The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  •  Why I shun politics, by Okoya

     Why I shun politics, by Okoya

    The Aare of Lagos and Chairman of the Eleganza Group, Chief Rasaq Okoya is 81 this week. He spoke with Deputy Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU on why he has refused to participate in politics and what government can do to improve the economy and boost public welfare

     

    HOW do you feel celebrating 81?

    I am very happy. I am in good health. I thank God Almighty. Everything is going on fine with me, my family and my business.

    Not all the members of your generation are that lucky. But, you are 81 now. What are the secrets of long life?

    Hard work is good. You wake up every morning and you have something to do. You are not idle; you move about. That in itself is an exercise. It helps your health. You are energised. You stay on one spot in a week or two and you are sick because you don’t move. But, when you move through your factory, working, inspecting, supervising; it is a good exercise for you.

    You are an industrialist. Why are firms and industries collapsing in Nigeria?

    Power is one of the most important things. The solution lies in power; electricity. I saw the policy. It has been a little bit amended. Power should be stable.

    Is power the only factor?

    It is the most important factor. It is the major factor. It is a major factor. I have 35 hectares of factory land. The operations depend on power. If there is power, you can generate over 2,000 employments. With stable power, you have 10 times of that. With power, we can do more. The challenge of power has to be tackled. The level of power now is not encouraging. It should be improved. It is a major challenge. Everyone cannot afford to have his own plant. No. The small and large scale industries need power. The generator you buy, within a year, will wear out. So, we need power.

    We also observe that professional artisans are reducing. Why are professional carpenters, welders and bricklayers in short supply?

    That is the issue. We didn’t train them. If you have a small scale industry, like 30 by 40, about 1,000 units, yearly in all the states, and you provide accommodation for them nearby, two-bedroom, one-bedroom, and for security reasons, you can have a mini-barrack nearby; you have training schools which focuses on the major materials we need, furniture, pharmaceuticals. You train these people. You contact important countries that have all these machine tools, China, India that have these small machine tools. You give to these people as a loan, at a small price. They will be paying gradually with low interest. Believe me, all these things can be realised.

    As an industrialist, you advertise. You can get good wood maker. You are a builder. You cannot get good bricklayer and carpenters. And we have wood. We have everything. They are not trained. We have to depend on neighbouring countries. We need them, but they are not trained. A small school will train them. We give them machines for work. After their first degree, they can be trained. Believe me, you will get what you want.

    Many of the youths are not in the right direction. So, it is time now to bring them to what the country really needs. And then plan to finance them. It is not expensive.  It does not involve big money. These machines are very small. You loan it to them. They pay back within two or three years. And then become somebody that is important. They can expand big on their own.

    In the light of these, are you calling for the establishment of more vocational and technical colleges in the country?

    Well, we need more. If you build all these industries, you can come back to them with your first degree? Why? You are an accountant. You are a lawyer. What is the use of your degree, unless you have your law firm. But, these artisans are going to employ most of these graduates; accountants, and lawyers. They will employ them. So, we need these artisans to grow the economy. Therefore, our technical schools and colleges are not enough.

    Generally, how can government tackle unemployment?

    First, let light be stable. Second, get all these small scale industries; 30 by 40 ready across the states. Provide accommodation for their workers. For security reasons, get a mini barrack nearby. Get the needed country; China. They bring their machines. You loan them.  It is not expensive.  They will start gradually. One person you train will employ many others. If they exist across the states, the rush to cities will not be there. An idle hand is a devil’s workshop.

    If the youths also embrace agriculture, would it not solve the problem of unemployment?

    Agriculture is good. But agriculture is not sufficient. Let some people be in agriculture. Let other people be in mini-industries. If you have agriculture progressively the way we have it and we have these mini-industries, of course, our problems will be solved.

    What has been the impact of Covid-19, generally, on business and the economy?

    It is bringing business down. It has been like that in the last one year. The worst was last year. It was a phase. It has passed now. It has not been the same. We pray this year will be better.

    How have you been coping as an industrialist in this Covid-19 period?

    We cope. We have a very strong factory and we are determined. We always manage to get ourselves out of challenges. We triumph.

    During the period too, there were #EndSARS protests. How can the government prevent a reoccurrence?

    I have analysed the solution. Keep them busy. Let them have something doing. Give them hope. The hope is that every state should have this unit of factory. They won’t migrate to Lagos and Abuja. Most of them will like to be in their states, where they are well equipped.

    At 81, do you have a succession plan for your group of companies as an industrialist?

    I have my family. My wife today as I am telling you, the factory is her life. She goes to the factory six days a week, day and night. The factory is all her life. The children are following her footsteps.

    When you were a young man, having got economic power, why did you not enter politics to get political power?

    I was always busy with my father in the shop as a tailor. That would not allow me. We were busy. We sewed clothes during Ramadan fasting. From the first six days of Ramadan fasting to the end of Ramadan; we were busy sewing. There was no way.

    When you now got independence from your father and you became your own man, a captain of industry and an influential person in the society, why did you not join a political party to acquire political power?

    I am not a politician. I don’t know how to do it. What I know to do best is how to produce, how to run an industry. If you are producing, you will not think about any other thing. You will be comfortable there and you will be happy. You family, your children will join you. You will not think about any other thing.

    What are those things government can do to serve as incentives to investors and industrialists?

    Yes, it is good to have investors. But, our youths will benefit, if you do these small, cottage industries. They will cover a number of products which the foreign investors are coming to do for us. So, we should be less dependent on these foreign investors. Our youths will cover a lot of grounds for us. We should train them. With that, we will depend less on these foreign investors. We have petroleum. We have petro-chemicals. We have the materials. It is a necessity. But, we should build ourselves and depend less on them.

    The cottage industry is the only solution. I grew up under my father, a tailor. It was a cottage industry. That is why I sewed, moulded blocks myself. So, the cottage industry is the answer. Let’s create 1,000 units in each state yearly. People will not migrate into Lagos and all these urban centres. That is our problem. It will reduce traffic.  It will save many things.

    Is the import duty not affecting the price of importation of raw materials for your company?

    Most of my raw materials are local materials, petrol-chemicals from Eleme and so on. But, the tariff has to be looked at seriously.  Where party of the item,  the raw material, is more expensive than the finished product, is worrisome.  We shouldn’t encourage high tariffs.  You find the material attracting more duties that the finished products. They have to look into this seriously.

    In what way have you been ploughing back to society, in terms of philanthropy?

    I am doing my best. I am giving what I can. I do my best.

    Lagos was destroyed during the #EndSARS protests. What is your advice to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as he moves to rebuild the state?

    Everyone will contribute what he can afford. I am an industrialist.  I don’t have billions. Rebuilding is not an easy task. We are contributing our quota in our own little way, to give what we can.

    What are other things you want the Federal Government to do, generally, for industrialists?

    Once that the cottage industries are in place, most industrialists will be happy. We look at other things; how to register business easily, how to get permits. You don’t make things difficult.  You look at problems arising from these local industries and you resolve them immediately. You must give them a priority. They will pay back their loans. They will employ more people. Our problems will be solved. There will be no insecurity and armed robbery. If you have a good job, you will not think of becoming an armed robber.

    Now, on your way to 90, what are the targets you have set for yourself?

    I pray for long life. I am still taking care of my family and factory. I am taking care of my children, building them right. I am exercising. I am happy.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • OPEMIPO BAMGBOPA: ‘I was flogged in school like every other kid’

    OPEMIPO BAMGBOPA: ‘I was flogged in school like every other kid’

    Once a kid star actress, Opemipo Bamgbopa, now 26, dominated the movies and television screens so delightfully, entertaining families and inspiring young people her age. And then she took a break to go to school. Now gradually coming back, she tells Gboyega Alaka the story of her emergence, her about-a-decade hiatus, challenges and the role of her mum in what she became so early in life.

     

    She was the wonder-kid of the screens. Sharp, vivacious, eloquent – whether delivering roles in her local Yoruba language or crossing over to the Nollywood English genre, little Opemipo Bamgbopa was as good as they come – some say even better than most adults. Many movies watchers and industry stakeholders actually believe she came ready-made for the screens.

    This reporter’s earliest glimpse of the kid actress, then, a nine-year-old, as she recalls now, was in the Yoruba movie, Maradona, where she acted Maradona, the child/younger wife of Oga Bello (Adebayo Salami), competing fiercely with the senior wife, Peju Ogunmola, and dealing equally fiercely with her condescending step-daughters, Iyabo Ojo and the late Moji Olaiya.

    The first thing anyone noticed in that movies was the way she fitted into the role, almost as if she was indeed an adult and had indeed lived that life and could relate to it. Her eloquence, delivery, body language, even countenance and vituperation, as she went about matching up with the rivalry the polygamous setting her marriage to Oga Bello thrusted upon her, was without blemish.

    But Opemipo, now a Level Three student of Transport Management and Logistics at the Lagos State University, LASU, says that was “like the sixth or seventh movies” she’d be featuring in.

    Her mum, Bose Joseph, who managed and chaperoned her all through that early stage, however says it was her 13th.

    Her mum, who was already flocking with the crème of the fledgling Nigerian movies industry, had gone for an Opa Williams audition in Surulere, Lagos, and had taken her along. Opa Williams was the producer of the then popular live comedy show, ‘Night of a Thousand Laughs’ and other movies and television productions.

    “It wasn’t actually planned,” Opemipo tried to recollect, squinting.

    “There was this story that was to be read by a young boy, who was supposed to be the baby of the house, but he didn’t show up. I was the only child around, so they gave me the script and adapted it into a girl role. That was how I came into acting. That was ‘Living Next to You,’ a soap opera by Opa Williams, directed by Wale Macaulay. I starred alongside Tina Mba, late Joe Adekwa, Gloria Anozie and couple of others. Thereafter, I featured in my first Yoruba film, Iya Simbi by Korede Films. I played the role of Simbi. I also featured in Toyin Tomato.  I had done like six or seven movies before Maradona, but Maradona was like the blockbuster. It launched me into limelight,” she said, sitting back for what was to be a lengthy interview.

    Talking about that blockbuster movie, how was she able to fit into such complicated adult role, we wanted to know.

    But again, she says she wasn’t even prepared for the role. “They just called my mum to say they wanted me to come to Ikorodu for a role. The character was supposed to the normal vulgar Yoruba girl, but with my mum as my manager, and with her education and experience, she was able to rearrange the script and turn it around to come out the way it did. It wasn’t even scripted. She also did the costume and was in charge of my lines and everything. So it was easier for me to adapt because I had her and several other lovable thespians of repute around me.”

    Such a beautiful movie concept not scripted sounds like an indictment on the industry at the time, has that changed.

    “I must say there have been great improvements in the industry,” Opemipo replies. “We also have a lot of people in the industry, who have been to film academies in and outside Nigeria. The storylines and technology are also better. Of course, then, there were still people like Tade Ogidan, Tunde Kilane, Baba Wande and co.”

    How was she able to deal with so many adults without appearing rude? As a kid star, she ran the risk of appearing rude or being tagged rude.

    “First things first; celebrities are always perceived as proud. Then secondly, they say charity begins at home. Don’t forget I had my mom who was able to stand by me, because she was always going to locations with me and was thus able to guide me right. So I saw everybody just as I should see them and I accorded everybody the respect they deserved- on and off set. There was really nothing much to change in my character.”

    On set of ‘One Love’

    It will be hard to recall Opemipo’s childhood dominance of the screens at the turn of the millennium without singling out her role in ‘One Love,’ a weekly family soap opera produced by Tajudeen Adepetu, where she played Enitan,  the baby of the house. That was quite a beautiful family to watch, what was the experience like for a young girl like her?

    “Well, I’d say that that was one family I’d like to have, because we had a very cordial relationship. We were selected through auditions and I’m sure they checked the chemistry of everybody. That production ran for about five years, so we had become like a family. We were living under one roof, the cast and crew, although we went on break. We’d shoot like 13 episodes, sometimes 26, and then go on break for like a month or two. Sometimes, we shot for like a year.

    “The location was a twin-building at Omole, Olowo Ira (Lagos). We used one as residential and the other for the shooting. It was more like home away from home. When it was time to go to school, the driver took us to school and back.”

    As a twelve-year-old, Opemipo says her mum was still in charge and available to provide her guidance on set that soap. She also thinks the soap was rewarding and worthy of the time, although her mum was to say later in a separate interview that they didn’t make any good money all that time.

    “It was worthy of it. Tajudeen Adepetu is one man that appreciates his crew. Even now, 14 years after ‘One Love,’ I still meet people who work with him, who have kind words for him. Most of them speak loftily of how he paved the way for them in the industry.”

     

    How come she was so fluent in Yoruba language as in English at a time when most young people, in their bid to acquire competence and impress in the English language, have completely lost grasp of their local language? Could it be her schooling?

    “No, I really wouldn’t say so. Okay, I went to a very good school actually, Dee Unique International College in Omole.  We also have another in Abesan Estate, and the boarding school is in Ilisan, Remo, Ogun State. I had nursery, primary, secondary there. I actually think it is one thing to be eloquent and another to be able to act. That’s why I will not cease thanking my mum for all her input into what I have become. She’s actually a very eloquent person. So, I’d say, I took after her.”

    And now, we ask how she able to cope with schooling and her teachers? Surely, the kid-star thing came to the fore at some point.

    However, Opemipo said, “No. Not like I am praising myself, but one thing God has given me that I am very grateful for is my humility. I’m a down-to-earth person, even if I am saying so myself.  When you get to the peak of your career and money is coming in and you can open doors that your mates can’t ordinarily open, it can get into your head and pride would set in, but like I said earlier, you really cannot please everybody. So as a child, I didn’t really know much about stardom, so I was able to relate with my pears, family members, church members and all. It’s the same even now.”

    With her teachers, she says she didn’t have much problem, because she had always been a brilliant pupil. “I was brilliant and always came tops; and it was not about being close to my teachers,” she reflected.

    Flogged like every other pupil

    But neither that (her brilliance) nor her stardom/celebrity status guaranteed her being treated differently.

    Responding to a question as to whether she was treated with kid gloves, Opemipo said rather sharply, “No, I was caned when I needed to be caned. In fact, I was caned on the Assembly Ground.”

    Recalling one of such occasions and the no-nonsense teacher, who dared to flog such a ‘big star’, she said, “It was Mr Eniola, our vice principal. There was this boy in our class, my seat mate actually; whose dad had a yoghurt company. He used to bring some to sell in school, I think without his father’s knowledge. So when the lid blew off and it was time to discipline him, I was one of the scapegoats – perhaps because they felt I should have reported. But at that age, maybe 11/12, what did I know? I was in JS3 or SS1.”

    On how his mates reacted to such spectacle, she said it was nothing special. “They were all used to Opemipo the pupil, not the star. It’s like you have a star in a family; as much as other people may revere and adore her, they really wouldn’t be bothered and would give it to her as much as she deserve.”

    But how did she manage to combine regular schooling with acting? Neither of the two is a tea-party.

    “It wasn’t so easy, because at some point, I had to stop acting. At some points, I was able to manage but when I got to the deciding classes, SS1 to 3, and as a science student working my head over Physics, Chemistry, Biology, I couldn’t manage both. So I had to stop. That was the long period when I was off the screens.”

    On why she settled for the sciences, even when many ordinarily expected her to go into the arts?

    “I never even had it in my mind to study arts as my bachelor’s degree, because I thought I already had the basics. Initially, I went to Yabatech, where I earned an OND in Science Lab Technology. Now, I am studying Transport Management and Logistics. It’s a faculty on its own and very revered because not all schools has it as we speak. Like law, we also have dress code, blue and black and it’s a five-year course.”

    Expatiating more on why she chose the course, Opemipo said, “You know as a child, you always say you want to be a doctor or lawyer, but when you grow old and reality hits you, you begin to understand the kind of country you are in. I’ve seen a lot of computer scientists who are in banks, medical students, lawyers who are into acting… So when I was making my choice, I thought to pick something I would like and something that I would like to work with. Of course we know that our transport system in Nigeria is expanding by the day and it’s almost impossible for you not to be able to make ends meet in that area. It’s more or less a field study, as we go for industrial attachment in places like LASEMA, seaports, LASTMA, airport; so it’s something you can relate with and something you enjoy. It’s not crowded. In the whole of my faculty, we’re not even up to 400.”

    She admits she’s looking forward to becoming a businesswoman and transporter. She actually has a lot on her table, she says, including acting, which she recently returned to after a long hiatus. She also plans to go into film-making proper, make her own films and direct.

    She would also like to do something for youngsters. It’s one thing she plans to do with Lagos State at some point, she says; something in the mould of football academies, where they’d be educated and groomed in the thespian art.

    And then there is politics.

    “Yes, I am a member of the Students’ Union in school and an active one at that. The politics thing, I’d say, is a journey of self-discovery. When I entered LASU, I didn’t see myself going into politics. But as a person, I like to see myself at the forefront of activities anywhere I am; so the political thing just developed. I started at the faculty level and now I am at the apex level of LASU politics. In fact, they call me ‘Woman Leader.’ I’m a parliamentarian; a gallant comrade at that.”

    On what she would like to change when she eventually goes into politics, she said, “I would like the narrative to change, such that we begin to have more women in politics. I’m not a feminist actually, but we need them to know that what a man can do, a woman can do better. I’ve heard stories of women coming into politics and having to sleep their way through, but I’d like a situation where women are accorded the kind of respect the men are being accorded; and not just as sexual objects.”

    On how his mates related with him in LASU, Opemipo said, “Initially, most of them could not recognise me. I’m not the kind or person that comes into a place and wants to be seen as a celeb. I just want to walk in like a normal person and do what I have to do; but they say that a gold fish has no hiding place. So, overtime my mates found out; my lecturers too.”

    As a student, how did she cope with the lure of the industry? Didn’t producers come with taunting roles?

    “No, they were actually coming with roles that were not making sense, because they felt they were going to be helping my career. One thing I’ve learnt overtime is that once you know what you’re carrying, then you stand your ground. If you’re a brand, you’re a brand and you won’t want to settle for less. We have a lot of veterans who have been used for ambassadorial deals, like Mama Rainbow and Ngozi Nwosu (in Airtel) and the likes; but you’ve got to be patient – patience is a virtue.

    “Part of what I have decided is to come back and take charge myself by going into film-making proper. It gives you a boost –because you are calling people for jobs; and then they’d start seeing that thing in you again and the respect comes back.”

    On how many films or productions has she featured in since her gradual comeback?

    “A lot,” she replied. “I’ve done soap operas. Recently I got a presenting job. It’s a new company. I was actually a guest on their programme, an English production some two years ago; but now they have a Yoruba version ‘Ero Okan Awon Osere’. We just shot the first 13 episodes. I had actors come talk about different issues affecting the industry; it is scripted. Hopefully, they’ll start airing it this January.”

    ‘I will not be body-shamed’

    When told that many, who looked forward to her return, expected a mature girl, who would easily fit into the more sought-after young girls role, Opemipo, who is a bit on the plump side and may not get the chance of being cast into such roles quite easily, said, “It depends. I think there was a time that was really rampant; and it is not just about the body-shaming thing; it was also about the complexion. There was a time when all the people you have, especially in Yoruba movies are the light complexioned ladies; even traditional movies. I think that was a problem we needed to tackle, but right now, we have the theatre bodies that are trying to regulate things.

    “As far as I am concerned, that you are slim or on the plump side does not really capture the charisma or character that you carry. Pretty much, I am one person that cannot be body-shamed. A lot of people have gone into depression because of this body of a thing. You have a situation where your fans want you to look a certain way… and because of that, I try as much as possible to stay away from the social media thing, because when social media is too much of an influence in your life, it becomes a deciding factor in what you do. The bloggers want to make their money, journalists want to make their money, but you need to make up your mind what you want for yourself. So regardless of what anybody says, I try to just be happy in my space.”

    Nonetheless, she says she has a lot of respect for her fans and feels loved even though some can sometimes be annoying.

    Love life

    At 26, Opemipo agrees that she is not quite young and deservedly, is in a relationship. She wouldn’t however divulge the identity of the lucky gentleman. Aside that, she says men would always come, even to those who are not so fine and have not enjoyed her kind of stardom.

    “In school, advances come; I still have about two or three of my lecturers who are on my case. They still make passes; I have one who tells me, ‘You this girl, I’ve been chasing you since Year 1, when are you going to succumb? But I just turn it to a joke and say, ‘Oga e jo sir.”

    However, she says they are just advances, which she considers a normal thing, as against sexual harassment.

  • ‘We’re running centres for disease distribution’

    ‘We’re running centres for disease distribution’

    By David Adenuga, Bauchi

    • Teachers, pupils in Bauchi schools lament bad toilets, poor sanitary conditions

    • Lack of decent toilets force female pupils to drop out of school

    • Lavatory infections responsible for many cases of infertility — Health expert

    Nauseating stench of urine and decaying faeces from the pit toilets pervaded the air, causing the choking reporter to gasp for breath. The potent stench from the four-room facility, shoddily built and left uncovered, could block the nostrils of anyone unfortunate enough to inhale it.

    The surroundings also were littered with excreta, so much so that the reporter, who had gone on inspection at the Kandahar Primary and Junior Secondary School, had to tiptoe to avoid stepping on them.

    Nearby, a female primary three pupil, who obviously was scared of using the miserable pit toilets, was seen answering the call of nature in an open space. Obviously, the poor sanitary condition had posed serious health concerns to the pupils, especially the females who are more vulnerable to urinary tract infections.

    But Kandahar, located beside the railway in Bauchi metropolis, is one of the public schools in the state at the mercy of poor toilet sanitation and water scarcity. It hosts about 4,000 pupils of primary and junior secondary levels, with UBEC/SUBEB 2015 Projects boldly written on its walls.

    The Nation gathered that pupils of the school whose houses are close by usually rush home whenever they need to answer the call of nature; a development that constitutes a clear distraction to learning.

    A teacher at the school, who spoke with our correspondent in confidence, said: ”We are endangered by unhygienic toilet conditions. As you can see, our toilet facilities here are more or less centres for disease distribution.

    “Teachers and students cannot use the toilets. Those whose houses are nearby usually rush home to answer the call of nature.

    ”This affects learning because some pupils see it as an opportunity to avoid classes. They won’t come back to school once they are allowed to go home.”

    The teacher, who led our reporter to the toilets area to see for things for himself, added: “We have four toilets here and they are all in bad conditions. The only borehole available is not functioning.”

    Speaking about other challenges faced in the school, she said the classrooms were overcrowded while the pupils learn on bare floor because there are no tables or chairs.

    ”We don’t have a single chair in the school, so the pupils learn on bare floor. Even the chairs in the staff rooms were bought by teachers.

    ”The school also has no gates, so the pupils move out any time they like.”

    Also speaking to our reporter, the headmaster of Kandahar Primary School, Mohammed Abdullahi, said the school runs three shifts featuring the primary , junior secondary and the Islamiyya.

    He said that due to the  coronavirus pandemic, the primary school pupils come in the morning while the junior secondary school pupils resume in the afternoon.

    According to him, only the primary section takes care of the toilet while others don’t comply.

    Abdullahi said: ”It is only us in the primary section that are trying our best to sanitise the toilets; the rest don’t care despite being persuaded. The junior secondary and the islamiyya schools are not doing anything.

    ”Besides, the school is not fenced. That is why different people gain entry to do whatever they like.

    “Initially, we tried to construct a gate here but the people in the community refused, saying It would block their drainage. This is the major problem we are facing.

    ”One person cannot do the job of preventing the outbreak of diseases from the bad toilet facilities. There must be collaboration but the others have refused to cooperate and there is no source of income from which we can hire somebody to come and clean it for us.

    “Our pupils are too little to do the cleaning, and we have tried our best but we cannot control the situation, looking at the high population of students in the school.

    ”Source of water is an additional problem as there is no water in the school premises. We have four toilets here and they are all in bad conditions due to lack of water.”

    Asked If any complaint had been made to the government, he said: ”The government  played their part by providing the pit toilets but we are the architect of our problem because we are not given them proper maintenance.”

    Abdullahi, who also lamented the insecurity in the area, said most of the chairs and desks in the school were carried away by hoodlums in the neighborhood since there was no gate. Others, he said, had been vandalized.

    Like Kandahar like Gwallameji

    A visit to another school, Gwallameji Secondary School, located in the Bauchi metropolis, also revealed that most of the students go home to answer the call of nature whenever they are pressed.

    The school with a population of more than1,000 pupils has three toilets which are all in pathetic conditions. Some pupils who are  lucky to have friends who stay close to the school are said to be taking advantage of it to sneak out of their classrooms.

    Patience Amos, an SS2 female student of the school, said: ”I have never used any of the school’s toilets because of their bad conditions. I use to go my friend’s place which is just a stone’s throw from the school, while some of us go into the bush during or after school hours because  we don’t want to contract diseases.

    “You would often see a grown up person using the toilets without flushing. The truth is we just cannot maintain them.”

    Corroborating Amos, another female student, Janet Ishaku, said: “The toilet and the backyard are really in a mess. I have a friend that stays nearby where I do go to ease myself because I am scared of toilet infection.

    ”I want to appeal to the state government to help us renovate it because the toilets are an eyesore. We also cannot learn in the rainy season because of  the shattered roofs.”

    Speaking to our reporter in confidence, a teacher at the Gwallameji Secondary School said both students and staff were affected by the bad toilet facilities, adding that the students who dare use the toilets often have to join a long queue.

    She said: ”The school is so highly populated. In the primary section, they are up to 500. The junior secondary has a population of about 1,000 students. The secondary section also has a population of about 1,000, making it a total of about 2,500 pupils’.

    ”Students usually sneak out to the neighbourhood to ease themselves or answer the call of nature when they are not permitted to go out. And if they have to use the school’s toilets, they also have to join a queue because of the population. There is high probability of a student contracting a disease with the toilets’ unhygienic condition.

    ”There is a need for the toilets to be renovated. The government is very aware of this because they have a special team that goes round on inspection. But they are probably not getting the right feedbacks from this special team, because no action is being taken.”

    ”Even we teachers are seriously affected. At times, we have to go to our various homes to defecate, thereby spending money on transportation. That is for those of us who do not stay close by.

    “There was a time that somebody offered to help renovate It, but he ended up doing more damage in the sense that he closed the pit toilet and only plastered the floor, so there was no hole for the students to pass faeces.

    “Aside that, the school  is in a dilapidated state with some of the roofs completely blown open by rain. We also don’t have enough chairs and desks. Students sit on bare floor to learn.”

    Famous Hassan Usman College not an exception

    The General Hassan Usman Katsina Unity College (GHUKUC), one of the historic schools in northern Nigeria, is also not an exception when it comes to poor sanitation.

    It is even more alarming that a school established in 1923 and has produced prominent Nigerians, including former governor of Gombe State Danjuma Goje and the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, among others, is now a shadow of itself.

    Located in Yelwa area of Bauchi metropolis and directly opposite Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) township campus, the once prestigious school now begs for government’s attention and intervention.

    A visit to GHUKUC reveals years of neglect which has resulted in dilapidated facilities. Our correspondent gathered that pupils in the school defecate in the open; a situation which together with the refuse dump in the school’s premises exposes them to serious environmental hazards.

    A part of an abandoned hostel in the school looks more like a psychiatric home. It has also become a sanctuary for reptiles as bushes have taken over the surrounding areas.

    An authority in the school, who spoke to the reporter in confidence, said only three toilets were in good conditions while the remaining three were begging for attention.

    The source said the school only has two boreholes but water does not often come out from them. Taking our reporter round the school, he lamented that there was a paucity of funds to carry out proper maintenance in the school, adding that the students only pay N700 as tuition fee per session.

    He said: “We are under the Ministry of Education, but what I need to tell you is that there are other challenges aside toilet facilities,

    “This school is harbouring children from 19 states, but all the past governors that came into power did nothing here. So what else do you want me to tell you?

    ”We collect N700 as school fees per session. Out of the population of 1,400 students in the school, 800 are external students, and we don’t collect money from them. Thus, the money is not enough to maintain the school.

    “We don’t even have enough seats and desks. We are trying our best possible but the burden is too much on us, considering the paucity of funds.”

    Lack of decent toilets force girl pupils to drop out of school

    According to findings, more than half of young girls who drop out of school in Nigeria do so due to poor water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities.

    A WASH-in-School report issued by the United Nations in 2018 revealed that about 50 per cent of schools in Nigeria do not have basic water supply, sanitation and toilet facilities.

    According to the report, this implied that the brunt of the challenge of poor access to water facilities is borne by people in the lowest economic ladder and those living in rural areas and semi-urban areas.

    It warned that children’s education and health was at risk due to lack of decent WASH facilities in schools.

    “As many as 50 per cent of schools in Sub-Saharan Africa are without access to water. Access to water, sanitation and hygiene at school is also a matter of gender equality.

    “Girls are more likely to miss lessons or to drop out completely once they start menstruating if their school does not have a decent toilet where they can change menstrual cloths in dignity and privacy.

    “In fact, one in 10 adolescent girls in Africa miss school during their menstruation and eventually drop out due to lack of gender-friendly toilet facilities,” the report said.

    Urinary tract infection deadly in girls — Health expert

    An health expert, Dr Ibrahim Aminu Baba of the Department of Medicine at the State Specialist Hospital Bauchi expressed concern over the poor toilet and sanitation condition in public schools in the state, saying it poses serious danger to the health of pupils, especially girls.

    Baba, in an interview with our reporter, warned that if the hygiene in public schools  is not maintained on a regular basis, the risk of infection is very high and the complications of the infection is deadly for the female pupils.

    He explained that such infections, if not treated on time, can result in pelvic inflammatory disease which can result in primary or secondary infertility in future.

    He said: ”From the medical point of view, this is very serious, as you know that any public toilet that different people use needs to have very regular hygiene control  to avoid urinary infection.

    ”Medically, we call it urinary tract infection or vaginal infection, and it is a highly transmissible infectious disease. So if you have a public toilet where different people come, imagine one visits two to three times in a day and you count the number of people that make use of the toilets and are infected.

    ”Female pupils are more vulnerable due to the structure of their urine outlet, because anatomically, the structure of their urine outlet (that is what you call the urethra or bladder which contains the urine) is very short, unlike the male’s that is very long and  has three segments. Theirs is just short and direct, so they can easily contract germs and get infected.

    “Also looking at the connection between the urine outlet and their private parts, when infected, it can go directly to their womb. That is why they can have what we call pelvic inflammatory disease, and that pelvic inflammatory disease has a consequence. One of the worst consequences is primary or secondary infertility.

    ”In situations like this, you see a girl who is okay but cannot conceive because of that chronic infection that will go and affect the fallopian tube or the womb. In the long run, it may become permanent infertility. That is why a woman would get married and stay for long without conceiving, not knowing that part of  the problem is infection due to negligence.

    ”So, the toilet infection is very difficult to handle, especially in a public setting. When one contracts it out of thousands, you have to screen the others, if not they will be infected.

    ”The hygiene of toilets in schools or any public place is very important. In summary, it is not something to play with. We have had instances where some will come and say they have been with the problem for long and what we fear for them is not being able to conceive.”

    Hold school principals responsible for neglect —State government

    The Bauchi State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Aliyu Tilde, however, blamed school principals for the poor sanitation in the schools visited by our reporter.

    Speaking to The Nation, he said: ”Are we the ones that will manage that for them?  It is their problem. I as a commissioner won’t be the one to maintain the hygiene for them.  They have wells and hand pump boreholes, Are they expecting the ministry to help maintain it for them?

    ”The government can only build. As a principal or headmaster, you are to use your human resources to maintain the sanitation condition of your school. They ought to make a roaster for maintenance.

    “We have allowed them to collect N700 from every child. I think that can be used for the maintenance of their schools.”

    On the dilapidated conditions of some of the public schools, the commissioner said there was paucity of funds to renovate all the schools, saying there were about 1,000 schools in similar conditions.

    ”There are about 1,000 schools like that, and there will always be, and we have limited resources. We will always repair and repair, and it requires billions to do that. Under this ministry alone, we have about 216 schools. The State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has over 4,000 schools. How much do you need at a time?”

    ”The wind that’s always blowing the roofs off comes every year but the problem remains with the school principals and their lackadaisical attitude. They wait for things to go completely bad before taking action, and this is indicting on them, not us.”

    ”They are to blame for all this. They are just too lazy. They only know how to extort parents and buy new cars at the time of every admission exercise or WAEC examination. That is why they are there.”

    Also speaking to our correspondent, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of SUBEB, Mohammed Abdullahi, said the board inherited dilapidated structures but the government was tackling them one step at a time.

    He said: ”What happened is that we inherited a lot of dilapidated structures. When a new government came into power, we had to plan and be proactive in tackling those issues. When you go to other schools, you will see some of the toilets built by SUBEB in collaboration with WASH.

    ”We are actually tackling the issues one by one, because there are many of them and the available funds cannot cater for all of them at once. And you know we were affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

    ”We have about 4,000 schools under our care. We shall soon draw our action plan for the year and some of the affected schools will be included.

    “Part of our action plan for the year will be renovation of dilapidated classrooms, construction of toilets, boreholes and fences. We will also provide them with school gardens and sporting facilities.”’

  • Why Nigeria is not yet an attractive tourism destination — NIHOTOUR DG

    Why Nigeria is not yet an attractive tourism destination — NIHOTOUR DG

    The Turakin Kebbi, Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa, is the Director General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR). Before his current appointment as NIHOTOUR’s DG, he had functioned as the Special Assistant to the Kebbi State Governor on Tourism and Argungu International Fishing Festival. The ardent polo lover and owner of Nura Sani Kangiwa (NSK) Polo Club spoke with GBENGA ADERANTI on the challenges of running NIHOTOUR, his passion for polo, among other issues.

    FEW months into your appointment as the Director General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), how would describe this national assignment?

    I would say it is challenging. More so because NIHOTOUR, the apex tourism and hospitality training institute in Nigeria, has been established for over 27 years but it is still finding it difficult to carve a niche for itself. You will be surprised that not many people know about its existence, yet it is crucial for the development of tourism in Nigeria.

    I see my appointment as the Director General of the Institute not only as an opportunity to serve my beloved country in my chosen profession but also to turn around the fortunes of the institute.

    What do you think should be the role of this parastatal in developing the tourism industry?

    I agree with you that the tourism industry in Nigeria is still developing. And it is my belief that no amount of investment in infrastructure or in the expansion of tourism capacity will make it successful unless the necessary manpower in the required numbers and at the required levels of knowledge and skills are provided to manage the sector.

    NIHOTOUR was established to do just that. I don’t see us doing anything outside this mandate. However, what I see us doing differently is to provide world class training for personnel in the industry, and to proactively partner with stakeholders in making Nigeria a sustainable tourism destination.

    Tourism is the mainstay of some countries like the United Arab Emirates, The Gambia, Ethiopia and others. How can the Nigerian economy benefit from tourism like these other countries of the world?

    Immensely, I must say. We must focus on world class personnel training, which NIHOTOUR is geared to provide, and competitive tourist product development in Nigeria. These two elements go hand-in-hand in global best practice of tourism destination management. My years in the tourism private sector has revealed to me, among other things, that Nigeria is not yet an attractive tourism destination because we have not strategically built on our tourism comparative advantage, which is our cultural diversity. You see, with over 300 ethnic groups, we can create attractive cultural tourism products, hence promote Nigeria to inbound Africa tourists, as the one-stop-shop to experience African cultural festivals, fashion, music, religion, and so on. No other African country is as culturally diverse as Nigeria.

    My point is that Nigeria’s tourism unique selling points ought to be cultural tourism products. Countries in eastern and southern Africa have done the same with their wildlife safari. Additionally, policies and programmes must be tailored to make Tourism and Hospitality industry a key priority in the growth of our economy. It is only then that the country will benefit from the great export earning capacity, employment generation, wealth redistribution, infrastructural development and inter-sectoral linkage incentives derivable from tourism globally.

     Before your appointment as DG, you were SA to the Kebbi State governor on tourism and Argungu. How did that prepare you for the current task?

    A lot of things prepared me for the current task. Yes, as the SA to the Kebbi State Governor, I was literally giving the marching order to ensure that the Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival held after a decade of no-show. This was an enormous responsibility and we delivered. We rebranded the festival and till now, people are still talking about it.

    There were others too that prepared me for the current task. Remember, I was the Head of Marketing and Public Relations of Abuja Carnival 2005/2006/2007; Secretary, Exhibition Sub- Committee, Nigeria at 50 2009/2010; Secretary, Publicity Sub Committee- United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Commission for Africa Meeting in Abuja – 2002; Secretary, Media and Publicity Sub Committee- 2nd Commonwealth Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in Abuja 2005; Secretary, Publicity Sub- Committee UNWTO Regional Conference on Tourism Communications (TOURCOM), Lagos 2005 and Vice President of FTAN North-West Zone. All the experience garnered both in the public and private sectors have prepared me for this task

    You are a scion of the illustrious Kangiwa family. Could you talk about your growing up years?

    I am the first male child of Ambassador Sani Kangiwa (Turakin Kebbi). My father believed so much in a child’s education and so he spared nothing to ensure that we got the best. He made sure that we took western and Islamic studies seriously. As a sport lover himself, he also encouraged me to play football and polo since I was in primary school.

    You are a polo royalty with Nura Sani Kangiwa (NSK) Polo Club. How did the Kangiwa name influence your foray and passion for polo?

    I grew up watching my father, his brother and friends play the game. I also started playing from Primary 5. Do you know that my father had “HORSE LOVER” imprinted on all my T-shirts (laughs)? Out of the two games (football and polo) I started playing in primary 5, polo is my favourite and it is no wonder that I am passionate about the game. The laurels I have won over the years are a testament to this. On the administrative side, I also work hard to make the game better. Not too long ago, I got re-elected as 2nd Vice President of Nigerian Polo Federation.

    Polo is believed to be the game of the rich. Can an average person engage in polo sport?

    Absolutely, a person of the average class can play polo. There are professional players who don’t even own a horse, yet you find patrons giving them mounts (ponies) to play for their team due to their prowess in the game. Just like other competitive sports, polo has a long economic value chain. Tournaments attract hotel patronage of both players and spectators, local transporters, restauranteurs, veterinary and equine supplements providers, horse feeds sellers, night clubs and other recreation centres owners, etc.

    How did you become the Turakin Argungu?

    I am the fifth in my family line to be turbaned Turaki. Others who had held this title before me were my grandfather Ambassador Mohammed Bello; my uncle Governor Shehu Kangiwa; my father Ambassador Sani Kangiwa. I was turbaned Turaki on the 5th of February 2011, after the passing away of my father in 2010, by His Royal Highness the Emir of Argungu Alhaji Samaila Mohammed Mera, CON.

    What influences what you wear?

    This is a question I’m often asked. To be honest, what influences what I wear are my mood and the occasion or event I will be attending. I don’t see myself as a fashionista, albeit I like to look good because it makes me feel good. I also realise that looking good is a confidence booster.

    What is your vision for NIHOTOUR?

    My vision is for NIHOTOUR to become indisputable centre of excellence for hospitality and tourism personnel training and capacity development in West Africa in the like of Utalii College Kenya which caters for East Africa. Remember, this is the vision of the founding fathers. I will not rest on my oars until I’m able to achieve this for the institute.

     What is your life philosophy?

    To do unto others what you want them to do unto you I suppose it is called the Golden Rule.

    As a blue blooded northerner, how much privilege did you enjoy while growing up?

    This is a common misconception. I have heard a few people, mostly from Southern Nigeria, expressing the same opinion and, I wondered what gave them that erroneous impression. However, I realised that most people with such mindset have either never been to the North, or they came to that conclusion because they saw that more Nigerians of Northern extraction have constantly been in position of power, politically, post-independent Nigeria. But that situation is easily explainable. The answer is politics. And you know politics is a game of numbers and it happens that Northern Nigeria, as it is presently constituted, is the most populated region in the country. To my mind, the average Northerner is, comparatively, more politically savvy, especially when there are demands for popular votes.

    Yes, I was brought up with a silver spoon, but my father never let that get into our heads. He raised me to believe in the dignity of labour. Growing up, my parents impressed it upon me that a man must strive to do the right thing and be responsible for his actions. My father was a hardworking civil servant, and he rose through the ladder because his parents invested in his education. I thank God he did the same for me. I am not privileged. I am a hardworking man.

    What would you describe as your greatest challenge in life and how did you surmount it?

    I have had a few challenges, but I will speak about the challenge of leadership and the responsibility it bestows on me. With the passing away of my father, I was turbaned the Turakin Kebbi and I suddenly had to switch from my reserved, shy nature to an out-and-out people’s servant. So, every day now, I am concerned with how best to improve myself for the service of my people.

    The same challenge continues with the additional responsibility given to me now as the Director General of NIHOTOUR. You know, I have a personal disposition of excellence on every task I set my heart on. So, my latest challenge is to meritoriously lead NIHOTOUR to massively equip the manpower with skills to sustain Nigeria’s tourism development.

    Banditry and kidnapping are gradually becoming part of us. Many ‘comfortable’ people live in fear. Do you sometimes have this feeling that you could be a victim?

    Come to think of it; who doesn’t? However, if we live our lives in fear, we would never achieve anything. Shakespeare once said that cowards die many times before their death. As a Muslim, I believe in the will of Allah; that what will be will be. Having said that, I want to believe that this is a phase and I am confident that banditry and other organised crimes shall, at some point, seize to become a part of our lives in Nigeria. I strongly believe both the Federal and state security organs will gain momentum and eventually destroy every stronghold of criminality in every enclave across Nigeria.

     How has insecurity in the country affected your industry?

    Insecurity is bad for every industry and the tourism industry is no exception. Besides, no society is totally immune from insecurity, no matter how advanced the society is. For the Tourism industry in Nigeria, one of the greatest damages insecurity has done is the international perception that Nigeria is a country of pervasive crime and criminality. As it is said, perception is reality. When a tourist destination is perceived to be generally insecure, the destination’s tourism offerings will lose its inherent attractiveness. Today, even domestic tourists do not want to travel around Nigeria. It is as bad as that.

    Do you regret not playing football considering the glamour associated with it right now?

    No, I do not. I am now fulfilled as a Polo player.

    What period would you describe as your lowest moment and how did you come out of it?

    The loss of my father. By God’s grace, I found solace in Islamic scriptures revelations about life, living and the afterlife.

    What is your attitude to polygamy?

    Polygamy is permitted in Islam. I am a faithful Muslim. So, I do not question the right of a Muslim that chooses a polygamous life.

  • How I aided Benue robbery kingpin, Gana, with charms made from human parts — Chief priest

    How I aided Benue robbery kingpin, Gana, with charms made from human parts — Chief priest

    By Linus Oota, Lafia

    Notorious robbery kingpin and militia leader in Benue State, Terwaze Akwaza a.k.a. Gana met his untimely death on Tuesday, September 8, 2020, having been shot dead by soldiers in controversial circumstances. But the man believed to be the brains behind the acclaimed supernatural powers of the late Gana, Mr Ugbe Lorlumun, is alive.

    Lorlumun had inherited Gana’s gang after the latter’s death and had carried on as the leader until soldiers arrested him in Katsina Ala, the home town of the late dreaded militia leader, last month.

    Reputed as the chief priest to the late Gana, Lorlumun said he owned a shrine from where he prepared charms with human parts and also owned a human blood boiling pot from which he was able to see the enemies of the late Gana and target them from his shrine.

    Lorlumun, the chief priest of the late Gana, was arrested by the Four Special Forces Command of the Nigerian Army in Katsina Ala, following which he led soldiers to the shrine where he prepared powerful charms for Gana to operate freely in Benue State.

    Speaking with our correspondent in Tiv language at the Command Headquarters in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State where he is kept under watch, Lorlumun said he used his shrine to shield Gana from arrest by security agents until he (Gana) voluntarily decided to come out from hiding only to meet his untimely death.

    He said: “My name is Ugbe Lorlumun. I am a harbalist and owner of a powerful shrine in Katsina Ala.

    “I used to prepare mystical powers for the late Gana. Most of the people he kidnapped were taken to the shrine where they were killed and their body parts use in preparing charms for Gana and his gang members.

    “Each time Gana boys were going out for an operation, whether assassination, kidnapping, banditry or any other form of criminal activity, they would come to me to help prepare charms that could make them disappear from danger spots to safe locations.

    “I also have a blood-boiling pot in my shrine, which enabled me to see all the enemies of Gana and their plans for him, and that helped him to launch attacks on them.”

    Our correspondent also gathered that between 2015 when the activities of Gana got to its peak and 2020, the chief priest using his blood-boiling pot in the shrine allegedly guided the late Gana in killing the District Head of Mbayongo, Chief Aloo Alvev, as well as the District Head of Michihe, Chief Chiahemba Livinus Shom, both in Katsina Ala Local Government Area.

    It was apparently with the help of the shrine also that Gana was able to kill Chief Awua Alabar, the District Head of Kundav in Ukum Local Government Area, who was gunned down in the presence of his family members.

    Speaking further, Lorlumun said: “I am a herbalist from Katsina Ala LGA of Benue State. I used to prepare charms for Gana and his boys. Recently, four of his boys came to me and I prepared charms for them.

    “The other day, they came back to me and asked me to prepare a charm that could make them disappear in danger situations because I am an expert in that. I can prepare a charm that would make one disappear to a safe place when in danger.

    “I told them that they were too small to carry such charms, so I refused and they threatened to kill me. I was arrested by the military while I was trying to run for my life from the Gana boys.”

    Lorlumum recalled that with the help of his shrine and the charms, Gana constituted himself into an alternate government and enjoyed the status of a maximum ruler in the jungle.

    The chief priest said he shielded Gana from arrest and the notorious criminal used his shrine to run a sophisticated network of criminals in the Sankara geo-political axis of Benue State, comprising Katsina Ala, Logo and Ukum LGAs.

    He confessed that from his shrine, Gana conducted his affairs in commando style and any challenge to his authority was met with death as his blood-boiling pot would locate you.

    He said: “We used to kidnap or assassinate people, kill them and use their human parts to prepare mystical powers, though part of his powers was also derived from his small daughter he buried alive.

    “With my charms, which allow one to disappear at will, he made life unbearable for the people and those who plied the federal highway between Katsina Ala-Takum and Katsina Ala Zaki-Biam – Wukari in Taraba State.

    “When he was declared wanted, I prepared a powerful charm for him and nobody was able to arrest him. He used to move freely  in his base  in Katsina Ala , Ukum and Logo, and most times, he would be in Gboko but those that were looking for him will not see him.”

    He pleaded with the military authorities not to kill him, saying that he had repented. He said he only used his shrine to prepare charms for the late Gana and his boys but never participated in their notorious activities.

    In a conversation with our correspondent, the Commander of 4 Special Forces Command of the Nigerian Army, Major General Gadzama Ali, said: “I would like to state that before now, it was unfathomable that Gana’s name would be mentioned among the Tiv, Jukun or Kuteb for fear that Gana, under the direction of his chief priest, would see you in the blood-boiling pot in his shrine and his gang members would go after you.

    “Today, I am pleased to inform you that not only did the operation of SFs (Special Forces) snatch the chief priest, I am glad to tell you that the dreaded shrine has been razed to dust.

    “The chief priest has been responsible for preparing charms for the gang, using parts of the bodies of kidnapped persons.”

  • I was under spell, says suspect arrested for ritual mutilation of minor’s genitals

    I was under spell, says suspect arrested for ritual mutilation of minor’s genitals

    By David Adenuga, Bauchi

    One of the suspects who allegedly took part in the cutting of the private parts of a six-year old girl for suspected ritual purposes in Bauchi State has said that he was charmed by his friend who is now at large to take part in the dastardly act.

    The incident was said to have occurred at about 7.20 pm on December 30, 2020.

    The suspect, Adamu Ra’uf (20), an indigene of Gandu Jama’are Local Government Area, who was arrested by the state’s police command, confessed upon interrogation that he conspired with one Abdulkadir Haladu of Chikamidari in the area to perpetrate the crime.

    Narrating his role in the incident to newsmen at the headquarters of the Bauchi State Police Command yesterday, Rauf said: ”My friend Haladu and I took the victim to an uncompleted building where her private parts were mutilated on the instruction of a native doctor who said he would use it to make money for us.

    ”My friend used charm to lure the girl to the uncompleted building. Then he brought out a knife and asked me to hold her skirt.

    I was not aware that he had cut off her private part. What I know is that he later came into a house where we hid and showed me the part he had cut off.

    ”I told him to count me out of what had happened, but he warned that he would kill me if I told anybody about it.”

    Explaining how he was arrested, the suspect said ”someone came to tell me that he heard that the police wanted to see me at the station. I was standing by the road side, so I climbed an okada (commercial motorcycle) to honour their invitation.”

    Asked whether he was rewarded by Haladu after carrying out the act, he said he (Haladu) did not promise him anything.

    “The only thing he did was to charm me. As a result, I saw myself obeying all his instructions. And he has been dragging me to so many places with the charm. I really regret my action,” he said.

    The sister to the victim’s father, Maryam Mohammed, who spoke to newsmen in Jama’re, said the victim was put in her care because her brother and the girl’s mother had separated.

    Maryam said she was not at home when the incident occurred, adding that the victim went to the house of another brother of hers to play.

    She said it was on her way that the victim met the suspects who sent her on an errand, adding that while she was returning, they lured her into the uncompleted building.

    ”From there, we didn’t know what happened. We only saw her coming back with bloodstains and crying. We don’t know how she managed to come back home.”

    Maryam recalled that it was one of their neighbours, a woman, who alerted them.

    She said: ”A neighbour called us that we should come and see our daughter; that something had wounded her.

    “Some people said she was raped. But when she was taken to the hospital, they referred her to Azare medical centre.

    “While we were crying, somebody who went to the hospital told us that it was not rape; that her entire private part was mutilated.”

    Maryam, who noted that such a thing had never happened in the entire Jama’are area, added that they were planning to enroll the victim into school this year before the ugly incident occurred.

    “We have never witnessed or heard of this kind heinous act in this community. She has a sibling who is also under my care. She is the first child of her mother,” Maryam said.

    She pleaded with the authorities to ensure that justice was done in the matter to serve as a deterrent to others.

    She also expressed gratitude to the government for quick intervention in the matter.

    It will be recalled that the spokesman of the Bauchi State Police Command, Ahmed Wakil, in a statement made available to journalists in Bauchi, said that immediately the police received the complaint from the victim’s aunt, they swung into action and arrested one of the suspects while his accomplice was still at large.

    He recalled that when the police rushed the victim to the hospital, a medical doctor confirmed that her private part had been removed.

    He said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Lawan Jimeta, has directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet investigation.

  • Major stimulants for men: A lady’s body or mind

    Major stimulants for men: A lady’s body or mind

    With Vera Chidi-maha

    It is soothing to know how much time and money women now spend on their looks and physique. It is even more soothing to know that the aftermath of the ‘investment’ is paying off; ladies in relationships now keep their homes. Most men no longer stray and even when they do, they oftentimes come back home. Suffice it to say then that the modern women have come of age. Women now watch what they eat. We are now more conscious of our weight especially the tummy which is very key. Our armpits are always shaved.

    Our nails are often fixed or at least trimmed. We are conscious of using tissues after we urinate to avoid status on our undies and to avoid offensive odour when we open to our men. We wash thoroughly during bath. And oh, our hair do’s? Our greatest asset ever! We braid, we fix weave-on, we perm, and the list is endless. In fact, sometimes we dye our hair to darker shades to give it vitality.

    We are more conscious now of the type of brassier we wear. Women now put on firmer bras that will change and enhance their looks. Most women now attempt to put on very crazy high heeled shoes it is the trend now. As I write this piece, not a few women would be unhappy leaving their homes without either a roll on or perfume/ deodorant in their bags. Of course, we need to smell good at all times.

    These measures, most women have taken in order to consolidate their relationships. The clause here, however, is that these might not be enough to get and keep a man.

    Oh, no doubt about it; men are indeed wired by sight, studies have shown. In fact, to buttress these findings, try and conduct an experiment on your own. Notice that a man that is chatting with you and is so engrossed in the conversation can easily be distracted when a pretty lady walks past. As a matter of fact, if they don’t stare out of respect for you, they struggle to ignore the lady, if one is observant she can tell easily. I have an admirer in my office that will oftentimes tell me how much he loves to see my face but as soon as a pretty lady passes by he will forget me for that split second and stare at the lady. It is not right, but it is the way men are. If your man does that sometimes, please do not be upset, it is their nature. Beauty attracts them and they react on impulse, they do not mean any disrespect to the lady they are with.

    Having said that, I have also observed that a lady’s good looks may attract a man but it may not be enough to sustain the relationship for long. Oftentimes, to keep a man, women need to be intellectually sound. This is where our mind come-in. studies have shown that most men prefer women that can either match them intellectually or at least have something upstairs. Findings has shown that outward beauty can only keep a man temporarily but hey want more for an enduring relationship.

    There are many misconceptions about what sort of women, men prefer. Not all men are the same and their preferences depend on their personalities. Men make different choices depending on the long and the short term relationship. Let’s consider the long term aspect which is more important. Men hate nagging women. Men simply cannot stand chatter boxes. As human beings, there’s always a limit to what men can take and communication is always the key when it comes to a long term constantly nag and argue are disliked by men.

    Men love decisive women. – when it comes to long term relationship, men always prefer women who are good decision makers and who can help men with their problems. Men do not like to lead all the time therefore a decisive woman who can occasionally lead rates high on their most wanted women list.

    Beauty with brains. The aspect of attraction cannot be taken out of account here. Men prefer women who are attractive to them. But beauty alone cannot induce them into a long term relationship rather brains and intelligence is something which keep them strongly attracted to a woman for a long term. Problem solvers – men prefer women who are smart enough to solve their problems. Men prefer women who are more intelligent than them and can act as problem solvers when it is necessary.

    Should be a mother – long term relationship is all about having a family and taking care of the house. Therefore, most men prefer to have a woman that can take care of them like their mother. Men love to be pampers them more but their mothers.

    Therefore, if you give them a caring touch like their mother, men would find you more attractive and would be more attractive and would be more than willing to get into a long term relationship with you.

    But these tips do not guarantee success with men but I assure you it is a great start.

  • ‘Wrong rainfall predictions ruined our hope of bountiful harvests’

    ‘Wrong rainfall predictions ruined our hope of bountiful harvests’

    Wrong rainfall predictions and lack of knowledge of irrigation methods have cost maize farmers in Oke-gun area of Oyo colossal loss as their crops withered, resulting in bad harvest, reports KUNLE AKINRINADE.

     

    PA Mufutau Adeoye, a maize farmer in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State, is singing sorrowful songs after his hope of a bountiful maize harvest was dashed by failed rain forecast and the agriculture loan it led him to take from a microfinance bank. Regretting what he now deems as the wrongful decision to go for the facility aimed at boosting his endeavour-farming, he said: “My whole world has collapsed. All the maize I planted this year withered. It is the worst year I have experienced as a farmer.”

    Pa Adeoye’s colleague in Iseyin, Alhaji Ramoni Oyelade, also lamented the reversal in his farming fortunes as he recalled how previous harvests had brought him joy.

    Oyelade said: “It was not like this in 2019, when I reaped greatly from my maize farm. This year has brought me untold pain and debt.

    “I couldn’t take anything away from my farm. All the maize I borrowed money to plant dried off, leaving me with no harvest at all.”

    Like Adeoye and Oyelade, Elder Mathew Adegoke, an Iseyin-based farmer, also bemoaned his fate, saying: “How do I explain that I have nothing to show for one year of toiling to ensure a great harvest?

    “I had a bad harvest. The maize I planted this year shriveled due to lack of adequate rain water.

    “I don’t know how I am going to get money to pay my son’s school fees next year. He is an undergraduate at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho.

    “I was hoping to use part of the proceeds of this year’s harvest to pay the fees, but I am left with nothing as a result of bad harvest caused by lengthy rain breaks.”

     

    How climate change hampered rainfall predictions

    In a prediction released earlier in February this year, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the volume of rainfall for the Southwest region in 2020 was estimated at about 3000mm. The figure is a shortfall compared to rainfall data in the past years.

    According to NiMet, “a normal to above normal” rainfall was expected generally in the country.

    The agency further predicted rainfall events that could be enormous and tend to give a false start of the season before full establishment of the onset of planting season over various ecological zones.

    “Such rainfall events are not uncommon. However, their frequency seems to be on the rise,” the report said.

    The meteorological agency also predicted severe effect of a short dry season over the coast of Lagos, Ijebu-Ode, Ibadan, Shaki, Akure, Ilorin, Iseyin, Ado-Ekiti, Benin, Lokoja and Enugu, which the agency said would last for about 10 to 25 days.

    Rains usually peak between the months of June and July, while farmers normally seize the August break to consummate planting. The agency’s prediction failed as rainfall ceased in many of the listed areas since June, leaving the farmers to their fate.

    The breaks (stoppage of rainfall) which started between late June and early July lasted several months.

    Pa Adeoye said: “The pattern of rainfall had been poor since the beginning of the year until the government agency predicted short dry season. Hence, like other maize farmers, I was happy and moved to seize the opportunity to quickly clear my farmland in preparation for the return of rainfall.

    “Unfortunately for me and many others, the prediction failed and I have nothing to show for my huge planting.

    “The prolonged break in rainfall is strange to me. It started in late June and lasted beyond October, contrary to predictions made by NiMet that the break would last barely three weeks. The situation is responsible for my woes.”

    Also licking his wounds from what he called his worst harvest ever, Elder Adegoke said he would be having a solemn Yuletide celebration, unlike in the past when he would buy a cow and throw a big feast in his community.

    He said: “I am a well known Christian leader in my community. I normally kill a fat cow and throw a big New Year party. But I cannot do that this year because of the monumental loss I have suffered from bad harvest arising from rainfall shortage.

    “I have decided to have a quiet celebration this time around because I still have to repay the loan I took to boost my maize farming a few months ago.”

     

    Farmers under burden of loan repayment

    A number of the affected farmers are battling with repayment of loans they took to undertake maize planting destroyed by inadequate rainfall.

    Despite the misfortune caused by the futile downpour prediction, 70-year-old Pa Adeoye still has a big hurdle before him—loan repayment—which according to him is causing him sleepless nights and spiking his blood pressure.

    “Despite the doctor’s warning that I should have enough rest, I cannot just sleep well, and it has affected my blood pressure because of the loan I took from a microfinance bank to boost my maize farm.

    “The bank gave me a loan of N100,000, which I expended on paying workers’ wages and purchase of maize seeds, among others, but everything has gone down the drain because it failed to rain as predicted.”

    Oyelade echoed Adeoye, lamenting that the money lender he took a loan from had started breathing down his neck.

    He said: “The repayment terms I entered into with the money lender was to refund the loan I took from him by the first week of this month (December), thinking that I would have harvested my maize, sell them and make money. But the reverse has been the case.

    “Now, I don’t have the money to pay back the loan and I am in a quandary as to the next line of action.

    “I want to urge the government to rescue us from hopelessness by giving us money as compensation for our losses this year and to carry out farming activities in earnest next year.”

    On his part, Adegoke said he had renegotiated the terms for the repayment of the loan from a local money lender after the latter had harassed him for a refund of the short term loan.

    “The repayment term for the short term loan a money lender gave me has since been renegotiated after it became clear to the lender that I could not defray the money because of the huge loss I suffered this framing season.

    “The government should rescue us from this unforeseen situation by granting us financial bailout so we can plant maize again next farming season,” he said.

     

    Imminent shortage of maize next year-Farmers group

    The bad harvest arising from shortage of rainfall this year, according to the leadership of farmers in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State, would cause the price of maize to skyrocket next year.

    Speaking at the end of an emergency meeting held last week by the Iseyin branch of the Association of Farm Settlers, the group’s chairman, Alabi Kazeem, said members of the association lost millions of naira to the withering of their maize farms following prolonged breaks in rainfall.

    Kazeem said it would be difficult for farmers to engage in farming activities next year, as many of them were still battling with repayment of the loans they collected from microfinance houses for this year’s fruitless season.

    “But for the campaign of adequate rainfall in October by both federal and state weather forecasting authorities, our members would not have gone ahead to borrow money to plant maize this year at all.

    “From the beginning of the year, our members had refused to plant maize or carry out farming activities until the announcement by a weather agency of plenty rains in October, following which they took loans from various sources including local money lenders and microfinance banks.

    “They spent the money on planting maize in anticipation of the rains predicted by NiMet in October which turned out to be wrong.

    “The situation could lead to further rise in the price of maize next year. This year alone, scarcity of maize has affected poultry farmers badly because maize constitutes 60 per cent of poultry feed which has become expensive.

    “The only solution to this is to give grants to the farmers so they could plant maize next year to prevent further scarcity of poultry feeds.”

     

    Lack of irrigation methods knowledge worsens farmers’ plight

    NiMet on its part has urged farmers to adopt soil-moisture conservation techniques to avoid crop loss during the period.

    “Some forcing functions have been observed to be likely responsible and will be monitored carefully and keep Nigerians informed. Farmers should therefore avoid early planting during this period to avoid losses,” a NiMet report said.

    However, most of the farmers in the rural areas seem to be lacking in soil-moisture conservation techniques as advised by NiMet.

    According to experts, adequate knowledge of irrigation methods would have saved the farmers from troubles or loss of harvest, but those affected are largely smallholder farmers, who lacked the basic idea of irrigation farming techniques.

    An agriculture extension worker, Felix Adeolu, said the vegetation is swampy in the Southwest region because it always rains at the right time of the year.

    However, Adeolu said the rain pattern in the region had been altered by the effect of climate change, which requires farmers to either improvise by providing water for their farmlands or adopt irrigation methods to sustain their farms.

    “The swampy vegetation has always been sustained by adequate rainfall throughout the year, such that farmers don’t lack water for their crops. But the severity of climate change has altered the rainfall pattern. Hence there is need for farmers in the Southwest, who are mainly subsistence farmers, to find alternative means of watering their farms.

    “The alternatives could by patronising water vendors or sinking well or borehole on their farms to irrigate their crops for great harvest,” Adeolu added.

    In his remarks, founder of Agro-Allied Plus Ltd, Kazeem Agbabiaka, suggested orientation of farmers in the rural areas on climate change and its effects on farming.

    “Most of those badly hit by the rain breaks are smallholders or subsistence farmers who have no idea of what climate change is all about and how to overcome it and sustain their farms.

    “Also, if you ask them what irrigation is, they don’t know because of their little or limited education and exposure to modern farming practices. Hence, they find it difficult coping when it fails to rain.

    “To this end, I want to urge the authorities to vigorously take extension services to the rural areas in order to acquaint farmers there with the best methods of irrigation to stave off a situation that would bring them tears instead of expected joy from great harvest.”

    Efforts made to get NiMet’s official response to the farmer’s complaints during the week yielded no results. An inquiry forwarded to the agency’s official email address, info@nimet.gov.ng on Monday had not been responded to at press time.

  • Your car or your wife?

    Your car or your wife?

    By Chidi Vera-maha

    Recently, a close neighbour of ours could not wait to show us his new car. “Come Madam,” he said, “I want to show you something”. As I followed him, he took me straight to the car park, pointed towards a fine car.

    I must admit the car was quite a very clean one, but it was not the car that got the better part of my attention. It was the excitement on his face, he just could not hide it. He was beaming from ear to ear, just by looking at his face; you could tell that the car was just his dream come true.

    Just as we were still admiring the car, a thought suddenly crossed my mind. In all my years on planet earth, never have I seen a man this happy or excited showing off his wife and I am like, what is it with men and cars. Are wives not supposed to be prized far above rubies, (the virtous ones, I mean) I do not think it is fair on us woman, if a mere car should get more attention from the man then us.

    A cousin of mine claims that her man spends fortune to maintain his cars, but when she dares to ask for an increment in her allowances, he questions her and then complains that the economy is bad. Call this a protest if you like, but some wives simply can’t recall the last time their man showed them off to either friends or co-workers.

    In order not to be seen as one-sided, I decided to speak to some respondents on why the wife and the car have to be in competition in the first place.

    Their responses are as varied as their names and faces are.

    Sola: “I don’t know, I have never really thought about it. I think I spend more money on my wife. In my opinion, I feel a woman is more expensive than a car. Although in a way, a wife is comparable to a car because she is somebody you acquired and then you are under obligation to take care of her. Your wife is a part of your life and often times you are more conscious of your wife than your car”.

    Yemi: ‘My wife is far more useful to me than my car. You see, I can afford to park my car if it will make my wife happy because before the car came, my wife has been there, and after the car, my wife will still be there. So in the light of this, I would rather pay more attention or spend more on my wife than my car’.

    Muyiwa: “My wife comes before the car. The reason is that if I don’t maintain my wife, she would not last in my house. I can afford to buy a car today and discard it tomorrow, but I cannot do same with my wife.

    “In the first instance, my wife is a human being, and as such, she is more valuable than my car. On the other hand, the family needs to maintain the car to keep the family mobile”.

    Ben: ‘My wife will kill me if she reads this, but faithfully speaking, I spend more money on my car than I do on my wife. The car is meant to ease her outings and those of the kids. Instead of her hopping from one bus to the other, the car will be a better deal for the whole family”.

    Leke: “In fact, one’s car is considered to be a person’s first wife. For instance, if one is always seen with a car and he is suddenly seen trekking, the first thing he will be asked is about his car and perhaps later his wife. When a car breaks down, one cannot afford to leave or dump it. If there is no money, one must borrow to get the car back on the road”.

  • Ohaneze Ndigbo: Playing the exclusion politics?

    Ohaneze Ndigbo: Playing the exclusion politics?

    By Nnedinso Ogaziechi

     

    In just a few days the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohaneze Ndigbo would hold an election of a new leadership as the Nnia Nwodo-led leadership comes to an end on the 10th of January, 2021.

    However, just like in the larger Nigerian political environment, the election seems to be a wholly male affair. No woman is contesting for either the President General or the Secretary General positions, two of the most influential positions in the leadership of the 44 year-old organization that was a child of necessity at the end of the civil war. The umbrella socio-cultural group was formed as a forum representing all Igbo communities both locally and in the diaspora.

    Even though the group is a socio-cultural organization, it is not by any means insulated from the usual politics either within the region or at the national and global levels. It cannot however be described as a political organization or affiliated to any political party. However, with the whirlwind-like evolution of national and global politics, the organization is not insulated from certain core political dynamics.

    The run-up to the elections has been as controversial as it has been suspense-filled.  From debates over consensus candidacy to that of the venue for the election, no Ohaneze election in the past had attracted this amount of media and national attention. This goes to show that technology and the advent of the internet and social media have all changed the dynamics of associations of any group of people whether overtly political or otherwise.

    However, The Roundtable Conversation observed that like in the larger political field in the country that women’s presence in this socio-cultural organization remains largely peripheral. No woman is among the five male candidates for the post of the President General that has Prof. Chidi Osuagwu, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, Prof. George Obiozor, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu and Dr. Chris Asoluka in the race. The post had according to the organization’s constitution, been zoned to Imo state.

    The Roundtable tried to find out why the organization seems almost bereft of an active female presence knowing that in pristine times, the present male only leadership amongst Ndigbo was not the norm.

    Regina Amadi-Njoku, the Chairperson  Board of Trustees of Nkata Ndi Inyom Igbo, a socio-cultural group of Igbo women by ancestry and or marriage, a former Assistant Secretary General at the United Nations and gender/development expert observes that the predominantly male membership is a fallout of the changing dynamics of African culture especially given the effects of colonialism and its impact on gender relations and development.

    She recalls that prior to the colonial period, Ndigbo practiced dual sex governance where women played their part even though they did not exercise the same level of authority with the men in the society.  There were queens, the amazons, priestesses and varied titled women with leadership duties in the past she says. She points out what we are seeing in Ohaneze is traceable to the colonial administrative style in African colonies having come from a background of male-only governance.

    They gave the African men more power but the African men also lost leadership eminence  in what can be seen as a double-edged knife with its white administrative gains and the fragmentation of the leadership styles across Africa.

    The whites empowered the man but at the same time removed their psychological power by taking some out as slaves and converting the others as indentured laborers in their own land working for the colonial governments. They were given power and at the other hand their geo-political assets and resources were taken but when eventually the colonialists left after independence, the African men consolidated power and continued the female exclusion from governance.

    To Amadi-Njoku,  the result of the leadership disruption caused by the coming of the white man is like what a character in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart said about  the white man putting a knife to what held the us together  thereby  making things including leadership styles ‘fall apart’. From the look of things, this piece of history is necessary in order to fully appreciate the idea of an Ohaneze without the active participation of women. The colonial administrative style has its scars one of which is too much conflict between the genders not only among Ndigbo but in all regions and most colonized countries.  The men watched the colonialists and today both in the socio-cultural associations and even in core politics female exclusion is evident.

    However, she feels strongly that there are solutions, because both the men and women are tired of fractionized leadership.  However, Our strength seems to be our weakness, our entrepreneurship is our solidarity, it is our DNA, our Ubuntu. The igwe bu ike spirit is more productive.

    The Igbos are famous just like the Chinese and Israelis in terms of structured  portable governance which ensures that no matter where they are in the world, their strong communities take care of each person, we tend to replicate Igbo communities everywhere so leadership is better if it is inclusive. There must be a way to accommodate the input of women in the socio-cultural organization for a better and more progressive regional development. The men are the heads culturally but then the women are the necks, the head gets dysfunctional without the neck and vice versa.

    The women too have their own problems, the bitterness and apathy must be handled  proactively. The women are fragilized too. Before the colonialists women led in their own associations, the women were leaders of the of their own and younger ones were groomed, taught  followership, obedience, team spirit, skill acquisition, humility, trading were all learnt at this socio-cultural structure.

    Those at the rural communities  have more solidarity and the elite must learn from them. We have lost the sisterhood solidarity and capacity for deft negotiation skills and ability to truly politick unlike the African American women that have formed real advocacy blocs for political inclusion. It has worked out well for a Kamala Harris.

    On the other hand, the men enjoy internal solidarity and mentorship, they track the progress of their mentees and reap the benefits on retirement. The trappings of modern governance can be seen in the issue under discourse. So now we can recreate that sense of solidarity for better regional and national growth.

    She recalls battles of the OAU transition into AU and how African women including her fought for 33% affirmative action but with a very deft political lobbying,  eventually got 50% and the result is evident in the activities of the AU and their status in global politics. Her advice is more to the men to be more accommodating of a return to the good old order and for the women to actively fight for their lost leadership positions.

    She advises is men to be more accommodating of the renaissance of the win-win traditional gender partnership between men and women for the women to rebuild their sisterhood solidarity that helped their foremothers negotiate and share governance power and leadership with the men, bearing in mind that men and women leaderships are different yet complimentary and progressively viable.

    The Roundtable Conversation has been following the media discussions and debates involving the Ohaneze candidates and almost all of them seem to agree that female inclusion is long overdue given the global leadership dynamics and the values thereof.

    The Roundtable Conversation spoke to Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, an Art enthusiast/collector and entrepreneur who is the Lagos state President of Ohaneze  and asked him about the female membership of the association. He said that there are women wings in all the seven states that make up the Ohaneze Ndigbo. So the women are the leaders of their women wings.

    Curiously, he said that the women can only be members of the electoral committees but they cannot vote at elections. So women only vote for the women leadership. So the women can only be under the state male chairpersons and all of them are under the national leadership headed by the President General.

    He says some Igbos seem to have lost their sense of culture and tradition. Respect and language go together. He believes that culturally, we all know that women organize themselves and mobilize.  To him any male child born automatically becomes Ohaneze member and so we must not deviate from our culture and tradition. Anyone from the region must know that Ohaneze is a socio-cultural group that pilots the affairs of Ndigbo anywhere in the world.

    To him, culture and language unites.  The association must work on the progress of the region and they seek the cooperation of everyone including the media. The people must be united and plan to progress in general terms. Ohaneze has both women and youth wings and their roles are the traditional roles of mediating between the various leaderships and the people. Women leaders in Ohaneze are similar to all women groups in every other socio-political sector functionally. They liaise between male leadership either formally in government or community associations.

    Chief Solomon believes that the culture and language of a people can enhance cooperation amongst the people and so must not be tampered with or allowed to be divisive. Progress of the association must be paramount in everyone’s mind as the people must feel the physical presence of leadership.

    The interesting conversations with these individuals are as revealing as they are thought-provoking. The Roundtable Conversation however feels that the debate about leadership at all the regional levels nationally  must move with the times. The world today is ruled by ideas and technology and the acquisition of these through education is not gender sensitive. If women like Madam Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson could become president of Liberia, if an Okonjo- Iweala can make the global contributions in varied fields globally, all regional organizations like Arewa, Afenifere, Ijaw National Congress etc.  might just be like a plane flying with one engine when it can alternate between  two or more engines. A people according to UN studies are as developed as the level of inclusiveness in education and leadership at all levels of both genders.

    The dialogue continues…