STYLISH lawyer and ageless former beauty queen, Helen Prest-Ajayi, is stepping out to town next month to do what she knows best how to do. Helen whose outing is usually characterised by grace and charm, will be the guest speaker at this year’s Miss Hotlegs Nigeria 2019 Grand Finale on December 8 in Lekki after having taken the pageant’s Masterclass Session on December 5..
We understand that she will be speaking and teaching on pageant etiquette and general pageant tips, which by implication, means that this year’s Miss Hotlegs will be a Coronation Ball.
According to British-born Nigerian organiser of the beauty pageant, Mosy O’Ginni, the choice of Helen Prest-Ajayi as the Masterclass guest speaker, is as a result of her antecedents in time past.
“Miss Hotlegs Nigeria has always attracted the movers and shakers of the entertainment industry. This year’s event is the fairytale edition, which promises to be a fun-filled evening packed with good music, comedy and lots of side attractions. And we know that the best way to kick-start such an high brow pageant is a Masterclass adorned with the personality of a well acclaimed former beauty queen which Helen Prest-Ajayi perfectly fits into,” said Mosy O’Ginny.
Helen was born in Lagos in 1959. She is a graduate of the Universities of Ife (OAU), Ile-Ife and Kings College (London) where she obtained the degrees of L.L.B and L.L.M respectively, thereafter she practised law for over 15 years with the law firm of Kalejaiye, Prest Ogbogbo and H.P Davies & Co, after which she left practice to pursue other passions.
For over three decades, Helen has lent her name, time, energy and presence to a large number of charitable causes among, which is the Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria and Partners for Excellence in Education (PEEL), in which she serves as a trustee. And in recent years, he has thrown her weight behind Miss Hotlegs Nigeria, which originated from the United Kingdom some years ago.
Former Niger Delta militant and coordinator for the David Lyon Campaign Organisation in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Reuben Wilson, spoke with select journalists on the real reasons the people of Bayelsa State voted out the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded governorship election in the state. PAUL UKPABIO was there.
HOW did you receive the news of APC winning the governorship election in Bayelsa State?
The just concluded election in Bayelsa State, I was part and parcel of everything. So, it is not about how I received the message; it is about how glad I was as I watched everything that was going on. In fact, I thank God in heaven, because it was a clear indication that God in heaven did not endorse the present administration in Bayelsa State and He needed someone who can move the state forward.
Why do you think so?
The Dickson administration is one you cannot take by their words. They will tell you B while they are doing C, D. So, Bayelsans were tired of his kind of governance. I don’t want to think of what I went through under the PDP when I was a full member of the party. But the truth is we needed APC to take over Bayelsa State so that we could at least sleep with both eyes closed.
Were things that bad?
Dickson as a man, I cannot condemn him because he is still the governor. Even if spiritually we have taken over, he is still the governor until February 14 when he will hand over peacefully to David Lyon. But his style of governance was bad. Whenever I think of what I went through while in PDP, if you mention that name PDP wherever I am, it is like you are burning me. That is one name I don’t think of hearing again even in the next 100 years.
You know, Dickson invited me, promised me that I would be the next chairman of Southern Ijaw (local government). He said all sorts of things and I spent money working for him. There are things that happened between me, Dickson and men of God that I cannot mention. I put in all my efforts to make sure that Dickson was returned as governor in 2015. But all the promises he made, after everything, he did as if he never made those promises. What kind of governor is that? A governor that is supposed to be transparent, a governor that is supposed to be a truthful leader. So, I’m happy. In fact, I will not stop thanking God for wiping away our tears. I will not stop thanking God for removing a man who people cannot hold to his words.
Let me tell you something: a governor who sees himself as God before people, a governor who does not have respect for a former president who is from his state, a governor who does not have respect for elders, the end of him is bound to be what governor Dickson is facing today. He was thinking of going to the Senate, but his mission and plans for the Senate just ended a few days ago (laughs). I am happy that the God I’m serving, the God in Omega Power Ministry, the God that dwelleth in the body of Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, that gave Dickson the key to Government House and that same Dickson deceived me after he made me to spend so much money and gave the ticket to someone else, that same God turned his back on Dickson today.
So you believe his loss was divinely ordained?
(Cuts in) That is 100 per cent punishment from God. Haba! Some of them will soon go on political retirement because I don’t see PDP coming back in Bayelsa State. PDP is died and buried. Everything about PDP in Bayelsa State is gone.
Some people are already saying that the PDP administration in the state should be probed. What is your take on that?
Well, for me, I can’t say anything about that. If they find anything under the carpet, well, the EFCC will go after him. But for me, I don’t want to talk about that. What I am saying here is that God in heaven has vindicated the people of Bayelsa State. God in heaven has proven Himself to us that He is a living God; that He is the God of Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego; that He is a God that will never disappoint his true people that He loves.
Dickson was the one who called for three days fasting to bring up a candidate, so he believes very much in God. Why do you think that the same God could punish him?
Let me say something here: fine, he called for three days fasting, that people should pray and that God would reveal a candidate to him. Who passed the message to the people that God said this and that? Who was the prophet that God used to prophesy or to reveal the candidate as Douye Diri? Who is the person? Who is the pastor? Dickson turned himself to God. He is the pastor, the general overseer of his mission, of his restoration government. He called all his cabinet members to go into fasting. Those that believed in him, all of them went into fasting. They prayed and he said God had shown him three candidates. The three candidates were the SSG, the Chief of Staff, who is Talford Ongolo, and also Douye Diri.
Now, let me tell you something: the three persons, one from Southern Ijaw, one from Yenagoa, one from Kolokuma/Opokuma; that is the Central Senatorial District. And this same Dickson told me some time ago that he needed a candidate from Southern Ijaw; that God had shown him that it was a Southern Ijaw person that would be governor of the state after him; that the person would construct the roads to all the areas we needed them in Southern Ijaw. That was what he told me one on one. I wonder why the God he said revealed to him that the governor would come from Southern Ijaw was that same God that also directed that Douye Diri should become the governor of Bayelsa State.
Let me tell you, if it was God that directed or if it was God that revealed, Douye Diri would have been the winner of the just concluded election. But it was Dickson that fabricated the story, changed the mind of the people and turned their heads upside down to deceive them that God revealed Douye Diri. Which God? The word of God will never return to Him void. God will never reveal his word to people and turn round to do a different thing. Once God says yes, His yes stands. When He says no, the no of God stands.
But for all those fasting for three days, they were just something that Governor Dickson planned to deceive people. That was even the main reason why God disgraced him. Now, it is time people should ask Dickson what happened to the three days fasting he asked his restoration cabinet to go into? Why this if really it was God that revealed Douye Diri to become the governor of Bayelsa State?
But don’t you think the APC victory can still be upturned in court?
I will advise Governor Dickson not to go to court. I am advising the PDP government not to go to court because they will be disgraced. You know why? The state capital, Yenagoa Local Government Area, is where we have all the civil servants. If the state capital that hosts the civil servants can vote against a sitting government, you must know that that government is a bad one. He is talking about Southern Ijaw and Nembe, but let me tell you, in Sagbama, Ward 11, where I also assisted the voters with speed boat so they could vote, the materials in that ward were hijacked. The people from that ward were inside water. They took everything to Toru-Orua and they were doing all the thumb-printing there.
Now, he is talking about Nembe and Southern Ijaw, what about Yenagoa the capital city of the state? Could you believe that people were happy after the announcement? People were dancing naked even when the announcement was not yet out. The people of Amassoma were happy. I called a friend of mine who is a key man in PDP, and he opened up to me that the voters there told him that if he liked, he should give them N100,000 per
person, they would take the money and still vote APC. That tells you the kind of governor we have and his kind of lifestyle. All Bayelsans are tired of this government.
So, what is next?
Oh! God is not done with him. I will not say anything more than that. Until he comes out openly to plead with all those he has offended; people like me. I suffered for Dickson. I worked tirelessly for him and his administration. I stood by him, spent my money. I worked. I took men of God to Government House to pray for this man. I suffered. But this man looked at me, appointed a candidate that is not sellable into Southern Ijaw Local Government; a candidate that cannot reach out to people; this is the candidate that Governor Dickson gave the ticket.
The day I left PDP, I went to the altar of God, I knelt down there, I summoned him to the altar of God, I said ‘God, if what this governor did to me is right, then let him rejoice for the rest of his life. But if what he did to me was really, really, really bad and wrong, God, take over the battle, take over and judge Governor Dickson.’ And this is the judgment. The judgment was passed on Monday and I, Reuben Clifford Wilson, was victorious.
My candidate, my new found party won the governorship battle. The certificate of return will be given to David Lyon, the great fighter. And you know what, when I moved to APC, I was appointed as Coordinator, David Lyon Support Group for the primaries. I was not expecting to be director of campaign, Southern Ijaw. But after everything, my name was still mentioned as campaign director, Southern Ijaw. I took up the battle. I said this is payback time (laughs). God will stand by me to show Governor Dickson for all the things he has done wrong to the people of Southern Ijaw, since he said no Southern Ijaw man was fit to be governor of Bayelsa State.
So, I thank God that God heard my prayers and Governor Dickson is back to Toro-Orua (laughs). Spiritually, he is already in Toro-Orua, and all those that were with him, that were instigating the governor to offend people, all of them spiritually, are on their way to political retirement. So I thank Almighty God for making my dream come true, and I know the incoming governor, David Lyon, will transform Bayelsa State.
I cannot end this interview without thanking Timipre Sylva for giving that great honour to us the people of Bayelsa State, the people of Southern Ijaw, the people of Constituency 4, my own constituency. That is where the governor-elect comes from. God will never stop blessing him. I also extend my greetings to President Mohammadu Buhari, who stood by us during the campaigns and the elections. I also extend my greetings to the National Chairman, a great dancer, yes (laughs) a great dancer, a political wizard. I thank him. Even the governor of Jigawa State, I can’t stop thanking them for making the dreams of Bayelsans come true.
Ace comedian Julius Agwu is celebrating life after going through the throes of surgery, five-month coma and memory loss. His return to active life is surely one of the miracles of our time. He spoke to PAUL UKPABIO about his traumatic experience and how he managed to fix the pieces of his life and returned to stardom.
A few years ago, you were away in America to America for months. Now we hear you are planning a big home coming show in Lagos. What actually happened?
That was the nature of things. I had just celebrated my 40th birthday then when the incident occurred. And as it said that a fool at 40 is a fool forever. I thank God that I was no fool. I thank God for everyone that prayed for me.
You were said to have suffered a brain tumor. Were you aware that you had such illness or did it happen all of a sudden?
I recall that I celebrated that particular birthday colourfully. Everybody who was somebody came around to celebrate with me. I actually launched my book as well. It was titled ‘Jokes Apart’. So you know people actually wondered how I got here for real.
Are you saying that the problem began immediately after the colourful celebration of your 40th birthday?
Yes, so it seems. But really, I have tried to leave all that behind me, because, like I will say, ‘God pass them!’
The usual belief is such an evil occurrence is masterminded by some village people. Do you also think so?
(Laughs) Honestly, I don’t know. But the truth is that the person or people who did it, wherever they are, they now know that God is bigger than them. God is firm; that is why I am still here. I thank everyone that prayed for me. The first time that I fell ill before the relapse that took me to America, I had just finished shooting a movie series. But I came back after full recovery from surgery to find out that a new movie in town is bearing the same title as the working title for the movie I shot! But that is okay. There is nothing I can do about it.
About the relapse, I woke up one morning and my wife was beside me. I saw her sitting next to me, I was looking at her, but I didn’t know who she was. I didn’t know she was my wife. I just kept staring at her. She started showing me pictures of my children on my phone. I didn’t know my children as she spread the phone images before me. It had to do with my memory. So I was told to rest. Afterwards I was flown abroad for surgery.
It took a process. It was not as easy as I just told you, because, according to my wife and the people who saw me then, I just blanked out of memory. I couldn’t identify anyone close to me or any familiar places.
Where did you go for the surgery?
I did the surgery in Houston, Texas, USA. It was God’s grace that we went there. In 2016, I went to do my show in London; my usual show called ‘Crack Ya Ribs’, and that was where I had a relapse. So I was flown round for a solution and then to the USA. Thereafter I was in coma for five months. All of the month of August, September, October, November and December and January. It was not an easy one, God was faithful.
How about your children?
I have two children, both of them before the incident that took me to Houston for surgery. They are a girl and a boy. Both are strong and beautiful. I have always doted on my children.
After the surgery, you returned to Nigeria…
Yes, I came home when I recuperated and I was told to rest furthermore. I have been resting since then, but as you can see, I look good and ready for real work.
Let us talk about the roles that people played during your health saga. What can you say?
Well, I can say that my wife is too much. By that I mean that my wife truly remembered the vows we made when we slotted the rings into our fingers when we got wedded; to be my wife in good health in bad health, in plenty and in lack, to love and cherish till death do us part. My wife has performed her duties satisfactorily. I thank my wife because without her being God fearing and a good wife, I wouldn’t be here today. That is because she took up the challenge immediately she saw me in that state and sought out the necessary solution that saved me.
I am sorry for the homes that have failed because the wife or husband did not stick to the wedding vows. I thank God for my wife because it is only God that can tell how good a wife material she is. I am sure if it was some other women she would have abandoned me and walked away. You know for some women, 2+2=8 and not 4 (laughs) and 8+8 is 36 for such women. But I was told that my wife was kneeling down by my bedside while I was in coma, and she was crying that I should not leave her and go like that. For that, I know God will still bless her more and more.
My mom was there too, but you know her role is special too. My mom came to Lagos to see me. She was always praying. She met many people, telling them to pray for her son for full recovery. I saw my mom just yesterday before I left Port Harcourt, and I can tell you that she is still hale and hearty. She is actually close to 80 years. I thank God for her.
It took you some time to say you have rested enough and it’s time to work again. At what point did it occur to you that you have to get on your feet again?
It took a lot of courage to stand up again and do a show. But I did that in Port Harcourt and it was to say my Port Harcourt people, how una dey? I felt that as they had encouraged me through my trying period, I should encourage them too in return with a good show. And that was last year. But for my Lagos fans, I am coming back with a bang next year to tell them all a big thank you. It has been a long time away from the stage. So, Lagos 2020 is a date that will go down well in history. The exact date has not been fixed.
Did you feel at any time that your friends disappointed you when you needed them most?
It’s sad, but that is the truth of my past. This year, 7th of April, I tried to make myself happy by celebrating my birthday, and I said it that day that I have forgiven my friends and thanked everyone that prayed for me to regain my good health. Anyone who didn’t know that I have forgiven him or her should know now. It is more important to move on because life is too short.
What are you looking forward to doing at your show in Lagos?
I will tell my story. Lagosians and people from all over the country know me, but what they will be seeing soon is another me, a new me in another dimension.
What do you consider as your unique selling point?
I am talented in several ways. I guess that is my stay power. I am a comedian, a music-comedian, a director, an actor and so on. These days, I am even known as a public speaker. Few days ago, I was in Abuja to speak at the Nigerian Medical Association Summit. I was there to speak on behalf of all the patients in Nigeria. I am proud of Nigerian doctors, surgeons like Dr Douglass who was trained in London but returned to Nigeria to do surgeries. And he has been here doing remarkable surgeries.
I was in comma for 5 months
You were in coma for five months. When you woke up, did you remember your money, your investments? Did you wonder about your wealth and worth?
(Laughs) The truth is that many people owe me money. Some think because I had loss of memory that I must have forgotten about their debts so they don’t want to pay the money they owe me. But my philosophy now is that money will come and money will go. I thank God that I am alive. If I was dead, will I be here to remember that people owe me money?
Have your debtors made efforts to pay back your money?
The funny aspect is that they are not even calling me.
At what point did you have the belief that you are back to good health?
Oh, that was just last year. A lot of things had taken place. We spent huge sums of money, but life must go on. And I have recovered fully now health wise and finance wise. I have left all the anxiety behind me. At a certain point in life, one begins to reflect on general sayings like ‘health is wealth’, and they suddenly begin to make sense to one. Another of such saying is ‘time na money.’
What would you say helped your speedy recovery?
I stopped thinking about work, about shows and the like. You know as Julius Awgu back then, I was doing about five major shows. There was Crack Ya Ribs, Laff for Christ Sake, I was doing Festival of Love in Noga Hilton, Abuja. I was doing television shows as well. Before the arrival of Instagram, I had been shooting short skit. I used to come up with sudden ideas which I turned to short skit. And many of them are on Youtube. But after the sickness, I forgot how to use Instagram. But I thank God I am alive.
Do you think that stress and over-work contributed to the plight that led you into coma?
Yes, it cannot be removed totally. Apart from the spiritual aspect, my schedule before the relapse was hectic. But then, one thing leads to another.
What kind of lifestyle did you have before the breakdown?
I was over-worked. Everybody knows that I am hard working. Now, I tell people that at 40, there is need to find time to rest, to find time to sleep well. I was not sleeping well. There were many days at a stretch when I slept for just three or four hours. Sad. But now, I make sure that I take my siesta. My wife ensures that I sleep well because overwork also added to my problems then. From the way I worked then, I’m supposed to have grown grey hair all over!
So why don’t you have grey hair or beard?
(Laughs) It refused to come.
You used to also be known for your outlandish dress sense. Are you still that stylish or has it gone with the lost memory?
(Laughs) That one did not disappear with loss of memory. I am still stylish and fashionable. I am much known for my unique style in the entertainment industry. That is just me. I am glad that Dbanj emulated my kind of style. I like his dress sense.
You are 46 with a good name and a happy family life. What else do you want in life?
At 46, I am happy that I have a family, a beautiful daughter Zhara and a handsome son Zaidot. You know in choosing their names, we went after letter Z. The girl is in 10 and she is in secondary school, JSS1, and the boy is in nursery-primary school. You know the educational system has changed. I recall that I started in a public school in Primary 1, holding my big black slate under my arm. Growing up in the village those days, when I woke, I did the usual chores around the house, had a bath and then went around to hawk pap; what we call akamu here in Lagos, before I left for school with my big black slate under my arm.
In residential areas or whenever I saw a crowd, I would shout out to them, ‘Buy akamu and akara here’ to attract people to buy from me. I was always late to school. That was because the akamu and akara must finish before I returned home to pick my slate and head for school. I was always kneeling in front of the whole school, a form of punishment for those who used to get to the school late. In addition to that punishment, when I got to the class, our class teacher would stand me in front of the class, and tell me to dance and entertain everyone before I would sit down. It was a sort of punishment for always coming late to school. But unknown to the teacher, or as God would have it, she was indirectly grooming me for the future. That is because, that was where my music comedy talent started and blossomed.
Sometimes, in order that the teacher should release me early to go and sit down, I would come prepared with extra clothes tucked in my stomach so it could bulge out like clowns usually look, so I could make them laugh easily and quickly. Little did I know that I was grooming myself into what I am today. That was also the days of Uncle JB who used to dance and sing with protruding belly and backside. So I used to do all that, sing and dance in the class in primary school.
But did you stop there?
No. When I got to secondary school in 1984, we were the ones that started the 6334 educational system in Port Harcourt. In Primary 2, I was part of ‘Willie Travelling Theatre,’ people used to call him Willie-Willie then. He had been popular as far back as 1975, and in 1985, I was the youngest member of that travelling theatre. We toured Benin, Delta, and so on.
I remember one performance in Warri, at a point during the performance, Willie-Willie as he was called, was supposed to disappear. He had been put in a coffin and supposedly nailed, but was supposed to come out of the coffin as a ghost! So we did all that on stage, of course setting the hinges on the coffin in such a way that it would be easy for Willie-Willie to break the top of the coffin and walk out in white cloth. And that was what happened.
But as soon as Willie-Willie came out in white flowing clothing as a ghost, Warri people picked up stone and threw it at him! They were shouting, ‘na lie, na lie’ Of course, when the stoning was too much, Willie-Willie ran! We all ran! We didn’t sleep at the hotel that night. I was crying because I didn’t tell my parents where I was going when I left.
What can you say about the entertainment industry then and now?
Those were the days of struggling. But check out the industry now; it is a different ball game. Instagram is here now. I go to shows and see comedians performing my jokes. I see people repeat on stage skits I shot years ago. It is a good feeling. I feel happy that the industry has developed. In 2014, I was in America to watch a top American entertainer perform, and behold, no one was allowed with a phone in the hall because they didn’t want people using their phones to record or snap photos. I guess a time will come in Nigeria when that will be done too.
You had already set out a future for yourself even in secondary school. Did you stop school and face a career?
I have always told young comedians doing jokes that it is not enough to do comedy; that they should go to school. No matter how funny you are. I have also tried in my little way to help young comedians to carve a niche for themselves. I don’t want to mention names of people who I give money to use in paying their fees in higher institutions. Let me even mention Funny Bone. That is one person that is close to me. I met him in Kaduna. I told him to go to school. I told him to register for theatre Arts in University of Port Harcourt. And he went to school. He studied Theatre Arts at the University of Jos.
There’s another one from Bayelsa State; a comedian. I met him when I did a show in Bayelsa. I told him to go to school. He said no, and I told him, I will pay all his school fees. He went but did not do well. It was the same Theatre Arts which I did in 1991/1992. He failed and his father came to tell me. I called the boy and told him I would pay again, he should go back. Behold he passed at the second trial.
Was it easy for you to pay your own school fees then?
No, it was not easy. But I thank God because I went to a university that is located in my village. The University of Port Harcourt is located in my village Choba. It was the saving grace for me. And as God will have it, while I was in the university, I was already doing shows about the place. Whenever the school was on holiday, I moved over to Lagos to struggle, shoot a film or work on a job.
At this point, what does success mean to you?
It means many things to me. It is having the fulfillment that everything you dreamt of is materialising for good, to develop the next person. And the person you are doing it for can be proud of you.
Do you still have a flair for music?
I am even supposed to release a song any moment from now. I have a friend, he is Kaffi’s husband. He came to my house with a fine beat and I agreed with him that I do work on something with him. The kind of music that appeals to me is that of Fela, Onyeka Onwenu or that of African China. Their kind of music talks to me. I am proud of Nollywood. It has been completely transformed and that is good.
Since Saturday, November 2, the Enogie of Ogan community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area, Edo State, HRH George Igbinovia, has been living like a fugitive in Benin City, the state capital. He fled his domain following protests by his subjects over the killing of one Aghahowa Pulley by some soldiers allegedly invited by him and some of his children. His palace was also razed by the irate youths.
Besides the palace, other buildings and vehicles belonging to the traditional ruler’s children were also burnt. Some residents, who fled the community for fear of arrest by security agents, are yet to return home.
The crisis in Ogan community was said to have been caused by the proceeds from the burrow pit owned by the community but operated by some of the sons of the embattled traditional ruler under the name of Patuyi Global Service Limited.
Checks showed that Patuyi Global Services was given the right to prospect and excavate sand at the pit, while a sharing formula was worked out in November, 2010. The sharing formula was for the managers to collect 66 per cent, while the Enogie would get 20 per cent, his children five per cent and sons and daughters of Ogan community 13 per cent. The money was to be received from the fee each lorry paid to the community for a load of sand.
In 2018, crisis had ensued in the community when some youths, backed by some of the Enogie’s children, demanded explanation regarding the operation of the pit and the sharing formula of the proceeds. It was gathered that the youths were peeved when the 13 per cent that was supposed to be paid to the community’s coffers was not found. The money was calculated to have amounted to over N141 million. What further fuelled the youths’ anger was that the operators of the pit, who are children of the Enogie, allegedly told them that the pit was still being test run and their operation had suffered a setback over the kidnapping of the director.
At another meeting held on December 23, 2018, the community’s elders requested the burrow pit operators to pay the community the sum of N70 million, while they (Patuyi) continued with the sand excavation.
He said I should die for him to take over the rulership of the community. He brought all the youths and I told him to wait for his time. He never allowed me to rest. My house has now been burnt… I have spent 34 years on the throne. Daniel said I am now using his time. I told him I cannot kill myself until God says so. Daniel and Matthew would not allow me to rest.
Trouble reared its head again when in October 2019, the Ogan elders and youths resolved to sack Patuyi Global Services for reneging on the agreement on the backlog of money accruing to the community. They picked two youths each from all the quarters in the community to operate the pit to ascertain whether the place was yielding money or not.
Speaking with newsmen in Benin City, HRH Igbinovia, who said he is over 90 years old, blamed his heir apparent, Daniel, as the person responsible for the revolt against him in his domain.
He claimed that his eldest son has been asking why he is still alive.
He said: “He said I should die for him to take over the rulership of the community. He brought all the youths and I told him to wait for his time. He never allowed me to rest. My house has now been burnt.
“Since my wife died four years ago, it was my children that were taking care of me and their houses have been destroyed. My two cars and my son’s car were burnt.
“On Saturday, a few minutes to six, I saw soldiers in the community. They drove to my compound. They said they heard there was trouble in the community and that was what they came to confirm. I sent my son, Wilson, to go with them. Later, l heard gunshots by the Ogan youths.
“I have spent 34 years on the throne. Daniel said I am now using his time. I told him I cannot kill myself until God says so. Daniel and Matthew would not allow me to rest.”
“It was not Wilson that brought the soldiers. They came on their own to confirm whether there was trouble in the community. They came to check if there was riot in the community. They have destroyed many things in the riot. It was my son who instigated the youths to trouble me.
“Government is aware of this problem. I don’t have any house again. Daniel cannot say I relegated him for his younger brothers. He attends community meetings. Since 30th of September, he has stopped some meetings. He has not become Enogie and he has been lying.
“There was one N15million brought by a gas company. He collected the money and paid it into his account. The community said it was wrong of him since I was still alive.”
Peter Ugiagbe, one of Ogan sons, said the allegations levelled by the Enogie were not true. He listed the Enogie’s sons operating the pit to include Patrick, Efe and Uyi.
He said: “We follow due process in whatever we do. When the issue of this burrow pit came up, we wrote a letter to the Enogie over the sharing formula, which was written by the Enogie and Ogan community. There was a percentage which ought to be given to Ogan sons and daughters in the ratio of 13 percent to all. Five percent to the children of the Enogie.
“For 10 years, the Enogie children, under Pat-Uyi Global Services, have been excavating sand from the pit. They reneged on their part in the payment of 13 per cent accruing to us. He bluntly refused to give us the money. We wrote to the community.
“In the resolution, it was agreed that the pit belonged to Ogan community and not any individual. Enogie is not the owner. He is only the custodian of whatever is in the community.
HRH George Igbinovia
“We petitioned the AIG Zone 5 to enable us recover the sum of N171,360,000. That is the money due to us. The case is still with the AIG. The community met and attempted to broker peace. In the peace arrangement, it was agreed that the Enogie’s children should refund N70 million. They are yet to pay the money.
“We later held a meeting at the Ogan Town Hall and it was resolved that the community takes ownership of the pit. Agreement was reached and signed by all the elders of the community. It was based on this that the seven quarters that make up Ogan community would produce two persons each to work in the sand pit in a routine manner.
“We took possession of the pit. As we were there working, we heard that the Enogie and his sons were bringing soldiers to the community. The Crown Prince went to the 4 Brigade to ask why soldiers were deployed in the community. It was there we heard that the soldiers had started operation.
“Wilson pointed out Agharuwa Pulley who was shot dead by the soldiers who later fled. The community got provoked and they paraded the community with the corpse.
Another youth, Mr. Julius Agbonze, son of Odionwere of Alohonba quarters, said since 2010, they had not received a dime from Patuyi.
He said: “Last year, we agitated and they calmed us down. Since December last year, we have not received one kobo. We wrote to the palace to know where the money was paid into and they told us they have been test running the burrow pit for the past 10 years. We went and shut the place down.
“The Enobore of Ogan invited us for a meeting; we asked them for our money and nothing was said about it. The Enobore said the community would take over the operation of the pit to know if it is true that nothing was coming in from the pit. The Enogie agreed to the settlement.
“Two days later, they brought soldiers and they started shooting. Someone came out of the soldiers’ Hilux vehicle and pointed at Aghahowa, who was shot four times. Prince Daniel never said he would overthrow his father. Each time he goes into the palace, the other sons will beat him up.
On his part, Prince Daniel Igbinovia denied plotting his father’s death so that he could ascend the throne.
He said: “There was never a time I tried to kill my father. My father never wanted me around him. He was married to three wives. I am the eldest son. Ever since he married the second wife who gave birth to Wilson, Efe and Patrick, my mother never had peace in the house. She was always beaten up by my father.
“My mother later ran away because of the domestic violence. My father took another wife who later raised me. I never knew my mother until I was in form five. I was in the classroom when the principal sent for me. It was in his office the principal asked if I had ever seen my mother. My mother came in and started crying.
“I have been tortured by my father for more than 44 years. I spent 20 years in the United States and came back. Each time I go to the village, my half-brothers will start harassing me. I don’t care because I know they are my younger ones.
“A company once came and my half-brother signed in my place. It was when the youths rebelled that he came to me. It was when they brought the MOU that I saw that he signed in my column. The things they were supposed to leave for the community were monetised and the money was never seen.
“My father does not want to see any one of us. Those tears you see on his face are not real.
“It is a lie that I collected money on behalf of the community. It is not possible for me to tell my father to die. If he lives long, that is a precedent that I will live longer than him. The community’s youths respect me because I believe in equity. His other children never allowed my father to do the right thing.
“It is not my making that I am the crown prince. It is divine. I always tell my father to talk about morals. If he were not an Enogie, am I not still his first son? The Wilson he is projecting is the fifth son and ninth child. I never liked violence.
“This incident is unfortunate. I didn’t have control over it. I know the truth must prevail. The community owns the property; let them have a share, they said no, and that is greed.
“How could I be happy that burnt the palace? What about the things burnt that could not be recovered? My half-brothers have been boasting that I should see if I would become the Enogie. Their intention is for the Enogieship to end with our father since they cannot get it.”
The National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has said it will ensure that local government areas comply with the new minimum wage.
Its President, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel, said the N30,000 national minimum wage is a law that must be obeyed throughout the federation, adding that it is a must for local government administrators to obey the law.
He added that the union would do everything to ensure that members at the local government level enjoyed the new wage as stipulated by the law.
He said as one of the labour leaders that participated, from the beginning to the end of the negotiation, particularly on the consequential adjustment, the union has been in touch with the leadership of various states as things continued to unfold on the process up till the last minute when the agreement was reached.
He said: ”We have passed it to our members and alerted them through a text message, before our circular got to them, that this was the outcome of the agreement and they should prepare ground to engage various governments at their level, from local to state level, to make sure that this consequential adjustment is implemented as expected by all our members.
“That is why our union is primarily concerned and worried about the viability of the local government as a system. There is no gainsaying that the system is sinking because of the constitutional encumbrances. This is because the level of encroachment of state government on the local government is already putting our members and the system at a disadvantaged position and unless and until we keep faith with the fight and struggle to make the system viable, certainly the future of local government is bleak. Strategically, we are in touch with the leadership of the union at various levels, that is the states and local governments.
“I want to also say that it is as a result of our presence that our group, in the categorisation of the salary structure, is even having an upper hand , you can see clearly that the category is divided into A and B , local government workers fall into category A which got the highest percentage in the agreement.
Khaleel said the Organised Labour is supposed to demand for review of the minimum by 2021, adding that this is in accordance with the provision of the minimum wage act.
Worried over the increasing unemployment, Ikeja Local Government Area in conjunction with Aliam’s Care Foundation plan to create over 2,500 jobs within one year.
Disclosing this at a press conference held to mark the official launch of the NGO in Lagos, the Chairman of Ikeja LGA, Dr. Mojeed Alabi Balogun, said the government embraced the foundation because of the parity of vision as regards youths and women empowerment, wealth creation and fight against poverty and hunger in the country.
“More youths and women in the country would soon be pulled out of poverty circle as Ikeja LGA of Lagos State goes into partnership with Aliam’s Care Foundation for the purpose of empowering them to create wealth.
“Already, the LGA says it has empowered over 250 youths this year to go into various wealth creating ventures and is optimistic that the new cooperation with Aliam’s (an NGO) will help pull thousands of more youths and women out of poverty in the nearest future,” he stressed.
Represented on the occasion by the Head, Department of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Aka-Bashorun Taiwo, the local council chief expressed excitement about the partnership because of his passion for empowerment and creation of wealth among youths and women.
The founder of Aliam’s Care, Mrs Justin’s Chibututu, said the increasing rates of poverty and social vices in the country such kidnapping and armed robbery call for concerted efforts by individuals and government to fight the root causes, particularly, unemployment.
The rising automation of the workforce and adoption of robotic technology may be enhancing productivity and profitability in the industrial and services sectors. But its potential effect on job losses remains a concern for stakeholders, TOBA AGBOOLA reports.
With technology changing the way businesses operate, by creating a shift from manual to automated processes, thereby reducing the number of workers, the unemployment rate in the country is sure going to surge. This, among other reasons, explains why stakeholders and labour organisations are expressing concerns about the impact of technology adoption, particularly robots, would have on the labour market.
Across sectors, in recent times, robots are being handed jobs hitherto done by humans. These tasks include testing or inspecting products, picking and packaging, or assembling small electronic sets.
According to experts, as robots become smarter, faster and cheaper, they are increasingly taking on more “human” capabilities and traits, such as sensing, dexterity, memory and trainability.
At the 10th Triennial National Delegates Conference of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) in Abuja, stakeholders were of the view that employers are interested in recruiting cheap labour and procuring cheap raw-materials while restricting access to advanced production techniques for employees’ to develop their skills.
They said the introduction of digital innovations has led to a flurry of new actors and new tools entering the financial institutions.
Speaking at the programme, the National President, ASSBIFI, Comrade Oyinkansola Olasanoye, said this was a major threat not only to the institutions, but to the general public and the employees as most of the new actors are often less regulated and less labour-intense.
She said the rise of robot advisers in the financial service is another development that merits further consideration, adding that not only are these machines impartial, they exhibit the biases of their programmers and are able to gather all information a human salesperson can with soft skills, possiblly leading to sub-optional financial advice.
She said: “Customers are at new risks of machines programmed to direct their actions. The issues of fairness in competition is also a major concern as the digital world is a winner takes all business.
”The increase in financial inclusion as a result of the digitalisation of financial services, as more people have a mobile phone than a bank account, if not adequately regulated, will lead to a predatory behaviours and excessive transaction costs being imposed on these new and in experienced customers. In addition, new regulations have increased the cost of doing business and policy compliance costs.”
Olasanoye said the combined effect of all these innovations and their impact on financial stability and on the viability of traditional banks and insurance companies requires a careful balance between fostering innovation and ensuring a regulatory level playing field.
”The management of our banks and insurance institutions have responded to all these development in several ways including closing branches, cutting staff, re-focusing client relationship, developing and re-developing their digital offer and working to integrate the block chain technology. They have used the complexity and burden of these regulations as an excuse to become more fragile with several consequences. There would indeed be very little public support or political appetite for a new round bailout,” she said.
Chief Executive Officer, Precise Financial System Ltd, Dr Yele Okeremi who is also the guest speaker admonished labour unions to prepare for a different world of work that is emerging.
As the line between employer and employees grows thinner, Okeremi urged the Federal Government to get its workforce ready for the future of work that would rely on innovation and technology, and the one that would present fluid interchanges between an employer and an employee.
He explained: “Let anyone say whatever they want about automation taking jobs, that line of thought will not stop the world from deploying technology and innovation. My opinion is to ask how Nigeria can get her people ready for the automation technology.
“While technology may take away jobs, technology will also create jobs in other sectors of the economy. What we should be focusing on is, will we still be able to get future workers to be interested in the kinds of services that would be required in the future because the future will require knowledgeable workers whose bargaining powers as individuals would be huge that some of them would ask if they actually need a union? So, unions themselves would have to start reconsidering its value proposition in that new context or else they would completely transform into irrelevance. As it is for the unions, so it is for employers’ and organisations.”
He said major stakeholders must prepare for the world of work that is rapidly evolving.
He said: “The dynamics of the economy and the forces that are shaping globalisation are such that a future world of work would not be a future that would be synonymous with the type of employment we have now. When people come out to talk about contract staffing or outsourcing, then they are missing the point. This is because these are just forms of employment and the fact that they are forms of employment should not disqualify them as decent work.
”The future of work may not necessarily mean that somebody would have to report in a physical space to resume at 8am and close at 5pm. Indeed, we do not have the terminologies to describe some of the forms of employment that will emerge in the next 20 to 50 years. The reality is that it will certainly happen. The form it will take, nobody knows.”
Okeremi warned that the world of work would be so fluid in the future that there would be thin line between employer and employee.
He said: “A time will come when it will be difficult to define whether someone is an employer or is an employee. So, our issue is simply is the imperative for a strong regulation, a strong inspection that will ensure that wherever employment emerges, that work is considered to be decent. For me, that should be the focus and not on whether somebody is on a regular, pensionable employment or on a short contract. That is what we know now, but there are other forms of employment that are on their way.”
The General Secretary, Non-Academic Staff Union and Associated Institutions (NASU), Peters Adeyemi, said while the fears that automation may lead to job losses in Africa and other developing countries, massive job losses have not been recorded in developed countries that have deployed robotics in most economic areas.
He said: “The usage of automation to do jobs that human beings were hitherto doing, is a phenomenon that is already happening in Europe and some parts of Asia. But don’t forget that Europe has moved so much ahead of Africa in terms of employment and unemployment rate. There are some countries in Europe where the rate of employment is virtually zero.
“So, this issue of automation taking over the jobs human beings are doing has been on for years and there has not been statistics or data to show that even in the developed economies where automation is happening that jobs are already being lost. I must quickly add that that is not to say that automation is not a threat to jobs globally.
”In our own situation, we must admit that automation will pose a threat though not an immediate threat because things that are needed to ensure automation runs smoothly are not on ground here.”
Adeyemi also pointed out that lack of stable electricity would hugely inhibit the functionality of an automated industrial space.
He posited that although government seems not to be ready to automate the industrial space, such a move would lead to mass unemployment and aggravate insecurity in the country.
ThE fifth edition of the HarvestPlus Nutritious Food Fair (NFF) with the theme, “Nutrition is everybody’s business” has ended at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture(IITA ), Ibadan, Oyo State . NFF is an annual flagship event of HarvestPlus Nigeria, which aims to drive the production, consumption, and marketing of nutritious food in Nigeria..
In his opening remarks, IITA Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery, Kenton Dashiell, described IITA and HarvestPlus as “family”, because both have a mission to improve the health and nutrition of people all over Africa and the world. “We’re here to change things, and every year we should be able to see at least a change, an improvement in the health and nutrition of our people”, he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of HarvestPlus, Arun Baral, was pleased to see that many stakeholders are taking nutrition and health more importantly, and according to him, “taking biofortification to the next level—where biofortified foods are available on everyone’s table.” He added that the food fair platform is unique to Nigeria, thereby setting the country as a model to the world on how to solve nutrition problems.
HarvestPlus Country Director, Nigeria, Paul Ilona, said “HarvestPlus is multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary.” With over 60 partners in the public and private sectors, research institutes as well as foundations and civil societies, HarvestPlus works on large-scale food fortification, scaling up the nutrition business network, improving national government policies, a postharvest loss alliance for nutrition, and better diets for children.
The Head of Nutrition, HarvestPlus, Erick Boy-Gallego, described biofortification as: “An evidence-based intervention to tackle micronutrient malnutrition.” HarvestPlus and partners are working to ensure that nutrition is at the table whenever agricultural productivity is being discussed.
This year’s NFF reiterated the importance of biofortification as well as availability and accessibility of biofortified crops, as nearly 50 million people in Nigeria are Vitamin A deficient.
trition business network, improving national government policies, a postharvest loss alliance for nutrition, and better diets for children.
The Head of Nutrition, HarvestPlus, Erick Boy-Gallego, described biofortification as: “An evidence-based intervention to tackle micronutrient malnutrition.” HarvestPlus and partners are working to ensure that nutrition is at the table whenever agricultural productivity is being discussed.
This year’s NFF reiterated the importance of biofortification as well as availability and accessibility of biofortified crops, as nearly 50 million people in Nigeria are Vitamin A deficient.
Nigerian youths have been urged to seize opportunities in agriculture, a sector imperative to the diversification programme of the Federal Government.
It was an appeal made by one of Nigeria’s delegates to the just-concluded fourth annual Youth Agric Summit in Brazil.
The summit is part of the Bayer Agricultural Education Programme which brings together young change-makers, aged between 18 and 25, to tackle the challenges of feeding a growing population by 2050.
The delegates were Iyanuoluwa Aliu, an alumnus of the Adekunle Ajasin University; and Esther Ajari of Trihealton. They were selected from 2,800 applications around the globe to represent West and Central Africa at the summit, hosted by Bayer and Nuffield.
Aliu lamented the challenges of youth unemployment, urging young people to explore opportunities easily accessible in agriculture because, “agriculture is the future.”
Explaining how the summit will help put Nigeria on the front burner in agricultural innovation, he said, the integration of technology and digital toolsm such as drones, robotics, artificial intelligence, Blockchain and others, was important to bridge the gap in the food supply chain. In Nigeria, the solution starts from gathering data to determining how best to tackle the challenges we face leveraging system mapping.
The Lagos State Agro-Processing, Agricultural Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS), a Federal Government – World Bank Assisted programme, is exploring opportunities in pelleting to boost production. Pelleting involves compressing feed ingredients into small pieces for chickens. Chickens fed with pellets are ready for sale in six weeks, DANIEL ESSIET reports.
THE Poultry industry contributes about 25 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from agriculture. Its networth is almost N1.6 trillion. The chicken population in Nigeria is estimated at about 165 million, producing approximately 650,000 metric tonnes (mt) of meat and 300,000mt of eggs, according to experts.
Its demand is estimated at over 200 million birds, while those for eggs and meat stand at about 790,000mt and 1,500,000mt.
In Lagos, the demand is driven by the expansion of the middle-class, urbanisation and rapid population growth.
Poultry is an affordable source of protein, and its popularity is rising across socio-economic strata.
The industry is, however, faced with many challenges, especially in feed. Feed accounts for about 70 per cent of the cost of production. Its prices continue to rise with new entants making it difficult for smallholder farmers to access quality feed for the fowls.
To address this challenge, operators are looking at a wider use of feed pellets by farmers to increase feed intake and weight gain by the chickens. Currently, chicken feed comes mainly mash form. Although there is feed pellet it is mostly used by commercial farmers.
Mash typically results in some waste due to separation of grains (coarse particles) from other ingredients and supplements that causes the flicking behaviour of chickens. The problem is solved in pellet feed which is uniform in proportion and improves digestion of nutrients in broilers.
Analysts said there are many production benefits in feeding pellets to poultry. The are better hygiene, quality feed, reduced wastage, decreased ingredient segregation and decreased opportunities for selective feeding.
Others are increased feed intake and weight gain.
Buoyed by this, the Lagos State Agro-Processing, Agricultural Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support, (APPEALS), a Federal Government-World Bank Assisted programme, has mounted a campaign to encourage small- and medium-scale poultry farmers to use feed pelleting technology to enhance productivity.
In partnership with a private sector company, Creative Farms Solution Limited, APPEALS is mobilising chicken farmers to engage the new approach to benefit maximally from pelletised feed.
Speaking with The Nation, Creative Farms Solution Limited Managing Director Mr. Toyin Johnson, listed the advantages of pelleting chicken feed ingredients. He said “each time the chicken eats one pellet, it gets all the nutrients, therefore, a farmer is sure that every chicken that eats will get a complete diet. Because of this, there is no need to add other materials for nutrients. He said the feed is also sanitised as the process of making it kills bacteria since it goes through steam treatment.”
He said pelleting reduces chicken feed waste, water soiling, and selective eating behaviour in chickens. He noted that broilers feed with pellets are ready for sale in six weeks, and most of them are of uniform size since they eat the same diet. This is in comparison to the eight to nine weeks before broilers fed on mash feed are ready for sale.
In addition to saving money, he said the birds fed on pellet feeds are of high quality.
Comparing poultry farmers who use pellet and mash feeds, he said those who use pellet feeds save money. He stated that broilers respond to pelleted feed by spending less time to eat the same or more feed. This decreases time spent on eating which depletes their energy.
APPEALS Project Coordinator Mrs. Oluranti Sagoe-Oviebo said the objective was to enhance the productivity of small and medium scale farmers and value addition.
According to her, it is important that the composition of feed aids broiler and breeders’ developing digestive systems to improve feed regulation as maturity approaches.
She said: “ On October 8, we did a demonstration on the nipple-fitted drinkers and the use of pelletised feed for broilers. One of the things this project is looking at is how we can improve the production and the productivity of small and medium scale farmers in poultry, aquaculture and rice. Today, we are here to look at the success story of what we have done. We are looking at the closure of the border, the impact on the lives of farmers, and if we must close our border we must be able to sustain ourselves in terms of production and that was one of the things that spurred the project to look at how we can enhance the production of broilers to achieve maximum growth, less mortality and enhance the take home of our farmers.“
She added: “I want to appeal to everyone here because we cannot invite all the farmers in the state to this demonstration. But we expect that every farmer belongs to a group, we expect that you go back to your group and step down whatever you have been taught.
We hope that you will go back and adopt this technology. The productivity of farmers has been enhanced already from the result. By the time you go back to your groups and step this down and you embrace this technology, I am sure that, in the next few months, we will have a lot of poultry birds on the tables of Nigerians.
We don’t want to eat frozen chicken brought from Benin Republic and other places. We want to encourage our own. We can do it and the Lagos State and the Federal Government have created an enabling environment for every one of us. So, let us key into that opportunity now; let us work with the vision and make something good out of this.”
Mrs. Sagoe-Oviebo said the sector still held huge potential for the country as the demand for poultry products keeps expanding.
She said the Lagos State’s engagement with the APPEALS Project was to leverage the opportunities to ensure that the three main areas of focus, aquaculture, poultry and rice, are the main areas it has comparative advantage.
The Productivity Enhancement Specialist, Lagos (APPEALS) Project, Mr. Balogun Olanrewaju, said the objective of the intervention was to produce chicken meat and egg to reduce importation and close the gap between demand and supply; raise a new crop of agropreneurs in modern poultry production.
APPEALS project targets 60,000 beneficiaries and 360,000 farm household members as indirect beneficiaries. Part of its sub-component is to benefit women and youth that would allow them to develop agri-businesses that are expected to create jobs and improve their livelihoods. States benefitting from its projects are Cross River, Enugu, Lagos, Kogi, Kaduna, and Kano States. Lagos, Kogi, Kaduna, and Kano States.
