The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Inside Port Harcourt Maximum Prison

    Inside Port Harcourt Maximum Prison

    The Port Harcourt Maximum Prison is home to 3463 awaiting trial inmates. PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA was at the prison on Good Friday and he found out that the inmates cherish freedom more than anything else.

    It was Good Friday; a special day for Christians to celebrate the death of Jesus Christ. The General Overseer of Apostolic Army, Bishop Winning Willy Bunting, decided to celebrate his 55th birthday at Port Harcourt Maximum Prison, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    The prison gate was tightly guarded by angry-looking prison officials. At 10am, the Bishop arrived at the Prison with few of his church members, family and a senior officer of the prison. In spite of the presence of the prison official, the team members were thoroughly searched.

    The visitors were not allowed to go in with anything, not even a car or house key.  Some, including this reporter, were asked to remove their shoes for search.

    After the main gate, there was another frisking at the second gate. Not far from here was a prison board where it was indicated that the prison houses 3,463 awaiting trial inmates. 51 of them are women.

    At the left wing of the prison gate were a crowd of parents, relatives, well-wishers and non-governmental organisations’ officials who were waiting to be checked in with food and sanitary materials.

    According to a prison official, who pleaded anonymity, festive season usually saw many coming to show love to the inmates.

    Inside the prison yard there were a lot of young men, women and elderly men walking around. Some behaved like they were mentally unbalanced. Many of them wore face of repentance. Some others with hardened face and perhaps unrepentant heart.

    Not a few kept saying “Oga, find us something; I want to eat”.  What happened to the food items being donated daily by churches, companies, individuals and other organisations?

    Speaking at the special service to mark the pastor’s birthday, John Abangi, a convict, who introduced some of the leaders of the inmates, said the visitors should not be surprised the way they were praising God, adding that some of them had been there for years and had decided to be closer to God through the theological school in the prison yard.

    He noted that the school had graduated a lot of pastors now winning souls for God in the prison yard.

    “I came here years ago after I committed a crime against the government. I was sentenced with option of N500, 000 fines, but I didn’t have anybody to provide that kind of money; that is why you are seeing me here. Though, God has helped me to provide N150, 000 remaining N350, 000. I believe that one day God will assist me to pay the remaining money.

    “I want to inform you that there are some people who are here with just fine of N15, 000, N20,000 and N30,000. But they are here because when they committed such crime and they were charged to court, their family members deserted them. That is why they are here; God knows why we are here. But for those youths out there, they should know that food and money is not the first thing man should think of in life but freedom. When you are free, you can do anything.”

    One of the prison pastors, Mr. Joseph Moses, who is serving a life sentence after being convicted of drug trafficking offence, thanked God that his case was reduced from death to life sentence.

    He said God who reduced the death sentence to life sentence would one day free him.

    “I have nobody to intervene on my case. I will be here but one thing I know is that someday God will perform a miracle on my case. I was arrested for drug offence and since then I have regretted my action and when I discovered that we have theology school here, I decided to get closer to God.

    “I’m calling on the youths of this country to desist from crime or anything that can bring them to prison yard. One thing that is lacking here is freedom. I want to thank the man of God for choosing to celebrate his birthday here instead of going to pleasant environment. This shows that he loves us and God will bless him more. We are human beings like others out there. The only thing is that we are unfortunate to be a victim and a prisoner of the crime we committed.”

    Another inmate, Mr. John Onuhwor, said he was sentenced to 21 years imprisonment for a crime he was unaware of. He said he would have been a death person if not for the love of God.

    “I want to call on the privileged individual in the society to know that some of us are ignorant of the crime that brought us here. I’m pleading that they should always remember us here. Some of us have only small fine to pay and we will get out of here.

    “People used to come here for prayer and when we pray for them, God will answer them. I remember that in 2015, one of the governors from Southeast came here and requested that we should pray for him and we did, today he is a governor. When he came here that time, we told him that God would answer our prayer but when he is enjoying he should not forget us and the less privileged in the society. If he doesn’t remember us, he should not forget the poor.”

    Mr. Adeosun Kazeem, an inmate in Port Harcourt prison, denounced his faith and embraced Christianity after celebrating birthday with Bishop Bunting.

    Kazeem, who is the leader of the convicted inmates, said he was convicted of murder while in Nigerian Army in 2007. He said the love the man of God had for inmates by hosting his 55th birthday with them showed that he was the best Easter gift.

    The ex-soldier said he was abandoned by his family members and friends immediately he was convicted.

    Bishop Bunting stated that the choice of Port Harcourt prison for his birthday was to win souls for Christ. He stated that there was need for reorganisation in the prisons, adding that good infrastructures must be put in place to help in the reformation of the inmates.

    Bishop Bunting noted: “My birthday has been celebrated in all those places, like government houses, big event centres etc. Four years ago, I celebrated my birthday in four cities of the world after Nigeria had celebrated theirs.

    “This year, I was instructed by God Almighty to go to sthe prisons and celebrate my 55th birthday; that there is a gift for me. God instructed that he wants to use by birthday to do a special thing.

    “The Overall General who had been a Muslim for 40 years accepted Jesus Christ. I believe that the strong hold of prison has been broken and there is freedom. I want a total reform of Nigeria prison. I want to task Christians to direct their compassion to prisoners and doing such would help in depopulating the kingdom of darkness.”

    While food was being served to prison inmates, the visitors started walking out. Some of the inmates who were waving goodbye beg for money: “Oga find us something”.

  • Ize-Iyamu…Fight to the end

    Some days back, the Oba of Benin spoke. He sparsely does. Oba Ewuare 11 gave a fatherly advice to a subject, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu: do not appeal last Friday’s decision of the three-man Election Petitions Tribunal led by Justice Ahmed Badamasi, which dismissed your case against Governor Godwin Obaseki.

    The Oba’s position is not a surprise. As the Crown Prince of Benin, after Obaseki was declared winner, he put a closure on the election. It is won and lost and he is happy with the outcome, he told the then outgoing Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

    The then Oba-in-waiting spoke when Oshiomhole, his wife Iara, Obaseki and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), visited him at his palace.

    Prince Erediauwa said: “I thank God and our ancestors for hearing the fervent prayers before the election, and for bringing out somebody that will uplift our people and respect the tradition. I will tell the governor-elect, keep to your promises, keep your words, put food on the table of our people, respect the traditional institution and ensure you build on what Oshiomhole has done.

    “The passion and respect Oshiomhole has for our tradition is number one. Oshiomhole is today a Benin son of the palace. He is one governor who has catapulted the image of the Oba of Benin and our tradition to the highest level. Oshiomhole is a different type of governor and we urge Obaseki to emulate him.”

    Ize-Iyamu was the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the September 28, 2016 Edo governorship poll. In the tribunal judges’ wisdom, Ize-Iyamu and the PDP lacked credible evidence to prove their case. The tribunal thus upheld the election of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

    Ize-Iyamu and his party are going on appeal. They have made that abundantly clear and they believe verily that the “journey ahead would be shorter”. It is also their belief that “God will vindicate us in the long run”.

    Like Ize-Iyamu and his party, I support their move to appeal. But my reason is not the same as theirs. Here is my reason: If Ize-Iyamu and the PDP do not go to the Court of Appeal, so many people will be losing a lot of money. The court will lose filing fees; the lawyers will lose professional fees; and the Federal Government will lose Value Added Tax and Company Income Tax, which the law firms that will be involved in the legal tussle will pay next year.

    Elections disputes do not come cheap. Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) are always involved. They do not come cheap. They gather their associates too. At times, forensic experts are also deployed. So, stopping the tussle now will be injurious to the finances of these guys and their firms. No, please do not stop. This is a matter that must be pursued to the Supreme Court.

    I will also advise that more SANs and other lawyers be engaged by Ize-Iyamu and the PDP. The number used at the tribunal was not enough. They were overworked and that perhaps gave room for lapses, which the tribunal capitalised on to dismiss the case.

    After the verdict was given, a mischievous fellow, hiding under the guise of an analyst, said Ize-Iyamu should not have bothered to approach the court at all.  He said the pastor and his party should have known that given the Supreme Court judgments on the 2015 governorship tussles, there was no way he could prove anything. The enemy in analyst garb added that what the Supreme Court did was to tell politicians to ensure they were not rigged out and that once they were rigged out, they should mourn their losses and not burn their money on litigations.

    Do I share this mischievous guy’s position? Certainly no. That others were not lucky does not mean Ize-Iyamu will not be. More so,  many people stand to lose a lot of cash if this battle ends now. This is not the time to end the bitter battle, which started even before the party primaries.

    The campaigns were raw and rough. Though there were several candidates, it was clear to the discerning that the race was two-horse. And the duo wasted no time on other candidates. Obaseki abused no other candidate except Ize-Iyamu, who also wasted no time trading insults with any other person than the man credited with being the egg-head behind the Adam Oshiomhole’s economic blueprint.

    History  was thrown in the boxing ring. We were reminded that Obaseki’s great grand-father betrayed the Oba of Benin— and by extension the Benin kingodm— when he accepted to be the sole administrator of the kingdom after the British invasion. So, Edo people were stylishly told that someone from such lineage should not be supported to rule Edo. At a point, a film by Lancelot Oduwa-Imasuen on the history of Benin kingdom was even circulated to show to the people that the so-called act of betrayal was not the figment of anyone’s imagination.

    The exciting Edo race saw Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, being literally punched. Those who did that believe he backed Obaseki; they asked him to leave Edo alone. They said they did not want a governor who would be hopping in and out of Dangote’s private jet.

    Ize-Iyamu told us Obaseki was a “typical green horn”, who should be rejected because Oshiomhole could easily manipulate him. He described Osho baba as a Pseudo Comrade, whose candidate should be rejected for subjecting the people to untold hardship. He also described Obaseki as Oshiomhole’s puppet.

    Edo PDP chairman Chief Dan Orbih told us Oshiomhole spent N11.6 million to “buy drinks” for President Muhammadu Buhari; he wondered how Buhari, a Muslim, could be bought alcohol.

    The insults were not one-sided. We were told Ize-Iyamu served in the administration of Chief Lucky Igbinedion and was part of the rot of that era. We were told that Ize-Iyamu was a cultist in his days at the University of Benin (UNIBEN). His membership of the Pyrate Confraternity, co-founded by the respected Prof Wole Soyinka, who by the way is a great friend of Oshiomhole,  was interpreted to mean he was a member of a dreaded secret cult.

    His explanation that Pyrate or Seadogs was not (and is still not) a secret cult, as it was well-known to the authorities of the universities where it operated, did not stop his traducers from continuing to repeat the allegation. To buttress their point, they referred to the fact that he was expelled from UNIBEN at some point after an acid attack on a student. He gave his explanations, but still the allegation kept being thrown in the mix.

    Aside the cultism issue, we were told that Ize-Iyamu had answers to give to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) about some financial malfeasance.

    It was just one raw and rough race, which has literally not ended and should not end now for the sake of those who need it to be above recession.

    My final take: On the Ize-Iyamu/Obaseki saga, if bitterness be the way to ensure lawyers and associated professionals get cash to meet their needs, pay taxes to government and do much more, let the battle go up to the Supreme Court. After then, we all can rest and leave the matter to God.

  • Ogiemwonyi: A bastion of hope

    A few weeks ago, Engr. Chris Osa Ogiemwonyi marks his birth solitarily in Abuja amidst family, friends and admirers. It was the occasion of his sixty six birthday anniversary. On that day, March 21st, no air was woven around his eminence on the occasion; neither was there associated pumps and panoply, befitting of an all-round leader and achiever who has charted genuine paths for durable development.

    The former Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC; the former Minister of State for Works, Federal Ministry of Works and a front line gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) remains a bastion of hope.

    He proudly holds membership and fellowship of several professional bodies, including being a Member, Society of Petroleum Engineers, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, and former President, Nigeria Gas Association, is reputed to have equally chaired several boards and committees while in service, all attesting to his enticing capacity and capability to perform at top level administrative and managerial positions.

    It is on record that apart from chairing the N-Gas board, Hyson/Calson JV and directing NETCODIETSMANN, Ogiemwonyi equally was member, NNPC Corporate Board; member, Presidential Committee on Independent Power Project, IPP development for Niger – Delta; member, Presidential Committee on accelerated Expansion of Electricity Infrastructure; member, Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN; Former Council Member, Petroleum Training Institute, Warri; and former member Nigermed.

    Recently, the ingenuity and visionary leadership of Ogiemwonyi was made manifest at the University of Benin 42nd Founder’s Day Lecture, on November 23rd, 2016. The lecture titled: “Hard Times for These Times: The Think Factory Guide to Action”, brought the best out the celebrated engineer. In that lecture, Ogiemwonyi called on the government to allow to local refineries in the oil communities to participate in the modular refineries to be established.

    In his words: “Government should have the will power to do a complete deregulation in the downstream. Once we do that, the issue of fraud and corruption in the downstream could be eliminated. I also think that we should start having local refineries, just as it was done in Niger Republic; Modular refineries.”

    He suggested that government should be curious to know how they are successfully refining even in makeshift plants and see how to improve on it to make it healthier and more efficient. Currently, the operations are unregulated and thus anything goes, allowing a scenario where all characters are welcomed to play a part. Government should get them together and organise them may be into co-operatives or structured production clusters and regulate their activities, their sources of crude, the refining process, the pollution of the environment and who they sell to.

    In a dramatic turn a few weeks ago, the federal government through the Acting President then, Prof Yemi Osinbajo on his visit to the Niger Delta advocated Ogiemwonyi’s position on the illegal refineries when he said, “The Ministry of Petroleum Resources in collaboration with oil companies is working on a forty point agenda initiative for the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta. In particular, one of those is working with illegal refineries in the oil producing communities to participate in the modular refineries that would be established.”

    Ogiemwonyi’s position on the illegal refineries is clear as an astute petroleum expert of international repute foe several decades. He is of the opinion that the federal government move will generate income for the nation through sales and taxes while curbing crude oil theft and bunkering activities in the region as well as providing employment for the people who will be allowed to open and operate the modular refineries. Youth restiveness will be put in check with the people being included in the control of their collective wealth and resources.

    He searches for solutions that transcend the usual adversarial approaches and address the causal level of problems of Niger Delta and Nigeria at large without selfishness. A visionary leader finds a higher synthesis of the best of both sides of the crises and address the systemic root causes of problems in order to create real breakthroughs for the economic woes of her/his. That’s Engr. Chris Osa Ogiemwonyi for you! He deserves 66 cheers from all of us!!

     

    • Ikhide writes from Lagos.
  • No end in sight to IYC woes

    No end in sight to IYC woes

    What is happening to the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide? The council, the only vibrant frontline organisation in Ijaw nation, is in tatters. It is bugged down by conflicting interests. It has been brought to its knees by a succession crisis. In fact, things seem to have fallen apart in IYC. Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa reports

    If there were doubts that all is not well with the  Ijaw Youth Council (IYC),  that should have ended with Wednesday’s clash in Delta State. A  46th birthday lecture for ex-miliant leader Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) turned violent when supporters of the  two factions in the group threw caution to the wind. Guns boomed. Axes were freely used and many scaled fences to escape being hurt.

    A lawyer and immediate past spokesman of the group, Mr. Eric Omare, has  insisted that the council he leads is the authentic one.

    But a group viciously opposed to Omare recently concluded a parallel poll producing another lawyer, Mr. Oweilaemi Pereotubo, as a factional leader of the council. So, there seems to be no end in sight to the IYC imbroglio.

     

    Genesis of crisis

    Succession crisis is not new to the IYC. The immediate past President of the council, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, had a good dose of it. He was enmeshed in a similar impasse. In 2014, Eradiri swam the murky waters of IYC troubles, but stood his ground and ruggedly withstood all obstacles thrown to him by his detractors.

    Apart from successfully securing a political solution to the crisis, Eradiri smartly silenced all dissent voices through multiple valid court judgements. Midway into his tenure, the forces against Eradiri rose again. A significant number of his executive committee teemed up against him and conspired to depose him. They went further to declare an Ijaw youth leader, Mr. Elvis Donkemezuo, a President of IYC.

    But unknown to them, Eradiri had them cornered. He brandished copies of court judgements confirming their actions as illegal. He instituted fresh litigations charging them with contempt of court. Donkemezuo later threw in the towel citing love for Ijaw nation and desire for peace. Eradiri, thereafter, had fragile peace and temporary relief.

    Undoubtedly, the present crisis rocking the council is an offshoot of the opposition against Eradiri’s leadership by his defunct executive members. His opponents, after their aborted attempt to remove him, simply relaxed and waited for a transition process.

    So, on November 8, 2016,  Eradiri directed all zones and chapters of the council to begin the transition process. He asked them to immediately call for a general congress and nominate their electoral committee members.

    The former President said his directive was in line with the council’s constitution, citing  Article (9) section 1, 2, 3, where he derived his powers as the leader of the National Executive Council (NEC).

    He said: “I humbly direct all zones and chapter Chairmen with due consultation with their executive council members, to call for an all inclusive and well publicised congress to nominate two persons each, from the zone and one from Lagos and Abuja chapters to serve in the electoral committee and forward same through the Secretary-General of the council to NEC as enshrined in Article (9) section (3) subsection (d) of the Ijaw Youths Council constitution, not later than 25th November 2016”.

    Eradiri’s call almost hit a brick wall. The Deputy President, Mr. Razak Amatoru, in a swift reaction, gave a counter directive. He called on the zones and chapters to disregard Eradiri’s directive.

    He said: “I respectfully call on all organs of the council (National Excos, zones, chapters and Clans) to ignore such directive as it does not legitimately emanate from the council, the National Executive has not met at anytime to take such decision.”

    Razak claimed that the constitution from where Eradiri said he derived his powers, was illegitimate. He described the constitution as padded to benefit only a selected few. He argued that the council was entangled with many controversies and that an election without settling the different conflicts could plunge the council into deeper problems.

    Therefore, Razak and seven of the defunct 10-member executive committee, who were at loggerheads with the former president, thought that since there was no solution to their crisis to enable or facilitate a meeting of the council, Eradiri lacked the powers to issue directives on behalf of the council.

    But Omare, who was then a spokesman and staunch loyalist of Eradiri, differed from Razak and his group. He described the action of Razak as a clear act of insubordination and lack of respect for rules and regulations.

    He explained that there was no section of the IYC constitution which empowered a deputy president or a vice-chairman in the case of zones and chapters to counter a directive issued by the president or a zonal chairman.

    Omare also faulted the claims of Razak that the amended constitution of IYC popularly called the Ofunama Constitution was illegitimate. He said the constitution was endorsed by council members and had seen been used to run the council. According to him its provisions were relied upon to among other things set up clans and zonal electoral committees; select delegate and conduct all the zonal elections and conduct all the clan elections without complaints.

     

    Transition begins amidst crisis

    Eradiri was not ready to bow to pressure. He insisted on midwifing the transition process to enable him formally handover power to a new committee. The congress was held in Okirika, Rivers State, and the Electoral Committee headed by Mr. Oscar Izu, was inaugurated to conduct the election.

    But those opposed to Eradiri immediately held a parallel congress at Toru-Ebeni in Sagbama, Bayelsa State, and inaugurated a separate electoral committee under the leadership of Mr. Jeremaiah Owoupele.

    The Osacar Izu-led committee fixed a convention to elect new leaders of IYC on March 2nd. Irked by the development, past leaders of IYC and members of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) asked all the warring parties to sheathe their swords, suspend all their actions and attend a peace meeting at Patani, Delta State, to resolve all the crisis in the council. The meeting was at the instance of Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo.

    But Eradiri was angry at the ‘meddlesomeness’ of the elders. He wondered why such meeting should be called without first notifying him and asked Ijaw youths to disregard the gathering. He insisted that elders had no right to meddle in IYC matters adding that they only played advisory roles.

    The elders met with the opponents of Eradiri and instituted a fresh transition process tagged IYC Unity Election. Others who spearheaded the unity election are Dr. Chris Ekiyor, Werinipre Digifa, Nengi James, Jude Tabai, Ateke Tom and Preye Ekpebide. Eradiri went ahead with the March 2nd convention in Burutu, Delta State after officially vacating his office for the first time in the history of IYC.

    The convention produced the 7th National Executive Committee of IYC with Omare as the President; Deputy President, Iyerifama Godswill Jaja; Secretary-General, Ogede Embele -Akpo Parkins; Assistant Secretary-General,  Elaye Vivian Offeh and Director of Mobilisation,  Kokoimgbi Abraham Ebibobra.

    Others are, Spokesperson,  Iyalla Henry; Treasurer, Idoniboyeobu Wabiye; Financial Secretary, Frank Magada; Legal Adviser, Porri Tare; Organising Secretary, Marcus Ebikemiyen and Woman Leader, Yabrifa Jennifer Oliver.

    In his speech after his emergence, Eradiri appealed to the elders to help build peace in IYC. He said: “I humbly call on former leaders of the IYC and Ijaw opinion leaders, such as Dr. Felix Tuodolor, T. K. Ogoriba, Alhaji Asari Dokubo, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, Alabo Nengi James, Chief Daniel Ekpebide, Famous Daunemigha and others to choose the part of neutrality in order to bring peace to the IYC.

    “This cannot be achieved by setting up parallel structures in the IYC outside the leadership. I am open to constructive dialogue to bring permanent peace to the IYC”.

    But Omare’s pleas fell on deaf ears. The elders went ahead with a congress in Okirika where they inaugurated an Electoral Committee led by Ebi Waribigha to conduct the unity election. Despite court orders asking the parties to maintain the status quo ante, the committee held its election at Okochiri in Okirika on April 9 and elected  Pereotubo as a rival to Omare.

    But the fresh elections which held in Okochiri reportedly caused panic and fears of possible clash of the two factions following looming struggle for the control of IYC secretariat. Investigations revealed that over seven patrol vans of riot policemen barricaded the Ijaw building located at the Sani Abacha Expressway.

    The armed policemen were said to have taken strategic positions around the building at the early hours as a proactive measure to stop possible violent clash. But the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Butswat Asinim, said the deployment was a routine security measure, which he claimed had nothing to do with the IYC crisis.

    “Close to Ijaw House is the Ijaw Heroes’ Park. The police have always maintained their presence at the park. So, it is just routine to have policemen around the area”, he said.

    But an IYC activist, Mr. Bodmass Kemepadai, said the police were deployed at the instance of the Eric Omare-led IYC Secretary, Ogede Perkins, to stop the faction opposed to Omare from invading the secretariat.

    It was gathered that at the end of the Okirika election, the whereabouts of one of the contestants for the office of the Secretary-General of IYC, Mr. Robert Igali, were unknown. Igali, who was a former Chief of Staff to Eradiri, was reportedly a ducted on his way back to Bayelsa after losing the election.

    He was said to have sent a text message to few of his friends shortly after his abduction and since then his headsets had remained switched off. The text message said: “I am Igali. I have been kidnapped on my way from Okirika after the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT). Please inform the Ijaw nation”.

    But Omare in a statement,  called on Ijaw youths to remain calm “in the light of deliberate efforts by some former leaders and members to factionalise the IYC”.

    He said: “What transpired on Sunday the 9th of April, 2017 at Okrika, Rivers State was not an IYC election but a charade by some former leaders of the council in the name of election.  It would definitely not stand the test of time.”

    Owoupele, in a statement, described the unity election as “the legitimate and people’s Ijaw Youth Council elections. “We now proudly have a leadership under Oweilaemi Pereotubo as the President of council.”

  • Fed Govt empowers Niger Delta youths

    The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, once again fulfilled part of its commitments and obligations to the Niger Delta as 67 young men and women who went through intensive training programmes at The Polytechnic Ibadan and The Siegener Sabithos College, Ososami , Ibadan,  graduated at a colourful ceremony last weekend.

    The ceremony, which signalled the climax of an empowerment programme packaged by the Ministry of Niger Delta, was attended by the Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Prof. Cladius Daramola, the Rector of The Polytecnic Ibadan, Prof. Olatunde Fawole, his Deputy, Prof. Bayo Oyeleke, and the Insitution’s registrar and bursar, Mr Fehintola and Alhaji Rasheed Tiamiyu respectively.

    Others who graced the occassion were the Director of Training and Empowerment in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Ibrahim Akanya, the Director of Press in the Ministry, Mr Marshal Gundu, the Deputy Director of Press, Mr Stephen Kilebi and the Consultants in Charge of the Siegener Sabithos College, Dr Soji Ijidele and Senator Tunde Anifowose Kelani.

    The first batch of graduands who graduated from the Sabithos College, Ibadan, were 25 and they specialised in fish farming and production.

    The graduands learnt various techniques of fish farming and production with the aim of not only becoming employers of labour within their communities, but also contributing to the larger economy of the country.

    He said all activities regarding the training programmes were tailored in a manner that the graduands can never remain the same once they find their way back to the society, stressing that the programme was designed to make them become repository of ideas capable of taking them out of poverty.

    At The Polytecnic, Ibadan, where the 42 second batch of graduands were presented with certificates by the minister, the rector, and Director of Empowerment in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the rector of the Polytechnic, Prof. Fawole, said the graduands should take a good advantage of the opportunities provided them by the Federal Government after going through the programmes on ICT, Entrepreneurship and e-business.

    Prof. Fawole told the graduands that they have acquired the best of skill and knowledge from one of the best Polytechnics in Nigeria, therefore they are expected to utilise the skill to better their lives and that of the society.

    Daramola said the event was a demonstration of the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari would leave no stone unturned to end youth restiveness, kidnapping, pipeline vandalisation and other social vices in the Niger Delta.

    He said at the end of the graduation, the government would provide a startup capital of 400,000 naira to the first batch of graduands and N500,000  to the second batch, but warned that all monies released to Niger Delta youths for various empowerment programmes and micro enterprises would be strictly monitored to ensure that they are not channelled into unproductive ventures such as purchase of luxury cars and conduct of marriage ceremonies

    According to him, a mechanism would be put in place to follow-up the use of funds released to hundreds of Niger Delta youths who have received different training programmes and packages from the Federal Government in recent times.

    He urged the beneficiaries of the empowerment programmes for the youths in the nine oil producing states of the Niger Delta to take their destinies into their hands, stressing that about 31 million naira would be disbursed to them after the ceremony.

    His words: “When I graduated some years ago, I got employment in about six places, but today such opportunity is not available anywhere. Therefore, I urge you to make good use of this opportunity.

    “The package you will be given is a seed money. The President of Nigeria wants you to establish yourselves with this seed money. Please don’t go and eat pepper soup with the money. And that is why we are putting mechanism in place to monitor you through your addresses and your relations so that our efforts will not be in vain.”

    The minister noted that the training programme was aimed at exposing the youths to the use of ICT for the acquisition and dissemination of information, computer networking, development of micro, small and medium enterprises, internet browsing and entrepreneurship and business management.

    Akanya commended the minister for his initiatives.

  • Professor relives how he was brutalised by policemen in Ekpoma

    Professor relives how he was brutalised by policemen in Ekpoma

    Prof. Sunday Edeko is Dean, Faculty of Law, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. In this piece, Edeko narrated his ordeal in the hands of some police officers in the university town.

    This is to inform you concerning the brutality the special anti-cult unit unleashed me at Ekpoma on the 13th day of March 2017 between 9:30am to 3:00pm

    On the day in question, I was on my way from the mechanic workshop located at Ikhirolo Junction to Ukhun Road where I intended to hand over the car to my family. As I passed through Agbon Lane between Afua Street and Ukhun Road, I saw a boy in a parked hilux van. The boy is related to Hon. Thomas Okosun. I slowed down and asked the boy what happened. Before the boy could answer me, an armed man who was not in police uniform told me to get away.  Without even giving me time to move or offer an explanation, he used a hammer to hit my right hand. That was their first assault against me. I was surprised why a trained police officer would descend to such level of brutality against an unarmed and peaceful individual. I managed to park the car some meters away and alighted from the car. At that point, about five armed men who were not in police uniform advanced towards me.

    I clearly introduced myself as Professor Sunday Edeko, the Dean of Faculty of Law, Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma. All my attempts to explain that I am a law-abiding community leader fell on deaf ears. They started the second stage of their assault on me. They descended on me with hammers, cutlass, tear gas, hand and foot. They brutalized me and inflicted injuries on my back, hand and leg. As soon as I left the scene of their unprovoked attack, I drove straight to the police station to report the matter.

    A police officer was released to accompany me to the scene. When we arrived there, the attackers had gone. When we went back to the police station, I sighted the men who brutalized me in the special anti-cult unit office and drew the attention of my police companion to them. They chased the police officer away and descended on me with a higher level of brutality. They said they were different from the “useless police officers in Ekpoma”.

    They fell me, kicked me around the floor in an atmosphere in which they used tear gas on my eyes, slapped me with cutlass very many times that I could not count. That was the third stage of their assault. When my wife came, they threatened to arrest and charge her with armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism, the crimes they accused me of.

    Their fourth stage of brutality against my person started when they gave me a pen and paper to write a statement. They compelled me to write even though I was in pains. They tore my first two statements because they said I should not write my name as “Professor Sunday Edeko”. They equally seized the third and fourth statements because they were not written in the exact way they wanted.

    Although they accused me of cultism, I must state that I have never been involved in such activities. Throughout the period they detained and tortured me, I made uncountable number of appeals to them that I am a responsible Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Law. The more I introduced myself, the more they got infuriated.

    They accused me of an attempt to go and buy Indian hemp from a woman they also arrested. It was even in the police station that I met the woman for the first time as I never knew her before then. I have never smoked Indian hemp and I hope they will agree for all of us to do examination to know who will test positive of Indian hemp consumption.

    I never obstructed them since all I asked one of the boys after they were already arrested was a simple “what happened?” I have never insulted the police. In fact I collaborated with them in the past to play a better role in law enforcement. Even after they brutalized me in town, I went to the police station because of the confidence I have in the police. Only a fool will obstruct and insult the police and still go to the police station to seek their protection. I am not a fool. Moreover, an unarmed civilian of my status has no capacity whatsoever to obstruct close to a dozen police officers who were fully armed and who effected arrest already.

    Whenever I failed to write the exact thing they told me to write so as to incriminate myself, the more they slapped me with hand and cutlass and sprayed tear gas on my face. They only stopped beating me after they used their torture cutlass to cut the shoulder of one of the suspects. I have been able to identify the boy they cut on the shoulder through the same hospital we went for treatment. About 12 of us were in their torture office. They detained me behind the counter for about two hours before I was released with the intervention of the Onoje of Ekpoma and the Divisional Police Officer. I immediately proceeded to the General Hospital Ekpoma for medical attention.

    As if their brutality was not enough, they compelled me to write an apology letter over an incident in which they brutalized and dehumanized me hoping they could use that to cover their tracks when in fact it only aggravates their degree of impunity. They are the people who owe me apology and compensation. I never broke the law. They broke the law with the highest level of impunity and recklessness.

    I need to add that I am not the only person they have so brutalised as others are willing to step forward for their testimonies. Ekpoma is now in a state of fear. They attack people with impunity. They have broken up birthday parties in hotels. They raided Hisbanah Hotel near No 17 Eromon Street and arrested more than 50 boys and girls who were in a birthday party. The owner of the hotel, a former local government Head of Service called Mr. Cyril Abhulimen informed me. They equally used cutlasses and hammer to torture them.

    In a society where they arrest innocent people, it cannot be said that they are combating crimes at all. Ekpoma has become a town under siege. This is the right time to stop these men now. It is not just about me but about the people of Ekpoma. I just happen to be the first to openly complain. So many people have been brutalized. The day they arrested me there was no space in the cell to detain some of us because it was filled up. Those arrested hardly get charged to court. The woman they accused of selling Indian hemp was released without charge.

    This is for your information and any action you can take on my behalf to redress their cruel and unreasonable assault on my person. The Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Nigerian Bar Association have already taken some steps over the matter. I have also sent a petition to Zone 5 Police Headquarters. Their leader in the anti-cult office who joined other police officers to brutalise me is ASP Ojo. One of the attackers is Mr. Harrison who I later learnt to be a native of Illeh.

    I was released when the DPO came and appealed to them. I was not taken on bail but simply released.

  • Timeline of the Edo Election Tribunal

    In anticipation of the Tribunal’s ruling on the Election Petition of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Pastor Ize-Iyamu, concerning the declaration of Mr Godwin Obaseki as Governor of Edo State, there is a need for something of an eschatology independent of sub judice.

    I do not deem myself in a position to declare with any certainty or authority that such and such would be the outcome of the tribunal, but I know I have some freedom to employ the analytical forecast of deductive logic.

    Since I do not want to state categorically that this man, or this party will lose for this reason or for that reason, I will leave the reader with a timeline of the successes and failures of those parties and let predict in their hearts the expected ruling of the Election Tribunal sitting in Benin City.

     

     The handwriting on the wall…

    To start with, Edo’s Election Tribunal restrained the (PDP) and its candidate in the September 28 governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, from utilising any equipment to examine, scan, or howsoever interact with the ballot papers used in the election unless the integrity of such equipment had been demonstrated and cleared by the Election Petition Tribunal.

    Secondly, the Judges rejected PDP and Pastor Ize-Iyamu’s application for extension of time to call more witnesses at the Election tribunal.

    The petitioners had lined up witnesses in excess of 1000 and had only been able to call 99 of them. Many of these had put up dramatic appearances at court, with some declaring that they were the petitioners.

    According to the Chairman of the three-member panel, Justice Ahmed Badamasi, the tribunal lacked the powers to grant such an extension and the application lacked merit. Consequently, the PDP and Ize-Iyamu had to close their case.

    Again, the tribunal declined PDP and Ize-Iyamu’s bid to amend their petition. Shortly after, the tribunal ruled against another attempt by Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu to make amendments to a paragraph in the petition.

    The Tribunal Chairman, Justice Ahmed Badamasi, held that the amendment could not be made by mere application. Since justice was not a one-way traffic, the application was described as fraudulent and an attempt to amend the main petition.

    Ruling on the application, Justice Badamasi held that the correction could not be made by mere utterances, and that the petitioners has not stated any reasons justifying why they wanted to make the amendment.

    The Tribunal ordered (PDP) and its candidate in the September 28 governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu to comply with an earlier order that all parties to the case must be represented in the scanning of the ballot materials.

    Counsels to the respondents had informed the tribunal that the PDP and its candidate were carrying out scanning of ballot papers without the representatives of APC and Obaseki.

    He said continuous scanning of the ballot papers without respondents’ representatives was a breach of the Tribunal’s prior order that all parties must be present.

    The Tribunal Chairman reiterated the prior order and emphasised that no party should be excluded.

    While the petitioners appealed the Tribunal’s decision to cease ballot recount after the 14 days allocated to them were expired, the Appeal Court dismissed the bid to continue the ballot recount, adding that the petitioners’ appeal lacked merit.

    Justice Mudasiru Nasiru of the Appeal Court held that paragraph 41 of the First Schedule of the Electoral Act prescribed the time upon which petitioners and respondents were to prove and defend their case.

    He ruled that any action done outside the prescribed time would be a nullity and that the tribunal was right to stop the counting of ballot papers after the 14 days had elapsed.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission closed its defence without calling any witnesses saying that since the petitioners had not yet proved their case, the Burden of Proof remained with them and while it had called evidence, it deliberately did not call witnesses.

    Counsel to Obaseki and APC urged the Tribunal, with ample citing of previous Supreme Court rulings, to dismiss the petition because there was no sanctity in the identity of one of the petitioners, and so there was no validity to the petition.

    Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Ahmed Badamasi adjourned the sitting and ruling on the matter to a later date, which will be communicated to the parties involved.

     

    • Oviosun, PhD, sent this piece from Benin

  • Saipem’s confined space welding technology excites NCDMB

    The Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote, has expressed his surprise at the size of Saipem’s facility and the amount of work being done by Nigerians at Saipem Fabrication Yard in Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt.

    Addressing workers of the company when he led members of the NCDMB and other stakeholders on a tour of the Saipem fabrication yard, which also coincided with the unveiling in Port Harcourt of a logo to commemorate Saipem’s50 years of operations in Nigeria,  Wabote described the facility as a world-class fabrication yard which has given Nigerians an opportunity to show that there is nothing they could not do.

    His words: “When I went through this site with my colleagues, what was on my mind was that there is nothing Nigerians cannot do. I have been in the oil and gas industry for 25 years and I know when we started how everything that was utilized in the oil and gas industry was imported. Fabrication of things as easy as even spools were all imported. What they told us then was that Nigerians did not have the capacity to fabricate those items, hence they were imported.

    “But going through this yard today, I am encouraged more than anything else to reaffirm my belief in this country to do greater things. Today, this yard has direct employment of 3,500 people. Indirectly, that creates about 20,000 jobs within the immediate community and within the Niger Delta itself. We are not talking about the induced employment this will create within the immediate vicinity of Rumuolumeni community.

    “Our hope is that we will continue to keep this yard busy. Our desire is that we will increase the number of employment opportunities that this yard will create. I am sure you should be very proud of what you have done in building these magnificent structures I am seeing here and I know future generations will be proud of you.”

    He stated that it is the desire of the present administration to “internalize most of the things we are supposed to do in this country to ensure that we continue to create meaningful jobs for the teeming Nigerian youths, and this is a great example that we are achieving that in the oil and gas industry. As you can see, 95 per cent of what we need in the oil and gas industry is fabrication; all you see in the oil and gas industry is iron and steel and you people have demonstrated that if there is an opportunity you can overcome.”

    He added: “We hope and pray that other projects that are in the funnel currently will immediately come on the back of EGINA. Today, Saipem fabrication on EGINA project is about 40,000 tonnes. That is huge amount of steel. One day I believe we will perhaps do 100 per cent of the tonnage that is required in an FPSO construction. The onus is on us to encourage this facility to grow.”

    Wabote  hailed the confined space welding technology developed by Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited in the EGINA project and described the technology as a great innovation that should be shared in the oil and gas industry.

    He disclosed that the Board would hold a knowledge-sharing session with international oil companies (IOCs) to enable the companies “share experiences on their challenges, costs and local content” so that they could learn from each other.

    Wabote said: “This visit has made us realise the need to categorise fabrication yards in Nigeria so that potential investors will know the capacity of each of the yards.This is a world-class fabrication yard. We were in South Korea two weeks ago and what we saw there in terms of fabrication is not different from what we are seeing here.”

    The Managing Director of Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited, Mr. Guido D’Aloisio, said the company owed its success in the country to the loyalty and hard work of its staff.

  • Women seek equal chance in Niger Delta

    Women seek equal chance in Niger Delta

    Stakeholders comprising mainly of women from the nine states of the Niger Delta region gathered in Bayelsa State recently.  It was not a meeting to discuss petty domestic matters. It was a gathering to find lasting peace in the Niger Delta.

    The seasoned Nollywood actress, Hilda Dokubo, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor of Bayelsa, Mrs. Ebizi Brown; the Regent Kalasuwe of Ijaw Apoi land, Ese Odo, Ondo State, Her Royal Majesty, Princess Joyce Adesola, were among the dignitaries that graced the occasion.

    In fact, it was an event to mark the International Women’s Day Forum entitled, “Women be bold for change in community leadership and in peace building”. The event which brought arrays of classy women together was organised by the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in Niger Delta (PIND), a non-profit organisation.

    The Field Project Manager, PIND Foundation, Mr. Sylvester Okoh, said the foundation was working to build partnership for peace and equitable economic development in the Niger Delta. “We hope to achieve a legacy of sustainable peace and development among communities in the region.

    “We hold strongly to the core values of partnership and collaboration, learning and innovation, stewardship, sustainability and integrity. Our strategic priorities centre on economic development, peace-building, capacity-building, analysis and advocacy”.

    Okoh commended the Bayelsa State Government Community and Social Dvelopment Agency (BCSDA) led by Eve Oyintonye, for working with PIND to put the event together. He recalled that when partners for peace (P4P) convened its maiden meeting in 2013 to brainstorm on peace-building in the region, only 130 members from across the states were in attendance.

    But, he said the number had grown to 4000 members and still counting. He said women were the sine qua non for peace saying any peace process without women remained incomplete.

    Okoh said: “Women are often caregivers as well as breadwinners in their homes. If you work in the Niger Delta, you would also know that many customs and traditions allow for the exclusion of women from decision-making and economic opportunities.

    “This makes women especially vulnerable in times of conflict because they often have nowhere to go and the warring factions often do not consider their needs. They are often under-represented at the leadership level.

    “In the Niger Delta and Nigeria, significant development cannot be recorded if women do not have the full right of access to resources.

    “Creating space for women to participate in economic activities, leadership and peace-building further enhances our ability to build social capital for peace while improving the quality of governance in our communities”.

    Okoh urged women to be bold for change in community leadership and peace- building adding women should take power that belonged to them and deepened their influence on decisions affecting them.

    In her address, Princess Adesola Oladiran-Ebiseni, lamented discrimination against women in decision-making. She said it was common for men to yell at women and prevent them from making their contributions in meetings.

    She, however, said in the Niger Delta women were not occupationally discriminated against by men. According to her men allow the women to engage in trade and other occupations such as fishing and farming.

    The regent went down memory lane to narrate obstacles she overcame to climb the throne of Apoi Land amidst male chauvinists. She appealed to women to free themselves of mental slavery and rise above male dominance.

    She said: “It is an irony that women themselves are sometimes the architects of their social retardation. For instance, in very harmful cultural practices, especially as they concern widowhood and female genital mutilation, women as members and wives in the family, are the ones who usually feel call upon by the ancestors to enforce such self-annihilating practices.

    “Even in the political arena, examples were given as in the case of illustrious Mrs. Sarah Jubril who only received her own vote in a presidential primary election where there were hundreds of women delegates”.

    She asked women to develop strength of character, psychological self-liberation, confidence and determination to weather the storm. She, however, argued that education remained the best weapon for social change.

    “In modern society, education is the refiner of the natural physiology and psychology that equips human kind for the great challenge of life and once acquired discriminates not about sex, creed or language but a leveler that catapults whoever acquires it and forces others to follow nilly willy.

    “In other words, education provides the opportunity for the woman to square up among themselves and with men not as opponents or enemies but equal partners in the quest for leadership as an instrument of social change”.

    The regent further dropped a food for thought. “If you want peace in any community, focus on the woman, who as a mother I’d responsible for the physiological and sociological wellbeing of her husband and children who ultimately make up the individual community and the aggregate of which is undoubtedly our cherished Niger Delta community”, she said.

    The Deputy Chief of Staff, Bayelsa State Government, Mrs. Ebizy Brown, urged worms to take their positions firmly in the society. He said the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, realising important roles played by women, gave many appointments to women and created opportunities for them to seek elective positions.

    She asked the women to bring up responsible children to ensure lasting peace in the Niger Delta region. “We should revert to the times of old. We should give our children a better foundation. We should let our children go to school and ensure they do their homework,” she said.

    Mrs. Brown appealed to women not to keep mute when decisions are taken in the community level. She acknowledged that women were hard workers in the Niger Delta region where they assumed occupational roles of farming and fishing. “We have a strong voice. So, we should stand up for what is right”, she added.

    In their goodwill messages, PPCD Programme Manager, Busola Babalola; the General Manager, Bayelsa community and Social Development Agency, Eve Oyintonyo; Director-General, Bayelsa State Government Girl-Child Agency, Mrs. Juliet Zifawei and other development partners, urged women to be change agents.

  • Amnesty Office’s hanging billions

    Amnesty Office’s hanging billions

    he Presidential Amnesty Programme, a brain child of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, brought peace to the Niger Delta at a time when the region was becoming an embarrassment to the country at home and abroad. Revenue dwindled. Bombs went off like fireworks at oil installations.

    The first thing he did was to have the Niger Delta Ministry. First, he created the Ministry of the Niger Delta. He later followed up with a technical committee to review existing reports on the region. The committee, headed by an ex-President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Ledum Mittee, recommended an increase of the derivation fund from 13 to 25 per cent. It also recommended open trial for one of the faces of the arms struggle, Mr Henry Okah, who was then in detention in Angola. Another of its recommendation, which led to the Presidential Amnesty Programme, is that youths in the region must be disarmed through a credible Decommissioning, Disarmament and Rehabilitation (DDR) process.

    The late Yar’Adua knew something urgent must be done to rescue the situation. Aside his love for peace, he also needed to save the country from international embarrassment the arms struggle had become. By then, there were reports of militants partaking in piracy activities on the Gulf of Guinea, a development which had seen the governments of Equatorial Guinea and Angola complaining to Yar’Adua at international meetings. Okah, I was told, was mentioned by the two governments as being responsible for the piracy activities against their countries. Okah was a leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which had claimed responsibility for many of the kidnappings and the attacks on oil facilities in the region.

    Fast forward to April 2009, the then president dissolved the board of the NNDC. Timi Alaibe, who was the Managing Director, however, got another job. He was appointed Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs. His major job, it turned out, was to midwife the birth of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

    Two months after Alaibe’s appointment, Yar’Adua breathed life into it. The late Yar’Adua recruited Chief Tony Anenih, Dr Koripamo Agary and Dr Ferdinand Ikwang, among others, to assure the agitators he was truthful about not victimising them after dropping their guns.

    Alaibe traversed the creeks persuading hard-line militant leaders to embrace the programme. He did not do it alone. He got Kingsley Kuku, the Arogbo-born ex-member of the Ondo State House of Assembly, who had worked with him as Special Assistant at the NNDC, to get Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), General Shoot-at-sight and many other leaders of the arms’ struggle to sign up to Yar’Adua’s offer.

    Okah, who had by then been repatriated from Angola and was standing trial for treason at the Federal High Court, Jos, was a major issue in the refusal of many militant leaders to accept the programme. But, because Yar’Adua wanted the programme to live, he agreed to drop charges against Okah and on July 13, 2009, Okah became a free man. Okah’s release did not go down with many in the military circle and elsewhere. It did not convince some militant leaders to embrace the programme until hours before the October 4, 2009 deadline.

    Between June 25 and October 4, 2009, I am told 20,192 militants embraced the programme by handing over arms in excess of 20,000. Others who did not hand over their weapons initially because of the fear of the unknown did before the deadline expired. Even after the deadline’s expiration, 6,166 more people, I understand, associated with it.

    Alaibe, who took on the task of managing the programme as the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, left to contest the 2011 governorship in Bayelsa State.  Yar’Adua’s successor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, saw no one else to continue other than Kuku, the man from the fringe of the Niger Delta, who had worked closely with Alaibe.

    Through the programme, over 30,000 ex-militants have been given a new lease of life. Through it also, not less than 2,000 students are abroad studying for one degree or the other. One of them is 21-year-old Gabriel Odidison, who is majoring in Business and Finance at Marist College in the United States.  I met him on a trip to Atlanta shortly after Jonathan was defeated by President Muhammadu Buhari. There are several others who have been trained as pilots, marine engineers, underwater welders and experts in various oil and gas fields.

    Sadly, the programme, which Buhari continued after assuming office, has not had it easy. The major problem is paucity of fund. Billions of naira, which belongs to the programme now overseen by Gen. Paul Boroh, have not been released. Because of this, ex-agitators are owed; school fees of students abroad cannot be paid and even some local trainings have had to be put on hold. I heard the situation is changing but more cash should be released to end the pains.

    My final take: The Presidency, which has been all over the Niger Delta in search of peace, must act fast. We must get the Amnesty Office its billions. Please don’t kill the programme. The consequences are unimaginable. The dreams of the likes of Odidison, who are the future of not just the Niger Delta, but Nigeria, must be kept alive and well.

     

    And Dear Efe Ejeba

     This is my first letter to you and will likely be the last. First, let me start by congratulating you on your win. In this time of recession, getting N25 million and a brand new Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) – after 78 days of snatched kisses, hugs and showering naked with grown women – is no mean feat. It is also no mean feat staying in doors for that long, with access to free alcoholic drinks, twerking babes and not lose it. I congratulate you, especially ‘based on logistics’.

    You may wonder why I am writing to you. Well, it is because you are a Warri boy and I know a bit of your story,  as gleaned from the social media accounts of the tales you told in the house. You are a street boy and clearly the one who needed the money most. You typify the Niger Delta story, where poverty walks on all fours, where a few corner the commonwealth and even use it to destabilise the society; and ensure the youth lose the sense to take back what belongs to them.

    There is the temptation to moralise about the Big Brother Naija show, but I will resist it; I leave that for your pastor. Instead I will offer some pieces of advice on what you should do with your life after the BBN house.

    My first advice is this: look for Katung Aduwak. He won the first BBN, which was hosted in Lagos, Nigeria, unlike yours which held in South Africa. Katung won the grand prize a decade ago.  Though you are a Warri boy and your family members are largely there, you and Katung, I understand, share the background of having lived in Jos, the Plateau State capital. Please get Katung to tell you how he invested his money and till date he remains on top. He never went back to where he was before the show. With the kind of money you have, the time has come for you to stop being a street boy. Your career as a rapper and entertainer should hit the top now. You should give MI Abaga and Oga Boss a run for their money.

    Aside Katung, you also need to seek time to have a hearty-to-heart talk with Ayo Makun, another Warri boy who we all love to call AY. If you do not know, he was your fan and mobilised support for you. Over the years, AY has shown that he knows how to invest money and get it back in multiple folds. If you are in doubt, ask for the figures from 30 Days in Atlanta and A Trip to Jamaica. You will also do well to ask for the figures from his popular AY Live comedy shows.

    My third advice to you, dear Efe, centres around girls. Not a few of them flock around cash. You have some cash now and more are bound to roll in and with this, the girls will look for you, even without invitation. The cash is the invite they need. They will confuse and convince you with their physique. Examples abound of entertainers with multiple baby mamas because they simply got convinced and confused by the babes. This is not a road you should travel.

    You also need to take a trip round major towns in the Niger Delta, such as Port Harcourt, Warri, Yenagoa and Benin. In these places, your business is not at the Government Houses. No. Your business is with the boys on the streets. You need to give them hope. Tell them your story and I believe they will learn from it.

    While avoiding any advice that will make me sound like your pastor – assuming you have one– you need God; you need his grace. This is not a race you can run alone. One with God is a majority, remember.

    Bye for now.