,000 units per year for the next 20 years, ceteris paribus. Expunge the Land Use Act from the constitution and let the Act be updated. Unleash the real estate sector and provide incentives for the construction of affordable housing across the country, then watch the multiplier effect go to work on the economy.
GOtv began its journey to “Entertain Nigeria” in October 2011 by providing affordable and quality entertainment. From Ibadan, where it was launched, GOtv now provides its hundreds of thousands of subscribers with unforgettable television experiences. “Live it, Love it” is an expression of the value – more than entertainment - which GOtv offers. It is about the unforgettable viewing experiences of its subscribers. It is the power of GOtv’s clear pictures and sound, and the ability of the content to transform the worldview of subscribers. Live it, Love it is also about escapism. The content on GOtv allows subscribers escape to places they wish to be. Take Disney Junior’s “Doc McStuffins”. The cartoon series is about a little girl named Dottie, who decides she wants to become a doctor like her mother. She pretends to be one, “Doc McStuffins”, by fixing toys and dolls. When Dottie puts on
her stethoscope, toys, dolls, and stuffed animals come to life and she can communicate with them. With help from her stuffed animal friends – Stuffy the Dragon, Hallie the Hippo, Lambie the Lamb, and Chilly the Snowman, Doc McStuffins helps toys “feel better” by giving them Check-ups and diagnosing their illnesses with “The Big Book of Boo Boos”. Kids who are fans of Doc McStuffins are transported into her world and soon begin to visualise themselves as doctors, too. “Live it, Love it” is also about the wide variety of appealing content on GOtv. It is about family bonding, the moments shared with family, friends and loved ones, when they gather to watch programmes like “Family Ties”, “Meet the Adebanjos” and “The Johnsons” on AfricaMagic Family.
As Ambode's petals unfold with a human face VIEWPOINT By Abayomi Opeyemi
VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF A new era in Lagos
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HERE is no doubt that the art of good governance the world over is predicated on the unfailing factors of vision, courage, character, commitment, compassion and being a good team leader. And in a democratic setting as Nigeria currently operates the bottom line is all about meeting the people’s interests, needs, dreams and desires. Leadership therefore, entails the capacity on the part of the helmsman to identify the most critical and crucial needs of the led majority, prioritize them and putting in motion the mechanisms to solving those challenges, one after the other. With the new All Progressives Congress (APC)-led party in place in most states of the federation, people’s expectations are high that the ‘change’
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mantra would become a reality. Good enough, emerging empirical evidence attest to the fact that some governors are already piloting their states towards assuaging the pains of their people. For instance, we have seen an elRufai, the new governor of Kaduna state going beyond the slashing of his salary by 50 per cent to outright banning of street begging and mass gathering of people to mitigate the scourge of mindless Boko Haram attacks. His Kano state counterpart has merged ministries, agencies and parastatals streamlining them for a more cost-effective administration. Oyo state governor Abiola Ajumobi has also reduced the number of ministries from 24 to 13 in tandem with the prevailing harsh economic realities. In a similar vein, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos state has re-jigged the Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) for the first time in many years to infuse a
great dose of dynamism, pragmatism and cost-effectiveness in running state affairs. Gone is the Ministry of Rural Development to reflect the mega status of Lagos. In it comes the more people-oriented Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment Generation . The new office of Civic Engagement is saddled with assuming the responsibilities of the erstwhile Office of Political and Legislative Powers Bureau. Besides,to catalyze foreign investment, the Office of Oversea Affairs and Investment nicknamed Lagos global has been created. Now, over 40 multi-national companies are jostling to do business with the Centre of Excellence. The former Office of Transformation has its scope expanded and rechristened the Office of Transformation, Creativity and Innovation to engage and unleash the mental capacity of our talented youths. Now also, the Ministry of Finance takes over the mandates of the former Debt
Management Office, DMO and Special Adviser on Taxation. The Former Ministry of Home Affairs and Culture, no longer undertakes cultural affairs, hence the rechristening to the Ministry of Home Affairs. And to make his government more people-oriented, the former Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has since been expanded with the additional mandate of community affairs. Its focus on tourism, arts and culture falls in line with his campaign promise to make Lagos the haven of tourism on the African continent, nay the world. All these are geared towards improving the internal management of the state government and reasonably so. Similarly, recognizing the strategic significance of good road network in enhancing socio-economic activities in the state, creating jobs and boosting productivity, the new government has commenced work
•Ms. Aboderin is a member of the Institute of Directors.
•Obiomah, Public Relations Manager, GOtv, lives in Lagos. on the rehabilitation of some 90 roads by the Public Works Corporation. Interestingly, 70 per cent of these are in semi- urban areas. Some of these places include Ikotun, Ejigbo, Ayobo, Ijegun, Badagry; in fact cutting across the entire state. That is notwithstanding the fact that this is the rainy season, with flooding still a persisting challenge, no thanks to the sandy nature of the coastal state. And some unpatriotic citizens dumping refuse right into the gutters. What with a tough topography of an average of 2 metres below sea level! Notably, the past government left over 9,000 roads paved in Lagos, spent some N5 billion on federal roads. Still, Ambode’s administration is already building on this. But he recognizes that there must be a workable marriage between infrastructural development and the people’s welfare. There comes his humane and compassionate nature which has started unfolding to the great admiration of millions of people resident in Lagos State. •Opeyemi, a political analyst, writes from Lagos.
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We ‘ll see a vibrant theatre culture again in Nigeria — Fred Agbeyegbe
and saw today are completely different things. The interpretation by the outside world is understandable because they are talking in terms of what they have seen all over the years but they don’t know about this initial plan for the place which is so many years old and according to what the manager told me when he came that document was in the dustbin and he picked it up and he took it to the legislative council and got approval t hat they
By JAPHET ALAKAM INTERVIEW
Playwright, author, activist and lawyer, Mr. Fred Agbeyegbe, will turn 80 on Wednesday, and from July 19 to 25, 2015, a lot of activities has been lined up in a carnival like celebration in his honour featuring a conference, presentation of Fred Agbeyegbe’s plays, and a host of other events at National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos. Uncle Fred as he is fondly called is a dominant narrative of Nigeria’s theatre development through the Ajo Productions 1983 to 1986, and in recognition of his contributions to the theatre world, the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) gave him an award as the Grand Living Legend of Nigerian theatre. As part of the celebrations, in this chat with Sunday Arts, Uncle Fred bares his mind on some of the contentious issues about the state of theatre, the National theatre and others. Excerpts. ongratulations for goes on in the Nollywood so the joining the club of 80, question now is whether theatre how do you feel? would remain in the doldrums or I thank God for keeping me pick up again and I have a feeling this long and I owe him all the that it would. I also want to feel gratitude that is possible from that especially after my visit to the father to son, from created to national theatre today, very soon we would see a vibrant theatre creator. As a playwright you have culture in Nigeria again. On the national theatre, written many plays that talked about some of the things there have been a lot of talks that are happening in the society about the theatre, many and you still play a dominant people are not comfortable role in the theatre world. So with the federal government looking at theatre practice then stance on it, especially on the and now, what can you say about talk about concession or sell. it? What is your take on what’s Well, I just went to the national happening in the national theatre and in the discussions theatre? there all the references were to Well, from my visit to the what happened in 1983 to 1986 theatre and my discussions
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which I was involved and people have the impression that theatre had died before I came on the scene in 1983 and it lived for 4 vigorous years ending up with a theatre festival which I initiated, sponsored and acted and that since then theatre is going back to what it was before I came in
1983 , so they are happy to hear that there is a carnival in my honour and the whole theatre world are coming up again to celebrate one of their own and they all expressed the hope that now that this is happening it would be the beginning of another revival in the theatre world. The moral of that story is that theatre as at the time I took it up to 1986 between then and now is not exactly the same but of course there has been a significant event that Nollywood has come into the show and theatre is beginning to be redefined in terms of who are the ones known out there by the viewing public. Of course, to compare theatre and film which is what Nollywood represents in any case is an error because they are walls apart, in Nollywood
you can have an amateur today that becomes an expert in the next 24 hours because there is a camera and the guy does his thing, and you can shoot the same thing a hundred times if he likes and pick which one fits in and you have something for the public to view. In theatre there is a lot of expertise that is required and a lot of acting that is necessary very much unlike what
They are happy to hear that there is a carnival in my honour and the whole theatre world are coming up again to celebrate one of their own By CHRIS ONUOHA MEDIA
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he founder Abuja International Film Festival (AIFF) Fidelis Duker has revealed that his latest initiative, FAD broadcasting media will kick off in October 1, 2015. The veteran film maker and former president of Director’s Guild of Nigeria (DGN), in a chart with Sunday Art said that having secured license from federal government to run broadcasting media in the country, he has put all things in place to power general interest radio station. Fidelis Duker who is leveraging on his long work experience with Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Lagos, in the 80s, who has paid his dues as one of the respected movie directors, producers in Nollywood made good his adventurous quest by establishing a broadcasting outfit.
•Fred Agbeyegbe, still agile at 80 with the management of the t heatre, there seems to be a
misconception of what’s going on in that place. From the lackadaisical days of those who were just there and not paying too much attention to what it represents before I came on the scene till now that we are talking about before the new management came in and decided to work in accordance with the original plan. If you know the story on that side, you’d see that the idea that theatre is dead or is going one way or the other because of the people in there is a total misconception of what’s
happening. There has been a grand plan for this theatre many many years ago, right from the time it was set up and it was meant to be pursuing the policies that were enunciated in the white paper, which you call government proposals at the time. It is just that things
stopped and did not develop any further. What the new management is doing is to want to take it to where it is originally meant to be and the paper they are working with is not a new thing at all. Something that talks about setting up that place with hotels and so many things that in fact will support theatre but which had not been put into practice. So I must say when I did an event for Ayo Opadokun when he was 67, a few years back there was a paper written by Ben Tomoloju, who is a theatre activist on the national theatre, and because of this idea that we all had about the place I gave it vent in the program that I put out at that time on the brochure that I published for Ayo Opadokun titled National theatres bizarre and the legislative intervention. I must say what is contained in that article and what I was told
should continue on those lights because they believe that’s what’s best for the theatre. Now of course when politicians handle things, they put in their own spice and the idea was that they were ganging up to make sure that theatre never goes on again the way it should have gone. But as I speak, it is the conviction that the people there are working to a set plan which has not just been decided but you can blame them of course, for not informing the public about what they are doing, they just set about doing what they are employed and paid to do without caring about public reaction to what is being said about them, so that’s all I know about them. At 80, you are still agile and energetic. What is the secret? It is God because I wouldn’t
know. The ways of the Lord are difficult to understand because he moves in mysterious ways. There are those of us who are 90years that are still very strong and there are people who are 40years that cannot even move better. I don’t know but I don’t think I do anything out of the ordinary, what I know is that I enjoy work, I enjoy reading and writing. Once those three things are present, it does not matter whether I eat or not. And as an Itsekiri man, I am a fish monger. That is one thing
that I eat that is significant which maybe other people are not eating. I am grateful to God all the same.
FAD Radio hits the air waves soon airw “It is one of my dream comes true, I have just acquired a license from the federal government to run a TV and radio station in Cross River State. The radio station will begin in Calabar metropolis in October 1, while the television station will also start two months later in the same place.” He said. Asked why the choice of Cross River State, he said, “I am establishing it there because Cross River is my State and Calabar in my town. It is a fertile ground to start and test runs such a project, also, noticing that Lagos is saturated with broadcasting stations it will not be wise to choke Lagos audience with many stations for now. But we will definitely come to Lagos when Calabar station stands firm.” Duker also allayed Fans’ curiosity whether the TV and Radio station will not be film talk and Nollywood alone, saying “It is a general interest
•Fidelis Duker broadcasting outfit like any other. It will be built on quality content to match international standard. The station will feature news, global events both local and international.”
For the success and sustainability of the station, Duker said, “I will say I have gone past that stage of fear of failures. The most difficult thing is to get the approval which I have secured. The rest lies on my strong will and drive for success which has been carrying me on. Another driving passion is my interest to contribute my own quota in the employment alleviation in the country and as well improving journalism in my own way. I spent over 20 years in broadcasting journalism and along the line, I see that film industry and media is interwoven. For me, it’s a continuity of the field I am already involved.
SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 53
By PRISCA SAM-DURU DRAMA
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hen it comes to stage plays, Gboyega Jerome does it like non else. His father was a local musician in the late 50s who played the talking drum very well. Jerome grew up and developed passion for drums and started playing from his primary school days. His motivation into stage came when he watched veterans such as late Isola Ogunsola, Late Ogungbe etc when they staged plays in his home town, IleOluji in ondo state. That screen is on the verge of replacing the stage is for him, a sheer fallacy because according to him, “I love stage play because it is real. It challenges you to be better with each performance. It makes you a better professional. It is impossible for screen to completely replace stage which is why I don’t have or do any other job than performance.”
The stage production expert however, believes that the stage is facing enormous challenges but insisted that “Most frustrating thing I know is piracy. But then, to boost theatre going culture of Nigerians, we must stage good plays. My shows always pull crowd which is not easy except with prayer, hardwork and a lot of publicity, besides, when people come and see good shows, they will definitely be in attendance when next you invite them.” Commenting on his latest outing with the students of Childville School, Ogudu GRA, lagos, the veteran stage director, said “Agho Obaseki was written by Don Pedro Obaseki, a descendant of Chief Obaseki of Benin Kingdom. Directing Agho Obaseki was not as challenging as directing Things Fall Apart, written by late Literary Icon, Chinua Achebe which we staged in our maiden edition. In Things Fall Apart we had largest cast ever in Childville School. The cast was about 175 but this is just 75 so, it was easier for me to handle. One major challenge was combining rehearsals with academic work. It was not an easy task especially with the younger ones. But thank God we were able to cope.” The essence of the annual performance Jerome noted, “Is to let our children know their roots. It would be bad if we continue to
train them to know only about the western education or cultures. This is why through this annual stage performance, we teach them to value what our fore fathers went through in those days to protect the country we are now living in. That’s why in Childville school, we nurture children to imbibe values in our cultures so that they can grow up knowing their roots. It is very sad that our cultures are becoming extinct , which is why we need to bring the young ones up to know much about their roots.” , He intoned. Asked if there is possibility of diversifying in terms of the kind of plays expected in the future, Jerome who has also featured in Nollywood movies such as Diamond Ring (the custom officer, Mr Beeko) and Law enforcement (inspector Yusuf),
Stage pla hallenges yyou ou tto o be be tt er playy cchallenges bett tter per perfformer ormer--- Gboyega Jerome said “We are not going to divert from staging historical or culture based dramas in the future but if we are to change our production next time, the storyline will still be from the Nigerian perspective.” While insisting that couching children will assist those gifted in the performing arts discover their talents as well as make the right decision when the need arises in the future, he pointed out that “It is not possible that children throw away what they learn from these productions. If you look at nollywood movies these days, you will discover that they are making more money than those working in the
The perception of the children can be changed by the parents since they are the ones that can help to mould and guide them into living out their dreams By PATRICK OGUEJIOFOR REVIEW
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ast Train to Biafra is yet another memoir on the Nigeria-Biafran war. The book however is exceptional in the sense that it ranks among the finest memoirs to be written on the NigerianBiafran fratricidal conflict, a must-read for every human being on earth.
The author, Diliorah Chukwurah, now a Londonbased practicing medical doctor was born of Igbo parents in Jos was a10 year old primary school pupil at Our Lady of Fatima Primary School, Jos when violence against the Igbos broke out. More than forty years after it was all over, the author was able to graphically recount how Igbos were haunted and hounded like animals and murdered in Jos by Hausa rioters. He did not however forget to pay tribute to the angels in the midst of the demons. He recounted and paid tributes to the late Rwang Pam, the then traditional ruler of Jos and the Berom people (Gbong Gwom Jos). This great saint openly did not shy away from protecting Igbos living in his domain and effectively delayed the atrocities to enable them (Igbos) flee to the east to the extent that Jos became a temporary haven for easterners and Igbos fleeing other parts of the north where traditional rulers and the police looked the
other way while hapless men, women and children were massacred in their thousands. The late Mr. &
Mrs. Audu were also showered
banks and you will be surprised to know that even bankers are now moving over t o Nollywood. So who knows, any of these young ones can become a star in tomorrow nollywood. If more training is g iven to
them, they can •A scene from his latest outing by students of perform better Childville than the people in nollywood. When we talk of Richard Mofe Damijo and other big stars this is how some of them started.” Wondering why the drama teacher who also produces the annual stage plays of the Atlantic Hall School, Lagos, does not also use poetry, music or visual art to achieve his objective, he quickly
pointed out that, “Well, drama is what I like doing best. I took it as my profession and I have been doing it for more than 35 years. I have travelled worldwide; Brazil, Mexico, America with this production and I’m enjoying it.”
On the way forward for the movie industry Jerome said “ the best thing is for nollywood practitioners to up their game. There’s a lot of repetitions. If you look at the movies, they are the same, most times they only change the titles but its the same story line. We also need to devel op in terms of
production. For instance look at the people we invited to shoot the staging of Agho
Obaseki, the equipments were more sophisticated than the ones we used in previous edi-
•Jerome Gboyega tions. If we can improve our technology, it will go a long way in creating more markets both locally and internationally for our movies and that means more jobs for our teeming jobless citizens in addition to boosting the nation’s economy.
Las Lastt TTrrain... ain...,, a graphic account of the Nigeria/Biafra civil war with garlands of honor by the author for sheltering his mother successfully from the sword of the rioters. The author recollected the Igbos feeble attempt to mobilize and fight back. This thriller-like memoir also detailed how the author ’s father, like many Igbos stubbornly- if not naively - refused to leave the
north hoping that the killings will stop and how the parents of the author narrowly boarded what was to become the last train that carried fleeing Igbos to what was to become Biafra, hence the title Last Train to Biafra. Last Train to Biafra is sordid, menacing, provoking and replete with the unforgettable atrocities against the Igbos: raping, beheading, and plundering of properties and so on. Dr. Chukwurah recounted how Hausa/Fulani rioters slaughtered without mercy the Igbos in their homes, offices, markets, schools, hospitals, railway stations, etc. with no police or soldiers to save
It is simply the story of a clearly avoidable war that consumed an estimated 3 million lives through deliberate starvation, coldblooded bombings and acts of inhumanity of the highest order
them. Chukwurah lamented the pain of seeing theinsurrectionists moving freely, mowing down every Igbo they found, unchecked by the government that was in position to protect them from the rioters because they approve of the killings. It was therefore not surprising that the Nigerian government never apprehended or prosecuted anyone for these atrocities. The consequences for Africa have been indeed very catastrophic as Professor Herbert Ekwekwe noted in Biafra Revisited. But Last Train to Biafra is not all about the pogrom that consumed an estimated 100,000 Igbos. The pogrom was only Part One of the story if not the prelude to the tragic story ahead. The story of the civil war that followed the pogrom and the family’s sufferings leading to the death of one of th em was
perhaps the main story of the book. Reading Last Train to Biafra is like watching the Nigerian civil war on a screen. It is un-put-downable in spite of the gory bombings, starvation, and man’s mercilessness to his fellow human being. It is simply the story of a clearly avoidable war that consumed an estimated 3 million lives through deliberate starvation, cold-blooded bombings and acts of inhumanity of the highest order.
There is therefore no questioning the fact that reading through this painful book easily
Last Train to Biafra: Memoirs of a Biafran Child; Diliorah Chukwurah, MD; PP. 215; Constellation Books, Ibadan, Nigeria; 2015. opens deep wounds that has not healed. Yet it is a book every Nigeria and indeed every black man must possess and read. Last Train to Biafra to some extent lendssupport to Professor Herbert Ekwekwe an expert on genocide who for several years had fought for the perpetrators of the pogrom of 1966 to be brought to justice for their atrocities if not for anything else but to ensure that history never repeats itself. Finally, Chukwurah, by telling his story forty-five years after it was all overis also telling Nigerians to emulate the Rwandan example by getting our youths to know the story of 1966 pogrom and the genocidal war that followed it. As the saying goes, those who reckon without history are doomed to repeat it.
PAGE 54, SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015
By Ben Efe
Benitez refuses to name Ronaldo world’s best player
U
S based Nigerian born coach, Rafiu Bakare is at loss why Nigeria failed to present its athletes at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia. The championships ends today and Nigerian athletes who were dressed up and raring to go, were forced to sit at home as the Athletics Federation of Nigeria failed to secure the youngsters transit visa at the Brazilian embassy. Bakare, a grassroots coach based in Washington, USA could not understand why a country as influential as Nigeria can miss such an event meant for the development of future athletes. “It is unacceptable that Nigeria wasn’t represented. It is the future of world athletics that is being displayed and Nigeria’s talent is going to be undervalued,” said coach Bakare who is planning to visit Nigeria to help with the development of the sport. “ We just need to be more proactive administratively,” he added. He submitted that he was very interested in coming back home to see what can be done to put Nigerian in the fore front of world athletics, adding that there are so many talents in the
•••Loses First Real game
R
Coaching them young... Bakare with one of his athletes
IAAF World Youth:
It’s sad Nigeria not at Cali, says Bakare country and they aren’t been given the requisite training and development. “The motivation in coming home is twofold. 1. to help in any way I can increase Nigeria’s impact on the world in athletics and 2. to deepen my children’s connection to their ancestry.” He said at the
moment there are two Nigerian-American athletes under his tutelage who could step in and contribute to Nigeria’s sprint depth with regards to the 2016 Rio Olympics Games. “If everything goes right in training there is a possible of us getting two quality athletes.
“Currently I’m actively coaching sprinters and jumpers (men and women) in the preparatory (high school) and privately collegiate. Most recently contributing to the training of a 10.2 high school boy who is moving on to a major NCAA Div 1,” said Bakare whose only visit to Nigeria was when he was just a child.
Gunners compound Chelsea misery on Star Humphrey E. Ibe, Arsenal fans after a Football SuperFans Adekunle Adebiyi brilliant comeback victory,
I
N 12 weeks of Star Football SuperFans game show sponsored by Star Lager, the one recurring factor has been a series of consistently woeful performances by Chelsea fans. In 7 appearances on the show, they have managed only one victory. This dreadful run of form has showed no signs of picking up as they
racked up yet another loss on this week’s episode. Adegboyega Temidayo Anthony, Ndinojuo Chiedozie M, Anthony David, Nicholas Chukwuma and Sheriff Apena were the culprits this time, under the name Blue Rovers. Their opponents, Arsenal fans Armoury FC were Omobolaji Tayib Olatunji,
•Armoury FC Winners of Star Superfans Episode 12 C M Y K
Andrew, Eze Victor and Fendi Mendieta. Surprisingly, it was Blue Rovers who took the initiative in the match, scoring the game’s first goal after only three attempts. The jubilant team of
took home the N1 million grand prize and the coveted bragging rights as Superfans of all superfans while the humbled Chelsea fans yet again had to make do with the N100,000 consolation prize.
AFAEL Benitez made a point of not naming Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s best player in a move that could rile the Real Madrid star. The new Madrid boss was facing the press in Australia as part of the Spanish giants’ pre-season tour when he claimed that Ronaldo was “one of the world’s best.” But when the press corps - surprised that he hadn’t backed his own player in the ongoing debate with Lionel Messi - pushed him for more, Benitez made a point of not claiming Ronaldo was number 1. “To say that he is one of the best in the world I believe is sufficient,” stated Benitez, before attempting to explain himself with reference to the rest of his squad. “It is like asking my daughter if she prefers my wife or me. The father or the mother. It’s not easy,” he said. “Ronaldo, Bale, all of them – they are so good. For me it’s not a problem. James (Rodriguez), Isco, (Karim) Benzema, Ronaldo or Bale, we have an option with all of them. “Ronaldo is a key player for us, Gareth will be a key player for us. But the same will be Benzema, James, Isco, (Toni) Kroos, (Luka) Modric. We have a fantastic team. We have to keep improving the squad, keep working hard with the players that we have.” Benítez began his tenure as Real Madrid manager with a frustrating 7-6 shootout defeat to Roma in a pre-season friendly. With the match ending goalless in front of a crowd of 80,746 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the International Champions Cup match was decided by spot kicks and the former Barcelona player Seydou Keita slotted the winner after a miss by Lucas Vázquez. Roma had the better first-half chances and were denied an opener after three minutes when Daniele De Rossi hit the crossbar with a rightfooted shot from the centre of the box. Gareth Bale fired over the bar three minutes later before Sergio Ramos, wearing the captain’s armband after the recent departure of the long-serving goalkeeper Iker Casillas, also chipped over from a corner kick in the ninth minute. Casillas’s replacement in goal, the Costa Rica international Keylor Navas, was forced to make a fine save in the 30th minute, leaping to his right to put a glove on a Salih Ucan volley after the Turkey player latched on to a corner kick from Totti at the far post.
Working Together... Ronaldo and Rafa Benitez
Olashore, Royal Park plan golf course in Osun
T
O increase interest in golf to other parts of the country and make Nigeria a potential golf destination, the Olashores family and the Royal Park Hotel are planning a world class golf course in Osun state. Located at IllokoIjesha, Osun State, the 18 hole Golf Course is 6km long, with 9 holes located on 3km each, situated on 35 hectares of land (area), on about 6 to 6.5km walking
distance. It also has Par 3s holes which is 310m long, Par 4s holes which is 350m long, and Par 5s holes which is 500m long. According to the General Overseer, Royal Park Hotel, Prince Abimbola Olashore, “Golf is not something that comes up overnight. We started this project a few years back. We thank God that we are getting to the finishing stage of Phase 1.
Pogba is not for sale, Juve boss reiterates J UVENTUS insist that Paul Pogba is not for sale despite reports in Spain linking the highly coveted midfielder with a move to Barcelona. Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta said recently that if he is elected as new club president, the he would ensure Pogba played for the Catalan giants next year.
Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola backed Laporta’s comments and said there “is a strong possibility that Pogba will play for Barcelona if Laporta is elected”. Juve general director Giuseppe Marotta said: “Whoever is interested in the player needs to talk to Juventus and not with Mino Raiola, who is nonetheless his (Pogba’s) agent.
SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015, PAGE 55
Gotv Boxing Night: Obisia, Okorodudu laud N1m star prize
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OXING legends, Obisia Nwakpa and Jeremiah Okorodudu have commended digital terrestrial pay-TV provider, GOtv, for offering a cash prize of N1million to the best boxer at the 3rd edition of the GOtv Boxing Night holding on 26 July at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium Lagos. Nwakpa and Okorodudu spoke in Lagos on Tuesday during a press conference to announce the six-fight professional boxing event. Okorududu, who spoke first, said he was happy at the announcement of the decision to award the generous cash prize, the biggest in the history of Nigerian boxing, describing it as an indication
that the sport has regained its momentum in the country. The ex-Olympian called on the 12 boxers billed to fight at the event to put in their best as a show of appreciation for the kind gesture of GOtv. “If you put in your best, it will further encourage GOtv and other prospective sponsors to support the sport,” said Okorodudu, who once expressed regrets that a sponsor like GOtv was not available during his days as a boxer. Nwakpa, a former World Boxing Council Light Welterweight title challenger, was also full of praise for GOtv, saying the gesture will accelerate the revival of boxing in the country.
GTB/Ogun Principals Cup: Pakoto Muslim High Sch emerges champion
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AKOTO Muslim High School, Ayede Ifo and Muslim High School Isolu
•Ahmed Musa (l) in action for CSKA Moscow.
Musa, Fatai clash in Champions League N
IGERIA’S Ahmed Musa and Kehinde Fatai will come face-to-face in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round after their clubs were drawn against each other. Both players were born in the northcentral Nigerian city of Jos and cut their professional football career with defunct JUTH FC of Jos.
Ahmed Musa will lead the attack line of CSKA Moscow against Sparta Prague, whose attack will be spearheaded by Kehinde Fatai. Musa’s CSKA Moscow will host the first leg in the weekend of 28/29 July, while the second leg will take place in Prague in the weekend of 4/5 August. Musa Mohammed’s Turkish
Wike continued from backpage Congo. Wike was at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium on Friday evening to watch the team’s training session and was suitably impressed. After the session, he revealed that goals scored will be rewarded with cash. “I want to charge you to go for a resounding victory on Sunday(today) because Nigerians are relying on you. “For each goal you score on Sunday, I will reward you with
$30,000 USD (about N6m) while three goals on Sunday will fetch you $100,000 USD,” governor Wike said after the session. Responding on behalf of the team, head coach, Samson Siasia said the team would not disappoint on Sunday. “Your Excellency, I want to thank you for making us feel at home since we came into Port Harcourt last week. “This has been like a home away from home for us and I am assuring you that we will not let you or Nigerians down on Sunday,” he said.
Siasia continued from backpage for,” said Siasia. “The boys are in high spirit and ready for the task.” However, Congo coach Claude Leroy is equally bullish ahead of this showdown after they eliminated highly-fancied Ghana in the previous round of the qualifiers. He said Siasia should show his team some respect, stressing that it was wrong for him for say they score 4-0 against Congo. “Football is a game of humility and when I read that C M Y K
he said they will score 3 or 4, I think it is disrespect to another team and he has to learn humility.” He said the team in Port Harcourt, was different from the one that beat the Super Eagles. “It’s a different game. The Nigerian team had just come from the World Cup, and maybe they were a little tired. And also too confident because Congo are a small team. So we tried to take advantage of that overconfidence.”
draw AZ Alkmaar In other Champions League pairings, Abduljeleel Ajagun’s Panathinaikos Of Greece will slug it out with Club Brugge. Elderson Echiejile and his Monaco teammates will battle Young Boys of Switzerland. Efe Ambrose and his Celtic mates are expected to go past Stjarnan after 2-0 win in the first leg to face winners of Qaraba/FK Rudar Pljevlja clash. Ex-U20 star Harmony
Ikande’s FK Sarajevo will look to upturn a 2-0 deficit against Lech PoznaD to set up a clash with Swiss team Basel. Kingsley Madu and Rabiu Ibrahim will hope their Slovak club AC Tren ín beat Staeua Bucure_ti to set up a clash with winners of the game between FK Partizan and FC Dila Gori. Ridwan Hasan and Paul Onuachu of Danish club FC Midtjylland battle Lincoln FC to face either APOEL FC (CYP) or FK Vardar (MKD).
have emerged the boys and girls champions of the 2015 GTB/Ogun Principals Cup competition. The winners emerged after outscoring their opponents at the final played at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto Abeokuta last Wednesday. Muslim High School, Isolu Abeokuta defeated United Comprehensive High School 2-0 in the girl’s final, which preceded the boys’ final. Goals by Adeyinka Jumoke and Nurudeen Wasilat in each half of the exciting encounter ensured the trophy went to Muslim High School, Isolu. In the boys category, Pakoto Muslim High School came from behind to defeat St. Anthony’s Grammar School, Esure, Ijebu Mushin 2-1 in an enthralling encounter.
Messi lays first stone of 2017 Afcon venue in Gabon matches in 2017. laying of the first stone,
F
OUR-TIME world player of the year Lionel Messi linked up with Gabonese president Ali Bongo Ondimba on Saturday to lay the first stone at a future African Cup of Nations venue. The Barcelona star, who won a treble of Spanish title, Copa del Rey and Champions League last season, officially started the building process at the Port-Gentil stadium, which will host Africa Cup of Nations
The ceremony took place on a wide sandy ground where the stadium will be built. It was the Argentine forward’s first visit to Gabon and he signed autographs on team jerseys worn by his fans, before proceeding with the
accompanied by the president. “When I was in Barcelona a few years ago, I met Messi who had told me that he would come to visit me in Libreville,” said the Gabon president.
Falcons continued from backpage much as they got in a game that turned dirty at some point. The Malian match officials also appeared to have made some calls that appeared questionable against the home team. Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2012 Olympics after they were stopped by Cameroon.
Lionel Messi (C) is given a tour during the start of construction of the Port-Gentil Stadium by the President of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba (R)
SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 19, 2015
Wike promises Dream Team N6m per goal R IVERS State governor, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has promised to splash the cash on Nigeria’s Under23 football team, the Dream Team VI,
•Wike
ahead of today’s 2016 Men’s Olympic football qualifying game against Continues on page 55
Siasia out to stop Devils •Le’Roy demands respect T
HE national Under-23 team coach Samson Siasia has his hands full today in Port Harcourt as his team faces its toughest test in the qualifying campaign for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Siasia, successfully steered the team to bag a ticket for the Africa Games billed for Congo, Brazzaville in September after a slippery game against Zambia. Ironically, the Nigerian squad are facing, the same Congo, whose coach Claude Le’Roy has boastfully warned Nigeria football officials not to get comfortable as he was going to repeat the 3-2 defeat handed to the Super Eagles in Calabar, during an Africa Nations Cup qualifier in 2014. Frightened by the prospect of an upset, Nigerian Football Federation technical officials including Felix AnyansiAgwu, Victor Ikpeba and others have rallied round coach Siasia in Port Harcourt to prevent a catastrophic outing. Siasia, led the team to a famous outing at the Beijing 2008 Olympics losing to Argentina in final. Armed with confidence, the former Super Eagles striker revealed that his team was in the best frame of mind to deliver a knock out performance to the Congo team. “We have been preparing hard for the game and I am sure we are going to win convincingly. I am looking at us getting like a 4-0 win, but victory is what we will play Continues on page 55
•Le Roy
•Siasia
2016 Rio Olympics: Equatorial Guinea hold Falcons T
HE Super Falcons are walking a tight rope in their quest to feature in the women’s football event of the 2016 Rio Olympics after they were forced to a 1-1 draw by visiting Equatorial Guinea in Abuja yesterday. Halimatu Ayinde gave Nigeria Falcons the lead after 25 minutes, when she turned sharply inside the box before
firing home. The visitors drew level through Nigerian born Chinasa Okoro in the 65th minute, when they launched
a swift counter attack. Equatorial Guinea gave as Continues on page 55
We’re emotionally drained, says Falcons coach
S
UPER Falcons coach, Christopher Danjuma said the Super Falcons failure to impress against Equatorial
CROSS WORD PUZZLE
See solution on page 5
Guinea in the first leg match of their 2016 Olympic Games was because the team was affected by the death of the media officer Precious Akujobi. The Super Falcons came to terms with sad end of Akujobi last Thursday as they rounded off training for the match. “We apologise for the result and the way the match went. Even though we don’t want to make excuses, we had a number of problems. “We were affected emotionally by what happened in our camp on Thursday, and we missed some of our best players,” Danjuma said. However, Equatorial Guinea coach said they will not take the 1-1 draw against the Super Falcons for granted. “We knew the falcons very well, and really prepared ourselves, even though we also have a good team.
•Dede
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