The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • Unease as lecturers battle Fed Poly Rector

    Unease as lecturers battle Fed Poly Rector

    Some members of the staff of Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State are at daggers drawn with the Rector of the 28-year-old institution over alleged sundry infractions. GBENGA ADERANTI, who was on a visit to the school, reports on the state of affairs at the federal government owned institution.

     

    It was a clement Wednesday afternoon and the atmosphere at the Federal Polytechnic Ede, Osun State was calm and quiet. But behind the facade of serenity is a turmoil that threatens to shake the 28-year-old federal institution to its foundation.

    The first sign of the graveyard peace at the institution emerged at the rector’s office where new security measures were adopted in respect of visitors. No visitor or members of the institution’s staff was allowed into the office with a telephone. For instance, a senior lecturer at the institution was politely told to drop his phone with a security guard attached to the office as he awaited the Rector’s arrival.

    That had been the state of affairs in the school since its chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, demanded a thorough investigation of the rector, Dr. John Taiwo Adekolawole. It was a crisis that begun a few months after Adekolawole assumed duty.

    A source in the school said the first thing the Rector did on assuming duty was to make some sweeping changes, including the removal of some key members of the institution’s staff. This, it was learnt, did not go down well with many of them, particularly those that were directly affected.

    According to an aggrieved member of the staff, “when the rector came on board, all the duly elected deans of the schools were removed without any allegation.

    “He did not stop at that; he also removed various heads of departments without any offence committed by them or an indictment by any committee.”

    The foregoing was said to have resulted in a tiff between the Rector and a section of the institution’s staff, some of whom have accused Adekolawole of committing various infractions, including   highhandedness, favoritism and nepotism in the management of the affairs of the institution.

    Since then, various petitions have been written, calling for investigation of the activities of the rector.

    About two months ago, the School’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, in a letter dated June 8, 2020, had requested for thorough investigation of all the allegations levelled against Adekolawole.

    The rector was alleged to have spent more than N2 million from the polytechnic’s purse to renovate his private residence.

    According to a report submitted by a member of the ASUP in the school, “this is against the federal government regulation which forbids public servants from usingpublic funds for personal gain.”

    It was also alleged that the rector used the polytechnic’s funds that could have been used on profitable ventures to procure ‘unprofitable awards.

    According to the report, “within seven months of assumptions of office, how can the award of ‘Best Rector of the Year 2018’ be given in May 2018? He has been using the polytechnic’s funds to collect these awards from unaccredited organisations.”

    The rector was also alleged to have violated extant Federal Government directive on procurement of TETFUND project vehicle and bus.

    According to the report, Adekolawole was alleged to have failed to comply with the FG /TETFUND’s directive to procure a Toyota Hilux vehicle but procured a TATA Xenon Security Patrol Van and two TATA Xenon double cabin pick-up, being the project vehicle for 2016 TETFUND Special High Impact Project.

    Again, the rector was alleged to have had TETFUND approval for the purchase of one 30-seater Toyota bus but rather went ahead to purchase a TATA 30-seater bus.  The contract was alleged to have been awarded on July 22, 2019 in the sum of N68,932,678.00.

    The several appointments and recruitments made by the Rector were also alleged to have been done in flagrant disobedience of presidential directives.

    Adekolawole was said to have employed his direct son, Mr. Gooodness Edeaogbogun, and placed him on the Lecturer 11 cadre, which placed him above his contemporaries in the employment of the polytechnic before him.

    An official of the school told The Nation that apart from placing his son above his contemporaries, the rector was also accused of “upgrading his wife, Olukemi Adekolawole from CONTEDISS 7 to CONTEDISS 9, backdating her promotion to the date of her last promotion, which was January 2017.”

    Ironically, some months before the rector assumed office, the Junior Staff Appointment and Promotion Committee in a memo: FPE/JS/692/57, dated August 1, 2017 and signed by O. Adewoyin of the Establishment Affairs for the registrar of the institution to Mrs  Olukemi Adekolawole, did not approve the promotion of the rector’s wife and advised her  to seek further academic qualifications.

    A memo written to Mrs  Adekemi Adekolawole and made available to The Nation reads:  “The Junior Staff Appointment and Promotion Committee at its 50th regular meeting  held on 25th July 2017 considered you for year 2016 promotion in line with the revised 2013 scheme of service but did not approve your promotion due to inadequate academic qualifications.

    “The committee thereafter advise that you seek for further academic qualification to enable you qualify in subsequent promotion exercise.”

    To silence opposition, the rector was alleged to have used the instrument of state to harass those who had the temerity to question some of his decisions.

    While one of the aggrieved members told The Nation that he would not comment on the incident, another source insisted that some ASUP members were invited by the DSS to their Osun office for questioning.

    Another infraction committed by the Rector, according to a source at the federal institution, was manipulating the academic board to change the entry requirements for the purpose of admitting a candidate of  the rector who had deficiency in English Language.

    It was also alleged that the rector changed his name from Edaogbogun to Adekolawole in order to cover his past misdeeds.

    “On different occasions, he was indicted and punished for sundry offences before he became the Rector of the polytechnic.  One was where B.I. Okoji and Patrick Husseine chaired the panel. And in order to cover his past misdeeds, he changed his name to Adekolawole from Edaogbogun,” the source alleged.

    Rector reacts

    Reacting to the allegations, Adekolawole said they were all “dead issues”.

    He said: “There are no crises here. There is only peace. I think we should focus on positive things rather than dwell on distractions here and there.

    “The school has made another technological breakthrough with its innovation.

    “The school has produced its own ventilator which would be made available to the market soon. While imported ventilator goes for N35,000, we are going to sell to Nigerians at N20,000. We made everything here.

    “Right now, we produce face masks, hand sanitiser and other materials to assist in the fight against Covid-19.

    “Everything you see here, including the printing and furniture I’m using in my office are done in this school. We just won an award for innovation in far away Malaysia.

    “Those are the things we should focus on; not the crisis. We don’t have crisis in this institution,” he told The Nation.

    Insisting that he was not ready to engage in press war with anyone, he said the genesis of the whole disagreement was when one of the lecturers was probed and found to have engaged in plagiarism.

    He said although the school was yet to finish its investigation, the said lecturer teamed up with some other aggrieved ones to engage the Rector.

    Also speaking on behalf of the rector, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr Olusola Lawal, said the allegations levelled against the rector were mischievous.

    According to him, barely six months, after Adekolawole assumed office as the rector of the institution in April/May 2018, a petition was written to the Minister of Education who set up a high powered committee of the Governing Council to investigate the allegations. At the end of the investigation, the rector was absolved of all the allegations.

    Bringing up the same allegations that had been trashed in 2018 in 2020 is a rude shock.

    Lawal believes that the recent allegations were the handiwork of one of the ASUP members that was being disciplined for committing infractions.

    Reacting to the allegation of highhandedness, Lawal said it could not be true as the Rector takes staff welfare as a priority.

    “He converted/upgraded/re-graded over three hundred (300) staff that were wrongly placed,” he said.

    On the sack of HODs when Adekolawole assumed office, Lawal said: ”It was wrong for an outgoing regime to appoint command officers for an in-coming regime. More so when the outgoing regime had resolved on the Academic Board that anyone who had not presented inaugural lecture should not hold academic leadership post.  As at that time, all those elected had not presented inaugural lectures.

    “So by the decision of the Academic Board, they lost their seat and the election became null and void.”

    Lawal insisted that there was never a time the Academic Board  was manipulated.

    ”The specific case referred to was when the number of students admitted for ND 1 in the Tourism Department was far below the requirements to make the programme viable in the countdown to already scheduled Matriculation Ceremony, and the Academic Board unanimously gave a waiver that any applicant into ND 1 in Tourism Department  or willing to study Tourism with CREDIT PASS in Geography (a major requirement) but deficient in only one (1) subject requirement be given concessional admission but must make up the deficiency before graduation.”

    On the allegation of appointment/recruitment, he said it was not true.

    “Our Innovation Technology Centre (ITC) was set up as approved by the Governing Council.  The six (6) pioneer staff for the centre were sourced for under the scarce-knowledge-area-skills to foster the innovation drive of the institution.  The six (6) of them were sourced for, interviewed, appointed and placed on the appropriate level by the Governing Council.

    “Mr. Goodness Edaogbogun was one of the six (6) that were so appointed to man the Institution’s Weather Station in addition to being a member on the Innovation Technology Centre (ICT) on merit.  At the time of their appointment and even now, there are no alternatives on ground.

    “The appointments were done before the Presidential embargo on employment in 2018.”

    On the allegation that the rector’s wife Olukemi was wrongly promoted, Lawal said it was one of the issues the Rector addressed on assumption of duty to douse the crises emanating from inappropriate placement of staff.

    He said: “The Rector’s wife had ND 2000 (Lower Credit), HND 2003 (Pass) and was employed into the services of the Polytechnic in 2013 on Level 05 and eventually migrated to Level 06.

    “Before Adekolawole became the Rector of the institution, Mrs Adekemi was recommended for promotion and she was promoted to level 7. “

    Lawal said with Mrs Adekolawole’s ND certificate, she was qualified for the promotion.  He insisted that the issue of inappropriate qualification was as aberration and did not arise.

    He said: “Within three weeks of the release of letter of inappropriate qualification, she received two or three other letters.  The first letter stated that her non-promotion was due to some mixed-up in the Establishment Affairs Unit of the Registry while the other letter stated that her name was omitted in error in August 2017 before the Rector assumed office.

    “Her promotion was later effected but her letter was not released to her until the rector came on board as the rector of the polytechnic. Meanwhile, she obtained B.Sc. (Accounting) 2nd Class Upper in June 2017.”

    The school’s image maker said it was another misinformation that the rector used the fund of the federal institution to renovate his private residence. He said contrary to what was alleged, the rector did not receive any money from the polytechnic to renovate his house.

    He said: “The Rector merely saved the institution the cost of providing accommodation for him by using his house as the rector’s official residence.

    “The Works and Services Department customarily carried out some renovations under the normal renovation of roads and building votes at the rector’s residence.”

    Lawal said there was never a time the rector was indicted and that all the allegations against the rector were later found to be baseless.

    “Therefore, the then management was ashamed of the panel and their decisions and later directed that the report should be removed and expunged from all the polytechnic’s records, because it was legally adjudged as a miscarriage of justice.

    “Bldr. Hussaini and Mr. Okoji later apologised to the Management and the then Director for their role in the ignominious report.

    “It is rather unfortunate that a member of staff who should have destroyed his copy of the letter now brings it up from the archives after 25 years out of mischief, especially when the principal actors are dead.”

    He said the rector changed his name from Edaogbogun to Akolawole for spiritual reasons.

    He said: “The restructuring of his names was by spiritual injunction and personal, and was agreed to by his late father. All the names are really his, including Adekolawole, and were given to him at birth while Edaogbogun still remains the surname.  He merely adopted Adekolawole, which is his name, as surname as customary with a crown prince above the age of fifty (50).”

    The PRO told The Nation that while the rector had reordered his name, some people still prefer to refer to him as Edaogbogun. He cited a recent radio jingle of the school in which the rector was referred to as Edaogbogun. He said contrary to the belief in certain quarters, the rector did not violate any government regulation by altering his surname.

    According to Lawal, both TETFUND and Bureau of Public Procurement duly approved the procurement of three TATA Xenon double cabin vans instead of one Toyota Hilux vehicle at the same price because of the high vehicular deficit in the Polytechnic.

    Lawal said: “Both TETFUND and Bureau of Public Procurement duly approved the purchase of a TATA 30-seater Bus and a single cabin TATA Pick-up in place of a 16-seater Toyota bus all at same amount of N31,374,000:00 because of the high vehicular deficit in the polytechnic.  These are cost saving measures that the Rector ought to have been applauded for if not for mischief.”

    While many believe that ASUP  as a body is against the rector, a source told The Nation that “ASUP members above  Level 12 are not part of the shenanigan. Those against the rector are just doing so for not just cause.”

    A source close to the school told The Nation that one of the prominent  traditional rulers in Osun had waded into the matter, but whether he would be able to settle the crisis is what nobody knows.

    So the question agitating the minds of many is who will stop this war of attrition at the Federal Polytechnic, Ede?  When will it all end?

     

     

  • Kwara APC crises over – Oloriegbe

    Kwara APC crises over – Oloriegbe

    The senator representing Kwara Central Constituency and Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Dr Ibrahim Oloriegbe spoke with reporters in Ilorin, Kwara State on the crises that rocked the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state after displacing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the ruling party in the state, his exploits so far at the upper chamber of the National Assembly and his take on the calls in some quarters for adoption of electoral college for presidential elections, among other issues. ADEKUNLE JIMOH was there.

     

    WHAT has been your relationship with your constituents as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?

    The functions of legislators worldwide are basically three, namely legislation, oversight and representation. In view of these, the assessment of any legislator should be based on his performance in these three areas. However, it should be noted that a legislator’s role or function is the most misunderstood in Nigeria, particularly in Kwara Central Constituency where the legislator comes from.

    This can be attributed to a number of factors. Basically, the fact that many years of Nigeria’s post-independence has been under military rule makes the citizens to recognise and understand government from the executive roles and responsibilities as the local government areas (LGAs), states and federal governments were under unelected executive functionaries.

    Under democratic dispensation, majority of citizens do not understand the difference between an elected legislator and an elected executive position holder in terms of roles and functions.

    Now to a leg of your question, in Kwara Central, the position of the senator for the constituency in the last 40 years had been under the direct or indirect control of one family who dictated what happened to all office holders in government and determined all that happened in governance. Hence the citizens were and still not able to differentiate between the roles and responsibilities of particular office holders. The situation was worse in the last eight years where the occupant of the senatorial seat was the ‘godfather’ of all political office holders in the state, and all things were done in his name and attributed to him. So I hope my people will understand these situations very well and know the real functions and duties of a legislator. I used more of innuendos because there is no need for name or character assassination.

    I had within this short period of time moved at least nine motions, sponsored six bills,  co-sponsored 13 bills, contributed to over 10 debates on bills and motions by other senators.

     You moved the first motion in the 9th Senate on July 2, 2019. What was the propelling factor for the motion titled ‘the need to strengthen security at the Nigerian Airport’?

    The reason basically stemmed out of a great concern for adequate security at the nation’s airports, particularly for the Muslim faithful who periodically travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj and Lesser Hajj. The subject of the motion was also relevant to my people at home as majority of them are Muslims who often engage in religious or business undertakings outside Nigeria.

    The key background to the motion was the wrongful arrest and conviction of two Nigerian citizens for drug trafficking, based on the detection of hard drugs in their luggage. More investigations into the matter revealed that some unscrupulous persons at the airport planted the banned substances. The resultant effect of the motion was the strengthening of security at Nigeria international airports and such sad incidents have not been reported in recent times. Some of my other motions include the urgent need to make the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) work for Nigerians. This led to the appointment of a new Executive

    Secretary for the NHIS and accelerated consideration of the NHIS reform bill sponsored by me. By God’s grace, I moved another motion for the urgent need to transfer back to the Federal Ministry of Health (FMO) the responsibility/authority to process all its procurement activities. The executive arm of government has returned the Procurement functions back to the FMO.

    I had within the last two years sponsored six bills among which are the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Bill, 2019 (SB66) awaiting committee report; Psychiatric Hospital Act (Amendment) Bill, 2929 to establish Federal Psyhchiatry Hospital in Budo Egba, Kwara State (SB376) at First Reading; and Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine of Nigeria Bill 2020 (SB394).

    Your party, APC, has been enmeshed in crises since the end of the last general elections, especially at state level. It was rumoured in some quarters that there is no love lost between the state governor and the chairman of the party in the state. Don’t you think the development could stifle the growth of democracy in the state if left unresolved?

    The tsunami like revolution that swept off the old political order in the state was unleashed without any visible arrow-head, who could have served as the leader of the group. Instead, leaders of various groups fought the battle at their levels and with their own tactics.

    The method was a very good one because we were all fighting our common opposition at the same time from all fronts. But it had its own backlash at the end, I must confess to you. As usual, each of these leaders started asserting his or her rights to everything concerning the party and governance. We saw the problem nevertheless as a family problem that was not unexpected. But the good news is that we have been able to resolve the crises because we have no alternative but to come together as an entity. In Kwara APC today, many aggrieved persons have been assuaged and others too will soon see the party as the only way out of subjugation and exploitation.

    What is your view on whether the nation should use electoral college for its next presidential election in order to save the enormous cost of conducting elections of that cadre in Nigeria?

    As a student of political science, I believe that the history of Nigeria is awash with numerous experimental political systems. In fact, there seems to have been no system of governance that has not been tried in this country before now. I believe that what we are doing at present is still the very best we should stick to, considering our heterogeneous identities as a nation. Universal participation in elections gives more representation. We are not yet matured to go for electoral college system.

    I will be on the side of the proponents of universal electoral college. What we need to do is to infuse more technological know-how into our electoral system to reduce the cost of conducting elections in our country.

  • One million dollars levy is xenophobia in disguise — Say Nigerian traders in Ghana

    One million dollars levy is xenophobia in disguise — Say Nigerian traders in Ghana

     

    It’s not the best of times for Nigerian traders\business owners in Ghana, as the authorities have in recent weeks stepped up enforcement of the $1million levy imposed on foreign-owned businesses venturing into the retail sector. This has resulted in agitations, with Nigerians, who are mostly on the receiving end of the law, petitioning their home government to intercede. Gboyega Alaka examines the issues.

     

    WHAT is it about Nigerians that makes them attract so much hostility wherever they settle? That may well be the welling question in the mind of many observers or victims of what is currently playing out across Ghana. Non-Ghanaian-owned shops, which incidentally belong majorly to sojourning Nigerians in that country, are being shut down on account of their owners’ inability to meet up with the $1million investment registration fee/levy placed on foreign businesses.

    At the last count, well over 300 Nigerian businesses- that’s according to Chukwuemeka Nnaji, President, Nigerian Traders Union in Ghana – have been shut across Ghana. Some other sources put the number at more than 400. Even as this interview went on Tuesday evening, Nnaji was quick to add for emphasis that: “As we speak, they are locking up shops in Ashanti Region and the exercise will continue tomorrow.”

    Like have happened in South Africa over the past decade, Nigerian residents in that English-speaking West African country have been on the receiving end of what they have variously described as ‘economic strangulation’, ‘annihilation’ and ‘xenophobia in another form;’ and it seems that brotherly affiliation that both nationals are wont to flaunt is currently non-existent – or perhaps, never counted for much.

    In a video that has gone viral, a Ghanaian shop owner could be seen pointing out Nigerian-owned shops to members of the task force in a market complex and insisting that they be locked.

    In another, even Ghanaian shop owners suspected to be fronting for Nigerian businesses are being harassed and made to show proof of ownership of the business or face immediate action.

    According to Chukwudi, who runs a phone accessories shop in Tiptoe Lane at Kwame Nkruma Circle, Accra, “The new law is like a sentence to hunger and death. Yes, you may say they are not attacking us physically, but is there anything that kills faster than hunger and poverty? As I speak, my shop is under lock and key and this is coming right after Covid -19 lockdown. If they want us to leave their country, they should be bold and say it outright. Where do they expect me to raise one million dollars from? Who’s going to lend me that kind of money?”

    To cap it up, Chukwudi said his two relatives in the country, one in the same Tiptoe Lane complex and another in Kumasi, who may come to his aid, have also had their shops locked. Even his friend and neighbour, who operates a salon in a nearby corner street is also out of work.

    According to Evaristus Nwankwo, Secretary, Nigerian Union of Traders Association in Ghana (NUTAG), “The situation is very tense and a lot of people are in a quandary. I don’t know how they expect small businesses like ours to raise one million dollars. As far as I am concerned, it is an impossible task. In fact, it is a way of saying ‘We don’t want you here anymore, go home.’”

    He also said the law is sweeping. “There is no exception –whether you operate a corner shop, a grocery store, small salon, food store, or even a taxi business. For a taxi business, you are required to have five taxi cabs or more to be able to operate – because the law says the retail business is reserved for the citizens. It’s such a suffocating law, and this is irrespective of the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) protocol, which Ghana is a signatory to and which grants citizens of member nations the right to go into member countries and manage enterprises.

    “As we speak, Ghana is practically reneging on that agreement. In fact when this whole clampdown started, the president, Nana Akufo-Addo openly said the law is on the people’s side, even though he cautioned that they must not take the law into their hands. But he never ordered that the illegally locked shops be reopened. As I speak with you, shops are being locked in the motor parts market in Kumasi, Ashanti Region. The secretary of our traders union there just called to inform me.”

    Isaac Osahon Ekhator, National Secretary, All Nigeria Community (ANC) in Ghana, said, “The problem stems from the implementation of sections 27 and 28 of the local GIPC (Ghana Investment Promotion Council) law. Section 27 stipulates the activities and businesses that are reserved for nationals; while section 28 stipulates the amount you’re supposed to come in with to embark on retail business as a non-Ghanaian, along with other provisions. The law states that if you are not a Ghanaian and wish to engage in trading and retail business, you come in with an amount not less than one million US dollars or its equivalent in equity – if the business is going to be fully owned by you.

    “However, because most Nigerian businesses here are the traditional enterprise and sole proprietorship, this has constituted a big problem for our people, as the one million dollars requirement is way beyond their reach.”

    Ekhator, a Banking and Finance graduate, who is into financial forecasting, technical and fundamental analysis for enterprise businesses in Accra, however said the onslaught is not new.

    “In 2007, Nigerian shops were locked at Kumasi and other places. In December last year, some shops were locked around the Circle Area in Accra and they remained locked for 7 to 8 months. Unfortunately, the Lebanese, Indians and Chinese are here going about their businesses, although I’m not able to confirm if they are also paying this kind of money. If the focus is on those dominating the retail sector, then those should be the first target and not Nigerian enterprises. Clearly the law says foreign nationals, but it seems the targets are Nigerian-owned businesses.”

    Ekhator and Nwankwo

    Ekhator conceded, though, that this might seem so “because Nigerians have businesses everywhere.”

    He also submitted that the contentious law is not in tandem with the spirit of ECOWAS.

    Is the situation so bad that Ghanaians are not able to do business?

    Nwankwo answers in the negative. “One thing you guys back home in Nigeria need to know is that these people don’t love us, even though we deceive ourselves with the brother tag. A lot of Ghanaians are really doing well and prospering; I mean, you go to a complex of about 4,000 shops and you find only 100 shops or businesses owned by Nigerians. The other time, the agitators went to an electrical appliances complex to shut foreign-owned shops and we could only count 31 Nigerian-owned shops, out of over 3000 shops. And some of these 31 could not even qualify for shops, as they were under staircases and on top of two-storey buildings. The question you’re therefore forced to ask, is: Where is the threat? So if you ask me, I’d say they just don’t want us around anymore.”

    Alternatively, you ask. “Is it that Nigerians have exported their excessive flamboyance to that country and are outshining the indigenes and taking over their girlfriends and wives?

    But Nwankwo again answered: “No, no, no. Those are minor issues and far from the truth.”

    How about having a meeting with the authorities to negotiate?

    To this, he gave a cynical reply: “Maybe if you’re resident here, you would understand what we’re talking about. These people don’t even regard us as humans, let alone consider us worthy of such invitation or negotiation. The only time that ever happened was when they wrote to our High Commission in Ghana that they were going to embark on an exercise and the High Commissioner went with us to meet with the deputy minister.”

    Xenophobia in another form?

    Pretty much, Ekhator sees this whole onslaught as ‘xenophobia in disguise.’ Although there have not been physical attacks on Nigerians, the All Nigeria Community in Ghana secretary is of the opinion that when you annihilate a people’s means of livelihood to the extent that they are not able to meet basic needs like feeding, then you’re inadvertently saying they are not wanted around anymore.”

    In his opinion, that spirit of Nigerian enterprise may well be the problem. “Ghanaian traders are complaining that Nigerians are taking over their businesses. What they tend to forget or are deliberately ignoring is the fact that competition is good in a capitalist economy, because the people benefit in the long run. If you ask me, the average Ghanaian is not complaining. In fact, I’ve heard a good number of them saying the government should leave Nigerians alone. The main people behind this whole agitation are the GUTA (Ghana Union of Traders Association) people. They are insisting that the GIPC law be implemented to the letter.”

    In addition to the one million dollars requirement, Ekhator says such businesses are also expected to employ a minimum of 20 skilled Ghanaians. This, he argues, makes the whole thing more burdensome. “How can a common shop owner or table-top business owner meet up with such conditions?”

    Nwankwo of NUTAG also confirmed that there have not been any notable attacks on Nigerians, despite the sweeping clampdown. Nwankwo and many others credit this to President Akufo-Addo’s caution to citizens not to take laws into their hands.

    “There have not been any attacks but the task force carrying out the shut down comprises the police, the immigration officers, the secret police and other officials. In the video of a previous exercise at Kwame Nkruma Circle that went viral, a policeman was seen physically dragging a Nigerian out of a shop, while a woman’s voice was heard complaining that ‘What else do you people want from us? You asked us to pay a tax, you closed our shop for eight months, we borrowed money and paid, yet you will not let us rest. I’m not coming out.’”

    Initially, Nwankwo said the assault used to be over 30% tax, which was determined by a Ghanaian auditor. But PRO of the Trade Minister recently went on air to say that it didn’t matter anymore if you had met the registration and other requirements, and that any foreigner willing to do business in Ghana must come up with the One million dollars or evidence of its equivalent in equity.

    President of the Nigerian Traders Union in Ghana, Nnaji, who has lived in that country since 1995, said the requirement used to be $300,000 but was raised to N1million in 2013, following a review of the law.

    Asked why the implementation seems to be suddenly gaining momentum, Nnaji said, “They’ve always enforced it. The government institutions came in from time to time – at different times in 2007, 2012 and 2013, our people’s shops were closed. During those times, we petitioned ECOWAS, which sent its delegation to arrest the situation. We thought that would be the end, but lo and behold, they have kept coming back.”

    Nnaji also sees some sinister agenda playing out, which he says the indigenes have used overtime to displace foreigners, particularly Nigerians of their hard-earned investments. “If you go by history, I think Nigerians have been here for over 300 years; and if you follow that story back, you’d realise that they kept chasing Nigerians out of their country after a while. In 1964 and 1969, which are recent occurrences, this was the kind of strategy they used to take over Nigerian properties. I’ve met a Ghanaian who told me that his fore-fathers’ house was built by Nigerians who left the country in frustration because of this kind of crisis. As we speak, a lot of Nigerians have invested in property in this country.”

    Nwankwo toes Nnaji’s line of thought, when he said, “It’s a very small section of this country that are pursuing this agenda. They are the ones who formed this trade union. There is a document a Ghanaian lawyer friend showed me, which showed how this union used the 1969 Aliens Compliance Order to drive Nigerians away from the country in the middle of the Nigerian Civil War. I’m not surprised that they are starting this again in the middle of Covid-19, when national borders are closed and there is no business. They’re literally sentencing us to death by hunger, especially with no means of travelling back to our country.”

    We respect ECOWAS protocol but we’ll not jettison our local laws – Ghanaian minister

    Meanwhile, Ghanaian Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway says the government will continue to enforce laws governing the country’s retail business sector, despite agitations by aggrieved Nigerian traders operating illegally in the country.

    Botchway

    Despite being co-signatory to the ECOWAS protocol, which allows free movement by nationals of member nations in member countries, Botchway in an interview granted a local television in Accra, said Ghana, as an independent country, has its own local laws, which would not be jettisoned. She however admitted that both Nigeria and Ghana may have to dialogue to find a balance to resolve the quagmire.

    She insisted that what Ghana has done, which is preserving its retail sector for her nationals is not different from what Nigeria recently did when it shut its borders in spite of the same ECOWAS protocol, citing arms and rice smuggling.

    Way forward

    In the words of Ekhator, the way forward is for Nigerians to begin to adopt new business models.

    “We can circumvent the law – and I’m not saying we should break the law – by forming corporations, where 20, 30 people pull their resources together and operate under one business name. If you go to China mall, you’ll realise that that’s what they’re probably doing – several businesses\entrepreneurs under one name. Our people can easily adopt this, except that we just like the traditional one-man business model, where each man is CEO and makes all the decisions. Unfortunately, what this situation is telling us is that that model can no longer work for us in the 21st century.”

    Besides, Ekhator is of the opinion that businesses these days are done online, and as such, his compatriots should follow the trend and transact their business online, thereby staying away from unnecessary government harassment.

    He said the All Nigerian Community in Ghana as a body, is already meeting with the NUTAG leadership and selling these and other survivalist ideas to them.

    “It’s either the foregoing,” Ekhator said, “or the Nigerian government intervenes through diplomacy. And if that fails, we apply the policy of reciprocity. We have Ghanaians who are into all sorts of businesses in Nigeria and this kind of law is not in existence to frustrate them.”

     

    Ghanaians share their views on contentious law

     

    SOME Ghanaians have also been sharing their perspectives on the issue. Bright Kofi Buami, who teaches at Tema Technical Institutes, Tema, Ghana, who says he has only listened to discussions on the matter on national television, said the government made the arrangement to make room for local traders to thrive in the retail sector and avail them of opportunities of livelihood as SMEs

    “The deduction I made indicates that many foreigners, (including Nigerians) have veered off the distribution lane into retail areas, flooding the market with cheaper goods (at distributors’ prices), thereby pulling customers away from local retailers. According to a cross-section of Ghanaian traders, this renders them jobless in their home country. They also bemoan the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities in enforcing the trade bylaws, giving vent to the recent industrial action.”

    That said, Buami is of the opinion that both countries need each other for positive development. Quoting popular Nigerian pastor of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, T B Joshua, he said, “No one can go it alone. You need me. I need you. God has made it this way, so no man can boast.”

    He therefore submitted that Nigerians doing legitimate business being shut out, will impact Ghana’s economy negatively, as there would be no competitive pricing in the market, resulting in price hikes and severe hardship on the citizens.

    Buami

    Emmy Aryee, an Accra-based freelance journalist, is however of the opinion that the $1million levy, (if a levy is necessary at all) is ‘just too much.’

    She however confirmed that Nigerians are fast taking over the retail business sector in the country, giving cause for concern.

    “If you go to the Kwame Nkrumah Circle for instance, the majority of male traders there are Nigerians. They deal in all manners of trade, including bags, shoes and mobile phone accessories. And you know why many people, including me, would buy from them? Their wares are very affordable, compared to those sold by Ghanaian traders. Whatever item you need, you will get it from a Nigerian shop.”

    When reminded that Nigerians are already seeing the onslaught as xenophobia, Emmy said, maybe, but reasoned that if Nigeria reciprocates by shutting Ghanaian businesses in Nigeria, it will also be termed xenophobic.

    She submits that Nigerians being shut out completely from the Ghanaian domestic market would impact negatively on the country’s economy. As a matter of fact, she said it was already playing out. “Recently, I needed to change my phone battery. The one to fix it said he could not get a replacement because only Nigerians sell such items.”

    Would this mean that the Ghanaians want Nigerians to be left to ply their trades? Aryee said, “It’s mixed reaction. Some feel it not a good idea while others think it is necessary because Nigerians are taking over all facets of the retail business sector.”

     

    Buhari must step in now! — President, Nigerian Traders Union in Ghana

     

    For Chukwuemeka Nnaji, President, Nigerian Traders Union in Ghana, this is the time for the president Muhammadu Buhari government to step in on behalf of Nigerian in Ghana, otherwise the old pattern of displacing Nigerians of their hard-earned investments and property may just be playing out yet again.

     

    AS president of Nigerian Traders Union in Ghana, what steps are you taking towards resolving this One million dollar obstacle? Have you met with the authorities?

    As union leaders, it is very difficult for us to pressure the government to change its law, but as ECOWAS citizens, we believe we should not be made to pay such amount if we are to follow protocol. However, the authorities here have insisted that it is their local law, and as such, bargaining with them is not something we can do. I think it is our government that should come in at this point and intercede on our behalf.

    Have you reached out to the government in Nigeria?

    Yes, we have written a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari; we have also written to the leadership of The Senate and the House of Representatives and other top people and are awaiting their response.

    How long has this one million dollar levy been in existence?

    It used to be 300,000 dollars but in 2013 they moved it to one million dollars.

    How come it never became an issue until now?

    They’ve always enforced it. I’ve lived in this country since 1995. The government institutions came in from time to time – at different times in 2007, 2012 and 2013, our people’s shops were closed. During those times, we petitioned ECOWAS, which sent its delegation to arrest the situation. We thought that would be the end, but they have kept coming back.”

    Back then when we first moved to Ghana, we never thought of opening a shop, because business was slow. All we did was give our goods to the locals to sell because of the language barrier. But it got to a time when business started booming and the locals were not showing enthusiasm to grow. Anytime we gave them goods, they just sold; some of them used the proceeds to travel abroad, while some used it to buy cars or build their houses. So some of us started renting small shops to sell our goods and soon realised it was far better than the way they were doing it. It didn’t take long before the agitations started.

    Is it that Nigerians have grown so much that their hosts now feel threatened?

    If you go by history, I think Nigerians have been here for ever 300 years; and if you follow that story back, you’d realise that they kept chasing Nigerians out of their country after a while. In 1964 and 1969, which are recent occurrences, these were the kind of strategies they used to take over Nigerian properties. I’ve met a Ghanaian who told me that his fore-fathers’ house was built by Nigerians who left in frustration because of this kind of crisis. As we speak, a lot of Nigerians have invested in property in this country.”

    You think this might be in pursuant of an agenda to take over Nigerian properties like in the past?

    Possibly; but I’m not sure it’s going to work out this time. We have Nigerians who live abroad in Europe and other places, and some of our leaders, who have houses here. This time, I think we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be bullied out like in the past.

    Are there areas of business that Nigerians are dominating, that could be causing this bad blood?

    Dominancy is relative. The only area we can say we have more Nigerian shops than Ghanaians is in the mobile accessories sector. There was a place called Soldier Bar, where people hanged out late in the night and crime and prostitution became rife, causing the government to move in and clear the place. Nigerians moved there to start trading. At a time, they closed over 150 Nigerian shops. But every other place, Nigerians are in the minority. At Abossey Okai, Nigerians own less than 100 shops in a complex of over 3000 shops. At Opera Square, we discovered that the shops owned by Nigerians were less than 50, out of over 2000 shops. So, where is the dominance? At the last count, about 300 Nigerian shops have been shut across the country. As we speak, they are locking up Nigerian shops in Ashanti Region. And the exercise continues tomorrow.

    Are Nigerians also being harassed in the formal sector like banking or publishing?

    Nigerian banks operating in Ghana are allowed a very low number of Nigerian expatriates. I don’t have the figures but I know that most of the Nigerian banks operating here have Ghanaians as staff. I think that is part of the conditions.

    Do you see things getting to a level where Nigerians may be forced to star relocating home?

    Yes of course. We’re just waiting for our government’s response. If nothing happens after this week, we may have no option but to start evacuating our people because our lives are increasingly becoming at risk.

  • When will Nigerian clubsides win CAF trophies again

    When will Nigerian clubsides win CAF trophies again

    Four Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) teams including Plateau United and Enyimba competing in the CAF Champions League as well as Rivers United and Kano Pillars gunning for honours in the CAF Confederation Cup, will expectedly fly the country’s flag in the 2020/21 CAF Inter club competitions. Correspondents TUNDE LIADI and TAOFEEK BABALOLA x-ray past performances and preparations for the forthcoming campaigns

    Though Nigeria clubs have long been competing in the CAF Inter club competitions with relative successes for over five decades, recent performances have raised serious concern about the standard of the domestic league.

    Right from the now rested African Cup of Champions Clubs (now known as the CAF Champions League), Nigerian clubs have made a huge impression on the continent.

    It is on record that Port Harcourt FC was the first club to represent Nigeria in 1965 on the continent in the African Cup of Champions Clubs but their participation was short-lived after they were walked over by AS Porto Novo of Benin Republic.

    Thereafter, Stationery Stores became the first Nigerian club to win a game on the continent when they defeated Cape Coast Dwarfs of Ghana after qualifying through the drawing of lots in the first round in 1968. The two-leg ties had ended 4-4 on aggregate but the away goals rule was not yet in operation as at then. But the Lagos-based team later bowed out in similar circumstances to FAR Rabat of Morocco after both ties ended in a 2-2 draw in the quarter-final.

    Other clubs that tried but without any success to win the foremost continental club title at one time or the other  included sides like Enugu Rangers, Bendel Insurance, Shooting Stars, Iwuanyanwu Nationale (and later Heartland), Kano Pillars, Sunshine Stars amongst others.

    Kano Pillars captain Rabiu Ali

    But respite came in 2003 after Enyimba, assisted by some shrewd players’ transfer and uncommon support of the then Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, won the competition at the expense of Ismaily of Egypt.

    They successfully defended the trophy by beating Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia on penalties the following year (2004).

    Ever since, no Nigerian club has won the trophy again with Heartland reaching the final in 2009 but lost to DR Congo side TP Mazembe.

     

    CAF CONFEDERATION CUP

    It is also a mixed results in the second tier Cup Winners Cup which began in 1975 and later got fused together with CAF Cup to become CAF Confederation Cup in 2004.

    Shooting Stars Sports Club were the first winner of the title for the nation in only its second edition in 1976 after a 4-2 aggregate victory over Tonnerre Yaounde of Cameroon.

    They got as far as the semi-final the following year only to be stopped by fellow Nigerian side, Enugu Rangers who went ahead to beat Canon Yaounde of Cameroon in the final.

    Shooting Stars also carted home the inaugural edition of the CAF Cup named after late Moshood Abiola (who was then named African Pillars of Sports) in 1992 and Bendel Insurance laid their hands on the same crown in 1994.

    Before Bendel Insurance’s feat, BCC Lions emerged as Champions of the Cup Winners Cup in 1990 with a 4-1 thrashing of Club Africain of Tunisia in the final and they almost kept the title the following year before they were narrowly edged out by Power Dynamos of Zambia in the final.

    After putting up modest outings in the Africa clubs’ competitions in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and the early part of 2000, Nigerian clubs have been a shadow of themselves and barely manage to even take part in the competition as recent results have shown.

    The obstacle

    Abdu Maikaba, head coach of Plateau United that will fly the country’s flag  in the 2020/21 CAF Champions League, blamed the clubs dwindling fortunes in CAF Inter club competitions on shoddy flight arrangements, inadequate preparations, lack of facilities and equipment to improve the technical crew and the players as well as late kick-off of the league.

    “There are so many reasons Nigerian clubs have not been doing well on the continent. The most prominent among them is arrangement for flights,” said Maikaba who was a former assistant coach at Kano Pillars, “Playing continental games away from home is another factor; we don’t have access to chartered flights here and with this we find it difficult to get a direct flight to our away games on the continent.

    “For instance if you are playing against a club in Guinea, you may have to travel through Air Maroc which takes you to Casablanca before you connect to Conakry from there after spending some hours there. You find out that most of the time we travel to the venue of the game like a day or at times early morning of the day of the match.

    “At times we do not have the chance to feel the turf that we would play because of our late arrival. Kano Pillars have set a good example in that regard when they got to the semi-final stage of the CAF Champions League in 2009 they were always travelling for their away fixtures in chartered flights. It was the reason why they were able to hold Al Ahly to a draw in Cairo. It was because of the flight arrangements,” he said.

    Aside from problematic flight connections, Maikaba said the Nigerian football calendar has for long hindered the performance of clubs on the continent, adding most clubs are usually ill-prepared since the domestic league most often on break at the start of continental competitions.

    He said: “Most of the time CAF competitions start before our league season commences which is not good. Late commencement of the league season affects Nigerian clubs. If we start our season earlier, it means you will play some games and your teams will be in a very good shape going into the CAF competitions.

    “But in a situation where you are not involved in competitive games and you start CAF competitions directly, it will be difficult for your team because you will face teams that are already in a competitive period so it is going to be difficult.”

    Maikaba equally cited poor training facilities and equipment as other factors that have militated against the aspiration of most clubs on the continent, adding Nigerian clubs are not in tune with current standards as obtainable with European clubs for instance.

    Solutions

    Another veteran campaigner on the continent, head coach of Rivers United Stanley Eguma said administrators need to do better in the area of motivation and proper welfare of the team if they want the players and the coaches to give their best.

    The former U-23 assistant coach also admonished club administrators to be patient with the coaches while lamenting the incessant sacking of coaches.

    “Some clubs do not respect contractual agreements which put them at loggerheads with players and when players are playing with divided minds, they are psychologically down and won’t prepare well for such a tournament. Some teams are owing a backlog of salaries and bonuses and so forth,” Eguma said.

    “The coaches too are not given the opportunity to plan and when they don’t plan it will affect the teams’ performance. Coaches need consistency in their planning to get expected results. Players’ movement from one club to another with reckless abandon and coaches without job security also disrupt plans made by them because it is the coaches that bear the brunt of most bad decisions made by the clubs.

    Eguma charged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to assist the country’s representatives in the area of logistics to ensure smooth running of administration and also harped on early preparation for clubs to make progress on the continent.

    Clarion Call

    Meanwhile, Nigerian league legend, Victor Ezeji who was in the 2003 CAF Champions League victorious team of Enyimba appealed to clubs representing the nation to desist from embarking on mass sack and recruitment of players if they hope to do well in the competition.

    “Consistency of the playing staff and coaches is not considered by most Nigerian clubs and most of the time you see our clubs almost starting on a clean slate when they want to play on the continent,” Ezeji said. “They sack most of the players that secure the tickets and go for mass recruitment of new ones without recourse to proper blending and quality preparations. It is not supposed to be like that. There is continuity in football.

    “You can’t see any serious club In Europe embarking on the signing of 10 or more players in a transfer season. It has always been our problem. We are supposed to look at where we have defaults or deficiencies and try to tie up those ends.”

    The former Dolphins striker also challenged various clubs in the NPFL to make their feeder team functional so as to provide budding talents to the senior team.

    “There are players that are supposed to grow from the junior to the senior team because of the tradition, culture of the team. What is the essence of the feeder teams? It is supposed to provide young players for the senior teams but it is not applicable here,” Ezeji added.

    The President of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, Ladan Bosso said the nation’s clubs results on the continent have plummeted as most of the coaches are inexperienced.

    “Our coaches too do not attend enough certification courses and are eager to start working even with only a few weeks training under the guise of obtaining a diploma,” Bosso revealed.

    “Quality coaches produce quality players. We should not put the blame on the players. The output of the coaches determines the quality of players to be produced. If you look at the current transfer market in Nigeria you will notice that it is the same recycling of players by various clubs. You hardly see coaches producing new players,” he regretted.

    Counselling

    Experienced tactician Kadiri Ikhana who led Enyimba to break Nigeria’s duck in the CAF Champions League in 2003, has offered useful tips to any club flying the country’s flag on the continent,

    He counselled: “Watching videos of successful teams would help any team preparing to learn. “Early preparation is very important for the team going on the continental assignment. It is not a one-week preparation and such teams should also play friendly matches both local and international, I am sure this will help them,” explained Ikhana.

    However, Kano Pillars, a team that will be campaigning in the CAF Confederation Cup this year, several plans according to the club chairman, Surajo Shaaibu have been put in place to ensure a good outing.

    According to Shaaibu, part of the team’s preparations for the new season and to have effective participation in the tournament is to have quality and experienced players on parade.

    “The first thing we did is to retain the players that featured for us last season,” he revealed.

    “No players left us and we have recruited five new players; and are still looking for experienced and good players as well.

    “We have signed three players including two from Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire. Again, we are waiting for the League Management Company (LMC) directive on football activity to resume before we will start our training,” Shaaibu said.

    Though Kano Pillars are yet to decide on a match venue for their continental campaigns, Shaaibu said fans support will not be lacking irrespective of whether they choose to play at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi or Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.

    “Kano Pillars is a popular club in the north and Nigeria at large, we have full support everywhere. The players are professional and they can play anywhere. We have contacted the Government of Bauchi State for the use of the ATB stadium and we are looking at Kaduna Stadium as option B. The two states are our closest associate and we were well received by the people of the states and the emirs,” he added.

  • Girls, most men are looking for virgins as wives! (II)

    Girls, most men are looking for virgins as wives! (II)

    Dear Aunty Temilolu, I’m a virgin and I clocked 35 a few days ago, I’m a caterer and I reside in Lagos. I read your Saturday Punch article about the 33-year-old virgin. It appears I’m the one you were addressing. I made a covenant with God as a child to keep my virginity till marriage. I must confess it hasn’t been easy. Sometimes I cry and ask God why He won’t send me the right man to settle down with in marriage. After reading your article, my spirit is lifted and I know God will surprise me soonest! May God bless you ma for your good works.

    Princess Eze

    Dear Ma,

    I’m a police cadet in the Nigerian Police Force and would like to appreciate your good works. Just when I thought I’m the only one of my kind left- just when I’m about to lose myself to worldly pressure and fake anti-virgin theories, I stumbled upon your inspiring and soul-lifting words. Thank you so much and may God continue to bless you big time. I would love to be one of your million daughters if you will permit me. Have a blessed day ma!

    PLW

    Dear Madam,

    I just came across your column and I must say it’s quite encouraging! I am a single mother of 4. I just clocked 39 years old. My husband left me 8 years ago and I swore I have not slept with any man. Please is there any side effect? I want a husband and not a boyfriend!

    Anonymous

    LORD HAVE MERCY! I’m awe-struck and so touched with the above story. I almost can’t believe it coming from a single mother with enormous emotional and material needs. Amazing!

    My precious and wonderful sister,

    Sincerely, except you’ve not been doing things God’s way in other aspects of your life or making demands from God, you ought to be living the life of your dreams. In fact, with the state of your life and what you’ve painstakingly and unconsciously built in your spirit, you don’t need to struggle for anything. You don’t need to pray too much to have your greatest heart desires. I tell you all you need do is imagine and imagine and let your imagination run wild because in such a situation you are carrying a mighty and immeasurable presence of God and you are a miracle time-bomb waiting to explode. And even if there’s a spiritual angle to why you’ve been unable to give your heart to any man or have the attention of good men all this while, YOU HAVE THE VERY BEST OF THE WORLD AT YOUR FEET! Believe me! Or haven’t you ever come across Leviticus 26: 9 where God Himself said

    “For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.”

    If the maker of heaven and earth can respect you, then you have the entire world at your feet no matter the adverse combination of circumstances you have to deal with. All you need do is sit at the right hand of God till He makes you a wonderful wonder and showcase you to the world. My goodness! In this day and age? You’re one in a billion!

    Believe it or not, with God in your life, you’ve not missed anything. And even if you missed marrying the richest man in Nigeria because you refused to engage in sexual intercourse with him, I assure you his master’s master is on the way to ask for your hand in marriage. And I know God is sending someone who would make you forget about the father of your children after all He’s the one who said it is not good for man to be alone and He will provide a help-meet! Gen. 2:18

    Who even knows if that man was approved by God to be your husband? Look here my sister, your life is in your hands right now to decide how beautiful and wondrous you want it to go! This is the best time to activate the power of God in you and ask God for things no one in your generation can boast of and of course a better and heavenly version of your dream man! YOU’VE DONE VERY WELL AND I KNOW GOD WILL HONOUR YOU THIS VERY YEAR IN JESUS NAME!

    Same goes for my wonderful 35-year-old and the police cadet I can’t wait to meet! You are both rare gems! Rejoice in the Lord always and dance into your uncommon glory! I pray with all my heart that God will not only surprise you with that man who would catapult your destiny, the fruit of your womb will come in a multiple birth in Jesus mighty name. AMEN!

    • I invite you to follow me on Facebook –TEMILOLU OKEOWO Instagram @ Okeowo Temilolu.

     

  • Who is happier on wedding day?

    Who is happier on wedding day?

    VERA CHIDI-MAHA

    OH, weddings, weddings, weddings. I dare say I love weddings. No.

    Saying I love weddings would be an understatement. I simply adore weddings. When I get wedding invitations, I just melt. You know, the thought of two very different people from very different backgrounds coming together to become one body is one union I have a lot of respect for.

    On wedding days, I have made some observations. However, I have noticed over time that during the couple dance, the bride in most cases appears to be happier. She dances more and smiles more. She is oftentimes more relaxed than the groom. I really wonder why it is like that in most cases. Does it mean that women are happier that they are getting married than the men?

    An example will suffice here. When Mr. and Mrs. Adefemi put off all existing and prospective suitors the moment she set her eyes on Adefemi. According to them, it was love at first sight. Their story was not like the regular. ‘Boy meets girl’ kind of love, it was more like ‘boy was made to meet girl’.

    They met through a mutual friend who ‘match-made’ them. When a blind date was arranged for them at a restaurant, the chemistry between them was so thick; they were love struck and they simply could not get enough of each other’s company. Believe it or not for the eight months they dated, they saw and called each other every day for about eight months. So, it came as little or no surprise to their families and friends when they announced their wedding date. People were, of course, happy for them. It seemed the right thing to do considering how inseparable they had been for the months they dated. The only slight hitch they had was during the preparation for the traditional engagement ceremony. The bride price was so exorbitant that the prospective hubby almost had a change of heart.

    According to him, the bride price was enough to buy him a choice property at Aja, a choice area of Lagos State. But hey, guess what, love conquered all, including the bride price. He managed to cough up the needed amount for the bride to become his wife. Initially, he had thought that since they had done a very loud traditional marriage by all standards, he felt that the wedding proper had to be low keyed. But his in-laws would have none of that. They had to maintain the same tempo or even a higher tempo to prove to their family members and neighbours that their son-in-law was a big catch. This did not go down well with him as he was fast running out of 40s. As the wedding plans progressed, the bills kept mounting, but again love conquered all. The bills were all eventually taken care of. And the wedding went as planned.

    Since love is supposed to conquer all, then why was the groom not too enthusiastic on the dance floor when it was time to dance for joy? I am just curious.

    The reverse was the case when Ethel, a top executive in an IT firm, took Tunde, a graphic artist as husband.

    Yours truly was also fortunate to be invited to their wedding. When it got to my favourite part of the couple dance, I noticed Tunde, the groom, seemed more enthusiastic than Ethel, the bride. Tunde danced his heart out. In fact, he not only danced ‘legwalk’ and ‘shaku shaku’, but not minding the expensive suit and shoes he had on, he also danced ‘alanta’. Ethel, on the other hand, barely managed to move her body. She seemed lost in thought. I later found out from a close friend of Ethel that the bride had sponsored the whole wedding! From her bride price , the wedding hall and sponsoring Tunde’s parents and other family members to the venue of the wedding, and even down to Tunde’s wedding suit and his best man’s. She bought them all. You want to know why? I am so glad you asked. Ethel, by the standards of our society, has hitherto being labelled the proverbial ‘big girl’. She is a successful IT top executive like I earlier said and trust the men in our society, I mean the ones who are easily intimidated by successful and independent women, and they did not have the courage to make passes at her due to Ethel’s financial status. As a result she is in her early 40s but had no man to call her own.

    According to her friend, the only man that had the courage to come her way were the married ones who wanted nothing but a fling with her. Not Ethel. She wanted more. She wanted a man that would be a hundred per cent hers.

    As the years went by and she became more and more successful in her career, desperation to finding her own man set in. The eligible ones did not have the courage to make love overtures to her; they were not men enough for her. They were afraid that her successes could make her a controlling female and trust our men, they couldn’t handle it. Tunde, financially, was not too okay but he had balls, sorry, I mean he had guts. Yes, he had guts enough to walk up to Ethel with a bouquet of roses and asked her out on a date.

    Ethel was too dazed and overwhelmed by his courage that she did not even hesitate to accept his offer. Tunde naturally chose the venue of their first date and guess what. He paid for everything and even mange to give her a thousand or two to fuel her car. To say that Ethel fell in love with Tunde would be putting it mildly. She was hooked. Anyway sha, one date led to another and then phone calls followed suit, sms and then the wedding.

    In all fairness to Tunde, he never wanted to exploit Ethel in anyway by insisting on an expensive wedding. The entire thing was planned and executed by Ethel. They were both madly in love with each other and that was all that mattered. Or what do you think? Ethel as a big girl also had her image to protect. Perhaps, the reason why she was a little deep in thought when it was time to dance was the fact that the wedding preparations were taking its toll on her? Well, maybe, maybe not. But I wish both of them a blissful marriage.

    Weddings are very special and divine. It should not be jumped into nor rushed. Weddings should take place based on the platform of love. It is the key. It does not matter who spends on what.

    The reason is because the bride might sponsor the wedding today, who knows what the groom might sponsor tomorrow?

    As for the couple dance, my belief is that wedding should ideally happen once in a lifetime, so when it is time to hit the dance floor, forget everything else and simply dance like never before.

  • Signs of money issues in your relationship

    Signs of money issues in your relationship

    Rois Ola

    Money can destroy families and friendships. It causes rivalry and even destroys relationships. Couples can have a lot going for them, but when it comes to money, problem arises. Maybe one person chooses not to open up to the other person their true financial status or is hiding debts or embarrassing habits related to finance from their partner.

    Some go as far as ensuring there is no financial trace to all their dealings, like deleting alerts, both sms and email, avoiding any financial discussions, spending more than the other person or spending less to deceive the other that they don’t have. Even as far as having heavy investment or property without disclosure. There are many reasons for this. But it’s something that cannot stay hidden forever unfortunately. We have cases where people stayed in rented apartments not knowing the house actually belongs to their spouse. Or business men having huge balances and not letting their spouses know. Secret now comes out upon the death of the wealthy one.

    Ideally, financial status should not matter when relationships are involved because what we are trying to preach here is financially transparency. A lot of people have bad experiences which have made them to stop. You may be madly in love with someone, but please have it in mind that when you get serious, you’re joining your financial statuses together, no matter how good or bad the status is. So you need to love with your eyes open and medulla oblongata intact.

    So my question is why are you arguing with your spouse about money?  You are definitely not alone. When you put together partners and money side by side, you will surely have days where how money is spent becomes an issue will let loose, arguments on how much to spend to buy food for the house and someone is requesting for a pair of shoes or Gucci hand bag or human hair costing the same with a plot of land.  Do you know money is one of the major issues people in relationships fight about? It sometimes can lead to a serious breach in communication and if not handled well, end up in divorce.

    Trying to merge your life and that of your spouse, especially in relation to money is not easy. It is a continuous work in progress as each individual has their own perspective. Here are a few mistakes couples make when it comes to their money and relationships and possible ways to avoid or handle them. The truth is talking about money with your partner is the key to handling the issues before they even come. Before settling down with anyone ask the necessary questions.

    Cheating your partner and spending on the side man or side chick

    Any type of affair, same sex or otherwise, can destroy a relationship. And when the wayward partner has been running up bills, no matter how small, it is with some side chick or side cock, side goat or whatever they are called these days, this will only worsen the issue.

    If you decide after all the turbulence to stick to each other, that is if you are both patient and strong enough. You will need to get counselling or have a serious heart to heart talk with each other. This is not easy at all, but it can work, if you are committed. Nobody plans to cheat, sometimes it crawls up on you and overtakes you, which is why even in relationships one needs to be emotionally intelligent so you don’t get sucked into what will hurt your spouse, guard your heart and thoughts jealously.

    From a financial aspect, the erring partner going forward needs to be transparent the person who betrayed their partner would have to be willing to make all financial transactions transparent, what this implies is that you will have to willingly inform you partner on all financial transactions and discuss on what you spend, thereby making you financially and emotionally accountable.

    Hiding your debts

    This, I am so sure, will not be news to you, while you may not be doing this, you will at least know one or two people doing this. Why? Because it is a common situation amongst friends, family and people in relationships.  Hiding debt is not just keeping mum about the money, it also shows that there are fundamental issues of trust amongst couples who experience this.

    It may be difficult to discuss this particular one, but you have to start it anyway. So the first step is to not judge, shout or make the person feel worse. Let your statements always have “we” so that they know you are interested in helping them sort it out, as long as she or she is not a chronic debtor, in that case immediate counsel is needed.

    Giving money to either family member

    This is another issue with trust. Sometimes family members come up with business ideas and ask you to get involved. Sometimes they come asking for money all the time and you keep giving, even at the detriment of your own needs and those of your spouse or immediate family needs. A toxic relationship can erupt here, as one spouse will be forced to take sides or quarrel with family because of money not being paid back. At the end of the day, it boils down to who you perceive to be right or wrong.

    It is still possible to fix trust between two people, though a difficult thing to accomplish, as one may need to create boundaries. You will have to accompany your spouse as a team with one voice and tell them (family) how you feel and what they need to do to rectify the situation. This will clear the air and let family know that you have a unified front and destroy any doubts anyone has been experiencing or feeling. Also any misconception on repayment needs to be cleared and put in the open.  You may not recover the loan, but at least will have been put in proper perspective and ensure it doesn’t happen again. I wish you all the best.

  • Endless game of death in Ogun border communities

    Endless game of death in Ogun border communities

    By Kunle Akinrinade 

    • Bereaved families cry for justice as alleged killer customs men roam free
    • Our men were not out to kill victims — Customs

    If fate had not played a cruel one on Sekinat Agbelade, she would have joined the rest of her mates in the preparations for West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) scheduled to begin on August 17. But the 15-year-old girl, a Senior Secondary School 3 student of Agosasa Community High School, was allegedly shot dead on March 28, 2020 by customs men in Agosasa, Ipokia Local Area, Ogun State.

    The customs officers were said to be chasing suspected rice smugglers when they fired the bullets that killed the hapless girl as she was returning home from an errand. No fewer than 15 other residents were said to have been injured while they were scampering into safety for fear of being hit by stray bullets.

    Three weeks after, a pall of grief descended on Agbon village in Yewa North Local Government Area of the state, when a 25-year-old father of five, Kehinde Ogunji, was allegedly killed by some customs men in the village situated in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State penultimate Saturday.

    Like the gruesome death of Sekinat, the killing of Ogunji which happened at about 1 pm on Saturday, April 25, 2020, sparked a row between the family members of the victim, indigenes of the community and customs authorities in the state.

    Speaking with The Nation, the deceased’s twin brother, Taiwo, who witnessed the gruesome killing, described the conduct of the customs officers as callous. He said the officers had no reason to shoot at them in the first place, because they were not smugglers.

    Taiwo said: “We left home around 6 am on that fateful day. We finished clearing the farm at about 1 pm and left on Kehinde’s motorcycle. I was seated behind him while he operated the motorbike.

    “A few metres to our village, we started hearing gunshots and my twin brother (Kehinde) was hit by bullets fired by customs men.

    “The customs men did not bother to look at Kehinde who was in a pool of his blood. I had to run home to inform our father about the incident.

    “By the time I returned to the scene with my father, the customs men, in a bid to cover up their indiscretions, had pushed Kehinde’s motorbike to the bank of a river and covered his body with leaves.

    “Sensing that we could make trouble with them, they called for reinforcement and their colleagues arrived to forcibly take Kehinde’s body to a morgue.

    But few days after, pandemonium broke out in Owode, a community in Yewa South Local Government Area, when 17-year old Rilwan Bello was reportedly hit by stray bullets allegedly fired by Customs men on the trail of a consignment of smuggled rice and sugar suspected to have been stockpiled in some locked-up shops in the town.

    Sources said Rilwan, who until his death was a student of Area Community High School, Owode, died in a pool of his blood. A number of nearby traders and bystanders were injured in the stampede that followed the incident.

    A source who craved anonymity said: “The boy was a pupil of Area Community High School Owode. He was15 and not 17 as some people have claimed.

    “On May 1, the customs men broke into shops and evacuated hundreds of bags of sugar and rice. They embarked on sporadic shooting to ward off reprisal attacks, and in the process, one of their bullets hit the boy in the head.”

    But the immediate past Public Relations Officer for Ogun Area 1 Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Abdullahi Maiwada, reportedly said the victim was a member of the Eye cultists, some of who attacked officers of the Command deployed to evacuate contrabands from where they were hidden by suspected smugglers.

    He said: “Some miscreants suspected to be cultists, popularly known as Eye Boys, violently confronted officers of NCS Ogun I Command’s anti-smuggling patrol team with assorted weapons at Owode, Yewa South LGA of Ogun State.

    “The team came across such hostility while peacefully performing their lawful duty with vivid arrest of smuggled 47 bags of sugar, 13 bags of rice (50 kg each) and three cartons of sugar stocked at a residence located on Owode-Idiroko Road.

    “In the melee that ensued, information available revealed that one among the suspected cultists died while officers, including the team leader, sustained various degrees of injury.

    “The name of the deceased, who was well known among the ‘area boys’ is Owoeba. Other popular members of the notorious gang at large are Angaba, Wudor, Solomon (a.k.a K. Solo). We wish to use this opportunity to acknowledge the timely intervention of the Nigerian Army 192 Battalion Owode, Operatives of National Border Drill, the Nigeria Police Force, Owode.’’

    Traditional ruler, indigenes react

    The killing of Ogunji by customs men had sparked a row as family members, residents and the monarch of the town urged the police to bring the officers fingered in the killings to justice.

    In a petition addressed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), dated May 10, 2020, the Eselu of Iseluland, Oba Ebenezer Akintunde Akinyemi, Yewa-North Local Government Area of Ogun State, said the young farmer was dastardly killed by customs men while he was returning home from a communal farming with his twin brother at Agbon village.

    The monarch said Ogunji was killed by a stray bullet fired by the customs men who were pursuing some rice smugglers in the community.

    The petition reads: “On Sunday, 3rd May, 2020, some Officers of Ogun Area Command 1 of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), who were on the trail of some rice smugglers at Agbon community in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, killed my subject, Kehinde Ogunji, through a stray bullet.

    “The deceased Kehinde Ogunji was an innocent person because he was just a farmer, not a rice smuggler as alleged by the men of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

    “On that fateful day, Kehinde Ogunji, a husband of two wives and a father of five children, was returning home from his farm along with his twin brother.

    “Apart from the fact that the deceased’s family and my humble self want justice and adequate care for the wives and children of the deceased, we also requested the customs officers to withdraw the statement in the media, where they claimed that the deceased was a rice smuggler. Amazingly, up till now, they have not withdrawn the malicious statement made against an innocent Kehinde Ogunji.’’

    Oba Akinyemi urged the Inspector General of Police to bring the customs officers fingered in the gruesome killing of Ogunji to justice.

    The bereaved 65-year-old father of the victim, Elder Emmanuel Ogunji, and his twin brother, had also condemned the gruesome killing, citing injustice.

    He said: “I had just returned from an aaro (communal farming) when Taiwo rushed in to tell me that some customs men opened fire on him and Kehinde while they were returning from a farm owned by one Sanusi Akindele, where they had participated in communal farming exercise.

    “I immediately asked him to lead me to the scene and I met the customs men there. The officers lied to me that some of their colleagues had used Kehinde’s motorbike to pursue some smugglers and that they were waiting for their return.

    “I became curious when they could not clearly explain my son’s whereabouts. It was at that point that I decided to search the area only to find my son’s body covered with leaves and his motorbike parked near a river.”

    Shocked by the discovery, Elder Ogunji said he raised the alarm and accused the customs men of deliberately killing his son and making attempts to cover up their complicity in his killing.

    “When I raised the alarm and confronted the customs men, they could not say anything. I decided to report the matter at the Eggua Police Division from where I was directed to Oja Odan Division, which has the jurisdiction, to incident the case.

    “By the time we returned to the scene, the customs officers had called for reinforcement and forcibly took my son’s body away.

    “The two customs men that pulled the trigger have confessed in their statement at Oja Odan Police Station that they actually opened fire on my son, Kehinde. The two officers were asked to report back to the station today (Monday) but we did not see them when we got to the station.

    “I am calling on both the police and the Ogun State Government to wade into this matter by bringing the errant customs men to justice.”

    But the Ogun 1 Customs Command, in a statement released by its spokesman, Abdullahi Maiwada, described the deceased Kehinde as a member of a smuggling gang who attacked its officers in their bid to intercept smuggled bags of foreign rice into the country.

    Maiwada noted that the incident occurred at about 1 pm while officers of the command were on

    “The smuggling gang, having been caught red handed, resorted to unleashing a vicious attack on officers performing their duties with assorted dangerous weapons.

    “The officers successfully repelled the attack launched by the smugglers, and at the end, one of the smugglers died and his corpse has since been deposited in the mortuary.”

    It added: “Furthermore, the arrival of reinforcement teams enabled the evacuation of 44 bags of rice (50kg each) and two motorcycles abandoned by the smugglers to government warehouse in Abeokuta for safe keeping and further investigation.

    “It is instructive to note that Saturday April 25, 2020 was a date set aside for total lockdown in Ogun State due to the surge of Covid-19 pandemic. However, the daredevil smugglers who have no regards for the law of the land or the disease ravaging the global community resorted to crossing the border through illegal routes to perpetrate their nefarious activities, in total disregard of the health and economic well-being of the country.’’

    Spokesman of Ogun Police Command, Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi, had said that those responsible for Kehinde’s death would face justice at the completion of investigation.

    “We are investigating the matter with a view to ensuring that justice is served.

    “The case was initially handled by the Oja Odan Division, but CP Kenneth Ebrimson has ordered that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.

    Outrage over delayed justice

    An association of indigenes, Yewa condemned incessant killing of indigenes by customs men, warning that the trend could trigger confrontations that may be difficult to stop in the future.

    Spokesman of the group, Soji Ogundola, said: “This was how the Niger Delta agitation started after several years of inaction by Nigerian authorities. Several victims of mindless killings by customs have died in vain because no justice has been served.

    “If this persists for a long time, it might lead to aggressive reactions by residents in future, the result of which government may grapple with for a very long time.’’

    Contacted for explanation on the extent of investigation on Ogunji’s killing, Oyeyemi promised to get back to our reporter.

    “Let me get to the office and check with the Homicide Section on the extent of the case. I will call you back,’’ he said. He, however, had not done so at press time.

    Victims not targeted by our men — Customs

    Speaking with The Nation, the Comptroller of Ogun 1 Area Command, Controller Michael Agbara, described the cases mentioned as more of unfortunate accidents than deliberate killing as they were being portrayed.

    Agbara explained that the cases have been amicably resolved with the support of some stakeholders, especially community leaders, traditional rulers and local government authorities.

    He said: “Contrary to what was reported by a section of the media, the victims of these incidents were neither deliberately aimed nor targeted for killing by men of Ogun Area 1 Command.

    “In the case of Sekinat Agbelade, she was returning from an errand when some hoodlums attempted to free suspected rice smuggler who had been arrested by our officers.

    “Honestly, the suspect was using the public address system in our vehicle to tell the hoodlums who are his friends not to attack our men, but they ignored his appeal.

    “Unfortunately, my men shot into the sky to scare the boys, and normally, when a live bullet comes down, it can still cause fatality, hence, the bullet hit the poor girl on the leg.

    “However, while attempts were made to take her to the hospital, the people refused and took her to a native doctor to remove the bullet, and she died in the process.

    “We quickly engaged the community leaders, including the chairman of Ipokia Local Government Area, to help us reach out to the girl’s relations.

    “However, the community demanded we release the suspect, promising they would take care of the girl’s bereaved family.

    “We then granted the suspect administrative bail and they swore to an affidavit to back up their rapprochement.

    “Concerning the case of the young farmer, he was said to be riding on a motorcycle but that he didn’t carry any rice. However, it was strange that he didn’t run for his safety or move out of the way while our officers fired shots to scare and apprehend rice smugglers who rode on motorcycles. He was probably hit in the process.

    “We even engaged the monarch of the community, Oba of Iselu, and we reached out to the family for settlement before and during the burial of the said farmer.

    “In the case of Ihunbo, our men had evacuated smuggled rice during an operation when the boy on motorcycle was hit by our driver in a bid to avoid crashing into a vehicle.

    “Unfortunately, that triggered a violent attack, leading to the burning of our patrol van while one of our vehicles also had its windshield shattered.

    “I appeared before the House of Representatives to testify alongside the police, and I showed them the pictures of the scene to prove to the lawmakers that it was an accident.

    “As for Rilwan Bello aka Owoeba, our men were involved in his burial and his family made an affidavit that they would not make any trouble with us.

    “We had gone there to evacuate bags of smuggled foreign rice kept in a store in the area when the boy, who was standing with some other boys nearby, started attacking our men with bottles.

    “We did not even fire any shot. But when the matter degenerated into violent attack, we called for the support of soldiers from Owode Barracks to restore normalcy, during which the boy was found dead. Hence, we cannot say that our men killed him.

    “But because we were the one who invited other security forces to help us, we have to take the responsibility.’’

  • Nothing prepared me for my brother’s murder – Ex-BBNaija housemate Khafi Kareem

    Nothing prepared me for my brother’s murder – Ex-BBNaija housemate Khafi Kareem

    Our Reporter

     

    I worked on murder cases, then my little brother was shot dead’: Nigerian born Met police officer who comforted many victims’ families says nothing prepared her for the heartbreak when her OWN sibling was randomly killed

    *Khafi Kareem’s 20-year-old brother Alex was shot as he left a west London shop

    Nothing seems to have prepared Khafi Kareem for the June morning tragedy. Not even  her 10 year experience working on the front line for the London Metropolitan Police to combat the dozens of acts of gun and knife crime that occur on a regular basis on the streets.

    Two months after,Khafi,30, born of Nigerian parentage, says “not in a million years” would she have thought  that her own brother would be gunned down  just like that.

    She had been called on phone that day by her brother to come to the family home.

    She had no idea what the summons was all about although her first instinct was that there had been an accident.

    “My brother said it was about Alex, but he couldn’t tell me over the phone,” she told the London Mail.

    “The worst thing I could think of was that my little brother had been injured somehow. Not for a minute did I think he was dead, and not in a million years would I ever have thought he’d been shot.”

    Alex was just  20-years-old ,the last born of their parents.

    He is described as  a sunny-natured young man who had d never been in trouble and was due to start university.

    He was shot as he left a shop near home in west London.

    “Help me” were his last words as he lay dying on the pavement.

    The police believe Alex’s murder   was a case of mistaken  identity in a society where the assumption in a case like this is that the victim was in a gang.

    “People hear about the death of a black boy on the street and assume that he was in a gang, that it’s a case of live by the gun, die by the gun,’ Khafi said.

    “But Alex couldn’t be further away from that life.

    “After he was shot, nobody ever asked outright if he was in a gang,.

    “But sometimes you could see the question mark in their eyes.

    “People I knew said there must be more to it than a random act of violence, and one person asked if I was sure who my brother associated with. I told them yes, I was pretty sure. But it illustrated how, when a young black man dies, it is so easy for people to make assumptions.

    “It is just a shame that you have to fight that prejudice first, before people can feel sorry about Alex or feel sad about what happened.”

    Although investigation continues,the police are of the view that Alex was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and was not the intended target of his killers.

    The Mail quoted detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, from Scotland Yard, as saying: ‘He was innocent. He had nothing to do with the horrid, horrible lifestyle that took him away. All lines of inquiry point to this being a tragic case of mistaken identity.

    “Alexander did nothing wrong that night — he simply left a convenience store. The people who did this must be brought to justice.

    “They ruthlessly shot down an innocent man in the street with no care of the consequences.

    “We continue to urge anyone with information to come forward. These people do not deserve your protection — they set out to cause harm.”

    Khafi who says  she has seen much grief  in the course of her  official duties on a murder squad  and “always been really passionate about looking after victims and the people who are left behind after crime”  never thought  “something like this would happen in my own family.”

    She still finds it difficult that Alex is dead.

    “It’s still very surreal to me,” she said.

    “People were saying that after the funeral things get better, but seeing him go into the ground — in a way I’m feeling worse now because now I wake up every morning thinking ‘gosh, he’s really gone’. It doesn’t seem real. I think in some ways everyone is still in shock.”

    Khafi and her brothers are all first-generation Londoners, brought up in Shepherd’s Bush. Their mum, a nurse, raised them largely alone after separating from her geologist husband when Khafi was 12.

    Of her mum,she said: “I was thinking about my brothers not long before this happened and thinking what an amazing job my mum has done.

    “We’ve all been brought up in London, and she had three sons, and we’ve all made successes of ourselves.’

    Alex — named after Alexander the Great — was the youngest, and all his siblings were protective.

    “All of us wanted to look after him, so that’s what made everything so much more painful because any of us would have said we’d take the bullet for him,” she said, her eyes bursting  with tears.

    Reminiscing   about the years gone by,she said: “’I remember one winter we were walking and came across a homeless person with no shoes on, and Alex was so upset for the man he started crying in the middle of the road, saying, ‘Why doesn’t he have shoes? It’s cold outside.’ I will always remember that. He just cared about people.

    Khafi Kareem
    Khafi Kareem

    “’He was very quiet when you first met him, but once he got to know you, or when he was with his friends or people he knows, he just opened up.

    “He was so talkative and very funny.

    “I think as the youngest he wanted to carve out his own path.”

    Alex was offered admission by the University of East Anglia to study computer science,  and was to start  next month.

    “He did all of the application process by himself without telling us, so we didn’t know until he got the acceptance letter earlier this year,” Khafi said.

    “Alex had his 20th birthday at the end of March at the height of Covid and normally we would all get together, but we were all taking the rules seriously, so we didn’t see each other to celebrate, though I spoke to him.”

    Ironically,on the night of June 8 when Alex was shot, Khafi  suddenly developed  an urge to call her brother.

    “Around midnight I had this urge to speak to him. Normally I do his hair and I had this sudden feeling that I should get in touch and ask him when he wanted me to go over,” she said

    Somehow, she postponed  the call to the  following day  when she realized it was late.

    “Now I can’t stop thinking about whether if I had called it would have delayed him, and he might not have been killed.”

    Alex had gone to  spend the evening at a friend’s home on the fateful day.

    At about  midnight, he decided to go to a local convenience store to buy soft drinks and sweets.

    As he left the shop clutching his bag, he was shot twice in the chest and abdomen. Police believe that Alex’s killers approached him in a white Range Rover Evoque, which was later found burnt out.

    Alex was pronounced dead at the scene although Khafi, like the rest of her family, is haunted by the notion that her brother did not die instantly.

    “’Passers-by heard him shouting ‘help me’. After that he went silent. I can only hope it was quick because I don’t want to think that he felt too much pain,’ she said.

     

  • Trendy jumpsuit

    Trendy jumpsuit

    Kehinde OLULEYE

     

    AS we all know, eye-catching outfits are a pleasant way to add elegance to one’s look and wardrobe. These days, fashionable ladies are parading jumpsuits of different hues, designs and patterns. A jumpsuit is a style that pretty much anyone can get right, but there are some rules you need to follow when thinking about getting one. Also, be mindful of the three ways to wear a jumpsuit according to time, place and situation.

    Best way to rock jumpsuit!

    jumpsuit wears
    jumpsuit wears

    Simple tricks can make all the difference. For the office look-just slipping a blazer over a jumpsuit takes away the party element completely. When you wear it this way it’s not really much different from wearing trousers and a fitted top.

    For day time outing- you could combine it with less-sophisticated accessories.

    bisola
    bisola

    For night outing- A cocktail which requires elegance and attention to give an exclusive look, accessorizes with a statement necklace or an oversized bangle to take it out of the office to the next level and pair it with a sophisticated stilettoes and a nice clutch!

    Belt it- If you have got a great waist, flaunt it! A belt around your waist will give you a flattering hourglass shape.

    Go for a V-neckline to enhance the bust. Remember that if the pants are straight, it will bring slenderness.

    •Enkay is rocking
    an ankara piece with
    puffy sleeves, minimal
    jewelry and mild
    make-up. Try wearing
    your hair down like
    hers and you are
    good to go!