"Jonathan'll not sack Jega but..."

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2—SA TURD AY Vanguard , FEBRU ARY 28, 2015 2—SATURD TURDA FEBRUARY

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Jonathan’ll not sack Jega but... —FG

By Emmanuel Elebeke

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HE Minister of Culture and Tourism and the Supervising Minister of Information, Chief Edem Duke, has debunked the rumour making rounds that President Jonathan has an agenda to sack the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, illegally.

The Minister spoke during his maiden meeting with information correspondents at Radio House, Abuja, adding however, that ‘’this is not to say that, if it is time for INEC chairman to naturally exit his office, then the natural course of public service rule will not take place when he has reached age of retirement or exhausted his tenure.”

He said, “I align myself with Mr. President that he has no plan to sack the INEC chairman. President Jonathan reaffirmed the confidence reposed on the INEC chairman and reiterated that the administration has no plan whatsoever to send the electoral umpire illegally packing. Bu nothing would debar the INEC boss from proceeding on retirement when the need arises, in line with the civil service rule and as enshrined in the constitution.’’

Although the Minister did not explain further it was gathered that the administration was angry with Jega for introducing the Card Reader as a means of accreditation for the general elections without briefing the Federal Government over the issue. ‘’Jega wants to try a new system of accreditation without briefing the Presidency over the issue.

No freedom is absolute.

Section 125 of the constitution forbids electronic voting. Although the card reader can not be used for voting, it is for checking voters. ‘’Secondly, the point Jega also missed is that Nigeria is not a place you can introduce that type of system without trial or experimentation. You try some of these things using local government elections .You can start with council election, beginning with councilors, local government chairmen in

that other before you proceed to governorship and presidential elections. ‘’But Jega is starting his experiment with the presidential election, It is wrong even though people are playing politics with the matter,’’ the source told Saturday Vanguard.

Meanwhile, Duke has urged media practitioners to beware of rumour mongers and ensure that that they separate truth from propaganda that was now the order of the day in the country due to the ongoing electioneering campaigns.

“With the elections around the corner, it is important for every one of us to apply some sense of decorum, sense of patriotism and sense of judgmental guide in a manner that whatever we do, especially at this critical time of our nation’s development, we must be guided strictly by spirit of

professionalism and love of our country.

‘Those who are competing for offices in the course of these elections are the ones feeding social media with propaganda because they have no records to back their aspiration; they had spent a lot of resources, time and ingenuity building social media propaganda so that by the time campaign commenced, they were ready with propaganda against government in power.

“They embark on massive publicity campaign, recruit electoral PR companies to sell products that do not exist and these are thrown to the public during election. But we must realise that truth struck a thousand times will always rise again because the eternal age of time belongs to truth.

“You can’t use social media to say 14 new

Heavy traffic along the Oshodi Apapa Road yesterday at Berger Yard brigde caused by tankers. Photo: Shola Oyelese universities were not built, import bill has not dropped with marshal plan for agricultural revolution. You cannot use the social media to blindfold Nigerians that government has not built

over 125 Almajiri schools or that 22 airports were not remodeled or five new international airports are not being built. You can’t say Nigeria is not the biggest economy in Africa

and that inflation is not at single digit with a growth rate that has positioned Nigeria as one of the six fastest growing economies in the world,” he further said

How Tinubu plots to become President if APC wins—PDP •Says he has forced Osinbajo to swear to an oath that he will resign after six months •Buhari to nominate Tinubu as Osinbajo’s replacement •They are desperate, fabricating stories —APC

By Henry Umoru

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EOPLES Democratic Party, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, PDPPCO yesterday alleged that it has uncovered plots by the National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to become the president of the country through the back door.

According to PDP, Asiwaju has concluded plans to become the Vice President to the Presidential candidate of APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, rtd if he wins the March 28 Presidential election after the resignation of the present Vice Presidential candidate to Buhari, Professor Yemi Osinbajo who would have thrown in the towel after six months, following an alleged swearing to an oath that after six months in office, he would step down for Tinubu, his political godfather to then step in as the Vice President, just as as the number two, he would then have the opportunity of becoming the president of the country.

Addressing Journalists in Abuja yesterday, Director, Media and Publicity of PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani- Kayode who noted that the PDP was not wishing Buhari dead, however urged him to watch his back against the backdrop of alleged plans by the former Lagos State governor to seize the Presidency of Nigeria by what he described as subterfuge.

But other observers read PDP’s allegation as strongly entertaining fears that APC was coasting to victory.

Fani - Kayode who tagged his address as “APC is selling a dummy to the whole world; Tinubu is the real candidate” said, “Since the formation of the APC it has been an open secret that Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu is its national leader and also its biggest financier. The question that should agitate every Nigerian is why Tinubu has been investing heavily in the APC presidential project to such a point that he has single-handed produced the joint presidential ticket of General Muhammadu

Buhari and Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

“It should baffle wellmeaning Nigerians why Senator Tinubu has decided to draft General Buhari, despite his age, acrimonious background and questionable health status, into the presidential race whilst ensuring that his stooge, Prof Osinbajo was foisted on the general as vice presidential candidate.

“The reason, gentlemen of the press, is the subject of this press conference.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation wishes to use this forum to expose the ungodly plan

by Senator Tinubu to seize the presidency of Nigeria by subterfuge.

“You will recall how Senator Tinubu wanted to be running mate to General Muhammadu Buhari in spite of the nationwide resentment for Muslim-Muslim ticket that he and General Buhari planned to foist on their party men and women.

Senator Tinubu had justified the ticket by saying that competence was the important thing and not the issue of religion.

“But when he and

General Buhari could not push through the agenda within the APC, he (Senator Tinubu), after being given the opportunity to nominate a vice presidential candidate, decided to prop up his stooge in the person of Prof Yemi Osinbajo.

“Now the real reason Senator Tinubu nominated Osinbajo has been made known to us and we hereby offer a public service to the Nigerian people by drawing national attention to it. Credible pieces of information at our disposal indicate that Tinubu has perfected plans to come to power through the back door.

“Senator Tinubu, according to our information, has compelled Professor Osinbajo to swear to an oath that after six months in office, he would resign as the vice president, in the unlikely event that their party wins. The wicked plot, as laid out by them, is to force Professor Osinbajo to resign for Senator Tinubu to be nominated by General Buhari as his replacement.

“The ultimate objective of this plot is to ensure that Tinubu becomes President.

The script is simple: given the questionable health of General Buhari, Senator Tinubu who is desperate to be president for his own selisfh reasons will simply bid his time in the evil expectation that General Buhari will not be able to go the whole hog.

APC reacts Reacting from London, Lai Mohammed, the APC spokesman said that “daily, the PDP is showing the dept of their drowning and fabricating all sorts of lies to see how they can hang on to power. But they have lost it and all these are signs of desperation. Let them prove what they are alleging. And it has gotten to the stage that the media should ask them questions when they tell tales. Did anybody ask them to provide proof of such nonsense? Nigerians knew how tough it took the APC to find Buhari’s vice and it was done through a thorough search and consideration that produced a great candidate. They are drowning and that’s the way I see it. And I know that Nigerians cannot be deceived by this fabrication.”

6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

TERROR: Russia behind Nigeria’s advances Jail breaks: NPS beefs

By Ben Agande, Abuja

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HE cooperation between Nigeria and Russia which culminated in the retraining of the nation’s armed forces is said to be playing a pivotal role in the huge successes being recorded by the Nigerian Armed Forces in the fight against terrorism in the country.

Nigeria had some set back in the fight against the ravaging of the northeast zone by Boko Haram insurgents, especially following the refusal of the United States of America, USA, which was her traditional arms supplier, to sell sophisticated arms and ammunition as well as military aircraft to the government.

Apart from refusing to sell military hardware, Washington also prevented the Nigerian military from purchasing military helicopters from Israel.

It was said that Jerusalem was on the verge of selling a number of military helicopters – allegedly either CH-53 Chinooks or CH-53 Sea Stallions – to Abuja in a deal reportedly cleared by Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu but the United States stalled the move citing, concerns over the Nigerian military’s capability to use them effectively. They were said to have also entertained fears that the weapons might get into the wrong hands, possibly terrorists.

However, it was not the first time the US had moved to sabotage Nigeria’s attempts to buy military hardware. In

November 2014, Washington rejected the Nigerian Government’s efforts to purchase Cobra helicopter gunships, basing its decision then on alleged Nigeria’s poor human rights record. As both the Chinook and the Sea Stallion are made by American companies – by Boeing and Sikorsky – the sale of the helicopters prompted a review by Washington to conclude whether the deal was in line with US policy interest as was norm with “any requests for one country to transfer USorigin defence items to another country.”

In November last year, Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States, Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye, vehemently lambasted the Obama Administration, stating that “the US Government has up till today refused to grant Nigeria’s request to purchase lethal equipment

that would have brought down the terrorists (Boko Haram) within a short time…there is no use giving us the type of support that enables us to deliver light jabs to the terrorists when what we need to give them is the killer punch”.

Due to the said frustrations with Washington’s lack of military assistance in the fight against Boko Haram, Nigeria turned to Russia and other allies like China and India for the retraining of its armed forces personnel as well for the purchase of military hardware with the fisr batch of 1,200 personnel proceeding to Russia for training as special forces with the intent of coming home to fight the Boko Haram insurgents last year.

Following the window given to the country, Nigeria placed order for the purchase of military hardware like tanks, Night

General Elections: Be vigilant, group advises Nigerians

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IGERIANS have been advised to be vigilant as the general elections approach. The call was made, yesterday, by a group, Voting Right Movement, VRM. The group also frowned at some recent political happenings in the country, pointedly advising all stakeholders to be mindful of their comments as unguarded words could jeopardize the political process. It insisted that permanent voters’ cards (PVCs) is still the best solution for the prevention or reduction of electoral

malpractices. ‘PVCs along with card readers were successful used in the the last elections in Ghana’, it said, and wondered why some Nigerians and stakeholders, including PDP, are against its use.

‘It is conceded that the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) prohibits the use of electronic voting machine but it doesn’t prohibit the use of PVCs and card readers for accreditation/verification of eligible voters’, VTM said, adding that it therefore ‘call on all to endorse and stand by their use in the forthcoming elections’.

Vision goggles and other military hardware to help fight the Boko Haram insurgents.

It was gathered that following the successful completion of training of the special forces and their return to the country late last year, as well as the arrival of sophisticated weapons which were delivered to the Nigerian armed forces, the tide began to change in favour of Nigerian troops.

According to security sources last night, the recovery of towns and cities occupied by Boko Haram in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States within the last few weeks was achieved by the military following the cooperation received from Russia and other allies.

“A lot of improvement has been brought in. More platforms are being purchased. There are new arms and ammunition; more specialised training for the troops and there is strict enforcement of discipline.

These are the results we are witnessing today. And it will be sustained until the army drives out these insurgents from every inch of our country” the source said.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that more troops and equipment were still being moved to the affected states in order to ensure that the territories under the command of the insurgents are totally recovered.

“After the recovery of such territories, we will ensure that we have enough men to hold the ground and prevent the terrorists from coming back. This is what we want to achieve in the next phase” the source said.

up security in prisons across Nigeria

BY EVELYN USMAN

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UTHORITIES of the Nigerian Prisons Service,NPS yesterday, said that it had beefed up security across prisons in the country, including those in North eastern part of the country, warning criminal elements with tendencies to carry out jail breaks to have a rethink.

This is just as it has disclosed that effort had been intensified toward recapturing several inmates who escaped from prisons during jailbreaks.

Controller General of the NPS, Dr Peter Epkendun gave the assertion during a familarisation tour of prison formations under Zone ‘A’ command comprising Ikoyi Prison, and Medium Security prison , Female Security Prison and Maximum Security Prison,all located in Kirikiri area of Lagos state.

Although he did not state in clear terms the security measures put in place but only stated that part of it was the collaboration with other security agencies , an initiative he said paid off well in checkmating the excesses of inmates during last week’s foiled jail break attempt in Calabar, Cross River State.

Synagogue building was constructed without govt approval — Engineer

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH & BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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consultant engineer, Mr Oladele Ogundeji, who supervised the construction of the collapsed building belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) yesterday said the building was constructed without approval by the government.

This was as the coroner’s court investigating the incident admitted the amended architectural and structural designs of SCOAN’s building as exhibit.

Ogundeji informed the court that the said building did not collapse due to structural defects. He stated that the certified designs were sufficient to commence the project while his client’s (SCOAN) were responsible for processing the permit.

The inquest presided over by Mr Oyetade Komolafe was instituted by the Lagos State Government to unravel the cause of the September12, 2014 collapse of SCOAN building.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015 — 7

2015 polls: Lagos Group launches campaign for change in govt

By Dapo Akinrefon

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HE Free Lagos Movement has pledged to be in the forefront to ensure a change of guard in the administration of Lagos State in the April governorship elections.

The movement also appealed to Lagosians to use their inviolable power of franchise as a legitimate transaction of freedom at the elections.

Speaking at the campaign launch, the convener of the Free Lagos Movement, Mr. Akin Rhodes urged Lagos residents to vote out what he described as a government that has succeeded in pushing further, the frontiers of suffering by the people.

Rhodes argued that “for the past 16 years, we have

witnessed the annexation of Lagos State resources into an estate of one man leading to government for one rather than government for all.

There have been widespread complaints of high-handedness and witch-hunting made by Lagos residents from all walks of life part of which gave the idea for The Free Lagos Movement.”

He, however, noted that “this is not about one man but the awareness that a system that produces such a situation should not arise again. The overriding interest of Free Lagos Movement is advocacy for freeing Lagos State and its resources from the shackles of one man who has held the state hostage since the return of democracy since 1999.”

Also, another member of the group, Dr. Juwon Ekundayo, said it was high time Lagosians freed themselves from the shackles that hinder effective development saying that, there should be “no oppressive government irrespective which political divide one belongs to.”

According to him, “this is the time we need to wake up from our slumber and say no to evil. There is so much left to be desired with the way Lagos is being administered. People are groaning under the stifling effect of over taxation and almost all Lagos State government institutions have now become revenue generators instead of helping to improve the life and living of the Lagosian.”

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HE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday explained that registered voters whose ‘’fingerprints cannot be authenticated’’ for accreditation by card readers would still be allowed to vote if there was enough evidence that he/she was a legitimate voter.

INEC made this clarifications in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to its Chairman, Mr Kayode Idowu. ‘’The Commission has come to an agreement with registered political parties on what to do: namely that if a voter ’s PVC has been read and it is evident that he/she is the legitimate holder of the card, but the fingerprints cannot be authenticated (or he/she doesn’t have fingers). ‘’The Presiding Officer of the voting point will complete an incident

INEC cléars air on card readers, accreditation •Gives report on PVCs collection form and the voter will be accredited to vote. Party Agents and Observers would be there to witness to this,’’ Idowu said.

Idowu’s clarification is coming on the heels of the commission’s explanations that 54,327,747 or 78.93 percent out of the 68,833,476 registered voters in the country have so far collected their Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVCs. Residents of Jigawa State topped the list of those who have collected most of their PVCs with 98 percent, followed by Gombe- 95.05 percent while Akwa Ibom came

third with 94.46 percent.

Also, Bauchi State residents came fourth with 94.36 collection rate followed by Taraba and Zamfara States which had 93.42 percent collection rate each.

About 92.65 percent of residents of Katsina State have also collected the ‘’all important’’ electoral material which would enable them cast their votes during the March 18 and April 11, general elections in the country.

See the table of collection below:

Over 1m cards yet to be collected in Lagos — REC stay in one place on the

By Juliet Ebirim

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BOUT 3.67 million people in Lagos have collected their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the general elections in March and April, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Akin Orebiyi disclosed in Sunrise Daily, a morning programme on Channels Television.

The agency now has an outstanding of about 1.8 million cards which members of the electorate are yet to collect, while 430,000 are still being expected from Abuja.

“I think, by next week we should have them”, Orebiyi said, assuring residents that they were working to ensure that the cards would be ready before the set deadline for collection, March 8th.

Giving updates on the collection, the REC noted that officials would be stationed at the polling units for the next two weekends, to enable residents have easy access, while collection will hold at their Local Government

office on weekdays.

“INEC is ready. There has been significant progress since the postponement. Staff are being trained. We will all

eve of the election and move to different centres early on the election day.

There will be security and if there is none, we will move out”.

Bizarre: N4.3b spent to prosecute Ibori — Senate

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja

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T was shocking and earth-shaking in the Nigerian Senate, yesterday, when it was revealed that the Jonathan government spent a whooping 14 million Pounds (N4.3 billion) to secure the conviction of Chief James Ibori, former governor of Delta State.

The disclosure was made

by Sen. Victor Lar, Chairman, Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and AntiCorruption, during the 2015 budget defence of N542,199,776 for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Analysts say spending that much to secure the conviction of a single person is astonishing and

baffling, especially as the person was tried and convicted in the UK and not in Nigeria. Political meanings are being read to what is seen as secret spending.

Sen. Lar added that the N4.3 billion ‘is more than ten years recurrent and capital budgets of all the anti-corruption agencies put together’.

It should be recalled that Chief Ibori was convicted on April 17, 2012, and sentenced to 13 years by Southwark Crown Court for financial crimes. At that time, many admirers of the strongman of Delta State politics had accused the Jonathan government of underhand dealing in the conviction, alleging that Chief Ibori’s conviction was traded for British interest in Nigerian oil.

CORRIGENDUM

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AST week, we published a photograph captioned Ize-Iyamu on page 56.

We have since realised that the photograph was erroneously published to illustrate a story that had nothing to do with Pastor Esosa Ezi-Iyamu.

We sincerely apologise for the embarrasment this error must of have caused him.

Troops recover massive arms in Adamawa

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By Kingsley Omonobi

ROOPS who finally routed terrorists from Bara, the Headquarters of Gulani Local Government Area of Yobe State and Gulag, the Headquarters of Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State in the

early hours of, yesterday also made massive arms recoveries.

The fierce fighting that preceded the clearing of towns and other communities resulted in appreciable casualties on the terrorists and the capture of many of them.

There was also recovery and destruction of arms,

thousands of assorted rounds ammunition as well as vehicles and other equipment including; Anti-Aircraft Guns, General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), Grenades, Multi-barrel bombs, Multi-barrel Grenade Launchers, rifles and mortar guns.

8 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

BRIEFS

Jonathan parleys with Tompolo, Ayiri, others on EPZ project

By Emma Amaize

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ISITING President Goodluck Jonathan is scheduled, last night to meet with ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo and Itsekiri leader, Chief Ayiri Emami, at Asaba, Delta State.

The president, who is on a two-day working visit to the state met practically all day and night with the various ethnic groups and leaders.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that at the meeting with Itsekiri leaders, Jonathan explained for the umpteenth time why the groundbreaking of the Export Processing Zone, EPZ, project was not performed.

He restated that it was not because of fear of militants, but concern about outbreak of fresh hostilities between Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups.

Our source said the president agreed it was possible to perform the groundbreaking before the March 28 presidential election and directed the Minister of Petroleum Resources to fine tune the

arrangement.

“He specially directed that Tompolo and Ayiri should wait to see him,” our source hinted. After a courtesy call on the Asagba of Asaba, Prof Chike Edozien, the president held marathon meetings with the Anioma, Itsekiri,Urhobo, Ijaw and Isoko ethnic groupsn as well royal fathers in the state.

It was gathered the

president took time to listen and address the challenges and fears of the respective groups with a clear aim of mustering the votes of Deltans for his party.

According to our informant, “He came to bridge the gap between the presidency and the groups.”

He was also scheduled to hold a session with PDP leaders and candidates of

the party. Before addressing the Arewa community at noon today, he would also meet with other relevant VIPS in the state.

The closed-door meetings, which were going on peacefully, last night, were facilitated by Governor Uduaghan, who is eager to deliver the state for Jonathan and other PDP candidates.

Fuel scarcity hits Abuja, as long queues surface in petrol stations •It’s caused by panic buying, hoarding — NNPC •To inject 688m litres in two days

BY MICHAEL EBOH

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UEL scarcity yesterday, hit Abuja with long

queues at petrol filling stations as motorists try to purchase PremiumMotorSpirit,PMS,alsocalledpetrol.

Most of the petrol stations in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, visitedbyVanguardwereshutdown,whileafewthatwereselling werebesiegedbymotorists.Blackmarketersalsohadafielddayas they were seen on the roads selling the commodity at exorbitant pricestomotoristswhocouldnotaffordtowaitatthepetrolstations .However,the NigerianNationalPetroleumCorporation,NNPC, blamedthedevelopmentonpanicbuyingandhoarding.

TheNNPC,inastatement,yesterday,byMr.OhiAlegbe,Group GeneralManager,GroupPublicAffairsDivision,calledonmembers of the public not to engage in panic purchase and hoarding of petroleum products stating that it is working with all downstream industrystakeholderstoeliminatethenoticeableartificiallyinduced fuelqueuesinsomefuelstations. AccordingtoAlegbe,theNNPChas increaseditsfuelsupplytopetroleummarketersandwillwithinthe next48hoursinjectabout688millionlitresofpetrolintothemarket toaddressanyshortfallarisingfromthepanicbuying.

Hesaid,“TheNNPChasalreadyincreasedsubstantially,thevolume ofpetroleumproductsdistributedtomarketers.

“TheNNPCisinjectingadditionalvolumeof600,103.047metric tonnesofpremiummotorspirit,theequivalentof688millionlitresof petrolintothemarketwithinthenext48hours,toarrestanyshortfall thatmayhavebeentriggeredbytheunnecessaryfearsofanimminent scarcityofproduct.”

Ibusa people call for renaming of Asaba airport

BY TOMMY ANADUAKA HE people of an agragrarian community of

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From right: President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, his Deputy, Prof. Amos Utuama and the Delta State PDP Governorship flag bearer, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa welcoming Mr. President on arrival at the Asaba International airport during his visit to meet with the Arewa Consultative Forum in Asaba yesterday. Photo: Henry Unini

Umuodafe Isiuzor-Ibusa in Delta State have reacted to the erroneous impression being created in some quarters over the Asaba International Airport as being cited in Asaba community land, stating that the land where the airport is located remains the property of Umuodafe Isiuzor family of Ibusa. A statement by the spokesman of the Umuodafe Isiuzor, Ibusa community, Chief Austin Chukwunweike Aninyei described the claim of the said th land as published in the Vanguard Newspaper of 30 May, 2014, as misleading, adding that it was the benevolence will of development support to the state that the people of Umuodafe Isiuzor, Ibusa, the landowners agreed to give out the land for the establishment of the said Asaba International Airport.

Jonathan in Delta, assures Nigerians of peace, security

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R E S I D E N T Goodluck Jonathan has assured Nigerians that his administration would not compromisetherestorationof peace and security in all parts of the country.

Dr Jonathan, accompanied bytheGovernorofDeltaState, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, and other prominent Nigerians, gave the assurance yesterday during a courtesy visit to the Asagba of Asaba, HRM Obi (Prof.)

Chike Edozien at his palace in Asaba, Delta State.

According to the President, his administration has always done what was best for Nigeria, asserting: “I want to re-assure you that as a party, we will do our best to bring peace and security to the country, and fast-track economic development in all parts of the country.”

He disclosed that he is seeking re-election because of his commitment towards re-positioning the country positivelyamongstthecomity of nations as well as do more for the country.

ThePresidentstatedthaton assumption of office, it was discoveredthatofthe36states of the country, twelve states

had no Federal University, which his administration has corrected within the past four years, adding: “We have tarred over twenty-five thousand kilometres of the thirty six thousand kilometres (36, 000 km) federal roads and we promise to complete the remaining ones and open up more arterial roads when re-elected.”

While disclosing that over 90 per cent of narrow gauge rails have been completed throughout the country, President Jonathan re-iterated: “The implementation of the Nigerian content law in the oil industry has improved the participation of Nigerians in the industry and the implementation of our

cabotage law with Nigerians now owning ships and more Nigerians have been employed in the shipping industry. “We also saw the need to establish Maritime University for highpowered man-power development in the Maritime Sector; we are moving the country forward.”

A tear for Ebonyi T

HESE are no ordinary times in Ebonyi state. They are certainly the kind of times Achebe noted in his Things fall apart as trying the soul of men. Beneficiaries are destroying benefactors; children are desecrating their heritage; lawmakers are breaking the law while law enforcers are entrenching anarchy, all with brazen impunity and a devil may care attitude.

The dance of the macabre with pulsating angels from hell, men without a thought for tomorrow armed with mercantile pots of deadly porridge with alluring lyrics

of doom, is playing on the Ebonyi stage with a soulless crew watching in enthralled glee as their kith and kin are consumed in their well orchestrated play of death.

When did this peaceful land of enterprise turn to this theatre of the absurd?

Why did this haven of joyful coexistence turn into a pot of soured soup overnight?

How did the land of conscience become a land of men without ears? The falcon surely cannot hear the falconer, not any longer.

So, have things fallen apart? Just about.

The desecration of

Ebonyi, as it should be known, started sometime in early November 2014 when the national body of the ruling People’s Democratic Party looked the other way and allowed the will of the majority of its members to be wished away to the benefit of the minority who were, of course, very big men though. The governor was humiliated and denigrated chiefly by those who became what they are by the benevolence of the man. They ganged up and became ready tools in the hand of a merciless cabal who had one grouse or the other against the governor.

They told all who cared to listen that the man was not on ground and had no serious control of the party.

Mind boggling sums of money were said to have changed hands to get spurious judgements and funny decisions against the governor and his teeming supporters while the state watched in disbelief. Most unbelievable too was the fact that the governor will meet face to face with the president, get firm assurances on the issues on hand but the reverse will be the case the very next day. What was really wrong? Where did the grand old man go wrong?

Could it be that his overbearing support for the president was being taken

for granted? Or could it be that the president had been convinced by the governor’s traducers that they were actually the ones in charge of the grassroots?

The last poser seems to be the situation as it is the one most likely to interest a politician and a contesting one at that. So the governor and his supporters were thrown overboard and thoroughly disgraced in tow. Even the choice of the erudite Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, erstwhile health minister, which had excited the polity, was rubbished on the altar of mercantile brigandage continues on page 9

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015 — 9

Buhari at Chatham House: APC slams PDP, Presidency T HE All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned, in the strongest possible terms, the needless resort to sheer hysteria by the PDP and the Jonathan Administration over the globally-acclaimed appearance of the APC’s Presidential Candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, at the Chatham House in London on Thursday.

In a statement issued in London on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said even when it was so apparent that the PDP and the Jonathan Administration were so stunned and stung by Gen. Buhari’s well-accepted presentation, they could have saved themselves from further disgrace by simply keeping quiet, instead of exposing their inanities. ‘’For the spokesmen of the PDP and the Jonathan Campaign organization to have rushed to the press to denounce what was a

patriotic presentation by a high-regarded Nigerian is not only absurd but a new low, even for those who have lost every sense of propriety in their public actions and pronouncements,’’ it said.

APC said the level of

paranoid of the PDP and the Jonathan Administration was so high, even before the General’s presentation, that they went to hire some poor folks to protest at the Chatham House over an issue they knew nothing about.

The party said it was just as well that the rent-acrowd show boomeranged on the PDP/Jonathan Administration, when those among the scanty protesters who were interviewed said they did not even know why they had come

there, with some of them hiding behind their placards of shame! ‘’The fact that the Jonathan Administration wasted public funds in hiring people to protest against Gen. Buhari’s appearance is another indi-

cation of how the commonwealth has been consistently frittered away under the clueless and incompetent Jonathan administration,’’ it said, wondering who appropriated the funds that were wasted on the uninformed and disinterested band of protesters.

Jonathan to kick-start N700b Abuja City Centre project

By Henry Umoru

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has concluded plans to kickstart the development of the Abuja City Centre, which will cost 3.5 billion US Dollars (about N700 billion) before May 29, 2015.

Disclosing this yesterday in Abuja when investors in the Abuja City Centre project made an in-depth presentation to the FCT Administration’s team, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Senator Bala Mohammed noted that the project was

one of the milestone achievements of the Transformation Agenda of President Jonathan in the Federal Capital Territory.

Senator Mohammed explained that Chicason Group would execute the multi-billion-naira project in partnership with an international developer, Eagle Hills, adding that the Federal Government under President Jonathan was determined to make Abuja a tourist destination of Africa.

He said that it explained why the development of the 17 hectares of prime land was on the front burner of the government.

The Minister revealed that the Abuja City Centre would be a mixed-use development that has the capacity to generate about 10,000 jobs with its multiplier effect on the economy of the entire

country.

According to him, the FCT Administration would enjoy 5 percent equity share holding in the Abuja City Centre Development Company Limited, being a

special purpose company incorporated to own and operate the Centre; whilst the Abuja Investment Company Limited would hold such share in trust for the Administration.

Enugu Gov’s aide in soup for allegedly impregnating student

By Austin Ogwuda, Enugu

A

middle-aged man who narrowly escaped death in the hands of angry teachers for allegedly impregnating a secondary school girl was on Wednesday confirmed to be a Personal Assistant to the Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime.

Our reporter gathered that the true identity of the man (names withheld) was found in his Kia car impounded by the angry teachers. The car was still lying at the premises of Metropolitan Girls Secondary School located at Ogui New layout Enugu as at the time of this report along with his Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and other documents found in the

car.

However, indication were rife that the powers that-be have intervened and directed the officials

of National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) presently handling the investigation to soft

Ghanaian surgeon, Boachie-Adjei takes turn on Glo-sponsored African Voices and at 12.30 p.m. and

G

H A N A I A N Orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Oheneba Boachie-Adjei, will this weekend take his turn on the Glo-sponsored television magazine programme, CNN African Voices.

Dr Boachie-Adjei is being featured following last week’s profiling of Nigerian doctor and founder/ publisher of Health Care, Bola Olaosebikan, as special guest on the programme.

African Voices will be broadcast at 4.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. on Saturday

7.30 p.m. on Sunday. A repeat broadcast of programme will be shown on Monday at 11:30 a.m. and on Tuesday at 5.30 a.m.

Boachie-Adjei developed interest in medicine early in life when a doctor saved him from a life-threatening illness when he was a child. Since then, Dr. Boachie Adjei has spent decades striving to save the lives of others. His passion for medicine has made the Ghanaian one of the leading experts in the field of spinal surgery worldwide.

A tear for Ebonyi Continued from page 8 without a care for the majority of the people who knew their state and knew the kind of people with the right kind of disposition to govern them.

The atmosphere was thus ripe for the injured majority to seek their destinyelsewhere; it was definitely time to move on. And move on they did. To Labour Party.

The growth of that movement, which will be subject for another discourse in future, have been so phenomenal that it certainly must qualify as the fastest growing political movement in recent times. Even the proponents of the party are baffled at the level of acceptance as

communities openly competed for the first place in terms of large turnout at political events.

Very unfortunately, this turn of events is now the new weapon of mass destruction in hands of the governor’s traducers.

The same people who claimed the governor was unpopular are now crying that they cannot win their election if the governor remains in power during the elections. Do you beat a child and ask him not to cry? Yet, the fact that the governor rides all the insults stoically seems to embolden his traducers to try more ploys to hurt and further humiliate him.

The same cabal who claimed to have Ebonyi in their palm have woken up to the rude reality that

the tea party was over.

And that is the crux of the debacle that is fast destroying the fabrics of the young agrarian state.

It would seem that an operation impeach the governor at all cost has been launched.

The dailies reported penultimate week that the president declined a plea to impeach governor Elechi and rather advised reconciliation.

But just like the post first November saga, deaf ears seems to have greeted the president’s counsel. On return from the Abuja meeting, the factionalised House of Assembly announced the declaration of the seats of four of her members vacant for defecting to the Labour Party.

10—SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

2015:

•President Jonathan

•Jega

X-raying the gains, losses of postponed polls

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

A

MID overwhelming suspicion that the readjustment of Nigeria’s general election calendar by the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, was done to sway political momentum in favour of a political party, an indepth analysis, reveals that the

aftermath of the decision has so far been characterised by profound gains and losses in some key areas.

IT was of course not the first time that elections were postponed in Nigeria. But there was no doubt that the rescheduling of the federal and state level elections took Nigerians to an edge.

So contentious was the action and tensed the days that preceded February 14 that the proponents of change and continuity in the polity were enveloped by the fear of uncertainty. In the end, the postponement helped to douse the tension, albeit for a while.

Amid the tension was the claim in some critical sections of the polity that INEC was

•Buhari

Amid the tension was the claim in some critical sections of the polity that INEC was pressured by the presidency to reschedule the exercise for March 28 and April 11 respectively

pressured by the presidency to reschedule the exercise for March 28 and April 11 respectively.

In spite of denials by the presidency and the electoral umpire, the impression is apparently still being held particularly by those, who argue that the fear of imminent defeat on the part of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, informed the postponement.

Opposition leaders say that all the reasons adduced for the adjustment of the polls do not hold water and that the postponement was mainly meant to stave off defeat for the PDP. PDP officials and security chiefs were, however, quick to point at what they alleged as the poor preparation of the commission as expressed in the poor distribution of the voter cards and the spate of insecurity in the northeast.

Official and unofficial reasons On the trail of these are three key concerns that prominently border on the following; the likelihood of Boko Haram remaining a threat as the new election date approaches, possibility of further postponement and sacredness of the May 29 handover date.

Findings by Saturday

Continues on page 11

SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015—11

X-raying the gains, losses of postponed polls

Continues from page 10

What has happened since the postponement?

key towns such as Gamborou Ngala (rescued by Chadian forces) Baga, Baga and Monguno, Gajigana, Ngaze, Ngenzai, Marte Junction, Mile 90, Yoyo, Kekeno, Kukawa, Cross Kauwa, Kangarwa, Amirari , Kichimatari, Borokari Barati, Kauwa among others.

So remarkable are the conquests that those, who saw Nigeria’s response to the crisis as ineffectual, are beginning to describe the triumphs as the needed game changer.

Even President Goodluck Jonathan who was criticised for showing little empathy for the people of the region even visited the region last Thursday following the liberation of Mubi and Baga.

Supporters of the president hope that he would garner more support through the successes recorded in the theatre of operation in the Northeast.

- Victories over Boko Haram

Rate of PVCs collection

In the two weeks since the postponement, the military has scored a number of victories over the Boko Haram insurgents and liberated a number of cities hitherto held by the terror group heralding a turning point in the nearly six-year-old war.

Pointedly, the army recaptured

As at when the election was shifted, the rate of PVC collection in the country was pegged at 66 percent. The rate of collection has, however, increased and as at last Wednesday, reached 77% considered by some to be acceptable even if the rate of

Vanguard in that regard revealed that while the acclaimed objectives of the postponement are being achieved in key areas, some incalculable losses are being recorded in some areas.

Specifically, the conspicuous dividends recorded in this light include; impressive victories over Boko Haram insurgency, improvement on the rate of PVC collection, training of INEC adhoc staff, resolution of the controversy over use of Card Readers, opportunity of further campaigns among others.

On the negative side, analysts are quick to point at the financial burden of additional campaigns and advertorials, plunge in the stock market among others.

would train others, has commenced.

collection is not uniform across the country. Zamfara State according to INEC has the highest rate of collection of 97% while Ogun with 40 % collection rate has the lowest.

Card reader controversy

Training of ad-hoc staff Contrary to some reports that the training of ad-hoc staff had not commenced prior to the postponement, Vanguard reliably gathered that training had actually been done for some categories of staff.

The Public Affairs Officer of INEC in Lagos State, Mr Femi Akinbiyi, exclusively told Saturday Vanguard that: ‘’Before the postponement of the election, we trained some of the staff on how to carry out their duties. We will also commence another phase of training by next week. The main training will be done two weeks to the election date so that they can be able to perform their functions without challenge. Those who had been trained before would also be retrained to ensure good productivity.’’

Results of further probe also indicated that training commenced across the state before now. For instance, the training of master trainers among the ad hoc staff, who

In the two weeks since the postponement, the military has scored a number of victories over the Boko Haram insurgents and liberated a number of cities hitherto held by the terror group heralding a turning point in the nearly six-year-old war

The feasibility of using the card reader, an electronic device introduced to minimise rigging in the political process was also in doubt long before the postponement.

That controversy is yet to abate with the PDP and the APC unwavering in the opposition and support of the device.

There was no doubt that before the postponement that many Nigerians were ignorant of the capacity of the card reader. However, the change of date has given the commission the opportunity to lecture stakeholders more on the usefulness of the device.

Jega was at the Senate where he defended the use of the device and insisted that it would be used for the election.

He disclosed that the commission had so far procured about 180,000 readers sufficient.

Continues on page 12

12—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

X-raying the gains, losses of postponed polls Continues from page 11 Opportunity for further campaigns Though the delayed election was the least thing most Nigerians expected, the opportunity has opened a window for politicians who had not sufficiently reached out to the electorate to do so.

For the presidential candidate of the PDP, whose campaign machine had been faulted for its poor communication strategies, the postponement was an opportunity to retool the communication strategies. The president is believed to have also reached out beyond the formal structure of the party to genuine friends who have lately been able to push the president’s message more successfully than the official campaign and PDP national secretariat.

However, time remains of an essence for the president. The postponement also enabled the APC presidential candidate get a needed rest from the daily campaign hustle as he was able to take a breather in London.

Buhari’s visit to London which commenced last week also enabled him to brush off his international acceptability. The candidate delivered a lecture at Chatham House last Thursday to a critical acclaim from both critics and supporters underlining his readiness and capacity to take

over leadership of the country.

Economic implications Saturday Vanguard further found out that many electioneering activities that require huge funding have either ceased or shrunk considerably. The worst hit in this regard are; media houses, event planners, election monitors and the candidates.

The EU experience The experience of the European Union, EU, election monitoring team, highlights the plight of other stakeholders as a result of the deferment.

From inception, the EU had budgeted €4.4 million (N10.5 million) for the purpose of keeping its team in the country for the February 14 and 28 polls. Following the shift, it now requires additional €1.8 million (N429 million) Although some of the officials temporarily left following the postponement, investigations revealed that some others stayed back despite the financial loss.

Plunge of the stock market

In what appeared as a confirmation of the fears of anti-postponement analysts, the first casualty was the stock

market. Less than a week after the shift, the Nigerian currency plunged to a record low against the dollar while stocks continued their declined.

The currency fell to just over 196 to the dollar in interbank trading, far below its officially traded bracket. The Nigerian Stock Exchange All-Share index also dropped 0.4 per cent, extending its decline this year to 14 per cent, the worst performance in the world after Ukraine.

The trend has continued with the exchange rate is now officially N197 and N225 at the black market as at February 26, 2015. To observers this does not sound surprising, considering the fact that both local and international investors need stable macro-economic environment and non-volatile socio-political atmosphere for investment decisions.

Negative signal about the country’s democracy The country’s budding democracy is also seen as one of the big time losers, given that both local and international stakeholders saw the move as political interference with INEC’s duties. In a move suggestive of the mood across the globe, the United States of America lamented its disappointment over the move thus: ‘’The United States is deeply disappointed by

The losses are basically in the area of the financial burden which it placed on the parties

the decision to postpone Nigeria’s presidential election, which had been scheduled for February 14. Political interference with the Inde- pendent National Electoral Commission is unaccept- able, and it is critical that the government not use se- curity concerns as a pretext for impeding the democrat- ic process.

Commenting on the matter, presidential candidate of Citizens Popular Party, CPP Chief Sam Eke and former National Secretary of Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, told Vanguard that the losses are twopronged, even as he acknowledged the existence of some advantages.

“The losses are basically in the area of the financial burden which it placed on the parties. At the time the decision was taken to shift the elections, most of the parties had concluded their campaign. Knowing how expensive open campaign could be, the parties now spend extra to keep their massages alive.”

“Some lives have also been lost as a result of the postponement, so the implications are not only financial. However, it has afforded INEC and most parties the opportunity of getting things right. With what we have on the ground, I believe that the conduct of the elections will meet international standards. We are only appealing for calm because power comes from God and not through questionable means.”

SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015—13

•Olisa Agbakoba

BYISHOLA BALOGUN & CHARLES ADINGUPU

E

x-President of the Nigerian Bar Association and human rights activist, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, in this interview with Saturday Vanguard maintains that Nigeria is a sick patient in the accident and emergency ward which requires an orthopedic President who will crack the structure and heal it just as he berates the two major political parties, APC and PDP for not providing an answer to this dilemma. Excerpts: Recent developments in the polity suggest that anarchy is lurking, what is your take on the possibility of violence during and after the elections?

There won’t be violence.

Nigeria is a country that is full of sound and fury which signifies nothing. People make a lot of noise about the issue of violence during and after election. It is because we don’t have institutional memory to remember past issues. But when an issue is on the table, we focus our mind on it as if all our lives depend on it. There is not going to be any problem.

Somebody will lose and somebody will win. What I can say is that whoever wins, whether Buhari or Jonathan, there will be outcry, but there won’t be a repeat of 2011 where there was a lot of violence in the north. This is because we are more conscious of preventing violence. The awareness now is higher than before. The victory of either of them is not going to surprise us. It is not going to come as shock if any of them loses.

If I were Jonathan, I ‘ll crack Nigeria — Agbakoba

•Election must hold under any condition as another shift can cause mayhem •Says: INEC was not ready for election but PDP mismanaged the matter

And if the president likes, like Obasanjo did, he will withhold your funds and you go to court.

So, there is really only one office in Nigeria – the President. That is wrong

But there are agitations from people and inflammatory statements from politicians as well; all these put together could spring up violence if they are not checked.

We have all these merely because our politicians have this incessant lust for power to amass wealth. It is all about wealth acquisition and nothing more. So, when there is a contest for a seat, politicians incite their supporters, they become so passionate and battle-ready to get victory at all cost.

Obasanjo once said that ‘election in Nigeria is a door-die affair ’; because of the gains of the spoils of office, where every politician at the federal level will be looking at least one billion a year; they can kill in order to get there. If you are conversant

with the American super bowl, they spend over ten billion dollars a year. This year it became the most expensive public event in history. So, whoever is going in knows that he is presiding over a very important business. Here they have so much money to preside over. That is the scenario. But the question is: what can we the elites do to cut down this power? We need to create a new public order. This is why I always talk about dismantling Nigeria and creating a natural structural six geoethnic zones. If we have that system, and power is being contested by at the zonal level, the pressure will not be at the center. But right now, the only office in Nigeria that matters is the office of the President. If Mr. Mbu could humiliate the

person of Amaechi as a governor, it tells you that the governor is Mr. Nobody compared to the President, more so because the governor depends on the President for money. And if the president likes, like Obasanjo did, he will withhold your funds and you go to court. So, there is really only one office in Nigeria – the President.

That is wrong. We need a Nigeria that will be sustained. Not a mere change of personality like the APC is saying, but a change of the constitution and structure that will enable Nigeria to develop. A kind of structure that Awolowo and Ojukwu got right – a confederal or loose federation.

Again, coming back to your

Continues on page 14

14—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

‘Election must hold under any condition as another shift can cause mayhem’ Continues from page 13 question, if any of them wins, there will only be that kind of shout, election petitions, the new government is sworn-in and then it will fizzle out. What can guarantee development is when we create a new order.

We have never had the opposition coming so strong in the history of Nigerian politics. What in your view gave rise to this and what difference does it make?

In my view, it is lust for power. Some of us who are watching carefully do not understand the reason for all these stories because virtually all the sectors of the economy are dead.

Maritime sector is dead, the aviation sector is dead, the energy is not working, corruption is rife, there is incompetence; so, where is the story? I would have preferred a debate from both sides but what we hear are deafening noise that makes no sense. All I can say is that the 2015 election psyche is the same as that of the 1999, 203, 2007 and 2011; nothing has changed.

There will be a winner and the loser will go to court and the same thing goes on and on. But I think the only way is to change the structure.

When Europe was scattered after a bloody civil war, then they said, they were tired of fighting and talked about a new order and that occurred in Germany. That new order is what we need now. A typical Nigerian is corrupt, he drives against traffic, he is noisy and greedy, he cuts corners etc. We need to reorganise our nation, lest we would be a motley crowd of noise makers with huge resources and potentials that are not being utilised.

Nigeria is like a coach with top players but without a strategy. Nigeria is a country of great talents but no strategy. Changing personnel for me is inconsequential. So, whoever wins should look at the weaknesses that we can all see to build a new Nigeria in the next four years.

How do you think whoever becomes the President achieves that structural change?

If I were the President, I will summon all the ethnic

nationalities and leaders in all the geo-political zones for a meeting. I will state clearly that my diagnosis is that we are sick and ask what is your suggestion to redress this problem? The national conference gives the answer which was “crack up Nigeria, we can’t have one president, crack it up and create a regional government and let us see what will play out. Then we can decide whether the regional structure will have its own new constitution, or whether it should be presidential and not parliamentary. The Inspector General of Police cannot over see the entire nation and the commissioner of police cannot override the authority of the governor on the grounds that his boss is the IGP in Abuja. As President of Nigeria, my key mission will be to discentralise power. With that, you can’t accuse me of not fixing the road in your local village. Look at the state of roads and traffic in Apapa which is bringing in 50 per cent of the revenue of the federation. In Abuja, they are too far to know what is happening here.

Some of the complexities of democracy are that this brilliant idea can be knocked off by the majority in both chambers, so, taking this into cognizance, what will be the alternative?

Then we will continue in that way. It is our choice. If we see a doctor and he says you have cancer and yet you don’t want a surgery, then it will be there and you will be dead. As a Nigerian President, after dissecting the problem and you say I cannot do that, then there is a problem. The only way is to have a new design whereby the 68 items of power in the exclusive list and the 30 items of power in the concurrent list will not be under the power of the federal government. What is the President’s role in knowing the condition of prisons in Lagos and other states, why does he have to oversee the education, why should he be in airport and media as the NTA? It is the governors of the states that should know all that. The President should rather be in energy, foreign policy, defence but not how the state grows. That is why the lust for power is increasing.

When Obasanjo was there, he attempted the third term; Now Jonathan comes, he also wants to continue because it is too sweet. You can test a saint with Nigerian power and that type of power in one man will make him to go mad. It has to be discentralised.

Was that part of recommendations in the national conference?

Absolutely.

How would you feel if that recommendation is not implemented by the next government?

I will be very sad because that is the future of Nigeria, not a change in personnel.

So, my take is that the underlying problem must be addressed. Power in one man is too much.

Are you saying the outcry for a change is not well defined especially against the backdrop that there is so much criticisms against the incumbent?

It is normal when you have two-party system. Look at the American example where Obama was going against the Republican candidate. The difference is that if you run foul of the rule, you will be punished, because the institutions are strong. But here, if you run foul of the rule, you will not

Maritime sector is dead, the aviation sector is dead, the energy is not working, corruption is rife, there is incompetence; so, where is the story?

•Olisa Agbakoba

be punished. The difference is that you have rules and they respect the rules while in our own clime, it is a different thing. So, what you have here is a cacophony, people are shouting just to have victory. As far as I am concerned, it is the political class that enjoys the system to the exclusion of millions of other Nigerians.

Going by this your analysis, would you advocate a two-party system in Nigerian politics?

No! I will advocate the electoral market of place to choose. A multi-party system will be better. The number of the parties however will be determined by the programmes the parties are selling to the people.

Clearly, in the United States, Democratic Party is on the left while the Republican is on the right. I really don’t know what our parties’ ideologies are. What is the position of PDP and the APC on the fundamental problem of Nigeria which is the restructuring and also the contextual engagement to open Nigeria’s potentials?

That is why we say if we listen to the debate by both parties; it will help us to make a choice. I am not going to vote for either of them if I don’t hear what they are going to do on that issue. I am looking for an

orthopedic political president who will crack the structure and heal it; who will be able to tell me what he will do with power, the economy and other sectors.

But we have had promises in the past, why do you think promises this time will make any difference?

Already, I can’t see how both parties can meet their promises. I really don’t see it. They are making promises that are not related to the budget. Again, many things will happen. I see oil price dropping further to about $10. So, you are going to have a president who is going to have a faint budget. So, I will like to know how the contenders will take us out of oil into other areas. Unfortunately, I have not heard that from any one of them. These are the fundamental issues the parties should have been addressing. We need to have a president who will make a new business case for Nigeria. The oil business has expired; we need to see a new model. Let it no be based on one President controlling the entire oil bloc but many presidents tapping resources in their regions. I am from Anambra state, the governor of the state is not in control of the port, but the

Continues on page 15

SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015—15

reason for a shift again.

Continues from page 14 Minister of Transport, yet it is lying fallow. This is because the man who controls it is about 800 miles away. The Onitsha-Enugu road has always been under construction because the contract comes from a man who is not plying on the road.

Then, what would you say of the Transformation Agenda of Mr. President over the last six years?

Well, there are some ideas that I like, especially from the Minister of Agriculture.

What he is doing is not prominent because of the cacophony of noise in the polity. Nigeria is like a volcano and it is spewing ashes, you cannot see anything. I am not interested in the political surgeon of Nigeria in the resources; I am interested in the fact that you are bleeding because of the fracture and you are losing blood. Nigeria is a sick patient in the accident and emergency ward in a terminally bad way. So, the first thing to do as a President is to stitch Nigeria up. After stitching it properly, feed it well and it will recover. So, that contextual restructure should not be overlooked because if we don’t get that right, we are going no where.

Maybe that is why the somuch clamour for a change?

Structural change or what kind of change?

Well, some people believe that a change in the personality could bring about a structural change?

The problem I have in answering the question is that I have not heard a word from the APC on this issue. I know at the national conference, the stalwart of the party was not in support of it. But in any case, I am not interested in any party, what these two parties will do is the same old game from what I can see so far; unless they understand the fractured nature of Nigeria.

But if they understand it, they are not saying it right now. My conclusion is that it is going to be yet another bad election. But we have about a month to go, if I have a chance to ask both presidential candidates in a presidential debate, my first question will be ‘what is your concept of a reformed Nigeria’? The answer they give will make me cast my vote for A or B. A person who misses the contextual issue will miss the solution and will miss my vote.

The election is going to be keenly contested, in which way do you think Nigeria

•Olisa Agbakoba

‘INEC was not ready for election but PDP mismanaged the matt er’ matter’ can benefit from this competitiveness of the parties?

dangerous. So, the parties need to do more to give us an answer to this dilemma.

One good thing the APC has done is that the essence of the multi-party state is the consciousness in the ruling party that another party is waiting to take over. That is brilliant. That, I give the APC 100 per cent commendation. Beyound that, there is nothing. What would have happened is that both parties would make their manifestos sharp and clear. If the APC feels that the PDP has no programme; they would have made their message sharp and clear. But I am not satisfied by both parties because I don’t know what they are going to do. But I do know that the APC has given us a choice. You could have a national team playing football but they are not winning anything. That is what is happening to APC. The next step that APC needs to go to make our country very exciting is to design a programme that will force the PDP to respond. Right now, people are voting emotion, ethnicity and religion. The Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu said, “Nigerian has some of a new political lexicon that neutrality is a choice.” You vote for A or B and not to vote is also a choice. You can vote Buhari or Jonathan or nobody. That is very

What do you think will become of Nigeria if the election does not hold as scheduled in March?

Ah! (Shout) That will be a very serious issue. That can cause crisis and mayhem.

Already, the balloon has swollen; it has come to pressure point. The only way you can relieve the pressure is to have election.

If you don’t have it, you are looking at a civil war.

Please, don’t contemplate this. It should not be contemplated. Anything that will cause the election to be postponed again, Nigeria will go on strike. The Boko Haram issue is not as challenging as it was before, so, why will the election not hold?

Again, we also know that not everybody will vote.

Constitutional or not, we are going to blame Jonathan if the election does not hold and there will be mayhem. It is not something you can explain, graphically. The election has to hold, in my view, under any condition.

Even if it means excluding par of the North East, the election must hold. The Electoral act empowers INEC to do subsequent elections, but having postponed it once, it cannot be postponed again. Please don’t push it further.

Okay, if you really look at

Look at the state of roads and traffic in Apapa which is bringing in 50 per cent of the revenue of the federation. In Abuja, they are too far to know what is happening here

the postponement, whose benefit did it serve?

It is difficult to know. But personally, I think INEC was not ready. If you look at the number of PVCs distributed as at that day, INEC would have disenfranchised so many people. Then what about the ballot papers and boxes?

What about the training and capacity building of personnel? The electoral body was not ready. In my view, the PDP mismanaged the matter. I cannot tell whether the military was used. If I were President Jonathan, I would have boxed INEC into a corner.

INEC has cleverly used the Military alibi to escape liabilities. Like my wife said, if they were ready, why are they still distributing materials. INEC was absolutely not ready. nobody can claim not to know that INEC was not ready. Jega should not be dishonest by claiming he was ready.

Wole Soyinka recently talked about the blessings of the postponement. It has strengthened INEC to deliver good election.

I also wonder why they picked that February date in the first place because that was far from the hand-over date. A president who wants to wreak havoc will have the time to do that before the hand-over date. So, it makes sense that the transition is short. Right now, nobody is going to believe any further

How do you think the judiciary can help in dispensing justice before and after election going by the number of cases before it now as well as the possible petitions after the elections?

We need bold and courageous judges and a judiciary that is not dependent of the executive.

Unfortunately, the configuration of the body of judges depends on the executive. People don’t know that the appointment of the High court judge cannot be accomplished without the authorisation and approval of the state governor. If you reverse it, it means Governor Fashola will not need the Chief Justice of Lagos state to approve the appointment of a commissioner; but Chief Justice of Lagos State needs Fashola to appoint a Judge.

When I was in the National Judicial council, I kept saying it. So, if you are talking of lack of independence, it starts from there. It is important to understand the shackles under which the judiciary works. So, when the NJC was not forthcoming, I went to court. The argument was that: Was it in the place of Minister of Finance to fund the judiciary in view of the constitutional provisions that make the Judiciary independent of the executive?

Therefore, the President cannot present the budget of the judiciary. The court ruled in my favour which was partly what led to the strike; but as you know the judges being gentlemen, cannot go on strike but the junior ones can go on strike.

So, the budget of the judiciary is controlled by the executive. Only nice men like Fashola gives them their money. There are some governors if you rule against them, they seize your money. How will this make the judges truly independent? So, we need to go back to the surgery table and create an independent judiciary.

Again, a judge who takes bribe in the context of present situation, while I condemn it, I understand it.

A man who is approaching retirement, looking at himself dejected, and a client comes along with a bribe of N100million asking to be made the winner of the election petition tribunal, he will think twice; let us not kid ourselves. The answer to your question is that the judicial architecture is not independent enough to deliver decisions without fear or favour. But I do hope that what is left of the ethics of the profession will enable them to decide cases without fear or favour.

16—SA TURD A Y Vanguard , FEBRU ARY 28, 2015 16—SATURD TURDA FEBRUARY

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SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015—17

You would think that the party that has labeled the opposition party leader as out dated, “analogue”, would readily welcome INECs card readers in furtherance of its cherished ‘digital’ reputation ugoegbujo@gmail.com

2015 ELECTIONS: The card reader and ballot box ‘stuffing’ I

n 2003 we had elections and I happened to be in Orodo, my home town. I opted to observe rather than vote. The polling booth beside my house was quiet and all seemed to be going well until two young men ‘swooped’ on the officials with cutlasses and snatched the ballot box.

While the box was “sabbatical” those who strolled in to go through the voting process could only manage mournful smiles. Their consternation was measured, weak. Where did that sense of familiarity with such an atrocity come from? Many only worried about their wasted time. And those who managed to mutter outrage were subdued by the aloofness of the official . The box returned after about half an hour.

Impunity. The officials continued their duties solemnly as if the interlude was scripted. Perhaps they were ashamed of their collusion.

Those who knew said the ballot box came back half filled.

PDP was the only party with any kind of presence then in Imo besides APGA which was not really interested in presidential elections. A local PDP man had promised to deliver the area and he did. Political parties surreptitiously submit names to INEC for employment as adhoc electoral staff. So It was not difficult to understand that somnambulism manifested by the presiding officer.

In 2011 Imo presented a statistical challenge. The governorship election was hotly contested .

Three political heavy weights including the then incumbent governor Ohakim were literally tearing at themselves. Armed with the overreach of local incumbency and the omnipotence of federal might, Ohakim should have victory within grasps. His misfortune was that he was widely perceived as incompetent and he had a popular rival in Rochas Okorocha to contend with. He was also not helped by a recalcitrant kinsman, Ararume, who would split the votes of his home constituency, Okigwe with him.

Campaigns were at full throttle and inner recesses of the state were all plumbed for votes. Rochas won that election , scoring just about 336,000 votes , beating incumbent Gov Ohkim with 40,000 votes after supplementary elections . It was a close fight till the end. Total votes cast in that governorship election in Imo in 2011 was about 750,000, representing a 44 % voter turn out.

In the same 2011, in the same Imo state, in the same month of April, before the governorship election , the presidential elections held . The two main parties in Imo, APGA and PDP supported Jonathan. ACN was not interested. Jonathan is not from Imo state , is not an Igbo man and is not their in-law. Against a northern muslim , the average Igbo man , ‘allergic ‘ to Hausa Fulani hegemony and fearful of its return would cling to Jonathan. Igbos do not necessarily love Jonathan, they fear domination and they believe that the triumph of a minority man helps to disrupt or suspend any group’s feelings of

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political superiority and may help create a level playing field. So they voted Jonathan but not with passion.

Total number of votes cast in the presidential was a miraculous 1, 400,000 with a voter turn out of 83% which was the highest percentage voter turn out in the south east and the second highest in the nation just behind Jonathan’s home sate of Bayelsa. There was palpable voter apathy but reality does not matter.

Figures do. And the figures showed a near total turn out for Jonathan. It was magical.

Perhaps for a better perspective, Imo’s voter turn out was 83 % in the presidential and 44% in the governorship election. Half of those who voted in the presidential didn’t care to vote in the more fiercely contested governorship election? Strange. The average national voter turn out was about 50% for the presidential elections , the average voter turn out in the south west was 32% and the average for Jonathan’s home region of south south was 67%. Imo was indeed special. Yet Imo was, in a sense, in the manner politicking is done in Nigeria, a’ third party’ in that presidential contest.

How did they achieve such a turn out? Bayelsa’s 85 % can be understood, riverine areas have a way of doing these things. And with their son, an incumbent president on the ballot, it could have been higher. Ogun was 28%, Edo 37% but Imo was 83%.

The real policing on the field during elections is provided by the enthusiasm and watchfulness of the electorate and the vigilantism furnished by political rivalry amongst the parties. When these factors went missing in Imo

during the presidential election in 2011 all manner of things happened.

So you can get to the booth as it happened in my local constituency in 2011 and the INEC officials sit idly. And you ask about the ballot box and you are told some youths have taken it away. A few minutes of discreet inquiry and you are told the group involved and where they were ‘working’. The stuffing of the ballot box could be going on in a private residence of a political jobber a stone throw from the polling booth. It happened during the 2011 presidential election and went unchallenged but was resisted during the fiercely contested governorship election . A military/police patrol team was called in and the perpetrators were arrested, pants down, thumbs in ink, thumb-printing and stuffing the ballot box on the election day.

That episode managed to find its way into the press. Real voters had gone to the polling booth and found only yawning officials who didn’t know where the ballot box they came with was. Those who committed that crime suffered no real consequences, were granted bail the next day and have been free ever since. Fortunately, opprobrious tales of the incident have become part of the village’s market folklore .

So the Imo magic can be explained, its an abracadabra the locals understand and INEC must know something about.

The combination of the permanent voters card and the card reader if employed without hitches would , to a great extent, minimize such electoral frauds. The chip on the card has the voter ’s biometric details and the card reader would authenticate the card and identify the voter before he is accredited. The card reader has a sim and so stores information of PVCs

processed and so provides an audit trail. It also relays information about the accreditation process to a central server too so INEC will know how many genuine voters accredited in a particular polling unit. So my friends in the village are perhaps out of work in this election. The Card reader effectively puts them out of work. Perhaps they will have other assignments.

Now with the card reader It wouldn’t matter that other parties even have no agents.

The card readers are programmed to read the cards of voters of a particular polling unit. No body can leverage on voter apathy and turn out bogus numbers. Even if the whole village conspires with electoral officers and party agents, the card reader will have details of those properly accredited and can be relied upon by INEC to disregard bogus figures from a polling unit while collating. This will reduce the volume of litigation as INEC can cancel results based on discrepancies with card reader data.

So why is the PDP hesitant about the use of card readers? You would think that the party that has labeled the opposition party leader as out dated, “analogue”, would readily welcome INECs card readers in furtherance of its cherished ‘digital’ reputation. But they prefer the “ stone age” 2011 scenario. The PDP says they are worried because the card readers have not been tested. That the card readers should have been tested in a smaller election where failure will have lighter implications.

That argument has merits .

But since this election is the first fiercely contested presidential elections in Nigeria and one where the margin of victory may be very slim the advantage of employing the card readers to stem electoral fraud may out weigh any risks of tardiness flowing from the introduction of a novelty at a crucial moment.

It is true that widespread hitches can precipitate a crisis but this process has been used successfully in many African countries.

What the PDP has not openly said , but which its officials have muted in so many ways, is that they are worried about the integrity of INEC. But are they worried that INEC may disadvantage them or are they worried that INEC might bungle the process and throw the country into confusion? I suspect they are worried about both. A pattern has become clear, the opposition solidly supports INEC and supports use of card readers while PDP has been cautious, hesitant and often un- approving of INEC. The PDP has right of protest but cannot engage in tarnishing the image of INEC .The PDP has advertorials disparaging Jega and INEC and that is ridiculous.

INEC must not just be seen to be independent but their independence must be respected by all parties. INEC has confidence in the card readers and has procured 152,000 of them and they have adequate redundancies- additional 26,000 units as spares and 35,000 spare batteries. And all of these will translate to a spare battery for every 5 polling units and a spare card reader for every 7 polling units. This is a reasonable back up plan. The INEC staff have been trained and are being retrained.

Whether it is in Abia or in an IDP camp in Borno, potential heavens for ballot box stuffing, the card reader will stem hitherto inevitable fraud . Our polity is extremely polarized and tense, the margins will be slim, every vote is significant. Close elections are often won by one or two percentage points and we must prevent the sort of thing that happened in Imo in 2011. It may not have mattered so much then but it may have grave implications now.

18—SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

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auchi State Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, a close ally of President Goodluck Jonathan, is one of the outgoing Peoples Democratic Party governors, whose political sagacity is being tasked in the bid to re-elect President Goodluck Jonathan come March 28 this year. Although he has won many political battles in the past, the forthcoming election remains a test case that may push his political wizardry to the limit given the challenge being thrown at him from within and without his party. But in this interview, the two-time governor boasts that he is equal to the challenge, insisting that Jonathan cannot lose in Bauchi with him presiding over as the governor of the state.

Excerpts: From your assessment of the political atmosphere in your state, can you say with confidence that Bauchi State is ready to re-elect President Goodluck Jonathan on March 28 this year? The question is pertinent given suspicion that some northern governors want to elect Buhari and then work for their cronies in the PDP to succeed them. Any truth in this?

Well, I must say that for any governor of northern extraction to take that kind of position would be a very satanic betrayal because for me, I am not in PDP to tell the president that I am with him and will turn round to do something against him as the president and leader of my party. That would amount to betrayal and betrayal is one of those things that is forbidden by Islam. I will never be a party to that. I would rather have told President Jonathan face to face, just like the other governors who left had done that they would not work with him and I would have walked away rather than remain in the party to work against him. After all, what have I not seen in this country? I have been part and parcel of the Nigerian project. I had served before as a two time minister, a banker and as a governor for eight years. Having come this far in the politics of this country why can’t I tell the

•Gov Isa Yuguda

2015: With me as governor, Jonathan can’t lose in Bauchi —Yuguda truth and stand by it as a governor of a state?

But are you not afraid that your people would see you as an infidel if you don’t work for Buhari?

Look, there is no such issue. The issue at stake is this: are you talking about the votes of the governors themselves or the votes of the people under them?

There is no way Nigerians in Bauchi will not vote of Jonathan and Buhari during the election. What we should be talking about is the percentage of votes for each. Don’t allow anyone to

I want to assure Nigerians that Jonathan will win in Bauchi to enable him to continue the good work that he is doing in Aso Rock

deceive you that the votes will be cast for one person.

It is not possible in today’s Nigeria. But I want to assure Nigerians that Jonathan will win in Bauchi to enable him to continue the good work that he is doing in Aso Rock. In that case, I want to assure the president that he cannot lose election in Bauchi State when I am the field commander.

There is this allegation that Jonathan was stoned at the Bauchi Stadium when he came for campaign. Was he really stoned because as

we speak, no such picture has been released to the public domain?

I want to say that I am not aware of the destruction of vehicles during the rally. All I am aware is that at the time when we were at the venue of the rally, there were some incidents of some youths throwing missiles at the podium when the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory was speaking. That I knew about. Again, at the time I

Continues on page 19

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Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015—19

’I am the field commander for Mr. President in my state ’ work closely with these people you have mentioned to bring about peace and success for the party and the president. I think that if the two of them do not want to work with me, Nigerians should understand why it is so. They should understand that I stand out as the elected governor of Bauchi State and that they are appointees of the president.

I am the field commander for Mr. President in my state. I won my election after leaving PDP in January 2007 and two months later I won my election as governor under the platform of the ANPP, defeating PDP and the same party should know today that I decided to return to PDP after leaving ANPP. They should also remember that in 2011, I stood for election under PDP and won despite the fact that these same set of people fought against me.

•Gov Isa Yuguda Continues from page 18 came with the president and we were going round, some miscreants pelted us with some stones. Also, as we drove into the town with Mr. President, some youths were organised to raise brooms as our convoy was passing by.

That I know was organised ostensibly to give the erroneous impression that Isa Yuguda is hated by his own people. But that is not the true position. I think the social media carried some clips that seemed to suggest that there was stoning of some people on the podium.

But I want to assure all Nigerians that President Goodluck Jonathan was not stoned at the Bauchi Stadium on the day he came to campaign there. I was also not stoned while making my own speech on that day. In fact, when the president stood up and shouted Asalamilekum, everybody stood up and answered him and when I came and shouted, “Nigeria!” the same crowd rose and answered, “Sai Jonathan” up to five times.

That was the reaction of the people of Bauchi to Mr. President when he came

campaigning in the state that day. So, that goes to confirm the acceptability and the support that Mr. President has in Bauchi as against the impression being given by some persons that he was stoned and rejected in Bauchi. That is far from the truth and Nigerians should know that.

Mr. President is definitely welcome in Bauchi. If that was not the case, I would have told the President and pleaded with him to allow me go elsewhere. But to the extent that I know the people of Bauchi are with me I have the comfort to tell the president that I am with him.

There is this open suspicion that the three most senior PDP leaders in the state -the National Chairman, the FCT Minister and you the governor-are not working together in the process of delivering the state to Mr. President. What could be the problem or the missing link?

Well, what I can say is that I have tried very hard to

I can boast that there is not one of its kind anywhere in Nigeria as at today and I challenge any hospital management in any part of Nigeria to visit Bauchi to see things for themselves

So, it is the will of Allah that I am with my people. And it stands to reason that if I am with Mr. President, my people too, are with him and there is no reason to fear. I can say that there is no reason Jonathan can lose election in my state except some of these people you are talking about are sabotaging us.

But let me say that winning election requires only 25 percent and Jonathan is going to get it this time around. In 2011, he did not get it but this time around he is going to win in Bauchi. But I should be allowed to carry my cross and deliver the state to Jonathan; I don’t need anybody’s assistance. I only need God’s assistance and I am praying that Mr. President gives me his support. Let him allow me to do my job as his field commander. He does not need to come back to Bauchi for campaign. I am there for him. I will deliver for him.

After all, there are many states which do not have Abuja politician and they are winning elections for him. Jigawa is one of them, Niger is another. , Sokoto was one of them and many others. So, If I can perform the feat that other governors have not performed, they should give me the chance to prove my capacity as I did before, that is leaving PDP, defeating PDP, coming back into the PDP and defeating the opposition, then they should know I am not just there to make noise but to deliver.

As you are about to hand over to your successor in May, have you been able to deliver on your promises to the state and its people?

Yes, absolutely. I can say that I am more than satisfied with what I set out to do when I assumed office in 2007 and 2011. I can say without fear of contradiction that I have delivered on all the promises I made to the people of the state. Of all the things I promised I would do, there is only one that is yet to take off, that is the Kafinsa Dam project, which is a Federal Government Project.

Can we have an idea of some of the projects?

Let’s start with health: I have constructed over 50 brand new hospitals and a specialist hospital, which is now a referral one, which is the best hospital in West Africa today. I can boast that there is not one of its kind anywhere in Nigeria as at today and I challenge any hospital management in any part of Nigeria to visit Bauchi to see things for themselves. Nigerians don’t need to go outside for any medical attention with the completion of this hospital in the state. All the equipment are there and it is not mere talk. I have delivered on all the rural projects I promised. These are in terms of roads, water supply and electricity. I have constructed over 400 motorised boreholes and schools. I have constructed over 1000 primary health centres, I have rehabilitated almost 90 percent of all secondary and primary schools in the state and fitted them with chairs and tables and 6 billion books.

Bauchi and Lagos states are perhaps the only states that have been able to supply books from the primary to the secondary schools to their people.

I have established a stateowned university with all faculties except that of of Medicine. I have made it possible for us to have a teaching hospital. I handed over the facilities of the then Bauchi Specialist Hospital to the Federal Government to set up one and it is one of the best. I have constructed one of the best airports in Nigeria and it has one of the most modern facilities as at today. It is ready to support the economy of the country because it can handle any type of aircraft.

There is a rumour that you are owing workers’ salaries. Why have you not paid?

I do not owe anyone any salary. I have said it before because some people claim that the state is owing them one month salary arrears. I still maintain that it is not true we are not indebted to any category of workers.

What happened was that I was going to pay what we call 13th month salary to workers as a bonus but since they claim that it is a debt; I have withdrawn the bonus so that we maintain a clean record of payment of staff salaries. Bauchi state is the only state that does not owe any salary arrears to its workers. That is the truth.

20—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

SATURDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, FEBRUARY 28, 2015—21

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ast week’s column, The forces against Buhari, received diverse feedback. I decided to share some of the reactions this week.

Etebele Julius Honestly, I cannot see any sincere clamour for a “change” which APC wants Nigerians to believe; rather I see a high level conspiracy against Jonathan by the victims of Petroleum subsidy withdrawal and oil block license holders, who are acting on rumoured impending revocation of their licenses by Jonathan.

If APC’s angels of “change” are serious and are persons of integrity, why must they field a tyrant like Buhari or is it a “change” to tyranny? It is more so when it was glaring that Buhari’s educational credentials were controversial? If APC constitutes a true vanguard for change why should it accept as members of the change crusade, the PDP rejects, known for corruption?

Ify Onabu There are indeed many forces against Buhari which this writer forgot to mention. I’d call them the forces of history and experience. History tells me that Buhari was a dictator between C M Y K

Osit Brown The only force that I see against Buhari is the bewilderment of most Nigerians that Buhari has the boldness to come out again, to contest.

Re: The forces against Buhari December 1983 and May 1985. I lived that experience.

History also tells me that Buhari brutally executed three young men at Bar Beach Lagos under a retroactive legislation. I lived that experience as well. The week those young men were killed, I could not sleep. I felt as if I was the one that killed them. That was how tender my conscience was.

History tells me that under Buhari’s dictatorship, tins of milk and packets of sugar were ‘essential’ items which our people queued up for; and got whipped by soldiers for not obeying

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Brandon Landry Excellent article! Bottom line message is clear: Nigerians must seize the destiny of Nigeria from the hands of its oppressive and corrupt ruling elites and install intelligent, competent and patriotic anti-corruption crusaders.

India, China, UAE and Qatar used to be Nigeria’s contemporaries. They were at one point worse off than Nigeria. But look at how they have leaped forward today. They got to where they are today not by looting the billions of dollars of national wealth, but by installing national leaders who deployed their national wealth and resources towards research and development, national planning and myriad far sighted nation building programs. India especially surprised me. About 35 years ago, India was poorer, further backward and less developed than Nigeria. Today, India builds her own warships, fighter jets, nuclear missiles, commercial automobiles and many other high tech products. India got to where it is today by electing good leaders. It once elected a president who worked in the aerospace industry. No surprise India now builds her own modern fighter jets.

India is a nuclear power today because it once elected a technology savvy political leader who marshaled India’s indigenous resources to develop her atomic bomb. Look at China, the economic wonder of today’s world.

China is run by experienced engineers and business savvy technocrats. Not less than 80 per cent of key members of the Chinese ruling party are MBA degree holders. Promotion within China’s ruling party is dependent on actual accomplishments in the professional and public sphere. Not by sycophancy, cronyism, god-fatherism or political gangsters. The common thread among these nations is that they have either electoral or succession systems that install patriotic, competent and capable leaders. These leaders are not busy bragging about the fleet of limos and private jets in their private collections as they flaunt their ill gotten wealth. They are leaders toiling ceaselessly and planning tirelessly for their nation’s future. In America, it is all about merit, transparency, competency and most especially....the Rule of Law. America’s system is bitterly allergic to corruption and public impropriety. It is Nigeria’s fault that she is not keeping pace with economic and technological development. Nigerians must elect leaders who will viciously stamp out corruption and enthrone meritocracy, accountability, transparency, professional competency and rule of law.

selfish ambition.

Joseph Ubiagba “We must be prepared to hold out if we want to choose our leaders ourselves.” If we heed your advice, Nigerians should be in the street and protest for as long as it takes to force GEJ to resign if he wins. Prepare to be the first in the street, let others follow you.

UAlloy Why this anti-corruption toga on Buhari? Is it not the same man that is rumoured to have helped the Emir of Gwandu smuggle in 53 suitcases into the country during the time Nigeria was changing her currency? Please give me a break!

Onaji Mohamed GMB has nothing new to offer to this great nation. Since he left power over 30 years ago, he has not engaged in

Emmanuel Kaldick-Jamabo Nigeria must go forward with fresh ideas and dedicated leadership anchored on godly principles.

The change we need must start from us, not the presidency, because we are worse than the people we condemn

the ‘laws of discipline’. I lived that experience as well.

Ismail Oriade How can a man who appointed 11 Christians as state governors out the 19 states that made up Nigeria when he was a military dictator now Islamize a country when he has to operate under a state law that comprises of two other arms of government (Legislative and Judiciary)? These arms of Government are even more powerful than the position he will be holding if he wins the elections.

Aisha Sani It won’t be untrue to say that Buhari has a hidden agenda for vying for the presidential seat this year again after saying that 2011 would be his last contest. With the way GMB is going, Nigerians need to be careful or else we will be likened to other Islamic nations like Turkey, Syria, Iran, Iraq, and so on who are always at war against themselves and others.

Sani Bature The idea that Buhari wants to Islamize Nigeria is old news. It worked for Jonathan supporters previously, but now it won’t work.

Nigerians are fed up with your Jonathan. Forget this divisiveness; change is fait accompli on 28th of March, 2015.

Henry The writer has done a good job but it is just one side of the coin. About the other side of the coin should read the “Forces against Jonathan”. It is a common fact that APC propaganda machinery imported from USA is very economical with the truth with regard to the state of Nigeria economy. The President and his team have touched every department in Nigeria Plc Education, Roads, Rail, Health, Power, Freedom of speech, Agriculture, New Initiative on non oil mineral, Foreign Direct Investment and others, the list is inexhaustible.

In reference to the above, General Buhari is no match to President Jonathan, soon Boko Haram saga will end but BuhariCertiGate is yet to be decided in the law court and if the court finds Buhari guilty, he will disqualified.

AIREBAMEN Nigerians will be heading to ignominious end if we ignorantly vote in Buhari. I pity these young people who have been blindfolded to believe that there is a positive change associated with this very man.

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any viable venture or intellectual forum to update himself. He has continued to live off government’s largess and to consistently attend Islamic meetings and seminars. Buhari is a dictator who will never listen to his vice if voted in.

A man who has chosen not to attend the council of state meetings since 1999 until two weeks ago sure has a lot of forces working seriously against his

Evangelist Emmanuel Muyiwa, our problem is not the presidency but we ourselves. The change we need must start from us, not the presidency, because we are worse than the people we condemn.

Henry There is nobody afraid of Buhari’s presidency on account of his anti corruption stance. The N2.8 billion that was unaccounted for when he was Petroleum Minister and his records with Afriprojects during the PTF days make a statement. Look at those who gave him the ticket at the convention in Lagos, where did they get the money used to bribe delegates?

22—SA TURD AY Vanguard , FEBRU ARY 28, 2015 22—SATURD TURDA FEBRUARY

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e have been put through a harrowing period of political moves and countermoves featuring the defection of hordes of members of one party to another; fiery and undignified statements from several directions; political declaration of peaceful campaigns upon every lip amidst fearsome encounters whilst the security officers repeat what sums up to be little more than mere riot acts. All of this against a declining economy and distressing level of unemployment. Our educational structures are in a state of disrepair while our health delivery standards are hardly up to scratch.

The citizens are mostly confused. Declarations of progress are pronounced and promoted glibly on the strength statistics. And we are offered no test of certainty, or even reliability. And, as you know, “there are lies, damnable lies, and statistics”.As we are, we can only accept what is real, since there is so little in sight to rely on. Let us take it from the state of our economy.

When Dr.NgoziOkonjoIweala was being interviewed on her return as the Minister of Finance, one clear statement she made about the budget at that time was how deplorable it was that we were planning to spend more on recurrent commitments than on our capital projects. She was visibly disgusted at such an evidence of such a lop-sided thinking in a developing economy. The promise transmitted in that reaction was that that manner of poor prioritization would quickly be turned around when she was in charge.Well, she has been in charge now for how long? Not just for the direction of our finance, but for the co-ordination of all our assets; and what has happened to our recurrent expenditure in relation to its position vis-à-vis our capital expenditure?

*many of us are wondering what lies ahead now of a change of mind and an indication of honourable intent. Not any more. It is no longer a simple matter of crossing the carpet an atrocious exercise of crisscrossing it. A good example is Femi Fani-Kayode, who has demeaned his reputation by being a spokesman for the two main parties at different times at which he shamelessly vilified the party he was not currently serving. The case of Ayo Fayose is even worse. He publicised what was just short of a death-wish for the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress in a callous manner that no political opposition ethics can contain. As for the loudmouthed prince, a medical practitioner who has abandoned the decent polish of his upbringing to become a lackey in the corridors of political power, he was even recently booed of stage at a press conference for his unwelcome remarks about the presidential candidate of an opposition party.

This campaign was said to have started with the signing of a peace accord by all the principal actors. The accord is indeed now in pieces. One of the signatories, having been hounded at all fronts at home and even abroad, was reported to threaten to withdraw from the agreement.

But what would that solve?

What has the accord served to establish any peace? The responsibility for ensuring peace in the community belongs to the police. They have proceeded to organize the signing of a pledge to

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C M Y K

•Dr.Akinwumi Adesina Agric. Minister appreciable withdrawal of foreign capital, ‘all we hear is that all is still well.And there are statistics to support the aversion.

It would in fact, appear that government is not quite able to meet its bills.

Industrial action, or threats of the same, keeps popping up in the usual, as well as in the most unusual quarters. The most disheartening news here is the number of industrial promises and agreement on which government has reneged in the past three years. Our Colleges of Technology, which should have become degreeawarding institutions by now, are being frustrated into a coma.But our pride in creating 12 brand universities, new

universities is irrepressible.Now, even the elements of our police force have expressed their leanings towardsa showdown over withheld emoluments. Now will all still be well when elections are being conducted with a sparse measure of security?

All is not well, let‘s face it, and the delay in the holding of the elections will not improve the situation. We have to admit that much.

Institutions are being weakened or allowed to break down.Too many aspects of our lives are being mutilated. And so, in the best traditions of an orderly democratic dispensation, a group of the citizens are calling for change in opposition to

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urn to any of our ministries—any at all.

Agriculture makes me laugh.

The outstanding achievement is touted to be Cassava Bread. We can now bake bread with cassava flour. I wish I could say, “Amen” to that. But I personally “don’t give a damn”, if you know what I mean; I still would rather eat bread as it has always been baked. There are other legitimate uses for cassava, like Gari, for instance, and a variety of elubo without any extraneous employment in competition with bread. But then, it is said that it would lower our expenditure on foreign goods since we seemed to be spending too much on foreign goods.

On the face of it, that should not worry us much since we have the best economy in Africa as deduced from our rebased GDP. But we have heard so much about how our economy has improved in the last five years, subsidy or no subsidy. In spite of the massive theft, recorded and unknown; in spite of the fact that the naira dive-nosed in the past five weeks to an unprecedented low; and even now that the deferment of the election has led to

The citizens are mostly confused.

Declarations of progress are pronounced and promoted glibly on the strength statistics

the powers that be. The entire populace is thereby involved in a contest for the establishment of their desire, one way or the other. That is what election seeks to resolve – the desire, the will, of the people expressed freely without duress.

However, we have, to put it mildly;we have not conducted ourselves properly. Take the case of withdrawing one’s membership from one party to another for instance. The process used to be a welcome expression

,

keep the peace by top politicians from state to state.

It was done almost against the backdrop of the series of mayhem in going on in several parts of the country.

And what have the Police done about it? What have they done about the policeman, one of their own, who was cut down recently in Port Harcourt? It was in that horrible riot that the highly professional journalist, Charles Arukaa of the Channels Television suffered head and neck wounds by one of hooligans. And, of course, investigations are ongoing.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015—23

I’m engaged and getting married soon

•Onyeka Emechebe

— Onyeka Emech Movie Star 1st ru ebe, Next nner-up

know your worth, you know the kind of person you are then you don’t have to give in to sexual harassment. You are talented and very good at acting so people should give you roles based on your worth and what you can offer.

So, when you know yourself, you don’t have to give in. I think it is only people who don’t know their worth and those that are bad actors that give in to all those things, you understand but I’ve been able to handle that well, I don’t have issues. Just that it is challenging but the grace of God is keeping me.

By BENJAMIN NJOKU

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7 year-old Onyeka Emechebe is an actress and the first runner-up in the Next Movie Star where a Ghanian won.

The delectable actress from Anambra State is playing the lead role in the new season of the popular soaps, Every day People.

In this interview, she reveals her plans to marry soon, and how sexual harassment almost ruined her career and many more...

You emerged the first runner-up in the Next Movie Star competition; how did you feel about your victory?

I felt very happy. It feels amazing. It was a great surprise because it was a very tough competition. Lots of talented actors were there. It was tough but I thank God I made the first runner-up.

Did you envisage getting to that level?

I knew I was going to make the finals in the house because I know what I have, I know what I worth. I also know what I can do in as much as we all wanted to clinch the first price but I believe we are all winners. I feel like I’m a winner even though I was the first runnerup. I still feel like I’m a winner. I thank God, it was a very wonderful experience in the house. I learnt a lot and I wanted to win, that’s the truth. I wanted to take home the cash price and the jeep but it’s just God’s will that I didn’t and that doesn’t change the fact that I’m a winner.

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At that point in time when it was between you and a Ghanaian, what was going through your mind?

It’s not a matter of whether a Ghanaian wins or a Nigerian wins.

We are all actors, you understand. So, whether a Ghanaian won or not, it doesn’t matter. I just know that he is a Ghanaian and very talented. We are both talented and we both knew it was going to be between the two of us. You know, it has to be one person.

I don’t know how, if it’s vote or the judges, all I know is he won the star prize while I won the second position.

I’m sure you won something too; could you tell us about it?

I won a cash price of #250,000, shopping vouchers from Jumia, Aircondition and one year movie contract.

How did your parents and friends feel about it?

They were happy for me. They were happy even though some of my friends believed I deserved to win.

They were still happy that I emerged the first runner up. It doesn’t matter who goes home with the prize, it’s just that we are all winners, that is what I will always say. My parents knew I would definitely go far in the competition which I did and they weren’t disappointed. They know the kind of child I am. I made them proud.

Initially, did you feel bad not winning?

Of course, I did. I’m human and there’s nobody who wouldn’t feel bad.

I felt bad because I was hoping and praying; “God, I hope it is me”

Can you tell us about your love life?

It is suppose to be private to me but I’m engaged and getting married soon.

(Laughs) and when I heard my name as the first runner-up, I was like its all good. I felt bad but life goes on.

I don’t think I will be where I am today without the grace of God and the fact that I’m passionate about the things I do and I don’t compromise when it comes to acting

After that, what doors has been opened for you?

Yes! It has actually opened a lot of doors for me now and I know it is still going to open a lot for me in the future because being the first runner up of such a big reality show like that, a show that has produced a lot of stars like Tonto Dikeh, Annie Macaulay, Uti Nwanchukwu, e.t.c. it’s a great achievement for me and I know it’s going to open a lot of doors for me.

I’m very optimistic. And I will like to say a bigb thank you to Digital Interactive Media for providing the platform.

What is the secret of your success?

It is first of all God, because I don’t think I will be where I am today without the grace of God and the fact that I’m passionate about the things I do and I don’t compromise when it comes to acting. I am very focused, very humble because your character has a lot to do in your lifestyle and I can interpret any role given to me. I think that is what has been steering me forward.

How have you been able to handle sexual harassment in the industry?

I’ve been able to handle that. If you

Most guys don’t like marrying actresses due to the stories that fly about them. How has his response been to you being an actress?

He has been very supportive. I’ve never dated any man as supportive as he is and that is why I’m so much in love with him. Not many men would want to marry an actress. A lot of men shy away from it but he has seen my movies even before we started dating. He is my number one fan and he loves the way I act. He is always supportive, he encourages me and even though he says I should be selective with the roles I play. I just like the way he supports me. We share our lives together and he has been amazing.

What are you working on presently?

I’m working on a T.V series ‘Everyday people’ for ONTV production. I’m actually playing a lead role in it. We are shooting first week of March so I’ve the script and working through it. I’m not working at the moment. I’m just rehearsing for the T.V series.

We learnt you are working on your video, Show Real. Could you tell us about it?

I’m actually working on my Show Real. I’ve done about 14 movies and one TV series so far and I’m just taking some clips out them, out them together to do a show real of myself and publicize it on blogs, YouTube, other social media.

24 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

With FLORENCE AMAGIYA 08061644307

email: daise4000@yahoo.com

DR. MBELEDE:

The success story of a quintessential Engineer

B •Dr. Charles Mbelede

orn in a family of seven, Charles was not oblivious of the inherent challenges that laid ahead of him. The Spartan discipline his catholic parents impacted on them only helped to sharpen his aspirations. Hence as a toddler, he knew that there was no alternative to success without education. Though his childhood dream of becoming an engineer was first ignited by his father who was working as an engineer with the then PWD in Lagos. This ambition got to a head when an uncle of his graduated as an engineer from the University of Lagos, and in no time, recorded tremendous success in life. Charles was left without an option but to replicate these achievements of his dad and uncle in no record time. Despite the twist and turns of life, he scaled through his major science subjects being pre-requisite to study engineering at the tertiary institution. In a jiffy, he became a proud recipient of Bachelor of Science (BSc.) degree in engineering. Upon completion of his compulsory NYSC programme, he was retained by the firm, and that opened new window of opportunities for him. He acquired certificates in virtually all aspects of engineering and concluded it with a Ph.D. in engineering.

Currently he’s an International Professional Review Advisor of the Institution of Electrical Engineers in the UK, a body that organises an interview that qualifies chartered engineers. He is also responsible for giving career advice, setting up a panel that scrutinises and mentors professional engineers. Here in Nigeria, he’s a member of the professional development board charged with the responsibility of growth among engineers. He also doubles as the present Chairman of Prevention Investigation and Accident Analysis Division Committee of Nigerian Society of Engineers (PRIFAC) which monitors failures in Nigeria, and checks the professional commitment of engineers to projects, health, safety of environment, and quality.

Despite these intimidating credentials , Dr. Mbelede who hails from Nemo in Njikoka local government area of Anambra state carries humility as a breastplate. He’s the President, Knight of Saint Mulumba, Lagos Archdioceses and married to a seasoned banker. The marriage is blessed with children. Enjoy it:

•The Mbelede's CHILDHOOD hildhood starts from the family. It is a function of the kind of family background a person grows up in. My mother and father were core practising Catholics. When you grow up in the counsel of your parents, you are compelled under the law to comply with their footsteps. They tend to channel your life, choice of career and subsequent events

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as time progresses. My father was a staff of the then P.W.D (Public Works Department) in the engineering industry. His kind of job and career influenced my decision into becoming an engineer because he was my role model.

GROWING UP I am the last son in a family of seven, made up of four boys and three girls. My elder brothers also

influenced me positively. I was not born into a very wealthy home. My father was just a civil servant while my mother was a business woman. However, we were able to scale through school and lived within the benchmark of an average family.

CAREER CHOICE Incidentally, among my

siblings, I’m the only one who read engineering. Though my elder brothers grew up separately, one with an uncle to the family and another with a teacher. Only my younger sister and I were constantly under tutelage of our parents, perhaps being the last boy. I must admit that the interaction helped me to build a very close relationship with my father which subsequently guided me while growing up.

Engineering cuts across science and technology. I’m science inclined but my brothers preferred the Arts.

That explains why I happened to be the only one that plied the engineering route. As a toddler, I was skilled in

drawing.

Ironically, I studied electrical engineering for a funny reason. I had a cousin back then who was a student at UNIL AG (we grew up in Lagos). Whenever he came home, after my father had given him money, he would also ask for a token from me, and I would give him because I was good at saving. After he graduated, he came to the house one day with a 403 saloon car. I was surprised at the sudden turn of events in his life. He took me out and bought gifts for me. Out of curiosity, I asked what course he studied. He told me electrical engineering. He worked with the then Electricity

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015 — 25

•Mbelede being decorated as a fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineer by Engr Dr. J. Ujaman

•Mbelede exchanging greetings with HRH John Okafor-Agilo (The Owele of Nimo

Corporation of Nigeria (ECN) and that single wonderful situation, coupled with the fact that my father was an engineer, made me decide to study electrical engineering. I made enquiries as to which subjects I had to pass in secondary school to enable me study engineering. They listed physics, chemistry and mathematics and I eventually made credit passes in them.

It is advisable for every aspiring child to have a role model who would positively influence his or her life particularly with regards to career choice.

I have a wonderful family consisting of four boys and two girls, all four boys are into engineering, one of the girls studied accounting because my wife is a banker, working in a new generation bank, and the other is a lawyer currently doing her masters degree programme in the United Kingdom. It is evident that because we have been able to counsel them and lead by example, they decided to follow in the same line.

I did my industrial training with an engineering firm ‘’TAKAS ASSOCIATES” and it gave me a broad based background of career pattern and prospects. I came across a lot of people with BSc., HND, Ph.D., international chartered engineers and even expatriates. I saw their career approaches, the kind of houses they lived in and cars they drove and that also shaped my opinion on engineering. At the completion of my National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), I was re-absorbed into the firm. That singular privilege opened a new window of opportunity for me. I began taking professional courses in order to broaden my horizon, give me an edge and enhance my career. I took professional exams with a UK school and it was easier for me to qualify earlier than my contemporaries. The opportunity was open for me to widen my scope.

So I ventured into other areas like cost engineering, water engineering, building engineering, healthcare engineering and also project management. Now, I can boldly say that I became a multicompetent engineer. The 21st century engineering is at a cutting edge of modern technology. It is advisable to try fitting in by venturing into all categories so as to avoid limitation to one.

I just had my 25th wedding anniversary. I got married early because I saw the need to grow with my family hand in hand. My first daughter already has a master ’s degree. As a young man, I decided to settle down early so things become easier. I thank God for his blessings upon us. I can gladly say that I was influenced by her Yoruba background also. Looking back now, I realised it was a very good decision because there is nothing worthwhile I would have done then than waste my precious time. My first daughter is married now, and I am a proud grandfather.

AFTER SCHOOL

AGE

LIFE IN GENERAL

Virtually everything I do, think or say revolves around engineering. But I have a few

•Mbelede and Sir J.C. Odika KSM KSG

ADVISE TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION

Rome was not built in a day. I started my career as an engineer in a farm and got business experience there.

Interaction with a better class of people can make you grow in life. ‘’Show me your friends and I would show you who you are”. As an alumnus of Lagos State University, I did a lot of programs that widens the horoscope of an entrepreneur.

So start small and you can achieve more. The gain of professionalism is being able to practice and make the most of what you are.

GOOD MOMENTS

I’m indeed very happy that I was presented with the opportunity to study engineering, otherwise, it would have been a regretful life for me. Engineering is a worldcreating profession. It cuts across basically everything that you see today. It is simply harnessing scientific knowledge for the improvement of life for mankind.

Therefore an engineer is regarded as a bridge between man and society enhancement.

hobbies: reading, playing football, squash, travelling (going on vacation with my family). As a Christian and staunch catholic, I tend to keep my faith in check. It has helped me tremendously in guiding my day-to-day activities. I don’t take just any decision without considering the odds and gains, whether it’s the truth or otherwise. That has helped my sense of judgement, my career and my interaction daily, and also in interacting with intelligent people. With all due respect, I can count my friends in the same age bracket with me.

While growing up, I was advised by my father to mingle with people of higher intelligence, that it would move me to a higher position in life.Thanks be to God, I am blessed and highly favoured. My lovely wife works in a bank and it is not just an easy journey. Engineering for me has been a well deserving profession. I have a farm with engineers, project managers, training students and it basically contributes to reducing unemployment. I am a core resource person to the Nigerian Society of Engineers and several other professional bodies. I can gladly say I have contributed my own quota in making the society a better place.

COPING WITH BUSINESS AND THE CHURCH

•Mbelede with his first car in 1978

•His latest car

In the Catholic church, you are encouraged to be a member of the society and contribute to it.

I am a member of The Order of The Knight of Saint Mulumba.

You devote your time, talent and treasure because you are a soldier of Christ who is meant to serve and not be served.

Contribute to charity because it is the main bowl of knighthood.

To be a qualified member, you must be married, be a confirmed and baptised Catholic and within a specific age bracket. Of qualitative education and standard financial background also be ready to contribute.

26 — Vanguard, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

By KEHINDE AJOSE 08024212530

The pains behind the glory:

There were times I wanted to quit music, imagine if I did — Waje

Survival tales of top music divas

WAJE Iruobe is a songstress with the girl -next door attitude. Blessed with curves that make men drool and a career looking so good, her stardom tale hasn’t been without heartaches. She once revealed in an interview that there were times when she felt like throwing in the towel and giving up.

Hear her: “There are times people tell you; well done, great call but you don’t see anything coming out of it but what keeps you hanging on is understanding what you can do, your abilities. There are times, like some two years ago when I wanted to quit, imagine if I did. I would then blame government, blame the industry, meanwhile people wey dey succeeed, dem no get 10 heads so why me no go succeed? My own is to keep doing what I know how to do.

You know that 10,000 hours rule? Until I have done music for 10,000 hours, I’ll just keep doing it. Everything will work out for good.”

BY KEHINDE AJOSE

Everyone dreams of becoming a star and rubbing minds with the rich and famous, but only a few has what it takes to scale the hurdles to stardom. Behind the glamour ,their flawless skin, colourful designer outfits and stylish instagram pictures are scars they have have endured and still living with, as the stars blaring out of our radios and adorning our screens.

This piece chronicles the survival tales of your favourite music divas.

I ha o do so havve had tto man ws ffor or free manyy sho shows — Seyi Shay As long as yyou ou are a female, the end tto o theyy ttend put yyou ou in a corner

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OT many gave her a chance when she came into the industry with her first single Irawo.

Seyi Shay, however, doesn’t seem to be a fainthearted diva.

The Murda crooner who has amazingly risen against all odds is currently one of the sought after female artistes headlining premium shows and getting the nod of the corporate world.

In a past interview with Showtime, she described the price she had to pay for stardom:” It’s not easy because there are so many female artistes and female artistes really don’t have that recognition and the power that male artistes do get.

I have been blessed enough to bring something a bit different to the table which is my performances on stage. It’s been bumpy, I have had to do so many shows for free, had to fight for my voice to be heard “

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— Yemi Alade

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•Seyi Shay

o doubt the self proclaimed king of queens, Yemi Alade belongs to the class of music divas who are not just blessed with stunning looks, but also are armed with dogged spirit and drives. In the past one year, the Johnny sensation has become one of the most sought after pop divas dotting the landscape, perhaps, even threatening the reign of the likes of Omawunmi, Waje and Tiwa Savage.

But it has not always been this sweet and glamorous for her. She once told her story and it wasn’t altogether rosy.

In her words:” One of the challenges will be being consistent. Artistes don’t disappear because they want to, sometimes the challenges they face could be financial. Sometimes as a female, most people tend not to give you the respect you deserve.

It’s a male dominated industry; it’s a man’s world. As long as you are a female, they tend to put you in a corner instead of putting you on a throne. We just have to keep doing what we are doing. Those are just the few challenges, but day by day it keeps getting better”

•Yemi Alade

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015—27

By KEHINDE AJOSE 08024212530

Survival tales of top music divas At times, you lose confidence in yourself — Munachi Abii

•Munachi Abii

The journey has been mostly painful -Eva

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OR ex- beauty queens, the challenge of remaining relevant after their reigns often becomes an overwhelming task. Munachi Abii has a different tale to tell. The blend of beauty, brains, and talent has been able to sustain the glamour that comes with being in the limelight, revamping her into a rapper and a model.

That pretty face attached to that killer body is a winner any day. On the flip side, her journey to stardom hasn’t been without thorns.

In an interview with one of our reporters ,she revealed that she got to a point when she lost confidence in herself. “You lose confidence in yourself; it happens to the best of people. It’s not as easy as one thought it would be, I took some time to get to know myself .I wanted to know what exactly I wanted to talk about in my music .I have talked about owning Benzes and Porsches that I don’t have which everybody talks about.

That’s good for the club, but the question is, can everybody relate to that? If I tell you about my struggles, somebody will relate to that. I am sure there is a young budding female rapper somewhere writing her rap and hoping that someday she will get noticed by someone .There will be a time when she will not believe in herself .There will be a time when she will say: ”You know what?

Forget everything” she says

She possesses a sense of style you just can’t ignore. Eva is the quintessential entertainer who can go any length for what she believes in. The ambassador for the Made of Black campaign, recorded her first track in 2009 and hasn’t looked back ever since.

The rapper who is also a make- up artiste once disclosed the sour side of stardom. “The journey has been solo and crazy. It has been one ride after another. It has been fun but it’s been mostly painful; very painful, especially for a young woman doing music. The music business is a very crazy business, even for the guys. So when you put a woman in the mix and have her do everything by herself and face the media, the critics, the haters… it’s been difficult.

Oh yes. There are people who have never met you before, maybe they’ve seen your picture and because they hate how you look in that picture, they will hate you. Because you look fierce or daring in a picture, they will say you are arrogant.

I’ve had to go through a lot of emotional stress, plenty heartaches and much pain. At a point when you want to have fun with what you love to do, you can’t feel the joy anymore because there is so much pain.”

•Eva

Being a star is not so much fun — Chidinma Ekile

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WARD winning singer and MTN Project Fame Season 3 winner, Chidinma Ekile, is generally seen as the most desired woman in the entertainment industry.

Without attempting to line up her list of admirers, so many artistes have expressed the hots for the petite singer.

Forget her diminutive stature, this youngster has worked very hard to remain relevant on the scene, despite the controversies that have come her way in recent times, her profile is on the rise Yet beneath the near-perfect facade are some cracks occasioned by drudgery of trying to make it as a woman in a man’s dominated world.

“It is a lot of work. People see me and envy me and say “oh, she is now a star and she must be enjoying”. I am not enjoying” she says, about being a star. “ The more you are there, the more you do things. The expectation is now •Chidinma so high. Being a star is not so much fun because you have to do more work. You have to please people.

You have to smile even when you are not in the mood. It is so frustrating. But then, you owe it to some people. You have put yourself out there. This is what I have signed for. Nobody begged me to do this.” She declares.

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Then, nobody wanted to listen to Nigerian songs — Sasha

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ETUNDE Alabi a.k.a Sasha transformed right in our presence from being a regular rapper to becoming a fashion entrepreneur, brand ambassador and inspiration to young women. Though in recent times, her focus has been on her fashion label, but she has nevertheless continued to hone her craft, making her mark on the Nigerian music terrain.

She once revealed in an interview how it was difficult for her music to gain acceptance. “The industry has grown in leaps and bounds from when I started till now. The fact that someone can release a song now and the next day in London, in America, everybody has heard it is a huge leap. When I was with Trybes Records, Eldee used to pay these street hawkers to carry our CDs. Then, nobody wanted to listen to Nigerian songs, let alone pay for it. The main thing is you have to be passionate about it first. It’s not a clear cut money-making scheme but it’s definitely very viable if it’s done properly.”

•Sasha P

28—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28 , 2015

AMVCA 2015 :

Kunle Afolayan, Rita Dominic, other nominees battle for Malta’s N1m prize

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OLLYWOOD producers and actors, Kunle Afolayan, Ayo Makun, Rita Dominic, Zeb Ejiro, O.C Ukeje, Ivie Okujaye among other nominees for this year’s AfricaMagic Viewers ‘Choice Award, are up against each other, as official sponsor of the award, Amstel Malta, announces its reward of one million naira cash prize each, to winners of four award categories.

According to Edem Vindah, Corporate Media and Public Affairs Manager of Nigerian Breweries, who addressed nominees and guests at the AMVCA Nominees Brunch, held on Wednesday, February 25, at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos, the Amstel Malta cash reward will be given to winners of the Best Actor(Drama) and Best Actress (Drama) as well as Best Movie (Comedy) and Best Overall Movie.

Edem explained that the brand, which has been a part of the AMVCA since its maiden edition in 2013, is very determined to celebrate the best, hence the decision to reward the winners.

“Amstel Malta is a brand that promotes exceptional talents and those who want to be the best in what they are doing. It is indeed an awesome privilege to be part of this great project”, he added.

Former Amstel Malta Box Office (AMBO) winner, Wole Ojo, who was at the brunch, also expressed his pleasure at the gesture.

“This is certainly a welcomed initiative and truthfully I’m not too surprised at Amstel Malta’s decision to do this. I mean, this is a brand that has always supported the movie industry from way back. They sure know how to do it best. Everyone needs such encouragement to keep up the good work and it couldn’t have come at a better time”, he said.

Amstel Malta with this initiative, hopes to urge its many consumers to continue steadfastly on their journey to success while it keeps on doing all it can to encourage their efforts to be the best they can be.

The 2015 AMVCA will hold its Technical Awards on the 6th of March at the Eko Convention Centre, followed by the main awards event, the day after at same venue.

Mr. John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria and his counterpart, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, Regional Director, M-net West Africa, expressed optimism that this year ’s AMVCA will deliver another spectacular awards night.

Nollywood stars who attended the colourful event were, Zeb Ejiro, Segun Arinze, Fidelis Duker, Omoni Oboli, OC Ukeje, Joke Silva, Ireti Doyle, Kunle Afolayan, Lala Akindoju, Ozzy Agu, Linda Ejiofor and IK Osakioduwa. Others were Vimbai Mutinhiri, Kelechi Amadi-Obi,Blossom Chukwujekwu, Toyin Aimakhu, Jennifer Alegieuni and Ivie Okujaye.

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O.C Ukeje

Mr. John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria and Wangi MbaUzoukwu,M-net Regional Director with some nominees

Kunle Afolayan with some nominees

Funk e Akindele, Charles unke Inojie,Helen Paul dazzle in Mr Po Pottosky

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ERSATILE comedy actor, Charles Inojie, crossover actresses, Funke Akindele and Helen Paul have dazzled in a new blockbuster movie, Mr Potosky.

Produced from the stables of DeKross Movie Productions, Mr Potosky has been tipped to set a new pace in Nollywood.

The multi-million naira film, directed by Amayo Uzo-Philip, also stars Bishop Imeh and Chike Anyawu among others.

Christopher Ozoemena, the Chief Executive Officer of De-Kross Movie Productions, who produced the movie, assured that Mr Potosky will surpass the sheer success recorded by many of his previous movies.

Ozoemena, who has produced multiple award-winning movies • A d e m e w o like Total War, Caught in the Act, Agbebiyi Beauty and the Beast, The

Maidens, The Kingdom and Aki the Blind, said he has shot glamorous and serious stories in the past, but decided to wow movie buffs with something more soothing this time around.”So, I had to get those who know how to act comedy that has direction and moral lesson because I always want people to learn after watching my films. I got wonderful actors, director and technical crew who did a great job on this movie,” he reiterated.

The film is reaching out to families who don’t teach their wards good morals. “The message of the film is for people to believe in themselves and be contented with what God has given them. People should not be carried away with material things – don’t judge people by the cars they drive or the clothes they wear,” Ozoemena, popularly known as DeKross stated.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015 —29

Inside story of #iBelieve Concert: Ambode was instrumental to my coming into limelight— Ice Prince

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S expected, the #iBelieve Concert was dope and full of all the razzmatazz and camaraderie one can ever imagine from a concert of that magnitude.

Starting from the choice of venue to the décor, the exquisite wine and cuisine including the electrifying performances, the concert no doubt proved that lots of efforts were painstakingly put together by the organizers to guarantee maximum fun and satisfaction of participants.

The concert which served as an opportunity for Lagosians to meet with the APC governorship candidate in Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode in a genial atmosphere, saw A-list Nigerians entertainers came out in their numbers to drum support for the man of the moment.

As early as 6pm, there was already a massive turnout of well meaning Lagosians, mostly the youths signaling that publicity for the concert had been rife. It featured electrifying performances from Nigeria’s finest artistes which interestingly matched the overwhelming support shown by the massive crowd.

•Ambode dancing on stage

•Ice Prince

•Banky W performing

…Night of fun The concert kicked off with performances by upcoming artistes who took to the stage to prep up the crowd for the best that was yet to come.

Their comic reliefs, which helped to spice up the night.

Seyi Law, Bash, Yaw, Adeyinka, Funke Akindele and AY, all had participants reeling in their seats from the rib-cracking jokes. DJ Jimmy Jatt, Dj Bombastic and DJ Tippsy were also on hand to spin exciting beats from the wheel to the delight of the crowd.

There were also performances from leading dance groups in the country, Dance Na The Main Thing (DNMT) and Unilag Humour Dance. The Zombie like performance of DNMT and the energetic Bata dance step from Unilag Humour Dance group were all an aspect of the concert that the crowd would not easily forget in a long time to come. Then came the moment everyone was waiting for, time for wholesome and quality music from renowned international acts. K9, Dj Zeez, Yemi Alade (Johnny Crooner), Pasuma, Ice Prince, MI, Banky W, Flavour Na’abania and Olamide (the baddest guy that ever liveth) all took turns to display their lyrical prowess to the awe and delight of the audience.

But the high point of the fun filled event was when the people’s Governor took to the stage to join Flavour during his performance. Dancing and singing along to the beautiful rendition of flavour ’s hit song ‘Nwa baby’ Ambode showed a playful side of him that got him sweet admiration and ovation from the crowd.

The Governor to be also took time out to exchange pleasantries with the people who had come out to show their solidarity, even as he took selfies with them.

Speaking at the event, Ambode assured that his commitment to explore and maximize the huge potentials in the Entertainment, Sports and Tourism sector, when elected. According to the entertainers, they are supporting Ambode because he has touched the lives of many artistes before he ever dreamt of vying the position of the Lagos state Governor.

Disclosing how Ambode had been instrumental to his success, Ice Prince said, “He contributed to my coming into the limelight today. A lot of Nigerian artistes have benefitted from him, financially and morally. So we know him and we believe in him.”

I

Asa is the absolut e absolute coolest

NTERNATIONAL music star Asa has released new promotional photographs as she embarks on the European leg of her Bed of Stone album tour.

A departure from her usual laid back style, the FrenchNigerian soul singer appears coolly sophisticated dressed in a menswear inspired suit with a plunging neckline, and strikingly ephemeral in a white shirt paired with a fulllength azure skirt, among other outfits. The minimalist approach to her make up highlights the styling to make sure that Asa—mature, sultry, and alluring—is front and centre.

Speaking about the album “Bed Of Stone” the iconic singer said, “ I wanted to prove a point to those who felt, ‘Hey, you’re nothing, you’ve been stained; You don’t have hope.”

The tour has been a success so far and Asa spoke briefly of its impact. “It has been an overwhelming experience,” she said. “You know you have done well when fans can connect to you and you also feel such connection and that in itself is powerful which says you are successful.”

The talented singer continues her tour in Germany, France, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, with other cities to follow.

30— SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

Julliane Moore

Eddie Redmayne

Oscars 2015:

Award Winners get political at the podium From civil rights to gender equality, celebrities take the opportunity to talk up support for individual causes

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hen Michael Moore protested against the war in Iraq in his 2003 acceptance speech, or when Marlon Brando sent a Native American rights activist to decline his Oscar for Best Actor in 1973, theirs were the lone dissenting voices in a chorus of celebrity self-congratulation.

But the winners at this year’s Academy Awards were the most campaigning group in memory, delivering speeches that included heartfelt calls for women’s rights, African-American civil rights, immigrant rights and gay rights.

During the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday evening, the British Best Actor winner, Eddie Redmayne, dedicated his win to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) sufferers around the world – in particular Stephen Hawking, whom he portrayed in The Theory of Everything.

Julianne Moore, who won Best Actress for her portrayal of a woman diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in Still Alice, reserved particular thanks for her codirector Richard Glatzer, who also suffers from ALS. Patricia Arquette, named Best Supporting Actress for her 12-years-in-the-making turn as a working

mother in Boyhood, ended her acceptance speech with a demand for gender equality, cheered enthusiastically by her fellow nominee Meryl Streep. “It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America.”

Her remarks came on a night when the hashtag #AskHerMore trended on Twitter, encouraging journalists to ask actresses better questions than which designer created their outfit.

“This is a movement to say we’re more than just our dresses,” Best Actress nominee Reese Witherspoon told one interviewer on the red carpet.

“It’s hard being a woman in Hollywood.”

While the ceremony may have been political, the films it chose to honour largely were not. Birdman is the third Best Picture winner in four years whose subject – like Argo in 2013 and The Artist in 2012 – was show business. Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu’s backstage black comedy won Oscars in four categories, a haul matched by Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. Boyhood, the early awardsseason front-runner, garnered just one award.

Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu dedicated his Best Picture award to his fellow Mexicans (Getty) Despite the recent fuss about the Academy’s lack of diversity, a Latin American film-maker has won the Oscar for Best Director two years in a row. In 2014 it was Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity; this year it was Iñarritu, who also shared the award for Best Original Screenplay. His film’s Mexican

Patricia Arquette

cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, took home his second Oscar in as many years – he also won last year for Gravity.

“I want to dedicate this award for my fellow Mexicans, the ones who live in Mexico,” Iñarritu said as he accepted the Best Picture statuette. “And the ones that live in this country, who are part of the latest generation of immigrants, I just pray that they can be treated with the same dignity and respect as the ones who came before and built this incredible immigrant nation.”

The Martin Luther King biopic Selma was thought to have received fewer nominations than it deserved, yet it provided the ceremony’s emotional high point: Common and John Legend’s rendition of “Glory”, the civil-rights anthem they wrote for the film, moved audience members to tears and earned a lengthy standing ovation, and the Oscar for Best Original Song.

Legend addressed the continuing struggle for civil rights in his acceptance speech: “The Voting Rights Act that they fought for 50 years ago is being compromised right now, in this country, today. We know that right now, the struggle for freedom and justice is real… When people are marching with our song, we want to tell you we are with you.”

Culled from The Independent

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Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015 — 31

Culled from Daily Mail

The ladies who showed their less subtle side

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O ONE could accuse Rita Ora of subtlety, and in her sheer Donna Karan dress she was the sartorial equivalent of a brick through a window. As The Voice judge told reporters: ‘In the dress world, for Rita Ora there are two things you have to do: what

Irina Shayk

hasn’t anybody else done, and what could I do to make myself feel as sexy as possible?.

And the 24-year-old singer wasn’t the only star to make an Oscars entrance that was more than a little revealing...

Heidi Klum

Kylie Minogue

Rita Ora Benedict Kumberbatch and Sophie Hunter

Anger at ‘snub’ to Joan Rivers

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HE Academy drew criticism for leaving comedienne and TV presenter Joan Rivers out of its annual In Memoriam tribute.

Rivers died last September at the age of 81 following surgery. She was a regular on the Oscars red carpet with her outrageous observations about the stars’ outfits.

Shortly before she died, Rivers provoked controversy for saying she had no sympathy for the plight of Palestinians in the Middle East conflict, adding: ‘You deserve to be dead. You started it.’

A spokesman for the Academy said Joan was included in its online In Memoriam gallery.

A singer in Marigolds? That’s just Gaga L ADY GAGA proved you don’t need to wear a dress made of meat or a lobster hat to be noticed. The singer — who performed a Julie Andrews tribute — wore a super voluminous white dress designed by Azzedine Alaia and shiny red leather gauntlets that were supposed to evoke a superhero look, but were more ‘hands that do dishes’.

Twitter was ablaze with pictorial jokes, including a superimposed bottle of washing up liquid, a floral apron and a sink full of unwashed dishes.

Lady Gaga Twitter Picture jokes

32— SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015 Are you a pastor in Benin at the moment?

The head quarters of my church, Divine Revelation Church, is located in Benin. Presently, we are planning to set up a branch in Abuja.

You had a branch in Lagos before now. What happened?

The place we had in Lagos then was not expansive enough compared to the space we are currently occupying in Benin. But we are coming back to Lagos by the grace of God. How are you getting on with the work of God? There is nothing that can be better than that.

Would you say winning souls for God is the best decision you have ever taken in your life?

The best thing that I have ever done is to be able to get myself involved in the work of God . This is because when He calls you and you yield to the call, you are going to be living the life of a Christian. And living the life of Christian is beyond this world.

Like the biblical Saul later christened Paul, have you faced any prosecution, rejection and embarrassment since you began your journey into knowing the deeper things of God? I face prosecution every now and then. But all those prosecutions are obstacles that are meant to make one strong, so that you can understand the grace of God upon your life. Yes, temptations have been coming my way, but no temptation can hold me back . Sometimes, you pray for temptation to come your way so that you can exercise the faith that the Lord has given you.

Would you say you wished you had accepted Christ at the peak of your career as a singer back in the days?

Nobody discovers God when he or she wants to. God has to call you to himself for one to be able to discover him. I didn’t decide to follow God, rather God called me to work for Him. But you were once a Muslim. How come you suddenly converted to Christianity?

I was once a very strong and devoted Muslim. I love Islam and I still love it till tomorrow. Religiously, I am a Muslim. Religion is a way man relates to his God but salvation is God calling you back to himself.

No man can get salvation except God approves it, but you can be a religious man if you want to.

Fathering children I ca take care of remains m greatest regret —Felix L •Warns young musicians to beware of desperate women •Reveals his readiness to do collabo with any artiste More than three decades after he left the scene, Felix Libarty (a.k.a Lover Boy) who once ruled the airwaves in Nigeria in the 80s with his hit song, “Ifeoma,” is feeling disturbed today. The Edo Stateborn singer-turned-pastor who had all the good things going for him then; fame, wealth and women while the ovation was very loud, is an unhappy man following his inability to provide love, care and financial support to his nineteen children from seven different women. Sounding sober and humbled by his past, repentant Libarty in this telephone interview with Showtime Celebrity relives memories of his regrettable past mistakes, warning, however, young music stars to beware of the antics of desperate women who will surely come after them to ruin their lives. He also reveals his readiness to do collaboration with any young musician and many more.

By BENJAMIN NJOKU same today?

When you are in the world, you strive for everything. But when you are in Christ Jesus, you must work in obedience with God’s commandments. When you are in the world, you don’t work in obedience. You do things the way you like. When I was singing “Ifeoma”, I did things that pleased

At what point did He call you?

I got the call at the tail end of my prosperity in music. So, he called me into this ministry and that’s what I am doing today.

What was your response when you got the call?

I was a very strong practicing Muslim. I love Islam till date. But my Islamic life at the moment is the life of destinity. And that’s exactly why Jesus Christ came into this world, and that’s why I received the way I was called by Him. When I was a Muslim, I worked as religious person, but now that I am in Christ, I am a spiritual person. There is a great difference between a spiritual person and a religious person.

When you were in the world, things were rosy for you. Is it the

The issue of having children here and there was a very bad mistake I made. My regret till date, is my inability to provide love, care and financial support to all of my children

me. But today, whatever I want to do, I must hear from God . He has to lead me.

Does it mean that you will have nothing to do with music again?

I have so many songs that are yet to be released. But I’m just waiting for God to bring people that will collaborate with me. I will be doing songs that will bring sinners back to God. I will love to go into

collaboration with these emerging artistes, but it has to be songs that will glorify God. I am a man under authority at the moment.

Looking back, is there anything you are regretting or mistakes you made then

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015 — 33 while it lasted. I loved it so much when my music was making waves, to the point that it got into my head.

But it wouldn’t happen again.

annot my

The woman that I am currently married to, Rosemary is the best woman that I got involved with.

Liberty that you wish you could correct today?

There are so many things I didn’t do right, and I have asked God to forgive me.

The issue of having children here and there was a very bad mistake I made. My regret till date, is my inability to provide love, care and financial support to all of my children. You cannot bring a child into this world and you can’t take proper care of him. You cannot bring a child into this world without showing him enough

enough for them as a father. That’s my biggest regret.

love. Every child has a right to his own destiny, and his destiny will be fulfilled through the love and care you have shown to him. And all these things I didn’t have them and it hurts. I was just like a fool who believed he was a superstar. There was nothing in me at all. Any man who does not know Jesus is not fit to live.

Do you still come in contact with all your children?

Of course, I talk to them most of the time. But I am not doing

What of their mothers. Do you still relate well with them?

Yes, I also come in contact with most of them. Again, you don’t blame them because you wouldn’t want to have anything to do with a man that has disregarded you, put you in bondage and allowed you to take care of the resulting children all alone. A woman should run away from such a man.

Would you say it was part of the price you paid as a star back in the days?

It wasn’t a price per se, it’s just that I was selfish. Every woman that came my way then I wanted to date her. It’s not a good omen. You must look for your wife, and stick to her.

It has to be one woman. That’s my advice to all these young music stars that are making waves today. They should beware of women. Marriage is sacred. I am telling all the young stars to stay away from women. They will come after them and later lead them to a life of regrets.

You wedded a woman a few years ago. Was she one of the women that had children for you?

The woman that I am currently married to, Rosemary, is the best woman that I got involved with.

She is the mother of my first four children.

How did she feel when she realized you had children from other women?

She couldn’t cope as she left me for awhile. But when I became born again, she came back to me.

Each time you hear the word, ‘Lover Boy’, does it remind you of anything in the past?

It reminds me of all the success I made during my time as a music star and some of the things that I am regretting now. But at the end of the day, I give glory to God that I was able to come out of it. I now live a Christ-like life. I enjoyed all the success that music gave to me

While the ovation was loud, you disappeared from the scene and relocated abroad, what informed your decision?

Relocating abroad was good but it was a wrong decision I made. While I was abroad, I wasn’t getting the happiness that I craved for. Each time, I visited home from America, I found myself being happy. I would get all the attention but, while I was in America, I wasn’t getting any attention. There, I daily struggled to eat, but at home, I lived a life of grace because God said, ‘this is where I belong.’ If I had known, what I would have done then, was to stay back in Nigeria and be touring countries in Europe and America.

What would you say is the missing link between your time and what obtains today in the Nigerian music scene?

Musicians of yesteryears did it for the passion they have for music.

Then they were not thinking of the material gains or fame, rather how to perfect their crafts. Today’s musicians are more concerned about making money. They wouldn’t go to school nor master how to play the instruments. But I must confess, today’s musicians are very talented. There is need for them to become professional singers. They have to go into having a band, learn the trade properly because if you don’t learn the trade you can’t give what you don’t have. Music is a spiritual thing. It has to be inborn. It’s just like Fela, any time you listen to his songs, you wouldn’t believe he’s no more. His music is evergreen because he is a core professional musician. They are very good at delivering good songs,but they are nowhere professionally.

Don’t you have the urge to grace the stage again after disappearing for a very long time?

My stage now is to win souls for Jesus Christ. If you call me for evangelism I will honour the invitation. If you invite me to come and perform at a spirit-filled concert, I will honour the invitation.

That’s what we used to call entertainment at that time. It will now be a platform for spiritual manifestation to win souls for Christ. I intend to start organizing Holy Ghost inspired concerts, what people call crusade. The concert is going to be powered by music.

You once confessed that your mother was a strong influence in your success as a singer then. Why was it so?

It was because I thought she was the one who was giving me the strength to move about as she was into some fetish things. But I didn’t know that it was Jesus that gave me the strength to achieved what I achieved in music.

But when you told her that you have embraced Christ, what was her reaction?

At first, she thought I was going astray. But later, when she found out that I was really called by God, she started encouraging me, even until she gave up the ghost.

34—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

By BENJAMIN NJOKU njokujamin@yahoo.com

‘I can’t remember being physically challenged’ •Says Shuga band is a musical destination

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or the lead singer and founder of the famous Shuga Band, Akin Shuga Tofowomo, “There is always “ability in disability.” The respected entertainer had polio at the age of five. But he refused to be deterred, bravely confronting the challenges and rose to become one of the most sought-after-music stars in this part of the world.

Establishing his Shuga band eighteen years ago after his gallant exit from Pintus, an upscale bar located along the highbrow Allen Avenue, Ikeja back in the days, marked a turning point in his career. Today, Akin’s Shuga band is not only rated as one of Nigeria’s number one functioning bands, but also as a group committed to the highest standard of excellence and professionalism.

The veteran entertainer, whose name and reputation for hard work made him a favorite for music lovers believes that his music is for all ages.

Interestingly, Akin said he does not feel laid-back due to his condition. “I don’t feel discouraged at all. People look at me and say I am arrogant. But I am not,” Shuga band leader said in a chat with Sidebeat shortly after thrilling audience at this year ’s prestigious Vanguard Personality of the Year Awards, which held recently at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Known for her uptempo secular flair and performing of dynamic sounds creating rich harmonies, the group was the cynosure of attraction at the event.

Offering swing-beat as RnB, dance tunes, oldies, country, traditional and soulful arrangement, it left the appreciative audience screaming and yearning for more.

Still talking about his health challenges, the veteran singer said “disability is actually ability for one to work harder. This is because you are at a particular point, and it means you are able. There are things I can do that able-bodied people cannot,

C M Y K

just as there are things they can do that I can’t do. I can sing for them to dance. So, my ability is in singing, while their own disability is in singing. You see God is perfect. In every imperfection, there is perfection,” As a way of giving back to society, Akin, few years ago set up Shuga Limp Foundation to cater for polio victims. According to him, “I have been like this since I was five years.

That’s why I set up a foundation called Shuga Limp Foundation which reaches out to victims of polio, and people who cannot afford the walking aids.” For the Shuga band leader, he would have probably suffered the fate of other physically challenged people in the street he had proved unable to afford the needful properly walking aids. “But I am independent, I can go anywhere I want to go, I can drive, exercise and do anything. So, when people are empowered, then they can be independent and fend for themselves,”

I don't feel discouraged at all. People look at me and say I am arrogant. But I am not

•Shuga Band

•Akin Shuga Tofowomo he said.

Revealing that before he had polio, he used to be a goal keeper during his primary school days, Akin noted that he grew up in an environment where he was not allowed to brood over his health status. A son of a former number two Judge of the Federal High Court, late Justice Tofowomo, Akin has had the opportunity to dine and wine with the high and the mighty in society. Akin had his formative years in the eastern part of the country: Enugu and Calabar. Over the years, the veteran singer has carved out a niche for himself as one of the artistes that have put contemporary Nigerian music on the global map.

Although he was not born into a musical family, Akin believes that music is an integral part of his life.

He said, that he started playing music while he was in school school.

Recounting his journey into music, Akin said, “It all started at the famous Pintus, an upscalee bar on Allen Avenue owned by the late Uncle Segun Onobulu. He actually spotted a few things I didn’t know about myself.”

“About eighteen years ago, I formed the Shuga Band. We started out as a three piece band, playing piano, doing free man band and entertaining the audience.

Akin’s Shuga band is often described as a band for the rich and famous. The group is synonymous with weddings and other social engagements. In fact, no wedding ceremony would be complete without

Shuga band. In the past, the high and the mighty in society including past three presidents of Nigeria, business moguls, Governors, fans in Paris, Sri Lanka, Dubai, America and those who can afford the luxury have all been entertained by the group. He described his group’s kind of music as an infusion of different genres, adding “ We play contemporary music in terms of the entertainment.

But when you listen to our Christmas album, it’s an infusion of contemporary vibes mixed with traditional percuss ions.

That’s what makes us unique because we bring in, the percussion as well as the songs you know and make it great.

It was just an idea.”

Akin also, sees his style of music as a destination. “This was as a result of the fact that I was in Pintus at a time.

I saw the way it was done back then, and I was part of it. I understood the system and said, okay , if music can be done properly like this, one can actually establish a band and do the same,” he narrated.

The group has many singles as well as Christmas album in the market. “We also have one other album out there, including a wedding album, which we just releases into the market. We are ynonymous with weddings. Our fan call us the best wedding band in tow . ” In uest to be a master of his craft, Aki last year went back to school to stu y music business abroad. Ac ording to him, he was inspired to tak the bold steps following his desire to lay a major role in the development and structuring of the Nigerian en ertainment industry. He further ex lained, “My desire is to play a piv otal role in the development and str cturing of the Nigerian ent rtainment industry. That was why I w nt to study Music business abroad. I r ally need to understand how it wor s beside establishing a band and per forming at shows. One really needs to nderstand the nitty-gritty of the bus ness of music, and not just the show. We were formerly doing the show, but no , it’s business mixed with the show. ”

SATURDAY

C M Y K

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015 — 35

36—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

C M Y K

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015—37

Eaglets seek redemption against Guinea

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orld champions Nigeria will engage Guinea in a battle for supremacy when they clash in a third-place match at the 11th CAF U17 Championship in Niger Republic tomorrow.

Both teams battled to a 1-1 draw in their second group match with goals from Sam Diallo through a penalty kick after 17 minutes, while Kelechi Nwakali drew Nigeria level from penalty spot in the 85th minute.

Both teams have met thrice in this competition in 1995, when Nigeria won 2-1 in a group game, drew 2-2 in a group game in 2001 and drew 1-1 in the on-going edition.

The team’s coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, slammed the team’s performance against Guinea in the group stage as the worst game the Eaglets have played under his reign.

CAF CONFED. CUP:

Wolves pounce on Bobo Dioulasso

Garba: I’ve picked C Y A r o f s r e y la p t s be

By John Egbokhan

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ARRI Wolves have made up their made to devour Bobo Dioulasso of Burkina Faso in today’s Caf Confederation Cup match at the Warri City Stadium.

Defender Oke Ogagate said yesterday that the players were in battle mood for the second leg of CAF’ second rated competition.

Speaking to reporters after yesterday’s training session, Ogagate said there was no way their opponents would escape defeat in Warri. “ We are battle ready for this match. We have worked hard and what the management has done in terms of meeting our demand has really worked. We are focused on dismantling them.Our fans should come out and support us the way it is done in Europe. We need them to succeed and by the Grace of God, we will not let them down” said Oke. Wolves match winner in Burkina Faso, Abu Azeez said he was looking forward to getting another goal to help his side see off the Burkinabes.

“I am looking forward to a great and good game against the Burkina Faso team, we just want to win the second leg to do a double over them and progress to next stage and I am looking forward to score against them again in this one,” said Azeez, who along with Bartholomew Ibenegbu, has been excused by the beach

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Eagles.

In a related development, the gate to Warri City Stadium will be thrown open to fans at 12pm while the match proper will kick off at 4pm Wolves are expected to beat Bobo Doulasso of Burkina Faso again on Saturday to progress to the first round of the CAF Confederation Cup. They defeated Bobo 1-0 in the reverse fixture played a fortnight ago.

The overall winners of this match-up will confront the winners of the clash between debit of Ethiopia and Cote d’Or from Seychelles in the first round next month.

Azeez “It won’t be an easy game for us, they are a good side too and will come hard at us because they know it is the last chance they have. They will be coming here with everything in them.

As I said they are a good side, we were better in the first leg and will still be better than them in the second leg.”

ITH names like Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfried Ndidi and Musa Yahaya missing from the final list of players to the Africa Youth Championship, Flying Eagles coach, Manu Garba says he has chosen only the best players at his disposal.

Garba explained that the 21 players selected were the best he could have chosen from the available lot..

“We have always said that only the best players would be selected and that is what we have done,” he said.

“It is quite unfortunate that we do not have the likes of Iheanacho and Wilfried Ndidi but we have confidence on the abilities of the players we have at the moment.

“And when you have very good players, you can only choose the best out of them and that is what we have done for the Africa Youth Championship.”

The Flying Eagles coach however admitted that they will miss some of the players that have failed to make the team, but maintained that the selected players can also get the job done.

“We surely will miss them, like Musa Yahaya, Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfried Ndidi but we must focus on what we have.

“Hopefully if we qualify for the World Cup then they will join us,” Manu said.

Iheanacho and Yahaya failed to make the team due to injuries, while the NFF have failed to secure the release of Ndidi from Belgian club, Genk.

8 – Blatter 1 r e b m e c e D y b l a Qatar 2022 fin al should be played

ld Cup fin he Qatar 2022 Wor ember, says Fifa president ec D 18 an th ended a no later force has recomm he ld sk ta fa Fi A r. te Sepp Blat en t an d em be r to ur na m N ov em be r/ D ec 23 December final, which would ta chief discussions abou Premier League ct” s. le du he sc tic es to “prote affect dom udamore wants Sc d ar ch Ri e iv execut festive fixture list.

English football’s urnament won’t go on until two Blatter said the to : “We have to stop at the 18th.” tmas days before Chris expected on 20 March. is n sio ci de al fin A

T

Sepp Blatter.

•Manu Garba

Van Persie out with ankle problem M

anchester United striker Robin van Persie could be out for more than two weeks with an ankle problem, says manager Louis van Gaal.

Van Persie, 31, fell awkwardly after putting over a cross in the defeat at Swansea on 21 February.

The Dutchman left the Liberty Stadium on crutches and wearing a protective cast on his right foot.

“I do not think it is very heavy but ankle problems can take a long time,” said Van Gaal.

“It is not one or two weeks.”

It means Van Persie will miss the C M Y K

forthcoming Premier League games with Sunderland and Newcastle, plus the FA Cup quarter-final with old club Arsenal at Old Trafford on 9 March.

Midfielder Michael Carrick is available after missing six games with a calf injury.

United have only lost one game when Carrick has started this season but Van Gaal said tomorrow’s game might come too soon for the 33-year-old.

“He needs match rhythm,” he said. “He only trained one time with the group.”

38 — SATURDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

BENDEL INSURANCE:

Waiting for a sleeping giant to wake up

BY JOHN EGBOKHAN

C

ast your mind back and imagine this. A charged atmosphere at the National Stadium sees two teams emerging from the tunnel and the fans go wild in their thunderous ovations. And on one side are these players: Agwo Nnaji, David Adiele, Francis Monidafe, Felix Agbonifoe, Peter Iyharevba, Henry Ogboe etc. You would have played the match in your head.

And you would sure to have value for your money. When the story of the great days of Nigerian football is being told anywhere, those who lived it get emotional for they find it difficult to understand what is going on now. Then, players had class, the crowd was unbelievable and the matches thrilled and lured them back to the venues all the

time. Our local league had heroes.

And many of them were in Bendel Insurance, a side with culture, fan base and a sweet narrative that kept ears open.

When a list of Nigerian teams who made waves in the last three to four decades is made, a certain club from the old mid-western region will unequivocally rank amongst the top five.

Surely, Bendel Insurance remain one of the top teams to have come out of the Nigerian top-flight football, making waves nationally and on the continent to the sheer delight of their teeming fans, who were then regarded as the most colourful supporters club in the country although many could rightly disagree, citing Rangers International of Enugu and Stationery Stores of Lagos and Shooting Stars of Ibadan.

Indeed, the records of Bendel Insurance speak volumes of the

The raging crisis later snowballed beyond proportions as Bendel Insurance at one time presented two different clubs claiming the name Insurance

great feats achieved by a team, which assumed a cult-like figure for natives of the former Bendel State, comprising Edo and Delta State. Indeed, the fan base of Benin Arsenals extended far beyond the shores of the Bendel region as fans from the west, east and even north joined the bandwagon of loyalists drooling for the team.

Bendel Insurance Football Club, also known as Insurance of Benin Football Club, were originally knowm as the Vipers of Benin.

The club started as the soccer arm of Bendel Insurance Limited, an insurance firm owned by Bendel State, but which later went down owing to bankruptcy.

Insurance FC were one of the founders of the Nigerian Premier League in 1972. They won the Premier league title in the same year of its start in 1972 and second league shield in 1979.

They have also won the most glamorous and oldest running competition in the country, the FA Cup

thrice, in 1972, 1978, 1980 On the continental level, they won the CAF Cup, now known as the Confederation Cup in 1994 while they reached the semifinals of the 1980 edition of the African Cup of Champions Club. The competition is now’ called CAF Champions League.

At the regional level, Bendel Insurance won the West African Club Championship in 1993, 1994 and 1995, making them about the best Nigerian team to have achieved such feat in the history of the competition.

But the club’s started flirting with trouble in 2007 when they had their first month of the 2007-08 season delayed because of a management dispute over who controlled the team. At one end was Ekhosueyi, who was the chairman of the club at that time and Brown Ebewele, the former national athlete, who was

•Fr

SATURDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2015—39

•Ewere

rank

then the Commissioner of Sports.

Ebewele’s grouse with Ekhosueyi was that he was running the club as his personal empire, despite government’s heavy subvention to the team referred to as the pride of the State.

The raging crisis later snowballed beyond proportions as Bendel Insurance at one time presented two different clubs claiming the name Insurance. It was the height of it and there was no going back as the later got relegated at the end of the 2007O8 season after finishing in last place.

It was their first relegation from the top level since the league started in 1972 and regrettably, the giants are still deep in their slumber, while fans continue to rummage over when the club will wake up from this enforced slumber.

For many fans of the club, the emergence of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to the Governorship seat of Edo State on 12 November 2008 was seen as the tonic that

would usher in the revival that Insurance FC critically needed.

They were on the knees, fighting for their very survival, leaving in its wake the attendant untold hardship on players and the coaches, who were simply lacking in motivation.

Before Oshiomhole was returned as Governor by the Election Tribunal, it seemed the ownership crisis of the Insurance FC was settled in August, 2008 as the Edo State government took control of the administration of the club.

Thus the name officially reverted to Bendel Insurance Football Club.

But to the bewilderment of all, financial troubles of the club continued throughout the season.

Things got to a head in February 2009 as Insurance were banned from prosecuting their home matches at their traditional 20, 000- capacity Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium ground in Benin City, temporarily because it did not meet the minimum standards set by the the board of the Nigeria Premier League.

A month later, Bendel Insurance FC were listed amongst eight teams threatened with having their participation suspended due to a backlog of debts to players and coaches and fines imposed by the NPL. But the hammer soon fell heavily on them when they were exiled to Ilorin for their final home game of the season after crowd trouble in a 1-1 tie against Shooting Stars FC that put an end to their promotion hopes.

So it was with much optimism that Edolites saw Oshiomhole’s entry into the Dennis Osadebey Government House as the oil Bendel Insurance needed to get back running again. But alas, the status quo seems not to have changed in seven years, as the club still languish in the periphery of the NNL. Fans of the club are at a loss as to how the club were yet to find their rhythm after these seven years under the comrade governor, who has renovated the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, regularised their salaries of the team and extended his love for sports into the organisation of the Okpekpe Road race, the only International Athletics Association Federations certified event in Nigeria.

The Okpekpe Race commands huge rating in the world and it is to the credit of Governor Oshimhole that Nigeria is hosting such a notable event in the calendar of the IAAF. But how come that this charm offensive by the comrade Governor in hosting such a highly acclaimed competition has not transcended to the foot-mat of Bendel Insurance FC, a club the people see as their sports pride?

Why has the club remained in the doldrums?

Responding to this last question, a former coach of Bendel Insurance, Godwin Izilein said that things were not as bad as being painted by critics and skeptics, who he reminded that the crisis that

But some fans still feel that the Comrade Governor has not punched good enough to get Bendel Insurance out of troubled waters

ravaged the club was allegedly sparked off by a former commissioner of Sports.

While noting that it takes just a few seconds to destroy, Izilein said that it takes a longer time to rebuild what has been destroyed.

Speaking to Saturday Vanguard Sports, the former Golden Eaglets coach said that it was to the credit of the government that there’s a new lease of life on Bendel Insurance and predicted that the club would return to the top-flight of the Nigerian Premier League at the end of the new season, kicking off on March 7 across all centres of the country.

“I was there when this crisis started. they goofed when they brought another team to counter the certified Bendel Insurance team for a match. We told the government in power then that what they did was going to destroy this team. But instead of holding the bull by the horns, they held it by the tail and it escaped.

“Ebewele never saw anything good in Ekhosueyi running the club on behalf of government but he failed to realise that he would have achieved his aim through other means that will not tear the club into sheds.

“But something good will soon happen to this club. This club will rise again and the government has already started taking good care of the players and coaches, who are all being played promptly. The players get alerts on their phones before the end of the month. Things have changed and it is now up to the team to justify the efforts being made by government by playing well and getting the promotion ticket to play in the Premier League”, added Izilein, who is with the Edo State Football Development programme in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.

Words are rife that the Bendel Insurance team have no personal bus to convey them to their training sessions but responding to this claim, Izilein noted that at no particular time were the players left to go to training on their own, adding that a new

bus was going to be given to the team before the season flags off.

“We know how lean our resources are like in Edo State. We are not like Delta, Cross River, Rivers or Akwa Ibom States, in terms of revenue from the federation account. There is no father who would not want to train his children to the highest academic level but when the money is not there, he can only offer what he can afford.

“The players have not been having difficulties going for training because the management takes care of their responsibilities. But we have written to the government on the need of a modem bus and they have accepted our request and would soon give the team the bus before the start of the season.”, added Izilein.

He noted that the Edo State Football Development programme in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, coordinated by former Super Eagles coach, Shaibu Amodu, in its quest to contribute to the revival of Benin Arsenals, has sent 18 of its potential players to Bendel Insurance for trials by the Coach Roland Ewere-led technical crew.

“We have just drafted 18 of our players to them for screening to see if they are good to play in the league. That is the least that we can do as a body. With the players now getting the money on time, it is now left for them to work above their capacity”, said Izilein.

But some fans still feel that the Comrade Governor has not punched good enough to get Bendel Insurance out of troubled waters. They point to the calibre of persons he has appointed as Commissioners of Sports, people who observers see as neophytes in sports and conclude that sports deserves a lot more.

“What the governor has simply done with Bendel Insurance is not enough”, said Ehiosun Omokhodion, a Bendel Insurance FC faithful, who has been on the footpaths of the club since the early 70s.

“Our governor has done well in changing the face of our state but what about leaving a lasting legacy for the youths, who see

•Izilein

football as the major means of escaping the poverty in the land. If the biggest club in the state, Bendel Insurance are yet to find their rhythm, then what hope awaits our youths”, he reeled out.

Another worried fan of the Benin Arsenals said that “if the governor wants the club to return to the Premier League in a year, he will inject funds and get the right personnel to handle the team. There is urgent need for the club to return to the Premier League this year because the governor will vacate office next year and if the team are not back in the NPL before he leaves, then t will be a sore point in his glowing CV”, said Solomon Monday.

Current coach, Roland Ewere, a former captain of the club, said that “things would get better. In fact, I see us achieving much in the coming season. We are hopeful because we are getting the support of the government. We will return stronger and better. I don’t want to remain in the past but focus on the things ahead”, Ewere said.

For new chairman of the Edo State Football Association, Frank Ilaboya, a road-map to take Insurance FC to the top-flight will be out in the next 30 days, Speaking to Saturday Vanguard Sports, the broadcaster of repute said that it was painful that the famed club from Benin were now swimming in the lower rungs of Nigerian football.

“We are planning a total revamp of football in Edo State. A road-map on how we intend to do this will be out in the next one month and Insurance will be in the front burner. The road-map will involve all stakeholders and it will tell us what we want to do and how we want to achieve this goal. One good thing about us is that we are blessed with talents and Insurance, a team which brought us much joy in the past, should be where they are now.

•Gov Oshiomhole

40 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

Human Nature

Age is the worst kept secret of childbearing I N the wake of the story entitled “To Make A Baby, All Sperms Are Not Equal” published February 14, 2015, several readers have been calling to find out the role of age in childbearing. Most of the enquiries were from women, and this is what has influenced the topic for this week.

Over the years, it has become clear that many women (and men) don’t have much of a grip on the realities of fertility. By “fertility” we are talking about the human body’s reproductive capability, what enhances or diminishes it, or even how long it lasts.

A clear understanding is required about when and why women are at their most fertile, not just during a given month, but over the course of a lifetime.

No one is surprised that a 45-year-old woman is likely to have trouble conceiving.

However, it is not usually •A obvious that a 30-year-old or happy 35-year-old may have agemother related problems as well. breast Fertility is an unpredictable feeding thing. It generally begins its her baby. decline much earlier than we think. Many women tend to overestimate the age at which their fertility begins to diminish. Worse still, there are no tests that can guarantee that a woman that is fertile today will be fertile in a year, or two or 10.

Women who delay first-time parenthood until after 30, about one in seven of those in their childbearing years, tend to wonder when they discover that age compromises fertility.

Fertility experts explain that it is not that people are more infertile today than they were 40 or 50 years ago, rather, it is believed that the increase in infertility today is largely a function of people waiting longer to begin their families.

Many persons see general health as a good indicator of fertility. But it’s not so.

Medical experts confess that a normal gynaecological

check-up isn’t the same thing as a normal fertility status. An excellent general physical examination isn’t a reliable pregnancy prognosticator, even though a healthy lifestyle can help preserve fertility. But with essential reproductive knowledge, a woman can better shape her future.

The issue of age of childbearing is one of the best kept “worst” secrets.

Biologically, female fertility inexorably diminishes with age, beginning in the late 20s, statistically speaking.

Barring any extraordinary medical conditions or physiological anomalies, there are two reasons for this C M Y K

trend. The first is straightforward attrition of eggs. Every woman is born with all the eggs she is ever going to have, usually seven million or so. By the time the average female hits puberty, there are about 250,000-300,000 remaining eggs in her ovaries. During each menstrual cycle, one egg matures ripe for fertilization and is released, but many others are not. This is how women start with seven million eggs, ovulate 400 times and then run out.

Second reason is that eggs age along with the

rest of the body and older eggs have a greater incidence of chromosomal problems that increase the likelihood of miscarriage. So it is possible for some women in their late 30s and a few in their 40s to conceive and deliver healthy babies. The probability

of this happening without medical intervention, however, becomes more remote with each passing year.

For women under 30, it’s estimated the chance of becoming pregnant in any one cycle is 20-30 percent. By 40, it plummets to approximately 5 percent.

Even men aren’t immune to the effects of time. While the changes may not be as clearly defined as they are in women, 50-and-over males often may find a decline in the quality of sperm, and sometimes discover a slight drop in testosterone levels and a shrinking libido.

While it’s true that science has refined techniques to help infertile women become biological mothers, medicine has its limits. For instance, age, at its most extreme point, is one of those formidable barriers. There’s

an inverse relationship between the success rates for all assisted reproductive technologies and maternal age.

Average reproductive health data indicate that IVF works about a third of the time for women aged 30 and under, 30 percent for women in their mid 30s, and 5-15 percent for those 40 and over.

These numbers represent typical success rates in most “good” centres which strive to provide high quality care.

Many fertility experts won’t accept women over 44 for treatment unless they are willing to use a younger woman’s egg (egg donation) to experience pregnancy and birth.

Lifestyle matters. Diet, exercise, weight, cigarettes, caffeine and alcohol have an impact on reproductive health.

While a woman never knows how fertile she could be until she actually starts trying to have a baby, there are things she could do to preserve her fertility base.

Avoid smoking. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do, quit. Smoking increases susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections, cervical cancer and pelvic infections.

Too much or too little weight can get in the way of regular, healthy ovulation. Eat fruits, vegetables and lots of low-fat protein. Without sufficient protein, estrogen metabolizes into inactive products more rapidly and menstrual cycles become longer. Limit caffeine intake to one cup a day; more cups may cause delays in conception. Avoid any herbs or herbal remedies. They’re the equivalent of untested, unregulated medicines.

Exercise is good, but too much exercise such as longdistance running puts you at risk for amenorrhoea - having no periods at all.

Alcohol in moderation may not have a deleterious effect. But consuming significant amounts can cause ovulatory dysfunction.

Recreational drugs are bad for fertility and prescribed pharmaceuticals need to be looked at with a cautious eye. Psychotropic medications, for instance, can impinge on normal ovulation.

The point to keep at the back of your mind is that reproduction or fertility is one of the body’s most subtle yet complex functions.

How fertile you are as a woman is a complicated equation with genetics, physiology, lifestyle, environment and most important, age.

Although you can’t know how fertile you are unless and until you put it to the test, you can take action that keeps the options open. It’s also important to remember that women can build a wonderful family at any age.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015 — 41

Typically Male

Prostate cancer: Every man needs to know hat it is W Prostate cancer develops in a man’s prostate, the walnut-

sized gland just below the bladder that produces some of the fluid in semen. It’s the most common cancer in men after skin cancer. Prostate cancer often grows very slowly and may not cause significant harm. But some types are more aggressive and can spread quickly without treatment Symptoms In the early stages, there may be no symptoms. Later, symptoms can include frequent urination, especially at night, difficulty starting or stopping urination, weak or interrupted urinary stream, painful or burning sensation during urination or ejaculation

Diet seems to play a role in the development of prostate cancer. Dietary fat, particularly animal fat from red meat, may boost male hormone levels. And this may fuel the growth of cancerous prostate cells. A diet too low in fruits and vegetables may also play a role Myths These things will not cause prostate cancer: Too much sex, a vasectomy, and masturbation. An enlarged prostate (BPH), does not mean greater risk of developing prostate cancer. Researchers are still studying whether alcohol use, STDs, or prostatitis play a role in the development of prostate cancer.

Detection Screening tests are available to find prostate cancer early; the tests may find cancers that are so slow-growing that medical treatments would offer no benefit. Men should talk with a doctor about screening tests, beginning at age 50 for averagerisk men who expect to live at least 10 more years; 45 for men at high risk (having a father, brother, or son diagnosed before age 65) and 40 for men with more than one first-degree relative diagnosed at an early age.

Enlarged prostate vs prostate cancer The prostate can grow larger as men age, sometimes pressing on the bladder or urethra and causing symptoms similar to prostate cancer. This is called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It’s not cancer and can be treated if symptoms become bothersome.

A third problem that can cause urinary symptoms is prostatitis Uncontrollable risk factors Growing older is the greatest risk factor for prostate cancer, particularly after age 50. After 70, studies suggest that most men have some form of prostate cancer, though there may be no outward symptoms. Family history increases a man’s risk:

having a father or brother with prostate cancer doubles the risk. AfricanAmericans are at high risk and have the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world.

Controllable risk factors

Screening Initially do a digital rectal exam (DRE) to feel for bumps or hard spots on the prostate. A blood test can be used to measure prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein produced by prostate cells. An elevated level may indicate a higher chance of cancer, but you can have a high level

Sexual Issues & Solutions EXPERIMENTING WITH NEW FORMS OF SEXUAL PLAY (III)

O

RAL sex as a form of sexual play was dealt with in our last edition of experimenting new forms of sexual play. In this week’s edition, we are going to take a look at Fantasy and Role play as another form of new sexual play.

Fantasy and Role play – Have you ever wanted to act out one of your fantasies? Say, swarthy pirate meets helpless maiden? French maid with disgruntled employer?

Nurse and patient? Do it! Acting out your fantasies is an extremely healthy way to explore your sexual life.

Role playing, taking on the persona of a different person (i.e., French maid, pirate, nurse), is essential to fantasy; by taking on a different role, we free ourselves of our “normal” boundaries, and helps us to discover new things about ourselves. Which ever role we want to play , we should discuss with our partner about our fantasies so he or she doesn’t get shocked instead of surprise.

Hello Viewden, Thank you for the Ganoderma tea I got from you alongside Prosolution; they both worked like magic for my strong erection and in lowering my blood sugar.

Can I get more of the Ganoderma tea as some of my friends who are diabetic are pressurizing me to get for them? Also my wife has menstrual disorder and has also been diagnosed of having very weak womb which has resulted in about 3 premature abortions; how can you help us – Akin Mr Akin, Im really elated to know you got a positive result with the Prosolution and the Ganoderma tea for a very strong erection. Regarding your wife,I will advise she takes the sheep placenta supplement. It’s a herbal supplement that prevents barreness, premature deliveries, abortion, menstrual disorder and fibroid. So let her try out the Sheep placenta supplement for about a month or two and I believe she’ll get a positive result too.

Im a 58 year old man with hypertension , arthritis and very weak erection. A friend of mine gave me just two C M Y K

capsules of Vimax and it worked like magic alongside with one anti-arthritis tea. How efficient are these two products and hope they don’t have any side effects?can I get it from you? Boyejo Mr Boyejo, just like you confirmed, Vimax is very effective in giving erection on demand and correction of weak erection to men who are diabetic and have hypertension just as Prosolution too; and especially when you combine it with the anti-arthritis tea which relieves swelling and pain.

Helps in curing rheumatism and all kinds of paralysis syndrome by clearing the heat and expelling the damp.

These two products are herbal and such very safe for use with no side effects and yes, you can get the two products from us.

Viewden, I need a kind of rabbit that can thrust in and out on their own; I don’t want todo much work when im using the sextoy: can I get any rabbit vibrator with such function? BJ Yes BJ, we do have the Butterfly thrusting stroker and the Remore control dazzling dolphin which have multiple functions aside from their thrusting functions and you are welcome to get yours anytime.

I used Rhino 5 sometimes ago and it gave me a bit of headache and slight dizziness and I stopped using it. I want to try out Rhino 7 for strong erection on demand and enlargement for the period of sex. I hope it doesn’t give headahce like the Rhino 5? Cos I learnt one capsule of the Rhino 7 last in the body for 7 days – Umor Mr Umor, Rhino 7 doesn’t give headache unlike Rhino 5 and yes one capsule of it last in your body for 7 days while working for instant erection and enlargement during sex. You can try it out.

These are all we can take for this week. Adults who needs these aphrodisiacs can call 08034666358, 07059294782 or place your order at www.viewden.com.

For further enquiries,send an email to us at: vieweden@yahoo.com, viewden@ymail.com.

Kemi Fawole (MD Viewden)

and still be cancer-free. It is also possible to have a normal PSA and have prostate cancer Staging Staging is used to describe how far prostate cancer has spread (metastasized) and to help determine the best treatment. Stage I: Cancer is small and still within the prostate. Stage II: Cancer is more advanced, but still confined to the prostate.

Stage III: Cancer has spread to the outer part of the prostate and nearby seminal vesicles. Stage IV: Cancer has spread to lymph nodes, nearby organs or tissues such as the bladder or rectum, or distant organs such as bones or lungs Survival rates The good news about prostate cancer is that it usually grows slowly.

Overall, the 5-year relative survival rate is 100 percent for men with disease confined to the prostate or nearby tissues, and many men live much longer.

When the disease has spread to distant areas, survival rates drop but the outlook may be better for men diagnosed and treated early.

42—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

God has given to me that people look at me as their friend. There’s this thing that you have that just makes people gravitate towards you . They look at you and even if they don’t know you they just see you on television, the way you laugh with people who laugh and they feel that that this is my friend. That’s basically it.

I want my programme to be quoted like CNN — Udy Umondak

There seems to be an obsession with entertainment on television these days. What’s your take on this?

The thing is that looking at a lot of the programs I always want programs that add value to my life. I always think that people should be able to take one thing out of watching my program. If I cannot take one thing out of watching a program then that is not a good program. I don’t watch things that cannot add value.

God always gives me a vision of a project that will add value, leave people better than I met them, encourage people and make people realize that whatever it is you are going through, it’s a natural thing that someone somewhere has gone through and that empowers you with information to know how to get out of that situation and do something about it and stop worrying and stop stressing yourself knowing that you are not alone and knowing there is a solution.

U

dy Umondak has done it all, seen it all and got a t-shirt, as the saying goes: acting, fashion design, first ladyship, television.

Now, after six years of regaling audiences with profound stories of persons who triumphed over some of the most daunting challenges through her television talk show His Word Made Flesh; Udy Umondak, former First Lady of Akwa Ibom State is set to begin to air her latest television program, The Udy Factor She chats with MORENIKE TAIRE after a private viewing.

You are towing a lot of uncharted territory. Does that scare you or empower you?

It empowers me How? Yesterday’s controversy is today’s facts. This information is there, it’s just that nobody has ever put them in the public space. A lot of people are ignorant of them; most people don’t want to talk about them. For me it’s very encouraging to be the one to bring these issues.

Are you not afraid of controversy?

I believe that if you do something and it is not controversial then you are not doing anything. People will be able to get information that way.

You have experts talking about a wide range of topics. How easy has it been sourcing them?

•Udy Umondak My former program- his word made flesh- really put me in a situation where people would walk up to me and talk to me on issues so it’s based on some of the issues I got to hear on the program. Some are based on the way I sit down and watch things going on in our society. In my mind I believe there are ways that things should be done. There are ways we talk about things but we don’t carry them out.

We keep talking about 35% affirmative action and the only position they ever give a woman is ‘ woman leader’.

It’s as though a woman is never good enough for the position of a party leader.

What is the role really of a woman leader, is it to organize aso-ebi? Those are the kind of things I look at and I come up with a question. How much of the affirmative action have we successfully had and when I say successful, how many of those positions have actually

,

Who are you targeting with this new program?

Everybody, as long as you need information because the theme of the program is to impart information. If you don’t need them you just bank it. You never know when somebody might come your way who could use that information.

How much of the affirmative action have we successfully had and when I say successful, how many of those positions have actually empowered women in decision making cadres

,

empowered women in decision making cadres?

Some of the people who have watched it have encouraged me and they have also opened up on topics like erectile dysfunction and have praised me for helping them realise that they were not being bewitched by their wives and girlfriend.

You seem to have a natural gift for getting people to talk about themselves. How does that work?

I talk about myself a lot because when you talk about yourself it’s not gossip. I believe when you talk about yourself it encourages people to talk about themselves and that was why with the Word made flesh I started the first episodes with me- my struggles, my pains. You cannot want to have people talk about themselves without you first talking about you. And I think that there’s a thing that

Has it ever occurred to you that this could be what Nigerians really wantentertainment?

Nigerians like entertainment but what percentage of Nigerians?

Entertainment is fun so it’s that entertainment that will be used to draw people and hit them with information but anybody that watches that entertainment program and learns from it will definitely come back Where exactly do you envisage taking the Udy Factor?

I want to empower as many lives as possible with information because we have very interesting topics. The corruption in all of us! We look at government and we always think government is corrupt but here we are not looking at government, we are looking at ourselves.

How your husband gives you money to buy foodstuffs and you end up buying aso ebi.

The messenger, who collects money just to move a file from one table to the next table. The man at the airport who says ‘bring money’. We want to look at all of us- look at our lives, look at the things we do and take the program to a point where they will be quoting: I knowI heard it on the Udy Factor!

People quote CNN.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015—43

08 116759 759 081 6759759

Would YOU wear Kanye West’s f lesh-coloured body suit in public?

D

eni Kirkova, 24, from London, stepped out on a London High Street to find out what the reaction from onlookers would

be If it was up to Kanye West, we’d all be strutting around in flesh-coloured body stockings next season. As ridiculous as it may sound, that may well be the case as the musician-come-designer has received an abundance of praise for his range for Adidas from fashion editors, authorities, and influencers.

The collection made its way down the runway on the first day of New York Fashion Week yesterday, comprising of full body stockings, seethrough skin-coloured crop tops and visible nude pants. It’s certainly a new take on underwear as outerwear - one certainly not for the faint hearted.

To win praise for his fashion is certainly a step forward for Kanye - now Femail are testing whether his clothes will be as popular with the public. Writer Deni Kirkova, 24, from London, trialled the full flesh-coloured body stocking look, stepping out on a London High Street to find out what the reaction from onlookers would be.

She paired an American Apparel bralet (£12.50), crop top (£10), leggings (£14) and - of course - a £6 pair of pants, from Marks & Spencer, worn over the top, all in a beige flesh tone, topping off the look with a Kim K style parka jacket from Topshop.

Speaking about her outfit, and whether she thought it worked, Deni said: ‘The problem is visible pants. It’s quite funny to walk around dressed like this now, and it’s a bit of a laugh, but

I wouldn’t dare go out like this seriously.

‘A nude crop top and leggings, though, could work. You’d have to tone this down a notch to take it from catwalk to High Street.

‘I’m quite surprised that people on the street generally liked my outfit to be honest - some fashion know-it-alls praised how bold it was, noting the Kanye influence, and said that the jacket and lipstick went well with the all-nude look. ‘Some though, of course, said that the pants were too much.’ Deni’s look was inspired by Adidas Originals x Kanye West Yeezy collection seen in New

York on Thursday.

The designer’s wife Kim Kardashian, 34, turned up wearing an ensemble from the range. She liked the look so much, she even posted an Instagram photo of herself, adding: ‘My look for the Yeezy show!!!!!! Yeezy head to toe!!!!!’

Critics similarly seemed to enjoy Kanye’s latest fashion offerings with Vogue saying: ‘Kanye West’s New collection with Adidas lives up to the hype.’

He had the fashion bible’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, and top designer Alexander

N

Sealed with a kiss!

eil Patrick Harris may have been the host, but Sunday night’s Academy Awards ceremony hadn’t even started before John Travolta stole the show. The actor, who famously fluffed Frozen singer Idina Menzel’s name at last year’s Oscars, grabbed all the social media heat again by sneaking up on actress Scarlett Johansson on the red carpet.

Travolta, 61, approached Scarlett from behind and kissed her on the cheek, while sliding his hand around her waist.

The surprising smooch, and Johansson’s amused reaction, was captured with one click of the camera. And the rest, as they say, was history.

A flurry of memes have since erupted after Travolta’s kiss. They feature Kanye West, the

The granny who stood up to ISIS:

A

n incredible video has emerged showing the moment an elderly woman bravely confronted two Islamic State militants, telling them their terror group is cursed and that they are not back by God. The video, which is believed to have been shot in Syria, shows the woman walks up to the fighters’ car, brand them both ‘devils’ and tell them: ‘I swear nothing you have done was in the way of God’.

Clearly shocked at being confronted, the men initially plead with the woman, telling her to explain what she means and asking if ‘everything is good between us?’.

The woman chooses to ignore the men’s attempts to justify ISIS’ brutality, however, and instead attacks their bloodthirsty savagery and accuses them of ‘killing each other like donkeys’.

The video begins with the elderly woman walking up to the militants car and berate them for being members of the barbaric terrorist organisation.

C M Y K

Repeatedly urging them to ‘turn back to God’ she tells the fighters that ISIS is cursed and that neither they nor Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian regime will emerge from the bloodshed victorious.

The men initially respond to her berating them by asking her what has prompted her attack. They then try to justify their actions by telling her of their recent prayer sessions.

The woman, who wears traditional Arabian clothing, ignores the men and continues her attack, swearing at them at insisting that ISIS’ brutality is ‘making us go backwards’.

Throughout the video the woman’s face twists in fury as she demands they stop killing people.

‘Do not slaughter anyone and nobody will slaughter you. It’s all forbidden. I swear nothing you have done was in the way of God,’ she says.

‘God is watching what you are doing. ‘Those who deny our verses and are arrogant towards them, the gates of heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter paradise,’ she adds.

The video then comes to an end without showing what became of the brave elderly woman.

Wang sitting front row.

A review posted on the fashion magazine’s website said: ‘Hems were raw and frayed, tops billowy, bottoms either skintight to slide into newly unveiled suede stiletto boots or cinched and ready to be tucked into aforementioned Boosts.

‘There were immaculate flak vests and officer sweaters that looked like they’ve actually taken shrapnel, and everything was said to be unisex... On display, in rigid lines of expressionless youth, it was at the very least satisfyingly instigative for a line of sportswear.’

‘A camo parka that Kim Kardashian also wore was a highlight, and we thought the oversized backpack was a clever accessory that’ll probably make it into a healthy stack of editorials.’

Kanye claims that he wanted the collection to be made up of ‘solutions based clothing,’ saying, ‘I don’t want the clothes to be the life, I want the clothes to help the life.’

It is also thought that it will have a relatively low price point compared to other designer clothes meaning the pieces can be snapped up by his fans.

Now that the fully nude spray-on look has won approval from fashion darlings and the man on the street, will you be trying it out?

Statue of Liberty and even Travolta kissing himself, dressed up as his character Edna Turnblad from the movie-musical Hairspray.

A number of world leaders, including Kim Jong-Un and Vladimir Putin, also get a chance to receive the Pulp Fiction star’s smooch. But the famously affectionate Joe Biden makes sure to cut in on the Scarlett action himself. Who said three’s a crowd?

Travolta garnered even more attention Sunday night after he was reunited with Menzel, who he mistakenly introduced last year as ‘Adele Dazeem’, and proceeded to continually stroke her face. The actor must have heard about it, because he later said: ‘Apparently I played with her chin too much’.

Mugabe to serve guests with elephant meat for his 91st birthday

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f you’re one of the world’s most despised despots, it seems appropriately evil to serve up a protected species of animal as a dish at your birthday party.

Partygoers at the 91st birthday party of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe are set to dine on elephant, after a farmer donated the unusual delicacy to the lavish bash.

Tendai Musasa confirmed to the Zimbabwe Chronicle that he has donated game meat and a lion trophy worth £78,000 to the event.

Musasa provided a total of two buffaloes, two

elephants, a lion, five impalas and two sables.

Describing preparations for the event, he added that the animals would be slaughtered a few days before the birthday bash, and stored by a local hotel.

He also dismissed complaints from local farmers that the donation would affect their income, labelling them ‘enemies’ of the president.

Speaking to the Guardian, a spokesman for the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said: ‘I am not in favour of anyone donating wild animals for a celebration or for any other reason.

‘They have been doing this for years now. Every time

there is a celebration or on Independence Day, several elephants and buffalo are killed for the celebrations.

‘This is totally unethical and should not be allowed.’

Mugabe is renowned for hosting typically lavish birthday parties, despite his country ’s extreme poverty.

Last year, £600,000 was spent on the celebrations, which saw 90 balloons being released into the air at a stadium near the capital of Harare.

At his 89th birthday party, he was presented with an 89kg cake.

44—SA TURD AY Vanguard, FEBRU ARY 28, 2015 44—SATURD TURDA FEBRUARY

Oba TTejuoso ejuoso celebrat es lif e@7 7 celebrates life 77

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he monarch of Oke-Ona, the Osile of OkeOna, Abeokuta, Oigun State celebrated his 77th birthday during the week at his Ibara GRA residence in Abeokuta. The monarch, along with his families and selected few friends had a quiet church service to begin the day followed by a sumptuous lunch, which was superbly concluded with the royal father cutting his birthday cake. Photos by Wumi Akinola

L-R: Iyalode Alaba Lawson, Olori Olabisi, Olori Yetunde and Olori Omolara Tejuoso L-R: Oba Dr Dapo Tejuoso Celebrant Oba Halidu Laloko, Agura of Gbagura and Chief Dotun Oyewole.

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Oba Dr Adedapo Tejuoso Osile Oke Ona Egba cutting his birthday cake @ 77th

L-R: Chief (Mrs) Tolani Hashrop, Chief Muis Omonayanjo, Chief Tunji Falola and Oba Reuben Oluwole, Olu of Ajebo.

Alber es out daught er in marriage Albertt Uba giv gives daughter

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or Prince Albert Uba Akpor, a notable journalist and publisher, Saturday February 21st was a special day to be remembered with nostalgia as he handed the hand of his daughter, Princess Patricia Uba in marriage to Anthony Mbey from Eboyi State. Dignitaries who came from far and wide were treated to a refreshing reception as there was so much to eat, drink and even take away.

Photos by Lamidi Bamidele

L-R: Prince Onu Akpor Uba; HRM Oba Gbolahan Akanbi Timson, The Jagunmolu of Shomolu; the newly wedded couple, Anthony and Patricia Mbey and Mr Albert Uba, bride's father

L-R: Mr Victor Omoregie, Corporate Affairs and Protocol Manager, Vanguard, with the couple.

C M Y K

Chief Emma Mbey and Mrs Joy Mbey Afikpo , representing groom's parents

L-R: Mr Charles Gerrard, Vanguard, Mr Omololu Oludiran; Mr Ayo Onikoyi, Entertainment Editor, Vanguard, Commissioner of Police, Olayinka Balogun (rtd) and Mr Tony Ubani, Sports Editor, Vanguard

Celebrant, Oba Dr Dapo Tejuoso and some of his children

Akpodovhan’s weds in style

son

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eteran journalist J.B. Akpodovhan entertained friends and associates when his son, James Akpodovhan took for himself a beautiful wife. Many high-profile dignitaries graced the occasion.

L - R: Mr & Mrs Timothy Aladebo, bride's parents, Mr & Dr (Mrs) James Okiemute Akpodovhan, couple, with Mr & Mrs John Buryan Akpodovhan, groom's parents

L-R: Barrister Iroro Akpodovhan, Mr & Mrs Robinson Akpodovhan, (Rtd) AVM & Mrs Frank Ajobene, Mr & Dr (Mrs) James Okiemute Akpodovhan, Mr & Mrs John Buryan Akpodovhan, Mr Alex Tobore and Mrs Diana Ineye. “

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

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ike leprosy, it is gradually eating into marriages and desecrating the sacred institution of matrimony. Some spouses are not finding it funny and are grumbling about their spouses’ “fetish habits,” “strange pleasures,” “unusual habits” and “irresponsible desires.” It is generally known and referred to as anal sex, but that is no sex to me, so I am going to refer to it as anal penetration throughout the column today. I am specifically talking about anal penetration in marriages (between male and female).

Some couples are very “adventurous” and want to incorporate all kinds of crazy and kinky stuff and extremes into their sex lives. Sometimes only one party wants to test uncharted territories; the uninterested party is a protective barrier against infection. The our person of interest today. tissue inside the anus does not have this Advocates of anal penetration say it natural protection, which leaves it is “indisputable that there is an vulnerable to tearing and allowing erogenous zone in the anus of both bacteria and viruses to enter the males and females.” This may be true, bloodstream. This can result in the but God created many other spread of HIV virus and other sexually erogenous zones in both male and transmitted infections. female. They are there in the vagina, In addition, the anus is naturally penis, scrotum, breasts, buttocks, ears, designed to hold in feces. The anus is lips, mouth, palms, thighs and many surrounded with a ring-like muscle, other areas. These are more than called the anal sphincter, which tightens enough for couples to get to the zenith when we are not defecating. Repetitive of sexual ecstasy. Anal penetration penetration may lead to weakening of reminds me of Adam and Eve in the the anal muscle, making it difficult to Garden of Eden. God created many hold in feces when you are hard pressed, fruits for Adam and Eve to eat, but warned them not to eat the fruits of the tree at the centre of the garden.

God has created many erogenous zones we can legitimately get pleasure from. The anus is not one of them; it is meant to expel waste. It is especially when you are passing watery this kind of behavior (eating forbidden stool. You would have noticed the fruits) that got Adam and Eve into increasing presence of adult diapers on trouble. super markets shelves. Apart from some Anal penetration is fraught with sick people and senior citizens, people dangers and not straight forward like whose anus malfunction as a result of vaginal penetration. The anus does repeated penetration use adult diapers not self-lubricate (an essential part of to prevent feces leakage getting to their pleasurable sex) like the vagina. clothes.

Penetration can therefore tear the The influence of pornography, where tissue inside the anus, because it is heterogeneous sex includes anal not as well protected as the skin penetration, might be one of the reasons outside the anus. Our external tissue for increase of the practice in marriages. has layers of dead cells that serve as Couples copy what they watch

Vanguard, FEBRU ARY 28, 2015—45 FEBRUARY

Anal Penetration

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he hope of a return to better health and fitness can be anybody’s. All what it takes is the commitment to help oneself.

You have not exercised in years, suddenly, you look in the mirror and you find fat has assailed your body.

Your pot belly is rather tasking... adversely affecting your posture.

You look older and less energetic.

But then, you have resolved to do something about all that.

Your magic tools are going to be physical exercise for the body, breathing exercise to throw out all the stale air in the lungs and introduce sufficient oxygen to ensure healthy blood circulation.When you take up a regimen to improve the body, it must include a sensible eating habit.

Observing these points, the body is likely to respond beautifully. In about three months, you will be on your way to a totally new you.

The first to go will be your depression over a physique you don’t love. Your self confidence will return as your body takes on a better shape. You will find your power for work and play improving. Oh yes, you will find a new zest for life.

This new life will make you wonder how you managed to live at the low – energy level that you’d been used to for all those years.

The advice here is that once you get started don’t let up or you’ll find the body returning to ruination. The body will have to be toned on a daily basis via exercise.

forgetting that it is make-believe not reality. Incidentally, the anus is crawling with bacteria harmless within their natural habitat, but deadly if transferred to the vagina or other vulnerable parts of the body. When the male in the film moves the penis straight from the vagina to the anus and then the woman’s mouth and you assume that is how it works in real life, you are inviting infections, infertility and in extreme cases, cancer. Specifically, engaging in sex after anal penetration can also lead to vaginal and urinary tract infections.

Remember the warning when watching

When the church crafted marital vows, anal penetration certainly was not in contemplation

,

wrestling: do not copy or try these (what you are watching) at home.

There is also no place for quickies or “sharp-sharp” in anal penetration.

Quickies are part and parcel of the sex life of busy couples and couples raising young children. It is easy because it is natural and the sex organs, especially the naturally lubricating vagina, can accommodate the spontaneity. Not so •The Half-Plough for anal penetration.

Quickies can lead to excruciating pain and damage to the anus. Just imagine trying to expel very hard feces speedily or by force and you

will have an idea of the pain and damage we are talking about here.

I always concede that adults have the prerogative to live their lives the way they want, the concern here is the spouse who is not interested in anal penetration? For instance, if the wife decides to quit such a marriage because of that act, should it be regarded as divorce and the woman prevented from remarrying in the church? Are such aberrations not enough grounds to annul such marriages, if the other party is unwilling to change? When the church crafted marital vows, anal penetration certainly was not in contemplation, so “for better for worse”, “to love and to cherish till death do us part” cannot apply in this circumstance.

As God’s children, when the interest of a spouse comes in conflict with God’s, God’s should prevail. It is not always so because of our human weaknesses, but spouses should stand their grounds in extreme cases. Why will spouses accede to outrageously ungodly requests? The marriage no dey scatter? No spouse should be forced into anal penetration. Even those who condone the act concede that nobody should be pressured into anal penetration, if he/she is not comfortable with it. They also say it is painful and not as pleasurable as sex, so what is this madness all about?

Why do we profess to love our spouses and at the same do things that endanger their lives? Unbelievable “murders” go on in matrimony and we justify them by claiming we are legally married. Sometimes we blackmail our spouses into consenting to these “murders.”

Christian couples involved in anal penetration should refrain and go for counseling and deliverance. It has no place in a Christian marriage and the Bible is very clear on it.

A return to youthful fitness The beautiful thing about a resolution to live a healthier life is that, all the negative habits you once had will be dropping off of themselves.

If you smoke and drink, you will soon find that you don’t need to indulge as much as before.

In fact, it’s not surprising that a lot of people manage to quit these two terrible habits completely, after a few months of living a healthconscious life.

The following are some postures of yoga you can use to improve the body.

The Triangle Technique: Standing with feet wide apart, turn to the left as you bend the left knee. Keep the right knee locked with the whole leg in a diagonal position to the trunk.

Keep the hands over head with the palms together. The neck and head must be straight. Maintain the posture for some 10 to 15 seconds.

Repeat on the other side.

Benefit: The posture tones up the leg muscles shedding excess fat...

This exercise also helps you hold the body in a straighter posture.

The Triangle (A variant) Techique: Stand with the feet

position for 10 — 15 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Benefits: This asana or posture improves the legs like the previous Triangle.

The difference being that with this pose the flanks also get a good workout eliminating excess fat there.

about three feet apart. Bend the right knee while keeping the left leg diagonal to the trunk. Bring the trunk lower towards the right tigh. Keep the left hand stretched out on the side of the head as you drop the right hand next to the right foot. Hold this

Standing Forward Bend Technique: Standing with feet together, fold the arms, take a deep breath and exhale as you lower the torso.

Yoga Classes STARTED @ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola, Victoria Island Lagos.

9.00am — 10.00am on Saturdays

46—SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28 28,, 2015

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

Hormonal help turns a middle-aged to a seductress!

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new book claims that testosterone could be the secret weapon every middle-aged woman needs in the fight against not just a flagging libido, but the entire aging process. From a revived sex life to plump skin, strong nails, abundant hair, a youthful figure and sharp mental skills, the hormone can improve them all, says gynaecologist Dr. Kathy Maupin, author of the Secret Female Hormone: How Testosterone Replacement Can Change Your Life. It sounds almost too good to be true but Joan, in her early 50s is almost evangelical about how testosterone top-ups have transformed her life. She sort help when she began to notice both physical changes and a mental decline when she was over 40.

“My periods were more sporadic and I started gaining weight,” she recalled. “I also had difficulty concentrating and my memory was failing.

I’d had a fairly high sex drive, but my libido was beginning to disappear. My erogenous zones weren’t quite as erogenous as they had been, and I’d lost the ability to enjoy sex. I had a sudden feeling of not caring. I had no energy, no interest, no sparkle, no enthusiasm.Normally, I’m outgoing, so that wasn’t like me. A consultation with a private gynaecologist revealed that my testosterone levels wee almost depleted. I was prescribed a testosterone gel and, later, a pellet implanted under the skin. The gynaecologist used biosexual again. I’m tickled that identical hormones which, I’m nearing 60 and can be unlike traditional synthetic this sexual, vibrant woman ones, are made from plant and have a really satisfying extracts.” orgasm. My skin is thicker While commonly assumed to and healthier. My hair and be a ‘male’ hormone, nails are growing like crazy. testosterone is also produced And I discovered three years in the female body by the way users and some ago that I had the bone ovaries and adrenal glands. It experts enthuse, it sounds density of a teenager. As well increases levels of like nothing less than the as that, my muscles are more neurotransmitters —the elixir of youth. But it can defined. My husband says chemicals that communicate have less palatable sidemy skin is as soft as a out thoughts—such as effects, from excess body baby’s.” dopamine and scrotonin, both hair to an increased risk of If testosterone is so closely involved in libido, some cancers. Maupin fundamental to a woman’s arousal and orgasm. According health and vitality, why are explains that women are to Dr. Maupin, testosterone naturally designed to lose very few doctors prescribing also drives the physical testosterone when their it? Dr. Maupin said she attributes that help us to look stumbled across the power of and feel young. For example, it testosterone only when she is a key factor in preventing began taking it herself. In my cellulite forming (testosterone early 40s, I found myself in eople are living helps to produce muscle, hormonal hell,” she said. longer and there’s which in turn keeps fat cells “Long before the menopause more time than ever to oxygenated and stops them I began to suffer enjoy your life. So don’t let breaking down and producing overwhelming fatigue, the odd gray hair or the dimpling effect). The insomnia and mood changes. wrinkle hold you back. hormone helps to keep bones I gained weight, lost interest There are plenty of ways to strong and hair thick, and in sex, experienced severe stay young at heart. Here increases the production of PMS (Premenstrual are a few expert ideas: collagen needed for plump Syndrome) and migraines.

Learn how to use the skin. It is also important for My personality became flat, computer: The internet can maintaining a trim figure, as it too. Other doctors told me I help you out with all sorts increases the energy levels was perfectly healthy and of pastimes—everything needed for exercise and stops was simply getting older. from finding out the latest production of a type of Some said I was lazy. Others oestrogen that causes innovations around the suggested that the issues increased stomach fat. world to putting you in were psychological.

Joan, who has three growntouch with family around Eventually, a colleague up children from her first the globe. advised me to see a hormone marriage described her expert, who recommended Visit one of your transformation as “nothing testosterone supplements. favourite childhood short of stunning.” According The result? I was my old haunts:It will bring back to her, “almost immediately I energetic healthy, sexual self memories of an innocent felt sharper. I began losing again. age. You will realise just weight and my energy went And for the past 12 years, how far you’ve come and up. It’s not instantaneous but I US-based Dr. Maupin has how much you have soon realised that I was been spreading the word achieved. starting to feel interest in being about testosterone. From the Have a clear-out: Throw

childbearing years end—a woman in her 20s make ten times as much as one in her 50s, which in prehistoric times would have been the greatest age most women could expect to reach. But while women’s life-spans now extended long beyond their reproductive window, the hormonal ‘clock’ has not evolved. Women still lose testosterone at the same age as they did 50,000 years ago, so the symptoms of its deficiency are manifested long before their lives were over.

“Stress, and medication, including antidepressants, beta-blockers and the PILL can also suppress testosterone activity and, in turn sex drive.

Alison 53, a British based life coach and couples therapist said she was aware of the implications for her own relationship when she reached her late 40s. “It’s sex that drives us to be in relationships and stay in them,” she said. “I had always enjoyed a satisfying love life, but I suddenly noticed that my sex drive has waned. I started the menopause around the age of 49 and noticed quite a dramatic drop in my libido. It

I’m tickled that I’m nearing 60 and can be this sexual, vibrant woman and have a really satisfying orgasm

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was a shock because it had always been quite high. I found that I wasn’t thinking about sex any more, and when my partner approached me, I wasn’t as receptive as I had been.

“I researched my options and found a private hormone specialist who prescribed testosterone, cream and an

oestrogen cream. Within days, I had noticed my old desire returning. It’s subtle. It’s not like you suddenly begin thinking: ‘I must have sex.’ I just started feeling interested again, more energetic and confident.”

What about this argument that women shouldn’t fight aging but should embrace a new stage in their lives?

As Dr. Maupin herself points out, testosterone evolved in women to encourage men to be drawn to them in their fertile years, as it drives the biological processes that give younger women their figures. It is also the hormone that encourages women to want to make love and so procreate, an exercise that might be enjoyable for many but biologically pointless in your 50s and beyond. There can be serous side-effects too, if testosterone is not prescribed in the right dosage. Too much can cause acne, excess body hair, loss of head hair and even, rarely, abnormal enlargement of the clitoris. While Alison didn’t experience these, she admits the treatment had one unexpected side effect.

“At one point, I found that when I applied the cream, I became quite confrontational and more assertive than normal,” she said. “My partner would gently say ‘ you’re barking at me.’ Now I take a lower dose and it’s great.”

How to stay young at heart out all those knick-knacks that you’ve really liked, make-up that you haven’t used for years, books you’ll never read and clothes you won’t wear. Give them to the needy—you’ll feel happier when you make others happy.

Banish gloomy thought: Negative thoughts aren’t just bad for your mind—they’re bad for your body too.

Research has shown that people who think negatively perceived more pain than those with a tendency towards positive thinking.

Not sure if you’ve got a negative outlook problem?

Try making a thought chain.

Carry around a pocketful of paper clips and every time you have negative thoughts, hook another paperclip on to the chain. You’ll be amazed

to discover how many negative thoughts you have.

So here’s how to fight those gloomy thoughts..

Start keeping a negative notebook. Write your negative thoughts down so the notebook gets filled up—not your brain. Stop worrying about things you can’t change and control.

That way, you’ll feel as if you’re achieving something.

Start each day with a positive thought about yourself. If you feel negative thoughts are beginning to overwhelm you, stop and take a deep breath. Negative thinking is linked to the body’s stress response, which can be halted by a series of slow, deep breaths.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015—47

YETUNDE AREBI

She go say, I be lady o

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he birth of Feminism was made possible as a result of education, industrialisation and technology which combined with other elements to create a new individual consciousness, especially for women. Today, the average female is no longer an epitome of the meek and mild sheep. She has come a long way to claim an enviable place for herself in all areas of human endeavours. And so, she believes that what a man can do, a woman can also, and even do better. Late Fela Anikulapo aptly describes the new African woman and her desires to level up with the man at all cost in one of his numerous evergreen hits, “she go say I be lady o”. And sexual liberation is definitely now on her front burner. Several decades back, chastity and virginity used to be prerequisites for marriage. Young ladies found wanting paid dearly for their gross indiscipline and recklessness, their families inclusive. Today, sexual compatibility and even confirmation of fertility is a condition for marriage even among acclaimed religious individuals and groups. And for many women, sex is no longer the archaic romp in the sack. Consensual sex must be mutually satisfying and benefiting to the partners. And most women are no longer burying their faces in the sand like the ostrich any longer. Let’s look at these three accounts together and you may want to share your views on them with me. You may reach me via email address: yetty5050@yahoo.co.uk or inthesunlovezone@yahoo.com . Happy reading!

Sandra, (46), PR Manager and mother: I am the dominant one in my marriage. My husband is an extreme introvert. He needs to be pushed to do almost anything. On a normal day, his routine is just go to work, return home, watch television if not too tired and go to bed. He prefers to stay at home weekends than go out, so I determine our outings. He loves to take care of the kids and even up till now, what I do mainly is to cook all the food, (stews and soups) and leave the rest to the housemaids under his supervision.

Initially, I used to worry about what our family and friends would say if when they see him helping out so much, but with time, I got used to the fact that it is his nature. His siblings and mother confirmed that he’d been that way since he was a child. So, naturally, this applies to our sex life. My husband may not request for sex for three or four weeks if I don’t insist. It was the same while we were courting.

I thought he was just shy and considerate and this further convinced me that he was the right man for me. It wasn’t until we got married that I discovered he had very little sexual experience and desire. I am an extreme extrovert and needless to say that I’d had a number of relationships before we met, some of them sexual. So, I was a bit disappointed.

However, I am not one to pretend with people and definitely not with my husband. If I didn’t take things into my own hands, I am sure I will be cheating seriously on him by now.

In bed, I am the boss. If I don’t insist, we may not do anything except hold each other, cuddle and kiss for weeks. I can’t hold out as long as he can, so, I just ask him. Asking on its own does not usually work for him, unless he really wants to. So, I have to be creative many a time. The kids know that once they see the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, they dare not knock.

They have to use the phone and it must be for something important. It’s a rule I have laid down and its sacred. Our bedroom is our shrine.

I created it to my taste when we built our house.

I have lighting, flowers, perfumes and sexy night wears. Depending on my mood, I choose what I want and tell him how I want it done. On nights dedicated to him, he can’t orgasm until he begs me when he cannot control himself any longer. The aim is not for me to achieve orgasm, it’s for him to enjoy himself. On my own nights, the focus is mainly foreplay or oral sex, because penile sex don’t do much for me. I give the commands and encourage him with dirty talks. And on other times, we just flow with the tide like normal people. When I tell my friends, some have their doubts but most of them who really know us, hardly question me. I count myself lucky that I met my husband. If it were any other man, I doubt he would allow me the freedom I have. I pity many of my friends who tell me dry stories about their marriages and sex life.

(In many marriages, husbands dictate what constitutes sex, when and how it is performed).

Chinyere, (30), employed single: Sometimes when you are pushed to the wall, you may resort to do unconventional things. It cost me a lot at the time, but I got over it eventually. And because of my boldness, I was able to earn some of the respect I had lost.

Shortly after I gained admission into the University, I fell in love with a guy from my class who turned out to be a womaniser.

Everything happened very fast and I compromised myself too early in the relationship. I was not a virgin anyway, so it was not as if I had done something special. But by the time we resumed for the second semester, he already had eyes on some other girl in another faculty and started misbehaving. I was very sad because I had put so much into the relationship so quickly. I even pleaded with

him, promising to change if only he would give me another chance. But he broke up with me and went on as if nothing happened between us, ignoring me most of the time. I felt really bad and ashamed of myself. Then, I started hearing stories about our relationship, especially our sexual activities together. He told them that I had a funny sound I make when I had sex which sounded like a dog, whining and barking. He claimed he had no choice but to quickly use and dump me as he could not stand the noise. It was very humiliating. I may not know for certain the kind of sound I make during sex, but I definitely did not sound like a dog. Soon, I began thinking that everyone was making fun of me at my back. This also affected my self esteem and confidence and I started making excuses for not attending classes. Then, one evening at the hostel, one of the older girls came to my rescue. The only solution was to confront him in the open. She told me how to go about it and turn the table around on him. After perfecting my rehearsals, I sought him out one day immediately after lectures when everyone had not yet dispersed. He was surprised that I could call his name out loud in class after we’d been avoiding each other for so long. And as all those who cared to listen turned, I dropped my bombshell. I told him that I’d been hearing stories about how he’d used and dumped me and how I would cry like a dog during sex. I asked why he was not ashamed of himself and protect the little dignity he had left. I asked if he realised that he was not my first lover and that if I cried like a dog, it was because I did not enjoy what he was doing. I told him he could not have used me since it was our mutual decision to have sex and he had not raped me. I also told him that so far, he had the smallest penis I had ever seen and had no regrets that the relationship was over as I was going to end it anyways. At that point, the whole class erupted in laughter, laughing and clapping. I advised him to go and sharpen his sex skills and learn how to treat girls better.

After my speech, my friends and I waltzed out of the class while he stood rooted to the ground as the clapping continued. Later, some people said I shouldn’t have done it because he could arrange for cult guys to deal with me. But I was sure he would never do anything of such. I was able to kill two birds with one stone. Shut his mouth up for good as well as buy back my self confidence. (Sex na fall me, I fall you, according to sister Joyce) Supo, (32), employed, single guy: We had barely dated for a month when she came to visit me in Ibadan and called off the relationship. I really liked her and was not prepared for the breakup at all. I had never heard a lady tell me or anyone I know of, what this lady told me that faithful day. I had met her over the Christmas holiday in Lagos three years ago. She seemed an okay girl and I concluded there was no reason we could not hit it off. I came to Lagos to see her two weeks after we met and we had sex at my place. I had thought she would leave but she told me she was spending the night. I thought I had struck gold and that she was indeed in love with me. All through the week, she kept asking if I was coming to Lagos for the weekend which I said no.

To my surprise, she told me she would come over and actually did. I promised to come over the next weekend but I could not make the trip.

So, the following weekend, she asked me not to bother as she would prefer to make the journey.

It was on this weekend that she called it off.

She told me that the relationship was dead even before it took off as she would not date guys outside her state of residence. She had agreed only because she’d found me very attractive.

She said she enjoyed having sex and must do it as regularly as possible. She could not date me because there was no way she would not cheat on me, and she did not want to be accused of betraying my trust. I was dumbfounded for a few seconds, not really knowing how to respond. I could only thank her for telling me the truth and agreed to her decision. Until then, I had never heard such a thing as a woman telling a man she likes sex and would not be faithful to him. I haven’t really gotten over it. In a way, I still appreciate her boldness and truthfulness. Most ladies have two or three lovers and still manage to convince all of them that they are faithful to them. (Surely, no parking on the dance floor!) Lols!

Do have a wonderful weekend!

48—SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

T

he Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani AlisonMadueke, recently fielded questions from a select group of editors to clarify a number of issues in the oil and gas sector ranging from the controversial kerosene subsidy and alleged subsidy scam to the allegation of $10bn expenditure on jet private hire as well as the PwC audit report. Excerpts.

On Kerosene Subsidy There was a Presidential directive to withdraw subsidy on kerosene. It is possible that the Minister of Petroleum at that time must have gone to discuss it with the President and may have been able to convince him on the need to stay action on the directive. I assume that that may have been what happened, that he had a discussion with the President but he overlooked regularizing in terms of getting him to rescind the order. So, if anybody flouted the Presidential order then it must have been the Minister of Petroleum at that time. But since the directive was not gazetted and was not announced it was not a law; it was mainly a directive on paper because there are procedures that a directive must follow to become a law and become implementable.

I don’t know why people keep referring to this. But anyway, another president came and appointed his own cabinet and moved on.

Now, because of the confusion created by this situation, marketers who, prior to that time, were bringing in kerosene pulled back. The reason was that if they brought in kerosene at the international landing cost and sold at our subsidized rate and didn’t get paid the difference, they would go bankrupt. So, there was immense confusion and I think it was at that time that the NNPC had to step in and started supplying. That was before I became Minister of Petroleum. This was where the problem of deduction of subsidy claims at source started. The issue of deduction at source has also been severally argued as to whether NNPC has the right or not to cover all those particular expenses from crude oil sales proceeds. That was the situation with subsidy at that time. When we came out in January 2012 to try to regularize the system by removing subsidy on petroleum products, of course we all knew what happened.

The multinationals have access to billions and billions of dollars, but we are beginning to pull it down so that ordinary people who can gather together the financial wherewithal can also be players in the sector

Efforts to Rid the Subsidy System of Corruption So, based on all that, subsidy on petroleum products continued up to this point. It is a sore point because, in all honesty, just like PMS, it is a very difficult issue to handle. It becomes even more difficult when revenues are falling because of the price of the barrel. It is very difficult to pay vast amounts on subsidy which we don’t believe is getting to the actual users, the bottom line users of the PMS, but which is instead making middlemen fat. But we wanted to remove the subsidy. We wanted to deregulate too because we discovered that there was corruption in the subsidy system which had gone so bad that we were not able to move products seamlessly from one point to another. There was arbitrary price increase in some areas and products were selling above the regulated price thereby making nonsense of the subsidy scheme.

Then there was round tripping, terrible incidence of round tripping. It got to the point that I even had to get the permission of Mr. President to invite the EFCC to come and look at the books and help us figure out what was happening because the level of PMS import we were getting clearly showed that something was wrong.

That was in 2011. At some point the round tripping was extended to kerosene which was being diverted and sold as aviation fuel. Marketers would take their allotment of kerosene and sell it as aviation fuel which is more expensive. You know the kerosene that is imported into Nigeria is of the same specification as aviation fuel. That is why it is called Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK). It was not profitable to import what is really the base level of normal Household Kerosene (HHK). These were some of the problems

•Alison-Madueke

We have demystified the oil industry — Alison-Madueke we had. As I said earlier, we had written to the EFCC and didn’t get any response, that meant no solution. In November 2011, even before we tried deregulating, I removed 92 marketers with one stroke of the pen from the PPPRA books, these were throughput marketers who didn’t have tank farms, who didn’t have any real investment in the sector. We took this action because the level of investment into tank farm is so huge that if you can do it you won’t want to get involved in any shady deal. Besides, such investment entitles you to carry out throughput for other marketers and they will pay you to do that. By the law that is acceptable. That law wasn’t made in our time, it was there before we came in. So it was clear to us that the problem of round tripping was coming from those who didn’t have hard investments in the sector. And there were 92 of them in our books which we flushed out.

That was when I brought in Reginald Stanley to head the PPPRA. The fellow I brought in before didn’t seem to have helped in sorting out the issue at all because it looked like it was getting worse.

I asked Stanley to try and reform the petrol importation and subsidy system to bring the subsidy bill down. I told him that after stabilizing things we could bring some of the throughput marketers back, those who pass certain expectations, because it is in our laws, it is not as if throughput marketing in itself is illegal.

So I signed them off, 92 marketers in one day. It was after I dropped them that the level of subsidy dropped significantly.

the quality of the goods is such that we now have prospects of producing for other multinationals outside the country. This has helped to create a lot of direct jobs over this period of time and hundreds of thousands of indirect jobs. It was a thing of joy for me when I visited places like the burnt down Okrika Jetty a couple of years ago to commission the products loading arm that was rebuilt only to discover that companies like Lee Engineering which did the construction of the project from A to Z was 100% Nigerian, all the engineers are Nigerians. We are very proud that this sort of thing could be happening at this point in time. Now, these are major steps in the oil and gas sector because it is highly capital intensive, highly technological. We have been able to achieve this because we understand that until you get the industry down so that it can touch what I consider the real economy, until you begin to commercialize it, oil & gas always seem to be up there, a sort of mysterious sector for the very wealthy, extremely wealthy. The multinationals have access to billions and billions of dollars, but we are beginning to pull it down so that ordinary people who can gather together the financial wherewithal can also be players in the sector. Like I said, not all of these are highly capital intensive, there are many other areas that are quiet minor in terms of capital outlay. Many people are coming in now. And this was the intent from the onset: to demystify this sector. On the Nigerian content side, I think we have done very well and we will continue to try to do even better.

Strides in Local Content We have been able to domicile some of the jobs in the sector that used to be carried out overseas within the country thereby creating jobs for many Nigeria youth. Manufacturing of small parts for the oil and gas sector is now being done in-country which was not the case before now. It is not just the manufacturing but

Gas Infrastructure Development During this period too, we started looking at what we could do to develop our gas resources. We have to pull out gas issues from the PIB and specific gas projects from the Gas Master Plan to implement to fast track gas to power, gas to industry and of course to ensure that value is added to the economy.

SATURDAY

Lessons from Forensic Audit report on NNPC

•NNPC

BY IBANGA AKANIYENE

F

inally, the PricewaterhouseCoopers Forensic Audit Report draws the curtains on the fifteen-month drama in which the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was docked in the court of public opinion. The allegations that NNPC was not faithful to its fiduciary responsibility to the Federal Government and the people of Nigeria began like a child’s play. Initial steps taken to douse the issue including the inter-agency reconciliation committee led by the Ministry of Finance failed to get Nigerians to give NNPC a clean bill of health.

From exchanges back and forth during the long drawn drama, it was clear that Nigerians were angry with NNPC. Some, in bitter postulations imagined that the Corporation was a haughty, profit-minded, slave-driving multi-national.

However, nothing would obliterate the fact that the giant National Oil Company is 100% a Nigerian baby established and managed by Nigerians for Nigeria.

But it bears observing that the Corporation over the years had treated mildly or even whitewashed similar allegations. Perhaps unconsciously, it assumed that simply adhering strictly to its enabling legislation and internationally acceptable corporate governance standards and ethics, it owed no duty to the man on the street.

For those who held this opinion, the allegation of unremitted $49.8bn became opportunity to deflate the mighty NNPC: It was not important whether the allega-

tion was fabricated or not, making it stick would make the Corporation look bad, and lose face. Sad. Maybe the furore and nearpanic in government circles that greeted the allegation of missing $49.8 billion crude revenue could be attributed to the personality of the person who made the allegation, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (now the Emir of Kano).

Moreover, the drama may not have played out for so long if Sanusi had remained consistent in his allegations. From the original $49.8 billion, the former CBN governor later came down to the sum of $10.8 billion as the amount that was unremitted by NNPC. That was at a press conference where the InterAgency Reconcilliation Committee announced its preliminary findings that $39 billion had actually been remitted to the Federation Account. Members of the Committee were drawn from the Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Petroleum Resources; Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS); the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR); the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and the CBN. That same afternoon while appearing before the Senate Committee on Finance, Sanusi informed the Committee that the balance of unremitted revenue to the Federation Account stood at $12 billion, not the $10.8 billion which he had earlier concurred to at the Inter-Agency Reconciliation Committee press conference. At this point the Senate Committee dismissed the Inter-Agency

Committee urging it to reconcile their positions before next appearance.

Two months later when the InterAgency Committee returned to the Senate Committee and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who led the team reported that out of the outstanding $10.8 billion previously stated, it had certified and signed off on the claims of NNPC to the tune of $8.7 billion for petroleum products subsidy. Sanusi, who was present at the hearing, expressed satisfaction with the findings of the committee.

It was at that hearing that Dr. OkonjoIweala averred that the Committee had no technical competence to verify the claims of $2.1 for pipeline repairs and maintenance, and strategic reserves and suggested that forensic auditors be engaged to examine the expenditure as claimed by the NNPC. However, like one launching an ambush, stepping out of the Senate Chambers, Sanusi in a prepared press statement stated that $20 billion was the new amount yet to be remitted to the Federation Account by NNPC and not the $12 billion he had earlier alleged or the 10.8 billion given by the Inter-Agency Committee.

Sanusi’s allegations raised other issues including questions as to whether or not kerosene was still being subsidised; how much is NNPC allowed to hold back in its kitty from crude oil sales to defray its operating costs and expenses; and how much should it keep for holding Strategic Stock Reserves.

Fifteen months later, the PricewaterhouseCoopers forensic audit report not only affirmed NNPC’s long held position that allegations of unremitted crude oil revenue or missing oil revenue whether $49.8bn or $20bn or $12bn or $10.8bn – was a farce from day one, it also answered the questions on kerosene subsidy.

The report asserted that the entire revenue accruable to the Federation Account during the period under investigation was $50.81 billion and

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015—49

not $48.9 billion as alleged by Sanusi. The amount has been fully accounted for and clearly categorised under the various components of the accruable revenue.

The report confirmed the earlier position of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani AlisonMadueke, that subsidy on kerosene was still in force as the Presidential directive of October 19, 2009, was not gazetted as required by law, and that there exists no other legal instrument cancelling subsidy on kerosene.

The PwC report did also raise the issue of ‘outstanding $1.48 billion’ being ‘signature bonus due for divested assets and taxes/royalties’ which it recommended should be remitted by NNPC to the Federation Account. Was that not an indictment on NNPC? The NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Joseph T. Dawha in his explanation described the $1.48 billion as comprising of signature bonus, taxes, and royalties on the oil wells divested by Shell, which NNPC acquired and transferred to its upstream subsidiary, the Nigeria Petroleum Development company, NPDC. Signature bonus, according to Dr Dawha, represents the book value of the assets and was estimated at $1.847bn by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). However, NNPC raised issues with the parameters used in calculating the signature bonus since the assets involved were old wells.

NNPC had paid $300 million pending when both parties would come to terms on a mutually acceptable estimate of the book value of the assets. The NNPC boss submits therefore that the $1.48 billion was not part of the alleged unremitted revenue from crude oil sales or missing oil revenue. And going by the explanation, the $1.48 is not an amount willingly withheld by NNPC but rather an amount which was in dispute by two sister agencies and so the recommendation of the PwC forensic audit report can be seen as a resolution of the dispute. It is therefore erroneous for anyone to see it as an indictment of the NNPC in anyway.

It would be recalled that the Senate had also come up with a similar report after its painstaking investigation of the allegation. The Senate Committee on Finance’s probe report also answered in the affirmative questions raised over the right of NNPC to defray its operational costs before remitting to the Federation Account and the subsistence of kerosene subsidy. It concluded just like the PwC Audit Report that NNPC’s right to defray its operation costs is established in the NNPC Act. Many Nigerians obviously do not like this; but this does not make it illegal. The Senate as part of the National Assembly holds the solution to the problem through the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill which has been proposed to give legal backing to the reforms recommended in both reports.

Beyond the hoopla and hysteria, were there any lessons gained from the Sanusi allegations? Several! A significant lesson is that openness and transparency should be the rule of the thumb in the transactions of a public enterprise like the NNPC. Secondly, the public deserves to know how its oil wealth is being managed. As a matter of fact, one assumes that the NNPC has learnt the vital lesson that explanation of issues regarding its transactions does not have to be just once and that it owes it a duty to the Nigerian public to explain as many times as necessary till the people understand and assimilate the issues.

All said and done, the legislature and executive must be proactive in terms of putting in place legislations, institutions and processes that make for robust interagency interactions to eliminate the kind of misunderstanding that led to the allegation in the first place. If such proactive measures had been in place the pains and costs of the past fifteen months could have been avoided.

Ibanga Akaniyene is a Port-Harcourtbased financial services consultant. He can be reached at ibakaniyene@aol.com.

C M Y K

50—SATURDAY Vanguard,

FEBRUARY 28, 2015

BY LAJU IREN 07017860213 ELLEJAYMEDIA@YAHOO.CO.UK

EDUCATION BRIEFS Fingers crossed on ASUP strike Although the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP has reversed its decision to embark on a strike action on Wednesday, February 25, 2015, there are strong indications that the Poly lecturers might down their tools in March.

O n Wednesday, ASUP President, Dr. Chibuzor Asomugha told Vanguard after two separate meetings with the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau and the House of Representatives Committee on education that the “strike will not hold until our National Executive Committee, NEC, meets in March. Then we will assess the situation and decide whether or not embark on the strike. For now, the government has withdrawn its decision to reverse the CONTISS 15 migration for Polytechnic lecturers. It has also reversed the decision of the authorities of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado -Ekiti, and the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, to proscribe the union and the union activities.”

The ASUP Boss added that the government has also established a timeline to meet the outstanding elements of the 2009 agreement made between the union and the government and that House of Representatives has also promised to review the Federal Polytechnic Bill.

Recall that ASUP had on February 11, issued a two-week strike notice to the Federal Government to implement the 2009 agreement, or it would begin a full-fledged strike on Wednesday. The Minister of Education, in a last minute move to salvage the situation, called an emergency meeting with the union on Tuesday which began at about 10:00 a.m. After which the union leaders met with the House of Representatives with the education minister still present. The meeting did not end until about 6:45 p.m.

ASUP has been struggling for the implementation of the 2009 agreement since 2012, infamous among the struggles, a ten-month old strike which was only suspended in July 2014.

ERC calls for reversal of ABUAD fee hike

Could sleeping better improve learning?

I STORIES BY LAJU IREN

f you have been a student all your life, then you’ve most likely believed sleep to be your worst enemy. And if you have any will to succeed, there’s almost nothing you haven’t done to keep your closing eyelids in check; chewing gum in class, soaking your leg in water during reading hours, or reading in a noisy, uncomfortable place. In spite of all these, it seems like nothing works for you.

Perhaps the most obvious solution is the best; get more rest. Different studies have shown that students who sleep well are more likely to do better academically than those who do not get enough sleep. A recent study published in the journal Sleep found that sleep-deprived undergraduates received worse grades and were more likely to drop a course than their rested peers. Lack of sleep was also a stronger predictor than marijuana use of who would suffer academically.

In 2002, some high schools in the United States C M Y K

According to Webmd, a certified community of medical experts: poorly performing students are 23 times more likely to have frequent and loud snoring pushed back the first bell to 8:40 a.m., from 7:30 a.m. Attendance immediately went up, as did scores on standardized tests, which have continued to rise each year. This is especially true for teenagers. Research shows that teenagers’ body clocks are set to a schedule that is different from that of younger children or adults. This prevents adolescents

Continues on page 51

The Education Rights Campaign, ERC, has called on the authorities of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, to reverse the increase in fees of its 400 level medical students from N1.7 million to N2.6 million.

The ERC, in a statement signed by its National Chairman, Mr. Hassan Soweto said: “Nothing on earth, except plain profit-making, can justify this exploitative hike. The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) hereby calls for the immediate reversal of the hiked fee. Even the old rate of N1.7 million is extortionate and exorbitant. We insist that education must not and should not be a “debt” sentence.”

Continuing, Soweto said: “We urge Nigerian people to publicly condemn this fee hike and prevail on the authorities of the institution to rescind its decision. Without the immediate reversal of the fees, many medical students already in their 400 level risk being thrown out of the University. This matter is therefore a matter of urgent national importance.”

Although, the University, which describes itself as a ‘non-profit private institution,’ is not government owned, the ERC said that parents and students have every right to protest the hike.

According to the statement, “contrary to the opinion of some that private institutions are meant to be funded from fees paid by students and therefore no one has the right to protest any astronomical tuition, the ERC believes that in so far as private Universities are service providers, the public including students and their parents have a right to protest any of their policies considered inimical to their future. Not only does the public has the right to determine the amount of tuition private schools can charge, the public also has the right to determine the quality of their services etc. This is because whether private or public, education is an inalienable universal human right.”

SATURDAY Vanguard,

BY LAJU IREN 07017860213 ELLEJAYMEDIA@YAHOO.CO.UK

Could sleeping better improve learning?

Continues from page 50 from dropping off until around 11 p.m., when they produce the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, and waking up much before 8 a.m. when their bodies stop producing melatonin. Experts argue that as a result of this, the first class of the morning is often a waste, with as many as 28 percent of students falling asleep.

Some are so sleepy they don’t even show up, contributing to failure and dropout rates.

According to Webmd, a certified community of medical experts: poorly performing students are 2-3 times more likely to have frequent and loud snoring; Poor sleepers were more likely to display type A behavior patterns; teenage insomnia has been related to anger, depression, difficulty with school adjustments, and stress; Sleep-disturbed nursery school-age children may have poorer coping behaviors and display more behavioral problems at home and in school.

Also, several studies report that more total sleep, earlier bedtimes, and later weekday rise time are associated with better grades in school; Those with poor grades are more likely to sleep less, go to bed later, and have more irregular sleep/ wake habits; Failure rates on exams for medical students were markedly higher

FEBRUARY 28, 2015—51

CAMPUS GISTS

Unijos Reduces Surcharge Payment (42%) for frequent snorers than for non-snorers (13%).

Typically, the first class in many Nigerian primary and secondary schools begins at 8:00 a.m.

Students usually gather for assembly at about 7.30 a.m. but not many Nigerian students school close to home and have to be up early to meet up with time. Although boarding schools bring students closer to the classrooms, they aren’t the best sleep environments as students have to be up as early as 5:00 a.m to meet up with the school schedule. In higher institutions, classes begin as early as 9.00 or 10:00 a.m but very few students stay on campus; many have to commute long distances to resume school.

With the many challenges bedeviling the Nigerian education system, it is very unlikely that adjusting school time tables will be top priority for school authorities. Another simpler approach might be better for the Nigerian student: minimize partying, chatting and study all night, and go to bed early.

PHOTO NEWS

The University of Jos, UNIJOS, has reduced that the surcharge payment which is to cover the cost of damages and other expenses incurred by the University as a result of the last Students’ demonstration, from N12,000 to N6,000. Sources say that the payment must be done online using the University official portal.

Unilorin student returns N28, 000 to school authorities A 300-level student of the Department of Plant Biology, Miss Dolapo Ibiyemi, has returned N28, 000, which was mistakenly credited into her bank account by the University.

Miss Ibiyemi told her school newspaper that the University mistakenly credited her account twice when she could not secure a hostel accommodation after she had already paid for it. She said, “When I was in 100Level, I paid for hostel accommodation but didn’t print out the receipt and other forms.

So, I didn’t get the Hostel slot because I didn’t have the receipt and form to back up my allocation. And the school authority said they would refund the money and they refunded it twice.

I just felt it’s not my money and I won’t have peace of mind if I spent it.”

EBSU sanctions 107 students for examination malpractice

(The deplorable state of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN, Secondary School Enugu campus as shared on the Alumni facebook page) Source: facebook

SCHOOL CRACKS Q: Why did the music teacher need a ladder?

A: To reach the high notes.

Q: What do you call the leader of a biology gang?

A: The Nucleus Q: Why did the two 4’s skip lunch?

A: They already 8 (ate).

Q: Name a bus you can never enter?

A: A syllabus Q: What did the mathematician’s parrot say?

A: A poly “no meal” Q: Why do chemistry professors like to teach about ammonia?

A: Because it’s basic material.

Q: If H20 is water what is H204?

A: Drinking, bathing, washing, swimming.

Q: What did one math book say to the other?

A: Don’t bother me I’ve got my own problems!

The Senate of Ebonyi State University has given various sanctions to 107 students for their involvement in examination malpractice.

The University Senate, at its 30th Regular meeting held on 27th January, 2015, with the Vice Chancellor’s approval, expelled 23 students from the university, suspended eight students for a period of three academic sessions, and 15 students for a period of two academic sessions, and 59 students for one academic session.

Nine students were also failed for examination malpractice and mandated to retake the examinations, while eight were given warning letters.

C M Y K

52—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

B-I-Z-A-R-R-E

How a cleric poisoned client, chopped off his hands, head, private parts

•Suspect

BY EVELYN USMAN

R

esidents of Obele community in OkoAgbola, Magbon area of Badagry, Lagos, were taken aback at the sight of policemen at the site of a swimming pool around the area on February 13, 2015. However, before their arrival, a crowd had gathered to watch the bloated headless body of a man in the river. At the approach of the policemen, the crowd disappeared into thin air for fear of possible arrest.

On closer observation , it was discovered that the headless man also had other parts of his body mutilated. For instance, his two breasts were slashed off, his two wrists chopped off and his chest region dissected, revealing a conspicuously deep hole. Not only that, his stomach was also discovered to have been sliced open with the intestines missing, as well as his manhood.

Before the arrival of the policemen, the crowd reportedly tried in vain to fathom the true identity of the headless man who was dumped in the river, stark naked.

However, the nut has been cracked by operatives of the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigations Department ,SCID, Panti, Yaba, following the arrest of a Muslim cleric , otherwise known as Alfa.

The 27 year-old suspect, Alfa Fatai Aderomu, an Arabic teacher popularly known around Oko-Agbonla area of Magbon, is currently cooling his heels inside the dreaded cell at Panti.

He gave a shilling account of how the headless body found its way into the river.

JOURNEY OF NO RETURN The headless man was later discovered to be one Rafiu Suleiman , a father of one, who also lived around the area.

Further checks showed that he left home for his place of work in Apapa on Valentine day, February 14, 2015, but never returned. Apprehension reportedly set in next day following his continued absence, a development that led to his family reporting at Morogbo police division the next day.

Search, as gathered, had been conducted round the area, with visits to hospitals and mortuaries but he was not found.

His wife and their 3-year-old baby were said to have waited in vain for the arrival of their 41year-old bread winner, until news about the discovery of a headless man in Obele river reached them.

STARTLING DISCOVERY Crime Guard gathered that members of the family were invited to ascertain whether the headless body was that of the missing Suleiman. While they were at it, the wife reportedly called a member of the family who was with the Police on phone, informing that her husband had informed her on Valentine day that he would stop

by Alfa Aderomu’s place on his way back. With that information, operatives of the Homicide section led by the officer-in charge, Mr Iyamah Daniel, a Chief superintendent of Police, stormed Aderomu’s apartment located at 32, OkoAgbola street,where he was seen teaching children Arabic and Islamic studies. He was subsequently apprehended.

Spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Kenneth Nwosu, who confirmed the arrest, revealed that when a search was conducted round the cleric’s apartment, a pair of blue Jeans identified as the one worn by the victim was found in a nearby bust opposite Alfa Aderomu’s house. On further interrogation, he reportedly opened up by saying that he administered a concoction on the deceased that fateful day which led to his death, right in his apartment which he shared with his wife and five children.

CONCOCTION FOR FAVOR In an encounter with the Oyo state-born suspect, he gave a terrifying account which could be likened to a horror movie, of how the victim whom he claimed to be his client, died and how he was dumped in the river. Hear him: “ Rafiu Suleiman (deceased) was a friend and a client for two years .

He usually came for spiritual

cleansing. Yes, I have been an Alfa ( Islamic cleric) for 15 years. I own a mosque where I teach children Islamic and Arabic studies. I also administer treatment on strange sicknesses. Also, I prepare concoction of favor, success and quick sales for my clients. On February 14 , 2015, Suleiman called me on phone to inform that his child had dislocated his arm. I told him I could prepare medicine that would heal him. That morning, he came to my house and dropped N2000 for the preparation of the medicine intended for his child.

On his way back from work, precisely11pm, he came to my place and demanded for an earlier concoction I prepared for him. It was for favor. He said he needed it in order to gain his boss’s favor at work. He worked as a crane driver.

After preparing the concoction, he took it . That was 12 midnight. By then, he said he could not go back home, that it was late. At about 2am, he started complaining of stomach ache. I gave him palm oil, after which we both slept. … AND HE DIED? At this point, the suspect paused , shook his head intermittently and cast a stare at this reporter as if he was in a trance. After a long silence, he continued: “ I woke up at about 4am. But by the time I shook Suleiman to wake him up, he was cold. I shook him vigorously and at the same time called out his name but there was dead silence.”

Crime Guard asked if his (Alfa’s) wife and children whom he said occupied one of the two bedrooms were not attracted by the noise, he replied: “ No, I did not shout that loud . Immediately, I picked my phone and quickly dialed the number of the Chief Imam of Obelle community (name withheld). When he came, he suggested we should take the body away from the house in order to avoid prying eyes.”

HOW BODY WAS DISMEMBERED Alfa Aderomu stated that the body was cut and and packed into two

bags of rice and thereafter, taken to a bush along the street. From his explanation, it seemed the Chief Imam came prepared for the dehumanizing act, as according to him: “ When we reached the bush, the Chief Imam brought out a knife and cut the two wrist s and the head. He hid them somewhere in the bush with a promise to come pick them later.

Next day, we called another cleric named(name withheld) on phone. On arrival, we discovered that came with another cleric(name withheld) . They dissected the chest and removed the heart . They also cut the stomach and removed all the intestines.

They further cut off the breasts and manhood.”

I believe they either wanted to sell them or use them to prepare concoction for fertility , stroke or other illnesses

BODY DUMPED IN THE RIVER Asked what part of the body he collected, he said , “I did not collect any part”. Also asked what they intended doing with the body parts, he said : “ I believe they either wanted to sell them or use them to prepare concoction for fertility , stroke or other illnesses.’’

Continuing, he said : “ We, thereafter, pulled his clothes and pants before dumping him inside the stagnant pool . Our intention was to prevent his death being linked to me. I did not plan to kill him.

POWDERY SUBSTANCE KILLED HIM How could I plan to kill Rafiu Suleiman who was like a brother to me? I have prepared several concoctions for him and nothing bad has ever happened. What actually killed him was the powdery substance I added in the concoction. I believe it was too much. That was why, when he complained of stomach ache, I quickly gave him palm oil. I didn’t know it would kill him.

Since I became a cleric, such calamity had never befallen me. I had to call my colleagues because I was confused. I did not know they would end up complicating my problem,. If I had known, I would have called his family or even raised alarm.

RECOVERED BURNT SUBSTANCE When asked what the earthen port with burnt substance which was recovered inside his apartment was meant for, the suspect revealed that it was a concoction for success which was at the verge of being prepared for a client. According to him: “ The burnt substance were in different denominations of naira I added some ingredients to it before burning them. It was at the last stage of preparation when I was arrested. The last stage would have been the killing of a ram for the blood to be added to the burnt materials. Thereafter, the ram would be cooked and shared to people. It was meant for a client who wanted to be successful in his business”, he said , insisting however that his intention was never to kill his client.

POLICE ON THE TRAIL OF FLEEING CHIEF IMAM As at the time of filing this report, operatives of the Homicide section were on their way to recover the head of the victim from where the suspect said it was kept. Also the Chief Imam of the community alleged to have cut off the head and wrists was said to be on the run. But the Police stated that they were on his trail, assuring that they would get him.

•Recovered earthen pot

POLICE REACTION Lagos State Command Image maker, Kenneth Nwosu, who confirmed the story said that the suspects would be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2015—53

O

ne good thing about the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan is that he easily accepts good initiatives and funds it especially when it concerns development. But what happens after CBN’s disbursement of fund is a different story entirely.

Whether the fund gets to prospective investors remained the biggest challenge in the different schemes raised by the government to do douse the abysmal level of poverty. This urgly trend has become a major feature in our annual budgeting running into trillions through the sell of crude oil. Yet we can’t tackle unemployment, poverty, raise the standard of education, as well as addressing the perennial poor transport system.

However, few years back, President Jonathan through its regulatory agency, CBN was convinced to dish out some billions of Naira to SMEs in the country to

President Jonathan

CBN governor, Mr. Goodwin Emefiele

Before SMEs go into Extinction

support its operations at that level knowing that the easiest way to grow and develop the economy is through adequate funding of SMEs. That year, CBN disbursed funds as we were meant to know, to support financial need of the people at the lower level. But did we achieve that purpose? Till today, greater number of SME operators raised alarm that they did not get access to the loan

facility to boost their operation. Yet, we were done with that. As for the FG and its regulatory agencies SMEs in the country had been empowered. If it is so that such billions of Naira was disbursed to SMEs operation, how is that since 2013 till date, the country

has soared higher in unemployment with more operators going underground gradually everyday? Who were the beneficiaries of the disbursement? If SMEs have been proved the world over as engine for the growth of economies, boosting production,

generating income, and reducing poverty, why is Nigeria’s case on the contrary – beating economic indexes on development. If such huge amount of money running into billions of naira were disbursed appropriately as government and its agencies had claimed, the sector would not have been in this state of comatos.

Albeit, Federal Government should understand that its regulatory agencies in charge of disbursement did not do a good job.

Let the agencies be thoroughly monitored.

Beneficiaries should also be investigated and monitored to ascertain the accurate details so that the money disbursed will not develop wings while SMEs are gradually dying.

Recently in a publication, government had agreed to review method of disbursement.

This is very important if we must grow and develop Nigerian economy through SMEs participation. On this point, the CBN governor, Mr. Goodwin Emefiele while signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with some state governors in Abuja last year, said, the loan will attract a single digit interest rate and will be

strictly monitored. He also said that the fund will be applied toward supporting the financing needs of the people at the lower level of the pyramid.

Emefiele said in that occasion that if the disbursement of the N220 billion will be properly applied it will lead to transformation and economic development of Nigeria.

“The important thing is that we are going to ensure that the fund gets to the beneficiaries without impediments and wherever we find any impediment on the way we will remove it,” he added.

“The SMEs loan will be disbursed through commercial banks, micro finance banks and finance houses while the state governments will be able to access up to N2 billion each to enable beneficiaries who participated in their various initiatives to benefit.”

According to Emefiele, 50 per cent of the total loan is dedicated to women and that CBN will undertake regular check on the efficiency of the fund application.

Before SMEs die a gradual death, let’s rescue it in order to save our economy, so that what is happening in the power sector will not replay in SMEs sector.

US Mission partner Nigerians on youth empowerment in Niger Delta S Mission has partnered with a U distinguished group of Nigerian leaders to create Dawn in the creeks

premieres, the Jeta Amata initiative aimed at promoting peace in the Niger Delta region as well empower youths to be agent nd of change in its 2 premiere season.

At the official launch, Andre Henshaw said the second season would leverage on the awareness and excitement generated by its first season and would highlight the gains made so far and the challenges facing the project.

“In our first season, we mobilized the youth of the area to become change agents in Niger Delta, that was for too long perceived as a cauldron of degradation, restiveness and mayhem”, Henshaw noted.

“And while these issues have not been totally eradicated, we can literally see a dawn of peace and hope on the horizon”.

“The crusade for a more peaceful and prosperous Niger Delta will not be embraced immediately by all but they would have to keep the visionas it would extricate them and communities from their past.

Among the friends and partners present at the launch was, the US Consular General in Nigeria, Ambassador Jerry Hawkins, who eulogised the Initiative and pledged the continued support of the American Government. “The U.S. Mission partnered with a distinguished group of Nigerian leaders to give the people of the Niger Delta platforms like the Dawn in the Creeks reality TV show and weekly radio programs, to share non-violent solutions to problems with their fellow Nigerians as well as with local, state, and national authorities”, he said.

Jerry hinted that “Improving the relationship and accountability between the government and its citizens will go a long way to ensuring the future remains promising for the region. Today, Dawn in the Creeks is a social enterprise run by a competent board of advisors from the world of business, civil society and entertainment.

We are looking for corporate partners who share our vision of a better future for our youth.”

As in its maiden season, DITC2 will feature notable figures from the Nigerian

L - R : Corporate Communications M a n a g e r, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Sam Umokoro, Finance Director, S e y e Dosunmu and Owoseni S a l i u , Finance Controller, displaying an award on T a x Compliance, awarded the company.

C M Y K

[L-R] Professor James Garner, Dean, School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences (SAFHS) University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB); Honorable Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, Member Federal House of Representative and Gubernatorial Candidate of the APC in Rivers State; Dr. Pamela D. Moore, Associate Director, International Programmes, University of Arkansas; Dr. Edmund Buckner, Associate Dean, SAFHS at UAPB and Sir Onwuwene Emeka Wonodi, Honorable Commissioner for Youth Development, Rivers State, during the MoU signing ceremony between Development and Leadership Institute (DLI) in Port Harcourt recently.

Group canvasses economic, health and social wellness ational Wellness Campaign, an initiative N of Weight A Minute Wellness Company, aimed at creating awareness on improved

wellbeing of Nigerians, corporate organizations, institutions, communities, government, faith based organizations to identify and integrate these wellness dimensions in order to reduce stress and achieve their lives goal.

Speaking at a conference in Lagos, the Principal Consultant, Fola Osasona, said that the National Wellness Campaign is about caring for the most critical national resourcethe citizens- by pitching stress management at both personal and national level.

Referring to World Health Organisation report, that 80% of deaths in developing countries are caused by Lifestyle Chronic Diseases (LCDs)- hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cancer- which claims the lives of its victims at prime are mostly stress induced among other factors such as unhealthy diet and sedentary

lifestyle.

In addition, Osasona said, the stress / challenges we face as a people and a nation stems from trying to achieve one aspect of wellness at the expense of the other. For instance, trying to achieve financial wellness at the expense of our physical wellbeing (physical wellness) or without identifying what causes scarcity in our lives (mental wellness) leads to stress in the long run.

She also added that the National Wellness Campaign is set to create a mental shift among the citizenry to embrace wellness as a tool for achieving personal and national goals beyond physical health.

Fola further explained that for effectiveness, the National Wellness Campaign will be launched under these 4 categories which sum up the seven dimensions of wellness.

54—SATURDAY

ARY 28, 2015 Vanguard, FEBRU FEBRUARY

•Nana Model College.

Photos: Henry Unini

Uduaghan’s education story: •How he changed Delta schools •The achievements, the challenges

BY EMMA AMAIZE

I

C M Y K

F the turnaround in infrastructure and facilities noticeable in many public primary and secondary schools in Delta State today is equated with the wideranging debility in classroom accommodation, laboratories and other instructional materials prior to the beginning of the Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan administration in 2007, then the governor has undeniably added value to education in the state.

The spring in the fortunes of the Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, setting up of four new polytechnics and annual bursary to students of the state origin at higher institutions in the country can be described as the icing on the cake.

Uduaghan established two Ministries of Education: One, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education headed by Professor Patrick Muoboghare who was later replaced by Dr. Tony Nwaka and the other, Ministry of Higher Education, steered by Pofessor Hope Eghagha and now replaced Hon. Charles Emetulu to drive his vision.

How the revolution started With the increase of public

primary and public secondary schools from 1,165 and 370 in 2003 to 1,293 and 466 respectively in 2013 and the accompanying population of over 600,000 students, there was bound to be an explosion, but the adoption of Universal Basic Education, UBE, programme, early in the day in 2007 when the administration took off, helped to streamline a lot of things in the sector.

That was the beginning of Uduaghan’s revolution in the educational sector. He soon introduced EDUMARSHAL to get children of school age out of the street and put an end to all forms of fees and levies in pre-primary, primary and post-primary schools in the state. The government pays for West African Senior School Certificate Examination, National Business Certificate Examination, NABCE, conducted by the National Business and Technical Examinations Board, NABTEB and had spent more than N3.6 billion on running costs as at July, last year.

Game changer The Uduaghan legacy on education assumed a life of its own with the mass remodeling of schools in the state. In 2009, 487 classrooms were constructed and renovated while in 2010 and 2011, 657 and 204 were constructed and renovated respectively. In 2012, 112 projects were awarded for construction more

is over 600.”

“The classes are well ventilated and there are good toilet facilities, even the pupils that come from the villages come with vans provided by the government, so Governor Uduaghan has really done very well,” he added.

are being remodeled with the state- of –the –art facilities currently. The transformation of Saint Patrick’s College, Asaba, Nana College, Warri and others in the category to international standards remains a marvel to many today.

New buildings entice pupils to school Our reporter, Ochuko Akuopha, who went round schools in Isoko, Delta South senatorial district, reports that the people, staff and students were happy with the governor’s evident paces in education. At Isoko Central School, Oleh, the headmaster, Mr. Daniel Idoghor, said the structures and facilities were wonderful, adding that the atmosphere encourages staff to teach and pupils to learn.

He said the structures entice pupils from other communities to Oleh and that the governor had done far above expectation in the educational sector.

Assistant headmaster, Mr. Josepgh Avwenayeri, asserted: “When I came to the school, the structures were nothing to write home about, but as from 2011, the structures began to attract many pupils to the school. We were having a population of about 400 pupils before. Now the population

The Uduaghan legacy on education assumed a life of its own with the mass remodeling of schools in the state

Built to international standard At Warri, also in Delta South senatorial district, Egufe Yafugborhi reports that the new Nana Model College, Warri, a massive two-storey structure with 24 classrooms, laboratories, air-conditioned library, sports pavilion with shaded VIP section, staff offices and power plant to ensure operation of the laboratory equipment, the school is a spectacle.

The vice principal said, “The positive impact of the upgrade is too glaring for all to see. It is a better, more conducive environment entirely, and students and teachers’ commitment to studies and duty is no doubt boosted.”

A JSS student, who identified himself as Temi Bawo said, “Nana Model College is now the best college in Nigeria. I have not seen a better school anywhere else.”

Physically-challenged not left out At the remodeled Alders Town Primary School, which hosts regular students with separate facility for physically challenged pupils, head teacher (academic), Mr Godwin Orize, said the new environment and facilities Continues on page 55

SATURDAY

ARY 28, 2015—55 Vanguard, FEBRU FEBRUARY

'How he changed Delta schools' teachers were recruited in 2010 for public secondary schools in the state, bringing the teaching staff to 14,745, made up of 5,389 males and 14,053 females. With this, the teacher/pupil ratio on the average is 1:21 in primary and 1:15 in secondary, which far exceeds UNESCO standards.

Continues from page 54

have been most gainful for the physically- challenged students.

Orize stated, “To best of my knowledge, the upgraded facilities are helping a great deal in correcting them. There is improvement, for example, for those children with intellectual disability; we have been able to handle them. They no longer spit on themselves and those that cannot walk are gradually walking too.

“With the mix of many machines, we teach the visual impaired how to write with the typewriter because with the brain machine and type writer, whatever they write they are able to read. We also have a teacher who is also visual impaired and she teaches them well so they are well treated and they are learning as well,” he added.

New deal in Delta North In Delta North senatorial district, Theresa Ugbobu, reports that government has modernized many secondary schools at Asaba, Agbor, Akwukwu-Igbo and a host of other communities. Owa Alero Secondary School, Owa Alero, Ika North East Local Government Area, which used to suffer dearth of classrooms and chairs for learning, now has a 12classroom block.

Principal of the school, Mrs Roseline Chijindu, commended Dr Udughan for accomplishing his three-point agenda, saying the educational sector has vastly improved, but wants motivation for teachers in terms of promotion, payment of salaries as and when due, laboratories and even chairs for students.

Enviable structures in Ughelli At Ughelli, Delta Central senatorial district, Perez Brisibe, who visited three of the remodeled schools in Ughelli metropolis, Oharisi Model Primary School, Ogele Primary School and Otovwodo Primary School, said the people commended government for the structures.

Certified teachers And to further enhance learning; over 1,000 professionally qualified

C M Y K

Adult education Government has special interest in adult and out-of-school girl/boy child education, where a total of 5,192 learners have been presented for the Basic Education Certificate and Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination. This is a feat no other state in the country has achieved.

“The positive impact of the upgrade is too glaring for all to see

Fostering a new generation of students On technical education, technical colleges are being repositioned for nurturing a generation of technically motivated citizens that will not be dependent on white collar jobs after graduation. Six of the schools in the state had ceased to operate the JSS system, while government is to establish three more. Meanwhile, production centers for bio-gas and concrete electric poles have been established at Sapele and Ogor Technical Colleges at the cost of N164 million.

Eight Special Needs learning centers were established for children of primary school age at Asaba, Agbor, Issele-Uku, Warri, Ughelli, Ozoro, Kwale and Oleh with a population of 758 children made up of 424 males and 334 females.

662 illegal schools shut down The government also has its eyes on standards and had shut down 662 schools illegally operated in the state indicating that it is no longer business as usual.

82,930 desks, tables and chairs Over N22.6 billion was expended on infrastructural development in schools across the state at July, last year and N59.5 billion allocated for

capital projects in the sector. At least 26, 070 students’ desk, 53,140 pupils’ desks, 3,720 teachers’ tables and chairs were distributed to schools and through the government’s part of UBEC counterpart funding of N1billion, 3,123 textbooks in the core subject areas of English studies, mathematics, basic science and social studies were procured and distributed to primary and junior secondary schools across the state.

Challenges Our investigations, however, showed that children in the riverine communities, especially in Warri North, Warri South, Warri South West, Patani local government areas and even some in upland areas, still do not have easy access to education.

Teachers deployed to riverine/rural areas bend the rules to stay away.

Despite the aggressive construction, many schools are still decrepit, while the infrastructure of schools used as camps for displaced 2012 flood victims have dilapidated.

Security The headmaster of Oharisi Model Primary School, Comrade Vincent Eneyemo, headmistress of Ogele Primary school, Mrs. Theresa Bruegbo and a non-academic staff of Otovwodo Primary school, Mrs. Rita Oharisi, raised the issue of lack of furniture and porous security in the schools.

“After spending so much on these projects, it would be a waste if criminals and street urchins can just stroll into these schools unhindered to burgle and vandalize them,” Eneyemo asserted.

Mrs. Bruegbo whose school has a staff strength of 55 and estimated 700 pupils said, “We do not keep valuables in the offices, as burglars consistently break into offices looking for valuables to steal and this include the remodeled buildings where some of the doors have been removed as well. There is no water to operate the toilets neither is there any form of electricity.”

At Otovwodo Primary School, there is problem of water and both staff and pupils source water for residential buildings around the school.

Shoddy work by contractors Comrade Eneyemo complained about the use of “plastic doors” for the six remodeled buildings on his school, adding, “Comparing the doors and windows of the remodeled structures to buildings refurbished by the State Universal Primary Education Board, SUPEB, they can’t secure the offices as they easily give way when little pressure is mounted on them.

Right now, we had to relocate books meant for the library somewhere else because the library has been burgled. This aside, the quality of work done by some of the contractors is poor.”

He suggested: “There should be collaboration with the school management and the project contractors especially in the exposure of the Bill of Quantity, BOQ to us as this is the only way we can guide and hold the contractors accountable for their jobs.”

“Right now, like beggars, we would accept anything they offer as we cannot even tell the supposed amenities in terms of electricity fittings and furniture attached to the remodeled buildings as required by the government from the contractors.”

We derive comfort in remodeled classes – Pupils For Ofejiro Akpobire, Mercy Uloho and Emmanuel Akposhire, pupils of Ogele, Oharisi and Otovwodo primary schools respectively, the beauty and comfort derived from receiving lectures in the remodeled classes in their schools overshadows the challenges encountered by the management of their schools. In their respective remarks, they said, “Aside from the furniture challenges, it is cozier and comfortable receiving lectures in the remodeled buildings compared to the old buildings.”

56—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

How I’ll transform Delta —O’tega Emerhor, APC guber candidate •I understand the clamour for Anioma gov, but …

•UPU compromised Uvwiamuge declaration •Why Ogboru cannot win

•Olorogun O’tega Emerhor EMMA AMAIZE & EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

A

ll Progressives Party, APC, gubernatorial candidate in Delta State, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, is confident that he will emerge as governor of the state in the April 11 governorship election. In this interview with Saturday Vanguard at Asaba, he speaks of how the PDP failed Deltans for 16 years, the new breath he is bringing to the state as a turnaround expert, how Chief Joseph Omene-led Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, compromised the Uvwiamuge declaration and why Deltans should thrust aside the PDP candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and Labour Party candidate, Chief Great Ogboru, for him. Excerpts.

You have taken your campaign to 25 local government areas of Delta state, what was your message to Deltans essentially?

We’ve been out there. What we have been telling the people is that we are coming with a different attitude and a different perspective to running the business of Delta state. This state has been run in a particular way for 16 years, and if you’ve done something for 16 years and it has not worked, we are telling them to try something else.

The best way to look at it is to ask the people, are you happy with where you are? And the answer is no, they are not. What are they looking for; they are looking for just those simple things that can make life comfortable. They are looking for good roads, good medical facilities. They are looking for education. They are looking for C M Y K

employment. They are looking for engagements. Things as simple as these are what the people are asking for, but go round the state, in my campaign and wherever, what I see poverty. What I see everywhere is misery. So we are coming with the message that this is not how it is supposed to be, this is not how it ought to be, it could be far much better.

The truth is that these people who have subjected the people to this misery for 16 years have no new ideas, but we have new ideas to take you out of where you are today. This is what we have been telling them.

You have talked about making things better. The candidate of the PDP has conveyed the same message - that he will surpass the present administration. Basically, there is nothing different from what you are saying?

There is certainly something different. Two things are actually different. One, the candidate of the PDP that is going round saying this has been part of the whole process for 16 years, even longer. Check your records. He’s been there. From being local government chairman to being commissioner multiple times, to being Secretary to the State Government, SSG, to now being in the Senate, he’s been part and parcel of the PDP ruling class. If he had ideas and he has not put them in, then he was not ready to contribute to developing the state.

Now, what is going to change is not really much other than ideas, and I will give you some of the ideas. For instance, how do you take people off the streets in a major way? I said in my first 100 days, I am setting aside N10 billion as empowerment funding.

You know what I want to do. I will save part of it because first 100

days is just about just about three months. I will save part of it as counterpart funding to attract more money. I will have the N10b out there and call it empowerment funding for youths, women and small businesses.

And I will partner with existing institutions such that every local government will have what I call empowerment access point. It is a new concept. You would be surprised what is empowerment access point? Today, even though they may have what they call SME department or Poverty Alleviation department and all that, but ask people on the street whether they know where to go and benefit that. You have to know your brother who knows a brother who knows somebody. This is why things don’t move.

Access point means a transparent place like a bank’s branch where people who need help actually go and get the help. And you put trained venture capitalists who sit there and what are they doing? They are welcoming people, looking at their proposals and genuinely try to assist them, and there are no constraints as to how to help them because the government is guaranteeing that help to these people, provided they are viable and you find that they are genuine. And applicants will not be asked to go and bring their mother and father as collateral. So, you create a vehicle that really, people can access. That is access point, and you let people know that. You are unemployed is not a barrier, what matters is that you have an idea, and you tell him, go to the nearest access point and you have things sorted out.

The second of the new ideas I want to bring out there is to refocus development and make

For instance, how do you take people off the streets in a major way? I said in my first 100 days, I am setting aside N10 billion as empowerment funding

local governments the development hubs. What will have today are people in Asaba, sitting down as Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Works and what have you, taking all the decisions from there. In the local governments, the funds that come there, the chairmen just use them to pay salaries and do nothing thereafter.

But if you sit down with the local governments and see that this is the budget they have, these are the projects they have and these are the facilities they need to put in place, and create budgets for local governments that are realistic, then the state government takes responsibility for making sure that they partfinanced or help them source funding.

So, you find that local governments can really do meaningful and tangible things because that is why they were created, to be hubs of development. You begin to have local government competing with local governments, and you find that the whole state is developed.

You will then see that the things that the state needs to address are high level capital intensive ideas, industrialization, attracting major investors to build industrial parks and other major projects that really expand the space like major housing expansion. New idea is private public sector partnerships. It is working in Lagos state. We have roads we can’t construct because of lack of funding. For 16 years, roads from Asaba to Ughelli or through Agbor to Warri are still under construction. We can bring in private sector to blow up those roads, but we will pay for it by putting toll gates and stuffs like that. And some people will say that is tax, but that manner of tax is more citizen-friendly than the toll the deplorable roads exert on your car, your health and pocket.

Each time your car breaks down on that road, do you know how much you spend to repair? Do you know the cost to life in terms of hospital bills and the possibility of death? These are things that in developed countries are normal and over time people are happy cruising in very smooth roads and paying a little bit.

These are ideas the private sector and government can combine and you can open up.

Take for instance again, housing.

You can open up blue areas; create facilities like roads, drainages, power and stuffs like that. Those are you minimum investment. You will attract funders to come and built the

Continues on page 57

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Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015—57

'Why Ogboru cannot win' Continues from page 56 houses. Civil servants, the self employed will, through financial institutions, get the finances and they can buy those houses. Over 15 years, you then deduct from them. They own their houses, they are happy, they are not living in squalor and government has played a role in their lives. These are the things that are new that the PDP will never think about in another sixteen years. It is a different message.

The people of Anioma believe it is their turn to produce the next governor of Delta state, you are the APC candidate from Delta Central, what will you be tell Aniomas to vote for you?

The truth is that I can understand why the Anioma person or the Anioma people would want to have one of their own as governor. The same thing my people from Delta Central would want to have theirs. Everybody really would want to have their own as it seems. One index that cuts across these people and reason people start crying for their own person to be in government is basically because people have not been performing in government. The basic thing people are looking for, first and foremost, is competence and ability to deliver the dividends of democracy. Ability to lift the people out of the misery they are, and how I wish the person coming from Anioma will provide that for the people.

Now, it is the same group that has been ruling this state for 16 years, and I believe the Anioma person, when he see somebody who will being the dividends of democracy compared to his own son that would not, would have a decision to make.

I really understand the reason why every group clamour for its own- they believe that until their own is there, the dividends of democracy may never come to them, but what I can promise the Anioma people is that I am bringing competence. I am bringing ability to develop this state. And I will not be an Urhobo governor. I will be a Delta governor. My promise is that Anioma would find that the government of this Urhobo man would do better for Anioma because he is bringing competence and is bringing development.

Uvwiamuge declaration has turned out a lot of things; we now have a parallel Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) so to speak, what is your take on what is currently playing out the union?

It is unfortunate really. Again this takes us to another ethnic dimension to the race. The Urhobos believe they have population, and therefore they are entitled to use that population to ensure that one of their own is governor. And I, from that part, as a politician,

•Olorogun O’tega Emerhor

The Urhobos believe they have population, and therefore they are entitled to use that population to ensure that one of their own is governor

there is no reason why I would not want to benefit from that kind of platform, provided when I benefit from it, I will still remain the governor of entire Delta state, not of a particular section.

Now, when a people come together and make a proclamation, they put their honor and integrity in it. UPU is 84 years old as reputable as it is if not more. It has produced outstanding president -generals. So the UPU gathered the whole of Urhobo stakeholders together, and they pronounced that they don’t want any of their children coming through mushroom parties, that only parties, APC and PDP are big enough, and that they are going to fight to ensure that their sons and daughters only play in these two parties. And they swore by that declaration that any of these two parties that give governorship ticket to their son, there is where they will put their votes.

The whole Delta, the whole country listened and they expect that kind of declaration to be honoured. The split in UPU today is that the original group, which led the declaration of this pronouncement, somehow, has abandoned that pronouncement.

After all the primaries, and now that APC had produced an Urhobo governorship ticket, and without dispute, the only party that has met the requirement, suddenly they woke up and fell in love with PDP because they believe they must vote for President Goodluck Jonathan.

And then they went an attached Labour Party to it as a friendly party to Jonathan, and barefacedly, they turned against their own declaration.

There is no other interpretation that they want to sabotage not only their own declaration, but something has compromised them to the extent that they now want to support a party that did not even meet the requirement. That is just the basis of the crisis. There is, therefore, a second group that says no, this nation has honour and that they need to stand by that honour. They needed answers to the basic emanating questions; what is the problem, why don’t you want to

stand by the people who met the requirement? Why do you want to dishonor your own declaration? Why do you now want to favour someone who was not even a party to that declaration just because you want to favour the party, PDP, that did not give you want. It is strange and that is what is happening.

There is this allegation that you are the one sponsoring the other group. Is it so?

The group does not need any sponsorship. The group’s birth is natural. The group is standing by what is right.

The truth is that you usually like to call a dog a bad name before you hang it. The people at fault here are those who want to abandon and disgrace the Urhobos and they are turning around and accusing me. I am just a mere beneficiary of an arrangement. This group, if they have decided, somehow, that I am not Urhobo enough, or may be APC is not good party enough, if PDP carrying members are now the executives of the UPU, they should not have challenged the PDP to Uvwiamuge declaration.

PDP dared them and they did not give them what they demanded. Now they are dancing back. APC gave 100 per cent what they want, and they are now saying I am sponsoring a splinter group.

Some principled people only rose to the occasion and say no; this organization has been here for 84 years and has been known for honouring its words. If you guys have compromised yourselves or done something that is making you waiver and now want to do what the declaration did not say, we will stand by the declaration and the rest of Urhobo are backing them.

Anybody saying I am sponsoring them has his free

will to make accusations, but the truth remains that the group which stands on the path of truth and integrity are full- fledged, genuine executives of the UPU and they have their rights to take their decisions. That they support the truth does not mean I am sponsoring them.

Before this situation there were reports that efforts were in place to approach you or Ogboru for one person to step down, were there such moves and if true what was your reaction?

It is obvious to everyone that if Delta Central or the Urhobos want their votes united, then two of its sons should not compete for this governorship, but while that principle is reasonable, the principle of fairness cannot be replaced. That is why Uvwiamuge declaration was very specific. What should have happened is to disqualify who does not qualify.

Then it becomes easy for the qualified person to move ahead. To bring up the unqualified person can never work and that is the problem.

If you want people to step down for each other there must be a way to do it, and the only way to do is justify who meets the criteria. There is no other way. In any case, nobody has asked me to step down for anybody because I meet the criteria, but even if you extend it beyond that, my brother and contestant has been in this race a couple of times and yes, he had received my support at previous times. So, truly if you were going to look for who should step down for whom, you look at the qualifications. I am in a national party that is poised, right now as we speak, to win the presidency. The evidence is out there. I am in the big party where I am responsible, connected to other people. Right now, we have over 14 governors. Does it make sense that I step for a lone- ranging, enclosed Labour Party with no link, no name other than to attach itself to PDP? Even for the PDP you know what is happening. They had to force postponement of this election because they know we are going to win.

In your thinking, you believe what is best for Delta Central is for Ogboru to step down for you based on Uvwiamuge declaration?

Well, you called it a declaration and I qualified.

I am the sole beneficiary by the outlined qualifications.

I am not asking him to step down and it really does not call for that. People only just have to be honourable.

You must stand by your word. If you won’t live by your word, don’t declare it. I mean, if I did not qualify, I will not hang on it, I will not.

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62—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

Oshiomhole ‘Why Obasanjo is speaks on how having issues with PDP shares Jonathan’ power

BY OBOH AGBONKHESE

C

hief Augustine Onyemaechi Mazie, is the Chairman, Board of Trustees, New Paradigm Transformation Initiative, NPTI, and strong advocate of unity, peace and progress of Nigeria. A retired Air Force personnel, he served as the Chairman Unity Campaign Team for the Election of the National Chairman and National Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2001 and is a two-time Principal Secretary of PDP, 2001 and 2005.

In this interview, he bared his mind on the chances of the presidential candidates of the two major political parties in the forthcoming elections, saying that Gen. Muhammadu Buhari would have toppled Jonathan’s administration if he was still in the military. He also spoke on why former President Obasanjo is having issues with President Jonathan. Excerpts.

What is NTI’s assessment of Jonathan’s re-election bid?

The New Paradigm for Transformation Initiative, NPTI, is a socio-economic and NonGovernmental Organization, committed to the improvement and sustenance of peace, unity, positive transformation of Nigeria, and socio-economic wellbeing of the Nigerian people. In essence, one of the cardinal principles of the organization is to support any leader that upholds the principles of good governance. Presently, it is pledging its support to President Goodluck Jonathan because the members were convinced that the President truly inspired them through his transformational policies and initiatives like FoI law, free and fair elections, institutional restructuring, economic reawakening and the ongoing infrastructural revival. As stakeholders in Nigeria, we in NPTI can talk about what is wrong with Nigeria, if the President is not tackling the Transformation Agenda, which he promised Nigerians, but if Nigerians are misunderstanding what he has been doing, we will help him to project his good work.

Don’t you feel jittery that the President is not getting the expected support?

Well, I can tell you that there is no fear at all in the Jonathan camp

as I speak. I have come to realize that some people criticize everything that is begin said about the President without actually knowing what is being done. Some people said that President Jonathan has not built roads and other infrastructure, you cannot say that of him. If they are saying that, what were the situations of our roads when he became President? If you travelled during the last Christmas and saw the condition of the roads. You would agree with me that he is working.

But some people will wonder if it is only roads you could point at?

But he has performed in other areas as well. Take a look at our railways. I was so happy because I have little children who didn’t know when the rail were running, but this past December, we saw train running from Port Harcourt to Enugu.

The President has not hidden his plan for the aviation sector.

When you go round, you will realize that he has worked on that sector too, including agriculture, economy, and attracting foreign direct investments.

What is your take on his anticorruption war?

I am surprised that the opposition is talking about corruption. Obasanjo in his inaugural speech as President in 1999, commented on corruption. He said he was going to fight corruption, but this corruption turned back to fight them. And you can see that is what is happening to Jonathan now.

Do you think his approach to the fight is yielding result?

The fact that the President has not jailed anybody does not mean he is not fighting corruption. He said “I am putting structures in place to be sure that if you block the way people steal money, there will no more corruption’’. The President is devising a system that was created by past leaders that will not tempt people to commit corruption. He said we have to put some processes, checks and balances in place, so that people do not just steal money anyhow. If those things are put in place, how do you

•Chief Augustine Onyemaechi Mazie think people will engage in corruption?

But the opposition insists his government is corrupt?

Those pointing accusing fingers at the President have not cleaned their cupboard very well. How could Buhari say he wants to come and fight corruption? When he was Minister of Petroleum, it was reported that $2.8 billion was missing. He has not accounted for it till today. At that time, one NTA journalist, Ms Vera Ifudu, reported it extensively. There is also this case of 53 suitcases that passed through Buhari’s ADC, Jokolo, which has not been accounted for till date.

What do we see in this country as corruption?

Those corrupt people who fought Obasanjo are still fighting back. Buhari committed the greatest disservice to Nigeria by toppling a civilian government. If Buhari was still in army, the way he is fighting to become president, he would have toppled this present government. If Jonathan were to be like Buhari, he would have probably sent Buhari to jail for the atrocities he committed.

Do you think the Transformation Agenda is real?

Remember that the

I have come to realize that some people criticize everything that is begin said about the President without actually knowing what is being done

President told Nigerians that when he was growing up, he had no sandals. The same man who said he had no sandals after going to school is now trying to prove to Nigerians that there are so many people like that by building 125 Almajiri schools. That is impacting because most of these Almajiris did not have the privilege to go to school, rather, they go pan-in-hand begging for food. These young lads, through Jonathan’s intervention, are now in classrooms and would be future leaders. So, if you are building for the future, you are impacting lives. We were spending billions of naira importing rice. The agricultural reform plan of this administration has changed all that, that we now have rice.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015 — 63

Keshi: I have been offered ‘a slave contract’ C

Sports journalists blast NFF over Keshi

... Say enough is enough

T

HE Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Lagos Chapter, has called on the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to take a clear stand on the engagement and status of Coach Stephen Keshi and save the Nigerian public the agony of having frequently to discuss him as the main issue of the nation’s football rather than the development and progress of the game.

Lagos SWAN made the call in reaction to a statement by the NFF accusing a section of the media of having lied in a report in which Keshi was quoted to have expressed some displeasure with the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, and the Football House.

Reacting in a statement titled “Enough is enough,” Lagos SWAN advised the NFF not to, in any way, drag the sports media into whatever difficulties it may be having with Keshi but to boldly express the authority of its mandate as the governing body of Nigerian football to

NFF President, Amaju Pinnick steer the ship of the federation in line with its vision, programmes and the expectations of the public on Nigerian football.

The statement said: “First of all, we take exception to the statement of the NFF accusing a section of the sporting press of having lied or exaggerated the statement credited to Keshi.

For the avoidance of doubt, Keshi spoke in a live interview which recordings are available and he was reported correctly.

We therefore stand by the veracity and integrity of that particular report.

“However, as responsible partners, we will make no further issues of this unfair attack on the sporting media.

We will rather encourage the NFF to take full possession of its mandate as the governor of our football to be decisive on issues to enable it discharge its duties in line with its vision and programmes to meet the expectations of Nigerian football lovers.

“We wish to point out that the controversies and complexities surrounding Keshi’s engagement have lingered for too long. We cannot continue to remain in one spot and keep dancing around. After the agony of not being at the AFCON 2015, the NFF and Keshi should save us the further agony of having to be

discussing him daily as the substance of our football rather than the team. We wish also to appeal to any powers closely or remotely constraining the freedom and workings of the NFF to please consider the greater interest of Nigerian football so that we can make progress.

Enough is enough “Lastly, while we are becoming used to institutions unduly passing the blame of systems failure on the press, we wish to restate that we will continue to do our job as the sports media, to promote sports, the athletes and institutions, and challenge excesses and inadequacies, without fear or favour, for the good of the game and progress of our nation.”

LEAGUE CUP FINAL: CHELSEA V SPURS

Mourinho: I trust referee Taylor C

HELSEA manager Jose Mourinho insists that he has no concerns about refereeing ahead of the League Cup final against Tottenham.

The Portuguese hit out at referee Martin Atkinson after his side’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Burnley, having seen midfielder Nemanja Matic sent off for his reaction to a coming-together with Ashley Barnes.

Matic responded furiously when caught by Barnes’ studs in the second half, with Mourinho, and Chelsea as a club, subsequently highlighting four instances in which they believed that Atkinson made the wrong decision.

Anthony Taylor will take charge of tomorrows final at Wembley, however, and C M Y K

the Blues boss has no fears over his performance.

“I don’t believe that anyone involved in this game doesn’t want to make his best,” Mourinho told the press.

“I believe all three teams [Chelsea, Tottenham and the officials] will go with the same ambition to do very well and hopefully, even the players that like to complicate things, even they will try to make the final a big final.”

Matic had his suspension reduced from three to two matches by the Football Association but, asked for his opinion on the move, Mourinho replied: “If I give you my views, it is bad for me. “If I speak again about the Matic situation, I promise you I will be in big trouble.”

•Mourinho

oach Stephen Keshi has described as “a slave contract” what has been offered him to continue as Nigeria coach.

Keshi said he has received his new contract from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), but has been far from impressed what has been offered him.

“From the clauses I have seen so far, I don’t know what words to use but the contract can be described as a ‘slave contract’”, he remarked probably in reference to clauses which make him answerable to several persons and committees.

Further checks showed he has been offered a two-year contract effective from March 1, 2015 with him to meet several targets or else the deal is off.

He should reach the semifinal of the 2016 CHAN and also the last four of the next AFCON or the contract will be called off at “the absolute discretion” of his employers.

He will also have to abide by a code of conduct.

Keshi himself revealed that he will be paid five million Naira (less than $25,000), which was what he also received during his initial three-year contract, which ran out after last year’s world Cup in Brazil.

•Okey Emordi

Pillars will play like wounded Lions — Emordi

A

head of their CAF Champions league first round, second leg game against Al Malakia of South Sudan, Kano Pillars coach Okey Emordi has said that his team will be approaching the game like they lost the first leg.

The Nigerian champions won 2-0 in South Sudan two weekends ago and play hosts this weekend in Kano, with Emordi believing that the best approach will be to ignore the result of the first leg and focus on the second leg. “The approach we want to have is to play like we didn’t win the first leg,” he began. “We have to forget about what happened two weeks ago and focus on what will happen now because they may also have improved between then and now.

“So we have to play like we lost the first leg because we have to show more hunger so that we can complete the job. We cannot be thinking about the next round now. We just have to focus on ensuring we get past this stage,” he added.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

BENDEL INSURANCE:

Waiting for a sleeping giant to wake up >>38&39

KESHI: I’ ve been offered a slave contract >> 63

>>63

League Cup final: Chelsea v Spurs

TODAY’S FIXTURES

Mourinho:

CAF Champions League Pillars v Al-Malakia (South Sudan) 4pm Buffles de Borgou (Benin) v Enyimba 4pm

>>63

I trust referee Taylor

Confederation Cup Warri Wolves v Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso) 4pm Dolphins v Leones Vegeta (E/Guinea) 4pm

CROSS WORD PUZZLE

EPL West Ham Burnley Man Utd Newcastle Stoke West Brom

v v v v v v

LA LIGA Granada Rayo Vallecano Almeria Malaga

v v v v

Barcelona Levante Deportivo Getafe

4pm 6pm 8pm 10pm

SERIE A Chievo

v

AC Milan

8:45pm

BUNDESLIGA Bayer Leverkusen Dortmund Hannover Hertha Berlin Hoffenheim Frankfurt

v v v v v v

SC Freiburg Schalke Stuttgart FC Augsburg Mainz Hamburg

3:30pm 3:30pm 3:30pm 3:30pm 3:30pm 6:30pm

Palace Swansea Sunderland Aston Villa Hull Southampton

1:45pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 6:30pm

Across 1 Akwa United Striker, Son – (6) 4 President, Ugandan Football Association, Mr. Moses – (6) 7 Traditional Ruler of Benin – (3) 8 Former Chairman, Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Nuhu – (6) 9 Flying Eagles (U-20) Striker, Olanrewaju – (6) 11 Ignore – (4) 12 Borussia Dortmund Winger, Marco – (4) 14 L.G.A in Edo State – (4) 16 Minister of Lands & Housing, Mrs. Akon – (8) 20 Chad Republic President, Mahamadou – (8) 23 Traditional Ruler of Ife – (4) 26 L.G.A in Bauchi State – (4) 27 Footway – (4) 29 Super Eagles Midfielder, Gabriel – (6) 30 Country in Africa – (6) 31 Record – (3) 32 Macedonian Capital City – (6) 33 Fijian national President, Mr. Josefa – (6) Down 1 Zimbabwean Capital City – (6)

2 Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr. Ima – (6) 3 Brazil National President, Mrs. Dilma – (8) 4 Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran – (4) 5 Super Eagles Psychologist, Dr. Robinson – (6) 6 Imo State Capital – (6) 10 L.G.A in Akwa-Ibom State – (4) 13 Therefore – (4) 15 Vapour – (3) 17 United Arab Emirates Capital City – (3,5) 18 Greek God – (4) 19 Japanese Currency – (3) 20 France Premiership Club – (6) 21 Former CBN Governor, Mr. Charles – (6) 22 Cross River State Sports Commissioner, Mr. Patrick – (4) 24 L.G.A in Lagos State – (6) 25 Former Super Eagles Striker, Odion – (6) 28 Director-General, Nigerian Customs Service, Mr. Abdullahi Dikko – (4)

Solution on page 62

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