The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • Row in Delta hospital over alleged harvesting of deceased baby’s organ

    Row in Delta hospital over alleged harvesting of deceased baby’s organ

    The arrival of the first baby of a newly wed couple should be a cause for joy and celebration. But that is not the case with Mr. John Aniefon and his wife, Ebele. The distraught father is not only mourning the loss of their first baby, the police have also accused him of complicity in the alleged harvesting of the deceased baby’s organs.

    The news of Okpono Abasi’s arrival at St. Theresa’s Hospital in Issele-Uku, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State on September 27 had sent the entire Aniefon family into a jubilant mood at their residence in the rustic Ubulu-Okiti community, Aniocha South Local Government Area, where Aniefon, a casual labourer, works as an asphalt plant operator.

    Their joy however turned into anxiety when the news filtered in moments later that the newborn baby had been referred to another hospital in Asaba, Delta State capital, causing Aniefon’s 75-year-old father, John Felix, to call off the customary reception for his first grandson at his residence.

    By a stroke of ill fate, an otherwise joyous moment has since turned into ashes in the mouths of family members.

    Recounting his ordeal, Aniefon said he felt proud on hearing the news that  his wife Ebele had been delivered of a baby boy at St Theresa’s Hospital. He said he had made adequate preparations for the baby’s delivery hence he had no premonition of the tragic events that were about to unfold.

    He recalled that the medical doctors at St Theresa’s Hospital, who referred his son to the Specialist Hospital in Asaba had only cited complications due to prolonged labour. On getting to Asaba, he said, the newborn was again referred to El Comfort, a private hospital in Bonsaac part of Asaba, due to scarcity of bed space.

    Unfortunately, his son died 11 days after he was admitted at El Comfort Hospital on September 29. But he said the hospital’s management refused to allow him to take his son’s body away for burial because of the outstanding medical bills.

    He said the hospital only gave him the option of leaving his wife and mother-in-law behind as surety if he must take his baby’s body away without settling the outstanding bills.

    “I was told to either leave my wife or mother-in-law and take the child for burial. But because my wife had a cesarean section, we all decided to sleep on the floor in the hospital,” he said.

    Aniefon however said he was shocked when he went to collect the remains of his son the following morning and discovered that some of his vital organs were missing. He said: “The following morning, I went to check on the baby only to discover that his entire face had been mutilated. His two eyes had gorged out and one of his ears was missing. I was confused and speechless.

    “My family and I chartered a taxi and headed to the police station in Asaba.

    Mr and Mrs Aniefon
    Mr and Mrs Aniefon

    “But at Maryam Babangida Junction, we narrated the problem to operatives of Delta Safe who accompanied us to the hospital and three hospital staff members were arrested and taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Asaba.”

    Aniefon said following his mandatory visit to the police station on October 11, five policemen stormed the private hospital and found two men tampering with the CCTV camera. He said the police arrested the men and took them to their station.

    Aniefon however said he was shocked at the hostile attitude of the policemen at the Delta SCID towards him and members of his family as the investigating police officer warned that he and his family members could face charges if the camera failed to reveal the culprits.

    Aniefon said the attitude of the police gave him reasons to fear that the evidence in the CCTV camera could be destroyed. He alleged that the two men arrested by the policemen at El Comfort Hospital for tampering with the camera had already been set free.

    He also said there were discrepancies in the accounts of the hospital’s Chief Medical Director (CMD) and another official of the hospital. According to him, while the CMD, Dr Ben Ajufo, claimed that the files for the month of September and October in the security camera were intact, the unnamed official said the camera has been out of use for several months.

    Aniefon’s 30-year-old wife, Ebele, has been inconsolable, saying that she had contemplated suicide on several occasions after the incident.

    The distraught mother, who said her pains were threefold, appealed to government to step into the matter to avoid miscarriage of justice.

    Like her husband, however, she said she was determined to get justice for her son.

     

    Ebele said: “My heart is broken. I am in pains. Not just one pain but three. First, the physical trauma of a cesarean section. Then, the death of my son in tragic circumstances and thirdly, the pain of the knowledge that vital organs of my innocent son were harvested by unknown persons.

    “Each time I think about these things, I cry. I pray that God will help us out and give us justice in this case. “Sometimes I feel like committing suicide. I feel like jumping into our well at home. If my husband is not around, thoughts of suicide fill my heart.

    “I want God to give us justice. They have seen that we are poor and don’t have lawyers. But we have God. We have Nigerians.

    Read Also: Alleged bank fraud: EFCC arrests Kogi Assembly candidate, others with N326m, $610,500 Cash

    “We urge public spirited people to join us in this case. They want my husband in jail to cover their crime.”

    A human rights group, Delta State Coalition of Civil Societies, NGO’s and Media, has raised the alarm over an alleged attempt by the Delta Police to cover up the alleged crime of organ harvesting in the private hospital.

    In the petition to Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Asaba, Delta State titled, ‘Organ Harvesting in El Comfort Hospital, Bonsaac, Asaba, Delta State and conspiracy by the  Delta Police State CID (Homicide Department)’, human rights activist, Mr Victor Ojei, accused the Delta State Police Command of deliberately mishandling investigation into the missing organ case of an infant to pervert justice.

    Ojei  called for “a dispassionate re-investigation by another department or team from Nigerian Police Force, Zone 5 Benin City, Edo State, since the Delta Police State CID has been compromised and are biased”.

    Part of the petition reads: “The case should be withdrawn by the Police for lack of proper investigation before prosecution because of the obvious bias. The case should be reassigned, investigated dispassionately and prosecuted thereafter.”

    Ojei alleged that evidence had been tampered with as police detectives  arrested two suspects caught tampering with the CCTV camera in the hospital.

    He said: “During the investigation activity report on site, we discovered  alongside six Supols assigned from the State CID Asaba  that the CCTV Camera which could have exposed the suspect who perpetrated this act was being tampered with by some young men who obviously were employed by the El Comfort Hospital.

    “They were arrested and brought to the State CID, but till date, we have no information on how they were handled despite being caught on site tampering with the CCTV hardware obviously in a cover-up bid.”

    He said the removal of the original Investigating Police Officer (IPO) handling the case was “frivolous and unprofessional”, adding it was a ploy to frustrate the outcome.

    He maintained that the Police failed in their duty of investigation by not performing an autopsy to determine what actually happened to the mutilated infant that was under the care of El Comfort Hospital.

    But the Chief Medical Director, El Comfort, Dr Ben Ajufo, insisted the baby was handed over to its parents, adding that the parents slept in the hospital over the night with the baby.

    He said: “If you have followed the development of the case, you should know that the baby was handed over to the father and mother and the parents slept with the baby in the hospital.

    “The police have investigated the matter to know where the issue emanated. There was an attempt to force negotiation but we refused.”

    Delta Police Command image maker, DSP Edafe Bright confirmed the incident but said the matter had been charged to court.

    Investigation by The Nation revealed that those charged are Mr Aniefon John and the nurse on night duty.

  • Adebanjo’s Afenifere battles

    Adebanjo’s Afenifere battles

    Given the swirl of apprehension ahead of the 2023 general elections, Afenifere scribe, Ayo Adebanjo’s public anointing of Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP) in September added an interesting twist to the presidential race.

    The aggrieved Afenifere chieftain publicly declared support for Labour Party’s hinging his support on the need for the South-East geopolitical zone to produce its first president after other zones had had their turn.

    A deeper analysis reveals a more nuanced struggle around issues of collective direction. Hence the declaration attracted knocks and criticism for Adebanjo, who was said to have not widely consulted Fasoranti and other Yoruba leaders before endorsing Obi.

    Adebanjo’s endorsement of Obi attracted riposte from the southwest intelligentsia.

    To some political pundits, Adebanjo’s endorsement of Obi seemed a reckless initiative.

    What happens if Adebanjo’s dream of an Igbo presidency is not realized with Obi in 2023, just as restructuring did not happen with Jonathan in 2014? Many are indeed not surprised by his political stance and antecedents over time.

    However, in a recent development, Afenifere’s national leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti publicly anointed the presidential flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at his home and in the presence of several southwest leaders.

    The public anointing of Tinubu by the leader of the foremost Yoruba socio-cultural group undoubtedly unsettled Adebanjo. It took place in an expansive gathering of heavyweight politicians and leaders in the southwest region, who convened to lend their support to Tinubu’s presidential ambition with Pa Fasoranti’s blessing. ously received and celebrated at the country home of Fasoranti by the newly sworn-in Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji; Deputy governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; Deputy governor of Oyo State, Bayo Lawal; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae; former Ogun state governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

    Read Also: Pa Adebanjo: Why is Tinubu different, sir?

    Others include; the Minister of State for Transportation, Ademola Adegoroye; a former Minister of State for Niger Delta, Chief Tayo Alasoadura and a former Governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, among other Afenifere leaders from Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Lagos, Kogi, and Kwara States were also in attendance.

    Since his emergence as the party’s standard bearer, Tinubu has continually asserted that he is capable of leading the country citing his antecedents as an unrepentant democrat and progressive statesman.

    The Akure endorsement of Tinubu by Fasoranti was no doubt a symbolic and strong political statement. Fasoranti, a frontline educationist and second republic finance Commissioner in Ondo State was delighted to receive Tinubu in the charged atmosphere of his abode. At the gathering, the rendition of Afenifere’s anthem elicited feelings of nostalgia on the faces of those in attendance.

    Fasoranti had his two palms firmly placed on Tinubu’s clean-shaven head and wished him success in his presidential race to Aso Rock. The 96-year-old elder statesman who briefly prayed for the APC candidate, simply declared, “Tinubu will win the election.”

    The Afenifere leader’s action effectively laid to rest needless controversies over his group’s disposition to Tinubu’s candidacy.

    A statement issued, later, by the National Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu, described a Tinubu presidency as one that would “usher in a new era of hope, peace, security, harmony, gainful employment for the multitude, economic development, social and political stability.”

    The Deputy Governor of Oyo state, Adebayo Lawal, who was at the meeting said his principal, Governor Seyi Makinde, supported Afenifere leaders on their preferred choice of presidential candidate for the 2023 elections. Lawal, who represented Makinde at the meeting, said the Oyo governor has always been in support of the decisions taken by Afenifere thus hinting at an alignment of certain opposition figures in support of Tinubu’s candidacy.

  • Ifeanyi Adeleke: Death takes Davido’s joy

    Ifeanyi Adeleke: Death takes Davido’s joy

    Those captivated by the cult of celebrity cannot comprehend the full import of Ifeanyi Adeleke’s death. Perhaps because they are chained to the flickering imagery of the three-year-old on Instagram and other social media.

    They are smitten with the spectacle of his parents, David Adeleke aka Davido, and Chioma Rowland’s hot and cold celebritised romance. They are pumped with the currency and pomp of puff journalism; many live for the highjinks and personal drama that have become the staple of news and gossip about Davido, Chioma, and their late son, Ifeanyi.

    Thus their stupefaction at the pronouncement of Ifeanyi’s death on Monday, October 31, 2022. The toddler who had just celebrated his third birthday reportedly drowned to his death, in a pool at his father’s plush mansion, in Banana Island, Lagos.

    Ifeanyi was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Further findings revealed that he was underwater for a while before he was discovered and rushed to the hospital.

    His nanny and cook have reportedly been detained for further interrogation concerning the duty of care. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin, while confirming the three-year-old’s demise disclosed that eight domestic staff of Davido were interrogated in respect of the incident.

    “Anyone found culpable of the child’s death would be arrested,” said Hundeyin.

    Beyond the threat of prosecuting those found complicit, however, subsists the rhetoric bordering on the bereaved parents’ supposed responsibility as parents and first guardians to their ward.

    At Ifeanyi’s death, social media was agog as fans of the deceased toddler’s father commiserated with him. Their music idol’s son was gone – moreover, the latter was fast growing into his father’s renown as reflected by cult followership of his Instagram account. Davido and Chioma had created the account @davidifeanyiadeleke for Ifeanyi on his third birthday. While deactivating the account in the wake of their son’s death, it had nearly 50,000 followers.

    To Davido’s fans, his son’s demise was a bitter and undeserving pill served by fate. Recall that the singer in November 2021 generated a buzz on social media after he asked his friends and colleagues to donate N100 million to him to mark his birthday. His initial target was surpassed as he received N200 million within hours. Davido added N50 million, making it N250 million, and subsequently disbursed the money to about 292 orphanages in Nigeria.

    His fans ecstatically praised him for the initiative, and at his son’s drowning, many of them publicly mourned with him, wondering why the one who not too long ago devised an unprecedented humanitarian act to Nigerian orphans, should suffer the untimely death of his son.

    Ifeanyi’s untimely demise no doubt triggers certain existential questions about the perks of fame and the gallows of celebrity life. Could the toddler’s death have been avoided? Who were his minders? What were they doing while he slipped in the pool and died? These are some of the questions being asked by pundits, friends, and family of the bereaved family in the wake of Ifeanyi’s death.

    Read Also: PDP suspends political activities over Davido’s son death

    Recall that music star, Daniel Oyebanjo, aka D’banj, lost his son, Daniel Jr. in similar circumstances. The 13-month-old boy reportedly drowned in the singer’s home in Ikoyi during the visit of some family friends. D’banj was said to be away for a musical award in Los Angeles, United States when the incident happened.

    Ifeanyi’s death, once again, reignites the debate over the need for parents to be more mindful of their wards; it pushes to the front burner of public discourse the imperative of baby-proofing the home – lavish houses with luxury facilities, like a swimming pool, in particular.

    Country singer Granger Smith, lost his three-year-old son, River, in his backyard swimming pool while he was just yards away playing with his older daughter. He said the tragedy occurred “somewhere between 30 seconds and 3 minutes.”

    Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 4, after birth defects, according to the United States Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC).

    Even when parents knew the risks, they have been caught off guard. Sometimes, parents take precautions and follow safety rules like building a fence around their pool or hot tub, but an unusual circumstance changes the playing field. Children can drown in as little as an inch of water, a toilet, bathtub with water draining, or wading pool equally poses a threat.

    Children have passed away while visiting a relative or a babysitter who wasn’t security conscious. For instance, DBanj’s son, Daniel Jr. reportedly drowned while family friends were around.

    In 2018, Olympic skiing champion Bode Miller and his wife, Morgan, advised parents to become more aware of how quickly small children can drown and how prevalent such deaths are. Their daughter, Emeline, was 19 months old when she died a day after falling into their neighbour’s pool in Southern California, in an accident her father said happened “in the blink of an eye.”

    In the blink of an eye, Ifeanyi fell into the pool and drowned – a tragedy his bereaved parents, Davido and Chioma, would do anything to undo.

    Whatever the depth of their grief, it would never bring back their deceased son. Beyond grief, the couple would for a long while, relive the chain of events that culminated in Ifeanyi’s tragic demise wondering if and how they went wrong.

    Should we have left him behind with the domestic staff? What prompted us to do so? Would he be alive if we had taken him with us? Such questions might persistently bug their minds and afflict their peace even as their fans and critics hotly debate the tragedy on social media, trading blame and rationalisation over who is complicit and who isn’t.

    Yet a few days after the incident, life goes on, to the chagrin of pop artiste, Michael Adebayo Adeyinka aka Ruger. The latter recently shared a post about people moving on few days after news of Ifeanyi’s death. In the post Ruger stated that the world and everything in it ”mean nothing” as everyone is back to posting their content on social media just after writing “God Why?”

    However, an anonymous respondent retorted that: “Hunger and terrorism are killing thousands of children in Nigeria daily, no one gives a hoot, but if a celebrity child dies in a multi-billion mansion then the world should stop. Human being and double standard.”

    As unfeeling as the latter’s response may seem, it should guide Davido and Chioma in their future engagement with the public. No matter how spiritedly pop culture spins on the fabricated and theatrical to displace the earthy and authentic, it could never dull reality to stagecraft. And parenthood itself must never become a function in artifice; a task at winning more likes and love emojis on social media.

    As the Adelekes grieve over their son’s death, they have probably come to a sad realisation of the benefits of taking more drastic precautions, in a world where death consumes life at a pace faster than reality’s displacement by pop culture.

  • My journey from caregiver provider to music promoter — UK-based Alexes Promotions boss Olatise

    My journey from caregiver provider to music promoter — UK-based Alexes Promotions boss Olatise

    Yeye Oge Omobolanle Olatise, a UK-based Nigerian music promoter, is a woman of many parts. The CEO of Alexes Promotions in London is also into real estate and education, with traditional titles in both Lagos and Ekiti states. Her promotion outfit is reputed for holding one of the biggest shows in the UK ever with fuji music maestro, Ayinde Wasiu a.k.a. K1 De Ultimate. Olatise, who started out as childcare provider in the UK, spoke with GBENGA ADERANTI on other areas of her life including her recent appointment as a Life Matron of Oodua Special Recognition Awards (OSRA) Ile-Ife, Osun State.

    Only a few women have been able to compete in the world of men like you are doing in music promotion, farming and other vocations…

    It is God, hard work and the ability to face challenges

    What has been your experience as a businesswoman in the UK?

    To be a successful businesswoman in the UK is very demanding due to the strict rules to be followed and the deadlines. But having being in the system for several years, I have been able to adapt.

    You have promoted many big shows in the UK but you have not been able to replicate that in Nigeria. Why is it so difficult to do?

    Music promotion and concerts need a lot of effort and planning. And it goes well if you do that in your country of residence. I live in the UK and my people always support me.

    However, if I wish to do my promotion business in Nigeria or anywhere around the world, I will have to liaise with the promoters in the country to achieve success.

    How did you become the Iya Oba of Ikosiland and Iyalaje of Aramoko of Ekiti? What would you say was responsible for your being chosen?

    I was honoured by His Royal Majesty, Oba Samuel Alamu Oloyede of Ikosiland, Lagos State and His Royal Highness Dr. Olusegun Aderemi, the Oba of Aramoko- Ekiti, Ekiti State,  due to God’s favour and grace and my service to humanity. I never knew people see what I do and nominated me to be honoured

    You started as a child caregiver in the UK. At what point did you venture into music promotion?

    My main business in the UK is childcare. In 2019, I decided to promote K1 D’Ultimate and it was a huge success. Since then I have promoted many other top musicians like Teni Makanaki, Zlatan,Qdot, Laolu Gbenjo, and so on.

    I understand that childcare work is difficult but the monetary reward is huge. How did you fare as childcare provider?

    Like I said before, to be a successful businesswoman in the United Kingdom, you must follow strict rules. Childcare is a very demanding and sensitive job. But because I have a passion for my job, I don’t see the negative part of it. I face the positive aspect of the job. I ensure I follow the rules effectively and I face all challenges involved. With God on my side, I have been able to succeed.

    You are into different kinds of business: farming, real estate, entertainment and so on. How have you been coping?

    All I can say is that it is God all the way, and my precious family, friends and staff members.

    Many Nigerian youths are doing everything possible to travel out of the country. What would you be telling those of them coming to the UK?

    My advice to them is to know where they are coming from and follow the UK rules to the letter. There is no sorry in the United Kingdom.

    Are you regretting leaving the country for the UK?

    No. The UK has made me what I am today, to the glory of God. So, no regrets whatsoever. I am of dual nationality, so the UK and Nigeria are both my home.

    What has going to the UK done to your life?

    Relocating to the UK has really changed my life. The UK gave me many opportunities to achieve my goals in life.

    Read Also: 2023: The media, responsibility and integrity

    What is that thing about your life you would like to change if granted the opportunity?

    I would have wished my parents were still alive to witness my success.

    What is that thing in your life you are not likely to forget in a hurry?

    The day my husband proposed to me was the best decision I made in my life.

    Last month the second edition of Future Gems Online Reality Show for Kids was held in Lagos. Three kids emerged as winners to win the star prize of $2,500, first runner-up prize of $1,500, and second runner-up prize of $1,000. What did you hope to achieve with this and how receptive were your parents to the idea?

    I have been a childcare provider for over 25 years and I have passion for children. Futuregems Online Reality Show was set up to support children to reach their potentials.

    Parents were very supportive, and they gave their support throughout the programme.

    You have also delved into education. What fired your interest in education?

    Like I said before, education is my full time job in the United Kingdom while entertainment is a part time job. I believe in education so much as it is a legacy for everyone.

    What challenges are you facing and what are you doing to surmount them?

    I hardly have time to rest as much as I want to. But I am putting a procedure in place to avoid working during weekends.

    To what extent has bureaucracy impacted your business in Nigeria?

    In Nigeria, education is optional and not compulsory, so parents may decide not to send their children to school. This has a great impact on my business negatively unlike in the UK, a child has to go to a nursery/school compulsorily from age two or you are accused of breaking the law.

    How do you juggle your many roles?

    God is my strength and my family and friends are my support pillars.

    To what extent did your mum influence what you are doing right now?

    My late mum thought me how to do business and white collar jobs as well. That was what she was doing when she was alive. She was an accountant and a business woman. Her legacy lingers in my mind as she had hoped a better future for me. I thank God I did not disappoint her.

    Was there any time you failed in your business venture?

    Yes, so many times. But I do not agree with failure. I ensure I don’t let it weigh me down. I reflect on the failure and re strategise on achieving a better result.

    In which business did you experience failure?

    My childcare business failed a couple of times before I became successful in it. To the glory of God, I’m one of the recognised childcare providers in the UK.

    What would you tell young people who want to go into business?

    They have to pray to God always. Be hard working and be honest in whatever you do.

  • Why I’m still celebrating my wife 10 years after her death —MicCom boss Ponnle

    Why I’m still celebrating my wife 10 years after her death —MicCom boss Ponnle

    •Speaks about marital life with ex-Osun deputy governor

    OCTOBER 29, for most people, is just another day on the calendar. But not so for Prince Michael Tunde Ponnle, founder of Nigeria’s first fully indigenous cable company. For the boss of MicCom Cables and Wires Limited, October 29 is a date that steers nostalgic feelings, being the day his beloved wife, Engr. Olufunke Ponnle, passed on exactly 10 years ago.

    To his credit, he has set the day apart to celebrate the life of his departed heartthrob, and anyone in the know of the great asset she constituted to him, their family and humanity in general would not be surprised at the impelled not just by the affinity they shared as husband and wife but the circumstances of their meeting before they engaged each other in a blissful marriage that lasted 47 years.

    A decade after her death, it would seem that the force or influence of time has done nothing to lessen Prince Ponnle’s affection for the frontline female engineer. Indeed, if the attention he has given to the anniversary of her death in the past 10 years is anything to go by, it is safe to say that the boss of the popular Ada Golf Course in Osun State has demonstrated more love for her late wife than many men do for their living partners.

    Explaining why his love for his late wife has not waned a decade after her demise, the MicCom boss attributed it primarily to the place she occupied not only in his heart but also in his life.

    He said: “Whatever I am or whatever MicCom is today, we did it together. Because of me, she studied engineering as well. So when we started our engineering business, we were together. She did one thing and I did the other. She was managing the factory while I was going out for marketing. In everything, we were really, really compatible.”

    Prince Ponnle also said the fact that he managed to survive in her absence is something worthy of celebration because many people, including their children, who knew how close they were, had feared that he would not be able to survive the shock.

    He said: “We were so close that my children thought I would not last one year after her death. So that calls for remembering her every year.

    “The first seven years when I was alone was terrible. I moved to the village and played golf, but golf is not something you do 24/7. Even if you play it every day, it is only for four hours. So when you are back to the house, you are lonely.

    “And in the village, there is no one at your level. So it was a very lonely life until maybe the lady herself sent somebody exactly like her to me in the person of my present wife (former Osun State deputy governor, Titi Laoye Tomori). Their behaviour, their Christian pattern, their prayer life, everything is the same. So my children always say ‘your wife sent somebody to you’.

    “Since she has been living with me about three and a half years now, there is no difference. Sometimes, I think she is a reincarnation of my late wife. So I thank God I have no cause to regret, and the children are doing well.”

    Asked about his marital experience with the former Osun State Deputy Governor, Prince Ponnle said: “Our marriage has been very interesting and helpful. It is a lesson to young people like you that when you are marrying, you should take your wife as a partner and not as a slave.

    “If there is a disagreement between you, settle it with her and give her confidence and she will help you. The idea of second or third wife should not come in if you love each other. If you love a woman, she will be faithful to you.

    “Money is the root of all sins and the root of all problems between husband and wife. Once the issue of money is out of it, 75 per cent of marriage problems are solved. I don’t care what my wife does with the money. She has children, so whatever she bought either to my knowledge or without my knowledge belongs to the children.

    “So for young couples fighting over property, I think it is because they don’t see the future. When the future comes and you need a partner and the property is there, you will see that it is your children or your relations that will benefit from it.

    “So why not take it as important from the start, but not so important as for one to cheat the other?”

    Asked how easy it is to manage a wife of the caliber of a former deputy governor, he said: “That is why I said she is God-given. She is so humble that you would not know she was once the deputy governor of a state.

    “My relations are always surprised when they come around and she kneels down to greet them. She is a typical well brought up Christian lady. I would even say she is more humble than my late wife.”

    He believes that with more people like her current wife in politics, the political terrain would be less dreadful.

    “If we have more people like her in politics, our politics will be better. I hope she does not quit politics but remains to teach other women the morals that you do not have to sell yourself to become something,” he said.

    Incidentally, the former Osun State deputy governor is on the list of the campaign council for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the head of the grassroots women mobiliser.

    Asked how prepared she was for the task, she said: “Of course, I appreciate that it is a huge task. But if my presidential candidate is somebody you know well, you will realise that he is not a difficult product to sell to the people because of his good nature and antecedents.

    “God willing, he is the next president of Nigeria.”

  • I kept touch with tradition even during my sojourn in UK —New Olowu of Owu

    I kept touch with tradition even during my sojourn in UK —New Olowu of Owu

    •Vows to mobilise Owu sons, daughters home and abroad for growth

    As Owu sons and daughters eagerly await today’s presentation of staff of office to their new Olowu, Oba Saka Matemilola, Otileta V11, the monarch has said his selection and announcement as Olowu-elect did not come to him, his friends and family members as a surprise. He also shares his plan to bring development to the area in an audience he had with a few journalists at the Olowu Palace in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Assistant Editor BOLA OLAJUWON was there.

    WHAT was your immediate reaction when you heard of your election by the kingmakers as the 14th Olowu?

    When the announcement was made, I was excited. I expected it anyway, because I knew I had worked towards getting to that position. It seemed to me that it was kind of natural, and by that I mean it is something that I have been trained for in the family for quite a while. And it is a thing that my friends and associates have said, that ‘Saka, we want you to become the next Olowu of Owu Kingdom so that you can represent us and be a great Olowu for us.’ So, somehow, my mind has been prepared for it for quite a while. So it was quite exciting, and finally here we are.

    What qualities do you think actually prepared you for the throne?

    There are a number of things really, and one of them is public service, which I have been involved in from when I was very young; doing things for people; doing things because you want to see smiles on people’s faces; because you believe this is the right thing to do. And I have done this a lot, both in private and organisational levels and beyond the call of duty. So that is one of them really.

    The other is the fact that when I was leaving Nigeria, I was very young. And one of the things that made me return to Nigeria in 1996 was because I believe that no amount of public service I offered in the United Kingdom would touch my people.

    I was not focused on being the Olowu at a time. Rather, I was focused on my people.  So, that was why I left where I was in the university in the UK. And since then, I have been engaged in public service, including lecturing pro bono at universities, supporting education and health. The key thing I have focused on was public service.

    What striking message do you think your coronation will bring to Owu Kingdom and Yoruba land in general?

    I think service goes beyond the Yoruba race, especially for those who have things to offer. One significant thing I want to say is that when you are in public service, you need to focus on your people. You can do a lot for the whole world, which is great and fantastic. But when you do it closer home, you make much more impact. In my case, I thought I have done quite a bit, and rightly so. And I thought I had retired just cruising along in terms of public service. But when I took on this role, it made me feel that I have not done enough, maybe because my people have not been touched sufficiently the way I would have loved them to be.

    So, for me, it seems I am just beginning my public service.  My message generally is that people who have that public service mindset need to start from home. That is when it will make the most significant impact.

    What area of public service do you intend to go into during your reign?

    Before now, I focused my attention on education and health. But now it is about unity, because there is nothing you can achieve in this kind of role without unity. Hence,  the number one thing is to ensure unity among the people. It is only when you have a united people that you can have unity of purpose.  You can then co-own whatever you intend to deliver, because when your followers identify with this cause, it becomes easier for them to work with you to deliver on those goals.

    Capacity development is very vital. So, when you want to develop a people, capacity-building comes first. When the people are developed, those people will support in developing the economy, infrastructure and the rest. So, the first thing is to develop capacity, and you may say due to my background, because if you don’t develop the people, you just build roads and rail, which is fantastic. But without the awareness, knowledge, the extent to which you can touch people’s lives will be limited.

    So, it is the people first, after that you have unity of purpose and ensure the people have the right education, including market women, whom you are expected to develop their businesses and by so doing the economy and other things in the city. And I am not talking about Abeokuta by the way, but the whole of Owuland- which is far beyond Ogun State and, as a matter of fact, beyond Nigeria. You may not know, there is Owu in Benin Republic and other parts of the sub-region. It is about coming together to ensure we co-develop ourselves, the economy and the rest.

    A lot of people would wonder that somebody who is highly educated and exposed to Western world is still in tune with the traditions of his people. What message do you have for those who might think that what you are doing now is outdated?

    If you don’t know yourself, where you are coming from, then what is your identity? When you say you are someone from somewhere, that somewhere has a history and culture that makes your people what they are and that is your pride. For me as an Owu man, it is about how Owu evolved its history and heritage. That is my pride. That is what I identify with.

    And it will be surprising to me for people to say knowing and identifying with one’s background is not something to be proud of. So, it is very important to understand where you are coming from. That is the only way you can identify with your people and that will be a motivation to actually help to do things in your community. If you don’t have that at the background, then where is the pride?

    For instance, look at the people who want to leave or cut off their roots from Nigeria. Most of the time, it is because they do not know who they are; they don’t know their origin or their heritage. That is why they want to leave and become slaves to other people. Where you are going to was developed by some people. Some people made you want to go there. What are you doing to ensure that where you came from is also developed to that level so that people can also come to the place?

    Given that the major role of traditional rulers is preservation of culture and tradition, how do intend to tackle the issue of cultural imperialism during your reign?

    It is all about mindset really. You see, when you get to that, from time immemorial, human beings, right from time, like to dominate. And when people are conquered, the conquered people always look up to those who conquered them. It is a natural thing for a lot of people. But for people who actually appreciate their culture and heritage, it is always the other way round. And I think it is one of the reasons why some people would say I want to be like the Europeans, because they don’t appreciate where they came from. People should be proud of their own heritage.

    So, what we are going to do, which is what we are doing already, is to go back into our history; this is what we are and these are our cultures, and make them available to the whole world. For example, when Oodua was actually sending out his grandchild, Ajibosun, he said  each of those people have good governance and administration. The instruction was ‘go and establish a kingdom for me.’ And each of those people, in addition to certain individuals who accompanied them, played different roles.

    So, even till we came to this area and the Egba were here with us, we were working together until the Europeans came and did all they did at that time. And again, it goes to the mindset I mentioned earlier where the conqueror imposed their culture on the conquered. That was the only way they could dominate. They make you feel that they are much better than you or superior to you. It is up to you to say, no, you are not. We just have to keep our heads up, develop ourselves and make sure that we do not allow those imperialists to destroy our culture.

    By God’s grace, and all my people are behind me on this, we intend to bring back the beauty of our culture and heritage to make our children proud of who they are. We are already doing it by the way.

    How do you intend to transit from scholarship to monarchy?

    I don’t see it as a transition in that sense. It is about the mindset. When I was in the academia, by the way, I straddled both the academia and the industrial sector. Where I was then, I was a captain of industry, and when you occupied that role, it was about how you utilise it to deliver on your mandate. Long before thinking about ascending the throne of Olowu, I was already thinking about how the administration would be. What does this role involve? What do I need to do to deliver? So, since that race started in January, I had already prepared my mind. In fact, my agenda was already drawn.

    The day I actually indicated interest, I already had a programme. I have a profile which contains the details of what I intend to do. Those are the key things – not too many of them – just about five points. So, the mindset is what is the role about? What do I need to deliver to ensure that people feel the impact of my reign as soon as possible? And we are doing that already.

  • POPULAR AMERICAN DANCER MALEEKA HARRIS: How I became Sango worshipper

    POPULAR AMERICAN DANCER MALEEKA HARRIS: How I became Sango worshipper

    •Says I’m learning Yoruba to understand ifa divination better

    Maleeka Harris, a popular dancer in Harlem, United States of America, was in Osogbo, Osun State recently for the town’s annual Ifa festival. An adherent of Sango, the Yoruba god of thunder, Harris, who currently works at the New York African Chorus Ensemble in Harlem, spoke with GBENGA ADERANTI about her love for the African religion, her Nigerian experience and how she came in contact with Sango.

    HOW did you come in contact with Sango?

    It started with my curiosity in African traditional religion. It started back in my college days when I met Chief Adewunmi. I learned that she was an ifa priestess and I started asking questions about orisa. Eventually, I met Baba Oluwo, Dr. Ifagbenusola Atanda. I was able to find out about orisa and I found out that I’m a child of Sango.

    That helped me greatly because I was thinking about moving away from arts and culture and go to something in the opposite, but I realised that I was becoming more unhappy as I was finishing school and trying to figure out my next step. I found that I was a child of Sango and that made me to stay in what I was doing in arts and culture. So knowing that Sango is somebody of music and dance, that is what naturally makes my spirit happy.

    Yes, I know I have other skill sets. Making sure that I’m doing something that is organic to me and finding out that Sango is the orisa on my head confirmed that I need to stay where I am and keep on growing and developing. 

    What I naturally knew since I was a child was dancing and music. I started when I was about eight years old. My mum put me in a dance school. I did it all the way through high school and college and then I stopped. Spiritual art kind of put me back to my first love in addition to other skills.

    How did your parents react when you embraced Sango?

    My parents support everything that I do. To be honest, they don’t know much about African traditional religion, but they see my mummy No 2, Chief Adewunmi, they met Baba, Chief Ifagbenusola Atanda, and they see how they carry themselves. They see the efforts and the changes that I made and in terms of leaving the storm and they see everything positive. They don’t say much because they embrace everything that I do. My parents are very supportive and flexible. They are not strict. They don’t say ‘you can’t do this or you can’t do that.’ They trust me, and they trust the family I am with because of their character. They didn’t think much about it.

    How about your friends? How receptive were they to your new ‘love’?

    It is the same response because they are also into art and culture. When you understand the art you affect other people. They might ask questions, depending on what they ask and the answers. But we remain friends. They have been part of the experience. And also because I was in the documentary on African religion, they could not understand this fully until they saw the video and they wanted to make a trip back to Nigeria themselves when they are ready too. This screening created a sort of inspiration, something to look forward to doing. Thank God it has been positive for me so far.

    What are out to achieve with this?

    Ifa has taught me to have a better understanding of myself. Since I was little, I have always wanted to seek knowledge. I don’t want to be limited. Learning ifa made everything possible. I don’t know as much as Baba and Chief, but I am on a journey and I am using the tool and the wisdom they give to me to define my character because nobody is perfect.

    I want to make it close to being my best self and that is what ifa gives to me. I want to touch myself and have my own personal experience but they didn’t answer the question in the way I felt was good enough. So when I learnt about ifa, I felt like I was getting full answers, I thought more organic, something more original. You can practice ifa at any time or period; it doesn’t matter if it is in the past, present or future, it applies to life. I’m practising something my ancestors have been doing since the beginning of time of God. I want to take it with me to the next generation, pass it down to my family and whoever is open to hearing and understanding will pick part of it to better their lives.

    How much of positive influence have you had on your community and peers?

    In learning tradition, in doing different projects, I have been able to help other people too. The community receives something from people too, and right along assisting those people. Then I get positive feedback as well because I’m there to serve and assist.

    For you to have a better understanding of Sango and ifa, you have to be versed in Yoruba language. How versed are you?

    Baba (ifa priest Chief Atanda) translates, and that makes it easier for me to understand. I also make efforts to understand Yoruba by training and learning Yoruba songs with my chief. I also ask questions which are explained to me and I’m able to pronounce some of the words. It is a gradual process. You have to be the type of person that feels ‘oh, I want to learn the language.’ I’ve been coming here (Osogbo). I have been able to pick some things and understand the language better. It doesn’t stop me from knowing that the essence of tradition is good character. So anything I want to know, anything I want to understand is just ask and they will explain it to me and provide this in Yoruba.

    I sing Sango songs. I studied the songs and asked for the meaning. I ask questions As Baba always says anyone who asks questions will not get lost. It is not a major barrier how much you want to learn. I know people before me that studied never spoke Yoruba and now, years later, they are speaking Yoruba as well.

    If I want to reach that point I can do the same. But it doesn’t stop me from learning the foundation, isese, taking care of your parents, honouring God, honouring your ori, the way you carry yourself, the way you treat people; that is the basic in nature. Language is not a barrier; it is how much you want to learn.

    How do you resolve the conflict between your new found love, isese, and the one you were accustomed to?

    You mean my faith before? To be honest, I was never committed to Christianity. I need to be honest. When they were preaching, I was falling asleep. When they were jumping about the Holy Ghost, I would just be looking. I was just a child, open and needed to learn before I jumped into anything.  I wanted to know everything before I decide which is comfortable with me. Ifa is most comfortable.

    How does it interfere?

    It does not because I always ask questions for understanding and I have peace of mind.

    What are you going to do with the knowledge you acquired?

    The knowledge I have acquired so far has made me able to control my reactions. Sometimes I get emotional. The knowledge has made me respond and navigate to different situations better with the knowledge of ifa. There are so many teachings in ifa that explain how to handle different situations and I have to use that and apply it to real life.

    For example, the way I speak to big mummy. If I want her blessings, I have to carry myself in the right way, respect my elders; that is part of the culture. In America sometimes they get lost because people do whatever they want.

    How would you describe your experience in Nigeria?

    My Nigerian experience has been fantastic. It was a positive experience.

    Before you left the United States, you must have had expectations. Would you say your expectations were met?

    I can’t remember if I had expectations.

    Were you disappointed when you got here?

    No. I wasn’t disappointed. I was welcomed by four kings. I’m humbled. I know where I am  is a good place to be.

    Yes. It was exciting. I wasn’t afraid. Except that I wanted to know if we were going to sleep in the dark but Baba Oluwo said no.

  • Flood victims in fresh battle for survival

    Flood victims in fresh battle for survival

    •Inmates faint as hunger ravages IDP camps

    •Victims lament failed monetary promises

    •80 per cent of IDPs left to fend for themselves despite donations- NGO

    AFTER managing to survive the flood incidents that ravaged their communities recently, many flood victims in Bayelsa and Delta states are now plagued by hunger and myriads of other challenges that compound their woes.

    One of the inmates at Ox-Bow Lake IDP camp, in Yenagoa. Bayelsa State, Mrs Rosemary Sampson, who is with her three kids, said all is not well in the camp as inmates are fed very late in the morning and at night.

    She said: “They give us food here two times a day. The first meal is served at 12 noon while the second food is after 9pm.

    “Before the food is served, we are already weak and tired, and when it eventually comes, it is usually too small and not properly prepared.

    “Many people have been fainting here because of hunger. My children have fainted many times. “Also, there appears to be discriminatory treatment by those managing the camp. For instance, some persons have mosquito nets while others don’t.

    “We are really suffering. I have mosquito bites all over my body. So also do the children. We use our bare hands to pack feaces.

    “The other time, we were told they were going to give us N20,000 each to augment us, but none of us has seen the money.

    “It was only N1,000 that was given to each person. We have yet to receive the promised N20,000.

    “To be candid, Governor Douye Diri is doing his best but the people coordinating the work are the ones spoiling things for him.”

    Another inmate, Faith Saturday, corroborated Sampson’s statement, saying that her own situation was so precarious that in the midst of their travail, her children would be crying for food and she would not be able to provide for them.

    Saturday said: “The government has done well to relocate us to this place. I want to implore the governor to ensure that the people running the camp give us food at the right time so that we can be spared of different agonies.

    “For someone like me, I don’t have any food to give to my children. The way we starve at times is not good enough.

    “Another aspect is that when certain necessities are shared, some persons have more while others don’t get at all.

    “As I am talking to you, there is no foam for me and my children to sleep on.

    “Even the mosquito nets I brought from my place, I do not have where to pin them.

    “We are not able to have good sleep because of mosquitoes. I am always awake fanning my children and killing mosquitoes.

    “The money they said they would give us as pocket money, we have not seen anything apart from the N1,000 that was given to me some weeks back.

    “If you go to the coordinators to inform them about your plight, they chase you away, saying they have given out what was available.

    “We do not have money to feed our children. Before the food is ready, it takes a pretty long time.

    “I always feel very bad seeing my children hungry but unable to do anything about it.

    “I am appreciative of the government’s gesture but the problems we have are those people taking care of us here.

    “They are not doing what they are supposed to do.”

    Patience Nelson, who said she had been in the camp for more than two weeks, also sang the same song as other inmates.

    Nelson said: “They are trying their best. They give us food, but the time we get the food to eat is too late.

    The morning food is served by 12pm while evening food is served at 9pm. Some persons don’t even see food to eat at all.

    “I am really missing my house. I won’t lie to you, there is no life here. “I am suffering from malaria and there is nowhere to pin the mosquito net I brought here. Some persons have more than 10 foams while others do not have any.”

    A male inmate by the sobriquet Governor Alamco, said flood took over his house and because he did not want to inconvenience any of his friends or relatives, he decided to go to the IDP camp.

    On his observation at the camp, Alamco said: “The way the food is coordinated is not nice. We have older people, breastfeeding mothers and children here.

    “If they want us to be on a queue, then they should separate us and not pile all of us together. Some persons eat while others do not see food to eat.

    “In the area of medicals, they are doing well. We are given drugs every day.”

    Victims left to fend for themselves

    An advocacy group, Bayelsa Non-governmental Organisations Forum (BANGOF), alleged that a greater number of victims of the 2022 floods, which ravaged about 80 per cent of Bayelsa, are left to fend for themselves in spite of the huge support the state has received from sympathisers.

    The position is contained in a report issued by BANGOF in Yenagoa after monitoring the flood situation and its impact as well as the response from the government.

    The group said it observed that the government had no dedicated camps to support persons displaced in coastal communities, except for those resident in Yenagoa.

    The report signed by the Transition Committee Chairman of BANGOF, Dauseye Torki, further noted that persons in charge of relief materials and flood impact mitigation, both at national and state levels, were economical with the truth over relief materials they had received from the government, individuals or organisations.

    The statement reads in part: “We visited several IDP camps, especially the Ox-Bow Lake in Swali, Yenagoa.

    “The Ox-Bow Lake camp with about 3,500 IDPs is, so far, the only camp where state attention is focused.

    “It is the only camp where they cook food for IDPs, provide mosquito nets, mattresses or mats.

    “The government also provided medical services, water and security, both police and Bayelsa vigilantes in this camp.

    “Meanwhile, at the Igbogene camp with about 550 IDPs, the government has only provided medical services and water as well as some presence of the police.

    “IDPs in the Igbogene camp are fending for themselves with support from public-spirited individuals, churches and foundations (NGOs).

    “It was only on Monday, October 24 that the state government began to construct a kitchen for the camp. “There are several other IDP camps within Yenagoa and its environs. A few other camps visited include Mother and Child Camp at Bayelsa Palm Road with over 62 IDPs, including newborns, mothers, caregivers and older children of newly delivered women.

    “We also visited St.John’s Catholics Church, Igbogene which has over 300 IDPs including women and children, and Bozi Water IDP camp with over 350 IDPs.

    “Besides the OXBOW LAKE and the Igbogene camps, there is no government presence in all these other camps.

    “They are self-funded and only sustain themselves through communal efforts and support from public-spirited individuals.

    “And we observed that a greater number of victims are left on their own to weather this great challenge.”

    BANGOF claimed there were no dedicated camps to support persons displaced in various communities and LGAs, stressing that persons in charge of relief materials and flood impact mitigation were very economical with the truth in terms of relief materials received from both the government and other individuals or organisations.

    It said the state government was inadvertently encouraging rural-urban migration by concentrating support for IDPs in only one or two locations in the state capital to the exclusion of victims in rural areas.

    Lamentations in Delta IDP

    Over 500 victims of flood-ravaged Otu-Jeremi community located in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State have for almost two weeks been camped at Jeremi Primary School, Otu-Jeremi.

    The Nation had reported that no fewer than 40 displaced persons were put together in most of the classrooms. One of the visited rooms reportedly had 30 children and 17 adults. Another one, as revealed by one Beauty Samuel with six children, had 20 adults with more than 20 children. The victims lamented inadequate meals and the terrible sleeping conditions in the camp which is yet to get recognition or any form of support from the state government.

    On arrival at the camp on Thursday morning, our reporter observed that most parts of the school compound were flooded. Children were seen playing with sand near the entrance, while others played in the corridors of classrooms. Some women stirred big cooking pots on fire. Some elderly men who sat idly looked forlorn and lost in thoughts.

    As the reporter took steps towards a dark complexioned man in the midst of a group of persons seated in one of the corridors, about four elderly men approached him. As they conversed in the local Urhobo dialect, our reporter observed  that they had come to appreciate the man for his efforts in catering for everyone in the camp.

    Our reporter would later find out that the man in question, Michael Oghenegueke, is the President-General of the community.

    According to him, the community took the initiative to set up the camp after floods sacked most persons from their residence. He confirmed that the Delta State Government was yet to identify with the camp by way of providing relief materials.

    But he said some non- governmental organizations had assisted them. He also disclosed that about N300,000 is spent daily to feed the flood victims.

    He said: “From the beginning, the community sponsored the care for the people. That was about two weeks ago. No assistance came from the government. It is non-governmental people that assist us. In a day, it costs almost N300,000 to feed the people.”

    Some elderly people who spoke with The Nation called for urgent government assistance.

    Seventy-six-year-old Simeon Makava, a cassava and plantain farmer, said: ” Our houses are flooded, so we came here. We didn’t even know how we would get food, but the chairman has been making provision.

    “We sleep on bare floor, no mattress, mosquitoes bite us daily and there is no special medical care.”

    Pointing at his feet, he said they were swollen as a of walking about in the flooded camp. “To go to where I sleep and come out, I have to wade through water. We need the government to help us,” he said.

    Robinson Obiyovwi, 77, said he had been involved in an accident before the flooding incident.

    “The flood covered my house. I couldn’t pick anything. Before I left, the water there was up to here (he gestured at his waist). Government should help us”.

    A builder, Robert Ogboru, 66, said: “We need government support in terms of food items so that we can have enough rations. We need as much help as we can get.”

    middle-aged man added that some of them were commercial motorcycle riders but the flood “has spoilt our Okada”.

    In another block of classrooms, many women and children were seen. A woman identified as Onome, was seen washing beans for moi-moi. Others sat attending to their children or engaged in some other things.

    As the reporter tried to take pictures of the scene, they demanded to know why they were being filmed. But an exchange of pleasantries, they opened up, saying there were 30 children and 17 adults in the room.

    Ifogbe Gloria, 61, said she was in the camp with two children. She said due to the flooded environment and accompanying mosquitoes, she was feeling feverish already.

    Joy Pala, a mother of two-year-old twin girls, said: “We eat twice here and it is not enough when it (food) is served. There is no medical care. They only checked the blood pressure of old people yesterday (Wednesday)”.

    Providence Abel, with four children, said: “Our community chairman really tried. Government has not given us anything. See, these children are yet to eat and it is almost noon.

    “Our husbands’ can’t go to work because of the flood. We are stranded. We need government’s aid. Because we sleep on the bare floor, we are infected with cough and catarrh.  Physically challenged Emmanuel Dogho, who appeared to be in his early 20s, said prior to the flood, he used to dance at parties to eke out a living. But since the flood disaster, he has been solely dependent on the provisions made in the camp.

    Baby Kitona is 70 years old. She had made her own small fire, cooking pepper soup for herself and her five grandchildren when she was spotted.

    Speaking in her local Urhobo language, she disclosed that they were very hungry and could not wait for the general food to be ready before having breakfast, so she used a small amount of money to get ingredients for the dish. This was at about 11:17 am.

    Kitona also complained about the lack of mattresses and incessant mosquito bites, just as she begged the authorities to come to their aid.

    According to records obtained from the National Senior Citizens Centre in the camp, as of Wednesday, the total number of children were 385, women were 127, while aged men and women were 43 and 65 respectively.

    The record showed that a 93-year old was the oldest in the camp. But when asked to visit, an agent at the centre explained that some of the very aged people among the victims were moved out of the camp for health reasons.

    Earlier, Oghenegueke had revealed that though health workers visit the camp, they  never have drugs to administer to victims in need of them.

    The President-General further added that in their own little way, to avert health hazards, “every morning we ask them to put the place in order, pick up the refuse; as you can see the place is not rough. We caution the people, especially the children, against entering the water.”

    Task force allays fears

    The Chairman, Flood Management and Mitigation Task Force, Hon. Iselema Gbaranbiri, while receiving some trucks of food items and relief materials for the IDPs, reassured the people that the distribution of relief materials to impacted communities in the state would be continuous until Bayelsans were satisfied.

    Gbaranbiri, who is the state Commissioner for the Environment, said the state government was providing two square meals per day to displaced persons in various IDP camps in the state apart from providing medical services, water and other emergency aids.

    Speaking with reporters on the cost of food and other items in the state, the commissioner said Governor Douye Diri had inaugurated a committee to interface with marketers in the state to bring down the cost of food items.

    Gbaranbiri hinted that so far, no relief materials had been received by the state government from the Federal Government to alleviate the plight of the impacted local governments and communities in the state.

    Rector, monarch build IDP camps, supply palliatives

    Worried by the unabating flood that has destroyed properties worth several millions of naira and rendering hundreds of people homeless, the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa State, Dr Agbabiaka Adegoke, in collaboration with the Paramount Ruler of that community, King Toboro Andy Godwill, Epete XI, has erected camps convenient for habitation by the displaced indigenes.

    The flood has hindered the people who are traditionally farmers and fishermen from their livelihoods, as their farmlands have been submerged and crops swept away by the volatile flood.

    King Godwill commended the magnanimity of Engr. Adegoke, who is just four months in office at the Federal Polytechnic, for identifying with the people of the community during the trying times.

    The monarch said: “I, on behalf of the Ekowe community, whole-heartedly appreciate the efforts of the Rector who is not even an indigene of the state for his show of love and care for our people.

    “The Rector collaborated with me to build the camps and provide relief materials such as rice, beans, garri and cooking ingredients for the impacted people who have lost their hard earned money they invested on their farmlands as well as personal belongings worth millions of naira.”

    He called on representatives of the community at the state and National Assembly, private investors and humanitarian organisations as well as multinational companies operating in and around the community to come to the aid of the devastated people.

    Displaying photographs of some houses that have been submerged by the flood, including his palace, King Toboro encouraged those who are displaced to have solace in God, believing that the situation would soon become a thing of the past.

    A resident of the polytechnic town, who gave his name only as Ayibatari,  thumbed up for the rector and the monarch for building the IDP camps in the area to help the indigenes and residents displaced in their hundreds.

    Ayibatari said: “We are excited at what these two leaders have done for us. Our area is heavily flooded and hundreds of people have been displaced.

    “At some point, there was a serious humanitarian crisis in the area before the Rector and the monarch in their magnanimity provided the IDP camps.

    “If not for them, our displaced brothers and sisters would not have known where to go  or what to do. The two did what the relevant authorities haven’t done or planned to do. We are so happy with them.

    “Besides that, they provided relief items worth millions of naira to the inmates at the camps.”

    Sympathy donations to victims

    Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri set the ball rolling by approving initial N450m for the State Flood Mitigation and Management Task Force to provide more relief materials for the increasing number of flood victims across the state.

    On Tuesday (this week), the governor approved another N450m, bringing the total amount approved and released to the committee so far to N900m.

    Speaking on behalf of Governor Diri, the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ayibaina Duba, reiterated the administration’s commitment to providing succour to the victims of devastating flood and give lifeline to those who have lost everything, including houses and businesses, to the flood.

    He said that the N900m would go a long way in procuring food and medicines for distribution to many citizens in the eight local government areas of the state who are running short of the initial basic provisions and food supplied to them by the state government.

    He assured the people that government would also sustain the effective management of the IDP camps with about 20, 000 inmates. Azibapu, donated N350m worth of relief materials to alleviate the losses, pains and discomfort suffered by victims in the state.

    The relief materials include food items, mosquito nets, mattresses, medicals and cold protective gadgets.

    Eruani made the donation during the week when he paid a courtesy visit to the Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri at the Government House, Yenagoa.

    The foremost Bayelsa industrialist empathised with Governor Diri over the devastation inflicted by the high tide of the flood on roads, public and private properties, farmlands, among others.

    Eruani decried the tragic loss of lives, missing persons and the untold hardship faced by Nigerians, especially the people of Bayelsa State who had lost loved ones, properties and their means of livelihood.

    He lauded Diri for the proactive measures deployed in handling the situation in the state.

    The Azikel Chief Executive submitted that though the state witnessed floods in 2012, the current flooding was unimaginable considering the landslides and erosion that had washed away most coastal communities, with attendant high cost of goods and commodities caused by the ravaging flood.

    Eruani advised that the immediate and post-flood challenges should not be left to the government alone and called on the federal government, international community, corporate bodies and donor agencies to help the state government overcome the present unfortunate situation.

    He, however, urged families and victims impacted by the natural disaster not to dispair amidst the difficult moments, assuring them that the Azikel Group would stand with them in this trying times.

    Also former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, former Governor Seriake Dickson and other organisations have donated money and different types of relief items to the victims through the state government.

    While Atiku, who is the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), donated N55m, Emmanuel gave his government’s sympathy donation of N100m and Senator Dickson donated over N100m to flood victims.

    Also, the Central Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy  donated food items to flood victims worth millions of naira to Agudama community, its hosts in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.

    The donation of the food items was done by Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), CNC.

    The items donated were cassava flour (garri), sachets of water, noodles, bread, rice, beverages and others.

    The FOC said the donation was part of the Navy’s statutory responsibility to care, support and sympathise with the host in their trying times.

    Diri urged to deploy ecological funds to help victims

    A former Security Adviser in Bayelsa State, Chief Perekeme Kpodoh, has called on Governor Douye Diri to deploy ecological funds that accrued to the state to help victims of the ongoing floods in Bayelsa.

    Kpodoh said it was time for Diri to utilise the billions he had so far collected as ecological funds to mitigate the damage done by the flood and to sufficiently ameliorate the suffering of the people.

    He described as unacceptable the repeated call by Diri for federal government’s assistance, saying the governor should first show capacity with resources within his disposal.

    He said: “People should hold Governor Douye Diri responsible and compel him to account for all the money he had received so far as ecological funds. Such money is meant for a time like this. It is not sufficient to be crying foul and seeking external assistance. What have you done with the resources available to you?

    “Diri’s intervention was first belated and insufficient. There were warnings that Bayelsa and some other states would be flooded. But the governor went about his business without making provisions to mitigate the floods.

    “Nothing was done. All the drains were not cleared. People were not sensitised and prepared to face the disaster. No higher grounds were built. We saw how the Kaduna State Government prepared its citizens before the floods.

    “We also saw how the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, immediately set up a task force and released N1bn for only four local government areas affected by the flood. But the Bayelsa State Governor waited until the floods overtook the entire state killing helpless people before he released paltry N450m for relief materials”.

    Kpodoh complained that the governor embarrassed Bayelsa following a viral video of people he sent to distribute relief materials dishing out one cup each of rice, beans and garri to the suffering and traumatised flood victims.

    “We saw that video and we were embarrassed. It was unimaginable that an oil-rich state like Bayelsa would deepen the pains of its traumatised citizens in the time of disaster,” he said.

    Kpodoh said Diri’s capacity in governance had been tested by the disaster but regretted that the governor had failed woefully by playing to the gallery and presenting himself to the world as a helpless weeping child.

    He said the governor through his poor leadership style bungled a great opportunity presented by the floods to redeem his image and advised him to bury any thought of seeking reelection.

  • Hard times for Kanye West

    Hard times for Kanye West

    POPULAR American rapper, Kanye West, is in the eye of the storm following his anti-semitic tirade which has been described as “hateful and dangerous” on his social media pages.

    West who is known for courting controversies, has also made several other remarks in the past, including suggestions that slavery was “a choice” and calling the COVID-19 vaccine the “mark of the beast.”

    Beyond the avalanche of criticisms that trailed his recent anti-semitic outburst, the 45-year-old has lost several lucrative deals. Brands like Adidas, Balenciaga, GAP, and others have revoked their business deals with the rapper.

    Spotify Chief Executive, Daniel Ek, said West’s comments were “awful” but that his music would stay on the platform. Kanye’s former bank, JP Morgan, and Vogue severed ties with him. His management, Creative Artist Agency, also announced that it would no longer represent Ye. Madame Tussauds also removed its wax figure of West from public view.

    Adidas became the latest company to join the exodus when it announced the end of its partnership with West. It marked what everyone viewed as the largest financial blow to the rapper, who had declared that the brand “can’t drop me”.

    Forbes had estimated West’s net worth at $2bn with most of that wealth tied up in Yeezy, for which he earns an estimated $220m annually as part of his production deal with Adidas.

    Prior to the announcement Forbes said that West’s net worth would fall below $1bn should the Adidas contract be torn up, but have now drastically reduced that figure to just $400m.

    Quite a number of fellow celebrities including comedian Sarah Silverman, writer Dan Levy, Actor Florence Pugh, Reese Witherspoon have also condemned West’s behaviour.

    The controversial rapper and fashion designer stirred the hornet’s nest when he wore a ‘White Lives Matter’ shirt to his Yeezy Season 9 show at Paris Fashion Week in early October.

    Then on social media, West threatened to go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” before doubling down in a succession of antisemitic statements.

    Kanye later clarified that he meant to say Defcon 3 in the tweet. Defence readiness condition (Defcon) is an alert system used by the US military, with five levels of readiness, with level one being the highest. Defcon level 3 refers to “Increase in force readiness above normal readiness.”

    But the post has since been removed. The post came after he accused record producer, Sean “Diddy” Combs, of being controlled by “the Jewish people” in a post on Instagram.

  • Rishi Sunak…Can he save Britain?

    Rishi Sunak…Can he save Britain?

    IS Rishi Sunak Britain’s next fleeting political personae? Or is he an emblem of power baiting fugitive hope from the British underclass?

    When he walked into 10, Downing Street, London, United Kingdom (UK) on Tuesday, October 25, as Britain’s youngest Prime Minister (PM), he did under a dark pall of apprehension over the country’s economic woes.

    The UK’s stock and bond markets had shed at least $500 billion in value since his predecessor, Liz Truss, was formally appointed to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister on September 5.

    At Truss’ unceremonious exit, Sunak, 42, emerged as the British PM and third occupant of the office in 51 days.

    The most remarkable response to his ascent perhaps was the reverberant hope expressed by segments of UK’s Indian-Asian community – many received the news of Sunak’s emergence as the first prime minister of colour as a watershed moment in British politics.

    But then, it is not so simple; Sunak will be the first Hindu and the first person of South Asian descent to lead a country that continues to grapple with its long history of colonialism, racism and wealth inequality.

    The new PM’s opulent roots and his copious identification in public circuit as a British aristocrat is one of the hot button issues triggered at his resumption at Number 10, Downing Street.

    The Sunday Times of London, on Tuesday, estimated his financial worth to be about £730 million, or $1.2 billion Cdn. And even though his wife’s riches presumably dwarf his earnings, Sunak allegedly contributed several million dollars to the family fortune via his work as an investment banker before he became an MP in 2015.

    Sunak was criticised earlier this year when British press reported that his wife (Akshata) and daughter of Indian billionaire, Narayana Murty, took advantage of rules allowing her to avoid UK taxes on her foreign income. She has since promised to give up her “non-domiciled” status and pay all her taxes in Britain.

    Notwithstanding, the milestone of Sunak’s emergence as the British PM is doubly significant for many people with Asian roots because it dispels the belief that a coloured person could never become Prime Minister in Britain, and it happened during the Diwali, a five-day festival of light celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains.

    At the backdrop of the debate about his origins, Sunak has been called an Indian of Asian origins. But the new UK prime minister is probably more African than Asian. Historians trace his roots to East Africa. According to London-based historian, Levin Opiyo, Sunak’s grandfather, Ram Dass, married Suhag Rani in the 1930s and they migrated to Kenya at a time the colonial government needed skilled expatriates in the country.

    Thus Sunak’s father, Yashvir, was a Kenyan born under colonialism and his mother, Usha, was Tangayikan, before the country merged with Zanzibar to become present day Tanzania.

    So, his parents were Africans who met in England, where Sunak was born British. As he was pronounced PM on October 25, some citizens of Kenya and Tanzania, especially those of Indian descent, proudly celebrated his emergence hoping he would strengthen diplomatic ties and advocate for minorities.

    Sunak may be likened to the UK’s equivalent of the fetishised political personae. Like his predecessors, he flaunts no extraordinariness save his membership of Britain’s upper aristocratic divide.

    Ultimately, Sunak may champion no urgent, radical surprises even as he assumes leadership in an austere British clime. Households are struggling with skyrocketing inflation as cost of goods and services spiral above wages. 

    Investors still predict interest rates will climb to a little over 5% next year and most economists anticipate no significant growth until the second half of 2023.

    Truss assumed office about a month ago promising to revive the economy with deep tax cuts that seemed to ignore the rapid inflation and came with no immediate plan for covering them. The ensuing market panic forced her to beat a retreat, and cut short her tenure, with the tax burden now back to the highest since World War II and a roughly £25 billion hole in public finances.

    In all of this, what are the likely gains for Nigerians living in the UK?

    While various segments of Tanzanian, Kenyan and Indian-Asian populace anticipate improved circumstances with Sunak-led Britain, of what benefit would his leadership be to Nigerians?

    It is noteworthy that Sunak assumed office as British Home Secretary, Suella Braverman revealed her intention to cut immigration numbers, potentially affecting a path for many Nigerians seeking greener pasture in the UK.

    “We definitely have to reduce the number of work visas, students and dependents,” she said.

    According to Daily Mail, Nigeria represented 40 percent of the total number of dependents between June 2021 and June 2022, and some 34,000 Nigerians were given study visas in the UK, bringing with them a total of 31,898 dependants – a reality considered cringe-worthy in official circuits.

    Nigerians may be the worst hit by Braverman’s desire to cut immigration despite their contributions to the British economy. Nigerian students and their dependents contributed an estimated sum of £1.93 billion to the United Kingdom (UK) in 2021, a new report by SBM Intelligence shows.

    This contribution is a net addition to the UK economy, said Ikemesit Effiong, Head of Research at SBM Intelligence, an Africa-focused geopolitical research and strategic communications firm.

    “With rising living costs, a shrinking labour force, escalating pension and health costs, the UK needs to constantly attract new immigrants into the country in order to be able to keep key aspects of its economy, particularly in the healthcare sector,” said Effiong.

    The challenges facing Sunak are no doubt tremendous: He must revivify an economy sliding toward recession and unite a disheartened, divided party.

    In his first public statement, Sunak said, “the United Kingdom is a great country, but there is no doubt we face a profound economic challenge.”

    “We now need stability and unity, and I will make it my utmost priority to bring our party and our country together,” said the 42 -year old youngest British Prime Minister in 200 years.