Forex Restriction: Emefiele Gets Buhari’s Nod to Blacklist Saboteurs Disburses N30bn to oil palm producers
James Emejo in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has given the nod to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to blacklist any firm, its owner
and top management caught smuggling or dumping any of the 43 items which are not eligible for foreign exchange. CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele disclosed this during
a meeting with oil palm producers in Abuja. He said the presidential directive mandated the apex bank to provide support to firms and individuals that want
to expand the production of 10 different commodities including rice, maize, cassava, tomatoes, cotton, oil palm, poultry, fish, livestock dairy and cocoa. He said the bank would
also work to encourage viable off-taker agreements between farmers and large-scale palm producing companies. Emefiele said: "We want to ensure palm oil production
is aggressively increased in Nigeria. Nigeria in the 50s and 60s used to be the largest producer of oil palm in the Continued on page 6
Akinrinade to Buhari: We Can’t Have Peace with Our People Being Abducted‌ Page 6 Saturday 15 June, 2019 Vol 24. No 8832
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ISWAP Attacks Military Base in Borno, Kills Commanding OfďŹ cer Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri The Commanding Officer of the 158 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Lt. Col. Azubuike, and several of his
troops have been killed by fighters of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP). The gallant soldiers fell during an attack on their facility located at Kareto village, in Mobbar Local
Government Area, north of Borno State, on Wednesday. ISWAP had, in the last three days, laid siege on parts of Borno State, killing scores of soldiers. According to sources, the terrorists had taken the
soldiers by surprise, and were unable to make needed resistance. A top military source, who confirmed the incident, told our correspondent on telephone that the attackers
were not repelled, and that troops at the location were dislodged by the rampaging terrorists. The source said: “On 12 Jun 2019, BHTs/ISWAP elements attacked troops of
158 Battalion located at Kareto Village, Mobbar LGA of Borno State. Attack was not repelled and troops at the location were dislodged.� Continued on page 6
Lawan: Henceforth, N’Assembly Will Pass Budgets Within 3 Months If presented in October, we will get it out before Christmas break Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja Henceforth, the National Assembly will pass the annual Appropriation Bill within three months, Senate President Ahmad Lawan pledged yesterday in Abuja. Lawan who gave the assurance while answering questions from journalists in the State House, said that the unanimous decision was a joint agreement between the Senate and the House of Representatives. However, he was swift to add that fulfilling this promise would be premised on the
preparedness of the executive to live up to its responsibility by presenting the budget early enough. According to Lawan, if the budget is presented in September or October, the National Assembly will ensure its passage before proceeding on Christmas break every year. He explained that getting that done would require a sacrifice by both the National Assembly and the executive. The Senate President, while noting that it will be desirable that ministers and heads of Continued on page 6
Udoma: Nigeria's Hope Lies A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW‌ L-R: Former Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and the former Minister of Budget and National Udoma Udo Udoma, at a send-o party organised in honour of Udoma by the former permanent secretary of the in the People, Not Oil‌ Page 54 Planning, Budget ministry, Mrs. Fatima Mede, in Abuja‌ Thursday KINGSLEY ADEBOYE
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Akinrinade to Buhari: We Can’t Have Peace with Our People Being Abducted Says inauguration of president, governors should hold on June 12
Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti Former Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Gen Alani Akinrinade, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to join hands with state governors towards tackling insecurity in the country, noting that it will be impossible to have peace in an unstable environment. "We can't have peace when our people are being kidnapped and money is being taken from them,� said Akinrinade at an event, “June 12: Lighting the Candle of Democracy�, held in Ado Ekiti yesterday to commemorate June 12 Democracy Day. Akinrinade, who applauded Buhari for branding June 12
Democracy Day, suggested that the day should also be set aside for the inauguration of incoming president and governors, to add glamour. On the allegation by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that President Buhari was plotting to Fulanise and Islamise Nigeria, Akinrinade said: “Don't let us have the intention that President Buhari will Fulanise us. "I have always believed that a criminal is a criminal, whether you are a Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa, when you commit offence, you must be treated as a criminal. It is not good to link every Fulani man to Buhari." Akinrinade stated that the “Fulanisation and Islamisation�
accusation by Obasanjo had been settled by the honour bestowed on Chief Moshood Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential poll. The former army boss noted that “Buhari was one of the first retired generals to stand up for June 12, but they became disappointed because of the inordinate ambitions of our people here in Yoruba, so they became scared until they were told that not all the Yorubas are treacherous.� "So, what he did was not for MKO Abiola, but for the growth of our democracy", he stressed. Addressing the gathering, the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi said the annulment of the June 12, 1993
presidential poll and the honour conferred on the presumed winner of the election, Chief Abiola showed the country needed strong and virile political institutions. The governor described those who opposed the annulment of the June 12 presidential election as committed patriots, who did the sacrifice in the interest of democracy and not for the late Abiola. He said: "Some of those saying the June 12 was not worth dying for were poor students of history and not abreast of the war waged by people to restore democracy in the country. "Over 70 per cent of our close to 200 million population did not have firsthand information
about June 12, so those of us who knew what transpired must acknowledge the struggle. "One thing is clear, there won't be May 29 without June 12 and that was why President Buhari decided to honour the late Abiola. "The honour was not just about the man, but about Nigerians who voted for Chief MKO Abiola. "Some of us in the radical fold believed Chief Abiola was a military collaborator, who used his money to fund coups. He was a capitalist but a populist on the other hand, because of his strong philanthropic gesture. "The man represented Nigeria in all its ramifications and he understood all the contradictions,
DMO Lists Eurobonds on FMDQ Platform Bennett Oghifo with agency report
The Debt Management Office (DMO) on Friday listed its first Eurobonds on FMDQ Securities Exchange platform to fund the budget deficit and other financing needs of the Federal Government.
The listing comprises dualtranche 2.50 billion dollars and triple-tranche 2.86 billion dollars Eurobonds, reports the News Agency of Nigeria. Speaking at the listing in Lagos, Ms Patience Oniha, DMO’s Director-General, said the bonds were raised to refinance the country’s domestic
debt. Oniha said the proceeds of the Eurobonds would be used to fund the fiscal deficit as well as other financing needs of the country. She said the 2.50 billion dollars Eurobonds issued in February 2018 was meant for refinancing of domestic debt.
Oniha added that the 2.86 trillion dollars Eurobonds floated in Nov, 2018 was purposely for financing of the capital project of the budget. According to her, the Eurobonds are in line with the Federal Government’s debt management strategy aimed at achieving lower cost.
so there are lessons to be learnt, especially with the way President Buhari decided to honour this man, who died for democracy. “That is why we have to strengthen this democracy; we are not yet where we are supposed to be.� Others who harped on the need for strong and potent political institutions in Nigeria at the event were: the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon Funminiyi Afuye and the former Editor of defunct Diet Newspaper, Mr. Niran Malaolu. The discussants included: Professor Bolaji Aluko and the General Secretary, Afenifere Renewal Group, Chief Ayo Afolabi.
Oniha noted that listing of foreign currency-denominated debt securities by the Federal Government showed it’s unrelenting commitment to supporting the growth of the Debt Capital Market (DCM) for economic development. The director-general said the government was committed to
achieving a ratio of 60 per cent to 40 per cent between domestic and external debts. “A large part of it will be funded by new borrowing of N1.649 trillion and 50 per cent of that is provided as external right there in the appropriation Act, which means we will be borrowing externally.
communities, aside from giving support to "We want to spread wealth in our rural communities. We made the first set of disbursement which is about N30 billion to some of those who are currently in oil palm production and are expanding and we would do more of these. The next phase will be those who are coming into oil palm plantation business newly. We will also extend credit facilities to them." He vowed that those who want to hide under HS Code to import hydrogenated vegetable fats would be blacklisted from the foreign exchange market. “Those who think they want to use those of you who want to hide under customs HS Code to import hydrogenated vegetable
fats, we will catch all of them and blacklist them from the foreign exchange market. It is not going to happen again. If we find you, you are going to be in trouble", he warned. Also present at the meeting were the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and chief executives of companies operating in the oil palm sector of the economy. Obaseki said his administration would support the move of the apex bank by providing 118 hectares of land for palm oil plantation. He said a land summit would be held in the state on July 15 after which investors who indicated interest in oil plantation would be allocated their respective land on July 30.
deficiency in the system adding that the federal legislative house will work hard to make up for the setback of the last four years. According to him, the eight National Assembly failed to perform optimally and hence, the current ninth assembly is prepared to make up for the lost grounds. He said: "The expectations from Nigerians is a National Assembly that is very focused, that is very united, that is very patriotic and nationalistic and that is by the grace of God, the National Assembly that we shall have. "I saw that my colleagues exhibited patriotism and desire to work for Nigerians and therefore we hope to have a National Assembly that will work for Nigerians optimally and patriotically. We also hope to have a National Assembly that will work with the
executive arm of government in partnership and synergy to ensure that we perform our functions as a government because we are a single unit. "I also foresee a National Assembly that will insist that whoever has a responsibility in government performs that responsibility because it takes all of us to work together to ensure that no part, or nobody is left behind. If there is anyone that is deficient, it will cost the system. "So, we are going to work very hard. We will like to catch up the lost grounds over the last four years. I am sure we did not perform to our capacity as a National Assembly in the last National Assembly. This time around, we want to perform to full capacity and by the grace of God, Nigerians will see a positive difference in terms of the delivery of service to our country men and women."
and Kareto, both in Mobbar local government area of Borno State. He expressed concern that the attacks might continue for some time, given the level of desperation shown by the terrorists.
The army chief stressed the urgent need to put all units in the axes covering Damasak, Mallam Fatori, Magumeri, Gubio on high alert, as the Boko Haram terrorists usually launched attacks during the rainy season.
FOREX RESTRICTION: EMEFIELE GETS BUHARI’S NOD TO BLACKLIST SABOTEURS world with a market share of 40 per cent. "For one reason or the other particularly because we found crude oil, which by any analysis is cheaper than palm oil, we decided to abandon our God given gift of palm oil. By doing that, we lost jobs. "Our farm lost jobs because we began to import palm oil from different parts of the world.� He further added: "The presidential directive that we have received is not about palm oil alone. We have received presidential directive to focus on the production of 10 different commodities. And this is the programme we will be embarking upon in the next couple of years. The 10 different products are rice, maize, cassava, tomatoes,
cotton, oil palm, poultry, fish, livestock dairy and cocoa. "The presidential directive that we received said that we must expand, seek to give support to people who want to expand the production of these products in Nigeria. "Another part of that presidential directive says that we should blacklist from the foreign exchange market and the banking industry all firms, their owners and their top management caught smuggling or dumping any of the restricted 43 items into Nigeria." According to the CBN governor, resuscitating the country's oil palm sector was vital to government's growth objectives as it would assist in creating jobs for Nigerians. He said already, the apex bank
had disbursed about N30 billion to oil palm producers to expand production, adding that more funds would be disbursed to investors who are willing to go into the business. He said the loan was given out at a single digit interest rate with a long moratorium period due to the gestation period of the oil palm plantations. He said the CBN's economic Intelligence department had started investigating the accounts of some of the oil palm producers who are involved in smuggling or dumping palm oil into Nigeria. He warned: "This is just to let you know that we are going to work very aggressively on this mandate. "We have started; our Economic Intelligence Department has
started investigating the accounts of some of you or those of you who are involved in smuggling or dumping palm oil into Nigeria. "We feel that before any action is taking against you in terms of blocking you from the foreign exchange market or blacklisting you from doing banking in Nigeria that we first invite you to say that we are drawing a line that importation of palm oil in Nigeria must stop.� Emefiele further noted: "But stopping also means that we must as Central Bank and Deposit Money Banks create an opportunity for you to access credit to grow your plantations. "We are saying we will not allow any further importation of palm oil into Nigeria. We must create jobs in our rural
LAWAN: HENCEFORTH, N’ASSEMBLY WILL PASS BUDGETS WITHIN 3 MONTHS agencies come to defend the budgets of their ministries and agencies at the nick of time, threatened that in situations where government officials fail to turn up for the defence of their budgets, the National Assembly will proceed to legislate on such budgets as it deems fit. Lawan added that the ninth National Assembly was in a haste to support President Muhammadu Buhari and nobody was expected to slow down the process. He declared: "This (budget delay) is a crucial thing that worries everyone. Every Nigerian wants to see the National Assembly pass the budget in good time and what we have in mind, we’ve campaigned with that, and it’s something both of us in the National Assembly have bought into, that we’ll pass the budget within three months by the
grace of God. "But I want to say here that it takes two sides of government to pass the budget in good time and I am sure that the executive side of the government will like to present the budget before the National Assembly in good time - in September or early October - and by the grace of God, we in the National Assembly will ensure that we carry out the budget defence and do the remaining parts of the processes and before we leave for Christmas break, the budget would have been passed and Mr. President would have the budget before him to sign.� The Senate President explained further: "This requires sacrifice in the National Assembly and the executive side of the government that we create a window for budget defence within a dedicated period and timeframe - say a month of which only budget
defence would be carried out in the National Assembly. "It is our desire in the National Assembly that every minister, every chief executive officer of every agency comes to the National Assembly to defend the budget of his agency or her agency before going out of the country. That window is going to be available within the one month but that is the only window that is going to be available. After that for example, every minister or head of agency who did not come to defend the budget of that institution, the National Assembly will go ahead to work on such a budget appropriately. "I believe that nobody will take pleasure in wasting the time of this administration. We are in a hurry. We are thirsty to perform. We want to support Mr. President. We want to see Mr. President achieve those
legacies, dreams that he has and we are going to work full course and full time to ensure that we give him the maximum support that he requires." Lawan also unfolded the agenda of the ninth National Assembly, promising that the legislative arm under his leadership will be focused, united, patriotic and nationalistic in nature. He recalled that during the recent race for the office of the Senate President, senators demonstrated a sense of patriotism and the desire to serve Nigerians, reiterating that he hoped to lead a National Assembly that will collaborate effectively with the executive arm to achieve the overall purpose of government. Lawan expressed the hope that the ninth National Assembly would hold members of the executive accountable with a view to averting
ISWAP ATTACKS MILITARY BASE IN BORNO, KILLS COMMANDING OFFICER The source said details of the attack were scanty but that the Commanding Officer (CO) of 158 Battalion, Lt Col Azuibuke was reported killed in action (KIA). He said further details were being expected from the military
authorities in the area, even as he revealed that after the attack, members of the ISWAP or Boko Haram, withdrew to Fuchimiram Village, about six kilometres west of Kareto. The top military source,
noted that it was likely that the terrorists were still in the location. He said there was need for air strikes on Fuchimiram and other locations around Kareto to ward off the terrorist believed
to be hibernating there. The source further lamented that the Lake Chad axis had been under attack of the terrorists in recent days, pointing out that in the last one week, the terrorists had attacked troops at Gashigar
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NEWS
News Editor Ahamefula Ogbu 08116759810 (sms only) Email ahamefula.ogbu@thisdaylive.com
JUNE 12 LEGACY... L-R: Book Author, Bayo Omoboriowo; President Muhammedu Buhari and his wife,Aisha, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and his wife, Dolapo, as he unveils special coee table book titled ‘Being Buhari’ as part of 2019 Democracy Day celebration at Presidential Villa, Abuja... recently
Don’t Abandon Us, PDP Begs EU, Says Nigeria Moving Towards Failed State Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has appealed to the European Union (EU) not to abandon Nigeria as democracy would become a foregone issue to future generations in the country. The party also described Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari as a failed state. Speaking yesterday when the party received the EU delegation, the Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Elder Yemi Akinwomi said that Nigeria had all indices of failed state because President Buhari was behaving like a despot. According to the PDP Deputy National Chairman, “ we have lost confidence in the electoral system in Nigeria. There is nothing to improve in the country’s electoral system. We are going down the road as a despotic nation under the All
Progressives Congress. “PDP in the last 16 years laid the ground work for democracy to thrive. President Goodluck Jonathan accepted defeat in t2015 to allow democracy to thrive. This is maturity in the overall interest of democracy to grow and improve. That old order promoted by Jonathan has been defeated and we are now living in a despotic era. “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)) and all security agencies have been hijacked. Nigeria is moving towards a failed state and you tell us that we are practising democracy. “Democracy can only survive in Africa when it survives in Nigeria because one out of every five black persons on earth is a Nigerian. EU should beam it’s searchlight on the Nigerian judiciary because when the trial at the presidential
tribunal starts, there would be a lot of revelation of electoral malpractices and rigging. “We expect what happened in Kenya to happen here in Nigeria and heavens will not fall. In Nigeria today, there is insecurity everywhere and poverty and scarcity of food. These are all indices of a failed state. President Buhari is the worst President Nigeria have seen so far. Under President Jonathan, the price of petrol was N87 per litre. It is now 145 per litre. The foreign exchange in the past was at N165 but now it is N360 to one US dollar. There is corruption as never seen before, yet the APC-led government claims that it is fighting corruption “Please don’t abandon Nigeria because to do that is to say farewell to democracy in Africa,� the PDP Deputy Chairman pleaded.
EFCC Witness to Court: We Don’t Have First-hand Evidence against Jang Seriki Adinoyi in Jos The trial of the former Governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang resumed in Jos on Thursday with the EFCC Prosecution witness, Taiwo Olorunyomi telling the court that all the evidence he tabled before the court against the former governor were based on what some people told him. He said, “My lord, throughout our investigation, I did not find any money in Jang’s personal account neither did I witness any money being handed over to him. But I was told that the money was withdrawn and taken to the governor in his office.� Olorunyomi, an investigator with the ICPC stated this in response to Counsel to Jang, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, who was cross-examining him The prosecution witness had told the courtthattheformergovernorcontravened the ICPC act when he allegedly spent the sum of N2bn of the state fund he received from the CBN on other projects other than its original purpose meant
for the disbursement to Medium and Small Scale EnterpriseAgency of the state The EFCC witness also claimed that the former governor breached the law establishing ICPCwhenhe vired money from the state universal Education Board without approval by the state House of Assembly. When asked if the law establishing the ICPC also empowers it to dictate to states which project to embark or how the money was to be used, he answered “No�. When asked if he was aware of the existence of a law in Plateau State which permits internal and external borrowing by government, the ICPC witness said he was aware. Afterthecrossexamination,Counselto the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs called another witness, Jonah Kabong, a civil servant from the office of the Secretary to the State Government to testify in the case He sought to tender before the court two classified documents containing the minutes of the State Security Council meeting and that of the state executive council but the move was objected to by the
Defense Counsel, Mike Ozekhome who argued that the Prosecution Counsel failed to meet the criteria necessary before tendering the documents. According to him, the Official Secret Act does not permit the disclosure of classified government document to members of the public without authorisation by heads of such government agency, ministries or parastatal who must personally give approval for their release. Ozekhome who cited several authorities to buttress his argument pointed out that even if the approval was given, the law allowed only the judge to have access to the information which would be delivered to him in his chambers because of the sensitive nature of the material His argument was supported by Counsel to the 2nd Defendant, Sunday Odey who added that it was in the interest of the EFCC counsel not to violate the Official Secret Act as the law also prescribed punishment for offenders.
Meanwhile, the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) will today, make public the report of its monitoring of the 2019 general elections. EU Chief Observer, Maria Arena said yesterday at the submission of its findings and recommendations to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), that journalists and members of the public would be free to seek clarifications on the issues raised in the report. Arena who did not speak further on the content of the report, noted that the EU had been part of Nigeria’s electoral process since 1999. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu who received the report, stated that previous EU recommendations had been adopted by the commission in the conduct of elections in Nigeria. Prof. Yakubu noted that the
recommendation by the EU, that INEC should merge the accreditation and voting processes on election day, was adopted and used for the first time during the 2015 Bayelsa governorship election, and other subsequent elections in the country. “The observations and recommendations of the EU Election Observation Mission to the 2015 general elections were particularly useful not only in the design of some important proposals for reforming the electoral legal framework, but also in improving our electoral processes and procedures,� the INEC Chairman added. He also commended the EU for her interest in Nigeria’s democractic processes, and assured that the recommendations on 2019 elections would form benchmarks in the reform to be submitted to the
National Assembly. “Every election in any democracy around the world is work in progress. “We therefore look forward to the full EU EOM report and recommendations on the elections. “We are confident that there will be useful lessons for the commission as we prepare for future elections. “Indeed, the report is coming at the right time as it will feed into our ongoing review of the conduct of the elections. “Let me assure you that the commission will again quickly focus attention on the electoral legal framework in addition to several other areas of reform. “We will study in detail all your recommendations as part of our ongoing internal review of the 2019 general elections which we hope to conclude in the next two months,� he added.
Supreme Court Unseats Senator Umaru Alex Enumah inAbuja The Supreme Court yesterday nullified the nomination of Senator David Umaru as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 National Assembly election, and consequently ordered his removal as senator representing Niger East Senatorial District. The five-man panel of justices in a judgement delivered in a pre-election matter, declared Alhaji Mohammed Sani Musa as winner of the February 23 National Assembly election for the Niger-East Senatorial District of Niger State. Musa had approached the apex court to challenge the decision of the Court of Appeal that upturned the judgment of a Federal High Court which declared him the authentic candidate of the APC for the senatorial election. Delivering the judgment, the apex court set aside the April 8, 2019 judgment of the appellate court which declared Senator David Umaru, ex-Chairman, Senate Committee on Justice, Human Rights and Legal
Matters, the valid candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In a unanimous judgment on Friday, Justice Tanko Muhammad, who presided over a five-man panel of the Supreme Court, upheld arguments by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), lead counsel to Musa, to the effect that Musa won the primary of the APC for the election and was the actual candidate for the election. The apex court allowed the appeal filed by Musa, marked: SC/405/2019 and affirmed the February 7, 2019 judgment by Justice Folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which declared Musa the validly nominated candidate of the APC for the election. The apex court in the lead judgment, delivered by Justice Kayode Ariwoola,, faulted the decision of the appellate court which had returned Umaru on the grounds that Musa’s suit was filed outside the time provided by the law for pre-election matters. Justice Ariwoola upheld the argument by Olanipekun that the
suit was filed at the trial court, within time, and that the Court of Appeal was in error to have held that the cause of action was the outcome of the primary election. According to the apex court, the course of action, as argued by the appellant, was the submission of Umaru’s name to INEC instead of Musa, who won the primary. Olanipekun, who led Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and Ahmed Raji (SAN) for the appellant, had, while arguing the appeal on May 17, 2019, prayed the court to uphold the appeal and restore the judgment of the Federal High Court earlier given in favour of Musa. The senior lawyer submitted that the Court of Appeal was in error when it held that the appellant was out of time and that the cause of action arose from the day the primary was held. Olanipekun said: “The appellant could not have complained about the primary election that he won. The cause of action accrued when the1st respondent’s name (Umaru) was sent to INEC as the candidate of the APC.
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9th N’Assembly Lawmakers Must Cut their Running Cost
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n traumatised mother Nigeria, the National Assembly is one of the places for amassing megabucks. This has been the pattern in the last 20 years of democracy. The lawmakers feed fat while the masses of the people they represent wallow in abject poverty. When it comes to milking our commonwealth, they unite. At this stage, no lawmaker talks about belonging to APC or PDP. Nobody talks about North or South. Members of the ludicrous ruling “change� party simply bury their “change� mantra and enjoy the draining of our commonwealth. This ugly era must end in the 9th Assembly. During the 8th Assembly, senators received N13.5 million monthly (each) as running cost. Add salary to it and it will jump to about N14.5 million monthly. Those in the House of Representatives each received N10 million monthly as running cost. Add salary and it will jump to about N10.7 million monthly for a House member. Thanks to the senator who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th National Assembly, Shehu Sani. But for him, we would not have these facts and figures. Traumatised Nigerians are further devastated by these statistics. Hunger and poverty in our land are becoming unbearable; the four years of the Buhari government have been horrendous, with millions of Nigerians losing jobs. A country where millions of people go to bed without dinner and wake up not sure of where breakfast will come from can’t continue paying this much to lawmakers; a country where millions of civil servants have not been paid for months should not continue Each time there is a terror attack in the Northwest states of Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto, security agents blame bandits. I have checked the meaning of the word “bandit� and most of these unending attacks clearly do not align with it. In most cases, the terrorists strike, kill scores of people and leave without stealing anything in affected villages. Let’s take the case of the recent attack in Rabah and Isa local governments areas of Sokoto State. In simultaneous and coordinated attacks last Saturday evening, the gang killed over 50 people in five villages in these local government areas. They did not steal anything in all the villages attacked. They simply entered, slaughtered people and disappeared. A
Ahmed Lawan
a legislative treat like this. This luxury must not continue in a country with a comatose economy, where millions of graduates roam the streets without jobs. It is also necessary to stop these heartless payments so that the National Assembly would be attractive only to people with ideas. Not people after megabucks. No doubt, our lawmakers need to cover running cost on things like travels, medicals, consultancy, maintenance of constituency offices, visits to constituency,
office work and maintenance of facilities in their offices at the National Assembly and constituencies. They also need good money to effectively carry out their oversight functions. However, continuation of these monthly humongous figures can’t fly amid suffering in our land. At the current rate, the 9th National Assembly will need about N61 billion annually to fund running cost. I can still clearly recollect that in 2012, the United Kingdom-based Economist magazine concluded that Nigerian lawmakers were the highest paid in the world. This must not continue. For me, monthly running cost for each federal lawmaker should not exceed N2 million. These lawmakers must sacrifice their comfort in this era of despair. I believe that the bureaucracy of the National Assembly should be allowed to directly handle travels and medicals of these lawmakers to end abuse and corruption in this process. Yes, the bureaucracy would try to drag them back with bottlenecks, but with good leadership from the 9th Assembly, these bureaucrats will fall in line. So, the new leaders of the 9th National Assembly must end this anomaly by cutting down its expenditure in the interest of Nigerians. They must cut down and free the funds for projects that will directly touch the lives of the masses of the people. Our dear legislators of the 9th Assembly must subject themselves to greater austerity measures in an era of economic depression. I sincerely hope that the new Senate President, Ahmed Lawan and Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila will be courageous enough to end these cold-blooded payments to
Bandits Clearly Not Behind All Attacks in North-west villager, Abdullahi Maiwada, who witnessed the attack on Sapiru village, said: “The bandits stormed Sapiru village at about 5pm on more than 50 motorcycles on Saturday. They entered the town shooting sporadically. Eighteen people were killed instantly, while another seven later died.� Let’s flip over to Kanoma in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara, which was
attacked on Sallah day, June 5. A large number of people on motorcycles invaded the area and fired gunshots sporadically, which led to the death of the 16 persons. They then disappeared without stealing anything. These are clearly not attacks by bandits. The mode of operation has all the trappings of Boko Haram. I challenge our security agents to dig deep and stop blaming bandits.
Lessons from Mexican President Obrador Andres Lopez Obrador campaigned for the Presidency of Mexico with a vow to sell all aircraft in the country’s Presidential Fleet because they are “too lavish� and use the proceeds to tackle huge challenges facing the country. He won and he immediately fulfilled his campaign promise when he assumed office last December. Obrador instantly pushed out for sale a posh Boeing 787 Dreamliner used by his predecessor, Enrique Pena Nieto, along with 60 government planes and 70 helicopters. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the equivalent of United States President’s Air Force One, with spacious interior. It is equipped with several luxurious meeting rooms, a presidential bedroom (complete with marble-lined bathroom) and several flat-screen TVs. The jet was acquired in late 2012 for $218 million by Nieto. Obrador has since shunned the often luxurious trappings of Mexico’s previous presidents, choosing to fly commercial aircraft only. He has also rolled out a string of welfare programmes for the poor and the elderly, while cutting salaries of top civil servants. On Wednesday, President Obrador announced that proceeds of the sale of the former presidential jet and other aircraft from the last government would also help fund efforts to curb migration, under a deal struck last week with the United States. The leftist said the price tag of the Boeing 787 Dream-
President Obrador
liner would start at $150 million. Our own President Buhari vowed to cut the number of aircraft in his Presidential fleet way back in 2015, in order to reduce cost of governance. As I pen this piece, the ten aircraft in the Presidential Fleet are still intact. For those unaware, the 10 aircraft in Nigeria’s Presidential Fleet are Boeing 737-800, Gulfstream 550, Gulfstream 500, Falcons 7X (2), Hawker Sidley 4000, Agusta Westland AW 139 helicopters (2) and Agusta Westland AW 101 helicopters (2). Each of the two Falcon 7X jets was purchased in 2010 for $51.1m, while the Gulfstream 550 costs $53.3m. Between
May and November 2015 alone, N2.3 billion was released to the Presidential Air Fleet by the office of the Accountant General of the Federation for maintenance. Considering the poverty in this country, the way to go for Buhari is the way of President Obrador of Mexico. He should sell these aircraft and use the fund to tackle poverty. Nigeria has displaced India as the world poverty capital, with over 98 million extremely poor as ranked by Brookings Institution’s World Poverty Clock. This is made worse by a joint research by Oxfam and the Development Finance International, which ranked Nigeria last - at 157 out of 157 countries surveyed - in the commitment to, and progress in addressing poverty. Just how adrift the country has become is further demonstrated by the Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index findings that Nigeria’s social spending is “shamefully low.� The number of out-of-school children has risen to over 13 million. The World Bank’s Human Capital Index rates Nigeria 152 out of 157 countries; it has the world’s 21st highest HIV prevalence level (2.9 per cent) and remains, along with Afghanistan and Pakistan, one of only three countries that are still polioendemic. The President of a country facing this type of hunger and poverty should not be seen living big.
lawmakers. All outflows to the legislators must also be transparent. Cost cutting must also apply to our legislators at the state levels. They must cut down their spending in the interest of their people. For example, each lawmaker in the last Assembly in Lagos was taking home N5 million monthly as cash advance for overhead cost. In all, a total of N550 million is allocated monthly to the Lagos State House of Assembly for overhead expenses. This amounted to N6.6 billion per annum. This is happening in a state where so many inner roads, schools and hospitals are in shreds. It is happening in a state where over 98 per cent of the population lack access to public water supply. It is a slap in the face of the suffering masses of Lagos State. In Osun, Oyo and many other states where civil servants die daily due to huge salary backlog, lawmakers drew huge money as running costs. While tackling our lawmakers, we should also interrogate the Executive arm of governments at all levels regarding running cost. They still access frightening running cost in an era of change. Many will be shocked if they know what ministers, heads of departments and agencies draw as running cost monthly. Ministers rock around with a convoy of at least three vehicles, with policemen, drivers, soldiers and all manner of nonsense. It will be interesting to unmask the figures received monthly as running outlays by big boys like Maikanti Baru, who heads the NNPC, the lady at the NPA, Hadiza Bala-Usman and my friend at NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside. Presidency aides also pocket scary amounts as running expenses. These public servants should come out clean on what they receive as running cost. There should be transparency in an era of change.
Falana’s Incisive Stance on AIT’s Closure The position of the National Broadcasting Commission that it could shut any broadcasting corporation in line with the powers granted it by the NBC act is clearly misleading. Where any law is in conflict with the constitution of a country, that law becomes a nullity. The NBC lacks the power to suspend licences of broadcast organisations without an order from the court. This is the bitter truth that the NBC boss, Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, must swallow. The suspension of the licences of DAAR Communications Plc, owners of African Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower over “breach of broadcasting code� by the NBC is an illegality. Lawyer and Human Rights activist, Femi Falana puts it fittingly: “No doubt, the NBC has been empowered by the NBC Act to regulate all broadcasting organisations in the country. But, in exercising its wide powers, NBC has to be made to appreciate that it can no longer operate outside the ambit of the Constitution as was the case under military rule. Since fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, can no longer be curtailed or abrogated except in a manner permitted by law, the NBC ought to realise that it cannot suspend licences of media houses, ban radio houses from playing records of artistes or impose fines on alleged offenders without a court order. Alternatively, the NBC may request the Attorney-General of the Federation to charge a media house for breaching the provisions of the NBC Act or penal statutes. Otherwise, the powers of the NBC may be arbitrarily exercised to the detriment of law and order in the society.� There is nothing to add. This lawyer has shut down Kawu and his cronies. Closure of media houses is a dangerous trend. The NBC must learn to act within the confines of the law. We must all join the battle for press freedom, an essential ingredient for the sustenance of democracy.
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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 15, 2019
SUPER SATURDAY Erelu Abiola Dosunmu
Erelu Abiola Dosunmu
My Most Truamatic Experience is Losing Three Men I Cherish Her Royal Highness Omoba Abiola Dosumu, the Erelu Kuti IV of Lagos is the queen mother of Lagos. Her gait, young and stunning looks would sway and stop any man in his tracks. At 72, not many in her age group have this carriage. Her command of Queens English is also admirable. In a chat with Adedayo Adejobi, she relieves growing up memories with her parents and her Muslim grandmother, romance with white dress, why her life is anchored on faith, how she’s dealt with horrendous moments of losing the three men she cherished most in her life, and lessons life has taught her
Y
ou’ve always been a staunch Catholic and also a part of the church choir from the age of 12, could you relieve those memories? There are some aspects of my life that I don’t remember often, and when you asked the question, some kind of joy leaped from my heart because those were good old days. I used to look forward to such occasions in church. I participated in the choir either during mass or special celebrations and sang to the whole city. I thank God for what I was exposed to by worshiping the Almighty because it forms a ring of fortification around me and unknowingly prepared me for the future. When we sang, it was as though angels were singing. In the corner of my room, I still think I am a singer and a dancer. In my former life, I sang and danced as though no one was watching, especially when you are listening to beautiful music and even the drums; I just love the sound of drums; I think I can still sing. There are songs that I like, but you know I enjoy songs that are pleasant to the ears. But I think I have preference for rhythm and blues, soul, and jazz. I grew up with those songs around me; my children, especially my eldest son,
grew up listening to such music at home, I also love the traditional songs with the Gbedu drums and especially those lyrics eulogising our ancestors and their powers. With your clout in the society and your leaning towards culture, tradition and Christianity, how do you balance the trappings of both worlds? Well that’s wonderful question, and I have been asked that question so many times. But you know what a lot of us don’t realise is that long before the missionaries came to Africa, we have had our traditional ways of life and we believed in that supreme being – Olodumare. And like most religions, you have intermediaries to the Olodumare. For example, we don’t worship Sango; Sango is an intermediary to the Olodumare, like you have saints and figures in the church that also have devotees. That does not mean they are worshiping those figures; they are asking them to intercede for them before the Almighty God. What was it like growing up in Lagos? Growing up especially in Lagos was beautiful. Lagos was clean and everybody knew Lagos. Definitely to achieve greatly, you have to have good education and
perseverance. We had schedules for work, when you work and how long you have to work to buy your first car, how long you work to have your home, and of cause the main essence of life is to have children, to be able to give than good training, to be able to provide school fees, and roof over their heads. If you display emergency money, the neighbourhood would ask you and in fact you won’t flaunt it, because people will wonder when you started work and what you are doing to achieve that. While I was growing up here in Lagos, it was clean, we had adequate water, adequate electricity, working rail way system, we even have water means of transportation and adequate attention was paid to students. We had free bus moving students. Do you miss your Parents? I miss my parents terribly, especially probably my father. But that’s a lie; I miss my mum more. I was the apple of my father’s eye, I could get away with everything. He was a consummate banker. He was one of the first Nigerians to work with Bank of West Africa, now First Bank of Nigeria. Although I was the apple of his eyes, discipline was important. My dad was prim and proper. Being around him, you had to be the same. I really didn’t appreciate my mother
THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 15, 2019
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SUPERSATURDAY I Lost My First Husband After About Three Years of Marriage, I Had to Be Strong… of the Almighty God. It was meant to leave an impression and a date. As a result, I think I just grew up with the fear of God, especially doing to others what I want them to do to me. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I didn’t know at that time but every time I look back, even though I am over 70 now, I still see the picture I saw when I was two years old, of women just standing and singing and praying every Friday. In fact, people who know me in the Catholic Church expected me to be a Nun. For years, she kept writing to me and even when I got married, she will still write to me. Would you have loved to become a Nun? No. I do not think so. I was very religious and devoted, but I am too much of an extrovert to be able to sit down quietly in the corner of church chanting my Rosary. I think I have so much love and affection to give to my environment, than to have become a Nun. I love to be there for people, I want to champion because of people.
until I started having children. My mother became the anchor of my life and I still miss her so much. For almost 15 years, I still miss her terribly because she was my friend, confidant, and of cause my helper. I miss my parents so much. What’s it with you and white apparel? What does it represent? Do you belong to any fraternity? I am not the only one who wears white in this world; you have the Cherubim and Seraphim, Celestial, Priest of Catholic Church and Jews who all wear white. White to me is a beautiful colour, and it stands for purity and closeness to the Almighty. So if anyone wants to give it another interpretation, I don’t know where that is coming from. Most of the people I know in the world that all wear white, all stand for good and what is right. What does fashion and style mean to you? What inspires your sense of fashion? Fashion is the real essence of life. Fashion is the appropriate use of your apparel. The way you now wear, interpret and design it then becomes something special or peculiar to you. Fashion starts with cladding yourself and protecting that which the Almighty has given you. Everybody must wear clothes or one form of accessory. Fashion is a way of life; it’s the essence of human living and presence. I can be simple, elegant, garish, but I hope I can never be vulgar. I must wear whatever gives me joy and confidence and is pleasing to the eyes of the onlooker. You are headlining African Fashion in London in August, what is the unique essence of that event, and what is the input for Nigeria and Africa as a whole? The input is enormous, as Nigeria, we are a race of fashionistas. We have so much to offer the world and the best thing to do is to showcase it just like we are going to do with the African Fashion week in England. I decided to open a shop in London not because it gives me joy to open a shop in London, but I felt at that point in time, I was already romancing with the Aso-oke. At that point, my husband and I were wearing them. He loved wearing them. You’re a fashion icon to many, but who are some of yours? Fashion Icon, I will like to interpret that by actually once you are a designer you know, I don’t just wear, I design most of what I wear. All my life, I design, I have tailors who produce them but I design them. I think my fashion icons are the top designers. I love Valentino, he designs for Erelu Dosumu women; he understands the feelings, your faith, believe in the Almighty, you find thinking and the body of a woman. And so, that though you go through pains, he gives when I am wearing a Valentino, is like the you strength to bear it and forge ahead. wing under my feet is escalated and I want Nobody ever forgets the pain of losing a to float and they give me joy and makes me dear one, but we all pray for the fortitude for feel happy being a woman. When it comes to accessories, I think of Channel, Yves Saint the Almighty God to be able to be faithful to their memories and aspirations. That helps Laurent, Dulce and Gabanna and all the you to forge on, not to wallow in self-pity. designers in that category. Back home, you Not really mourning for the person gone have designers like Tiffany Amber, Deola but for you. These people have gone; the Sagoe. They are also making our own local best thing is to continue to pray for them style, upgrading it, giving it the finesse that and whatever they are doing or expect to be it deserves to catapult it to the world stage. happening, you remain loyal and faithful to Those are the set of people I look towards them. for what they produce. I lost my first husband after about three years of marriage; I know that his greatest The last three years were no doubt desire is for me to do what he would have tough for you, losing the three men done for those boys if he was alive, but if I you cherished most in your life- your had given up and sat somewhere sad, what soulmate and confidant, Chief Molade will happen to those kids? So, I had to be Okoya-Thomas, Oba Okunade Sijustrong, trust in God, and of cause, keep a wade, the Ooni of Ife, and Ambassador Anthonio Dehinde Fernandez.You seem beautiful memory of a departed loved one. Just keep the flag flying and trusting that to have come out strong, how did you God will be there for you. Looking back grapple with those times? and seeing his children, I am sure he will be Once your life is anchored strongly on
happy and thanking his God that this is the kind of legacy he was able to leave in this world. My first husband died in 1972 and one year after when we did the memorial and I said rest in peace. People thought I was crazy, and I said that is the reality. That was one year less of the day that I will leave the world. We just pray that by the time it is our turn, we will also die an honourable death hoping and believing in the power and might of the Almighty God. You come across as one with strong and deep spiritual inclination. Where is that from? That came from very early age for me. At two years of age; I was very close to my grandmother who was a great Muslim, who went to Hajj. I grew up watching her every Friday cooking for over 50 women. She would go to mosque and they will all come back with her, at least 50 women in her living room, all seated in a circle, praying before they go and eat and chanting the praises
What is your relationship with Obasanjo? Do you know exPresident Obasanjo? It has to be an ignorant person or a new comer to Nigeria that will say that somebody like that hosted my 70th birthday. He actually gave me a dinner in Abeokuta to celebrate my birthday because he felt look ‘what can I give you, someone who has always been there for me.’ You know we are cousins and we are a family and it is a close family. We used to have family meeting every month before he went to prison and usually we hold family meeting at the palace of the Oba of Lagos, then in my house or in his place in Abeokuta. So, those were the three places we hold family meetings and the connection was that Oba Kitoye’s mother was from the same compound in Owu with Obasanjo. So that’s the relationship. We have always been that close, and over the years in the family, you will have people who have had interventions in your life one way or the other. In fact, at one point, I was interrogated and taken to a camp in Apapa because they thought I was using the diplomatic corps to support Obasanjo when he was in prison. So, when I had my birthday, you can imagine it was over three days. My children of cause footed part of the bill. The thing was put together by my children who just felt I should celebrate my birthday in Nigeria. My 70th birthday was organised by my children with my support but President Obasanjo gave me a dinner party at Abeokuta; that was as far as that goes. He didn’t foot the bill. You have seen so much in life, what has life taught you as a person? What Life has thought me is that wherever you find yourself, you must always remember that it is all transient and whatever you have to do to add value to your environment, do it with honesty and sincerity of purpose because you will never have the chance to do it again. Don’t live your life with regrets.
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ÍšÍ˝Ëœ ͺ͸͚Π˞ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER
COMMENTARY
VISION FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE
TheTY Danjuma Foundation is impacting lives on the Mambila Plateau, writes Gima Forje
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bubakar Hassan stood behind his grandson, Umar Sani on the queue while waiting for their turn to be screened at the TY Danjuma Foundation funded free-eye care mission in Gembu, Taraba State. Umar is eight years and has a persistent eye condition that seems to defy treatment. The condition takes a toll on the primary three pupil’s education and his grandfather’s farm work. The resilient grandfather brought his grandson to the Foundation’s Free Eye Care Services for yet another chance at ďŹ nding a solution. Abubakar, a subsistence farmer, had previously spent N20,000 at a nearby General Hospital seeking solution for Umar’s eye problem. Although there was no solution after four attempts, Abubakar was still hopeful for the best and kept trying. “I can’t stop and can’t rest as long as he (Umar) is not feeling wellâ€?, he said. He was, therefore, thankful that opportunity for another treatment has come to his door step. “Look at the hospital card the TY Foundation people gave me. It is even free!â€? he said. Gembu is an old town, located on the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State. Perched on the highest peak, the town can only boast of few social amenities and they are in poor conditions. The absence of power is the most glaring while the absence of affordable health care, good schools and water are the most important. Access to quality eye care, for instance, would require a journey of eight hours to Zing or Jalingo. For a local, the cost for such a trip is enormous - three days out of farm, N5000 on transport, feeding and accommodation. This amount is just incidental to the actual cost of consultation and medication. These costs could take years of planning for a subsistence farmer in Gembu. To address this challenge, the TY Danjuma Foundation in partnership with Care Vision Support Initiative (CAVSI) staged an intervention tagged “Vision for a Brighter Futureâ€? aimed at providing free quality eye care to the people of Gembu, Sardauna Local Government Area of the state. In February 2019, the foundation awarded a grant to CAVSI to increase access to eye care services and improve the vision of 1,300 inhabitants of Gembu through comprehensive eye care services. When the TY Danjuma Foundation decided to carry out a free medical mission on eye care in Gembu, it was clear that the outcomes of the daunting assignment would be transformative to beneficiaries and impactful to the communities on the Mambila plateau. It was, therefore, not surprising that a massive crowd greeted the team on the first day of the outreach. Dr. Philibus Duke, the Medical Officer in-Charge of Gembu General Hospital expressed surprise at the huge turnout of patients and admitted that the mission was an eye-opener to the high prevalence of visual impairment in Gembu. Impressed that 73 cataracts surgeries were done on the first day, he pointed out that the eye intervention was the first of its kind in five years in the area. He noted that the turnout would improve the hospital’s chances of receiving funds from a government’s funding programme that allocates fund to government hospitals based on the
AS PART OF A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGE OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN NIGERIA, THE TY DANJUMA FOUNDATION HAS SUPPORTED INTERVENTIONS THAT PROMOTE FREE-EYE CARE SERVICES IN HARDTO-REACH COMMUNITIES IN THE PAST 10 YEARS
number of patients that visit the hospital; the intervention has provided a learning opportunity for the staff of the eye clinic; and the programme has unearthed the burden of visual impairment and the factors (unavailability of service and funding) inhibiting the uptake of eye care services by the people in and around Gembu. The one-week programme was the first of three free eye care missions by the TY Danjuma Foundation to two Local Government Areas in the state and one LGA in Edo State slated for 2019. The intervention programme will deliver a range of services such as, cataract extraction especially for pupils and students, presbyopia and refractive error correction, distribution of medicated eye glasses and training of community health workers on eye care management. In the foundation’s return to Gembu after nine years, one of the people to get respite for his troubles was a 74-year old Bakari Haruna, who has had bilateral cataracts for 10 years. According to Bakari, he has visited many hospitals and received treatment that did not address his condition. At the time he was speaking, Bakari could already see with his left eye from which a cataract was extracted the previous day. A relieved Bakari, while thanking TY Danjuma Foundation for assisting him to regain his sight, explained how he never knew a short surgical procedure was the solution to his decade-long challenge. “Now that I am well, I will start performing my normal daily job and earn some money. Interacting with people, hearing and seeing them, if not for anything else is enough satisfaction. I am thankful to God and grateful to General Danjuma�, he added. At the end of the one-week medical mission, 116 eye surgeries were performed, 155 cataract patients treated, 10 pterygium and one chalazion were treated and corrective medicated lenses for visual improvement were provided for 691 persons. A total of 1,512 persons received a range of medications after consultations and screening by the team of experts. Out of 236 primary school pupils screened, 12 had a form of refractive errors and another six with developmental glaucoma and bilateral cataract. Those pediatric cases require specialized care and the foundation have made plans to take the children to Jos and treat them at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). The Nigeria National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey 2005-2007 estimated that 2.7 million adults aged 40 years and above have moderate visual impairment and an additional 400,000 adults are severely visually impaired. Also, 4.25 million adults aged 40 years and above are visually impaired or blind in Nigeria. As part of a strategic approach to addressing the challenge of visual impairment in Nigeria, the TY Danjuma Foundation has supported interventions that promote free-eye care services in hard-to-reach communities in the past 10 years. Till date, the foundation has funded 40 eye care missions with thousands of impoverished citizens getting free quality treatment in 32 states of the country. Gima wrote from Abuja
JUNE 12 AND THE REBOUND OF TRUTH In spite of efforts to suppress it, June 12 has become a watershed, writes Tayo Ogunbiyi
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hen he wrote in Julius Caesar that the evil that men do lives after them, legendary writer, Williams Shakespeare was alluding to the fact that evil deeds in history are often more easily remembered than the good ones. In Julius Caesar, one of the purposes of Mark Antony’s speech is to mitigate any evils that Caesar may have committed while highlighting the good that he did. It is often said that history is written by the victors. In the immediate aftermath of Caesar’s assassination it is the conspirators who are the victors. And as such they are keen to rewrite the history of Caesar’s rule to their advantage. Mark Antony’s speech is a subtle attempt to stop them from doing this. Not only is he determined to ensure that Caesar’s good name will live on, he is also going to do whatever he can to make sure that the evil of the conspirators, their bloody act of treachery, will not only be punished, but never forgotten. In the annals of our country’s political history, June 12 remains a watershed. That is the truth that some do not want to hear. But then, truth does not become truth because it is validated by man. No matter the depth of denials, truth remains what it
is: truth. The truth is that, no matter how hard its antagonists try, for many reasons, June 12 will continue to be a defining moment in the annals of our nation’s political history. It was the day that Nigerians expressed a strong resolve to chart a new course for their beloved country. It was the day that Nigerians redefined and reshaped the nation’s political scenery. Prior to that time, our politics sharply reflected our palpable religious and ethnic divides. But on June 12, all that changed. Chief MKO Abiola, who was the presidential candidate of the defunct SDP, had more votes in the northern part of the country than Alhaji Bashir Tofa, his northern challenger from the defunct NRC. One other remarkable feature of the June 12 election is the electorate disposition to religious sentiments and concerns. In 1993, the defunct SDP was bold and daring in its conviction that fielding a MuslimMuslim ticket (Abiola and Kingibe) would not jeopardise its electoral success. The party went ahead with its conviction and recorded a resounding success at the poll. But for the annulment of the poll’s result, such audacity could have effectively checkmated religious contemplations in
our political scene. Several calls for the immortalization of Chief MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12 election, were continually rebuffed. Same goes for the calls to recognize June 12 as the nation’s Democracy Day. Certain individuals who should have stood by the truth and be counted as defenders of the right of the people simply decided to look the other way. Some of them, for personal reason and out of sheer ego, embarked on a futile mission to ‘kill’ the truth and advance the course of falsehood. But like it is often said, truth is constant. Though it can be suppressed for quite a while, it cannot be obliterated. Truth has a way of coming back. Over the ages, ruthless men have variously tried to repress the truth. Some murdered those they thought hold the key to the truth. Others proscribed media they believed could help in preserving the truth while others did everything they could to silence the voices of truth. But then, historically, conspiracies against the truth have always failed woefully. Autocrats, tyrants and despots in various parts of the world, and over diverse ages, have tried very hard to silence the promoters of the truth. In some
cases, scores of individuals who were unrepentant custodians of truth have been killed, maimed, jailed and dehumanized by despots whose main goal was to stifle the truth and uphold deception. Such abounds in quantum in Africa, Asia and, to a large extent, some nations in Eastern Europe, especially during the cold war era. But then, no matter how long falsehood has been in circulation, it cannot really take the place of truth. Truth has a way of always rebounding. It is, therefore, exciting to note that June 12 has today become a rallying point for democracy in the country and Chief MKO Abiola has finally been immortalized. Just a few days ago, the country witnessed the very first national celebration of June 12 as the official Democracy Day. For us as a people, the renaissance of June 12 has become a metaphor for the constant nature of truth. It is, therefore, imperative for political elite across the country to always stand by the truth and eschew all forms of deceit, especially in the way they manage the affairs of the country. Ogunbiyi is of the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja
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ÍšÍ˝Ëœ ͺ͸͚Π˞ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER
INSIGHT
A new dawn?
Ihedioha: Off to a Good Start
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t is now clear to everyone that we have a government that is clear-headed in Imo State. We have a government whose word is its bond. A government that is genuinely committed to the well-being and progress of its teaming population will no doubt get the kind of support the new government in the state is getting. Within a short time the state government is critically x-raying the myriad of challenges facing the state and proffering not only the solutions but showing unbridled appetite for the development of the state. Nothing reflects the unquenchable desire of the state government for the rapid development of the state than the genuine interest and commitment the Deputy Governor, Hon. Gerald Irona has shown. It is reassuring that within two weeks in office the deputy governor has shown a mastery of the challenges and what must be done to fix things and make the state work. It is no gainsaying that modern economies run away from a mono-product. In Nigeria, there are calls on both federal government and the government in states to diversify the economy by seeking alternative means of generating revenue and creating jobs for the people. Apart from agriculture, one sector the government at all tiers look seriously into is the development of the tourism sector. This is one of the sectors the Ihedioha-led government seeks to make so much impact. It is therefore not surprising that Gerald Irona, on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, reiterated the commitment of the state government to reviving the tourism sector of the state economy for the purposes of deepening and expanding the economy, creating jobs and fighting insecurity. During a facility tour of the moribund Oguta Motel alongside the wife of the governor, Lady Ebere Ihedioha recently, the deputy governor assured the people of the state that the tourist centre would be revived. He noted that when revived, the facility is capable of creating jobs and improving the state’s economy. With the government keen on creating jobs and rebuilding the economy, the opportunities presented by the tourism sector cannot be ignored but holistically tapped into for the overall good and growth of the people. “The new government will tackle the challenges on ground and revive the Motel, in line with the government’s policy to boost tourism, create jobs and enhance the economy of the state�,
Diaspora Remittance: A Positive Development
he was quoted as saying. Of course, despite that the tourist site had been abandoned by the Okorocha administration, Irona posts the assurance that the “Imo State government is committed to reviving the moribund Oguta Lake Motel and Golf Course�. Oguta is one of the first territories used by the British to find their route into the Igbo hinterland. It is rich in culture and tourist attractions. This community of enlightened men and women is a socio-geographic community town with a surface area of approximately 2,025.75 square kilometres. Situated in Imo State of Nigeria, Oguta shares boundaries with Anambra, Delta and Rivers States and is about 45 minutes drive from the capital city of Owerri and about one hour to the Sam Mbakwe International Airport, Owerri. Oguta is located inside the Lower Niger drainage basin. The Ihedioha administration has specifically said it would “put together a calendar of major cultural and tourist events which will be staged within given periods of the year, identify and archive areas of historical, artistic and anthropological heritage in Imo State�. Collins Ughalaa, ughalaacollins@gmail.com
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iaspora remittance is placing emphasis on the evolution of global market capitalism – the diffusion of knowledge, and investment in training and skills of people. Nigeria is becoming a human capital export nation and keying into the global, technological and services-based nature of the economic interactions because diaspora remittance ows far exceed gross oil revenue receipts. The 2018 remittance of Nigerians in the US of $7.2bn is more than the entire $6.7bn earmarked for capital expenditure for 2019. In Africa, Nigeria has the largest stocks of human resources for health, civil service and education technology. The surplus in quantity and quality of human and natural resources, the right knowledge, experience, techniques and vocational skills is capable of leading the nation to an exceptional sustainable economic development to the beneďŹ t of the masses. The paradox is that with such large stock of human resources which could have been useful for the country, migration to foreign countries in the recent years has caused under production and inequitable distribution of workforce. The breakdown of the migrant remittance for 13- year period showed tremendous increase in the last three years as it grew by 11.79 per cent to $22.001 billion in 2017 from $19.679 billion in 2016, before recording another 14 per cent growth in 2018. Human
T H E SAT U R DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE DEPUTY EDITOR CHIKA AMANZE-NWACHUKU MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE
T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS PATRICK EIMIUHI, SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: ďŹ rst name.surname@thisdaylive.com
capital is today Nigeria’s largest export and it has dethroned crude oil export. Diaspora remittance which is through human capital has surpassed oil receipts every year since 2015 to become the largest source of dollar inflows to Nigeria. According to data from Central Bank of Nigeria, diaspora remittances first outpaced oil revenue in 2015 as $21.2 billion was sent home officially by Nigerians living abroad which surpassed the $19.6bn oil export proceeds for those 12 months. In 2016 and 2017 Nigerians abroad sent home $19.7bn and $22bn respectively which were higher than the $ 10.4bn and $13.4bn garnered from oil exports in the same period. The CBN’s annual economic reports show that in 2018 the total revenue from oil was $18 billion while Nigerians abroad sent home some of $25.1bn, the highest in four years. Human capital development export today determines the amount of money Nigerians in diaspora can send back home. Nigeria is Africa’s leading economy and most populous nation. It’s also the number one African country for remittances, and is among the top five countries globally for inward flows. Diaspora remittance far outweighs capital expenditure: Nigeria’s 2019 capital expenditure budget is $6.7 billion. Since it is no longer news that Nigeria has witnessed the largest capital expenditure for the first time in the country’s budgetary history in the Buhari administration. Diaspora remittances equal 84 per cent of the federal government’s budget: Nigeria’s 2018 budget was $29.9bn while diaspora remittances stood at $25.1bn for the same year. The 2018 remittances, which saw a 14 per cent increase from the 2017 figure of $22bn remittances of Nigerians living abroad was seven times the size of foreign aids of $3.359bn to Nigeria. The $25.1 billion remittances in 2018 represented 6.1 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This means that the remittances were 11 times the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which stood at $2.200 billion for the same year.(Price Water house Coopers). The total amount of inflow from diaspora remittances into Nigeria in 2018 was equal to 84 per cent of the country’s budget last year. While one may never know or be privy to the fundamental reason(s) why Nigerian governments had serially failed to utilize the human and material resources of the diaspora community that other developed countries of the world had effectively utilized as catalysts for their development, it is important to mention at this juncture some countries that have used the diaspora communities as their developmental templates as well as making them integral to their growth and development in the research works in my “Road map for engaging Diasporas in development: A Policy Direction� with the hope that this would create a clearer picture on the diaspora issue. Inwalomhe Donald, Abuja
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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍ˝Ëœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡
NEWS
Cabinet Appointment: SGF Raises In Brief the Alarm about Pranks of Fraudsters Obi Disowns Fake Empowerment
t Expresses confidence in TCN ability Olawale Ajimotokan inAbuja The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has warned the public to be vigilant to the pranks of fraudsters issuing false information to the members of the public. In a statement issued on Friday on his behalf by the Permanent Secretary General Services Office (OSGF), Olusegun A. Adekunle, the SGF warned that the syndicate had been prompting members of the public to submit their Curriculum Vitae at a fee to a non-existing desk at the OSGF to facilitate their selection as
cabinet members. He urged the public to disregard such information as the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation had no such mandate and had not requested for such information. "The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, uses this opportunity to warn originators of such false news to desist forthwith using the name of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in their dubious and nefarious activities to fleece unsuspecting members of the public," the statement said.
Meanwhile, Mustapha has expressed confidence in the ability of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), to supply adequate electricity to Nigerians. He stated this on Friday when he received the management team of TCN in his office. He commended the management for the strategy employed in the utilisation of indigenous expertise in its operations which has assisted in the optimal productivity by the company. Mustapha said from the briefing he received and considering the work that was being put in place, Nigerians
would soon enjoy adequate and uninterrupted power supply across the country. He also assured that adequate power supply with efficient transmission and distribution across the country would soon have a positive impact on job creation and employment. Earlier, the Managing Director of TCN, Mr. Usman Mohammed, said the team came to brief the SGF on the efforts made and grounds covered in stabilising and modernising the national grid. He described transmission as the backbone of adequate provision of electricity, adding that in the system operator, generation and distribution could not be isolated.
VicePresidentialCandidateofthePeoplesDemocraticParty(PDP)inthe2019 elections,Mr.PeterObihaswashedhishandsoffafraudulentempowerment scheme advertised in the social media by scammers using a fake Peter Obi account.AstatementbyObi'sMediaAdviser,Mr.ValentineObienyemsaid“The fakePeterObiFacebookaccountannouncedanon-existent"EMPOWERMENT SCHEME",saying:"Nigeria'sfederalgovernmenthassponsoredallNigerian toppoliticianstoempowerallNigeriancitizenswithaminimumof#400,000 to#1,000,000tohelpthemgetgoodeducationandstartupbusinesses.Ifyou areaNigeriancitizen,donotletthisopportunityexcludeyou.Tobeabeneficiary contactorWhatsAppHon.Sharibuon09069383539.Obienyemsaid“:"This isfalseandhasnothingtodowithMr.PeterObi."Headvisedthepublictoignore the fake post and to alert their friends and relatives "to avoid some people fallingpreytothemachinationofevilmen."
Osun Gets New NYSC Coordinator
The National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, in Osun State yesterday announced the replacement of the State Director, Mr. Emmanuel Attah with a new helmsman, Mr. Ayodele Adewale Adegoke. This was contained in a press statement signed by the Assistant Director, Press and Public Relations of the Corps, Mrs. F. Okundaye, and made available to journalists in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. According to the statement, the change was as a result of recent general move by the organisation to reshuffle its workforce. It added that the former Coordinator, Attah, had since been posted to NYSC Directorate Headquarters in Abuja. "Sequel to the move to generally reshuffle NYSC staff, a new State Coordinator has been appointed for the NYSC State Secretariat in Osun. The new State Coordinator, who is the 12th Chief Executive Officer of the Secretariat is Mr, Ayodele Adewale Adegoke.
Nigeria Society for the Blind
The management of Federal Nigeria Society for the Blind (FNSB) has said workwasunderwaytoensuresustainabilityofthefundingofthesocietyand the Vocational Training Centre (VTC) through a commercialisation plan that involves broadening its income streams from the production and sales of artsandcraftsandotherventures.FolasadeAdefisayo,Chairman,Executive CouncilofFNSBstatedthisatthe61stAnnualGeneralMeeting(AGM)ofthe society held recently in Lagos. According to Adefisayo, a committee was put in place towards achieving the new goal by preparing a business plan which would be presented to the council for discussion and ratification. She noted thatacommitteewassetuptosuggestvariousstrategiesforbuildingupthe advocacyfunctionofthesocietyinlinewiththevisiontomakelifecomfortable foreveryblindperson.
Abubakar Ibrahim is Gombe Speaker
SHARING EXPERIENCE L-R: Relationship Manager, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Cynthia Chidinma Onugha; CEO Bestman Games Ltd, Nimi Akinkugbe; and Business Manager, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Awolowo Road Branch, Ikoyi, Nneka Oloyede, at the 2019 Children’s Finance Fair organised by Bestman Games Ltd in Lagos...recently
EFCC Arraigns Herbalist for Impersonating Baru, Adesina, Others Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ilorin Zonal Office has arraigned a 31-yearold herbalist, Jamiu Isiaka who impersonated the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru and the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina among other prominent citizens before a Kwara State High Court. The suspect with others who are still at large allegedly used the names of the senior government officials to scam a South Korean national, Keun Sig Kim to the tune of N30m on the pretence of
getting him a license at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to enable him purchase a company. According to the charge sheet, count one of the charge reads, "That you, Jamiu Isiaka (a.k.a Femi Adeshina ) between the month of April and September 2018 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the total sum of Eighty-eight thousand, five hundred and twenty one dollars, forty one cents from a Korean national named; Keun Sig Kim by false pretences that the monies was for the procurement of NNPC approval/marketing form and license certificate to buy crude oil in Nigeria, facts which you knew to be false and thereby committed
Rainy Season: FRSC Cautions Motorists against Overspeeding, Reckless Driving Francis Sardauna in Katsina
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Katsina State yesterday admonished motorists in the state to drive with caution and adhere strictly to the rules and regulations guiding the use of roads as rainy season intensified to avoid road crashes. The State Sector Commander of the Corps, Aliyu Sule Tanimu, who disclosed this in Katsina, said research had shown that a good percentage of road crashes in Nigeria was due to human factor. He said: "Motorists should shun
unsafe practices as speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, overloading and use of mobile phone while driving are impediments of a successful journey." According to Tanimu, Nigerians were not always conscious with safety until when crashes occurred and this was evident in the frequency of road crashes in Nigeria. The Katsina FRSC commander stated that the Command had embarked on numerous programmes to sensitise motorists as well as create awareness for all road users on safety during rainy season and beyond.
an offence contrary to section 1 of the advance fee fraud and other fraud related offences act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act." The accused person pleaded "not guilty" to the four counts charge levelled against him. In view of his plea, prosecuting counsel, Andrew Akoja prayed for a trial date and asked the court to remand the accused in prison custody. Justice M Abdulgafar however ordered the accused be remanded in Mandala Prisons custody and adjourned till 19th of June 2019 for commencement of trial. The petitioner had paid over N30 million into the suspect's account under the pretence of helping him
to secure a license at the NNPC. According to him, " I transferred four thousand, two hundred and eighty five United States dollars, Seventy one cents only to the United Bank of Africa, account number 2107575870 in the name of one Jamiu Isiaka, an associate of Mr. Shola Adeshina. It is noteworthy that this account particulars have been provided severally for me to make transfer to." Isiaka during interrogation with the officials of the commission however claimed that he used the money as sacrifice for the petitioner. He claimed to have bought vulture, skin of elephant, intestine of elephant, skull of lion, liver of gorilla, among others.
Onitsha Catholic Diocese Sanctions Two Priests for Disobedience David-Chyddy ElekeinAwka The Catholic Diocese of Onitsha has sanctioned two priests from the diocese for acts of insubordination. The priests; Reverend Fathers Michael Chigbata and Joseph Onuorah were sanctioned for celebrating masses in parts of the diocese, using what they called Traditional Catholic Mass. A press release by the Chancellor of the diocese, Very Rev Fr Prudentius Emeka Aroh which was made available to THISDAY in Awka described them as disobedient priests and called for prayers for them to change their ways. The release said the priests
abandoned their legitimately assigned pastoral duties, claiming that they had now joined a group known as Society of St Pius X(SSPX). Aroh said, “They currently operate their illegal activities from Anaku in Ayamelum LGAand they also move about deceiving innocent Catholics that they now celebrate the Traditional Catholic Mass. “They have neither the approval nor the permission of the Archbishop of Onitsha to celebrate any such mass or other sacrament within the Diocese of Onitsha. These two priests are living in disobedience and their faculties as priests of Onitsha Archdiocese have been withdrawn.�
A new Speaker for the Gombe State House of Assembly has emerged following the election of Abubakar Ibrahim Sadiq (APC) from Yamaltu West State Constituency. The election which was presided over by the Clerk of the House, Shehu Mohammed Atiku, also witnessed the emergence of Shuaibu AdamuHaruna,KwamiEastStateConstituency,asDeputySpeaker.TheSpeaker and his Deputy who were elected unopposed by members of the House, were immediately declared by the Clerk and thereafter administered with the oath of their offices by the Clerk.The Speaker was nominated by Musa Buba, Balanga North and Seconded by Abdullahi Abubakar, AkkoWest. The Deputy Speaker also had his nomination from Usman Hassan, Gombe South and seconded by Nasiru Abdulkarim, Gombe North. Shortly after taking over as the Speaker, Abubakar Ibrahim Sadiq then presided over the oath taking of the other 22 members in batches. In his acceptance speech, the Speaker promised to hold the position in trust for the growth and betterment of the State.
Building Collapses from Heavy Rain A two-storey building, still under construction, in the Marine Quarters area of Warri in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State yesterday collapsed amidst heavy rain. The collapse of the building resulted in a huge heap of rubbles but there was no casualty since the workers were trapped in their various homes because of the heavy rain. THISDAY observed that the incident which occurred at about 1:00 p.m. left impacts on two nearby buildings. An eyewitness confirmed that the labourers working on the building had suspended works as a result of the rains but thanked God that no life was lost to the incident. It was however gathered that the owner of the collapsed building took to his heels having been accused earlier by residents that he was using fake materials for the construction of the house.
ABSU to Inaugurate Kalu Centre
The Ogbu Uke Kalu Centre for Christianity and African Culture will be inaugurated at Abia State University on June 20, 2019. In a statement made available by Edward Kalu, a planning committee member, said the late Ogbu Kalu was Nigeria's preeminent scholar of Christianity. The Inauguration will also be marked by an international conference with speakers from different parts of the world. According to Kalu, the Keynote address would be delivered by Professor Toyin Falola, the distinguished scholar of humanities from the University ofTexas at Austin. Other notable speakers are Professor Afe Adogame of Princeton Theological Seminary and Professor Chima Korieh of Marquette University, Wisconsin,USA.Speakerswilladdressvariousthemessuchastheintersectionof popular and traditional culture, African problems with traditional modernisation methods, Linguistic identities and culture in Africa, Cosmopolitanism, hybridity, and African pluriversalism, Globalisation, Afropolitanism, and African religious futures. "In his keynote Address, Professor Falola will tie all the themes together as they relate to the works of Professor Kalu, while also explaining what the Center stands for as well as its future goals and contributions to Nigeria.
Women's Digital Inclusion
A women activist in Gombe State, Fatima Muktar Ibrahim has advocated for women's participation on the internet to enable them access knowledge and useful information that will improve their lives. Addressing journalists on Friday at the end of a one-day step down training she organised for selected women and youth groups in the state on women digital inclusion, digital rights and Gender violence with support from Centre for InformationTechnology And Development (CITAD), Fatima asserted that religious, societal norms, illiteracy and online harassment were some of the factors promoting women digital exclusion in Nigeria. She enumerated other problems hindering the women folk from accessing the internet to include; lack of Policies Supporting Internet and Gender in the Society, Failure to tackle problem of girl child education, unequal Opportunities and gender violence online
SATURDAY JUNE 15, 2019 • T H I S D AY
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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍ˝Ëœ ͺ͸͚Î
16
NEWS
NLC Urges Urgent Action Against Military Junta in Sudan Onyebuchi Ezigbo Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË
RECOGNISED FOR EXCELLENCE ... L-R: Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, receiving the ‘Football Friendly Governor of the Year 2018 Award’ from the NFF President, Mr Amaju Pinnick, yesterday at the Government House Asaba, the state capital
Appeal Court Upholds Ex-Gov Nnamani’s Election as Senator Christopher Isiguzo and Gideon Arinze Ă“Ă˜ Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă&#x;
The Enugu Division of the Court of Appeal on Friday upheld the election of the former Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaraoke Nnamani as the senator representing Enugu East senatorial zone. The court in upholding Nnamani’s election dismissed the appeal filed by the immediate past senator representing the zone, Senator Gilbert Nnaji for lacking in merit, thereby foreclosing his return to the Senate. In a unanimous decision, the appellate court came hard on
Nnaji for accusing it of not giving him fair hearing in the appeal he filed against senator representing Enugu East, Chimaroke Nnamani. Nnaji had approached the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu, asking that he be declared the rightful candidate of the PDP, on grounds that Nnamani was not present during the party’s screening before the primary elections. But Nnamani, through his counsel, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu countered Nnaji’s claims, insisting that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit as it was statute barred. The PDP also tendered docu-
ments before the court showing that the former governor was cleared to contest the primary election. The Federal High Court, in its judgement on April 5, agreed with Nnamani and the PDP that the suit was statute barred and consequently struck it out. Not satisfied, Nnaji headed to the Appeal Court on three grounds, accusing the trial judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba of denying him right to fair hearing. However, delivering judgement on Friday, Justice C.E. Iyizoba, Hon. Justice Bolaji Yusuf, and Hon Justice Ibrahim Andenyangtso, JCA, agreed with the entire
decision of the lower court. They said the suit was filed outside the 14-day period allowed by law, as the date of occurrence of event was 15th of September while the suit was filed on 8th of October, 2018. Justice Iyizoba, who read the judgement said “the inevitable conclusion is that the appeal lacks merit, proof, is speculative and is hereby dismissed.� The court held that even considering the merits of the case, Nnaji “defaulted in his undertaking to abide by the decision of the party before the primary election. He cannot rescind from his decision.�
Sanwo-Olu Approves 100 Per Cent Nigerians Stand to Gain from Increase in LASTMA OfďŹ cers’ Allowances Commodity Exchange Hugely-MD Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has jerked up by 100 per cent, allowances of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officers to encourage and motivate them towards attaining the goals of better traffic management and transportation in the state. Sanwo-Olu announced this yesterday during an interactive session with staff of the agency when he paid an official visit to the operation’s Headquarters at Oshodi, Lagos. The governor said LASTMA officials would start to earn new allowances by the end of July, this year as a gesture to encourage the officers to improve on their performances as they go out day and night to rid the state of traffic gridlocks. “As from the end of the month of July, we shall increase your allowances by 100 per cent. That means if you are collecting N5,000 as your allowance , it would be increased to N10, 000. Those collecting N10,000 before would now be getting N20,000. This would enable you perform optimally. To whom much is given, much is expected,â€? Sanwo-Olu said. He warned the officers to desist
from any act of corruption or corrupt tendencies, urging the operatives to imbibe civility as a major guiding principle in their operations. He reminded LASTMA officials that Lagosians want a decent and corrupt free LASTMA, and as such they should be respectful when arresting an offender. “Lagosians expect a corrupt free LASTMA that will not go about collecting bribes from motorists. Be respectful and courteous even when you are going to arrest an offender. Lagosians want LASTMA that is decent, they want neatness. We don’t want laziness and lateness to work. Be my advocates,� he admonished. Some LASTMA officials who spoke during the session appealed to the governor to assist the agency in some areas such as equipment, medical treatment and insurance for them to deliver more efficiently. In response, Governor SanwoOlu announced free treatment for every LASTMA official in the state. He also promised a more conducive working environment for the staff such as repair of damaged vehicles and motorbikes, provision of raincoats, and other tools.
George Okoh Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă•Ă&#x;ĂœĂŽĂ“
The Managing Director of Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCE), Mrs. Zaheera Baba-Ari, has said Benue State as the food basket of the nation with a lot of agricultural opportunities stood to benefit greatly if it harnessed the potential of commodity exchange being offered by the NCE. Ari, represented by the Head of Corporate Communication of NCE, Mr. Chris Echikwu explained that Benue State as food basket of the country will benefit more if the opportunities were properly harnessed by the people with effective partnership with the Nigeria Commodity Exchange. He gave the advice while presenting a keynote address at a training programme organised by the Nigeria Commodity Exchange in conjunction with Sandstone Associates Ltd for men, women and youths in Makurdi The Managing Director further highlighted the Vision and Mission of NCE to be a global market player in commodity trade facilitation and intermediation in a manner that will promote economic diversification and sustainable growth of the Nigerian economy as well as develop
a robust trading infrastructure that will be managed by a team of nifty workforce for a global access to Nigerian agricultural produce and solid minerals market. The papers presented include; Commodity Market Eco - System by Chris Echikwu, Spots Market Operations by Kingsley Deputy Manager Operations, Basic Assaying by Dr. Khadijat Abdulaziz Head of Analysis Control NCE and Introduction to Warehousing by Mr. Abiodun Sanusi. In his speech, Hon. Dickson Tarkighir said the lofty benefits derived from doing business with Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCE), by effective linkage of farmers to the market, promotion commodity pricing efficiency, facilitation of commodity-backed by lending by banks through warehouse receipt trading among many other benefits will go a long way to change how agricultural businesses are done. Tarkighir, a former member represented Makurdi/Guma in the 8th National Assembly also told participants from Makurdi/ Guma to take the training seriously in order to apply the knowledge acquired in their respective endeavours.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked the international community to do something urgently to stop carnage going on the troubled central African nation, Sudan. In a statement issued on Friday by the acting President of the NLC, Najeem Yasin the labour movement said global community should unite to stop this carnage by the military before it escalates into more killings that would derail the momentum of the struggle to re-establish negotiations leading to civilian rule under an atmosphere of free and fair election. “While applauding the timely suspension of Sudan by the African Union (AU), and the intention of the UN to intervene in the political crisis, we call on all persons of goodwill and the international community to take urgent decisive actions to call the Junta to order and offer concrete measures for the protection of the lives of activists and the people of Sudan,� NLC said.
NLC said that it watched with shock the massacre of over 100 pro-democracy activists and other persons by the military Junta in Sudan. It deplored the blatant use of force against unarmed and defenseless civilians, which led to the killing of children and injuring of several persons, adding that the use of military force against protesters seeking to establish a democratic process in Sudan, “is highly condemnable and should not be allowed to continue by the international community.� “It is instructive that the Junta rode on the protests of pro-democratic forces that ousted former President Omar al-Bashir ostensibly to protect the protesters, only to turn its guns on them and the Sudanese population. This is an unconscionable betrayal of the Sudanese people who had suffered untold hardship and violence in the hands of al-Bashir’s Rapid Support Forces or Janjaweed, which the Junta had recently unleashed on pro-democracy activists,� it said.
Chevron Completes 219 Projects in 13 Bayelsa Communities Emmanuel Addeh Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă‹
Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) said yesterday that it had in partnership with its Joint Venture Partners completed about 219 projects through the company’s Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) with its host communities in Bayelsa State. Speaking during the eigth Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the KEFFES communities Rural Development Foundation ( KCRDF), which ended on yesterday, the oil giant noted that its Peace Bonus which ties financial rewards to lack of operational disruptions, had started yielding results. KEFFES is an acronym for eight Chevron host communities in Bayelsa comprising Koluama I and II, Ezetu I & II, Foropa, Fish Town, Ekeni and Sangana, located along the Atlantic coastline. Esimaje Brikinn, Chevron’s General Manager, policy, Government and public Affairs, described AGM as another milestone, saying that it was in furtherance of the
company’s belief in transparency and accountability in its understanding with host oil communities. “With the funds available to it, we are glad to note that the KCRDF has executed 167 projects , including infrastructure, economic empowerment as well as scholarships for hundreds of students from the communities. ‘’This is beside the commendable demonstrated capacity for peace building and conflict resolution in the communities that constitute the KCRDF,� the company said. Brikinn, who was represented by Tony Emegere, Superintendent, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, CNL, maintained that community-driven initiatives remain the only way to ensure peace reigns in its areas of operations. He implored community leaders, women, youths and other stakeholders to keep an open mind and continue to support the implementation of the GMoU so that communities can reap more benefits from the agreement.
A’Ibom Governorship Tribunal Warns Parties to Sit Up Okon Bassey Ă“Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™
The Governorship Elections Tribunal sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital on Friday warned parties having case before it to sit up, stressing that the tribunal would not tolerate any frivolous applications to attract undue delay. The tribunal gave the warning following an application by the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nsima Ekere seeking for more time to respond to applications filed by respondents in the governorship elections petition pre-trials hearings. The court emphasised that time was of the essence in an election petition case and therefore charged all parties to strive to abide by the timelines as indicated by the Electoral Act or as directed by the Tribunal. The court had adjourned the matter to June 14, 2019 (Friday) to hear all applications in the suit and
the completion of pre-trial period. But counsel to the Petitioner, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN at the pre-trial session held at the State Magistrate Court Complex, alone Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo, had prayed the court for an extension of the pretrial period to enable them prepare their responses to the applications filed by the Respondents. The counsel to the Respondents, Chief Assam Assam, SAN appeared for the 1st Respondent, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uko Udom, SAN for the 2nd Respondent, Governor Udom Emmanuel of the PDP and Offiong Offiong, SAN for the 3rd Respondent, the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC). They were unanimous in their position that they would not oppose the application of the Petitioner, except that he could not predicate his prayers on unsubstantiated allegations against Respondents.
Plus
Vancouver, A Scenic City
FASHION FILE GLOBAL SOCCER FAIRGROUND SHOWBIZFLAIR
pg. 22 pg. 29 pg. 36 pg. 45
Ihuoma Nwigwe
Women Do Not Have to Be Feminists to Be Recognised in Society
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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 15, 2019
PLUS
Women Do Not Have to Be Feminists to Be Recognised in Society Ihuoma Nwigwe went from a spin novice to instructing classes in elite fitness gyms across the United States. This certified fitness instructor has carved a niche for herself in the world of fitness and health. Nwigwe is definitely unstoppable. She shares her fitness career story with Azuka Ogujiuba, talking about how it all started, her formative years, her vision, daily routine and her take on domestic violence
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hat inspired you to becoming a fitness instructor? My parents were fitness enthusiasts. My mom was a physical education teacher and my dad played soccer and lawn tennis for Total Nigeria. So, my siblings and I grew up being involved in sports from an early age. How did you progress from being a novice to instructing in some of the wor dȬacc aimed ętness gyms across the United States? As any young girl or boy in college would, I joined the Track and Field team as well as Tennis. I was involved in sports throughout college in the United States. After I graduated, I signed up at LA Fitness, a major gym in the US and continued training. Then I met a Nigerian-born American, who was at that time, the current Mr. Connecticut. He got me involved in pro fitness and he started training me. I fell in love with fitness all over again, after changing my lifestyle and seeing how beneficial it was to me, health-wise. What would you say to people out there who want to ma e ętness a lifestyle? I would say, just start!! I tell my clients all the time that I was just like them at some point. Yes, my parents started me young, but remember I was by myself in College and I had to make the choice to continue training. Just start. There is never a perfect time to start. You must be consistent and dedicated to this lifestyle. No excuses.
Nwigwe
What is your daily routine like? I train at least five days a week, aside from clients’ personal training where I sometimes have to train side by side with my clients. I prefer to train in the mornings but if I can’t, then evenings. I also own a meal planning business. So, I have to also make out time to follow up with my clients. I am also an hotelier by profession, so all these have to be done before or after work.
Tell us about your dieting I always say, I do not diet. I more or less practice portion control. I learnt this style of eating over 10 years ago while I was working towards my professional fitness physique competition. I recognise that I must always have more vegetables in my plate than carbohydrates or protein. I use my 50/30/20 method. 50% Veggies, 30% protein and 20% carbohydrates and of course I do not fry any of my foods. My meals are cooked, sautéed or grilled. No fried food whatsoever. Would you call yourself a feminist, and what’s your take on feminism generally? No, I would not call myself a Feminist. I am all for women empowerment. My clients are women and men and I believe that women in general have their place in society. I would not want to take over the role of a man but as a woman, I am still strong, but gentle and feminine. Women do not have to be feminists to be recognised in society. When you are not working, how do you relax? I love to watch TV, yes I do. I love movies. I can stay at home all day watching TV or playing with my daughter. If you had the opportunity to meet one particular ętness enthusiast in the world, who would that be and why? I would love to meet Massy Arias. She is what I would call an Athlete. She understands that fitness is an entirety of everything that has to be done to get the body healthy. With the craziness of social media, a lot of people are springing up, claiming to sell fitness but to me, it doesn’t look that way. Massy is a real Athlete which is what I totally admire about her. What’s your guilty pleasure? Cake; which is why you can’t find that in my home. But if I attended a party where there was cheese cake or red velvett cake, then I can’t guarantee you how I would behave. I have never shared this with anyone, but my siblings know this. While I was in
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PLUS the US, I literally used to have my mom or dad send cake to me from Nigeria. I never liked the cakes in the US. So, I would have my parents send cake all the time to me in huge amounts and I would store them in my freezer for months. Where did you spend your formative years? I spent my formative years in the US. I am a graduate of Quinnipiac University, Connecticut, Majored in Health Science with a minor in Sociology. Following graduation, I worked as a Claims Analyst at the world’s largest publicly traded Property and Casualty insurer, Chubb Insurance. For seven years, I handled claims, as well as lawsuits for sexual harassment and discrimination for top sporting athletes, and apex US companies - from professional basketball players to Yale University before relocating to Nigeria. What was it like growing up there? It was good but also somewhat lonely. My siblings and I are very close, so when we all started to move out to different colleges, it was hard. But, I am thankful for the 20 plus years I spent in the US. I am American as well, so coming back to Nigeria and sharing my knowledge here has been amazing but home is always home. Can we say you were born with a silver spoon? Hahahahaha...nope. We were comfortable and my dad was quite big on education. I wouldn’t use the word Silver Spoon. How did your background shape your life? Like I mentioned earlier, I grew up very close to my siblings. My parents have a peaceful marriage and I think that helped mold us a lot. Growing up in the US was also very beneficial to me. Americans are known to have a big heart and I think that trickled down to me. I try as much as I can to show love and kindness to everyone irrespective of their status.
My parents are still very much alive. My dad retired from Total Nig Ltd and my mom was a Physical Education teacher and also owned a very high end boutique back in her young days. My parents currently reside in the South-east, still happily married. What was the best gift you remember receiving as a child? A pleated black skirt my dad bought for me during one Xmas break. I can never forget that skirt. I wanted it so bad and one day my dad surprised me by going to the boutique himself to buy it. What was the most diĜcult thing that ever happened to you in all your years and how did you overcome it? My divorce. I was married to my first love who I met when I was 16. I moved back to Nigeria the same year of my divorce. I drove myself fully into my fitness lifestyle and truly, it helped me a lot. What do you do that you consider the biggest mistake you have ever made? I would never call anything a mistake. I believe that everything in life happens for a reason and we just learn from it. Let’s say there are four paths and you have the option of taking any path, my belief is that each path leads you somewhere entirely different from the other three. We just gotta keep changing paths in life in hopes that we can end up achieving our purpose here on earth. What are some of your indelible high points in life? I honestly can’t think of any. What is your biggest fear in life?
Well, I wouldn’t call it a fear but more or less my goal. I want to be able to live my purpose to the best of my ability. I know my passion and purpose is fitness but also I want it to align with God and
As a mother with a 9 year- old daughter, I am always very hands on with my daughter. I am her mother ďŹ rst and then her best friend. I built on that friendship in order for us both to be able to share and talk to each other freely. And she shares everything with me Nwigwe
the plans he has for me. Trying to figure that out is where I am currently. Are there still things you desire? Of course! I would love to one day open my own fitness studio/gyms across Africa, something my daughter can always take over because she already shares this passion with me. My biggest dream come through would be to open a US standard type gym. I have over 10 years of experience in the fitness lifestyle and can’t wait to share it. What are some of the lessons life has
taught you? Only place your trust in God not man. With God, all things are possible. What’s your take on domestic violence and child abuse? This is a very delicate topic that we do not address as a society a lot. I am currently working on a project that somewhat addresses mental health stemming out of abuse. From my personal experience, I believe that my current fitness lifestyle has helped me quite a lot mentally. Coming from the US where
there are serious laws against abuse, whether of a child or an adult, I talk about this a lot. I have met people, especially women, who have gone through abuse and have joined this fitness lifestyle to help them cope. As a mother with a nine year- old daughter, I am always very hands on with my daughter. I am her mother first and then her best friend. I built on that friendship in order for us both to be able to share and talk to each other freely. And she shares everything with me.
I Will Never Call Anything a Mistake. I Believe Everything in Life Happens for a Reason
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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž JUNE 15, 2019
TRAVELOGUE
Waterfront
Vancouver, A Scenic City Charles Ajunwa writes about his experience in Vancouver, Canada
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fter my first visit to Toronto, last year, another opportunity beckonedthis time a visit to Vancouver to cover this year’s Women Deliver conference. The trip was routed through Amsterdam in Holland, Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. On June 1, 2019, after clearance from the immigration points at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, we boarded KLM Royal Dutch Airlines at 10:45p.m. to Amsterdam. Passengers on board the aircraft were treated with assorted foods, snacks and drinks before the plane touched down at Schipol Airport, Amsterdam. The journey took approximately seven hours. On June 2, after waiting over three hours at the Schipol Airport for connecting flight, we finally boarded a bigger KLM plane to Toronto at exactly 9.45a.m. The journey took approximately seven hours. As the aircraft touched down at the Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ) Toronto, excited passengers erupted with ecstacy for the smooth and seamless way the pilot landed safely. At the immigration point, passengers were asked to fill the immigration form stating their status in the country electronically instead of the old method of being given paper form. After being cleared by immigration, I boarded a taxi that took me into the city where I spent the night. The following day being June 3, I woke up very early in the morning, freshened up and called a taxi that took me to the same airport to continue my trip to Vancouver. At the check-in counter, the Westjet airline attendant asked me to pay 40 Canadian dollars for my luggage. I coughed out the money painfully though. We boarded the Westjet aircraft at 9a.m, Toronto time after clearance from the airline officials. From the window seat where I sat, I saw a large land mass sparsely inhabited and pockets of desert ponds scattered all over the huge land mass. Suddenly, chains of mountains loomed, covered by snow. In between the mountains were blue rivers
Vancouver Museum of Anthropology
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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 15, 2019
TRAVELOGUE
Cruise ship at Canada Place
Hovercrafts along the beach
Capilano Suspension Bridge and thick vegetation. As the aircraft touched down at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR), I dashed straight to the luggage area to pick up my box. After paying to get compass card to exit the airport, I boarded Canada Line train to Waterfront train Station, a few metres from Vancouver Convention Centre, venue of the Women Deliver Conference. I stepped out of the train station feeling elevated after bonding with a few strangers. Transportation in the city is mostly by train, bus, boat or air- small planes take off and land in the city’s beaches. From the Vancouver Convention Centre, breath-
Train Station taking big cruise ships along the Canada Place attract visitors of all ages, some taking photographs to make their visit a memorable one. The scenic city has several places of interest. They include Stanley Park, Granville Island, Grouse Mountain, Museum of Anthropology, Kitsilano Beach, Gastown, Canada Place, Chinatown, English Bay, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Robson Street, Museum of Vancouver, Queen Elizabeth Park, Science World, Richmond and many more. The most visible people in Vancouver are Indian immigrants. Their migration from the Indian subcontinent to Canada began during the late 1800s
and majority were Sikhs from the Punjab region, most settled in British Columbia. Vancouver, a bustling west coast seaport in British Columbia, is among Canada’s densest, most ethnically diverse cities. It has beautiful waterfronts, natural mountains and striking high-rise dotting all over the city. Located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Vancouver is the most populous city in the province. The 2016 census recorded 631,486 people in the city, up from 603,502 in 2011. The city is consistently named as one of the top five worldwide cities for livability and quality life.
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JOE/FAJ THEFRONTLINES
Scam Alert: GTB, Police, Arik, Kenya Airways Beware
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othing amazes me more than trying to figure out the modus operandi of criminals and how their minds work. Imagine what these guys could achieve if they deployed these God-given talents to legal useful purposes. The worse part is their lack of conscience, greed and hurry to hit it big without lifting a finger. I have to write this account of a very recent experience with a fraudster who took advantage of the unemployment situation in the country to scam unsuspecting job seekers. About a couple of weeks ago, our Chairman and Editor-inChief, Prince Nduka Obaigbena directed that some lawyers be employed to beef up our legal unit. I was mandated to run an advertisement calling for applications from interested applicants. Our Managing Director, Mr. Eniola Bello advised I used my mobile number on the advertisement just in case applicants needed clarifications or additional information. I complied. The very first day the advertisement ran, on a Monday, at about 8am or so, my mobile phone came alive. But before I could pick up the call, it rang out. Not knowing who it could be, I decided to call back the number. As I did, a voice at the other end introduced himself as Alhaji Ibrahim Hamza. He asked me what was in our paper? Not knowing specifically what his question was aiming at, I retorted that a daily newspapers has various sections so I am not sure what he meant. He dropped the call and called back after a few minutes. He apologized and said his daughter, a lawyer who has just completed her National Youth Service Scheme was interested in the job we advertised for that morning. I told him pointedly that based on the information he just related to me about her she was not qualified. I pointed out that she lacked the prerequisite that the applicant must possess at least five years cognate experience. He admitted he was aware but pleaded that she should be given a chance to which I said I had no control. He now veered off the topic and started discussing Arise Fashion Week which just ended mentioning prominent people and other related issues about them to which I calmly listened attentively and patiently held myself back from being rude to him because he was wasting my time. He now went to introduce himself as a Director with Kenya Airways. He offered me an opportunity to send him a candidate that I trust, who is capable and has the requisite qualification so he could employ because Kenya Airways was also recruiting staff across board. I hesitated telling him I did not have a candidate for employment. This impostor pestered me as I drove all the way from Surulere to Apapa with intermittent calls urging me to be fast because the interview was closing that day even when I told him I had no candidate. By the time I arrived the office, I lost count of the number of times he called me. Just to satisfy my curiosity and to see if I could help
Adamu, IGP
someone, I picked my phone and called someone who had trained in an aviation school and sent his number to this individual to call him as he directed. That was my greatest undoing. Acting on the belief that this guys is genuine coming from me, she called him and he invited her for an interview in Abuja. Eager to grab the job and without consulting me she decided to travel that morning to Abuja. The worst part of the story was that she also sent the number to a couple of her other friends who also called this impostor. I was to learn later that he asked each of them to send money to a particular GTB account purportedly belonging to Mrs. Omotayo Sherifat Ahmed 0161331206 (Head of Ticketing & Reservation Arik Air) Lagos. Each of these applicants was given the impression according to their account that they were traveling in a group and should all assemble at the departure hall by Arik Air counter for tickets with the assurance that their tickets money would be refunded on arrival in Abuja. Behold, on arrival at the airport, there was neither an Arik Air official bearing the name he touted as the ticketing and reservation officer nor any group waiting to travel to Abuja for interview. It now dawned on them that they have been scammed. This now provoked an enquiry on the Internet to seek out any information about this impostor and behold there was a forewarning posted by someone that had a similar experience and equally scammed by this impostor using the same modus operandi. According to this person who posted his encounter on Facebook
JOSEPH USHIGIALE jushigiale@yahoo.co.uk, joseph.ushigiale@thisdaylive.com 08023422660 (sms only)
in March “The organization I work for organizes international events and in this instance, my contact was used on all communication materials for inquiries. So I got used to receiving calls from strangers and being nice to them over the phone. “ This man calls and introduces himself as *Alhaji Ibrahim Hamza*( *08183364063* )the operations manager of Kenya Airways. He further claimed that his wife was interested to participate in the event, so he would like to know terms and conditions of participation . “ I gladly gave him the needed information and he thanked me and the line went off. However, after some minutes i received an sms about job opportunity with Kenya airways from him and he called back to say he had sent me the SMS in error, I should please ignore. “Then he said, “ On a second thought, if you could recommend some young people for a job, I would be happy to give them a chance to interview today and tomorrow�. Of course, I know a lot of young job seekers so I told him I would have some people contact him immediately and also send their names. “I sent some names to him and he acknowledged and asked that they call him asap. I informed the young people. It was not long I was told he asked the young job seekers to pay money into a Gtbank account number *MRS JOYCE NWANUFORO GT BANK 0229527552.-HEAD OF TICKETING & RESERVATIONS AIRPEACE* for him to arrange flight tickets for them because the job interview,according to him is in Lagos. “ He promised a refund. After they paid the money he stopped picking their calls. This is evil and wickedness! Please share this information with the police, with family members and Gtbank so they can block his account and get him arrested. Together we can track and get him arrested�. I am not sure the year this was posted but between March and last month when this impostor struck, nothing had been done by the law enforcement agents, GTB, Arik Air nor Kenya Airways to save the unsuspecting public from the nefarious activities of this serial fraudster. Without a doubt, while he is still free and on the prowl, he must have defrauded thousands of unsuspecting job seekers who are desperate for gainful employment especially in the aviation sector. I am therefore adding my voice to this clarion call on law enforcement, Arik and Kenya Airways including GTB to order a full scale investigation to track down this impostor and bring him to justice to save other unsuspecting job seekers from defrauding them. I also suggest that Arik and Kenya Airways should issue a public notice warning the public to watch out for this serial fraudster and dissociate themselves from his nefarious activities. This way, members of the public would be aware and alert and save themselves from future attempts by him to carry out his criminal actions.
Depression Not Showbiz; Suicide Isn’t Romantic!
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beg you to resist the urge to see depression as a mere stress-related state of mind induced by a sense of loss and emptiness. Do not wonder impishly why some flighty indulgences cannot overwhelm suicidal tendencies: ‘spend little bucks on suya, pepper soup and some wickedly chilled bottles of Trophy, or some other alcohol (or spirit) and the sagging souls should bounce back to life’. In understanding depression and its clammy hands on sensitive souls, ignorance is no bliss. The past few years have witnessed a surge of manic-depressive suicides without any data to help us aggregate the different root-causes, and possible palliatives to arrest the spread. Many keen observers of Nigeria’s social dynamics have shown sufficient anxiety and alarm by raising help-lines and counselling centres to mitigate the slide to suicide-mania. Even as “social scientistsâ€? enjoin political leaders to fast-track national economic prosperity and security. My focus today is to reiterate that suicidal intimations arising from profound sadness or creeping hopelessness are real... and not merely flights of escapism by lazy folks or weak truants. One has been on that route, and dwelled in that valley. In my 2011 book, “Lifelines: A Slice Of My Life’, a chapter (“When Death Was Better...â€?) was devoted to a period between 2002 and 2007 when suicidal meditations were not only lodged in tragi-romantic novels... and how I got out of the deep dark hole. Below is a copious excerpt: “The air was stuffy; it was in the very early hours of August 8, 2005. I had been awake for over an hour, thinking about my condition, and meditating on my situation. My eyes were wide open on our dilapidated bed‌ My wife was lying down beside me, half moaning, half praying through the haze of her pains and worries. And I didn’t know what to do to relieve her. One of my children was on the mat, at the foot of the bed‌ pretty close to the cold tiled floor‌ she must have slept off trying to rock her mother to sleep‌ trying in her little way to assure her mother that all would be well. Obviously, my little daughter did not fully understand the import of her infant sacrifice. See, she and her twin brother had been sent out of school, and they had not been able to return. They had missed the entire second term, and part of the third term. It was a good school in Ikeja, Lagos, we had dreamt they would complete their secondary education. On this day, our business was already crumbling‌ our bank
account was in the red; the newsprint supplier was threatening police action for repeated default in debt repayment schedule; the bond paper supplier was bombarding us with unending phone calls to redeem our pledge to pay his mounting bills. I had no money on me to start the day; I was not sure if the night would fall on my head‌ yet that was the day of our 14th wedding anniversary; and all I could afford to give my wife who had been faithful, devoted, inspiring, supportive, and my house pastor to boot, was a bitter-sweet kiss. On that day, my thoughts boiled over into despair, depression, disillusionment, and hopelessness‌ then I started weeping. I was convinced that death was less painful than what I was going through; I was certain that every man had a depth beyond which he could not fall, and at such point, you should lessen the agony being passed on to innocent loved ones. I made up my mind quickly, half-laughing at myself and the mockery my life had become, and I tore a page from an exercise book, jotted down a brief 18-word epitaph that should stand as my “Willâ€?. I wryly mused at the Will containing my instruction on how to share my “belongingsâ€?, when even I could only see emptiness all around me. You see, the pain of loss or the crush of poverty is better experienced first hand, before you “make itâ€?. The misfortune is kinder then. But, when you have tasted fame, money and little pleasures of life for some time; the regression to lack and poverty is crushingly tangible. You cannot walk, talk, sit or strut where you used to‌you choose a life of a hermit, a secondclass citizen‌and you will do that without any indecorous external prompting‌that is if “shameâ€? affects you. But, I was one of those who could not beg for help (from friends, family or well-endowed acquaintances); because I stupidly align with those who say “iku ya je’sinâ€? (which is saying, to die honorably is much to be desired than to be the butt of jokes and derision). But really, it was not as if some friends and relatives are not good-natured, and would not have helped to the best of their capacity. In our naivety, when we did not fully understand that our struggles were more spiritual than physical, we gratefully accepted some help. Without rushing into details now, we got a major financial lift from a kind benefactor, through a famous friend. God is our witness; all was pumped into the business, apart from the 10% tithe we gave the church. We didn’t even think of changing our dilapidated car. But the effect vanished on the business within three months! Who can explain that? God did. We still had few rivers to cross;
COUNTERPOINT
FEMI
AKINTUNDE-JOHNSON fajalive1@gmail.com 08182223348 - (SMS Only)
all human help will continue to drain resources and our lives. There is so much to reveal in my story of the past six years, that only time and more confidence will help me say more. No, I am not ashamed of my past (in fact, I am so proud that I went through it, and that my experiences may help others go through it or anticipate such with some level of dignity, and not fear). But all that was four years ago. By the grace of God, today, I’m no longer disillusioned. By the grace of God, I’m no longer hopeless. My children have returned to school; my wife is back on her feet.... To cut the story, God has given me the reason for the turn-around in our lives. He has made me to understand that I have a joint destiny and joint purpose with my wife, Ireoluwatunde (the goodness of the Lord has returned). And that what could have happened to our children, should be enough reason to instill in our hearts that we must find occasions and opportunities to offer concrete help to the less-fortunate around us - especially hapless Nigerian children. If you happen to be in this situation (and it is almost impossible not to have a legion of Nigerians trudging through such hell-holes, what with the mess our leaders have turned the country to) understand that only a power beyond your imagination can arm-twist your limitations to submission. While I was in the valley of “dry bonesâ€? I never wavered in my hope and trust that God will come through for me sha ni‌ sooner or later. Really, this is not another sermon‌it is rather, the heartfelt‌ no, the hard-lived, pain-washed, fear-cloying blobs of my tortuous journey through this harsh yet beautiful life. To situate the reason why I dream to impact young lives, and be a vessel through which God can touch others even more less-fortunate than I was; it is needful to let you in into a fair expanse of my story. What touched, and changed my life between 2002 and 2007‌ those traumatic but eventful years will forever act as torch-stone of whatever I will ever be in life; and I suspect the same will hold true for all members of my immediate family.â€?
SATURDAY JUNE 15, 2019 • T H I S D AY
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PERSPECTIVE Ugwuanyi: Lending a Strong Voice to Rural-Centric Development Laurence Ani
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t has long become fashionable for political leaders at the grassroots to merely make appearances at their rural constituencies at official work hours but retire to their homes in cities often located many kilometres away. Although it was always difficult rationalizing this, yet no one - especially senior elected politicians - ever dared to condemn the absurd practice because, apparently, pretty much everyone else was just as guilty. So speaking this inconvenient truth to local leaders required someone who could, more or less, come to equity with clean hands. This was exactly what Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi did last week when he met with council chairmen, their deputies, councilors, supervisors and members of development centres at the Government House, Enugu. “How often do you see me travel abroad or to Abuja?� he asked the utterly chastened officials, and explained to them in lucid details how the multiplier effect of spendings made by their household can benefit the community in a social and economic sense. “If you don’t reside in your constituencies, how do we ensure that the doctors deployed to our rural health facilities report for duty? If you only spend time with your constituents like visitors, how would you know if the teachers are actually devoting time to instruct our pupils in the rural areas?� he asked further. For Ugwuanyi, the push to have elected public officials reside in the same community as their constituents is not for the sheer symbolism it represents. He is convinced that doing so will infuse in them a greater commitment to develop their constituencies, especially rural ones, to such a level where the impelling need to dash off to cities at the flimsiest excuse no longer exists. It could, as well, stem the perennial influx of rural dwellers to cities which has over the years been the bane of structured urban development and the reason for the proliferation of unplanned suburban squatter settlements. The governor’s admonition was not mere lip service. Indeed, his strong belief in rural-centric development had always been underscored by the attention he has paid to the upgrade of living conditions in rural communities. That commitment could further be gleaned from the fact it was a focal point of his inaugural speech both at his first and second term swearing in ceremonies.As he has often pointed out, “we will continue to pay special attention to rural development because majority of our people live in rural areas�. It is this conviction that underpins his administration’s inclusive philosophy which offers an equal opportunity for all to thrive, regardless of political affiliation, creed and clan. The expansion of infrastructural development to long neglected communities some of which had never hosted a government project also stems from that.
Ugwuanyi For instance, the construction of theAmurri road in Nkanu West Local GovernmentArea is a testimony to that drive to enthrone a better living condition for rural communities. This unpaved dusty four-kilometre stretch and only access road intoAmurri was for decades an ugly reminder of the abandonment which residents of community have had to live with. Indeed, the highly successful “One Community, One Project� initiative is a product of that grassroots development philosophy. It’s instructive the governor had equally voiced his commitment in the second term inauguration speech to further deploy massive resources to spur development in rural areas, pledging to “review the programme to make it even better�. This programme gives each of the 540 autonomous communities in Enugu State the latitude to choose and implement a development project they consider expedient, with a N5m grant from the state government. Nothing feeds the democratic culture better than inclusive governance that offers citizens a participatory experience. The absence of these breeds resentment, cynicism and a mercantilist attitude in the people, even in relation to civic engagements. But when political leaders at the grassroots live among the people over whose affairs they are supposed to preside, such feelings are mitigated. Besides, probity becomes enriched because a sense of accountability is usually directly proportional to the distance between the leaders and the governed. It is this severed bond that Ugwuanyi hopes
to recreate through his open denunciation of leaders who would rather embrace the fripperies of their executive office but frown at the sacrifice that comes with it, such as living alongside the constituents whose votes elevated them in the first place. Consistent with that pursuit is the goal to create more cities and open up rural areas by constructing new roads and rehabilitating existing ones in poor condition. Ugwuanyi doesn’t however consider road rehabilitation as an end in itself; he sees them as a significant part of an integrated socio-economic mix that includes agricultural development. Such vision and sustained investment had resulted in the construction of six Pivot Irrigation systems in communities where rice is grown. That effort helped boost rice output to 1,800,000mt and enabled the cultivation of the crop twice a year. It also led to the launch of theAgricultural Feeder Roads projects totaling over 46.9 kilometres in 12 rice-growing communities across the three senatorial zones, which has substantially eased the burden farmers once had to contend with in evacuating their crops from farms to the market. Transforming the rural areas will also serve as an incentive for essential public sector workers like teachers, doctors and nurses deployed to those communities to continue to work or reside comfortably there. The measures so far introduced by the Ugwuanyi administration have successfully brought the student-teacher ratio in Enugu State public schools, including rural-based ones, to an optimal level. Those measures include sustained investment in expanding the state’s Free Maternal and Child Health programme, which has significantly reduced maternal and child mortality rate. This is so because pregnant women in rural communities who might ordinarily have stayed at home to deliver - despite the grave risk involved - due to lack of funds now come to clinics knowing that they don’t have to pay. So, beyond the emotive desire to see political leaders live among their people, there is no doubt that political leaders’ relocation to rural communities can help strengthen governance structures at the grassroots and inspire better service delivery in critical sectors such as health and education. It really makes sense then that rural development got a huge slice of the Enugu State 2019 budget. The lesson inherent in all this is plain: rural communities should not be places politicians visit only to solicit votes; those who live there are as entitled to the good life as everyone else because their stake in democracy is no less important to urban dwellers’ sense of entitlement. This is the paradigm shift Gov. Ugwuanyi has enthroned in Enugu and the values he seeks to inculcate in the political class. ––Ani, formerly editor ofThisDay,The Saturday Newspaper and SaturdayTelegraph, is senior research and communications aide to the governor of Enugu State.
Masari:MovingKatsinaTowardsSustainableDevelopment Francis Sardauna writes that the 8-point pledge unveiled by Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State for his second term would enable him consolidate on the achievements of the last four years
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he restoration roadmap and the direction taken by Governor Masari on assumption of office in 2015 made him to uphold the principles of rule of law, accountability, inclusive governance and prudence in managing the resources for the development of Katsina State. The governor’s ability to institute a culture of merit in appointments of public office holders made his administration to shun misuse of public resources. His administration in the last four years has been driving by values of good governance. The performance of the Restoration government in education, health, agriculture, environment, water, youth and women empowerment, power and infrastructure after four years of daunting struggle sums up the audacious rebirth of Katsina from the snares of misgovernance and financial embezzlement. The decision to prioritize these sectors, according to the ‘One million votes governor’ was anchored on the firm belief that education, health, and agriculture really hold the key to the restoration government. To consolidate on the tremendous
Masari achievements of his last four years, Masari shortly after taking oath of office (May 29, 2019) for the second term unveiled what he termed as 8-point pledge. He said: “In spite of outstanding chal-
lenges, we remain poised to forge ahead with our determination to take Katsina State to the next level. We have resolved to continue to explore all avenues, engage with all critical stakeholders, and work with the private sector to ensure the consolidation of the gains of the past four years. “This administration would continue to expand opportunities for private sector participation in boosting our economy in order to create more jobs and close the existing social inequality gap among our people. Specifically, I would like to solemnly pledge to you, on this day, our commitment to the following critical 8-point pledge; “Increasing investment in agriculture, sustaining investment in agriculture, consolidating the gains of the health sector, increasing investment in water, wider political inclusion and youths engagement, entrenching good governance, political accountability and transparency, promoting greater publicprivate collaboration and bequeathing secure and prosperous Katsina state�. As part of mwasures to move the state to the next level, the governor intend to construct and equip 100 additional primary and 50 secondary schools in
underserved and needed communities across the state to cater for the growing number of eligible school going children that are roaming the streets. He also vowed to recruit and train 1,000 teachers for both primary and secondary schools, particularly for science subjects and procure 350,000 sets of pupils desks as well as instructional materials for primary schools across the 34 local government areas of the state. In its quest to revamp the girl-child education, the administration is determined to establish girls boarding schools with befitting state of the art facilities to complement the already established ones in Kankia, Katsina, Dutsinma and Kafur local governments. Taking into cognizance the importance of teaching methodology in education, the Masari-led government would also conduct training and retraining of 5,000 teachers on teaching methods. It will as well construct 68 additional literacy classes and employ 340 additional literacy facilitators in the state. Determine to eradicate the challenge
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˜ ˞ JUNE 15, 2019
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PERSPECTIVE
Why it Should Be Yenagoa’s Turn Preye Maclean posits that given the ethnic demography of Bayelsa State, someone from the state capital,Yenagoa should be given a chance this time around
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here have been arguments, especially in political circles on which of the three senatorial districts should produce the next Governor of Bayelsa State. These arguments, some in the media, others in informal political gatherings, started long before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the time-table for the governorship elections for Bayelsa and Kogi
States recently. A critical overview of the individual opinions as they affect this critical topic shows that each may be right to some extent. For instance, politicians from the West Senatorial District where the out-going governor, Henry Seriake Dickson comes from are arguing that the governorship of the state has gone round the three districts with the West District having the last shot and that for the next round, it should start from their own Senatorial District. The people of the Central Senatorial District that produced the first elected governor, the late Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha, in their argument, have cleverly posited that as the district that is hosting the capital, they have been criminally excluded from the core of state governance for too long and they believe this is responsible for the slow pace of development, especially Yenagoa, the capital city. Their opinion also draws strength from the fact that the first governor did not complete his tenure owing to some unfortunate political developments. On the other hand, stakeholders in Bayelsa East Senatorial District have submitted that they have occupied the highly sought-after seat only seven years since the return of democracy in 1999. According to them, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was governor between December, 2005 and May 2007 while Chief Timipre Sylva held sway from May, 2007 to December, 2011. Timipre Sylva never minces words to say he’s being owed one tenure because he was forced out of power against democratic norms. These have remained the arguments that have been flying in the democratic space since Henry Dickson’s re-election over three years ago. In analyzing politicians and political activities, especially in Nigeria, some apolitical people have concluded that there is a behavioral pattern that runs through Nigerian politicians and that is the fact that the virtue of justice is lacking in them. In the Bayelsa scenario, justice really demands that the central Senatorial District should produce the next governor and that specifically, it should be Yenagoa Local Government Area. The reasons for this argument are neither distant nor lacking proof. Yenagoa assumed the “capitalship� of a state about twenty-three years ago. Before its status changed from a mere local government headquarters to a state capital, Yenagoa was one rustic, pre-historic settlement in one of the farthest, remote places of the old Rivers State. It had only one road, the YenagoaMbiama Road, which was quite impassable, especially during the rainy season. Twenty-three years on, one fundamental question on the lips of lovers of democracy is, “has anything changed in its general outlook?� So many people are of the view that Yenagoa has lost it all as it has failed to go beyond its rustic nature to a level where visitors will go back to their places with its aesthetics engraved in their sub-conscious state. To be fair to successive administrations, one would say there has been some infrastructural change but that change can
Okoko best be described as marginal. For example, Alamieyeseigha upgraded the Yenagoa-Mbiama Road; constructed the main secretariat; the Lambert Eradiri Road; Treasury Building; Government House Banquet Hall; a few structures in Government House including a new governor’s lodge that has been converted to a hotel; the old Commissioners’ Quarters; the Old Legislative Quarters; Two housing estates and a few other structures. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan stayed in office for just about one year and six months within which period he set the ball rolling for the construction of two housing estates; the Tower Hotel which still stands as a tower of disgrace as successive administrations have refused to complete it. He also built the Governor’s Lodge. Timipre Sylva’s four and a half years reign is easily remembered for the construction of over forty internal roads which have hardly been attended to afterwards in spite of the high level of deterioration. He also constructed the Peace Park. The out-going administration of Henry Dickson has, to its credit, some beautiful structures befitting a state capital. The new Governor’s Office; Secretariat Annexes; upgrading the Traditional Rulers Secretariat and some other structures in that vicinity; the Ox-bow Lake Pavillion; dualisation of Isaac Boro Expressway and a few other roads in Yenagoa. For someone who hasn’t been to Yenagoa but is privileged to read this material will likely be led astray to believe that with the above structures in place, Yenagoa is looking like an El Dorado of sort. The truth, however, is that no one has had the required degree of passion for the development of the state capital. Yenagoa, which is supposed to be a well-planned modern state capital lacks the wherewithal that could qualify it as such. There hasn’t been any plan to make it look beautiful apart from
Masari : Moving Katsina Towards Sustainable Development of manpower bedevilling the health sector in the state, the administration is poised to employ 1,000 doctors, 500 nurses, midwives and other medical personnel, and install functional operating Theatres for surgeries in General hospitals and Maternal and Child Care Health Centres across the state. Accordingly, the Restoration government would establish another college of Nursing and Midwifery in the state in order to centralize the processes of procurement, storage, distribution and regulation of drugs equipment for enhanced operational accountability and monitoring of the end-users. On agriculture, governor Masari who has given the sector ultimate consideration in the past four years, is set to commence the sales of fertilizers, seeds, irrigation pumps, farm chemicals and other farming inputs to 250,000 farmers at subsidized rate to boost food production. According to Masari, “We share the conviction that our long-term security and prosperity as a people depend solely on how much we invest to develop our agricultural sector. We are of the belief that agriculture has the potential and the capacity not just to lift our people from poverty, but to also help strengthen our IGR�. He further reiterated his administration readiness to complete the construction of 34 veterinary clinics across
the Government House to the Hospital Junction area. Private developers have seized the initiative as they construct their houses and roads (where possible) and the result of this is haphazard development that we are seeing. One major challenge of development Yenagoa faces is environmental, especially during the rains. When it rains, Yenagoa, a 21st century state capital is completely submerged and reduced to an uninhabitable village. Why would the state government fail to construct major drainages along major roads like the Yenagoa-Mbiama and Isaac Boro Expressway? Like Yenagoa, other communities in the LGA have suffered the same fate as government’s presence can hardly be felt. They may just have been handed some minor projects such as renovation of school buildings, and a few other projects that may not be too meaningful to the people. How do we correct these anomalies? Without necessarily clamouring for the development of a one-city state (this writer is averse to this idea), there should be well coordinated plan to develop Yenagoa and its environs to be at par with other state capitals. It’s somebody from Yenagoa LGA, not just anybody, but he who is driven by passion that can do this. Incidentally, some persons from the area have declared their intention to contest for the coveted office. Keniebi Okoko, Reuben Okoya and Senator Paulker Emmanuel are reported to be interested in the job. Indications however show that Okoko who has carved a niche for himself in the private sector has the best chance, given his pedigree. Okoko, a business man is the founder and Group Chief Executive of KDI Group, which is a diversified strategic investor in key sectors of the country’s economy including oil and gas, power, infrastructure and agriculture. His philanthropy is limitless as he has so many indigent students under his scholarship. In the height of the 2018 flood which brought tears and sorrow to the people due to its large-scale destruction, he was reported to have doled out hundreds of millions of naira to get relief materials for communities that were devastated across the state. Okoko is an economics graduate of the University of Port Harcourt and holds another degree in Political Science from the Carlton University. In 2014, he got a post-graduate from the University of Pennsylvania on Strategic Thinking. He also wears a Harvard lapel having participated in the Harvard Business School High Potentials Leadership Programme. In 2015, Keniebi Okoko participated in the Harvard Business School Finance for Senior Executives programme. He also attended 3-year programme in Harvard Business School called OPM 51. Drawing from his success in business which is a culmination of his capacity to manage both human and material resources, he is largely seen as a great achiever. It is believed that if given the opportunity to govern the state, he will bring to bear his goal-getting experience as he is reported to have said severally that the development of the state will never be compromised under him. Okoko is son of Emeritus Professor Kimse Okoko who devoted everything to serve and protect the rights and dignity of the Ijaw man in the Nigerian Project, especially when he was the President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC). Okoko is an illustrious son of Yenagoa LGA. It will be great disservice to look elsewhere for the governorship of the state, more so that the area boosts of the highest voting strength in the state.
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the 34 LGAs of the state, and liaise with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through its Anchor Borrowers programme to provide agricultural inputs to 50,000 eligible farmers. Sequel to this, the governor in his 8-point pledge is willing to complete the demarcation of farmer/pastoral routes in the state in synergy with neighbouring states and Niger Republic. The administration will also facilitate the installation of 34 renewable energy based farm power remedies for rural farm and agro-allied enterprises in the state. The governor, in his doggedness to make the teeming unemployed youths and women to be self-reliant, said he would train 15,000 of them on different skills acquisition and establish 1,500 sustainable Cooperate Societies and resuscitate 500 dormant ones. Similarly, no fewer than 3,000 persons living with disabilities will be empowered by the administration with relevant skills. While 500,000 youths would be sponsored to access the N-power programme to make them self-dependent. Provision of potable water would also remain a top priority of Masari’s second term, as he reaffirmed during his inaugural speech that: “Consolidating on the existing gains and building upon them to ensure that more communities have access to potable water remain my ultimate area of prioritization�.
Another area which would form part of the Masari new 8-point pledge is the issue of greater collaboration between the public and private sectors. Masari added: “My dream I must admit at this juncture is to see a Katsina State that is secured from all manner of security threats; a Katsina State that is financially buoyant; and a Katsina State with a happy and prosperous populace. “With my team, we hope to bequeath a Katsina State where the wellbeing of our people will not be measured by the presence of the rich, but by the absence of the poor amongst us�. He stated that his dream to revamp the state was not an impossible one “But its realization would depend solely on how sincere and dedicated we work in the next four years and beyond�. To tackle the quagmires recorded in his first tenure, which political analysts believed were occasioned by some of his appointees, the governor buttressed: “I am assuring you that the hands that will be invited to join in ensuring this success are capable, dependable, reliable, competent, and trustworthy. “We will ensure that we appoint persons of proven integrity that will add great value to our agenda for security and development. This is the only way to ensure the consolidation of our restoration gains and to guarantee quick results as we move to the next level.�
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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 15, 2019
POLITY Preye Aganaba
Bayelsa State Needs Human Capital Development As the race for the Bayelsa State governorship hots up, All Progressives Congress chieftain in the state, Preye Aganaba says he has what it takes to give the state a turnaround. Segun James spoke with him
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he battle for the Bayelsa State governorship is on and many of those jostling, like you, come from a background of business and the academia. Why the interest? Let me correct one impression. My choice of business as a career doesn’t in any way separate me from the values my late father had entrenched over the years or what you aptly described as “a background of high values for the academia.” The spirit of academia runs through the family vein. I don’t want to sound arrogant because I’m nurtured in the mould of humility. But I can tell you that up till now I love the academy and would have loved to teach in the university, but life is about choice and freedom. My dad has respect for his children’s right to choice and freedom. He refused to impose his will on the children over the choice of career just same way he respects rights of others. Now back to your question of choice of career, my choice of business as a career is not accidental. My father was an agriculturist, he was Federal Agric Station Manager at Abobiri in the 70s, later first Project Manager at the Rivers State government owned Peremabiri Rice farm in Southern Ijaw LGA which was his idea. He later went into commercial farming and made a fortune out of farming as a serious business. I also choose business to create and spread wealth so that I can touch as many lives as possible by my acts of philanthropy. Today, modestly speaking, I have partly fulfilled that dream by not only assisting students in need but have also attracted life transforming projects to my immediate community. My dream and the bigger picture I have is to take many unemployed youths off the streets by creating millions of job opportunities in the years ahead. Definitely I can’t share the glory with anyone except my maker, the author of life. It may further interest you to know that my late father was one of the founding fathers of Bayelsa State. After theAbayelsa State creation movement with a proposed headquarters at Ahoada failed in 1990, it was my late father who picked up the remnants of that movement and pushed for the creation of Bayelsa State with a proposed capital in Yenagoa. He was Protem Chairman of the Bayelsa State Creation Movement. Apart from committing personal energy and resources to the cause of creation of Bayelsa State, he provided his house as a meeting venue for Izon leaders during the struggle to have an homogenous Izon state. The final documents for the creation of Bayelsa State with Yenagoa as state capital was personally submitted by my late father in Abuja, after the first committee that submitted the initial documents fraudulently replaced Yenagoa as the state capital of the proposed state. It may interest you to know that the late Gen Abacha was our neighbor in Old GRA Port Harcourt while he was Brigade Commander in Port Harcourt and a close friend of my late father. We knew him as Colonel Abacha back then as kids. So electing ourselves to the cause of the Izon nation and general public service runs in the family veins. That is the driving force to serve humanity not necessarily for pecuniary benefits. This is the spirit I’m bringing on the table in my desire to serve the people of Bayelsa State, if I’m given the Opportunity at any time the people of the State beckon on me to serve. Your name has been trending in the
Aganaba political circle especially among the youth who have been harping on generational shift. What is your take on it? Yes I have received calls to contest the governorship election in Bayelsa State. In a politically exposed state like Bayelsa it is not a tea party. As I earlier said, I don’t do anything without divine guidance. Whatever God has ordained nobody on earth can stop it. David was not the best warlord, but with God’s anointing, the little lad in the wilderness was brought forth to defeat Goliath the greatest warlord and was made King. If it is the will of God that I should become governor of Bayelsa State, who
Have faith in God and the positive mind of faith in translating your lofty dreams to reality. We have men and women in Bayelsa State to drive the development of the state. Let’s bury that culture of excuses and lamentations. It is high time we drove the process to the next level
can say no when the Lord says yes? I’m not desperate about seeking any position but when God says I should contest, my dear brother I will contest. Let me however seize this opportunity to tell you that, I have what it takes to lead Bayelsa State to the Promised Land of the dream of our founding fathers. It may interest you to know that I brought APC to Bayelsa at high risk at a time anybody associating with APC in Bayelsa State was treated like a leaper. This is understandable, because former President Goodluck Jonathan was from Bayelsa State. In spite of the leprous treatment meted out to us for belonging to APC, we persevered to plant the seed of APC in the state and today, I am glad to see people joining the party in their droves. I’m happy indeed to see things turning around. What will be your priorities if given the opportunity to govern the State? Functional education system will be my first priority. I very much believe in the educational philosophy of Walter Russell who said “In vain we build the city if we do not first build the man.” In other words, we must first build the people through education side by side with the development of infrastructure. That is, the human capacity development index must take the lead in our quest for development. All tiers of the education system must receive the best of attention by attracting the best brains from all over the world to teach and prepare our students and the people in general for the competitive world of technological development. Two, Bayelsa State must take the lead in terms of Science and Technological growth by conscientious investment in functional education. Three, investment in independent power project will follow in the list of priority. Huge investment in this critical sector will attract both local and foreign direct
investments flow to the state. The multiplier benefits are that employment opportunities will be there, reduce militant agitations, youths will be meaningfully engaged. Four, youths empowerment is very key, followed by the Health Sector where international agencies can be attracted to intervene in the critical areas of need. I don’t want to mention names, but I admire some governors partnering with people like Bill Gate to fund and fix their health sector. This is a laudable step which I will borrow a leaf to develop Bayelsa State without being dependent on centrally inspired budgetary allocations. Also, the internally Generated Revenue will be given full attention. It will not be out of place to dedicate a Ministry to that effect to speedily pursue our development goals. I’ve done a preliminary study on the issue of IGR in Bayelsa State and it is my conclusion that we can generate an IGR to take care of the state wage bill without necessarily waiting on Federal allocations. Tax is historically a sensitive subject and we can achieve it without giving a heat on the civil service and cause unnecessary capital flight on investors. On general infrastructure, massive roads construction and integrated rural development will be our goal. Investment and Tourism go hand-in-hand. Tourism is one key area that will shore up the IGR of the State. And we can’t talk about tourism without infrastructure. Tourism is all about celebration of infrastructure. Above all, we can’t talk about development without the unity of purpose of the governed. It must take the front burner in driving our development process. Apart from promoting transparency, accountability and good governance, we must promote unity and all inclusive governance not minding the political divide. How will you achieve all your lofty developmental dreams in a state that is sharply divided by partisan interest? We will not allow political divide to hamper our development process just as it’s happening in Lagos where political maturity is brought to bear in developing the state. Development begins when the election is over. Bayelsa is a homogenous state, we disagree to agree but at the end we are all bound by the spirit to earnestly develop the state. We have to live above petty and primordial political sentiments in driving our development process. We should concern ourselves with massive road constructions and construction of bridges to link up our 70 per cent marine rural communities. These are not insurmountable task; they are possible dreams that can be achieved by sense of commitment and honesty of purpose. Have you considered the difficult terrain which has become the excuses by successive administrations? Definitely the terrain challenge is there, but the question is, how long shall we continue with this lamentation. We have to for once bury that self-defeatist excuses and roll out the road map to frontally confront our challenges. Forward ever and backward never should be the slogan of all. Are you getting me? Have you read the book “The power of positive thinking” by Norman Vincent Pearle? Have faith in God and the positive mind of faith in translating your lofty dreams to reality. We have men and women in Bayelsa State to drive the development of the state. Let’s bury that culture of excuses and lamentations. It is high time we drove the process to the next level.
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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 15, 2019
POLITY
Abiodun taking oath of office
Hope Rekindled in Ogun State Femi Ogbonnikan writes on the activities that marked the inauguration of Prince Dapo Abiodun, as the fifth democratically elected governor of Ogun State, and his promises to the people
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pon his emergence as governor-elect of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun promised to swiftly execute the programmes in his policy document, aimed at alleviating the poor living condition of the people of the state. Abiodun has pledged to make a marked difference in all facets of human endeavours, by lifting low morale among civil servants, improving the deplorable condition of roads, virtually everywhere, attending to the sharp decline in education standards, poor healthcare services, and other decadence. He has since hit the ground running, after his inauguration. Coming from the corporate world and having sat atop leading indigenous companies like Heyden Oil and Gas and First Power Limited, among others, Abiodun is accustomed to life of luxury. During one of his electioneering campaigns to communities in the state, the governor was confounded at the deplorable condition of Atan and Erunwon communities, both in Ijebu North-East Local Government Area, and with the condition of the road from Ilara to Isara through Akaka, in Remo North Local Government Area. His vehicle and others in his convoy, including those of party chieftains could not access these roads. He and his loyalists had no other option than to take a walk, with the vehicles parked by the road side. He paced back and forth and expressed displeasure at the negligence that has resulted in the underdevelopment of these communities that have been cut-off from the rest of what is known as the modern-day Ogun State. Expressing displeasure at the poor state of these roads, Chief Bode Mustapha, former Director-General, Ibikunle Amosun second term re-election campaign organisation in 2015 and now a close associate of Abiodun, berated the immediate past administration of Amosun for the untold hardship caused residents of these communities. He said: “I remember when we went to campaign; I think it was in Atan. And we had to go through Erunwon, in Ijebu North-East Local Government Area. I passed a comment, that if a pregnant woman was taken through this road, she would be forced to go into premature labour. And it is the same way all over the state.” Former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel said Amosun only concentrated on white elephant projects in Abeokuta to the disadvantage of the other cities and towns in the state. At a get-together event, Heritage Club of Ijebu organised to honour the governor, at the Awujale Palace, Ijebu-Ode, on Saturday, June 8, 2019, Daniel said: “Regrettably, it is a fact that some of the bridges are misplaced priorities; there are no traffic jams to justify some of the dual-carriage ways and that may not be in
the future. If these same amounts were utilised in doing internal roads and new roads, even in the same location, the economic impact would have been enormous in those locations.” Ogun state is endowed with both abundant human capital and natural resources. It is a state that has produced icons and pioneers such as Chief Alexander Akintola Sapara-Williams (the first Nigerian lawyer), Hon Justice Olumuyiwa Jibowu (the first Nigerian Judge to sit at the Supreme Court), Sir Adetokunbo Ademola (the first indigenous Chief Justice of Nigeria), Chief Obafemi Awolowo (the first Nigerian lawyer to head a Regional Government), Chief Simeon Adebo (pioneer Permanent Secretary, Head of Civil Service and Permanent Representative of Nigeria at the United Nations), Prof Wole Soyinka (Africa’s first Nobel Laureate), Chief Adeoye Lambo (a one-time Deputy Director-General of the World Health Organisation), Dr. Tai Solarin ((foremost educationist), Prof Anthony Asiwaju (renowned Historian), and many others. Poised to restore the lost glory of the state, Abiodun, in an address at his inauguration made a solemn pledge to right the wrongs of the past. According to the governor, “The well-deserved victory we celebrate today is sweet. The mandate is sacred and treasured. But the path to this moment was rough and the ride was bumpy. No leaf can fall from a tree without the permission of God Almighty. He sometimes achieves His will for one through the support of other men and women of Goodwill and, inexplicably, through opposition of others, even from unexpected quarters. “But the will of God will always prevail. With that at the back of my mind, my appreciation goes to all, without any ill-feeling whatsoever. I can assure all and sundry that the government under my watch will be people-centred. “This government will be our government, not their government. I have experienced ups and downs of life, like any of you. I can relate to your challenges. I can identify with your dreams. You want a government that works for you, and not for cronies and families. “Let me pledge, once again that I, Adedapo Abiodun, will keep faith with the people; I will lead with integrity and sincerity. My administration will be fair, just, equitable and inclusive. I will govern with character; I will serve you diligently and sincerely; I will make your interests the core of governance; I will neither personalise nor abuse the mandate; and I will not betray your trust.” He said the same thing during a Thanksgiving Service held at SS Peter Cathedral (Anglican Communion), Ake, Abeokuta on Sunday, June 2, 2019. Abiodun didn’t betray emotions, as he relayed his harrowing experiences, culminating in his emergence as governor, to the astonishment of the congregation.
He said: “I remain a living testimony to the awesomeness of God and the fact that with God all things are possible. “The Lord Bishop, Rt Rev Emmanuel Adekunle, I have listened very carefully to your testimony and to all the details of the advice you have given us and your extracted words from my inaugural speech, I want to assure you that we will live true to our words. We will be accountable; we will be transparent; we will be responsive, equitable, effective and efficient. We will follow the rule of law, we will be participatory; and we will be inclusive in governance. “I want to assure you that we will complete all the on-going projects, because you were very emphatic that administration come in and each one tends to abandon projects started by the previous administration. I want to assure you that we will complete all the ongoing projects. “During our campaign, in the course of going around the 20 local governments in the state, it gave us the opportunity to identify what was largely responsible for the gaps between the government and the governed. “We realised the fact that what was common to our people was the decay of the rural and township road infrastructure. So, we made a commitment which we have emphasised over and over again that, at our assumption of office, our priority will be to immediately look into how to upgrade, rehabilitate, repair and restructure our township roads. “We appreciate the fact that most of our citizens are rural and township dwellers, and as we know, it is important that state capitals and towns should look befitting. However, for our people who live in the rural areas, all they want to do is take their produce from the farms to the market. “We have decided as the Lord Bishop has recalled that, we are resuscitating the Department of Public Works (DPW), which used to be called OGROMA. We have immediately commenced the enumeration of all the roads across the state that need repair. The reason we are choosing to do so is to begin this work speedily without the need of having to award third party contracts. “At the same time, it will also allow us to develop and empower the local economy. It will stimulate the local economy. So, if the rural or township road goes through a particular area and we are able to involve those that are in that catchment area in the supply of needed materials or labour etc, it will be our own way of stimulating the local economy. “So, we have enumerated the list of these roads and we have sent them back to their local governments and we requested that they tell us which is their priority and by so doing we are also involving them in decision process. So, it won’t be that we are repairing roads that are not their priority. So, in no distant future, you will begin to see activities in your backyard, because we will have work gangs in Ijebu Ode, Ilaro, Sagamu, Abeokuta, Ota and Ifo.”
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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 15, 2019
POLITY
Intrigues of Picking Dickson’s Successor in Bayelsa Tarela Ogombirari
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ith the PDP primaries for the 2019 gubernatorial elections in Bayelsa and the main election around the corner, there is an interesting uncertainty about who takes over the mantle of leadership from Governor Seriake Dickson. This task of picking a credible successor is made more difficult by key political characters in the state who insists it must be done their own way. Interestingly, many think it should have been logical to expect that a former Governor of Bayelsa/former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan and Dickson would join hands to tackle the knotty issue of succession in Bayelsa with ease. It is very important to note that leadership of the party in the state is worried by the decision of some key actors to embarrass the party by pulling their resources and weight behind opposition candidates of the All Progressives Congress and the Action Democratic Alliance in the last elections. Even with that, the PDP still cleared 20 out of the twenty-three state constituencies where results were declared. The leading party in the state is still battling to retrieve the rest and also the House of Representatives and the Senate seats which it believes was given to the APC by the Independent National Electoral Commission contrary to the realities on ground. As the state marches closer to the November 16, 2019 gubernatorial election, there is a brewing crisis of trust and bottled anger among top chieftains of the PDP against moves by some people in and outside the state of Bayelsa to scuttle the fortunes of the party that has held sway in the state since 1999 when a new democratic dispensation was enthroned. Checks and interactions reveal that this may not be unconnected to the fact that the PDP leadership set up a panel to investigate the conduct of party leaders and members during the last election with a view to taking disciplinary measures against identified culprits.
Dickson Be that as it may, the report of that panel is still being expected as the party is caught in a game of the ostrich, not willing to disrupt its internal cohesion by punishing people, who naturally, should have played the father figure. Many leaders of the PDP in Bayelsa are visibly sad that the natural leader in the state did not live up the high expectations of his status, but rather kept to himself when the party came under a heavy attack from forces loyal to the federal government and the APC. The point is that a man who deliberately refused to paddle the canoe by coming out in full force to condemn the murder of a Government House Photographer, the kidnap and embarrassment of serving senior police officer and a party Chieftain in Southern Ijaw, coupled with the obvious brazen acts of impunity at Nembe Bassambiri, may not be in the best moral position to decide PDP’s candidate in the governorship election. Another interesting factor that is working against this former state governor and his
perceived followers is his known reputation for turning against his political associates. The observers of the Bayelsa political environment are won’t to believe and attest that his political family is on the feasible route of collapse and extinction due to his selfishness and ingratitude. There is an obvious understanding in the state that the lack of firmness and decisiveness was at the root of the disintegration of his political movement, the Green Movement which he formed alongside his associates as governor. Besides this genuine concern, a good majority of PDP stakeholders are not inclined to align with a candidate thrown on the party by Jonathan going by his recent history with the state PDP. The Stakeholders are of the view that it would be repugnant to the concept of justice and fairness for some people to make sacrifices over the years to build a solid party only to yield it to perceived political hackers, hirelings and paid singers. Checks reveal that this is a shared viewpoint by all operatives and leaders of the PDP Restoration Team led by Dickson. The Governor told an excited meeting of PDP stakeholders in April that he would support somebody from the Restoration Team to emerge from the primaries and move on to fly the party’s flag in the November 16 election. It is worthy of note that quite a number of government officials have indicated interest in participating in the primaries, easily not in the open but restricted to the social media. Characteristically, the members of the Restoration Team are waiting to anchor their ambition on the endorsement of the governor who is understood to be in firm control of the party and all its structures from the unit to the state level. The comment by the state governor and his declaration that it was conceivable and politically expedient to begin the search for a successor from the Restoration Family which controls over 80 percent of the Bayelsa PDP has ruffled some feathers. A critical eye on this comment and the insistences of party members against an imposition from outside
the Restoration Team may lead the PDP on the direction of confrontation. Thoughtfully though, some of the players in the political arena who belong to the household of some interested people and those who are not in the Restoration Team may have been ruffled by the position of the Restoration Team. While the current campaigns can be said to be skeletal in Bayelsa, some of the aspirants have embraced the media to openly announce their endorsement by Jonathan, thereby indicating that they have not got the support of the governor. These characters view Jonathan as the only lifeline for their ambition because they lack the political grassroots followership and popularity to pursue a successful campaign. The multiplicity of aspirants jostling to take over from Dickson has put the PDP and its leadership in a very tight corner. A top member of the State Executive of the party lamented that a particular leader invited many of the aspirants to indicate interest in the governorship with the intent to deepen confusion ahead of the election. Dickson has never failed to say it loud and clear at every opportunity that the person who succeeds would be a decision that would be made after several consultations by him and the leaders within and outside the party, so that the legacy projects he initiated are not derailed or sabotaged. It is the party’s view that the former President should easily agree to the decision for the interest of continuity, party, cohesion and strength. This position is anchored on the fact that PDP in Bayelsa takes directives from only one man – who is the governor and whose firm grip on the party is impenetrable. Keen observers of the political situation in Bayelsa are of the understanding that it would strengthen the PDP further if the governor and the former President agree on the issue of the successor. As the struggle for the heart of Bayelsa plays out, it is indeed a reality that no candidate would emerge in PDP and emerge victorious at the polls in Bayelsa without the tacit support and collaboration of the Restoration Group anchored under the leadership of Dickson. ––– Ogombirari writes from Nembe Bassambiri in Bayelsa state
PHOTO NEWS
L-R: ChIef Host, J. Vanni Global, Jimune Akinsola; Creative Director, Mobola Abiru; Assistant Creative Director, Bukola Litan; and Assistant Creative Director, AdebisI Odubela, at a press conference by J. Vanni Global on Afroprom Class of 2019 for ages of 14-18, held in Lagos...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN
L-R: Past Chairman, Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP), Gbenga Falebi; Managing Director, Pharmanews Limited, Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi; Founder and Chairman, Juli Plc, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi; Managing Director, WNCU, Santos Kumah; President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Sam Ohuabunwa; and Chairman, Committee on Drug and Substance Abuse, NAPHARM, Dr, Lolu Ojo, during the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy walk against drug/substance abuse in Lagos…recently SUNDAYADIGUN
L-R: Head, Department of Strategy, Lagos Business School, Prof. Olawale Ajai; Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Ferdi Moolman; Dean, Lagos Business School, Prof. Enase Okonedo; Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives, Mr. Bismarck Rewane; and Founding Partner, Kenna Partners, Prof. Fabian Ajogwu, SAN., during the presentation by the MTN CEO at the Lagos Business School Breakfast Club, held in Lagos...recently
L-R: Trustee, Atlantic Hall School, Chief (Mrs.) Allan; Chairman, Board of Trustee, Chief (Mrs.) Taiwo Taiwo; Akwa Ibom State Governor/Parent, Udom Emmanuel; his wife, Mrs. Martha Udom; and Trustee, Chief (Mrs.) Fadayomi, at the 27th graduation ceremony of Atlantic Hall School in Lagos…recently
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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ APRIL 24, 2011
GLOBAL SOCCER A
WEEKLY PULL-OUT
15.06.2019
Ola Aina Finally A Bull
NEWS
Race for Second Round Ticket
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Ola Aina
Finally A Bull
After months of speculations as to where Nigeria defender, Ola Aina will ply his trade next season, Chelsea on Wednesday conďŹ rmed that the AFCON bound defender has joined Serie A side, Torino on a permanent deal
nglish Premier League club, Chelsea on Wednesday announced Nigeria defender Ola Aina has joined Serie A side, Torino on a permanent deal after spending last season on loan at Torino and made a huge impression at the club prompting the Italian club to trigger a buyout option in their loan agreement. “Everyone at Chelsea Football Club would like to thank Ola for his services and we wish him the best of luck for the next stage in his career,� a statement on Chelsea’s official website read in part, while Torino also posted a short message on their Social Media platforms expressing their delight on
the permanent acquisition of Aina from Chelsea. The 22-year-old defender made 30 league appearances as Torino finished seventh, scoring his first goal for the club in a 1-0 win over Udinese in February. Regular playing time had been hard Ola Aina to come by with more experienced players like Cesar Azpilicueta, Marcos Alonzo and Emerson at Chelsea’s fold, culminating in a loan spell with Hull City penultimate season before another loan to Torino last season. The Chelsea loanee enjoyed a cult
hero among Torino fans with his performance, prompting the Serie A club clamouring to make the loan deal permanent, but doubts were cast as to if Chelsea would want to release him permanently considering a two transfer window ban hanging on the ‘neck’ of the London club. In January, with season at the halfway stage Aina was named the fastest player in the Italian Serie A. The official website of the Lega Calcio published infographics of the first round of the Serie A and the Chelsea loanee reached the highest speed peak calculated over a period of
three seconds. The Nigerian wing-back clocked a top speed of 29.66 kilometres per hour to rank first, though Aina has to improve in the defensive phase, he is considered Nigeria’s best offensive wing-back at the moment and his strengths are his pace and acceleration, which helps him against his opponents. Aina has seen Cesar Azpilicueta consolidate his right-back position at Chelsea last term under manager Maurizio Sarri and even captaining the Blues. “The football here is very tactical. You have to concentrate a lot.
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Ola Aina tries to stop AC Milan mid ďŹ elder
They spend a lot of time on set-pieces and getting the right movement. “It has been very good so far and I’m loving it,’’ Aina said. Aina played in all but three games this season for Torino. He has low-key been one of the loan army’s success stories of the season. Despite playing most his time at Chelsea and his 2017/18 loan at Hull City on the right, he has been Torino’s starting left wingback since opening day. Aina has done more than enough to warrant Torino executing his ÂŁ10 million option to buy. Torino, who ended
seventh in the Serie A table needed reinforcements for the additional coming campaign. Aina has said severally he is delighted with his new environment and the opportunity to hone his skills in Italy after he joined Walter Mazzarri’s men temporarily for the 2018-19 campaign after extending his contract with Chelsea to 2021 last month. After spending the majority of his career in England which included a season-long spell with Hull City last term, the 22-year-old highlighted differences between the two countries.
“I really like Turin. It’s not as big as London, but it’s a bit more relaxed and relaxing, a bit like me. In England, we train a lot in the morning, here it’s more the afternoon. I’m getting used to it though. Everyone is adapting to me, and obviously vice-versa. My teammates have made me feel good from the beginning, I thank them because it made it much easier for me to settle in,� Aina was quoted as saying by Football Italia. “Serie A is very different from the Premier League, the football in England is more physical and fast. It’s slower here and there’s more time to think, but you need a very different, more intense, attention to tactics. That’s good for me because that’s exactly what I need to improve. “I chose Torino because of the coach Walter Mazzarri, I talked to him and I got the feeling he wanted me and wanted to help me grow. I also felt he wanted me to work for him, that I could be important for his cause. Then, of course, Torino have a great history and the Italian league is one of the best, so I couldn’t say no.� The 22-year-old believes he started brightly last season, and looks to continue to make a good impression on the first team. He said: “I have started very well this season, thanks also to my team mates and to the coach, when there are challenges I always face them openly because I believe in my potential.� He went on to praise Mazzari’s tactics and team set up, emphasising how he likes to be given the freedom to attack as well as defend. Little wonder he has suddenly become a vital part of the team. “I’ve been enjoying it so far. I’m enjoying training and the games, and all the challenges as there are some top sides here. I’m settling in just fine. My Italian was good but it’s dipped a little.� “The difference is a lot,� Ola Aina said. “The level is a lot higher, the concentration and tactical side of things are a lot higher than the Championship. For me, that is what is key for me this season. Right now, the squad are just focusing on each other, and to take each match as it comes. We want to play good football and get as many points as possible and win games. So if we can focus on this, then who knows.� Normally placed on the right side, Aina has been operating on the left,
though he admitted it makes no difference where he plays. “Both right and left are the same,� Aina continued, “the only difference is you have to use your other foot. Simple really.� He was born in the London and was raised by two Nigerian parents, he was also one step away from participating in the last World Cup in Russia: he was in fact included in the preliminary list, but was not chosen in the final 23. Aina said, “I only arrived in August, but I immediately got along well with my new teammates, I tied up with Meite, Ferigra, Edera, but also with many others. “I feel at home and for this I thank them. I started this season very well thanks to my teammates and to the coach. When there are challenges I always face them openly because I believe a lot in my potential. “Chelsea allowed me to be here because they know that this is an excellent championship and an opportunity to improve even tactically, I chose Torino because I talked to the coach and he immediately made me feel important for this team, and then because this club has an important history.� The 22-year-old Chelsea Academy product is good in making short passes and is a good dribbler. He was a right winger when he first joined The Blues at U11 level before he was converted into a defender.
G LO B A L S O C C E R ASSISTANT EDITOR KUNLE ADEWALE
THISDAY ON SATURDAY EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE DEPUTY EDITOR CHIKA AMANZE-NWACHUKWU THISDAY NEWSPAPERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE
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Super Falcons in Race for Second Round Ticket After a wobbling start against Ukraine, in which the Super Falcons were pummelled 3-0, the Nigerian girls however bounced back against South Korea on Wednesday with a 2-0 win. The team would however face a daunting task on Monday against host and one of the tournament’s favourite, France, in a game that would decide if the team will remain in France or not the ball back. And hopefully, we can have a little bit of success,â€? Dennerby told reporters after the game. Former Green Eagles goalkeeper Emmanuel Okala however warned the team not to be carried away by their victory against South Korea, saying the Super Falcons still needed to work hard. Okala told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu that the team played well and showed a lot of resilience in their encounter with South Korea. “It is a good thing that they won. They deserve it after putting in lots of enterprise in the game. º––ººË?19 Ë™ I will, however, appeal to them to work harder. They need to continue to improve in subsequent games and brush up various departments of the team. “We wish them well and will continue to pray for their success in all their remaining matches in France. I believe they can do us proud,â€? Okala said. Meanwhile, France head coach Corinne Diacre has predicted a tough battle for her side when they come up against the Super Falcons of Nigeria in their last group game on Monday. France top Group A with six points from two games – three ahead of second-placed Norway and third-placed Nigeria – with one group game left against Nigeria on Monday. â€?I am going to relax, think about it tomorrow, then we will reflect on things – what we can do, who may stay on the bench because we did have some injuries and let them recover,â€?Diacre told reporters after her side victory against the Norwegians. â€?We are going to have to think about this long and hard. Norway gave us a hard time; Nigeria will probably do the same. For the time being, now we are just going to stay put and fight hard to win that match against Nigeria.â€? Nigeria are third on the Group A log with three points from two games and will hope to claim their spot in the next round when they face Les Bleus at the Roazhon Park, Rennes. P W D L GF GA +/- FPP Pts
France Norway Nigeria Korea Rep
Asisat Oshoala rounded up South Korean goalkeeper to score Nigeria’s second
A
n own goal in the first half and another superb master class goal by Asisat Oshoala ensured that the Super Falcons defeated South Korea 2-0 and remain in contention to progress to the next stage of the competition Oshoala revealed that her side’s desire to claim their first win inspired her goal in Nigeria’s 2-0 triumph over South Korea in Grenoble on Wednesday. At Stade des Alpes, the three-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year scored with a brilliant finish in the 75th minute to seal the Super Falcons’ first Women’s World Cup win at the showpiece, and the Barcelona forward is now aiming to help
her side secure a positive result against France in Rennes on Monday. “We had more confidence when we got the first goal and we tried to tell ourselves that we needed to give more because one goal was not enough and then, I got the second goal,� Oshoala said. “At first, I think we were a little bit scared of losing and going out. But after a while, we just decided to go for it. I always say that I’m never under pressure – I just go on the pitch and do my job. It’s an 11-player game and I just look to enjoy the game, have fun and do the right thing for my team. “The group is wide open now. We just have to concentrate now on making sure we get the points we need against
France.� Head coach of Nigeria’s women team, Thomas Dennerby, praised his players for their solid display, in their 2-0 win over South Korea on Wednesday afternoon. “Today our discipline was better than against Norway – no mistakes at all. If we can be as compact as we were today, don’t let teams overplay us in midfield and find passes through, we know we’ll get opportunities for players like Asisat. “The players followed our match plan and that’s all you can really ask. Now we go to play France, a really good team. If we can come out with a point everyone would be extremely happy. “But you can’t just go to defend – you need to know what to do when you win
2 2 0 0 6 1 5 -1.0 6 2 1 0 1 4 2 2 -1.0 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 -1 -3.0 3 2 0 0 2 0 6 -6 -2.0 0
FIXTURES SATURDAY
Netherlands vs Cameroon 14:00 Canada v New Zealand 17:00 SUNDAY
Sweden v Thailand 14:00 USA v Chile 14:00 MONDAY
China PR v Spain 17:00 South Africa v Germany 17:00 Nigeria v France 20:00 Korea Republic v Norway 20:00
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Megan Rapinoe celebrate her goal against thailand
Who will Stop the Americans in France? Think of football and quite often Brazil will come to mind as an example of success. But not for the followers of the women’s game. While in the men’s version, the South American country has an enviable collection of ďŹ ve FIFA World Cup titles and a legion of legendary players, it is the United States who are the powerhouse in the female landscape.
O
ut of seven World Cups, the Americans have won three and finished as runner-ups once. They have also won four Olympic gold medals in six attempts. But Brazil’s best result in the tournament is a solitary second place in 2007, though they do also have two Olympic silver medals. In fact, the only country with success on both fronts is Germany, with four men’s and two women’s titles. But what explains the reversal of scenarios in the US and Brazil? First mover advantage The US men’s team’s best result in a World Cup was third in 1930, but since then they have only reached the last eight once, in 2002, where they reached the quarter-finals - losing to eventual runners-up Germany. This was just one of the unusual results registered in a tournament where Turkey finished third and co-hosts South Korea fourth.
But the women’s game had a much different trajectory thanks to Title IX - a federal law that in 1972 established gender equality in the distribution of funding in high school and university sports, and which still forms the basis of professional sports in the US. By the time the first Women’s World Cup took place in 1991, the US had a larger talent pool than anyone else. It took advantage of the fact that in many other countries women’s football remained for years underfunded and with low participation rates. However, it was the 1999 world title that raised the game’s profile. In that year, the US hosted and won the 1999 World Cup - the shirtless celebration of defender Brandi Chastain after scoring the winning penalty in the final against China is often referenced as one of the most iconic sporting moments by American media. Mia Hamm - who topped the all-time international scoring list in 1999, a month prior to the World Cup - even became a punchline in the sitcom Friends. That game in Los Angeles attracted a crowd of more than 90,000 people, the biggest ever for a women’s match. Brazil and the prejudice rule The story of women’s football in Brazil is marred by sexism. The game was actually outlawed in 1941 by then dictator Getulio Vargas - and the prohibition was only lifted in 1979. Without a proper grassroots system and a strong league, the women’s team has actually punched above its weight
by reaching the 2007 final and the semifinals in 1999. And Brazil have also produced the woman voted the best player of all-time: Marta. Sheer numbers World governing body Fifa’s latest census of the woman’s game, in 2014, established that there were more 30 million female players worldwide. About half of them were based in the US and Canada. In the whole of South America, Fifa counted a little over 255,000 players. The US numbers are also impressive at grassroots level: national governing body US Soccer says that women amount to 47 per cent of all players at high-school level, and 53 per cent at university competitions. “Many other countries in Europe are still lagging in the women’s movement, and even in Brazil, where soccer is a cultural phenomenon, women have struggled to gain recognition and access to basic resources,� economist and author Stefan Szymanski told American radio PBS earlier this year. Better conditions The 23-women squad sent by the US to the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France is formed from players taking part in the National Women’s Soccer League, one of the strongest and most-watched competitions in the world of women’s football. Players have a minimum annual wage of $16,500 and a maximum of $46,200.
As for Brazil, 16 players are based abroad, plying their trade in places as diverse as South Korea and Denmark, as the domestic league struggles to attract the interest of public, sponsors and media. The seven games of the opening round of the 2019 Campeonato Brasileiro had less than 10,000 people in attendance, despite many clubs giving tickets away for free. Wages are hardly enticing: a survey by news portal UOL in 2017 showed that three out of four players earned less than $6,000 a year. Mileage In sporting tournaments like the World Cup, experience is an asset. A point proven by a quick look at the number of matches played by the American stars. On average, each of the 23 American players in France has played for her country 75 times. For Brazil, the average is 40. “When we go to a competition like the World Cup we face teams that train together and play together more than us. We lack both in the physical and psychological departments,� says former Brazil captain Juliana Cabral. Brazil kicked off their 2019 World Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over Jamaica - striker Cristiane scoring a hat-trick in the victory. The US began their tournament on Tuesday with a 13-0 whitewash of Thailand in Reims, while Brazil are next in action against Australia on Thursday in Montpellier.
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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍ˝Ëœ ͺ͸͚Î
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L-R: Chairman, Technical Committee, Lagos First Generation Heritage Colleges Association (LAFGHECA), Lucas Olugbenro; Captain, Kings College, Lagos, Jimoh Muqtar, Event Management, Corporate Communications and External Aairs, GTBank, Derin Alex- Adedipe; Captain, Whitesands School, Emmanuel Ikwuegbu; and Chief Operating OďŹƒcer, Mediavision Ltd, Jimmy Sogbesan, at the semi-ďŹ nal of the GTBank Masters Cup 2019 held at Campos Stadium Lagos Island recently/
Ahmed Musa
Eagles Target Good Outing against Teranga Lions Senegal’s Teranga Lions is Africa’s number one –ranked team, but the Super Eagles are determined to give a good account of themselves when both teams square up in Ismailia on Sunday evening. Feelers from the camp indicate only a very positive ambience with players and officials thinking of how to bring
honour and glory to the nation, when the whistle goes for kick off at the 32nd Africa Cup of Nations finals in seven days. The last time both Nigeria and Senegal clashed at senior level was on 23rd March 2017, at The Hive (home of Barnet FC and London Bees) in London. Kelechi Iheanacho equalized from the spot after Moussa Sow
had put Senegal ahead – both goals coming in the second half. Three –time African champions Nigeria are on an eight –match unbeaten run since elimination from the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia. Sunday’s game has been scheduled to start at 7pm Egypt time (6pm Nigeria time) and both Federations have agreed
that the match be played behind closed door in order to enable both coaching crews to tinker with tactics and strategy during the encounter. The Nigeria delegation will depart from Ismailia on Monday morning, for Alexandria – venue of their Group B attrition against Burundi, Guinea and Madagascar.
Chelsea to Pay Derby County £4m for Lampard’s Release Ar Chelsea would have to pay Derby around £4m in compensation if they appoint club legend Frank Lampard as their new manager. With current boss Maurizio Sarri set to be confirmed as Max Allegri’s replacement at Juventus, Lampard is the overwhelming favourite to take over.
However, BBC Sport understands Chelsea are yet to make contact with the Rams. Lampard won 11 major honours in his 13 years as a player at Stamford Bridge. A deal between the Blues and SerieAchampions Juventus was agreed in principle on Thursday, with the Italian club expected to have to pay
in excess of ÂŁ5million in compensation to secure Sarri. The Italian, who has spent just one season at Stamford Bridge after arriving from Napoli in July 2018, won his first trophy as manager when he guided Chelsea to Europa League victory over Arsenal last month. Derby have a good re-
lationship with Chelsea, who loaned them Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori last season, and anticipate if negotiations do take place, they will be done so in a relaxed atmosphere. However, as with all their coaching staff, there is a compensation clause built into Lampard’s contract, which has two years to run.
Syinix Limited Signs Musa as Brand Syinix Limited announced the famous Nigerian football playerAhmed Musa as its brand ambassador and launched Syinix 65� big screen TV at the illustrious Sheraton Hotel. Musa, who plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia has reached a lot of achievement on football field, he has a huge number of fans in Nigeria and has a positive personal image and good reputation. Speaking at the media unveiling, Musa said: “Syinix and I have such a shared perspective, we both believe that technology should service human being and help us lead a better life, and we all want to do our best to let more people live better.That’s why I agree to be an ambassador of this company , I hope we can do some meaningful things for our world together.� He spoke about the unveiling and Syinix commitment to continually give their budding fans what they want and when they want it. Syinix as a famous consumer electronic and home
appliance brand globally, has distinguished itself from its competitors with its tech, smart, stylish brand persona. This has appealed to its target audience immensely and its
“Starting smart life� slogan has also encouraged its young fans to pursue better and quality life. Syinix and Musa unveiled the new Syinix big screen TV: Syinix 65� TV and announced
the new slogan “bigger better, buy Syinix� together, It would also lead to an expansion in the sales of Syinix products within the marketplace and an increase Ahmed Musa’s reputation.
Winlot Global Resources Clarifies Winlot Ghana King West African Boxi The management of Winlot Global Resources has described the recently launched Ghana Game as purely a lottery game and not Sports betting game. Speaking on the new game, the Marketing Head of the company, Mr. Ayodele Soyombo describes Winlot Ghana King as purely a lottery game for stakers and not in the category of Sports betting game.According to him, Ghana King is the first of its kind in the world! It’s neither Winlot 5/90 regular nor 10/90 nor Double Chance But King, Ghana.
Ghana King offers players more money and a higher chance of winning and it is based on the popular Ghana Games played from Monday to Saturday. Unlike normal 5/90 game where players play Direct 2,3,4,5 bet or perm the numbers and winner can be declared only from first five drawn balls , Ghana King provide 10 Result numbers for similar bet which include first 5 drawn balls & last five drawn balls together which is also referred to as winning and machine numbers
respectively. Ghana King and other Winlot games can be played only on Winlot POS terminals in Lagos State; where Winlot operates solely and is duly licensed by the Lagos State Lotteries Board. Soyombo further described the new Ghana King as an innovative platform targeted at creating bigger opportunities for players and agents in the lottery platform. This according to him, is in line with the company’s mission of providing world class lottery service to all stakers and competitor in the industry.
GOtv Boxing Night
Real One, Joe Boy Clash again in Public West African Boxing Union (WABU) lightweight champion, Rilwan “Real One� Oladosu, and his African Boxing Union (ABU) counterpart, Oto “Joe Boy� Joseph, almost came to blows in Lagos on Tuesday in continuation of their long-running boxing feud. Both boxers were present at the press conference to announce GOtv Boxing Night 19, at which they are both billed to feature against different opponents on 14 July at the Indoor Sports Hall of Lagos’ National Stadium. Sparks flew as boxers and their opponents were introduced by the organisers, but the event suddenly caught fire when it got to the turn of Real One and his next opponent, Hammed “Ese Hammed� Ganiyu. The latter boasted that he will defeat Real One, who responded by describing him as “chicken� and way below his grade in the sport. He followed it up, shouting loudly, with an open challenge to Joe Boy. The ABU champion leapt off his seat to meet his Real One and they had to be pulled apart. Real One yelled that he wants to dethrone Joe Boy, a wish he had twice previously expressed at the press conference to announce GOtv Boxing Night 18 and during the event in Ibadan, when he jumped on the ring to taunt Joe Boy as an expired boxer. Both boxers are rated as the best in the Nigeria’s lightweight division, a situation that has bred the wish among fans to see them take on each other. Sources close to the organisers of the event, Flykite Productions, disclosed that the much anticipated fight will hold in September at the 20th edition of the event, where Joe Boy may defend his ABU title against his bitter challenger.
NBB of C President Lauds Sponsors President of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, has commended GOtv for its continued support for Nigerian boxing. Ladipo made the commendation on Tuesday in Lagos at the press conference to announce the 19th GOtv Boxing Night, which holds at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, on 14 July. The NBB of C President said the pay television company has remained consistent in its support of the sport, a gesture he said has resulted in the revival of the sport domestically. “If there is one thing that is obvious about GOtv Boxing Night, it is consistency. Since the first edition in 2014, it has been consistent. We’ve seen similar shows like this that after some time, they go off. “But in the case of GOtv Boxing Night, it has continued to grow in leaps and bounds. From edition one to 19, it is not easy. So I will like to, once again, say a big thank you to GOtv,� he said. Ladipo added that he is especially delighted by four Nigerian boxers, whose careers have been boosted by GOtv Boxing Night. Many other boxers, he said, have become known through the event in other countries. “Our boxers are easily recognised anytime they go outside Nigeria to fight. This wouldn’t have been possible if not for GOtv, which gave them the platform to showcase their skills. “Unlike in the past where our boxers are not given the right treatment, this is no longer so, thanks to GOtv,� said Ladipo. His view is also shared by the NBB of C Secretary General and President, West African Boxing Union (WABU), Remi Aboderin, who said he is delighted by the regularity of Nigerian boxers travelling to fight in other countries as well as visits by foreign boxers to fight in Nigeria. “Since the GOtv Boxing Night began, we have been seing our boxers go out to fight and boxers from other African countries coming here to face our best boxers. “Also, our boxers are increasingly being rated and their records documented. This has been possible because of GOtv’s support. Hopefully, we will continue to see many talented boxers emerge to become champions in Africa and the world,� said Aboderin.
ÍšÍ˝Ëœ ͺ͸͚Π˞ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER
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GLOBAL SOCCER
Semi Ajayi
Another Shattered Dream For Semi Ajayi, it was a shattered dream when Super Eagles gaer, Gernot Rohr did not look in his direction during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but when he made his debut for the team in last year’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualiďŹ er against Seychelles he felt play in the Egypt showpiece would be a consolation. It was however not to be as he was dropped from the ďŹ nal list on the eve of the team’s departure to the land of the Pharoahs
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emi Ayayi was among the four new players handed invitation by Rohr for the 2019 AFCON qualifier against the Pirates of Seychelles last year September and he was one of the two players that had the chance to play and ever since the 25-year old has been dreaming of appearing at the biennial tournament. Reacting to his exclusion from Rohr’s final selection for the competition later this month in Egypt, the Rotherham United midfielder expressed his disappointed to
have missed out of Nigeria’s final squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations but said he would be wishing the team a good outing in Egypt. The former Arsenal youngster and Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho were the two players dropped from the provisional squad, as the Rohr confirmed their final 23-man squad on Sunday. Despite participating in the preliminary training sessions in Asaba, Ajayi was not in action during last Saturday’s goalless draw against Zimbabwe at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, but has accepted the decision in
good faith by pledging his support for the rest of the team as they aim for the AFCON title in Egypt. “Wishing my brothers the best of luck at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations,� Ajayi wrote on Instagram. “It’s been a privilege to have been part of this squad and as much as I’m gutted that I can’t make it I wish everyone linked with the Super Eagles the very best of luck this summer. I will be supporting the team until the end. Go and make Nigeria proud my brothers. In a chat with former Nigerian inter-
national, Tajudeen Disu, he said it came to him as a little surprise that Ajayi was dropped alongside Iheanacho When he featured in the AFCON qualifier against Seychelles there was very little time to assess him,� Disu noted. He however said the time Ajayi featured against Seychelles was not really enough to assess him. “You cannot really assess a player that played for less than 20 minutes, however, the little time he was on the field he showed confidence and defended well. But the quality of opposition from the Pirates is not enough to measure a player. However, the fact that he was even supporting the attack is a sign of a good defender,� the former Abiola Babes Captain told THISDAY. For 25-year-old Ajayi, he feels ‘honoured’ after making his international debut for his country in their 3-0 win over Seychelles, in spite of not making the final list to Egypt. The Rotherham United defender was introduced for injured right-back Chidozie Awaziem in the 73rd minute of the encounter and put in a decent showing to help the Super Eagles see out a comfortable victory. “It was an honour to make my international debut today. Humbled to finally represent my country at the highest level and even more grateful to mark it with a win and clean sheet. Thank you God,� Ajayi had tweeted. “It was so exciting and an honour to represent my country. It was a very proud day for me. The Cup of Nations qualifier is the perfect stage for my Super Eagles debut,� Ajayi had said. He added: “I’m just delighted to be out here because it’s such an honour to be called-up to represent your country. It will be a different experience and one that can only make me better as a player.� The former Arsenal player said that his club performance would earn him more call ups, but it was not to be. Though he went on to make five appearance for the Super Eagles and 46 for his club. Ajayi indeed attracted most Nigerian fans’ sympathy following his impressive form for the Championship club but there have equally been those questioning who he could have replaced. Perhaps had inspirational captain John Mikel Obi not made a return to the national team, maybe by now, we could have had the versatile Ajayi making the final cut. There were discerning voices who wondered why Rohr was not bold enough to drop Leon Balogun, having last played for his club in early February, but feelers close to the team was that the coach was ready to let the defender prove his fitness which was why Rohr decided to play the centre back for 90 minutes against Zimbabwe. “As long as I keep performing for my club I hope to get more call ups. At Rotherham United we are taking it game by game and want to stay up. We will try and continue to stabilise in the English Championship,� he concluded. Born to Nigerian parents, Ajayi began his football career as a youth product of the Charlton Athleti academy. After progressing through the Charlton Athletic ranks, he was offered his first professional contract in January 2012. In November 2012, Ajayi joined Dartford on a short-term loan for 28 days. He played three games and scored one goal before returning to his parent club in late-December. After returning to Charlton Athletic, Ajayi played for the reserve side for the rest of the season and helped win the Professional Development League 2. Shortly before he was due to make his debut for the Charlton first team, Ajayi caught the eye of Premier League side, Arsenal and he joined the Arsenal Academy on a two-year deal after impressing as a trialist with the club in September 2013. In 2015, Ajayi joined Championship side, Cardiff City on loan until the end of the 2014–2015 season but did not feature for the first team. At the end of the season, he however joined Cardiff on a two-year permanent deal following the end of his contract at Arsenal. In 2017, Ajayi signed a loan deal until the end of the 2016–17 season with fellow Championship strugglers, Rothertham United and made his debut the following day and ever since he has been solid for his team.
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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t +6/& , 2019
FAIRGROUND Nasty C, Phyno, Wande CoalThrill At 3d Concert With Remy Martin
with
AZUKA OGUJIUBA
azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com
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he Remy Martin Extravaganza parties have grown to become the standard for Out-of club partying in Nigeria. Last week, the bar was set even higher with the first ever 3D concert tagged ‘The Outdoor Extravaganza’ which was held at the Lekki Special Events Centre. The show kicked off with an explosion of lights, immaculate choreography by over 60 dancers who recreated ‘The Greatest Show’ ushering guests into the multisensory 3D event. Other thrilling performances include Brazilian dancers, Fire eaters, Cirque ring dancers and Pole dancers. Guests were also taken down memory lane with dance performances to songs by Tupac and Biggie showing new attendees why it is called the biggest dance party in Nigeria. The highlight of the event was the launch of Remy Martin Producers Trilogy – Season 1; a campaign targeted at budding music producers and video directors. With the help of Remy Martin 1738, two aspiring and innovative individuals will win the a perfect kick-start to their careers by getting a unique chance of working with video for A-list artist, Phyno with the guidance of top Nigerian producer, Sarz and video director, Clarence Peters. South African rapper, Nasty C alongside Rowlene and Phyno, Wande Coal closed out the night performing their hit songs while DJ Neptune, Jimmy Jatt and DJ Baggio delivered outstanding sets as well. The #AtTheClubwithRemyMartin outdoor Extravaganza kicks off the club series which will be held pan-Nigeria in coming months with a final showdown in December.
Bamike (Bambam) Olawunmi
DJ Jimmy Jatt
DJ Neptune
Phyno
Nasty C
Seyitan
Faith History
Obafemi Martins
Brazillian Dancers
Taje Prest
Stephen Jimba
Sharon Ojong
VJ Adams
Praiz, Nasty C and a guest Fire eater
Choreographers
THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t +6/& , 2019
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FAIRGROUND
Dabota Lawson Acquires New Home
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Haven Homes for working closely with her in actualising the dream. Haven Homes is known for great service delivery, quality products and an amazing customer relations. The company has also worked with The proprietor of Twocelebrities such as AY, six Shopping mall and Dabota Cosmetics, bought Kizz Daniel, Tiwa Savage, Banky W, 2Baba among the multi-million naira luxury home from Haven others in actualising their dream homes. Homes. The company has also The mother of one shared the news with her completed Richmond Gate Estate Phase 1 which friends, fans and followers on Instagram, express- could pass for Beverly Hills of Africa according ing her gratitude to God as she considers the feat a to property valuers. Their houses come with dream come true. Dabota also appreciated creative designs. x beauty queen and entrepreneur, Dabota Lawson has acquired her dream house
Ibhafidon Calls for Action Against Human Trafficking, Molestation
Dabota
Mrs Nwaozuzu and Mrs Richmond of Women of Glory Foundation giving out relief supplies to children at the charity outreach in Wukara community, Abuja
Senator Donzella James-Representing Atlanta Georgia Senate, Dr. Lenora Peterson, Solange Warner, Engr. Ero Ibhafidon and Brenda Lopez Romero, Georgia House of Representatives.
Recently the Founder of Waterlight Save Initiative, a Non-Governmental Organisation, Prince Ero Ibhafidon joined leaders from around the Globe to attend 2019 edition of World Chamber of Commerce Business and humanitarian Summit in Atlanta Georgia USA .The Summit was focused on growing the global economy and the fight against Human Trafficking and Molestation. Prince Ero Ibhafidon who was recently inaugurated as a member into the World Chamber of Commerce was among the speakers of 2019 Summit. He delivered a speech on the evil Human Trafficking has done to the global community with the highest percentage in Africa and the corrective measures to take in eliminating this negative global phenomenon while calling on supports. The event was colourful with leaders from around the world, Ambassadors, mayors, senators, consulates, international dignitaries. In attendance were Consul General of Nigeria, Atlanta. Honorable Aishatu Aliyu Musa (Mrs). *Senator Johnny Isakson U.S. Senate, *Ambassador Jose Luis Jacome, Consul General of Ecuador * Dr. Lenora Peterson *Senator Donzella James, U.S. Senate,
*Ambassador Gandy Thomas, Consul General of the Republic of Haiti in New York among other leaders with their voices echoed against Human Trafficking Waterlight Save Initiative is a Non-Profit organisation created to give hope to the disadvantaged, touching lives and the unreached communities in Africa through various targeted community based programs and initiatives which include and not limited to; *Provision of portable water *Free Medical Care for Widows and Children *Economic Empowerments through small business setups *Educational Support in Refugee Camps, Internally Displaced Camps (IDP camps) and to the Children whose parents can't afford Education Cost. Waterlight Save Initiative is also known for its vigorous fight against Human Trafficking through awareness creation, Blocking avenues through which African are engaged in this evil act and helping the trafficked regain freedom. While speaking with THISDAY Newspaper, this philanthropist and multiple award winner on humanitarian service, implored all wellmeaning Nigerians home and abroad to support the course of humanity through love and charity for a peaceful co-existence in Africa.
Women of Glory Foundation Empowers Residents of Wukara, Abuja Women of Glory Foundation (WOG), a non-governmental organisation, recently conducted an outreach in Wukara community of the Federal Capital Territory. According to the Vice President 2, Abuja Chapter; Mrs Udo Onyeagba, the purpose of the outreach was to share God's love by improving the living conditions of the residents, especially the women and children. She said "we are here today to teach the people skills such as baking of cake and bread, making of soap and insecticides. Since the processes are not cumbersome, we are hoping that they will leverage on it. Apart from that, we are also carrying out free medical check-ups on the residents for them to know their health status and prevent health degradation." She said that the foundation, through donations and contributions, shared clothing materials, foot wears and food to women and children. According to her, “we do this outreach because we understand that government cannot do everything for
the citizens. We need to help ourselves. Founder of the foundation, Mrs Nneka Nzewi, advised other Nigerians to get to the grassroots and the less-privileged and put smiles on their faces. Nzewi said “Wukara community was selected for the outreach because we believe in reaching people at the grassroots where many consider far and difficult to reach.” Some of the items donated to residents of the community included clothes, slippers, hand bags, rice and other food items. One of the residents, Mrs Judith Aduna, said she was able to learn how to bake bread, fry doughnut, buns and other small chops through the outreach. “With this I can now bake for my family and start a small business. By Gods grace, next week I will start my doughnut and buns frying business, Aduna said. The charity event was part of the Women of Glory Convention 2019 which held last weekend at Abuja with the theme Building Bridges, Touching Lives.
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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t +6/& , 2019
AUTO
Mercedes-Benz new A-Class
Mercedes-Benz Delivers Over Nissan Announces 195,000 Vehicles Worldwide in May Senior Management Stories by Bennett Oghifo
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ercedes-Benz sold 195,690 vehicles worldwide in May (-1.3%). The sales success of the new A-Class and the new CLACoupé, which was launched in Europe in May, had a positive effect last month. In a highly competitive market environment worldwide, the new compact-car models in particular generated sales momentum in many key markets. Nonetheless, ongoing model changes in the highest-volume SUV segment had a dampening impact on total unit sales in May. Mercedes-Benz sold 938,499 units in the first five months of the year (-4.7%). In May, Mercedes-Benz maintained its market leadership
in the premium segment in markets including Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Denmark, Czech Republic, Finland, South Korea, Japan and Australia. “Despite a challenging market environment and ongoing model changes, Mercedes-Benz increased its unit sales in many markets in May. We are very confident that the significant sales momentum from our model offensive will be reflected in the second half of the year, particularly with the SUVs,” said Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing and Sales. “The third month in a row with worldwide growth in sales of Mercedes-Benz compact cars demonstrates the strong demand for our new models. We are very pleased with the excellent feedback, especially from our younger customers, on the launch of the
new CLA Coupé in Europe, on the new A-Class and on our MBUX multimedia system.” Mercedes-Benz unit sales by region and market This May, deliveries in Europe were above the high level of the prior-year month: 81,762 MercedesBenz vehicles were sold in the region (+0.9%). The company with the three-pointed star posted a sales increase in its core market of Germany, where a total of 27,806 cars were delivered to customers in May (+5.9%). In Spain, Mercedes-Benz surpassed its unit sales of the prior-year month with a double-digit growth of 14.6%. Mercedes-Benz was also able to achieve sales growth in the past month also in the markets of the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Poland, Portugal and Hungary.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Releases Wraith Eagle VIII Sketches
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olls-Royce Motor Cars has released unseen design sketches of its latest Collection Car, Wraith Eagle VIII to mark the centenary of the first non-stop transatlantic
flight. The collection of 50 motor cars tells the epic tale of the pioneering flight of Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Brown. The duo conquered unchartered skies to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a Vickers Vimy aircraft, powered by twin Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines, exactly 100 years ago, said a statement by the automaker. The sketches, envisioned by the Bespoke Collective of the House of RollsRoyce, offer a rare and intimate insight into the creative journey undertaken by Rolls-Royce designers as they worked to express an extraordinary act of courage within the palette of a Rolls-Royce motor car. Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, commented, “The unique skill of our Bespoke Design Collective sees the story of one of the most pivotal moments of the 20th century, the first non-stop transatlantic flight, told using Wraith, a motor car which speaks of power, drama and adventure. Wraith Eagle VIII is a modern masterpiece – these sketches offer an extraordinary insight into its creation.” The designs highlight the remarkable attention to detail of Rolls-Royce Bespoke craftsmanship. The starlight headliner sketch shows cloud embroidery, the halfway point coordinates and the flight path of Alcock and Brown. A
Rolls-Royce Wraith Eagle VIII sketches just released
further detailed sketch shows the nighttime view from above, which is expertly incorporated into Wraith’s fascia, in the form of a gold, silver and copper inlay. The sketch of the Collection Car’s clock depicts an iced background effect reminiscent of the freezing instrument panels of the adventurers, while the clock’s green night time glow is illustrated – a
direct reference to the only light seen by Alcock and Brown as they crossed the Atlantic. Wraith Eagle VIII, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ latest Collection Car will be created for discerning collectors at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex – a Centre of Global Luxury Manufacturing Excellence.
Changes in Africa
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issan has announced senior management changes in Africa to drive sustainable growth across the continent. A statement by the automaker said Mike Whitfield, currently managing director of Nissan South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, is appointed managing director of Nissan Motor Egypt (NMEG). He will also serve as chairman of Nissan in Africa South. He will be based in Cairo and his appointment will be effective from June 20th. Mike, a former president the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) and vice president of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM), joined Nissan in 1981 as a marketing trainee. Since then he has held a variety of senior positions in the company resulting in his appointment as Nissan SA’s managing director in 2008. Under his leadership, Nissan posted a record market share in South Africa of over 10% in the last financial year, the highest this century. Shinkichi Izumi replaces Mike as managing director, Nissan South Africa. Appointed deputy managing director in 2018, Shinkichi joined Nissan in 2001 and has held various roles in Sales, Marketing and Corporate Planning. Before joining South Africa last year, he was based in Nissan’s Japanese headquarters working within Nissan’s Asia and Oceania region and also has experience within the global Datsun function. Kohei Maeda, who was appointed managing director of Nissan Motor Egypt in April 2018, is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. Chairman of Nissan’s Africa, Middle East and India region, Peyman Kargar, commented: “Nissan has a plan for rapid and sustainable growth in Africa. We were the first to assemble cars in Nigeria and our ambition is to lead the way in developing automotive manufacturing on the continent. “The appointments announced today will drive performance in key African markets. Mike and Shinkichi both have extensive market knowledge and diverse experience within the auto industry. They will bring clear leadership and a strong customer focus to deliver growth and business performance.”
THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t +6/& , 2019
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AUTO
Toyota SUVs Remain Firm Favourites, as TSAM Records 24.1% Market Share in May Stories by Bennett Oghifo
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oyotaSouthAfricaMotors(TSAM) registered a total of 9 772unit sales, affording the company a market share of 24.1% for the month of May. TSAM recorded a total of 4 732 units in the passenger segment – claiming a market share of 18.1%, as well as a total of 4 781 units in the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment with a commensurate market share of 39.2%. Once again, the Hilux was the brand’s top seller with a total of 3 187 units. SUVs reigned supreme for Toyota with 2 620 SUV sales logged for the month. Fortuner and RAV4 models accounted for the bulk of Toyota SUV sales which consequently ranked as the best-sellers in the large- and medium-SUV segments, with 1 319 and 708 units retailed for the two models, respectively. According to Calvyn Hamman, Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing: “The buyer trend favouring the ride height, interior space, comfort and style of SUVs at the expense of traditional passenger cars, appears unstoppable and we are pleased that the new-generation RAV4 is picking up where its predecessor left off.” “This is reinforced by the rock-solid reputation of Toyota in terms of quality, reliability and resale value – vitally important in these economicallytesting times,” Calvyn said. According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) out of the total reported industry sales of 40 506 vehicles, an estimated 35 506 units or
Interior of the new-generation RAV4
87.7% represented dealer sales, an estimated 5.8% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry, 3.6% to industry corporate fleets and 2.9% to government. Naamsa reports that the new passenger car market has declined by 378 units or 1.4% to
26 170 units compared to the 26 548 new cars sold in May last year. The car rental industry’s contribution accounted for 7.9% of new car sales. Domestic sales of new LCVs at 12 197 units indicate a decline of 1 816 units or 13% from the 14 013 LCVs sold during the corresponding
month last year. On the premium front, Lexus retailed a total of 71 units, with the stylish UX garnering the lion share of the sales (21). Hino achieved a 20.3% market share in the MCV segment, courtesy of a sales total of 138 units in May.
Coscharis Motors, BMW Offer 5 Years Care Package for 2019 Models
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oscharis Motors, the sole franchisee of BMW in Nigeria, has introduced complimentary 5-year service or 100,000km BMW care package, whichever comes first for all its new 2019 BMW models. According to a statement by Coscharis, the new BMW Service Inclusive Plan enables customers to enjoy an even more effortless and convenient experience when having their vehicles serviced at Coscharis motors. All service costs for regular maintenance, including vehicle health check, engine oil change, air filter service, fuel filter service, micro filter service, spark plug service, brake fluid service are covered by the package. Genuine Parts have also been discounted by 25% until 31st July 2019. The Marketing Manager, Coscharis BMW, Cletus Aregbeshola said the objective of this offer is to increase customer peace of mind and enhance ease of ownership regarding maintenance.
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“The offer will only apply to 2019 model year vehicles and will exclude all older model years and pre-owned vehicles. Hence, all BMW vehicles sold from January 2019 are entitled to this special package. “We believe peace of mind should never be compromised neither should ownership be a struggle. That is why every 2019 BMW now comes standard with complete peace of mind. Coscharis Motors has now optimized it service delivery to genuine service performed by highly trained technicians who only use BMW Genuine Parts and Accessories on customers’ BMW. With BMW Service Inclusive Care customers are guaranteed total convenience and complete peace of mind. Coscharis Motors offers premium experience and sales offices for BMW brands in Nigeria. It showrooms are primarily in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja but with standard service centres across a wider span of the country.
2019 BMW 3 Series
The Folly of Novice Drivers
e was an only child; son, academically brilliant, creative and innovative on all fronts- a singer, dancer and composer- a dream for the parents who stopped at nothing to give him the best; school, a chauffeur driven car to himself and regular trips abroad to cities of his choice but on this faithful day, Mufu did the unthinkable. He begged his parents to indulge him on his 20th birthday and allow himself drive. They did, oblivious of the tragedy ahead. Cruising at a speed of over 120km/ ph along the expressway in company of Chizo, his friend and classmate,Mufu who was yet to be licenced had a tyre burst, stepped on the breaks and lost control crashing on to a parked trailer. Both Mufu and his friend died on the spot.Autospsy conducted indicated that both were driving under the influence. The news of his tragic death threw their home in mourning and today his traumatized mother for the past years is yet to come to terms with the loss of Mufu,fondly called ,Prince by his mother. Mufudiedanoviceonthewheelsanddailyparents andguardianscommitthesameerrorMufu’sparents committed by indulging their novice children to get involved in driving without a licenced instructor. The question is ,who is a NOVICE DRIVER?A novice driver in a clime like the United Kingdom,is a person holding a driver’s licence for at least two (2) years or periods adding up to two (2) years. This may include a first time learner’s permit holder,the holder of a provisional driver’s licence,a driver from overseas who has not held a driver’s licence for at least two years or the holder of an extraordinary driver’s licence. The UK classifies these into type
SAFE DRIVING with
Jonas Agwu amnipr, mcipr,mprsa,arpa (Corps Commander) Corps Public Education Officer Federal Road Safety Corps. + 2348033026491 1 and 2; type 1 refers to a person from the time they are first issued with a learner’s permit. Once they are granted a provisional driver’s licence, they will continue to be a novice driver type 1 for a period of at least one year or periods adding up to one year Type 2 is a person who has held a driver’s licence for more than one (1) year but less than two (2) years. In most clime, Graduated license is in place to reduce the number of collisions, deaths and injuries among learner and novice drivers, particularly among the high risk 17 to 24 year olds, during the learning to drive period and period immediately after they pass their test. Research tells us that novice drivers are most likely to be killed on our roads in the first two years after passing their test due to their inexperience. Therefore, these measures are designed to protect our most vulnerable road-users so that they can become safe, competent and confident drivers, helping to ensure we have fewer collisions, fatalities and injuries on our roads. Before I shed light on he practices in Canada and Ireland, let me throw light on the Graduated drivers licence introduced by the Federal Road Safety Corps
in 2007 as part of measures to restore the integrity of the driver licence. Before this novelty, the relevant traffic regulation such as the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2004, Section 22, sub 3-7 and section 23, 24, 25 and 26 provided for an applicant for the driver’s licence to meet the following conditions; be 18 years and above, be physically and mentally fit, pass a driving test and pay the prescribe fee. After these, such an applicant will then qualify for a drivers licence valid for three years. However, in the face of the spate of road crashes in the country and the need conceptualise new ideas in keeping within global best practice, the Corps through the driving school standardization programme made it mandatory for fresh applicants to attend certified andapproveddrivingschool.Thedrivingschoolsare fundamental in the implementation of the penalty point system which would require that drivers return to driving schools for refresher training depending on the number of penalty points acquired for infractions. The penalty points ranges from 1 to 21points. However, there have been some knocks on the activities of some driving schools which prompted the Federal Road Safety Corps in 2018 to hold series of workshops to address noticeable abuses among some operators which I captured in a piece I titled, ‘’ REJIGGING THE DRIVING SCHOOLARCHITECTURE’’. In the piece, I stated that it was in order to checkmate this dangerous trend that the Federal Road Safety Corps midwifed the driving school standardization programme, (DSSP) to institute standard procedure for establishing driving schools; driving school certification, uniformity in driving school curriculum, standardized instructors training in addition to assessment and categorization of driving schools. The DSSP made it mandatory for
fresh applicants to attend a certified driving school and do a mandatory 26sesssions as a pre-requisite for applying for a driver’s license. The DSSP was meant to berth a new generation of drivers who are letteredintheartsofdrivingasaplankforaddressing the country’s crash trend. Rather than promote a culturedatmospherefordriving,someofthedriving schools and some applicants short-circuited the process. The workshops wereheld in Ibadan in the South West, Owerri for South East and South South, Kano for North East and North West and finally Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory for North Central driving school operators. But before I go on let me bring you up to speed withtheissuesasenumeratedbytheCorpsMarshal, Boboye Oyeyemi who noted that the aim was to re-evaluate the performance of the Driving Schools Standardization Programme (DSSP) and chart an improved way forward. He recalled the events of 2006, which showed that driver’s training and certification in Nigeria was not properly regulated which breed non-conformists into driving on the highways. The DSSP seeks to regulate the activities of driving schools in Nigeria with clear-cut procedure for driving school operation with the following ingredients: requirements for setting up of driving schools, procedures for establishing driving schools, driving school certification, and uniform curriculum for driving schools. He went to inform his audience that under the DSSP, driving schools are assessed to ascertain the quality of facilities and trainers deployed for driver education and training. The assessment provides for the different levels of certification, after which driving schools can officially engage in driver education and training activities. Under the scheme, a driving school that compromises that minimum uniform standards set by FRSC shall have its certification suspended or withdrawn.
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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER หพ อนอฝห อบอธอนฮ
JUNE 15, 2019 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER
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˜ ˞ JUNE 15, 2019
EXPRESSION
Power, not Grease, to Elbow
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EADLINE of the week: “How Ambode underdeveloped Lagos (1)â€? I take off my hat to this lexical engineer! “Police detonate bomb in Kadunaâ€? As irredeemable as our policemen are, they cannot publicly detonate a bomb! What they do is to defuse it. Both the print and electronic media are guilty of this malapropism. ‘Detonation’ cannot be used in the reported circumstance: “Men of the Anti-Bomb Disposal Squad of the Kaduna State Police Command yesterday recovered and detonated another bomb at one of the gates leading to NNPC staff quarters‌.â€? “More greaze (sic) to your elbowâ€? (Full Page Congratulatory Advert for Senate President‌) Beyond the spelling error (grease), it is ‘more power to somebody’s elbow’, but you can grease somebody’s palm if you have corruptive tendencies! “Glo’s associates relieve Man U-Barca match experienceâ€? Have a lovely week: relive. Even as an ardent supporter of the topmost English team, that was a mismatch now worsened by this local language poverty! BUSINESSDAY WEEKEND Front Page Headline of June 7 circulated two embryonic blunders that remind one of dissemblance: “Rescued banks, investors in last minute (last-minute) rush to tie-up (tie up) dealsâ€? “Ondo police discovers illegal arms factoryâ€? Police: plural verb always. “But coming within a shared calender space of one another (a comma) it pointed to one fact‌.â€? This way: calendar. “First Bank International helped liberalized (liberalize) the supply end of the financial market.‌â€? “For a party and leadership that had barely swim (swum) out of the blemish of the Dimeji Bankole’s corruption scam.â€? Furthermore, there is no need for ‘scam’ in the extract because of its dysfunctional input as it is clearly otiose: the Dimeji Bankole corruption. “From indications, many elected political
leaders in our democracy are still basking in the thrills of election victories, copious weeks after they’ve (they’d) been sworn in.â€? “An irate Nigerian wondered why the honourable members were not made to refund the N4,000 daily sustainance allowance.‌â€? Get it right: sustenance. “Shortage of such materials as stationeries for printing order papers....â€? Some of the words that are uncountable: stationery, furniture, cutlery, heyday, jewellery, equipment and loot. “In another incident, six suspected armed robbers, including a military personnel....â€? ‘Personnel’ is a collective noun. Rite it right, as Dr. Adidi Uyo will write: a military officer. “...that you will be sent to jail to rotten and regret the day you embarked on those inglorious acts of perjury and forgery.â€? Adjective: rotten; verb: rot. “Compatriot Bankole, can you imagine the great rupture your imprisonment would have caused in the placid relationship existing between the three arms of the Nigerian government‌.â€? ‘Between the three’ again? Just among the three, I beg you. “The embarrassing development, according to a principal engineer who inspected the damages‌.â€? On Guard: ‘damage’ is uncountable except in legalese. â€œâ€Śdefence pact between two unequal partners which was well open to blackmail, curtailment of freedom of speech at the price of democracy. Delete ‘two’ in the interest of linguistic currency. Don’t depend solely on dictionaries (some of which tolerate a few of these embarrassing contradictions); be inquisitive and exploratory in language usage, which is the hallmark of developmental communication. I always advocate lexical modernism as a way of life. “Importers and customs agents may have deviced a new strategy to pay lower tariffs‌.â€? Noun: device; verb: devise (in Standard English usage). The excerpted muddle is the American version of it. The same thing applies to ‘advice’/‘advise’ and ‘practice’/‘practise’, among many other
entries. “This practice which makes the government to loss (lose) substantial revenue‌.â€? “Therefore, confronting robbers who are armed with superior arms and ammunitions is only being irresponsible and foolhardy.â€? ‘Ammunition’ is non-count. “Less than 5 per cent of Nigerians have assess (access) to telephone–even public telephones.â€? “If two towns in every local government in the country is (are) provided with telecommunication facilities every month, within 4 to 5 years, the project would have been completed.â€? “Philosophers literarily (literally) threw metaphysics through the front door and bolted it.â€? “Firewood could just as well had (have) served as handsets.â€? “Often, a simple telephone call could save lives that are needless (needlessly) shed on our highways daily.â€? A poser: is it lives that are shed or blood? “A few weeks ago, an Abuja-based paper has (had) alleged that....â€? “These brazen acts of banditry is (are) also enveloping secondary schools.‌â€? ‘Even when he was answering questions from newsmen, he was still beaming with smiles.â€? Would the man have ‘beamed with a frown’? Please, delete ‘smiles’ to avoid ‘Bankole-gate’! Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu yesterday said President Muhmmadu Buhari is not responsible for the marginalization of Igbos (sic)â€? Reported speech: President Muhammadu Buhari was not responsible for the marginalization of Igbo. “He observed that the September 22 OPEC meeting would be a break-or-make event that would determine the way the price goes.â€? Fixed expression: make or break. “In any case, there is no doubt that the actions and perhaps inactions of Muhammadu Buhari since May 29 has (have) been giving a sizeable part of the South West serious concerns.â€? â€œâ€Śforce his friend to comply to (with) his own desires at the pains of being bundled into their horrendous cell.
MEDIAGAFFES
EBERE WABARA
ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948
â€œâ€Śto stimulate employment, build more roads and other social amenities or solve one social problem or the other.â€? Going by the contextual pluralism of the extract, the right expression should be: one social problem or another. “Group assures on rancour free PDP Congressâ€? Still on this recurrent blunder: who did the group assure? And this: rancour-free‌. “Kalu condemns do or die politicsâ€? This way: do-or-die politics. “The race to Government House in Kano in 2023 has began in earnest as‌.â€? Without any effort: The race has begun‌. “The non Passage (sic) of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) did not help matters‌.â€? 2018 Review: The non-passage (take note of the hyphen and lower case ‘p’)‌. “I seize (take) this opportunity to express gratitude to my readers for their commitment and patronage.â€? ‘Seize’ is an American aberration in the context applied.. Last week’s edition of this medium offered our teeming readers copious goofs: “Ex-president Umaru Yar’Adua was on his sick bed‌.â€? No eavesdropping: in his sick bed. One of the clerics who allegedly visited him sat on his sick bed. Got the point? â€œâ€Śa gubernatorial (governorship) aspirant in Ogun State under (on) the platform of‌.â€? â€œâ€Śthose who would have uttered (what?) them reduced everyone to spectators while they reached for each other’s throats.â€? Get it right: each other’s throat or one another’s throats (depending on context). “After all, as they say, ‘what is good for the goose is good for the gander’ ’’. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. “Knowing what to wear and how to compliment (complement) it goes a long way‌.â€?
Ezekwesili, Chukwu, Others to Discuss Role of Environment, Governance in Respiratory Illness Bennett Oghifo
T
he role the environment and governance play in the prevalence of respiratory illness will be the focus of a brainstorming session at the 2019 Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Annual National Asthma Conference. A statement by the Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Foundation (ACUF), convener of the conference, said its theme is “Better Breathing, Better Living: The Role of the Environment and Governance,� and that it would hold next week Thursday at Oaklands Hotel in Enugu. According to the statement, the Board Chairman of ACUF, Dr. Chiwuike Uba said the annual national asthma conference “is to throw more light on the role of the environment and governance on management of respiratory diseases; especially, asthma.� Uba said the conference is so important, in view of people dying daily from air pollution related diseases, including asthma complications and that “the conference is expected to X-ray the linkages between the environment and governance and its impacts on health management, as well as make policy recommendations on ways to deal with the identified challenges.� He named some of the key speakers at the conference to include Nigeria’s former Minister for Health - Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu who will be the chairman of the Conference; Dr. Oby Ezekwesili –the former World Bank Vice-President and Nigeria’s former Education Minister and presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) in the 2019 general elections; renowned public policy expert, Prof.
Chukwu
Ezekwesili
Tunji Olaopa, Consultant Public Health Physician, Prof. Benjamin Uzochukwu, Consultant Respiratory and Chest Physician, Prof. Gregory Efosa Emerhbor, administrator and health professional, Prof. Rowland NdomaEgba, Ademola H. Adigun, Dr. Adaeze Ayuk, Dr. Ifediora Amobi, Larry Oguego, among other national and international experts. The theme of the conference, he said was unique and that it came at the right time because “we are faced with challenges ranging from being rated as one the most polluted countries in the word to a country grappling with a lot of problems associated with other governance issues. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), air pollution is responsible for more than 12 million deaths per year. The achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets —SDG 3 (Good health and well-being), SDG 6 (Clean water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable clean energy), SDG 13 (Climate action), SDG
14 (Life below water) and SDG 16 (Peace, Security and Strong Institutions) is dependent on the environment and governance outcomes. “The Annual Conference is a platform to discuss national issues, especially health and related matters in an evidenced-based approach. The workshop provides policy alternatives and action plan on how to solve the identified challenges, because most diseases are associated with environmental and governance issues. “Therefore, the 2019 conference will look at issues related to our environmental governance and other governance issues, as they affect the health management in Nigeria. Governance is core to a sustainable environment and development. We recognise that Nigeria’s economy will be improved if the environment provides better breathing and people live a healthy life with a guaranteed access to quality and affordable health care. So, for a conference of this nature, you need people who have passion and genuinely working for the progress, prosperity
and renaissance of our dear country, Nigeria.� Uba further revealed that collaborators like Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Nigerian Thoracic Society (NTS), the Knowledge and Policy Management Initiative (KAPOMI) and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Alliance, Nigeria are partners in the conference, even as he said that the choice of keynote and experts for the conference is “based on their passion for good governance, inclusiveness, access to quality and affordable healthcare and their expertise in the areas they would be speaking on.� Dr. Uba also called for partnership to develop more strategic sources of funding in order to ensure sustainable long-term programming and improve the quality of life of people. “Painfully, we are unable to do all that we propose to do; as a result of financial challenges. It is our hope that people will begin to support the Foundation financially by making donations and getting involved in fund raising for ACUF. We indeed need financial support.� He thanked those who have provided some support to the Foundation. “We also wish to appreciate individuals and some corporate organisations that have provided one form of support or the other to the Foundation for the Conference; especially, Oaklands Hotel & Amusement Park, and Little Lung Africa (LLA),� he said. ACUF was founded in 2016, in memory of Mrs Amaka Uba, who died of asthma complications in 2016 with the vision of a society with better breathing, better living, and a happier, united and prosperous people. In achieving its mission of improving the quality of life of people, it carries out its objectives through facilitation of evidence-based socio-economic research, policy dialogues/advocacy, training and education and networking.
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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 15, 2019
RIGHT OF REPLY
Re: How Ambode Underdeveloped Lagos Habib Aruna
F
ailed public service analysis is when public affairs commentators do not seem to understand the basic and constitutional functions of the three tiers of governments as we have it in Nigeria, but seek to tie the responsibilities of all tiers on one arm, especially when the analyst deliberately sweeps under the carpet the guiding principle and sound judgment that Nigeria is a federating nation and each State administration is guided by laws peculiar to her. Negating these indexes to arrive at a predetermined agenda will not only expose the analyst as a misguided, wrongly inflamed or hired agent, but one who also purposely muddles up issues and conclusions by deliberately feeding the public with false narratives to whip up sentiments against serving or past public officials. A case at hand is the opinion article by Yemi Adebowale in last Saturday’s THISDAY Newspaper strangely titled “How Ambode underdeveloped Lagos”. Adebowale wrote as though previous governments before the Ambode-led administration had no achievements on which Ambode built on. And as such, he did a great disservice, albeit unwittingly, to the 16 years public service labours of both administrations of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN in Lagos State. In what is apparently intended to be a serialised article to demonize the immediate past administration in Lagos State, the writer of the article passed a vote of failure on the 20-year cumulative administrations of three governors and, by extension, of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Lagos State. The said article of course is an inaccurate and biased submission looking for reasons at all cost to castigate the Ambode administration. Mr. Adebowale deserves to be corrected and educated so that readers of his column can be better informed. In the area of public health, it is doubtful if the writer keenly followed the major developments recorded by the Ambode administration, a good number of which, if not all, This Day titles had dutifully reported to the public. 26 General Hospitals and One Teaching Hospital were in existence before the Ambode administration according to Adebowale’s piece. But the question to ask him is: Is there a need for more hospitals? Is there a need for more teaching hospitals? Former governor Fashola had once provided the apt answer to these enquiries in one of his responses to similar questions: “Lagos State administration is more concerned about putting in place measures that will not make residents visit the hospitals, through public health advocacy, immunisation, environment management, anti-malaria campaigns among others”. And so building new General Hospitals cannot be the only priority health agenda of a pragmatic administration, though one was approved and is being built in Ojo to cater for the axis, upon request by the community during one of the pan-Lagos Town Hall Meetings that characterised the Ambode era. This shows that the immediate-past administration was a listening one. Yet, there were several carefully executed interventions under the Ambode administration that underscored the axiom that health is wealth. 75 primary health care centres across the state were renovated by Ambode with state of the art medical equipment and furniture installed in all of them. These are verifiable facts. All the 300 PHCs in the state were constantly supplied with drugs and materials, and it is hoped that Mr. Adebowale understands that PHCs complement the General Hospitals across the state. In four years of Ambode, five brand new PHCs were built and equipped in Ajido (Badagry); Ijegun (Alimosho); OriOkuta (Ikorodu) apparently close to Mr. Adebowale; a Comprehensive PHC in Aboru (Alimosho) which was commissioned by AsiwajuTinubu and in Otumara in Lagos Mainland Local Government. The Ambode administration did not stop at that. It also renovated and equipped 16 Secondary Health Care facilities across the state. For three consecutive years (2016-2018), Lagos State came first in immunisation while the HIV prevalent rate, for the first time in the state, dropped from 4.6% to 1.3% at the same period under Ambode. However, the paramount public health service delivery was perhaps the industrial harmony witnessed in the past four years in Lagos State. The fact that in the four years of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, FCA industrial harmony reigned supreme in public health services sector. There was no single threat to down tools not to talk of industrial action. Yet, 20 state-of-the-art ambulances were procured and distributed statewide to compliment all the functional general and teaching hospitals where no single industrial action was recorded throughout. Also, an air ambulance was procured and an helipad constructed on the premises of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja, the state capital, while a mobile cancer screening facility was procured. The government of Canada donated an epidemic containment centre to the State due to healthy relationship the Ambode administration cultivated with the sovereign state. Also, a DNA centre was established by the Ambode administration for forensic medical and security examinations, a first in this part of the world by a state government. Thus it is sheer mischief and hate mongering for anyone to score Ambode low in the area of public health care services. Hundreds of thousands of Lagosians and citizens from other states who are beneficiaries of the public health facilities in Lagos will disagree with Mr. Adebowale’s ill-informed summation. And it
is important to highlight that Ambode had foresight for many of the projects he initiated to outlive him. His administration in its bid to earn a percentage of the global medical tourism market share allocated a prime land to an international health services provider in upscale Victoria Island to build an international health facility and construction is underway. What more, the out of court settlement of the case that stalled the Ayinke House Maternal and Child Specialist Hospital reconstruction and reequipping was achieved by the Ambode administration and the hospital has since been commissioned and opened for use by President Muhammadu Buhari. We should not also forget that Ambode also launched the Lagos State Medical Insurance Scheme, a project that his successor, Mr. BabajideSanwoolu has promised to take to the next level. So the writer of last Saturday’s disingenuous piece and those he holds brief for cannot erase these facts in 10 life times. One administration builds on what is on ground in the spirit of continuity. In the area of education, the submission of Prof. Lanre Fagbohun SAN, the Vice- Chancellor of the Lagos State University, (LASU), is the best testimonial one can offer as a response to Mr. Adebowale’s apparent need for knowledge. It goes thus: “Our amiable visitor, Governor Ambode, came at a time LASU was going through many crises, which slowed down its operations and academic development. It is instructive to note that the free hand given to the management by the Governor led to the resolution of the crises and the school has come out stronger. The World Bank has designated LASU as one of the centres of excellence among African universities”. A system is judged by the products of the system. Obviously, the writer and his ilk must have read of how a student of Lagos State public school led in the last Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) university entrance examination. They must be familiar with the exploits and performance indexes of the pupils of Lagos State public schools in certified examinations. In the area of public school infrastructure, the records of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) put a lie to the concoctions in the contentious article. Close to half a million pupils enjoyed free education under the Ambode administration and no longer were pupils ferrying furniture to Lagos State public schools. Local council administrations in the state, in line with the directive from SUBEB, provided toilets and running water in Lagos public schools in their domains. Remuneration of teachers was top notch, their salaries paid as at when due and employment of over 2000 teachers was done by the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission to complement the State teaching force in the life of the administration. How come the piece failed to talk about the “Millennium Schools” project of the Asiwaju Tinubu administration or the EKO project of Governor Fashola? The improvement on these laudable projects were evident in the time span of the Ambode administration with “Code Lagos”, “Ready Set, Work” and E-library initiatives giving Lagos an obvious edge in school enrolment and public education. The Code Lagos project exposed Lagos pupils to highly valued computing development abilities at an early age. The Ready Set Work initiative ploughed hundreds of our youths to LASU graduates to become entrepreneurs; while the e-library project availed recommended text books to Lagos pupils on trending electronic platforms in partnership with GT bank. Can one government deliver what is needed in four or even eight years? Impossible! It would therefore be uncharitable to insinuate underdevelopment in a state that built on its progressive mojo in the last four years. In the area of security, Lagos remains the safest State in Nigeria during the Ambode administration. This was the submission of a former AIG in charge of Zone two (Lagos and Ogun States) Mamman Tsaf. His Excellency Akinwunmi Ambode intelligently made use of the pooled funds, made available under the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, by providing the State counterpart funding to provide over N8bn worth of security hardwares, arms, ammunitions, patrol vehicle, patrol SUVs, armoured personnel carriers and communication gadgets. He reinvigorated the State Rapid Response (RRS) Unit and established the 5,700 man Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corp, which is an excellent pointer to the viability of community policing. The Badoo Cult menace, the Babington Macaulay school kidnap, the Ikorodu kidnaps, the menace of land grabbers, the Lagos water way crime route, the Ajegunle oil bunkering cartel and other emergent security challenges were successful curtailed by the Ambode administration. So how in the name of fair speech and balanced reportage could the Adebowale article have drawn the skewed conclusion on security in this golden era of the State? Even “Evans the billionaire kidnapper” was apprehended with the active support of the administration. The emergency lines 767 and 121 were given verve by the Ambode administration. On top of this, the “Light Up Lagos” initiative had twin deliverables: public illumination and security. This is a fact that the writer cannot deny, which interestingly his newspaper corroborates on a weekly basis of Lagos being the most pragmatic state as far as safety and security are concerned. On Lagos pensioners, the last public group interface that Mr. Ambode had as a sitting Governor was with the executives and members of Lagos pensioners, and what they offered him were prayers and praises for the much he did for them during his tenure. During the Ambode administration, pensioners in Lagos received a total of N45bn of accrued rights paid out in four years. 4,600 pensioners of the Teaching Service Commission were the first set to be paid by the administration. And it’s not likely that any other person would know more than Mrs. Folasade Onanuga, the DG of Lagos State Pensions Commissions, in an interview published just
Ambode on June 4 in The PUNCH. The fact remains that Ambode inherited outstanding pension arrears from his predecessors. He duly settled them since government is a continuum. The same logic will still prevail in the present government propelled by continuity. On the environment, the writer employs frivolous and alarming language to garnish his submission. It’s an unnecessary sensationalism given that waste management of 21million residents of Lagos can only be managed progressively since open dumping of waste portends a great danger to both Lagos flora (Plant), fauna (Water Bodies), karst topography (Underground Water System) will harm the climate. The “Cleaner Lagos Initiative” of the past administration passed through the State House of Assembly; the bill sought to create waste to wealth businesses, create value chain in the waste management process, procure waste management hardware such as engineered landfill sites, waste processing, sorting and recycling plants and the appointment of a professional integrated private waste service provider was as a result of an open and competitive bid process. It is instructive to add that there was no net reduction in employment and employees under the “Cleaner Lagos Initiative,” they in fact had their monthly wages increased by 50 percent. Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) was transmuting to Lagos State Waste Regulatory Agency, while Support Service Providers were transited to Resident Ward Contractors. The apparent shying away from open and determinable service delivery and right service pricing by hitherto Support Service Providers led to sabotage and revisionism. Despite its convictions, the Ambode administration did not shy away from recalling those private sector waste evacuators after constructive engagement and interventions. While Adebowale condemned the establishment of Lagos Theaters, Foreign Tourism Fairs, Oshodi Transport Interchange and the Onikan Stadium Arena, claiming the funds expended on them should have been ploughed into inner city roads and public water provision, one doubts if the writer truly resides in Lagos State or understands the social capital role of a forward-looking government in a megacity else he would have known that each of the 57 councils in Lagos State had six inner city roads repairs and reconstructions carried out in each of them by the administration. The writer would equally have read about the 40 kilometers of inner city roads and bridges constructed by the administration in Alimosho LGA alone. I guess he also must have taken note of the ongoing 21 kilometers of inner city roads construction in IfakoIjaiye LCDA. Definitely the writer must have heard of the Epe LGA network of roads. I bet he must have read that Ikorodu LGA reconstruction was stalled by litigations from house owners, the same type of litigation that stalled Ago Palace Way reconstruction. He must have read about the payments paid to house owners whose buildings had to be demolished for all these roads and bridge construction. That he marvels at why millions of residents applauded Ambode’s massive road infrastructure points to only one thing that the residents, the obvious majority who are the beneficiaries of the life changing projects are right and that the writer’s fabled and uncharitable distortion of recent history is wrong. Curious indeed is the sort of thinking that would question the rationale behind
––Aruna is a media aide to former Governor Ambode Continued online www.thisdaylive.com
THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t +6/& , 2019
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L-R: Managing Director, B2B Events Limited, Jamie Hill; Chief Executive Officer, Compass Global Business Services, Tokunbo Chiedu and Founder, GlamD,African Beauty House,Kiki Osinbanjo at the the 2018 edition of the Beauty West Africa Exhibition,at Landmark Event Centre, in Lagos... recently
L-R; Non-Executive Director, ARM Life Plc, Dr. Oladimeji Alo; Managing Director, ARM Life Plc, Mr. Stephen Alangbo; Chairman, Mr. Dapo Oshinusi; Non-Executive Director, Ms. Jumoke Ogundare and Company Secretary, Mr. Olurotimi Aju at the 21st annual general meeting of ARM Life Plc in Lagos...recently ETOP UKUTT
Nigeria Gears up for ‘Beauty West Africa’ Fair Following the success and testimonies from previous editions , BtoB Events Limited, a United Kingdom based firm that organises Beauty West Africa Exhibition plans to expand the exhibition offerings this year to make it more rewarding. Managing Director of BtoB Events Limited, Jamie Hill, disclosed this while making an official announcement for the 2019 edition of the programme, billed to hold between 20th and 22nd November, 2019. Addressing journalists in Lagos, Hill said: “Beauty West Africa 2019 will be bigger and better than last year. The exhibition is now over two halls with double the amount of exhibitors, new international pavilions and a significant increase in regards to the number of business opportunities available. We are really looking forward to the numerous possibilities that this
will bring to Nigeria and African economy at large”. Beauty West Africa Exhibition is recognised as West Africa’s biggest professional beauty event which offered the platform for beauty professionals across West Africa to connect, network, source suppliers and embellish their knowledge on current beauty innovations from local and international experts. Relating the success of past editions, Hill said: “We are proud and excited to have made a big impact on the Nigeria’s beauty sector via the exhibition which saw us mobilise over 100 companies into Nigeria from across the World in 2018. This was majorly through representations from Export Promotion Agencies of countries across the globe including Egypt, Turkey, South
Africa and Indonesia . Specifically, the exhibition recorded 44 per cent representations from Africa, 23 per cent from Asia, 19 per cent from Europe and 10 per cent from Middle East.” The level of turnout according to him, demonstrated the truly international nature of the platform. While calling on more investors to key into the fair’s objectives, Hill pointed out that successes recorded in previous editions could be tied to commitment of partners, such as Compass Global Business Services, Bank of Industry, BOI and Darling Nigeria, a division of the Godrej company. “Compass Global happens to be the conference and official partner in Nigeria,its collaboration went miles in bringing the programme down as well as involving government private sectors and local communities. Darling was able
to open the eyes of participants to prospects in sector through sponsorship of workshops and master classes while BOI’s engagement further boost investors confidence in Nigeria’s business environment”. Also speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer of Compass Global, Tokunbo Chiedu, reiterated the firm’s commitment to promoting the brand ‘Nigeria’ to global markets. “As a company in the international trade, investment, and export promotion space, our work provides a gateway into the Nigerian market. We are partnering with BtoB Events with the aim of developing the beauty sector and working with key stakeholders within the domestic market. We also aim to foster linkages between Nigeria and international brands on the exhibition platform,” she said.
Stakeholders Want FG to Invest in Slave Museum The federal government has been advised to direct attention to the reconditioning of the ‘Brazilian Baraccon’ Slave Museum in Badagry, Lagos State, to help boost the economy. According to stakeholders, this was important in order to preserve the legacy of the gallery being a slave depot and a major historical reference, in addition to its value of generating revenue to government purse. The stakeholders spoke on the sidelines of a Public Lecture organised in honour of a renowned slave and slave trader, Seriki Fawemi Williams Abass, to mark 100 years of his demise. The lecture was part of the activities lined
up for the occasion and was well attended by government officials at the state, national and local levels, religious leaders, history students, families, friends among other. Speaking at the lecture, the Seriki of Badagry, Chief Razaq Banire, described the late Abass as an icon whose effort in abolishing slave trade in the country cannot be forgotten in a hurry. Reflecting on the present state of the country, characterised by corruption and injustice, Banire said that this is the time when the late icon would have been better appreciated if he was still alive, as he would have gone any length to ensure things are put right in the country.
Highlighting some of the late Abass achievements in his time, guest speaker at the event, Mr. Anago James, said he was a man of many feats who is today a strong reference to transatlantic slave trade and a key voice in the abolition of slave trade in Nigeria. “He is also renowned for the economic transformation of Badagry land being a paramount ruler for 25 years, he was honoured by the European masters for many feats and back at home, a museum was built in his name to keep his legacy,” he explained. He however lamented government neglect of the museum, which he said should have been
another source of revenue to to the community and the country at large. He said: “We are calling on government to see to the preservation of this museum so that history can be preserved and keep future generations informed of past occurrences.” Addressing the students present at the event, a former Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture, Mr. Ashamu Fadipe, encouraged them to learn from the life and times of the legend, who despite being a slave, defied his root and made exploits which are being celebrated globally today.
Startimes Seals Deal with WildAid Allenware, Dell Unveil New Gaming Solutions on Wildlife Conservation StarTimes, a digital TV operator has signed a partnership deal with a non governmental organisation, WildAid , in order to raise awareness on wildlife conservation. The illegal wildlife trade is a multi-billion dollar global industry largely aided by consumers demand around the world. By this agreement, WildAid will work together with StarTimes to raise awareness on wildlife conservation through the latter broadcast network in Africa. WildAid works to reduce global consumption of endangered wildlife products and to increase local support for conservation efforts with high-impact media campaigns featuring some of the most influential voices in the world. It also works with governments and partners to protect fragile marine reserves from illegal fishing, enhance public and
political will for anti-poaching efforts, and reduce climate change impacts. Speaking on the development, Chief Executive Officer of WildAid, Peter Knights, said: “We are looking forward to producing new local programmes on conservation and getting the message to both villages and cities across the African continent.” Also, Group Vice-President of Startimes, Luis Lu, expressed optimism that the partnership would help put an end to the illegal act. “As a bridge between China and Africa, we now join the fight of protecting Africa’s wildlife. With 25 million users in more than 30 countries, we will help to make sure that African people know how priceless their wildlife is”, he said. Both parties will also explore opportunities in content production and ground activities in Africa.
Information Communication Technology firms, Allenware and Dell, have unveiled new gaming solutions at the just concluded 2019 edition of Computex. The new inventions according to the companies, boast more performance, portability, display technologies, and community benefits. The just released solutions included Alienware m15 and m17 as well as the Dell G3 15, which are among Dell’s first gaming laptops to showcase a brand-new design and processors that supercharge the PC gaming experience. Speaking on the new technology, Vice- President, and General Manager of Alienware, G Series, and XPS at Dell, said: “Gamers across the globe have high expectations from Alienware and Dell when it comes to our gaming
products and without a doubt, our latest announcements will exceed even the highest of expectations out there.” He added: “To get to this point, it has taken over two decades of uncompromising commitment to gamers, the collaboration of an incredibly talented and devoted team, and an ever-expanding group of top-tier partners”. He further stated that the new m15 and m17 were engineered for gamers who prioritise mobility without compromise to performance by offering Intel processors. “The new m15 and m17 are leaner, more advanced and more powerful than its predecessor. With a starting weight under 4.7lbs and 5.8lbs respectively, We are proud to release its thinnest gaming laptops to date, “ he enthused.
THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t +6/& , 2019
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Ebonylife Spotlights Human Trafficking, Prostitution OGECHI CYRIL I’m a Student of Life, I Learn Every Day pg. 48
Kizz Daniel Teases Lagosians with ‘Eko’ pg. 52
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SHOWBIZFLAIR
Ebonylife Spotlights Human Trafficking, Prostitution EbonyLife Films latest offering ‘Oloture’ casts the spotlight on human trafficking, prostitution. Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports
‘O
loture’ is an upcoming movie directed by Kenneth Gyang (The Lost Café, Confusion Na Wa, Blood And Henna), produced by Ebonylife Films and written by Craig Freimond and Yinka Ogun. The movie stars Sharon Ooja in the lead role as ‘Oloture’, alongside other sterling cast like Omoni Oboli, Patrick Doyle, Segun Arinze, Blossom Chukwujekwu, Wofai Fada, Beverly Osu, Ada Ameh, Kemi Lala Akindoju, Omowunmi Dada, David Jones David, Daniel Effiong, Emmanuel Ilemobayo, Sambasa Nzeribe, Gregory Ojefua, Beverly Osu, Yemi Solade and Omawumi. EbonyLife Films latest offering ‘Oloture’ casts the spotlight on prostitution and human trafficking, a growing menace in the society. Set in Lagos, Nigeria, ‘Oloture’ tells the traumatic story of a young, naïve Nigerian journalist who goes undercover to expose the shady underworld of human trafficking. Unused to this brutal environment, crawling with ruthless traders and pimps, Oloture finds warmth and friendship with Blessing, Linda and Beauty, the prostitutes she lives with. However, she gets drawn into their lifestyle and finds it difficult to cope. In her quest to uncover the truth, she pays the ultimate price – one that takes her to the verge of no return. With an excellent crew supporting it, Oloture is based on an original story idea conceived by Mo Abudu and Heidi Uys. The movie is set to commence its festival run this summer, after which it will be released across cinemas in Nigeria and then to streaming platforms. EbonyLife Films Executive Producer Mo Abudu says, “tackling a controversial, globally-important topic like human trafficking was a challenge – but one that needed to be taken on.” Abudu is known for producing blockbusters including the 2016 hit movie, ‘The Wedding Party’ and its 2017 sequel. A departure from Abudu’s winning comic formula with such a dark and gritty drama, Abudu says, “Oloture explores a world very few people know anything about and had to be dealt with in a particular way. It’s not a documentary, but it addresses real issues most of our society doesn’t see, harness-
Mo Abudu
ing the talents of some of the country’s top actors and filmmakers to produce a film that is both intelligent and profound – and breaks bold new genre and stylistic ground for Nollywood.” The new film is seen by many critics as a bold step in a new direction for Nollywood. Such that promises to be a gripping watch for audiences across the globe and hopes to lift the veil on an almost invisible crime at a time when so many young people, especially
women seeking greener pastures, have little idea of just how dangerous the hope of bringing a better future home, can be. Initial reactions to the film which screened to a private audience recently, are generally positive, as the film’s first viewers praised it for its timely, important story and the efforts of the cast and crew, with special praise for Mo Abudu and Gyang. Mildred Okwo, director of Surulere and The Meeting, praised the film for its truth and the effort of its makers.
Laure Beaufils, UK Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, who co-hosted the screening with Mo Abudu, described the film as the best Nigerian film she has seen. Niyi Akinmolayan, who directed The Wedding Party: Dubai Destination, praised the crew for their hard work. Indie Film Director Abba T Makama applauded the film for its topic. With Oloture, it is expected that more Nollywood productions take on serious issues that has continued to plague society overtime.
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SHOWBIZFLAIR JOAN AGABA
I Love Mercy Johnson…She’s a Natural Actress Ugandan actress JoanAgaba comes off as the girl next door. Truly, she is. Though scholarly minded with a combination of brain and beauty, this ‘girl next door’ is thousand miles away in Kampala, Uganda where she shines as a screen star. With a slew of movie roles to her credit, the 2018 AMVCAs Best Actress nominee talks about her ambition, career journey, her industry back home in Uganda with Ferdinand Ekechukwu
H
ow long have you been acting?
I started acting in 2015, it came as a joke I had actually escorted a friend for auditions, and I kept laughing at her that she was crazy. As I stood out waiting for her to get done with her auditions, they kept pairing characters, so he came and begged me to pair with him. I laughed, it was crazy... He was willing to help me with the basics, so I gave in. And we auditioned together. In the auditioning room, the director asked him to step aside and asked me to monologue alone. I almost told him I wasn’t interested. After the auditions, we had to wait for results. I was the first person they called and my heart skipped. I did not know why, after all I wasn’t interested. I was told I had passed on probation. I felt bad, so embarrassed and I promised myself I was never going back to such things. My friend kept calling me to join in for rehearsals; at times I would be bored at home... I started going and that was how I became part of the pack. It was not easy for her to get me to go for rehearsals.
Before this experience what were you doing?
Before all this, I was in school doing Bachelors in Human Resource Management at Makerere University in Uganda. At the same time, I had a women’s cloth shop in the City Center located in Kampala (on Kampala Road). I basically had some little pocket change on me. I’m currently completing my Masters at Makerere University Business School.
How big is your movie industry compared to Ghana, Nigerian or any other country you can think of in Africa?
Uganda’s movie industry is still young; I should say it’s still a virgin. However it’s growing progressively. We still have a lot of stories to tell. Ghana and Nigeria started the industry prior but it’s great if Uganda can compete with them. I guess we are growing progressively.
Is there any government support whatsoever, maybe in terms of funding or subvention to your industry?
Oh sure, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) is doing a great job in elevating the film industry; it’s the same body that organises the famous film festival in Uganda every year - the Uganda Film Festival.
So far how many movies have you featured in and any acting offer outside your country?
Joan
In 2016, I was given an extra role in the movie Freedom which overwhelmed awards in the Uganda Film Festival. In 2017, I was given a lead character in the movie ‘Torture’ in which I won Best Actress in the Uganda Film Festival and FESTICAB award winners in Burundi. In this same movie, I was nominated in the Best Actress category ay the 2018 AMV-
CA in Nigeria. In 2018, I was nominated Best Supporting Actress for my role in the movie ‘94 Terror’. I have a TV series, called Mistakes Galz Do (airing since 2017). I have not yet done work beyond boarders, its every actors dream.
Tell us how you feel coming to Nigeria the first time for the AMVCAs awards last year and what was the experience like?
Honestly my first visit to Nigeria caught me off guard. Nigerians love themselves a lot.
Was your AMVCA best actress nomination feat convincing enough for you to see acting as a thing you would want to grow with professionally or something you have just got your hands doing at the moment pending?
I discovered I was meant to be an actress before I even scooped my AMVCA nomination. The rate at which I fell in love with acting was at a very high speed, I love acting and i’m certain i’m not giving up soon. I dream of being Uganda’s Meryl Streep of my generation... to me it (acting) just comes naturally.
How much of interest do you have in Nigeria film industry?
The Nigerian industry has grown compared to Uganda’s, however my greatest interest is seeing the African film industry rise to greater heights. I would love to work in Nigeria as much as I would love with any other African country.
Which Nigerian actors easily come to your mind and would you love to be on set with?
I love Mercy Johnson, she’s natural, she embraces her character roles to my satisfaction. She’s amazing too.
Culturally what do you think is the most interesting thing about your country that would interest a first time visitor?
Uganda being the pearl of Africa the environment alone is fascinating; the people are lone and so welcoming. The green all over my country is beautiful, the people too.
Tell us about your family back ground and your childhood memories while growing up?
I am from a very humble Christian family under the care of a loving mother who I was blessed with as an only child and my dad’s first born. My mother is South Sudanese and my dad is Ugandan. My parents don’t own any titles. I was always next to my mom. We played together. She was always my big sister.
What other form(s) of art appeals to you?
I love music; people say I have a good voice; however I have not put my attention to it.
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SHOWBIZFLAIR OGECHI CYRIL
I’m a Student of Life, I Learn Every Day Ogechi Nwanevu Cyril, aka Pencil Comedian, is one of Nigeria’s finest comedy brands at home and abroad. Since he won Ay’s Open Mic challenge in 2010, Pencil has gone ahead to carve a niche for himself in the ever booming comedy industry. He runs an annual comedy show tagged, “Pencil Unbroken” which has proven his stance and durability over the years. Pencil talks to Tosin Clegg about his career, upcoming shows, the comedy industry at large and many more By all standards, 2019 moving well for me e thank God for his infinite mercies, things are getting better. I’ve been improving myself and my craft, because I learn every day; that is why I will refer to myself as a student of life. We are just in the middle of the year and it will be too soon to conclude. The year still has a lot in stock for me, so it will be too soon to start counting my blessings. I will want you to ask me this same question at the end of the year and I will give you a comprehensive list of my achievements.
W
The Pencil brand is ever dynamic Each opportunity on stage is a learning experience, and it just keeps getting better. There have been positive changes over the years in all ramifications; the style of jokes and delivery have changed over time, and the brand will keep growing. Challenges faced growing my brand Some of the challenges are how to remain fresh, coming up with jokes to entertain your audience and, most importantly, not repeating your jokes. It requires lots of hard work, especially for my kind of jokes that come with moral lessons. So, keeping up with trends and making sure that my jokes speak about the ills in the society and possible solutions to them, is a major challenge. I have gone past the stage of telling fictitious tales, which people can not relate with; this is because my jokes are now inspired from my day to day activities. About ‘Pencil Unbroken’ Expect fresh jokes, new acts and the packaging and execution this time will be flawless. We are making sure that everything that happens will be planned. For every year, we are always raising the bar and this year won’t be an exception, it will be pure entertainment and fun all the way. Every show I do comes with its unique theme, and the theme determines the dynamics of the show. This year, we will raise the bar in the comedy industry. This year, comedians like the legendary AY, Seyilaw, Gandoki, Kenny blaq, Lasisi Elenu, Destalker, Frank Onero and many more will be cracking the ribs of the audience. Winning AY open mic challenge in 2010 It opened lots of doors. I can’t stop thanking AY for the
platform. It also sharpened my craft and added more value to me. Right from inception, I have always had a burning desire to be successful. I knew I would make it but na the date I no know. I won’t regard myself as big yet because my best is yet to come. Reforms I think the comedy industry needs right now New people coming into the industry should try as much as possible to be original. If you don’t have anything new to offer, then, don’t take from the existing. Also, government and corporate bodies should buy into our shows more. I am someone that knows little things about so many things, I am multitalented. I have featured in some movies already and some are yet to be released. If I am offered movie roles, why not, it’s all entertainment and it’s interwoven. Comedy puts food on my table Comedy business is paying for me. At least, it puts food on my table and sustains the life style. So, comedy for me has been very rewarding even beyond my wildest imagination. Initially, it was just for the passion. I never envisaged that it will be this rewarding, but above all, we thank God for his grace. Just like every other profession, I’ve had down moments but never for one day have I had the thoughts of quitting comedy. I have always had an inexplicable conviction that I am in the right profession, I have a strong passion for my profession, so the few times I had down times I had to evaluate it and know the reason why and worked hard to prevent a recurrence. I am in a relationship with my God I am in a relationship with my God at the moment, but if it is having a woman in my life, then I will say not at the moment. I have a list of things I have set to achieve and their time frames, when it gets to the time to start a relationship you will be the first to know, I promise you but for now I am ‘babeless’. When it’s time to look for a wife surely I will create a standard, but for now, it hasn’t crossed my mind. I don’t want to make a categorical statement now; all I know is that my wife will be fine sha. My sense of style In the words of Jidenna, ‘I am a classic man’. I love dressing in a way that will create an indelible impression in the minds of people.
Cyril
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Tosin Clegg 07062816737 e-mail: tosinclegg@hotmail.com
Gists
Banky W,Teni, REMA, Adebola Williams Gear Up for Afroprom
Banky W, alongside trending singer, Teni, and Mavin’s New Signee Rema are set to thrill graduating secondary school students at the first ever prom concert in Nigeria tagged “AfroProm”, holding at Eko Hotel, Convention Centre, Lagos on July 14, 2019. The event is put together to give Nigerian students an opportunity to experience prom, while celebrating, networking, and partying with a host of Nigeria’s top-rated celebrities. Speaking on Afroprom, lead project manager at J. Vanni Global, Mobola Abiru said: “We created Afroprom, Ni-
geria’s first-ever prom concert for high school graduates between the ages of 14-18 with an eye on getting these teens to celebrate a remarkable achievement at a crucial stage of their lives. Prom is not new to them; they see it happen everywhere else, but not in Nigeria. This spurred us to create an avenue that will welcome them into adult life.” According to the organisers, mediapreneur Debola Williams, and musician, Banky W will be in attendance to inspire and educate the students on “next steps after school” by sharing authentic stories of their own meteoric
rise to the top. Guests will be treated to breathtaking performances fit for the occasion by Teni, Rema, Donflex & the Extigate team, Dream Catchers; while Ushbebe, Ikorodu Bois and other comedians are expected to thrill the guest as well. Other side attractions include a rare five-course meal, and a shot at the highly coveted Afroprom King and Queen crowns. The event will be hosted by ace OAP Jimmy, and guests stand a chance to walk away with enticing gifts such as an iPhone XR, PlayStation 4, and lots more.
Blessing Uzzi Shoots Documentary, ‘The Beggars Plight’
Ronke Tiamiyu Releases ‘Shadow Chasers It was all glitz and glamour last Sunday when Nollywood’s beautiful and admirable actress, Ronke Tiamiyu released her first major production, Shadow Hunters. The movie featured big names such as Kenneth Okoli, Uche Ogbodo, Amaka Okere, Longinus Anakwute, among others. The story started with her playing the lead role and kicking off trails of events from her remote village. She faces the onslaught of her step mother and step brother who at different times made her life miserable. Despite her father being there for her, it couldn’t stop all the ills meted on her. She found solace in her best friend, played by Uche Ogbodo, and later found her way to Lagos and started living the big life. Ronke found her way, leaving the ills of her family and moved on to marry Kenneth Okoli, and so many episodes followed after. At the Sunday première, several personalities were in attendance, including Nina and Bam Bam from last year’s big brother, Pretty Mike, Laoye Oyatogun, and many more.
The Beggars Plight follows the story of the beggars in the street, most especially the children chasing cars and sent by their parents to beg for money. For Blessing, she wanted to know where they live, if they have a home. How much do they make from begging? Are they genuine? And lastly do they want to stop begging? This is what The Beggars Plight is all about. According to Blessing, she decided to do this shoot, because, “Everyday as I drove past Lekki, just by Freedom Way, these Children would always run to me asking for money while their parents sat down and watched. As a matter of fact, they sent the kids. I kept wondering, like why are these people doing this? Don’t they have a choice? Can’t they do better? I became inquisitive about the beggars and therefore decided I was going to make a documentary of it and I’m glad I did. I had great insight into these people’s life. “I learnt to be grateful for my life. I visited the home of these beggars and I was moved to tears and wondered if I could live there and the answer was a big no! Doing this shoot made me more compassionate towards people and the beggars in general. It made me see things and life in a different light. It made me ask if we all actually have a choice or is choice an illusion of the mind? I learnt not to be a beggar! I had a great time filming these beggars.”
Annjay to Launch new Fashion Product, Cura Singer, actress and entrepreneur, Chioma John, who recently bagged the ambassadorial deal of a Chinese tech company, Ja Solar Energy Equipment, has added more feather to her hat. The ‘Man No Be God’ crooner is set to launch her fashionable Sunglasses which got into Nigeria from China few days ago. On why she went into sunglasses business after she
had successfully established her hair, eyelashes and makeup brands, Annjay stated: “I went into beauty business because I liked it since childhood. It’s also part of my profession as a singer and a model. I love to see people look good. We also know that the level of sunshine in Nigeria is something to worry about. That was why I introduced the sunglasses brand.”
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SHOWBIZFLAIR
Funke Akindele, JJC Skillz Glow at Falz’s Concert Actress Funke Akindele-Bello and hubby, JJC Skillz, were star attractions when they stepped out for Falz the bad boy’s concert in Lagos earlier this week. Funke and JJC had a private wedding in 2016 in London and welcomed a set of twin boys late last year. The couple shared a number of breath-taking photos taken at the concert in the social media. This is a special pick for showbizflair.
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Olakunle Churchill Finds New Love
Businessman Olakunle Churchill, the ex-husband of Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, has found new love in the bosom of a white “quiet queen”. He has evidently put behind him the years of trauma from his previous relationship with King Tonto. An excited Churchill took to Instagram last Sunday to wish his new love a happy birthday He wrote: “All of your days in this lifetime should be spent with nothing less than ordinary. An extraordinary person like you deserve a birthday much better than the last one combined. Happy birthday my love #quietqueen.” Churchill was married to King Tonto in 2015 and divorced her in 2017. The marriage produced a boy- Andre Omodayo Churchill.
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Kizz Daniel
Kizz Daniel Teases Lagosians with ‘Eko’ With Kizz Daniel latest single, ‘Eko’, Omolabake Fasogbon writes that Lagosians and indeed music fans have something new to lap up at their leisure
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mid great excitement, Afro pop singer, OluwaTobiloba Daniel Anidugbe, better called Kizz Daniel has finally released his long - sought after song, ‘Eko’ after dropping several teasers that got fans uptight. The singer released the hint on his Instagram page where he wrote ‘sakimakoparikaka!!!,Eko audio out now!!! # Eko. Visuals out 14th. In less than 24- hours of release, the song attracted numerous views with cheering comments that can only inspire the singer to do much better. Coming at a period when Lagos is welcoming a new administration, one may say that this is a strategic move or at best, coincidental, to usher in the new government and register the song as the new Lagos anthem, just as Olamide’s ‘I love Lagos’ became a must play song at most Lagos official events and beyond. The two
minutes, forty one seconds audio track is conveyed in a mixture of both pidgin and Yoruba language, a very more familiar dialect, which makes it easier for fans to relate with. Just as the title of the song ’Eko’, which is a Yoruba translation of ‘Lagos’, the musician plays on literary elements to depict Lagos in its real sense. It simply described Lagos as a land of opportunities, characterised by everyday bustling and hustling, which however, does not favour lazy peeps. Beyond this, the Flyboy Inc. boss paints Lagos as Nigeria’s nerve centre that requires one to be owlish and streetwise to survive in the vicinity. The singer nails his point when he occasionally chants “If you no fit wise for Lagos, you no fit wise for anywhere.” Produced by Rexxie, the 25 year- old artiste said of ‘Eko’ as being a follow-up to his popular controversial single, ‘Fvck You’ that roused the #FvckYouChallenge.
Kizz Daniel launched into the music space in 2013 shortly after he graduated from the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State. Then, he was addressed as Kiss Daniel on stage until September 2018, when he had to rebrand as Kizz Daniel, following his exit from his former label, G-Worldwide. The label later laid claim to the name. Having released ‘Shoye ‘, being his debut single, the Water Engineering graduate again rattled the airwaves with another banger, ‘Woju’. The piece got his brand bigger and gave a broader shot of his musical style. In a short time, ‘Woju’ came up on top 10 on MTV Base Official Naija for 11 weeks before it later peaked at number 1 for another six weeks. He presently boasts of three albums, with some of his works graced by mega singers both within and outside the country, including hot selling Davido and Wizkid.
Kizz Daniel
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SHOWBIZFLAIR
Adesuwa Etomi Fierce, Furious in ‘Muna’
Adesuwa
Ferdinand Ekechukwu
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n upcoming feature film Muna might leave you asking whether it is a Nigerian production following images of the posters online. Now the two minutes, twenty five seconds official trailer released would further extend the question. Well, it features a number of Nigerian actors including Adesua Etomi-Wellington in the lead role with images of her in daring postures. As revealed in the clip, she appears to be playing a martial art character. But, that might just not be enough to tell it is a Nigerian movie just as interesting as it shows Adesuwa playing the role, which is different from what she had played in the past. Muna has waited for two years to be released since the shooting which took place in Nigeria and Los Angeles was concluded in March 2017. The official trailer further lends voice to the issue of human trafficking which has been the theme of a number of Nollywood movies. As a child, Muna (Adesuwa Etomi) is trafficked into a life of slavery and abuse. All grown up, she finds love but wants revenge and learned new skills
to help confront the human trafficking ring that has various individuals from different races across the world. In one scene, she leaves a thinly bloody inscription of “Stop Human Trafficking” on the forearm of a man after killing him. Nollywood’s inability to get the martial art and few other techniques right had evidently been broken with this film. The action-thriller appears great, capturing Adesuwa in full display of her seemingly acquired martial art skills. Instructively, Adesua’s training in “physical theatre, musical theatre and performing arts” in the United Kingdom, surely aided her performance in ‘Muna’. The Kevin Nwankwor directed film also stars Onyeka Onwenu, Ebele Okaro, Adam Huss, Robert Miano, Massi Furlan, Folarin (Falz) Falana, Camille Winbush, Kofi Boakye, Steve Wilder, Johnny Williams, and many others. Adesuwa Etomi’s rising profile has seen her in April 2019 ranked alongside Hollywood’s superstar, Scarlett Johansson as one of the world’s most famous actresses in a special article and interview by Vogue magazine with the title, “14 Countries, 14 Superstars: The Global Actors Who Know No Limits”.
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NEWSXTRA
Udoma: Nigeria’s Hope Lies in the People, Not Oil Says economy was already bad before he became minister Kasim Sumaina inAbuja
The immediate-past Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, has declared that Nigeria’s hope lies with its vast human resource and not oil, just as he indicated his desire to retire back to his law firm after about four years of service in the President Muhammadu Buhari cabinet. Udoma, who spoke at a sendforth party organised for him by the former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Fatima Mede, in Abuja, Thursday night said the nation was blessed with some of the most intelligent, hard-working and enterprising people on earth. “The oil price will come up and go down, but we have some of the most intelligent, hardworking enterprising people in the world, not just in Africa because I have been in many African countries. “I went to primary school in Uganda where I did very well in mostly everything till I came back in Nigeria. In Nigeria, we are so
competitive in every field. You travel to any part of the world, to any university in the world, Nigerians outperform almost everybody else,� he said. While appraising his time in office, he revealed that he never expected to be given the Budget and National Planning portfolio, noting that as at the time President Muhammadu Buhari came in, the economy was in serious trouble. He said: “I have to say that when we came in, it was not easy at all. I didn’t expect Budget and National Planning and at that particular time, when the economy was in serious trouble. I was coming as Chairman of Union Bank and we sought some consultants to take an analysis on how they saw the economy going and it didn’t look good at all.� He stated that when he came in as minister, he had just few weeks to prepare the budget and had to start with the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) which usually takes about two to three months before starting the budget which he said, takes
the same time. “We had to do everything in six weeks. But, I am very happy that I came in and with the support of two hard-working, dedicated and supporting women-my minister of state, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed and my former permanent secretary, Mrs. Fatima Mede. And I have to say that having both of them at that time gave me the foundation on which I built. “The beginning is so important in
everything that you do. If you start well, you can then go along and finish well and she ensured that I started well and I’m eternally grateful to Mede. The things that have been achieved, I think it is important to continue to build on that and I was very struck by the president’s speech on Democracy Day. “It is a speech that gives me hope; gives me a sense that the ‘Next Level’ will be much more better
than where we are and I think it behoves on all of us to continue to work together as a people because, the hope of Nigeria is really in the people and not in our oil. “With that form of talents, working together with each other and believing in ourselves, we don’t have to launder our image because there are so many good things in Nigeria but just that sometimes we knock ourselves
and we complain a lot and so on. But, if you really look at the positives, you will find out that there is so much in Nigeria,� he added On his decision to retire to his law chambers, he said: “I started the firm with just myself and the clerk and my dream was to create a firm that can stand any other American or British law firm to build an institution.
24 Bag First Class Degrees As FUDMA Graduates 430 Students Francis Sardauna inKatsina
The Federal University DutsinMa (FUDMA) will be graduating 24 First Class among the 430 graduands in its 4th convocation ceremony slated for Saturday, June 14, 2019. In his pre-convocation press conference, yesterday, the acting Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Adamu Babba-Kutigi, said a total of 181 students would be graduating in the Second Class Upper division, while 178 others would graduate in the Second Class Lower Division. The acting vice chancellor also affirmed that 47 other graduating students would be awarded Third Class degrees. According to him, “The best graduating student with Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.82 at this year’s convocation is Abdulateef Lukman from the
CHANGE OF NAME
Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Crop Production.� Babba-Kutigi said the university had pursued an uncompromising academic standards ranging from Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as well as accountability in all university processes. He said that the university would introduce new courses such as Library and Information Science, Guidance and Counselling, Social Education, Arabic and Islamic Studies, among others. In a bid to ensure accountability, Professor Babba-Kutigi, said the university under his watch would establish a micro finance bank to strengthen the institution’s quest for proper utilisation of funds. He assured students and staff of the varsity of his readiness to provide adequate security at the institution’s main campus for effective learning.
GLAD YOU’RE HERE ... Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, receiving Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, during the burial ceremony of Chief Jonathan Adebayo Osipitan, father of Professor Taiwo Osipitan, in Oru, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State‌ yesterday. Photo: Government House, Abeokuta
Obiano to Anambra Lawmakers: I’m Ready to Work With You David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, has extended an olive branch to members of the 7th Anambra State House of Assembly, promising to work harmoniously with them. The governor who hosted the lawmakers at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia on Thursday night tasked them to increase their synergy with the execu-
Tribunal Adjourns Forged CertiďŹ cate Allegation against Gov Abdulrasaq
I, formerly known and addressed as MARYAM YAHAYA, now wish to be known and addressed as MARYAM YAHAYA YUSUF. All former docum ents remain valid. The general public should take note.
Kwara State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Friday adjourned
I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ADEFABI DEBORAH OLUWAKEMI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OLADIPO DEBORAH OLUWAKEMI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.
I, formerly known and addressed as MISS WINNIFRED ORODE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS WINNIFRED OKORO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.
I, formerly known and addressed as EZEUGWU CHIAMAKA LAURRETA, now wish to be known and addressed as EZE CHIAMAKA LAURETTA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note. I, formerly known and addressed as OKONKWO NKEIRUKA CHIKA LOUIS, now wish to be known and addressed as NKIRU TINA OKONKWO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.
I, formerly known and addressed as UGERA JEMILAT MERCY, now wish to be known and addressed as ODUMOSU JEMILAT MERCY, . All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
I, formerly known and addressed as WASIU KOLAWOLE OLOYEDE, now wish to be known and addressed as WASIU OLASUNKANMI OLOYEDE and I was born on 6th March 1965. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.
till 9th and 10th of July for further hearings in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s petition challenging the declaration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on the allegation that the governor had presented a forged certificate. The petition had been filed by the candidate of the PDP in the March governorship election in Kwara State, Hon. Razaq Atunwa. The adjournment followed the failure of the petitioner to present a witness from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) with the subpoena and other supporting documents. The tribunal had on Thursday adjourned to Friday for the examination body to present the subpoena, following the commencement of full hearings in the petition of the PDP. Counsel to the petitioner, Abdulwahab Bamidele, told the court that he was reliably informed that the officials of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in Lagos which the tribunal subpoenaed missed their flight to Ilorin on Friday morning.
tive arm of government for the development of the state. Obiano also used the opportunity to host the newly elected Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uchenna Okafor, who was elected unopposed on Wednesday. Governor Obiano said, “The synergy between the legislature and the Executive will help fast track development in the state for the overall good of
ndi Anambra. “I congratulate you all on your emergence during the election, power belongs to God alone, and you owe gratitude to God for your emergence, so you must discharge your duties to ndi Anambra with due diligence, working with the executive arm of government.� The speaker who spoke on behalf of the lawmakers appreciated the governor for his support
to the assembly, saying that the members were professionals from different backgrounds, who would bring to bear their experiences in various fields in their lawmaking duties. Okafor also pledged that the 7thAssembly would strive to be peaceful, and work in synergy the executive arm of government to ensure that the lofty dreams of the present administration were achieved.
Sterling Bank Reiterates Commitment to SMEs in the Food Sector Sterling Bank Plc has reiterated its commitment to the empowerment of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs), particularly those in the food sector, so that they can further exploit the potential in the industry and contribute to the development of Nigeria. Marketing Manager, Specialised Products, Sterling Bank, Daphne Akatugba who disclosed this at the sixth edition of the Eat Drink Festival in Abuja recently said the bank plans to work with SMEs in their early stages of growth by giving financial advisory and support for growth. Akatugba said the bank believes that by working with the SMEs at the developing stage, they (the SMEs) will continue to partner with the bank when they eventually become big business concerns.
She said: “The eat, drink, festival gives small businesses the platform to reach other people. A lot of these businesses do not have physical structures but they are running them from their homes, sometimes they are online businesses. “But at this event, customers can interact with the business owners, taste what is on offer and get to meet new people. So, this festival is a platform for small businesses in the food and drink industry to expand and also do better for their businesses. “For a lot of businesses, one of the major things they need is access to markets and that is what the festival is doing because if you don’t have customers, you don’t have the business and your location doesn’t matter.� According to her, the bank can finance a small business whether it has a physical structure or not.
She added “they can get financing and we also provide financial advisory services. “This event helps us to reach out to these businesses and grow with them. Our target is that you increase your revenue and you form a working relationship with us so that we can grow together.� She explained that participation in the festival affords the bank the opportunity to assess the requirements of businesses in order to properly support them, adding that the bank’s intervention has positive implications for both SMEs and the economy in general. She noted that the economy grows when businesses make money, adding that it is equally true that when businesses don’t make money, the economy does not grow. She said the bank has a duty to ensure that the businesses make money.
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ÍšÍ˝Ëœ ͺ͸͚Π˞ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER
SPORTS XTRA
Pinnick Vows Not to Cave-in to People Trying to Force Regime Change The President of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Amaju Pinnick has blasted Nigerian authorities for attempting to push him out of office, insisting he will stand his ground and not give in to “sociopaths�. Last month, in the midst of a period of intense unrest within the leadership of African football, Pinnick, a strong ally of FIFA president
Gianni Infantino and a constant figure of controversy, was charged along with four others by a federal court on allegations of corruption and suspended. The five were apparently arraigned for alleged mismanagement of an $8,400 grant from FIFA. In a 17-count charge filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the
money was said to have been paid by FIFA to the NFF as appearance fees during the Russia 2018 World Cup. Named with Pinnick and a vice-president of the Confederation of African Football – in the charge, were NFF Secretary Sunusi Mohammed, 1st Vice-President Seyi Akinwumi, 2nd VicePresident, Shehu Dikko and an Executive mem-
ber, Yusuff Fresh. The defendants were also accused of “moving dishonestly and intentionally the sum of about N4bn ($11.1 million)� belonging to the NFF without the consent of the federation. Despite the court ruling, Pinnick was a conspicuous figure at last week’s FIFA Congress in Paris and at a CAF summit which
preceded it. Pinnick’s own case has been largely pushed into the background amid ongoing coverage of Ahmad’s conduct as CAF leader which came under a barrage of scrutiny in Paris when he was questioned by French authorities over a contract allegedly broken with Puma in December 2017 and placed with French company Tactical Steel. Ahmad was released without charge but should he at any stage be removed from his position as CAF president, Pinnick, as the next most powerful CAF official, would almost certainly
step into the role on an interim basis. Yet there are reservations about his own credentials after being charged at home with criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, theft and criminal misappropriation. Pinnic k s a y s t h e c h a rg e s a re c o m p l e t ely unfounded “This is about certain individuals who are sociopaths and you can quote me on that,� Pinnick toldInsideworldfootball. “They just want me to lose my credibility. That’s the A to Z of what is going on. They don’t want us to be independent, simply as that.�
Ighalo Unfazed by Eagles’ Scoring Problem
Super Eagles
Nigeria Slides Down Three Spots in FIFA Ranking The Super Eagles of Nigeria slipped three spots from 42nd in the world to 45th in June and the latest ranking published by the world governing body. Despite holding firm to third spot in Africa, Nigeria failed to pick
from their impressive jump back in April when the country moved four places in the ranking. Meanwhile, Senegal are still the best team in Africa and are ranked 22nd in the world, with Tunisia in second and 25th globally.
The top three sides will take part in hostilities on the continent this month in Egypt when the Africa Cup of Nations gets under way. Nigeria is in group B alongside Guinea, Madagascar and Burundi. These teams will be
heading to AFCON ranked 13th (71), 25th (108) and 37th (134) respectively. Only Burundi in the group moved up stepping up two places, while Guinea dropped three spots and Madagascar also slipped by a spot.
Mikel Reinstates His Super Eagles Commitment Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel has discussed his loyalty to his country ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals. The England-based midfielder is set to lead the Super Eagles at the continental tournament which will be hosted by
Egypt. Mikel is the first and only player to represent Nigeria at the Under-17, Under-20 and senior World Cups, Olympic Games and Confederations Cup. The Middlesborough star explained that some young players end up
not being committed to their national teams due to money at club level. ‘’The commitment and love that I have for my country will never change until I stop playing,� Mikel said on All Nigeria Soccer. ‘’Right now it will be difficult to find young
players who will be able to do that for the national team because the agents make money from the clubs.’’ Mikel will be hoping to lead the Super Eagles to their maiden AFCON title since 2013. Nigeria are in Group B along with Guinea, Madagascar and Burundi.
Nigeria international Odion Ighalo has played down the Super E a g l e s ’ g o a l d ro u g h t a h e a d o f t h e 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals. T h e S u p e r E a g l e s h a v e s c o re d o n c e i n t h e i r last two matches, but Ighalo has backed the team’s striking department. The China-based striker has been included in the 23-man Nigeria squad which will compete in the continental tournament in Egypt. “Everyone can give their opinion on the team but what I know is that this team will surprise everyone at the Afcon because we have the q u a l i t y t o g o a l l t h e w a y, � I g h a l o t o l d G o a l . “For us as a team, we will keep working h a rd a n d e n s u re w e g i v e o u r b e s t a t a l l t i m e e s p e c i a l l y a t t h e A f c o n w h e re a l l e y e s w i l l b e on us. I don’t think we have any problem with o u r s t r i k e r s a n d t h e y a re n o t s u ff e r i n g f ro m any dip in form. “We have been working hard as a team to bring smiles back to the faces of Nigerians and hopefully when we get to the tournament proper we will start scoring goals that we haven’t scored in recent matches,� he added. “We are confident that Eagles will shine in Egypt but we have the utmost respect for our opponents.�
Kings College Wins 2019 GTBank Masters Cup Kings College Lagos on Friday defeated Anwar Ul Islam Model College, Agege 5-4 via penalty shootouts at the Campus Mini Stadium to become the champions of Season 8 GTBank Masters Cup. Both schools defied the heavy downpour to give the pack filled stadium moments to cheer as the players gave a very good account of themselves. In spite of several attempts at goal, poor marksmanship, water soaked pitch and excellent goalkeeping on the part of Anwar Ul Islam goalkeeper kept the result goalless. In the eventual penalty shootouts, Kings College won by 5-4 to the delight of the teeming fans. To qualify for the final, Kings College defeated Whitesands School 4-1, while Anwar-Ul Islam Model College got the better of CMS Grammar School, Bariga. The GTBank Masters Cup is an offset of the GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup. The tournament was first conceived when GTBank realized that grassroots football development was incomplete without participation of all schools in Lagos State (Private and Public) especially those that dominated the Principals Cup over three decades ago, since its inception in 1954.
Saturday, June 15, 2019
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MISSILE Obasanjo on Imbalance “The Senate President is from North-east; the acting chief justice of Nigeria is from the North-east; the President of the country is from the North-west. They are all from what we call the core north. How can you have that kind of arrangement and then be absolutely insensitive to it?” – Former President Olusegun Obasanjo chastising the imbalance in governance structure of Nigeria.
PENDULUM DELE MOMODU
dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com
The Positive Steps Nigeria Must Take to Develop
F
ellow Nigerians, if you are a regular follower and frequent reader of my column, you would, in the past few weeks, have encountered the serialisation of the great lessons’ life has taught me in the last 59 years of inhabiting this planet. But I have decided to take a break from my biographical narration in deference to the recent June 12 celebration as a national holiday and our new Democracy Day in Nigeria replacing May 29 which is now effectively merely Inauguration Day. It is right that June 12 should be Democracy Day given the utmost import of that day in the annals of our democratic history and especially in the realisation and actualisation of democracy that we now call the Fourth Republic. You will therefore understand, and appreciate, in a jiffy why it was expedient for me to write about June 12, although in a sense it is an integral part of my life’s experience. Let me start by raising a toast to President Muhammadu Buhari on the smart decision to acknowledge the importance and significance of that day Nigerians united to vote for one man without ethnic and religious considerations or colouration. It is also noteworthy, and remarkable, that President Buhari chose to honour some of the notable figures in the struggle for the fulfilment and revalidation of the June 12, 1993, Presidential mandate, which was freely and overwhelmingly given to Chief Moshood Abiola by Nigerians. This is probably the biggest and best goal scored so far by President Buhari since his return to power in 2015. Nothing, and no one, can rob or deprive him of the plaudits and applause that are ascribed to this particularly delightful gesture with pleasure. Thank you, Mr President, from the bottom of my heart. I was and remain overwhelmed by your generosity of spirit particularly because you did not have to do it. Others who had better reasons to do it, spectacularly failed to do so and they were not crucified for it. Instead Nigerians shrugged and moved on. Building on your great spirit of atonement, you have further endeared yourself to me by naming the National Stadium in Abuja after MKO Abiola. What more can one ask of you? As I wrote when the announcement was first made about June 12 becoming Democracy Day, and the actual ceremony came up in the Presidential villa in Abuja, it matters not to me if there were political undertones to these kind and gracious gifts. People will read politics and ulterior motives into anything, but one must always appreciate and celebrate humaness and humanity, and this is one of such occasions. And so, as for me and my house, God used President Buhari to make what seemed impossible possible, and that should suffice for now if not for ever. Have you noticed how, suddenly everyone is now an apostle of June 12! What is worse is the revisionist history which is being espoused and churned out by several people, mostly in order to cleanse or whitewash themselves because of the nefarious roles that they placed in the truncation of the Dream. Some are mere charlatans who seek to jump on the bandwagon with the hope of feathering their nests. Those who know the truth, know, and it is my fervent hope that before too long we will start seeing accurate memoirs from those who seek nothing more than truth and justice. We owe this to the memory of MKO. Having said that, let’s now get down to the very serious business of the day. It is not enough celebrating the date June 12 or naming the Abuja National Stadium or any other edifice or institution after Chief Abiola. The spirit of June 12 must also be absorbed and imbibed. That is
MKO Abiola what can make sense and achieve the desired purpose eventually. Making a fetish, ritual or routine of the date alone is of no substance, if Nigeria and Nigerians have nothing concrete to benefit from it. And what can we gain? One, Nigeria needs another Abiola, or a fair replica of him or any of our avowed nationalists and patriots that travelled the space called Nigeria before him. I have always maintained that the monumental victory recorded by Abiola on June 12, 1993, was not an accident or a fluke. It was a reward for the phenomenal life of hard work, sacrifice, dedication, generosity and uncommon love for mankind that Abiola demonstrated and evinced. Abiola was not interested in where you came from or what religion you practiced, he was more concerned about your performance and service delivery. Nigeria desperately needs another completely detribalised, secular and worldly man or woman, at the very top of our political stratosphere. On this score, I doubt if Buhari is willing or able to make the substantial effort necessary given his age and antecedents. However, if he tries this second term around, he may still go on to become a global statesman and a leader whose story will be told and retold in Nigerian folklore. Two, Nigeria requires a leader who knows how to spot talent, like Abiola, and nurture it. Chief Abiola surrounded himself with the best brains in every endeavour that he undertook, be it religion, social life, business, sport or politics. There are too many of such people and space will not permit me to name them individually, but rest assured that in their respective fields, they are like a list of Who is Who. What they also had was diligence and integrity, although some of them later became compromised for a variety of reasons which is not the subject of this discourse. What the Buhari government needs to demonstrate, very glaringly and urgently, is the ability to reward and embrace talent and merit. It must target and bring on board the very best that Nigeria has to offer. Unfortunately, this has not been the case thus far, and it is Nigeria and her people that has suffered badly. President Buhari must regard and welcome every Nigerian as a part of one big and united family. The biggest problem facing us is the lack of unity and cohesion, borne partly from the suspicion that mediocrity is crowned whilst merit is demoted. This is responsible for the spate of killings all over Nigeria. True love has taken flight and what is left is concentrated
bitterness. Chief Abiola felt at home in every nook and cranny of Nigeria and he was welcomed with open arms. There should be a method to our madness. President Buhari should put the past behind and whatever informed his seeming aloofness and nonchalance. Leadership must inspire, it must rouse the people from their deep slumber. What I see in Buhari is a President who has turned taciturnity into an art. This makes it difficult for Nigerians to read his mind or know the direction he is facing. It makes for stilted and struggling nation building and development. It is a recipe for deep stagnation in our social and political life. Three, Nigeria is a secular State and its secularity should be maintained decidedly and decisively. The tension about religion is borne out of the decision of our leaders to dabble into matters which ordinarily should remain a personal matter between man and his God. Whosoever wants to serve his God fervently should work very hard to raise the funds needed and necessary. Nigeria can no longer afford to waste resources on personal projects that should never be of interest or concern to the State. Our infrastructure deficit is way too high for us to continue our profligate lifestyle. When we de-emphasise matters of religion in State policies, individuals would be encouraged to invest directly in their faith and religion, as they should. Everyone knew Chief Abiola as a devout Muslim, but they also knew him as a liberal who tolerated other religions within his group of companies and could be trusted enough if he makes appointments that seemed lopsided. It was for that singular reason that he was able to get away with the Muslim-Muslim ticket of Abiola and Kingibe, just like he would have done had it been his preferred ticket of Abiola and Atiku. Buhari’s trajectory and seemingly fundamentalist speeches in the past have come back to haunt and dog his every move. A large chunk of Nigerians tends to see him as someone who favours his religion and his tribe above others and who may even go the extra mile to stifle other faiths and tribes. Whereas, on the other hand, Chief Abiola invested in churches and mosques all over the federation with his personal funds and brought people of different tribes and ethnicity into his magic circle. I vividly remember an encounter between Alhaji Baba Gana Kingibe and I in 1993. Kingibe was the Vice-Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party. As soon as Chief Abiola returned to Lagos from the Jos Primaries which he won by the whiskers, I was at his house to remind him of his promise to attend the Grand House Reception at Guv’nor Ken Calebs Olumese’s Niteshift, on Opebi Road, Lagos, which was easily the most prestigious nightclub in Lagos at the time. Kola Abiola had whisked his Dad away for a couple of hours’ rest, but Chief Abiola still made it to the club where he mingled and danced with everyone, whether saints or sinners. After that big night, the Guv’nor of Niteshift requested me to help invite Alhaji Kingibe and I went to his house and a deal was sealed. But close to the date, Kingibe developed cold feet and said he wasn’t going to attend again because some members of his faith might misconstrue his motives and motivation and accuse him of interacting with men and women of low morals which could easily get him into trouble. I understood but it was difficult to back out at that stage because the preparations had gone too far. So, I approached Chief Abiola for his intervention and fortunately Alhaji Kingibe was coming to see him. When Kingibe arrived, Chief asked why he would rather disappoint those who wanted
to host and honour him. Kingibe expressed his apprehension to Abiola who responded with a powerful salvo, “you are not more Muslim than me, if I can enter the nightclub, there’s no reason you cannot enter…” That did the magic and Kingibe agreed to attend and we all had great fun. And that was one of the things that endeared their joint ticket to those who were not overtly religious. The Abiola/ Kingibe disposition would easily douse the kind of volatility of religious conflagration in Nigeria today. Education is the greatest leveller between the rich and the poor anywhere in the world. Abiola was inspired by his own background and experiences. Had it not been for education, he would never have attained the heights he did. It was education that gave him the exposure he had. To show his appreciation and his understanding of how education could lead to social, economic and political emancipation and integration, Chief Abiola invested heavily in education not only via scholarships to indigent students nationwide but also by contributing to educational infrastructure in all parts of the country. In what was regarded as the biggest single donation ever to higher institutions at the time, Chief Abiola gave out about 30 million Naira to all Nigerian universities. Beyond that, he built libraries for many schools. He also made books available and affordable for students by establishing Abiola Bookshops which became a haven and succour to many students and lecturers. Abiola was committed to devoting a large part of his personal fortune to the education of the people. I am sure that he would have done the same in government by allocating a substantial part of the country’s budget to education. I know that under Abiola the intractable problems between the government and staff of our tertiary institutions would have been a thing of the past. He would have accommodated and provided for them, no matter what. Abiola knew that food was a critical necessity in everyone’s life and that attracted his attention. He established Abiola Farms in Ogun, Kwara and Taraba States. Long before local rice production became the vogue in Nigeria, he had invested in rice mills and massive silos in Daka. He also owned Banuso Fisheries. His Wonder Bakeries Limited was built to international standards and I was a happy distributor of Wonderloaf at a point in 1991 after I resigned from my celebrated job as Editor of Classique magazine. Just imagine the spiralling effect of Abiola’s investments. He used to tell anyone who cared to listen that only entrepreneurs like him could know how to create employment and job opportunities. Abiola was a serial investor who touched lives everywhere in Nigeria and beyond. In his private life he was already doing the business that he knew public life would demand of him. It behoves a government determined to successfully govern for its people to demonstrate its preparedness to attain the next level by sincerely nurturing talent, shunning ethnicity and religion, fostering education, engendering food production and promoting job creation. That was Abiola’s way. It is my hope and prayer that Democracy Day will be seen as a day when the nation’s leaders renew their vows to govern for Nigeria in the essence epitomised by our gloriously appointed and anointed leaders such as MKO Abiola. Democracy Day must not just be celebratory and ceremonial. It must be much more. It must be Liberation Day, with freedom from the shackles of deprivation, poverty, diseases and insecurity of all shades and form.
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