The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • Anthonia Onwamaka hooks Uche Nnaji

    Anthonia Onwamaka hooks Uche Nnaji

    For popular Lagos clothier and owner of Ouch! fashion outfit, Uche Nnaji, the moment he has since longed for has finally arrived. The dark and handsome dude is over the moon after getting married to his lover of five years, Anthonia Onwamaka, last week.

    The event held at the bride’s family home in Lagos. Celebrities, fashion icons and other eminent persons were there to celebrate with Uche and Anthonia.

    It was indeed a classy wedding, and Celeb Watch gathered that the church wedding will hold later in the month.

  • SHIRT: must- have for guys

    SHIRT: must- have for guys

    MEN all over the world are strutting about with shirts. In different hues and cotton, these evergreen items are a pleasant way to add elegance to your look and wardrobe.

    It is not often that we consider the pattern of our shirts. Most people consider the colours of their shirts, but not the designs or patterns on them.

    Experience shows that most men don’t bother about the pattern on their shirts. They would wear any shirt as long as it unifies with the rest of their outfit.

    But this rule is only true for other shirts; it is not true with striped shirts of different colours, designs or patterns. Striped shirt is the long or short sleeve shirt with narrow, horizontal stripes or lines which are sometimes bold or faint.

    Shirts come in various hues and designs and are popular among the working class and the youth. They can be worn alone or combined with suits.

    Shirts are the best among different men’s tops we have today. Plain shirt is too official, and it is mostly worn on suit, but striped and checked shirts could be worn as office or ceremonial wear.

    For casual, you can wear a shirt without tucking it in, but if you try that with formal event, you will certainly look out of place. Shirt can be thrown on as office wear or for an easy casual look. It all depends on your style, your coordinating and combination power. With a variety of hues and patterns available, there is surely something for everyone.

  • The world hails Sango festival

    The world hails Sango festival

    His appearance and character were frightening: He is a six-footer, his eyes were blood shot, the cowrie shells attached on his regalia were dangling and making noise as he ran about, a leather band tied with some objects was around his forehead. The gourds tied on his neck were dangling sideways and swinging like a pendulum. The plaited hair on his head and the red coloured skirt he wore made him look like a woman. He was restless! As he came out from the sacred room where he wore his Sango regalia, the whole community went agog. At a point it looked as if it was going to rain. Those who were attending for the first time became afraid as they looked at the sky, thinking, it was going to rain. Some ran helter-skelter singing his praises, and showering panegyrics on him, while some were afraid to go near him, he pranced about like a possessed god.

    Yes, that is the spirit of the deity – Sango, a warrior ,was at work. The man who is the present ‘Sango’ (Sangodele Ibuowo) who doubles as Ifa priest has become a changed man and a transformed being immediately he came out from the sacred room of Sango. A few minutes later guns boomed intermittently to herald his coming. This was the situation in Koso Community in Oyo town penultimate Saturday as the town celebrated Sango Festival which attracted the high and the low, from all walks of life both at home and from overseas.

    Exploits

    Koso community is named after Sango Oba Koso (The king (Sango) did not hang), hundreds of people trooped out to watch ‘Sango’ who displayed his magical feats in the presence of many that came to watch. Sango brought out a new sharpened knife and cut his own eyes, while blood was dripping out, it was shown to all spectators but later nothing showed that he had a cut. At another time a man hammered a six -inch nail into his eyes and forehead but trust the efficacy of African magic, the powerful Sango only shook his body as he removed the nail without a sign of blood coming out from his eyes! The spectators hailed him.

    Sango usually displays his magical feat during the one week long festival and also in the Alaafin’s palace when a man sat in the air without a chair, he even crossed his legs, all these to show the prowess of a god called Sango who reigned and ruled in the 17th century and later became a deity worshipped and revered today.

    For weeks the ancient town of Oyo was painted red as posters of all types with the Alaafin’s photographs were embossed on them, courtesy of different sponsors. At the roundabout leading to the palace were billboards and posters announcing the festival. In the palace were different kinds of people from all walks of life who thronged the palace to watch ‘Sango’, the man that spits fire! It was his festival. The crowd was huge.

    Koso community has about 100,000 population, with churches and mosques but the community has predominantly Sango worshippers and thus have a temple where followers worship every Saturday.

    In a small sacred hut is where Sango was said to have hung himself, while another house made with mud and thatched roofs was where he used to wear his regalia. Not only this, there is a room where all are forbidden from entering. According to Mr. Odejobi Babajide, a historian, no one takes photographs of the inner place because the camera would be damaged no matter how powerful it is. “We have seen a lot that attested to that. This is a sacred place, we don’t joke with it, and people from all walks of life do come here to have a look.”

    How Sango became a deity

    Many still think the story of Sango is a myth but according to the community head of Koso, Pa Oyetunji Oyedemi, the Mogba Sango Alaafin, the story of Sango and his feats was real,” Koso was a warrior , he was a native of this community. This is the place where he was said to have hung. This place is where Alaafin of Oyo would choose the Mogba while Mogba would pick other chiefs.”

    The spot where Sango hung has become a tourist attraction and no one goes there anyhow.”We offer sacrifices to the deity, Sango. We use ram, yam flower (amala), cock, and other things to offer sacrifices to Sango,” said Mogba Sango of Alaafin. Another, describing how important his position is, said his position or status in Oyo is powerful. “It is only Alaafin that has the power or prescribed authority to make him the Mogba Alaafin while he himself has the sole authority to choose Balogun, Ekefa, Ajagun Aran, Ekefa, ! Elerin, Yayi who all come after me, Mogba Alaafin,” he boasted.

    A community without calamity

    According to Mogba Alaafin, the community members are well protected against thunderbolt because they worship the god of Sango. And again, you dare not steal any property of Sango. According to Mr. Odejobi Babajide, “ There was a time when the door leading to the shrine of Sango was removed from Koso community and stolen. They knew it was an artefacts, for two months we searched for it and could not get it but we reported to the Alaafin who performed some rituals and sacrifices, later it was discovered in Badagry. Those who stole it could not move forward again, the door was recovered from them later.” Mogba Alaafin testified to the story and said, “It is true that it really happened but that was many, many years ago. It was not when I became the Mogba Alaafin, but it was true. You dare not steal any material that belongs to Sango at all. I remember that when those thieves were caught, they became another thing entirely. It is not done.”

    This place has become a Mecca of sorts, according to Mogba Alaafin, “People come from all walks of life to worship and see things for themselves here.” He compared it with Christians and Muslims who are on yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Mecca. He said, “ People coming here could be compared with those who travel yearly to see things these religious leaders they believe are their saviour did. It is a yearly pilgrimage as people from Brazil, America, Britain and other places come here to worship and see things for themselves. It is real, I mean the story of Sango.”

    A Portuguese called Alexander Ifasope was at the scene where Sango displayed his theatrics. He said he was happy to have come down to Koso, to see things for himself. According to him, “It is true that in Brazil they also worship Sango but it is not as real as this. This is different from what I used to see yearly in Brazil. I christened myself Ifasope because I am one of the followers of Ifa and Sango. Thank God that I have the privilege to be here during this festival and it is great.”

    A retired merchant ship sailor, Captain Bisi Fowokan Jackson, said, “I am an old man but I have believe in Sango our deity, that was why I am here today to celebrate with the devotees. I am a sailor of 28years working experience, though I have retired home and live in Lagos but Sango is what me and my children worship for that is what I believe. I don’t go to church or mosque at all and it does not mean anything.”

    Prince Akinola Ajibade Hassan who came from Odoola Cultural Foundation (Sango Otta, Ogun State) said, “What we are doing is promoting our culture and preaching the gospel all over the world for those who don’t know and wanted to know more. I have been to the United States of America, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil , Rio de Janeiro, and so many places in the world preaching the gospel of African culture,”. He added that it is time to enlighten the world that Sango really existed. We have imported religions in Africa and we cherished them but this programme is to bring the lost sheep back to our own culture. The Alaafin of Oyo used to preach to us to cherish our culture. There is nothing bad in accepting a religion but we should not forget our culture and religion. In the United States of America we see Buddhists and they tolerate one another, it is high time Nigerians do this.”

    Devotees and temple

    The Sango temple is painted red while the devotees wear red clothes and plait their hair. The devotees consist of males and females; children are not left out as they publicly declare that they are Sango devotees. In the temple are many benches. One of the devotees said they congregate every Saturday to worship. “Here we don’t know Christianity or Islam but we worship Sango here. We have many devotees, if you come in any of these Saturdays you will meet us worshipping.” Madam Nimota Sangobunmi who is well over 60 years of age was met dancing and singing praises of Sango said, “I was born into Sango worshipping and I remain in it till I die.” Immediately after saying this she ran after Sango who was still displaying his magical feat singing his praises. Another woman, Sangodele Sangogbemisola described the occasion as great. She said, “I worship Sango because it pays me. I was born into it, so how will I not be worshipping in its temple and celebrate the festival?”

    Princess Ike Obaleye, who is the Ambassador of Ekiti and Obabinrin Sango was in his regalia as she held a fly whisk and a symbol of Sango called Ose, said, “I am from Ekiti and we don’t go to church in my family. We worship Sango. Tell the world that that I am doing what my Ori sent me. My husband is also a staunch member.”

    The festival also attracts artists and the business class. Portraits and carvings of Sango and his materials were on display with other Yoruba traditional, clothing materials on display for sale. A marketer, Folorunsho Olatunbosun, who was there to sell his artworks said he came purposely to sell his goods to those who came for the festival

    But how come the Koso town?

    The story of Sango was narrated thus, according to Mrs. Grace Joke Akinola, a museum curator: “In the olden days, Sango was a warrior and a powerful king who reigned and ruled in Oyo Empire. When he became too powerful for the Alaafin of Oyo he created another place for him to be ruling as two captains cannot row a boat.” She continued: “Many did not know that the story of Sango was real until now. Sango was a king with powerful juju, but one day he set two of his powerful chiefs Timi (Agbale Olofa Ina) and Gbonka against each other saying he wanted to know who was more powerful between the two. While Gbonka had the power to sedate or make his enemy sleep off, Timi had the power to conjure fire along with his dangerous and powerful magical arrow that emits fireworks to kill his enemy.” Akinola continued, “Timi eventually killed and beheaded his enemy, Gbonka, at Akesan market. But later Timi discovered that Sango’s plan was to eliminate him, he then went to Sango and asked him to vacate his throne or face war, but to avoid being disgraced Sango went to hang himself while his wives Oya, Osun, Oba turned into river and flowed away while today we have Oya River, River Osun and Odo Oba in Iwo. To avoid disgrace by Sango’s followers as they were taunted that their loved king cowardly hung himself while the houses of those who went to town announcing that their king hanged himself were set ablaze those who were afraid and trying to avoid being beaten or having their houses razed changed their tune and later went on announcing that the King did not hang (Oba Koso).”

    Alaafin must not meet Sango one on one

    Today, the community where the king hanged himself is called Koso! Corroborating the story, Magba Alaafin said, “Sango hanged here in annoyance and it was a woman selling bean cake that saw Sango’s body dangling in the air who came to report the incidence. People started saying it that Sango has hanged himself, but later when the followers were annoyed they started burning their houses and the ‘song’ was changed to denial, Koso, meaning he did not hang!”

    However, till today, the Alaafin of Oyo must not see Sango eye ball to eye ball for it is believed that they are two powerful kings who must not have a clash of authority.

    Speaking at the celebration of the festival in the palace of Alaafin, Gani Adams who is the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) faction leader said the Yoruba should appreciate their culture and encourage their children to speak Yoruba language.

    Dr. Paula Gomes, the Cultural Ambassador of Alaafin of Oyo, praised those who attended the festival and said she needed to educate people on the difference between Orisa and Olodumare, as she said Sango is Orisa.

     

  • Grandfather of nutrition goes into retirement

    In 1978, when he branched into academics to teach nutrition, each time, he had to wrestle to justify that nutrition be given a chance in the university curriculum. Now as he proceeds into retirement he is happy that at least five Nigerian Universities now offer food sciences and technology as well as nutrition at degree levels.

    Prof Babatunde Oguntona puts it succinctly: “Unfortunately, that has not changed our attitude but we believe we shall get there. It is not too easy to convince people to understand the essence of good nutrition and in the academia, accepting it to be a course was always a challenge. For me to have been able to develop a programme for the department of animal and food science of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), was indeed a thing of joy for me.”

    Working through the past 35 years, first as a teacher and administrator at the level of developing programmes for the take-off of department of animal and food science, which later metamorphosed into department of Food Science Technology at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), as well as developing the curriculum and programme for the take off of the present College of Food Science and Human Ecology at Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUNAAB) was not a mean one.

    Even at that Prof Oguntona said: “Nutrition is a profession I look back at and I cherish with nostalgia. I will surely miss that real passion for teaching in my retirement but then the good thing is I am not going to entirely quit teaching. In the first instance, I already have a year consultancy with FUNAAB and I will take postgraduate students and afterwards, I will take on to some other things, which would unfold”.

    In his active 35 years of developing nutrition in Nigeria, he said he considers his major achievements that give him intense satisfaction to include initiating and, “galvanising the establishment of Nutrition programmes in many Nigerian Educational Institutions. I have published (with another colleague) the only text on the Composition of Foods commonly consumed in Nigeria.

    “Published about 15 years ago, it is standard text for Nutritionists and Dieticians in Nigeria. The only truly National survey of ‘Food Consumption and Nutritional Status of Nigerians’ were conducted between 2001 and 2003 by a team of which I was the zonal Co-ordinator. That was a seminal work that surveyed families in every nook and cranny of this country and it is an indication of the state of commitment of the cognate Federal Ministries to Nutrition issues that such a survey has not been attempted ten years after.

    “As President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, we took Nutrition Advocacy all the way to the Presidency in Abuja and got the President (Obasanjo) and Ministers of all relevant Ministries and other stakeholders to listen to why government should do more for the nutrition of Nigerians. Regrettably, despite the President’s commitment and directive on that day, not much has happened.

    “In the last five years I am very happy to be able to establish a fruitful linkage between the private sector and academia. About 50 students studying Nutrition at postgraduate level in several Nigerian Universities have been beneficiaries of scholarships provided by a food manufacturing company through this linkage.”

    That is not all, to further create awareness on nutrition; he floated an idea by starting a Nutrition Club, “a small club where we brought together all the people who were in disciplines and in peripheral to nutrition because we couldn’t find anybody with a nutrition qualification. One of the achievements of the club was the production of a newsletter which circulated in the community and we were able to invite notable people to come to major activities like the world food day on October 1.

    “This galvanized into celebration of world breastfeeding day which later metamorphosed into the breastfeeding week which is still celebrated till today. The most important effect of the club was that we were able to generate sufficient awareness to encourage people to want to study and become nutritionists. To cap it all, we succeeded in hosting the National society of Nutrition in 1984/1985.”

    Recalling the early years of his life and what inspired him to pursue his vision, he said, “My first university degree was at the University of Ibadan (UI). At that time, it was fashionable to do either medicine or science but I wasn’t too keen on medicine for so many reasons.

    “I’d always loved agriculture and so I applied to study agriculture in UI and was admitted; but in the programme, there were several options and one of these was agricultural biochemistry and nutrition. My first love was biochemistry and I was really enjoying it but then, biochemistry at a point became a very dry subject and so my introduction to nutrition was there at the University of Ibadan.”

    Against the grains

    Though it was unheard of that men be found studying such a course as ‘food and nutrition’, Ogunbona was undeterred: “people around me including my mother actually saw nutrition as cookery. But I was determined and I had mentors to encourage my passion while I was in the university studying for my first degree. There was a lecturer who was not an Agriculturist, Dr. Emmanuel Idusogie, he was the first person that taught me nutrition then and he made so much impression on me and one couldn’t but fell in love with the subject.

    “He emphasised so much on the importance of nutrition pointing out that no matter what we were doing whether in medicine or agriculture, the end point was really the nutrition of the people.”

    After graduating with a B.Sc. in agriculture, the windows of opportunity to pursue the reverie of becoming a food nutritionist were somewhat narrow for Oguntona, but he found his feet at the University of London, where he was offered admission for his masters’ degree in animal nutrition and so began his sojourn into the world of nutrition.

    “I didn’t come back to Nigeria immediately because there was nowhere to practise my programme. Ibadan was not doing a degree programme in nutrition. Subsequently I got an offer from the University of Nottingham to pursue my Ph.D programme and it was easy to go there since there were awards to support the course – the British Petroleum awards called BP Proteins, a food product.

    “I was fortunate to be chosen to work on the product and it really opened so many opportunities. Incidentally, it was in the same laboratory that I met my wife who was working also as a postgraduate student in nutrition from Argentina.”

    The desire to return to Nigeria grew in the mind of Oguntona who had left the shores for seven years (1970 to 1977) like all his other peers who had gone overseas to study. “Nigeria was very good at the time and there was attraction for us to come back home. A lot of people were in UK recruiting for the second generation of Universities that were taking off then, and I applied into three, University of Ife, Ahmadu Bello and University of Maiduguri; all offered me employment but I chose UNIMAID because my wife was also offered employment there”, he said.

    But on returning to Lagos in 1977, Prof Oguntona with his wife, Prof Clara Oguntona, who he met in a laboratory and married, while he was conducting research in the US, and also in an academic world with him at UNAAB, was met with a big jolt. “I had told my wife how beautiful Lagos was, the Marina, the Bar Beach, the seashores and night life of the 60’s among others. When we got home I took her to Lagos Island, where we got the rudest shock ever. Lagos had transformed and was no longer the beautiful city I was born in and grew up with through the 50’s and 60’s,” said Oguntona.

    The Oguntonas, however, got the desired relieve when they got to Maiduguri to begin a career in teaching and were buried in developing the curricula for the department of Animal Science and Nutrition as well as Biochemistry where, Clara was equally a pioneer staff. Both taught there for 12 years and had all their three children in Maiduguri.

    On how people should perceive nutrition and harness the best from it, Oguntona said: “For me, Nutrition means life and quality of life. The whole essence of life is nutrition and for me what are important in proper nutrition are knowledge, food, and care. Knowledge because if you have all the money, resources and you can’t put it together to get good food it is a waste; then the food can be grown or bought, if care is not seen as important because it includes health, hygiene, environment, sanitation and all that, then death can come. Care is very complicated but very essential as an element of nutrition and if one is missing, there is no nutrition.”

    The Father of Nutrition summed it all up why nutrition is so important to life; “The start of life in the embryo needs good nutrition to form and become healthy and no one must lose sight of this. There is the school of thought which has propounded that whatever a child is fed on while in the embryo stage come to really affect the lifespan of the child.”

  • Copy her looks

    Copy her looks

    ORANGE has been one sweet colour that has been appearing on the fashion scene in recent times now. Apart from being a colour that brings out the femininty in a woman, it is also a flattering colour for most skin tones as it adds a natural glow to the skin. Agbani Darego is one Princess to copy when we want to look ravishing in orange

    Agbani Darego recently wore a one shoulder silk dress from Roberto Cavalli all in orange. She kept the outfit very simple with a pair of orange drop earrings and an ivory clutch and pump shoes. She looked very stunning when she opted for smoky eyes and a sleek hair-do

  • Maribel’s Top 10

    Maribel’s Top 10

    Miss AGN (Acting Guild of Nigeria), Lagos and Nollywood actress, Abii Maribel Odinakachi, reveals her favourite things to Kehinde Oluleye

    Favourite shoes designer

    Prada

     

    Favourite bag designer

    Zara

     

    Favourite wrist watch designer

    DKNY

     

    Favourite perfume

    Zara/VIPP 212

     

    Favourite sunglasses

    Gucci

     

    Favourite beach Jumeria

    Beach, Dubai

     

    Favourite Neck accessory

    Costumes beads

     

    Favourite nail polish

    Sky blue

     

    Favourite drink

    Martini Rose champagne

     

    Favourite weave-on

    Lace wig

  • Seme’s Black Thursday

    Seme’s Black Thursday

    • Residents lament: we’ ve become ‘bush meat’ to Customsmen
    • Our men were attacked with arms, charms – Customs

    Booming sounds of gunshots replaced the usual boom in business activities in Seme, a border town between Nigeria and Benin Republic, penultimate Thursday when men of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and suspected smugglers clashed.

    At the end of the mayhem, two residents of the community and a Customs officer were feared dead, while many others sustained various degrees of gunshot wounds. Goods and other valuables worth millions of naira were also destroyed in the bloody clash.

    The traders and workers in the area had commenced their legitimate businesses on the fateful day without any premonition of what lay ahead. The bright and promising day suddenly turned to a sordid darkness at about 9:30 am when a Customs officer allegedly shot a suspected smuggler, identified as Saturday Joel, for smuggling rice across the border.

    This was said to have precipitated a violent protest from the residents. In the process, the angry mob allegedly pounced on a customs officer, later identified as J. I. Motojelu, who happened to have unsuspectingly driven into them on his way to the office. He was instantly lynched.

    Customsmen, who got wind of the killing, allegedly mobilised and took on the residents as a reprisal for the killing of their own. This was the account of some people in the area who claimed to have witnessed the clash.

    But the Customs authorities demurred. According to the Seme Area Command, the crisis resulted from an allegedly unprovoked attack on their men by people suspected to be smugglers in the area. The attackers, it is claimed, used charms, arms and other dangerous weapons on every customs officer within reach.

    Thereafter, the peace and tranquility that had been the order of the day paved the way for an orgy of violence. Immediately, the commercial activities which had started on a good note, suffered instant paralysis as sounds of gunshots rumbled from one end of the area to another.

    While traders abandoned their goods and took to flight, workers hurriedly closed down their offices and joined the wobbly relay race.

    However, not all of them were lucky to escape from the scene unscathed. Many of them were caught in the hail of stray bullets as they hurriedly made attempts to run away from the imminent danger.

    An indigene of the community alerted our correspondent about the development at about 11: 30am on the fateful day. Thunderous sounds of gunshots were heard in the background when the telephone conversation was going on. The caller, who preferred anonymity, further drew our correspondent’s attention to the reverberating sounds of the gunshots when he said: “Please, come to Seme and see what the Nigerian Customs Service is doing to us. Hope you are hearing the sounds in the background? That is the sound of gunshots fired by men of the Nigerian Customs at our people.”

    The correspondent, who visited the area, reported that the usually busy road that leads to the border was deserted because of the crisis. Though a combined team of soldiers and mobile policemen were stationed at strategic points in the area to forestall further breakdown of law and order, many commercial drivers refused to go to the troubled area. Most of them refused to go beyond Badagry, fearing that the ugly incident might erupt again.

    The story of the clash was the topic of every discussion among the travellers and the traders in the embattled community. Residents of the community, both elders and youths, also gathered soberly in small groups in different parts of the area and discussed the incident in emotion laden tones.

    One of such gatherings was at the house of Saturday Joel, the suspected smuggler allegedly shot by a Customs officer. The sympathisers, who gathered at the victim’s residence, debunked the claims that he (Saturday) was shot in the course of smuggling rice across the border. They claimed that he was shot in front of his house where he was chatting with his brother.

    The parents were immediately not around to speak with our correspondent, but the younger brother, who gave his name as Mathew, said it was a blatant lie that his brother was shot in the course of smuggling rice across the border.

    He said: “ It is not true that Saturday was shot in the course of smuggling rice across the border. He is a tailor by profession and had never been involved in smuggling. It was in front of our house that he was shot. We were together when the Customs officer shot him.”

    Explaining how it happened, he said: “Both of us stood outside the house after Saturday had finished taking his breakfast. As we were talking, we saw a Customs vehicle pursuing a red car towards our quarters. The car was moving on the other side of the road when the Customs men spotted him. Thereafter, they pursued him driving ‘one way’ until they got to our side. When they could not apprehend the man, the driver of the Customs Hilux reversed, while the other officer walked towards us. He pointed his gun at Saturday and shot him somewhere below the ribs. I felt the impact of the shot and fell down.

    “Immediately the officer shot him, he jumped into their van and they sped off. My brother is innocent. He is an easy- going man, married with three kids. He neither aided the fleeing smuggler nor interfered with the activities of the Customs men. We were only watching the whole drama as it was unfolding and never did anything to intervene in the whole exercise. If he was actually shot in the course of smuggling, why did the Customs officers run away after shooting him? This tells you that their allegation is a lie.”

    A sympathiser, who simply gave his name as Joe, said the community is in deep sorrow not only because Saturday was shot, but because they labelled him a smuggler after shooting him without good reason.

    “Have we committed any crime to be indigenes and hosts of the Nigerian Customs Service? Why have they chosen to be this brutal against us?”, he began with rhetorical questions, adding: “Their failure to admit their fault after shooting Saturday has aggravated our pains. It added salt to our injury. The allegation that he is a smuggler is an afterthought. It is a matter of giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it. They used it as a cover up because they know that, that was the only way they could defend their barbaric action.

    ”This is not the first time they would shoot or kill our people in this dastardly manner. This is about the fifth time. Just last month, specifically on August 4, they killed one of our sons, popularly called Fryo. The situation was also similar to that of Saturday. He was trying to fix his faulty car when some frustrated Customs officers, who had fruitlessly chased a smuggler, pounced on him and shot him to death. The excuse they gave was that they thought that he was coming to attack them. How would someone with bare hands attack people that are armed to the teeth? If Saturday was truly a smuggler, was shooting him the right thing to do? Couldn’t they have arrested him, using the large number of personnel they have at the border? ”

    In the course of gathering information in the nooks and crannies of the community, our correspondent ran into another set of residents, who were lamenting the alleged killing of one of them whose name was given simply as Lanre. The mourners, comprising friends and relations of the deceased, according to them, were just returning from his burial and were cleansing themselves spiritually when our correspondent got to the area. One of them, suspected to be the chief priest, dipped some leaves into a black clay pot and sprinkled a liquid substance on the mourners, praying that similar fate would not befall them. Each of the mourners after chorusing ‘amen’ rubbed the liquid substance over their bodies and stepped aside soberly.

    The distraught mourners lamented Lanre’s alleged killing. One of them, who gave his name as Gbenga, said he still found it difficult to believe that Lanre had died.

    “I still find it difficult to believe that Lanre is gone. We were together few hours before he was killed. I still wonder why men of the Nigerian Customs chose to cut him down in his prime because he wasn’t a smuggler,’’ he said sobbing.

    Shortly after the encounter with friends and relations of late Lanre, news about the death of another victim, identified as Albert Olomitutu, was broken around 4.30 pm. He was said to have died in Benin Republic where most of the victims were taken to for medical attention.

    Augustine, another relation of two victims of the mayhem, also narrated that he took his brothers to Benin Republic for medical attention when he discovered that the local treatment they were being given was not improving their situation.

    He said: “The community did not take up arms against the Customs as they have made the general public to think. The crisis is not between them and any smugglers. It was strictly a case of the NCS using their powers and weapons to oppress and suppress us in our native community. They chose to unleash terror on us and two of my brothers sustained gunshot wounds in the crisis. I have taken them to Cotonou for medical attention because the local treatment they were getting here was not improving their health conditions. My concern is to see how my brothers would be well. I have placed everything in the hands of God. May God judge between us and the Customs.”

    A visibly worried member of the community, who identified himself as Biodun Samson, alleged that more than 10 residents suffered various degrees of gunshot wounds during the crisis. He feared that the death toll may further rise because most of the victims did not get the deserved medical attention before they were rushed to Benin Republic for medical attention.

    He said: “ I have never seen this kind of thing before in my life. It was as if they were prepared to exterminate us. They had excess bullets to the extent that some live bullets, were falling from them. We found some live bullets that fell from them when they were pursuing us and also picked some used bullets fired at our people. It appears as if we have become ‘bush meat’ that they must hunt down.

    “The number of people that suffered gunshot wounds should be more than 10. Two of them fell beside me when we were running for our dear lives. Most of the victims were taken to Benin Republic for medical attention because we don’t have hospital in this place. If we were to have a standard hospital, somebody like Albert would not have died in Benin Republic where he was rushed to for medical attention. My fear is that some others that were taken there may die at the end of the day because they would have lost too much blood before getting medical help in faraway Benin Republic.

    “Is it not a shame that we had to carry our people from here in Nigeria to little Benin Republic for treatment? We have not had power supply for over five years, the roads are death traps but nobody cares. The federal government makes so much money here through the Nigerian Customs and others but they don’t care about the indigenes. Instead of assisting us to develop the community by providing us with basic infrastructure, they are using their agents to kill us.”

    Isiaka, a commercial driver who plies Seme-Mile 2 road, also gave account of how one of their men was shot on the thigh. “One of our boys was shot on the thigh during the crisis. He was immediately rushed to his home town in Ibadan, Oyo State. Our prayer is that he would survive because the distance is too far. If you were here on Thursday, you would think there was a civil war going on in the community. The problem started around 9.30 am when a Customs officer shot a resident. They said he was a smuggler.

    ‘’They had earlier killed another indigene, popularly called Fryo, sometime last month and claimed that he was a smuggler. I am sure that all this accumulated anger triggered off the crisis yesterday (penultimate Thursday) because few minutes after the NCS officer shot the guy, some of the aggrieved villagers went on the rampage and in the process, a Customs officer was lynched and a trailer carrying a full load of goods to Lagos set ablaze. The Customs officers mobilised and shot indiscriminately at the protesters.’’

    An elderly member of the community, who identified himself as Omoede Soka, said the crisis would have gone out of hand had the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the area, Mr Mohammed Mu’Azu, not intervened.

    He said: “The problem would have gone out of hand if not for the timely intervention of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr Mohammed Mu’ Azu, who pleaded with members of the community to calm down. He played a vital role in quelling the crisis before two batches of soldiers and mobile policemen were drafted to maintain peace and order. He trekked from one end of the area to the other to make sure that the crisis was brought under control.

    “This is not the first time they would kill members of our community. It is about the 5th time. The problem started around 9.30 am when a Customs officer shot one of our members right in front of their house. The whole of Seme was on fire on Thursday as they shot indiscriminately at innocent people. A good number of the victims have been taken to Benin Republic for medical attention. We don’t have any hospital that we can take them to for treatment. We just heard that one of them died this afternoon few minutes after we buried another that was also shot.”

    Our correspondent also sought the comment of the Lagos State Command Police Public Relations officer, Ngozi Braides, on the matter. She simply said: “The matter is under investigation. You know that the people killed a Customs officer; so the matter is with the Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Lagos.’’

    The Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service had in a statement issued during the week assured that normalcy had returned to the area.

    The statement reads: ‘’Following the recent attack on officers of the Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service by persons suspected to be smugglers and the killing of an armless customs officer in cold blood, the Customs Area Controller, Abdu Saleh Othman, has assured all members of the business community to continue going about their normal businesses.

    ‘’He has since reassured genuine business men and travellers to disregard rumours and fake stories of insecurity at the border as all government security agencies visibly seen around are there to ensure the safety of lives and properties at the Nigerian frontier with the Republic of Benin.

    ”All our law-abiding citizens, travellers and members of the border trading community have nothing to fear or worry about. They should go about their normal businesses and disregard rumours of insecurity at the border as the security agencies are cooperating as usual to ensure the safety of lives and properties.

    ‘’The supreme price paid by our colleague in the service to our fatherland has further strengthened our resolve to give in our best. The gentleman officer we lost recently did not die in vain. Those behind this act will pay for it. The destruction of government vehicle and arson against commercial goods being imported is a thing we condemn in strong terms.

    ‘’He has since urged all officers and men of the command to keep up the fight against smuggling and keep to their statutory rules of engagement in the discharge of their duties.’’

    We don’t encourage extra-judicial killings –Customs

    Below is the response of the Public Relations Officer of the Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Ernest Olottah, to the questions sent to him online on the Seme crisis:

    Seme indigenes said Saturday is not a smuggler. Is it true that your men shot him in front of their house after they could not apprehend a fleeing smuggler driving a red car?

    We are not aware of any person called Saturday among our stakeholders in Seme.

    They also alleged that your men shot directly at the residents killing two of them (lanre and Albert were mentioned by residents) and injuring many others. What do you have to say about it?

    The two names mentioned are not also known to us. The border community holds a vast population and as customs officers, we don’t keep records of the addresses and informal identities as mentioned in the question. You may be assisting us further by giving us full names, addresses, nationalities, states of origin and ages of the persons involved.It is pertinent to note that the customs command keeps a robust interaction with the community and this does not stop us from discharging our formal functions. It rather strengthens our duties as it is intended to make it.

    If Saturday were a smuggler, shouldn’t he have been arrested and prosecuted instead of being shot?

    Customs officers operating in Seme like any other command are well trained for the job. This training includes the use of arms in the discharge of their duties.Our officers do make arrests and we prosecute cases that fall under our legal purview. Customs officers only use arms where arrest is being resisted and where suspects or mob protecting them chose to attack and disarm officers trying to effect arrest.

    Why was he shot and abandoned on the spot by your men? Why didn’t they take his body away for treatment and prosecution thereafter?

    Our officers used their arms to prevent being killed and disarmed by persons shielding smugglers from arrest.

    Is it also true that you have recovered the red vehicle driven by the fleeing smuggler that resulted in shooting Saturday?

    We have so many seized vehicles in our custody; some are red in colour.Please specify vehicle make.

    Is it also true that your men killed another resident by the name Fryo on August 4? Why was he also killed and abandoned?

    We as customs organisation do not encourage extra-judicial killings and we value human lives too.

    Is it also true that similar killings of the residents by your men have taken place before now?

    We are aware that another agency of government is investigating the mob actions and killing of a customs officer by suspected smugglers and their suspected border community collaborators.

    Could all these be as a result of improper training on the part of your men?

    The Comptroller General of Customs has placed training among priority issues in his six-point agenda. I dare say that our men are properly trained.

    Finally, enumerate your loss(es) in the recent crisis and past efforts at checking smuggling in the area.

    A customs officer of the rank of superintendent was murdered.W e are yet to evaluate the worth of vehicles,imported goods and other properties destroyed and stolen by persons who attacked customs officers with arms, charms and other dangerous objects.

     

  • Anambra PDP crisis: The Mbadinuju connection

    Anambra PDP crisis: The Mbadinuju connection

    IT is election year in Anambra State and the Peoples Democratic Party, touted as the largest party in Africa, is in disarray and if the right things are not done with urgency, the crisis rocking the Anambra State chapter of the party may have become the fore-runner of a disastrous outing in the governorship election scheduled for November.

    The party lost Anambra to APGA in 2003 and again in 2010 and with the present crisis, we are worried that the party may lose again in November and such loss may be counter-productive to President Goodluck Jonathan’s ambition in 2015.

    Anambra State and the whole of Igboland are still weighed down by the effects of the 30-month civil war which destroyed the entire region. This is our worry. Despite the many irregularities of PDP, it is still the only party with some national coloration and Anambra State would be better off in a national party than in a tribal party, with presence in only a small region of the country.

    This is why we are worried about the lingering crisis in Anambra PDP because if it remains unresolved, the tragedy of 2010 may repeat itself in the state.

    The tragedy of 2010 occurred when the party imposed Prof. Chukwuma Soludo as its guber candidate in the state against the obvious choice of delegates. The result of this political short-sightedness was that aggrieved members moved en masse to other parties, not to win the election but to stop Soludo from becoming Governor. APGA reaped the harvest of this anger.

    This tragedy is about to repeat itself and the party seems not to understand what has gone wrong. PDP should reflect on the circumstances that made them lose the state in 2003. That was where the party’s crisis started and the resolution of the crisis lies in the ability of the party to deal with the truth of what happened in 2003.

    It was in that year that Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, then Governor of Anambra State, and his brother in Kano State, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso were denied second-term tickets despite the gentlemanly agreement PDP had with its governors that they all would have second terms.

    In manufacturing excuses to deny Mbadinuju second-term ticket, a lot of evil was committed in the state. Lies, blackmail, treachery and insubordination were encouraged and financed in the state to make it ungovernable. To dent Mbadinuju’s reputation and malign his integrity, all in a bid to stop him from running for second term, innocent blood was shed in the state. The then chairman of Onitsha Bar Association, Mr. Barnabbas Igwe, and his pregnant wife were murdered in cold-blood in Onitsha and Mbadinuju was aptly framed up.

    While his PDP colleagues were enjoying their second terms and Dr. Kwankwaso was appointed Minister for Defence, Mbadinuju was hounded into Onitsha Prisons and charged for the murder of the couple, who were killed in Onitsha (while he was away in the United States of America) and conspiracy to commit murder with unknown and unseen people.

    The former governor had since been discharged and acquitted of these allegations after the then Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Anambra State, Chief Udechukwu Nnoruka (SAN), had announced that nothing in the Police report warranted putting the former governor to trial. In other words, Mbadinuju was arrested for nothing, charged for nothing and imprisoned for nothing.

    Dr. Mbadinuju, who led the entire state in prayers every Monday throughout his tenure, cried to God and still cries to God for justice. The blood of Barnabbas Igwe, his wife and their unborn child is still crying to God for justice.

    PDP, characteristically has swept this heinous evil under the carpet pretending that all is well in its Anambra chapter. No, all is not well. It is bad enough to murder the innocent couple and worse still, to deny their souls peaceful rest by shielding their murderers from prosecution and callously dragging an innocent man through the valley of the shadow of death, for an offence he did not commit.

    The crisis in Anambra PDP is more spiritual than physical and would never cease until atonement is made. Mbadinuju, all through these years of torture, had remained like a sheep led to the slaughter silent and loyal to the same party, which has done everything wrong to him.

    Power comes from God and no man receives any good thing unless it comes from heaven. PDP lost power in Anambra State and can only regain that power at God’s own time. Unfortunately, God of heaven does not build on a foundation of injustice.

    The crisis in Anambra PDP began at the point where the party sacrificed Mbadinuju on the altar of injustice. The crisis will end at another point, where the party will find the courage to do God’s will and appease Mbadinuju on the altar of justice. This is the key to the resolution of Anambra PDP crisis.

    The powers that be then was not bothered whether or not PDP won or lost. They were more concerned about how they could install their own candidate into power in the state. That same quest to install into power a particular person from 2003-2013, 10 years ago, is still continuing with the effort since then to put their preferred candidate into office as governor. This has not succeeded and it is getting more and more difficult as the years roll by.

    It is the same scenario then and now of how the same powers that be chose to lose Anambra State to another party by ousting an effective governor, who brought peace to the state; a lover of education who established the only state university and brought education to the door steps of the ordinary man; a Christian in every sense of it. He was ousted without just cause, chased out of office to make way for their preferred “money bags.”

    It is the treatment meted to Mbadinuju that the same powers that be are re-enacting at the federal level today (2013-2015). So it is that same powers that be working against him in 2003, that appear now to give our President the same Mbadinuju Treatment to deny him (President ) his second term in office, just as they did to Mbadinuju.

    The way of God is hereby summarized as follows:

    “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

    “Though a sinner does evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him.

    “But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God”. (Eccl 8:11-13)

    Obi (Esq.) and Ileboh are National Coordinator & National Secretary of Anambra National Youths Initiative (ANYI) respectively

  • Anambra community residents desert homes as masquerades go berserk

    Anambra community residents desert homes as masquerades go berserk

    MASQUERADES in African setting and Igboland in particular are seen as the reincarnation of some late heroes acting as guardian angels for the individuals and families they represent. More importantly, they are a huge source of entertainment with their electric dancing steps. But these seem not to be the case in Awba Ofemmili, a community in Awka-North Local Government Area of Anambra State, where masquerades have literally become purveyors of sorrow, tears and blood.

    Awba Ofemilli, one of the communities submerged by last year’s floods, is located in the midst of thick forests. More than 60 per cent of the community was submerged in the floods, leaving thousands of its inhabitants homeless. It is a community that has suffered from lack of development, while the little development brought by Christianity is being obliterated by some youths who are followers of its numerous masquerades.

    In Awba Ofemilli, masquerades are generally regarded as supreme beings. But a particular masquerade known as Obianuchichi (night masquerade) is a nightmare to many residents of the community, particularly at the end of the farming season. The appearance of Obianuchichi is usually heralded by another group of masquerades known as Adugala. Women are forbidden from seeing them as they go about singing and dancing.

    The mood in the community changes immediately the announcement is made that Adugala would be coming out. The women abandon whatever they are doing and run into their houses. There must be no light or sound other than the ones produced by the masquerades.

    The practice is one that has given the Christian population in the community a lot of concern over the years because all religious activities are paralysed once it is 6 pm. At a time, an agreement was reached with the leaders of the community to extend the deadline to 9 pm. But penultimate Tuesday, the masquerades and their worshippers went berserk, burning down churches and severely injuring about 60 Christians, including a two-year-old boy.

    The Christians and other inhabitants of the community who are not loyal to the masquerades have since deserted their homes. They have sought for refuge in other climes for fear of being attacked further. An unconfirmed report alleged that one person died as some masquerades and their youthful followers attacked some churches in the community where vigil was being held.

    Eye witness accounts said the victims were either shot at or attacked with machetes. The rampaging youths also burnt down about 10 churches. Some of the churches burnt were: Assemblies of God Church, Grace of God, Deeper Life Bible Church, Winners’ Chapel, Christ Holy Church, St. Paul’s Catholic Church and the vicarage for the parish priest of St. Paul’s Anglican Church in the community.

    When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Police Command, Emeka Chukwuemeka, said the incident had been brought under control. He also said that no arrest had been made yet.

    A victim and Parish Priest of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Awba Ofemmili, Rev. Pat Odinanwa, whose vicarage was burnt, said there were threats of more attacks on Christians in the community. He accused the policemen at the nearby police post in Ugbene community of not coming to the aid of the hapless Christians when the trouble started, even though they were informed about it.

    “The police was informed about it but they did not come. I think those boys are their regular customers,” Rev. Odinanwa said.

    He said all the efforts he made to calm the rampaging youths down and ensure peace in the community failed, noting that the clash was borne out of the hatred that idol worshippers in the community had for its Christian population. He alleged that in spite of the fact that an agreement was reached between the church and the leadership of the community, the idol worshippers were determined to stop Christians from worshipping in the community.

    He added: “The Christians are working together more than before. And there had been a document signed between the traditional ruler and the Christians which states that prior notifications by the masquerades should start by 9 pm and no woman should be seen along the road by that time. And we all agreed on that as signed.

    “Another town crier went and announced another thing, saying that anybody going for night programme in the church should leave by 5 pm, which is contrary to the agreement. But that is for the women, because the men are free to move at any time. They were ordered to get to the church before 9 pm. In fact, on the first day, most of the women who attended the programme were stopped and harassed on their way and ordered to go back. Those who left by 6 pm were able to get to the church before it was late.”

    The priest said he had cancelled the night programme scheduled for that day and told those who were already in church to sleep there. But some youths stormed the church and attacked members with guns and machetes.

    Another victim, Mr Sunday Aliuba, said they were in the church when some miscreants struck, attacking them and inflicting machete wounds on them before they ran for dear lives.

    Aliuba said: “Oba-Ofemili and the Christians had an agreement that the night masquerades would not be starting their activities until 9 pm, and we were having our programmes according to the rules. But on Monday night, I was at the crusade when it was rumoured that the idol worshippers would be burning down all the churches in the community.

    “Around 11 pm, they started shooting sporadically, causing everybody to shiver. Around 1 am on Tuesday, they stormed the church and razed the parish priest’s house. Then they started pursuing everybody in the church. We hid under the stair case and under the pews.

    “In self-defence, we pounced on one of them. As things got hotter, my colleagues ran away. I also ran, but they pursued me and shot me in the legs, shattering my ankles and bones. They also inflicted machete wounds on me. The blood that came out of my body can fill two buckets. It is only God that is sustaining my life till now.”

    A community leader and former Supervisory Councillor for Health in Awka North Local Government, Ignatius Okafor, described the incident as bizarre, saying that the community condemned the action of the invaders.

    Okafor said: “One person was said to have died from gunshot wounds. These people committed arson and we have never seen such hatred between brothers.”

    He confirmed that there was an agreement between the late Igwe John Akabueze with Christians that church activities would not be disrupted until 9 pm when masquerades and their followers would start their activities. “But the incident occurred at 5 pm. So, it was premeditated,” he argued.

    He said the problem had been on in the community for more than 10 years but was never in the same magnitude.

    The Regent of the community, Chief Anaelo B. Nwanelo, admitted that the clash was avoidable, adding that peace efforts had been futile for years. But he said that efforts were still being made to restore peaceful co-existence between Christians and idol worshippers in the community.

    He said: “This problem has been recurring in August of every year, but I have prevented it from escalating. But because I was called by the men of the State Security Service (SSS) for an official issue, I was not around to quell it as usual.”

    The member representing Awka-North and South in the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeke Nwogbo, has since gone on inspection tour of the deserted community. He described the incident as pathetic, stressing that he would do everything within his powers to ensure that the hoodlums who perpetrated the destructions were brought to book.

    He visited the Regina Caelie Hospital where some victims were being treated and settled their hospital bills of over N150,000. He also promised to assist them further.

    Nwogbo said: “This is very pathetic. It is a very strange thing happening at this time and age. It is honestly a very sad situation, and I promise that we will do everything in our power to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. First, we will seek an amicable resolution to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. But the miscreants who have done this to victimise other people in the society under any guise, we will ensure that they are brought to book.”

    The SecretaryGeneral of the community, Mr. Chidebe Tobias, however, debunked claims that there had been frictions between idol worshippers and Christians in the community. Tobias said: “There had never been any problem between the villagers and the Christians. We used to live in peace. This community is known for peace. We are already treading the path of peace.”

    Some of the victims, who spoke at Regina Caeli Hospital, Awka, claimed that their houses were vandalised and looted. They appealed to Governor Peter Obi; the member representing Awka North in the House of Assembly, Hon. Rebecca Udoji; and Awka North Local Government Chairman , Hon. Joy Enweluzor, among other individuals, to come to their aid.

    Peace talks were held between the leaders of the community and Christian leaders were scheduled for Friday last week, but the church leaders did not turn up for fear of the unknown. The Anambra State Commissioner for Environment and an indigene of the community, Sabastin Okoye; the President General, Chukwuma Nwabufo; and the Regent, Anaelo Bernard Nwanelo, were at the said meeting.

    A community leader and former Supervisory Councillor for Health in Awka North Local Government Area, Ignatius Okafor, confirmed that there was a meeting and uneasy calm in the community. He blamed the crisis on three cult groups in the community.

    He told The Nation that there was need for peace in the community, saying that the President-General had earlier warned those who belonged to the cult groups to renounce it for the progress of the community, as he would not hesitate to invite the police against them.

  • Oba Tejuoso to deliver lecture at Oranmiyan Festival  

    The Osile of Oke Ona Abeokuta, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, is expected to deliver a lecture of this year’s edition of the Oranmiyan Festival in Ile Ife.

    This was disclosed in a press release by the organisers of the festival.

    According the them, the lecture will focus on “the qualities and characteristics of a legend who has remained the issue in Benin and Oyo dynasties within the House of Oduduwa. A number of dynasties have traced their origins to Oranmiyan who has been described as an historical warlord reputed for boldness and excellent mastery of the art of governance.”

    Oba Tejuoso, a medical doctor and evangelist, inspires confidence in the handling of royal and spiritual affairs.

    He is a distinguished scholar and author of several books on traditional institutions and governance.