The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sunday magazine

  • Bolatito Sowunmi: If a job negates my values, I won’t take it

    Bolatito Sowunmi: If a job negates my values, I won’t take it

    Bolatito Sowunmi, aka Miss Eagle and former Miss Pepeye of the Papa Ajasco and Company Comedy series is a model, actress and entrepreneur. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde she takes you into her world, the things that drive her, challenges and memories.

    Tell us about your experience as a model?

    Just like a normal Nigerian model, we get opportunities to either showcase a brand and we do it. At a time, I was doing some runway modeling but in the long run when I got into acting, it took more of my time than the modeling thing. I still take some modeling jobs that have to do with adverts and TV commercials. It has been a reasonable experience; I can’t say it has been the best experience because there is a way the modeling sector is structured that is not very encouraging. I won’t say that having agents is bad but we have a lot of agents instead of modeling managers. Usually, they don’t really care about the models, they are about their own cut and I think those are the things that I don’t really appreciate as a model. There isn’t much support, encouragement and not much training that would have helped you to grow in the sector. You are at the mercy of people that just want to take advantage of you. So far, so good, we are still surviving.

    What were the initial challenges?

    There is no environment that really gives us the platform to grow in this part of the world. The way the models are treated like second class citizens, like someone doing you a favour. You get into a company and they treat you like you are here to beg for a job. I think a model should be respected and that is really lacking in this sector and in this country. They are not paid well. To be a model is not easy, you need money to be beautiful. You need someone to showcase your brand in terms of personality, carriage, poise and then you can’t pay well and when you now pay, you pay through an agent who would do a huge cut. Sometimes, you go and do your work and one year after they haven’t paid you. No platforms to build the knowledge, modeling skills. It is very discouraging.

    What was the first movie or TV role you played?

    I played one TV role but I can’t remember the name. But the one that really built my acting career is Wale Adenuga’s Production Comedy, Papa Ajasco and company where I played the role of Miss Pepeye. That is actually what gave me limelight; it launched me into the acting industry.

    What are some of the memorable moments in the sector?

    I am still in the industry. I feel that when you talk about memories you are no longer there and you are remembering. But, I am still in the industry, still working. So far it’s been awesome. It is something that I enjoy doing, the talent is there and I am inspired. The fact that the sector is growing every day is also inspiring even though every industry comes with its challenges. Also, the advent of the social media has its advantages and its disadvantages. The advantages are that it helps people to see you, see your work and don’t have to wait for people to see what you are capable of. A lot of social media platforms can showcases what you have got inside of you, your talent and that are helping us. On the other hand the disadvantages are that your privacy is worse than before, you can’t even sneeze in peace. Then they turn a lot of negative things on us. It’s been awesome, I am striving every day and I have not gotten to where I want to get to. I am not particular about fame, mine is that I have a talent and I want to showcase it. If there a job that has an identity that negates my values, then I won’t take it. I am not so desperate and if the story is empty I won’t take it. There is a thin line and if you throw your values away, you miss it. I am taking a step at a time.

    Who or what would you describe as the greatest influence in your life?

    I don’t have one particular thing that influences me, except that I am particular about my purpose in life, what God created me for. I hardly get influenced but when I see people who have got great value potentials, talents, creativity they inspire me. I understand that God has put a particular potential, talent and creativity inside of me. I am one actress that you would not see doing what everybody is doing.

    What are some of the other things that occupy your time?

    I am an actress, model and also entrepreneur.  I am also particular about people’s health as a nutritionist.  I have a Ministry to help young people to be better and they tend to come towards me a lot. I  mentor them and have  platforms where I train them on how to build their businesses. I expose them to knowledge that will help them build their brand. I have different platforms like the Bolatito showbiz show every Thursday where I showcase entrepreneurs, share knowledge on how to build businesses that are legitimate as well as enhance talents and potentials. In addition, I do handmade art and craft, beading as well as adire and Ankara styles.

    What are some of the changes that you will like to see in the sector?

    Modelling and acting are all under the entertainment industry.  I would like us to begin to portray our country positively out there. We have a lot of beautiful things around us. Also, the producers should begin to respect one another and give jobs based on merit. They should also pay us well.

    Tell us about the recent movies you have participated in?

    I did one with Ideas Plus titled, Die with you. It was a great cast and awesome movie. It is about a lady who is committed to her relationship but there is a perception. Then another is a Yoruba/ English production called Stuck produced by Victor Oyebode, Alinco. I also just participated in a movie called Ebeye by KMIKE Media. I have so many others that are coming up.

    How do you relax?

    I like to be indoor,  at the beach or any other semi environment.  I hate noise. I am more of a deep thinker and creative person.  I love the beach, the environment just has a way of that works for me and my mind. I also go to watch movies to unwind,  to support my colleagues and hang out with friends.

    What is your favorite travelling destination?

    I am not the travelling type. But, I love France and Paris, been dreaming of those places.

    What type of books do you like to read?

    I like Business books, they give inspiration about how to create things, different opportunities to build on my business, make more income.  I also like to read books on Leadership as well as motivational books.

    What won’t you do in the name of fashion?

    A lot. Firstly, I cannot bleach my skin. Never. I am 100 per cent natural and also tattoo is a no for me.

  • Boy with hip dislocation cries out for help

    Boy with hip dislocation cries out for help

    Stephen Goodluck, a 13-year-old boy’s life dreams and aspirations are fast crumbling before his eyes. He experienced discomfort on his right hip after returning from the farm last year, and has since been in pains and unable to move around. Though he grieves about his predicament, Stephen is more distressed that he has not been going to school and fears this could put paid to his ambition of becoming a medical doctor. Innocent Duru reports.

    STEPHEN Goodluck lay mournful on the family’s antiquated bed with tears running down his eyes like raindrops  as the mother ushered in our correspondent  into their amorphous mud building at Agodo, a remote area in Eredo LCDA, Epe, Lagos.

    “Mummy, mummy, I want to go to school, I want to go to school,” he said, sobbing as he immediately held his right knee which, from the way he reacted, sent a sharp pain travelling through him.

    “Sorry, my son,” the mother said, cuddling him as tears gathered in her eyes. When the pain subsided, Stephen managed to sit down to relive his ordeal.

    “I was a pupil of Oke-Magba Junior High School. I was about to move to JSS2 when my problem started. It all started on May 29, 2021. I went to the farm and when I came back, I noticed that my pelvic area was hurting. My mother gave me a painkiller and I felt relieved. The following day, I went to school but before the end of the day, I noticed that I couldn’t walk again. I had to be taken home on a motorcycle. I feel bad that I have not been going to school. I cry each time I see my colleagues going to school. I am worried about my condition but more worried that I have been out of school. My ambition is to be a doctor but … (sobs).”

    Bemoaning her son’s plight, the mother said they had taken him everywhere for treatment  to no avail. “At the beginning, we took him to a native orthopedic doctor but they didn’t see any problem with his hip. Later, our pastor took us to Eredo Health Centre from where we were referred to General Hospital, Epe. At the General Hospital, they checked him and treated him for malaria. After that, his health got worse.  We later took him to a native doctor who told us that his hip had shifted. We were spending money in all these places to no avail.

    “We later went to a private clinic where we were told that he had just a minute to live. They had to quickly give him two pints of blood which helped his condition to some extent. At a point, if you pinched any part of his body, he would not feel it. The private hospital later referred us to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH). They gave us a bill of about N50, 000 but we didn’t have money to pay anymore and had to leave. We started giving him pain killers and native medicines to help his condition.”

    Because of the severity of the pain, she said “Stephen couldn’t walk; he couldn’t lie down or sit. I was always carrying him on my chest to sleep.  If you gave him sleeping pills, he would not sleep. Best he would nap for a few minutes and get up in pains. He would hold the leg and be screaming. If he wanted to defecate, I would have to put him on a potty and hold him to myself. We have sold everything seeking a solution for him. We sold our television, generator and my husband’s motorcycle and borrowed money from different places. The money we realised from the harvest we made from our farm went into his treatment.”

    Interjecting, the father said: “I fainted when the doctor said he had just a minute to live. I was crying and crying. I cry every time I see my son in pains.”

    Continuing, the wife said: “When my husband fainted, I was torn between lifting Stephen and carrying my husband up. I was confused and overwhelmed but had to summon courage to rise to the occasion. Stephen last attended school in May 2021 (15 months ago). He has missed four terms due to the illness.”

    Mother’s passionate plea

    More than anything, the mother wants her son back in school and is therefore calling on the government and well-meaning Nigerians to come to their aid and help get her son back on his feet. “This will be more feasible if the leg is attended to medically,” she said.

    A Public Health Physician, Dr Rotimi Adesanya who has picked interest in Stephen’s condition, said: “I first met Stephen during one of the medical outreaches organised by the Critical Rescue Mission earlier in the year in Agodo.  He complained of not being able to walk and how he limped for close to a year. The mother said the leg was itching him and thereafter that he could not walk. He was said to have been taken to a private hospital in Epe where he received two pints of blood and was thereafter referred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) but could not go due to financial constraint and the exorbitant cost of transportation.

    “I ordered blood tests and genotype for him but a test result revealed that he is an AS.  There is a need for experts to review this. He needs to do an MRI which costs about N80, 000.  Stephen will also need further management by a multidisciplinary team comprising family physicians/paediatricians, orthopaedic surgeons, haematologists and child psychologists.”

    Stephen’s mother can be reached on: 08057646907.

  • Rebuilding Jos Main Market sacrosanct for Plateau economy, security – Atu

    Rebuilding Jos Main Market sacrosanct for Plateau economy, security – Atu

    Secretary to the Government of Plateau State, Prof. Danladi Abok Atu, in this interview with KOLADE ADEYEMI speaks on the necessity of rebuilding the burnt Jos Main Market twenty years after.

    The plan by the state government to rebuild the Jos main market has stirred so much controversy. What is responsible for this?

    Government’s plan to rebuild the Jos main market is not the one generating the controversies. I said so because it is the desire of everyone on the Plateau to rebuild the market, because the good people of the state know the importance of the market. The aspect that is generating the controversies is the involvement of Jaiz Bank in the project. I will come back to that later.

    One of the needs for rebuilding the market is that the site has become a hideout for criminals. They gather there to smoke, take hard drugs, plan their movement and go out to commit crimes, to launch attacks on innocent citizens in the state, and the governor thought it wise to do something that will promote internal security for citizens. Equally, government needs to rebuild the market to improve our internal revenue. That market has the potential to drive the economy of the state. As far back as 1989, it was raking in an average of N18million a month. Then it was a big source of revenue for the state. Today, the same market can generate revenue in billions on a monthly basis. That the market has the potential to generate employment and business opportunities cannot be overemphasized. It will help to take idle youths off the streets. The market will add up to the tourists attractions in the state, it will add to the beauty of the city. So if you take a positive look at the market, the benefits are enormous.

    In spite of those benefits, some opposed the rebuilding of the market out of ignorance about its importance. Those ones need to be informed. There are those who oppose it negatively because they don’t want the government to succeed.

    Rebuilding this market is a capital intensive project which government alone cannot handle unless it goes into partnership with willing and capable investors. And government has been looking for such willing investors for the past two years. We finally got Jaiz Bank. The agreement of Jaiz Bank to partner with government to rebuild this market should elicit praises from people of the state, but people who don’t want the administration to take credit for rebuilding that market swore to frustrate it. They decided to poison the minds of the people. And that is why the project is generating the controversies. Meanwhile, Jaiz Bank is coming as a financier for the project, Jaiz is not the contractor, they are coming to finance it.

    Within the last seven years of this administration, it has signed quite a number of MoU with several investors, and there are no visible signs of implementation of the agreements. What is the assurance that this one with Jaiz Bank will work?

    You are correct. We have entered into a number of failed Memoranda of Understanding with individuals, banks, and others. Most of them will tell you that we must surrender our sovereign guarantee. That is, your money will be deducted from the source until full payment. And we have learnt our lessons. You recalled the Midland Bank loan that was collected by the administration of the late Chief Solomon Lar. Many viable projects were completed as a result of this, the majority of which are still visible today. But up till today, we are still paying that loan. The point is that we are still paying those loans with interest. When we initially tried to obtain loan, the interest was high. It was two digits. Those who said they would come with their money to invest, when they came, they said we had to invest 60 percent of the money and they would invest 40 percent. Why are we looking for an investor in the first place if we have up to 60% of the total funds? All over the world now, investment is through PPP. To drive this, you have to look at alternative revenue streams that would come to you at a cheaper cost. Now, the question is why Jaiz Bank? They came to the fore on two major grounds. Let me correct the impression that is going round that Jaiz will take 60 per cent of the market and retain the market for forty years. It is not true. Jaiz Bank is not a developer in the first place. The project is akin to contract financing, like the flyover we are building now. The contractor came with his financier, who is the bank that would help him finance the project. So every month, there is an amount we pay the bank, in turn, the bank gives him the money, not the state government. In this case, Jaiz Bank is not a developer of this market at all; it is only a financier to the investor who is building the market. Our role here is to ensure that sixty percent of the shops are sold out. Jaiz Bank has no hand in managing the market or allocation of stalls. The contractor brought the investor. No developer will build the market at the rate at which the bank has given us because their rate is N98,000 per square meter. The rest said they can’t do it like that, but Jaiz bank does it in such a way that the developer makes marginal profit. How do they increase the marginal profit? They try to help developers secure some of these building materials from source; they pay in advance and have all the building materials directly from source. If at the end of the day, 60% of the shops are sold, the developer will make a small profit to repay Jaiz Bank. The allocation will be done by the Jos Market Authority. Another erroneous impression is that the bank is going to maintain the market for forty years. What it means is that the beneficiaries of those markets, who are largely Plateau people, are the ones who pay back the money. For instance, if I buy a shop for N1.8million, I will source for money, pay and run the shop for the stipulated period of time. Jaiz Bank is not a developer; it is only interested in the number of shops you sell and returns their money and that of the developer.

    A committee was set up in 2002 to unravel the cause of the fire incident in the market, but up till today the report has not seen the light of day. Don’t you think if the government revisited the report it would help in determining what went wrong and also to know if that place is still suitable for a market of such magnitude?

    You are quite correct, but since the coming on board of Governor Lalong in 2015, we have been looking and searching but could not lay our hands on the report. There are certain questions we asked ourselves: Will the market be secure? What is the feasibility? If that market was insured, apparently, the market would have been reviewed now through that insurance. The feasibility study indicated that the place is still viable. That is why you see people hawking around the area. I want to turn your mind to the Rukuba Road Market, where the government invested so much money. When former Governor Joshua Dariye built it as an alternative market pending when this burnt market would be constructed, the Rukuba market came on board. When Jonah Jang took over, he invested heavily in the same market again. Today, sixty percent of the stalls are not occupied. Rather, people will prefer to go to the Ahmadu Bello Way to hawk. The terminus is a full factor by virtue of the fact that it connects so many places; it is a nexus. So the nexus of the city of Jos is Terminus. From there, you can connect to different parts of the state and neighboring states. We spent a lot of money chasing people out of that area. If you drive them today, tomorrow you will see them there again. To stop all this disorderliness, it is better that we rebuild the market. People from all walks of life trade there which tells you that it is the commercial nerve centre of the state. The highest point of interaction and exchange of goods and services is the terminus area.

    What is the take of the state government on the religious dimension attached to the controversy surrounding the rebuilding of the market?

    The religious dimension is being advocated to kill the agreement with Jaiz Bank. It is being used erroneously because commerce has no religious or ethnic boundaries. If you go to the market, there is nothing like discrimination. You buy whatever you want to buy, not minding whether the person is of your religion or not. I don’t think commerce is done along ethnic or religious lines. Why does it work in one place but they said it will not work? Is it that our own Christianity is different from their own? We are surprised that some people have come up with the assumption that Jaiz Bank will use this to Islamise Plateau State. How can this be possible in this century? But in terms of commerce, we have been doing things together. We have seen Muslims that have been donating to churches. Former Governor Ahmed Muazu contributed to the building of Khal Kum University. He went through a missionary school, and he appreciated it. If Engineer M.I Musa in Jos East roofed a church there, would Christians accept it or reject it, saying he was going to Islamise the people? I think people just want to use religion to cause division and get cheap popularity. The future of our people should not be diluted by commerce or trade. The rebuilding of the market is supposed to be a source of unity for all of us. We should shun primordial sentiment.

    The governor has asked members of the State House of Assembly to consult their various constituencies on the rebuilding of the market. If, at the end of the day, the people still say no, what would be the next line of action?

    The governor was elected by the people. He is a true democrat and he is running government of the people, and that was why he told them to consult their constituencies. He is a true democrat no doubt. If we find out that out of the 24 constituencies majority or two/thirds said we do not want the state government to sign the MoU with Jaiz Bank, of course, the governor is a democrat. But on the other hand if two-thirds agree it is a viable project, of course, he would go ahead with it.

  • The Obidients, the Jagaban and the Icarus Syndrome

    The Obidients, the Jagaban and the Icarus Syndrome

    I admire and respect the energy and passion of the Obidients and like I said in an earlier write-up titled “Who Are These Obidients?”, I believe that they wish to effect a social and political revolution which those of us in the larger political parties have to be very wary of.

    I also believe that if they stay together and don’t run out of steam and if properly harnessed and managed over the next few years they may present a formidable challenge to us somewhere down the line.

    Yet the truth is that like a rough and uncut diamond they are still very far from their mark, they still have a long way to go from achieving perfection and they still have much to learn.

    They are a formidable movement as I said in my earlier write up and I, unlike many others, take them seriously.

    I am glad that they have ventured into the dark and murky waters of Nigerian politics and it is my prayer that they survive it and last, even if they don’t make an appreciable impact at the polls next year.

    Yet if the truth be told, as at today, they are more like a loose canon than a guided missile.

    Anger alone cannot fuel a revolution: there must be purpose.

    And that clear purpose is something that they seem to lack and which their leader, other than just wanting to be President of a so-called New Nigeria, clearly is incapable of providing.

    Obidient

    Worst still, hubris, which always leads to nemesis, is beginning to creep into their ranks.

    They remind me of the Greek mythological figure known as Icarus who overeached himself by flying too close to the sun with his wax wings, challenging the gods and boasting that he could touch the heavens.

    Needless to say the wings melted and he came down crashing.

    What worries me the most for them is, given their high expectations, the rude shock and sense of despair that will engulf them and the suffering and mental trauma they will experience after they receive a crushing defeat in next years presidential election. And receive it they will.

    I doubt that they will win one Senatorial district or one seat in the House of Representatives let alone a Governorship election or the Presidential election.

    It is after they have tasted and suffered that defeat that their resolve will be truly tested.

    It is at that time that we shall find out whether they are the men and women they claim to be or that they are mere children, venting on social media and expressing their frustrations at any and every public event.

    I had argued in my earlier contribution that they have vision and potential and that what makes them so dangerous is their revolutionary zeal and ideas and their desire to establish a new cadre of Nigerian leaders and sweep away the old.

    I maintain this position but one thing is clear: the old political order will not allow this to happen without a good fight.

    And even if it were to ever happen it would take a good number of years and much struggle.

    After 2023 comes the real test for them.

    After they suffer their first defeat next year they will  either loose their nerve, freak out, crack up, break ranks, fall into disssaray, whine like neophytes, sulk to heaven and back, suck their little thumbs and insult the entire world on social media or they will accept their lot, pull themselves together, establish a new and firm resolve e to fight on  regardless, consolidate their ranks, organise themselves into a new and formidable force and functional political party and prepare for the next election in four years time.

    Sadly I suspect they are incapable of the latter simply because their leader lacks that level of focus, strength, commitment, fortitude or gravitas and I am not sure that there is anyone else within their ranks that can rise up and harness their remarkable energy and strength.

    None of their leaders have the energy, charisma and strength of Yahaya Bello, the White Lion.

    None has the wisdom, patience, knowledge and firm resolve of Mai Mala Buni or the commitment to hard work and dedication to duty, excellence and enterprise of Babagana Zulum.

    None has the gentle, kind, accommodating, alluring and incisive disposition of Sani Bello (Abu Lolo) or the faith, steadfastness and loyalty of Bello Matawalle.

    None has the vision, courage and firepower of Nasir El-Rufai, the profound and calculating disposition and utter genius of Sani Musa (313) or the depth of knowledge and brilliance in oratory of Kashim Shettima.

    None has the calm resolve and iron will of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Gburugburu), the calculating, tenacious and tactical disposition of Rahman Abdul Rasaq, the zeal, confidence, enterprise, experience and byzantine cunning of Orji Uzor Kalu or the irresistible charisma and pugnacious spirit of Nyesom Wike.

    None has the intellectual depth of Kayode Fayemi, the lion heart of Dapo Abiodun, the scholarly insight of Ben Ayaade or the focus, determination and creativity of David Umahi.

    I look into the ranks of their leaders and all I see is weakness.

    The only exception is my older brother and dear friend Doyin Okupe who, as a highly experienced old war horse and veteran politican, is capable of holding his own in any fight but who, deep down, is a die-hard conservative, a product of the ruling class and a man that can hardly be described as a revolutionary.

    I will say little about my brother Datti Ahmed, Obi’s running mate, who I happen to have a soft spot for and who has done a great job in the education sector other than to say that no true progressive or revolutionary would ever publicly proclaim that homosexuals and lesbians should “be killed” simply for being different.

    And even if they believed that should be the case, fewer would have the temerity and sheer indiscretion to blurt it out on the floor of the Nigerian Senate for the entire world to see and hear.

    Is that what the Obidients have in store for us? A world that is so intolerant of those that do not conform with their thoughts, vision, views, way of life, values and sexual preferences?

    Are they really prepared to kill those that do not share their views or that are gays and lesbians?

    I hope not because that would be heartless, fascistic, unjust, ungodly and simply barbaric and that is not the Datti Ahmed that I know and respect.

    Yet say it he did and I repeat, all I see in the ranks of their leaders is weakness. I do not see any strength. I do not see any fire. I do not see any strong resolve. I do not see any passion or zeal and I do not see any fortitude to see the fight through to the end, no matter the cost.

    Simply put they have no Achilles of the Mermidans in their battle ranks, no Hector of Troy, no Sir Arthur Dayne (the Sword of the Morning) and no Khaleed Ibn Waheed (the Sword of God).

    They have no Aragorn of Gondor on their front line, no Alexander the Great, no Salahudeen Ayubi, no Ragnar Lothbrook, no Uthred of Bebbanberg and no William Wallace of the Mcregor’s.

    They have no Robert the Bruce in their formations, no Bonny Prince Charlie, no Khaleesi, Mother of Dragons, no Beowulf son of Ecgtheow and no Daemon Targaryan, Prince of the Seven Kingdoms.

    They have no Kahl Drogo of the Dothraki in their forces, no Jehu son of Nimshi, no Maximus Meridius of Rome, no David son of Jesse, no Grey Worm of the Unsullied, no Legolas of the Elves and no John Snow of the Targaryan’s.

    They have no Gideon son of Joash in their vanguard, no Abner son of Ner, no Jeptha son of Gilead, no Eleazar son of Dodo, no Shammah son of Agee and

    no Ishbaal the Tachmonite.

    They have no Joab, Abishai and Asahel sons of Zeruel and strong men of David in their assault team.

    Without a strong and courageous leader who is prepared to loose everything including his or her liberty or life, their revolution and bid for power will amount to nothing.

    Consequently I believe that we may hear little about them after 2023.

    They will simply vanish and be gone with the wind. The combined forces of APC and PDP will overwhelm them and blow them away.

    When the fight starts they will run for cover and leave the field and boxing ring for the big boys to slug it out.

    They will be nowhere to be found and as the noose gets tighter and tighter, they will get weaker and weaker until they slowly disappear and melt away like an iceberg approaching the tropics.

    I pray I am wrong but this is my suspicion given the fact that, according to unconfirmed reports, Obi is already negotiating a deal with the PDP and looking to form an alliance with them in order to acquire himself a soft landing in the unlikely event of them winning.

    So much for his commitment to his young fanatical supporters and loyalty to his new party.

    The truth is that he is simply using them both and whichever way, even if he gets back into bed with Atiku Abubakar and the PDP in some kind of overt or covert alliance, the APC and our presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Jagaban Borgu, will thrash them all like the winter wheat.

    Atiku particularly cannot possibly see, fathom or comprehend what is coming.

    He will be served a crushing blow and a humiliating defeat and he will be utterly devastated.

    He will be subjected to what the American military forces that invaded Iraq in 2003 under the command of General Tommy Franks famously  described as “shock and awe”.

    He will be subjected to what the German Army referred to as “blitzkrieg” during World War 11.

    He will be utterly routed, roundly defeated, thoroughly demystified and ingloriously evicted out of the political space and from his olympian heights in precisely the same way that Lucifer, Son of the Dawn, was overpowered, overwhelmed and thrown out of Heaven.

    After that he will retire from politics permanently and go back to Dubai from whence he came.

    And that is precisely what he deserves. This is the same Atiku who in 2014 happily proclaimed that “PDP is dead” and that “this country is moving in the wrong direction because of PDP”.

    In that same year he left the party with the then Speaker of the House, five Governors and a number of Senators, House members, former Governors, former Ministers and other notable party leaders on the grounds that it was time for a Northerner to be the flagbearer of the party.

    He, Senator Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal, Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, Governor Abdul Fatah Ahmed and a number of others turned their backs on President Goodluck Jonathan and destroyed their own party’s chances at the polls in 2015 by leaving it a year earlier and joining the then opposition APC.

    Now, 7 years later, they are shamelessly back in the same PDP that they collectively demonised and murdered and they would want us to believe that it has suddenly resurrected and is alive again.

    Thankfully God has given us the opportunity to prove to them by next year that the PDP is still as dead as a dodo and during the course of the election we shall finally bury it before the entire world.

    It is just a question of time.

    Yet aside from all this what I find the most irritating and objectionable about the Obidients is not their unadulterated aggression and abusive tendencies but rather their insistence on comparing their leader Peter Obi to Tinubu.

    I consider this to be deeply insulting.

    It is like comparing Don Perignon to ogogoro.

    It is like comparing Cristal champagne to what the people of the Niger Delta call ‘sepe’.

    It is like comparing the finest red wine from the vineyards of Bordeaux to what the Ghanaians call ‘akpeteshie’.

    It is like comparing chalk and cheese.

    It is like comparing a Rolls Royce to a Volkswagon Beetle, a Porsche Carrera to a three-wheeled scooter, a Ferrari to a broken down mini or a Gulf Stream jet to an Aba-made helicopter.

    When Obi was still in kindergarten Bola Ahmed Tinubu was already a very wealthy and successful business man who had worked and invested massively in the oil, gas, hi-tech and communications sector.

    At that time he was already a dollar millionaire and he invested much of his wealth into politics and the lives of others that were less fortunate than he was.

    When Obi was still in secondary school Bola Ahmed Tinubu was already an integral part of the massive political network and a key figure in the late Major General Shehu Musa Yar’adua’s formidable political family which was known as the People’s Front (PF) together with other notable and seasoned leaders like Babagana Kingibe and Atiku Abubakar.

    They were of course to later join the SDP as a group and they, more than any other, ensured the emergence of Chief MKO Abiola as the presidential flagbearer of that party at their Jos Convention in 1993.

    When Obi was still at University Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in the trenches, fighting military Governments, leading NADECO and risking his life and liberty for the restoration of MKO Abiola’s June 12th mandate, which had been annuled by the military, and for democracy.

    Many of today’s Obidients were not born at that time but they should go and ask their parents or grandparents about what happened and the role that Bola Tinubu played.

    Those of us that were around and very vocal and active at the time can testify to his efforts and we were amongst those that were then described as NADECO footsoldiers.

    Bola Tinubu inspired us and millions of other Nigerians and democrats all over the world with his courage and efforts and he encouraged us to keep up the struggle and rise up for June 12th. And we did!

    Many of our people were killed, incarcerated and driven into exile (including yours truly) and had it not been for the leadership of the following heroes we would still be under the yoke of military rule today.

    I will make this a full and comprehensive list for the benefit of those young Obidients who have no knowledge of our nation’s history and who know nothing about the June 12th struggle.

    They include Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, Wole Soyinka, Anthony Enahoro, Alani Akinrinade, Kudirat Abiola, Kunle Ajasin, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Lam Adesina, Frederick Fasheun, Bola Ige, Ayo Adebanjo, Abraham Adesanya and Gani Fawenhimi.

    They also include Beko Ransome Kuti, Alao Aka Bashorun, Omo Omoruyi, Balarabe Musa, Kayode Fayemi, Tokunboh Afikuyomi, Pascal Bafyau, Olu Omotehinwa and Kunle Ajibade.

    They also include, Adesegun Banjo, Festus Iyayi, Bisi Akande, Bisi Durojaiye, Abubakar ‘Dangiwa’ Umar, Alfred Rewane, Babatunde Edu, Suliat Adedeji, Bolanle Gbonigi, Kola Animashaun, Sam Omatseye, Pius O. Akinyeleru and Gbolabo Ogunsanwo.

    They also include Adebayo Williams, Nosa Igiebor, Dare Babarinsa, Segun Osoba, Olu Falae, Akin Osuntokun, Reuben Abati, Dele Momodu, Dan Suleiman, Bagudu Kaltho, Rauf Aregbesola, Dele Alake, Augustine Sam, Seye Kehinde, Tunde Elegbede and Odia Ofeimun.

    They also include Olisa Agbakoba, Ayo Obe, Amos Akingba, Ndubuisi Kanu, Patrick Koshoni, Bayo Onanuga, Femi Ojudu, Ralph Obioha, Oluwatoyin Onaguruwa, Kola Ilori, Onome Osifo-Whiskey and Bobo Nwosisi.

    They also include Wale Okuniyi, Frank Kokori, Tony Nyiam, Femi Falana, Shehu Sani, Tony Uranta, Ogaga Ifowodo, Chima Ubani, Fred Agbeyegbe, Soji Omotunde and Chris Anyanwu.

    And finally they include Mohammed Adamu, Sam Omatseye, Shola Omatsola, Bisoye Tejuosho, Olusegun Adeniyi, George Mbah, Ben Charles Obi and so many others.

    Many of these names will be strange or unknown to the young Obidients and probably to their leader Peter Obi as well.

    And that is why I decided to mention each and everyone of them.

    I suggest they read up on them and find out the role each of these great and selfless individuals played in securing the democracy and free speech that they are enjoying today.

    They, together with the Nigerian people, were the ones that drove the military out of power and consequently, after seven years of murderous violence, subjugation, tyranny, tribulation and a hard struggle against the military, democracy was restored to our country in 1999 with the pardon, release from prison and election of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Some of those on the list were martyred and many were locked up and suffered badly whilst others were driven into a lonely and oftentimes challenging and depressing exile.

    Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not just amongst them but he was one of those that led them, inspired them and fuelled and financed the resistance.

    He was charged with treason, detained, his home was bombed and he was terrorised, traumatised and persecuted till the time that he, his wife, Oluremi Tinubu (who is a ranking member of the Nigerian Senate today) and children were smuggled out of the country into a long and harrowing exile.

    Outside of that and before the struggle even began

    Tinubu had been elected as a Senator during the 3rd Republic in 1992 on the platform of the SDP, recording the highest number of votes for a Senate seat in the entire country!

    Whilst at the Senate he excelled and was appointed Chairman of the Senate Commitee on Banking and Finance.

     

    This was just short of a decade before he became Governor of Lagos state in 1999 after the murder of MKO Abiola and the then Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, after returning home from exile and after the military were driven away and pushed out of office.

    From 1990 up until today Tinubu has been an active and key player in the political firmament of Nigeria and he has always fought against injustice and tyranny.

    Whilst Obi was still a trader selling tomatoe ketchup and Bournvita in 1999 Bola Ahmed Tinubu had already paid his dues, made his mark and was already running for the Governorship of Lagos state.

    The elders of the South West and Afenifere supported him and rewarded him by ensuring that he won simply because of the noble and dramatic role he played during the June 12th struggle and his role in ensuring that the military left power.

    From 1999 till 2007 he stood firm against a hostile Federal Governmrnt led by President Olusegun Obasanjo (which I proudly served) and not only did he survive it but he went on to ensure that his boys were elected as Governor of that state in every subsequent election for the next 15 years and up until today.

    Over that period of time he also ensured that his boys were elected Governor of virtually all the South West states, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Yemi Osinbajo), Speaker of the House of Representatives (Femi Gbajabiamila) and so much more.

    Others were appointed as prominent and powerful Traditional Rulers all over the South West and have ascended to the throne of their reverred and distinguished ancestors.

    Finally others were given Ministerial appointments from 2015 to date in President Muhammadu Buhari’s Government such as Lai Mohammed, Babatunde Raji Fashola and Sunday Dare who were once his loyal aides and who served him for many years whilst others, who were his political associates and trusted friends like Boss Mustapha and Babachir Lawal, were appointed as Secretary to the Federal Government respectively.

    He also cultivated and groomed a small group of utterly brilliant professionals and technocrats, including bankers, lawyers, economists, businessmen and other leading members of the private sector like Wale Edun, Yemi Cardoso, Folarin Coker, Babatunde Fowler and James  Faleke into the political arena where they shone and continue to shine like the bright stars that they are.

    I was in the then ruling PDP in 2015 and during the campaign for the presidential election I played a key role for President Goodluck Jonathan and led the media campaign and charge against President Buhari’s election bid.

    It was a tough fight and a very hard, vicious, aggressive and oftentimes dirty campaign and both sides gave as good as they got.

    I can tell you that had it not been for the unequivocal  support that Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his faction of the APC gave President Buhari at the time, he would NEVER have won that election.

    The same thing happened again in 2019 though by that rime the campaign was far less colourful, less eventful, less contentious, less dramatic and less aggressive and, though still in PDP, I was not in any way involved in Atiku Abubakar’s election bid or campaign organisation.

    Yet once again Tinubu and his machinery ensured that Buhari won.

    There is no APC Governor in the South West today that can say he got there without the tacit support and approval of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    He is father to all of them and he has also extended his support base to the entire country with his boys, followers and political associates everywhere, including the core North, the Middle Belt, the South South and the South East.

    A final point on the June 12th struggle and Tinubu’s contribution to democracy and the peace and unity of Nigeria.

    June 12th brought our nation closer to the brink of a second civil war than any other political event in the course of our history. It literally tore us apart.  Yet thankfully 29 years later the wounds have finally healed and our nation has moved on.

    I submit that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the architect of that healing process and was the key reason why the matter was finally brought to closure and what the Holy Bible describes as an “expected end” and I shall explain how and why.

    Perhaps the greatest testimony that we can cite as an example of his sense of patriotism is the fact that long after the passing of Chief MKO Abiola and even in the midst of the rise of a mainly new, naive, skeptical, unbelieving, antagonistic and historically-ignorant generation of Gen-Z and Millenial youths who know absolutely nothing about the sacrifices made for the restoration of democracy during June 12th, he kept faith with the memory and the heroes of that struggle.

    He achieved this by ensuring that MKO Abiola was not only recognised but also honored by the Buhari administration who not only named June 12th as our Democracy Day but also named the National Stadium in Abuja after MKO and formally recognised him and his erstwhile running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, as a former President and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria respectively.

    With these laudable actions they finally set aside all doubt and acknowledged the fact that, though these two great men were never sworn in, they actually won the June 12th 1993 presidential election: a fact that a handful of key players in the political space had disputed for many years and a course of action that a number of post-1999 democratically-elected Presidents and Governments had inexplicably and wickedly refused to do.

    This singular act by the Buhari administration has finally killed the ghost of June 12th, brought about national reconciliation and cemented the unity and future of Nigeria more than any other.

    It has also brought to an end the deep suspicion that had hitherto existed between the people of the South West and the North.

    Commendation for all this must go to primarily two people.

    Firstly President Muhammadu Buhari who displayed remarkable courage and sensitivity by taking this monumental step and noble course of action and secondly Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who lobbied morning day and night to ensure that he did it.

    For this alone and so much more Bola Tinubu deserves to be elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in next years election.

    Can any of these things be said of Peter Obi?

    Of course not: unless you are deluded!

    There are many former Governors, former Presidents, former Vice Presidents and former Ministers in this country whose names barely get a mention anymore in the public space but Tinubu is and has always been a constant factor for the last 32 years!

    All this and much more and some have the sheer effontry to be comparing one Peter Obi who was Governor of Anambra state just a few years ago to the mighty Jagaban.

    This is a big insult and frankly reflects nothing other than the ignorance of those making the comparison.

    Take it or leave it, that is the bitter truth.

    To compare a strong-willed, resilient, industrious, tried and tested, exposed, gifted, blessed, wily, wise, enigmatic, courageous, intelligent and great man like Bola Ahmed Tinubu who God has used to better the lives of millions and who transformed our very own Lagos from a chaotic, ugly, dirty, congested, over-populated, poor, crime-ridden, depressing, ghetto-filled city and festering slum with a dwindling economy, a tiny income and a negligible and pitiful IGR of 700 million naira per month in 1999 to the most modern, sophisticated, cosmopolitan, secure, orderly, powerful, dynamic, clean, beautiful, inspiring, prestigious, booming, business-friendly, commercially-gratifying, inspiring, happy, modern and prosperous city and industrial hub on the African continent with by far the largest population, an IGR of 44.5 billion naira per month, a massive income and the largest economy compared to any other CITY in Africa, the 3rd largest economy compared to any NATION in Africa (with a GDP of $76 billion) and a larger economy than over 95% of NATIONS on the African continent all as a consequence of his efforts and that of his political sons that succeeded him as Governor and established a joint and combined legacy of excellence with him over the last 23 years to a man who is so far down the ladder like Peter Obi is uncharitable.

    This is the same Obi who, as Governor of his Anambra state just a few years ago, did NOTHING in terms of infrastructural development, was incapable of building up the state’s IGR, spent all his time fighting the workers and unions and oppressing his perceived enemies and instead of providing good governance and hope for his people, was busy persecuting non-indigenes and particularly Northerners and throwing them out of his state.

    This is the same Obi who, as Governor of Anambra state, instead of providing inspirational leadership for his people was busy fighting the world and claiming that Lagos was no longer part of the West but now a “no-man’s land” and that took pleasure in stoking the embers of tribalism, religious intolerance, sectarian conflict and ethnic nationalism.

    This is the same Obi who, as Governor of Anambra state, instead of doing something tangible and bringing the dividends of democracy to his people was, as Dele Alake the former Commissioner of Information of Lagos state rightly said, was too busy “saving money” whilst his people were dying of hunger and starvation.

    Again this is a man who, as Governor of Anambra state, boldly and publicly proclaimed that “education is not for the poor” and not only increased the school fees of students to an exorbitant and unattainable  figure but also wickedly insisted that they must pay their fees for three terms in advance as opposed to one, causing many students to drop out of school and forfeit their dream of getting a good education.

    Again this is a man who is essentially a commodities broker and trader that imports virtually everything from toilet paper, tomatoe puree and toothpaste to biscuits, soap and Bournvita into our country and who has done nothing to support or encourage our local industries, local industrial growth or agricultural production.

    This prompted a prominent social media public commentator by the name of Ayekooto Akindele to say that “Peter Obi IMPORTS into the country what Aliko Dangote PRODUCES in the country”.

    Ayekooto is right.

    And the implications of the activities of international traders and commodity merchants like Obi on our economy and the value of our currency and their contribution to the high unemployment rate in our country as a consequence of their line of work and desire to make a quick buck at the expense of our local farmers and producers are legion.

    People like Obi are assisting foreign farmers and industrialists  to make vast sums of money at the expense of their Nigerian counterparts by providing a vast market for them to dump their luxury items and consumner products at usually unreasonable and extortionate prices and killing local production of similar goods because our farmers and producers simply cannot compete with them.

    Worse still they have done nothing to open any of the lucrative foreign markets to the few products that our farmers and industrialists can actually produce.

    The direct consequence of this is poverty for the Nigerian farmer and producer and prosperity for the foreign ones and their agents and middle men like Obi.

    This is unfair, unacceptable  and unconciable.

    And making the bulk of your money from such a nebulous and iniquitous endeavour regardless of the damaging effect and negative impact it has on your country’s economy, farmers and producers raises a lot of questions about your sense of patriotism.

    That is the problem with the Obi’s of this world.

    Comparing such a man to an enigma like Tinubu who has made massive investments in different sectors of our economy and who is the employer of hundreds of thousands of our people in various local enterprises and industries is absurd.

    It is like comparing a gold-plated treasure chest filled with the world’s finest and largest emralds, topaz’s and diamonds to a worthless plastic bucket filled with sand, pebbles and a sprinkling of fools gold.

    It is like comparing Miss Universe or Miss World to an ugly, shifty, smelly, well-worne and well-used Mumbai lady of easy virtue.

    It is like comparing Elon Musk and Bill Gates to Hushpuppi and Al Capone.

    It is like comparing a beautiful blue-blooded Turkish Sultana or Hatun with a fading, ageing, crude and vulgar 18th century Parisian streetwalker.

    It is a shameful and shameless comparison.

    It is a tactless, tasteless and nauseating joke.

    It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing!

    It is an exercise in futility and a pointless and profit less endeavour.

    Permit me to end this contribution with the following assertions.

    Let the foundations of the earth rumble, let the demons scream, let the lions roar, let the wolves howl and let the sharks run riot.

    Let the wailers wail, let the bulls of Bashan charge, let the mortals plot and plan, let the orcs shriek, let the goblins grumble and let our adversaries and oppressors “cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war”.

    Let the forces of hell gather, let the creatures of darkness hiss and writhe, let the spoilers bellow and spoil, let the haters hate, let the liars lie and let the accusers accuse.

    Let the hordes of hell, the wizards, the sorcerers, the witches, the voodoo-merchants, the witch-doctors, the spiritualists, the sharmans, the occultists, the deceivers and the agents of satan invoke their powers, chant their chants, spin their deceitful and ugly tales, cast their spells and do their worst.

    it changes nothing and their counsel shall NOT stand because the Lord, whose name is MIGHTY and FAITHFUL, is with us!

    Come rain, come shine, by His grace and the will of the Nigerian people, we shall prevail in next year’s presidential election, Bola Ahmed Tinubu will win and on his mandate WE SHALL STAND!

     

    • Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Sadaukin Shinkafi, is a former Minister of Aviation and a former Minister of Culture and Tourism.
  • I infuse fruits in my water bottles – Abayomi Odunola

    I infuse fruits in my water bottles – Abayomi Odunola

    Abayomi Odunola is a serial entrepreneur, photographer, digital media strategist, graduate of Electrical Electronics as well as TV host of the TOD Show.
    In this encounter with Yetunde Oladeinde takes you into her world, the things that make her tick and the secret of looking good.” I ensure I have adequate rest, eat clean, take balanced diets and lots of fruits. Staying hydrated by taking lots of water is also important. Usually, I infuse fruits in my water bottles”.

    Getting the help of professionals at the spa is something that has worked for her and she talks about the experience happily.

    “I visit the Spa regularly, especially before shoots and recordings. It’s usually a therapeutic experience for me and it is needed”.

    Apart from this, Odunola goes on to talk about caring for her skin and the different things she does to maintain her glowing skin.

    “I use face and body scrubs a lot to ensure adequate exfoliation which prepares my skin for uttermost absorption of products applied afterwards”.

    Now you want to know the things she avoids in her diet and she responds this way: ” I avoid oily food and nuts . That has helped a lot and it is important to understand your body and know what works for you”. What won’t you do in the name of fashion?” I definitely won’t over expose my body”.

    Next, the beautiful show host goes on to talk about her favourite products and make-up artiste.

    “For my skin products, I love to use La Roche-Posay and Skinceuticals. There is also Waalls Calendula Face and Body Oil, which works very well for me. Also, when it comes to make up products Fenty Beauty and Kylie Jenner is a favourite choice for me.”

    Currently, AskOnyeka Beauty is in charge of her makeup, hair and nails sessions. “Looking fit is also important and I maintain a good exercise routine for a balance. I do this by walking. Due to my busy schedule, going to gym frequently seems difficult but I ensure I cover good kilometers walking”.

    What is her favourite hairdo? “I love natural hair twist. My hair is natural; unrelaxed. Twisting it makes it look like some sort of attachment and it gives me the room to pack various styles and also serves as a protective style against harsh weather. This also enables me to wear wigs to some certain extent”.

  • Ighele wants women to intercede for nation

    Ighele wants women to intercede for nation

    The wife of the General Overseer of Holy Spirit Mission, (The Happy Family Chapel), Rev Carol Ighele has called on women to rise up and take their position spiritually to intercede for their children, and husbands.

    The wake-up call was made recently at the international conference of ‘When Mama prays,’ held at the church headquarters in Lagos.

    Tagged: ‘Rise Up’ gotten from Romans 8, Vs 11, the event brought together over 1000 women both physically and virtually which featured prayers, song rendition, and prophetic ministration.

    There were music side attractions from gospel singer Judi-Kay and other guest ministers like, Debbie Segun, Pastor Victoria Uzibor, Deaconess Bunmi Thompson, Pastor Bosede Okonta, minister Elo Okwuashi, and others added a soul-lifting experience to the memorable event.

    Ighele who is the convener of the programme stated that a lot is happening in the society that affects women most and it is time for women to Rise up to these challenges with prayer.

    Speaking on how ‘When Mama prays’ programme started, Ighele explained that over 20 years ago when she was praying, the Lord said she should raise an army of women, ladies that are 15 years and above, that will intercede for their husbands, children, and for their natural abilities so that they can rise to the top through prayer.

    “Many things come in while hosting these programmes,  deliverance, healing, fruit of the womb.  When a woman is born, she is born with eggs which indicate that God has given her a definite assignment. That assignment is procreation and to raise up Godly seed,” she said.

    One of the guest ministers that shook up the women’s spirit with power packed ministration and prayer session, Reverend Mrs Fola Achumude called on women to shun distractions like gossip, envy, backbiting, and jealousy and take up the authority position which God has given them to fight for their families in these perilous times which the world and Nigeria have found themselves.

    She charged women that these side distractions will only weaken the strength which God has put in them to stand in the gap to intercede for their children, husbands, and their natural abilities.

     

  • Bob-Manuel advises FG on ASUU stike, insecurity, others

    Bob-Manuel advises FG on ASUU stike, insecurity, others

    The Prelate of the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide, His Eminence David Bob-Manuel, otherwise known as Baba Aladura has urged the Federal Government and the Academic State Union of Universities (ASUU) to resolve the lingering crisis for the sake of youths.

    Dr. Bob-Manuel, who gave the advice during a world press conference at the church’s headquarters in Surulere to celebrate his 5th induction as the Baba Aladura and Prelate of the church, said such a prolonged interruption of university education undermines development of human capital and make the certificates obtained from the tertiary institutions of little or no value.

    He said: “Public universities where the delight of all parents had been brought to its lowest ebb. The advancement of quality education is the bedrock of technological development of any country. It should be unacceptable for any nation to allow her youths to be out of school for so long, roaming about the streets and left with vagaries of life.”

    The Prelate urged the Federal Government, ASUU and all stakeholders in the educational sector to resolve the lingering strike with the urgency it demands in order to save this sector from total collapse.

    On the issue of rising insecurity in the country, Dr. Bob-Manuel said Nigeria would have been plunged into religious and ethnic wars over incessant killings and kidnappings if not for the grace of God through the continuous prayers of the elects.

    “I implore the present leadership of the country to find a lasting solution to the continuing siege and nightmare which the problems of insecurity constitute to the nation and its people,” he said.

    He advised the government to continue to invest in effective modern methodology, security technologies and manpower, and also to listen to the yearnings of Nigerians for restructuring and state police which would be of great impact in solving the issue of insecurity.

    on the forthcoming 2023 general election, Dr. Bob-Manuel advised Nigerians to choose a leader who has the solution to the perennial socio-economic and security problems facing the country.

    He also urged all Nigerians who are of voting age to play their roles as stakeholders by discharging their civic duties by voting for the candidate of their choice.

    “The youths must not allow themselves to be used as political thugs and hoodlums to disrupt the electoral process. It is my candid advice for all voters to reject Greek gifts offered by politicians to cause mayhem during and after the elections or given to mortgage their future,” he added.

    Speaking on his 5th induction, Dr. Bob-Manuel said the Church has grown in bounds and leaps, and has recently dedicated a pro-cathedral of over 9,000 capacity at Diobu, Rivers state.

    Baba Aladura also congratulated His Grace, Most Rev. Daniel Okoh over his emergence as the new President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) as well as the election of His Holiness, Most Rev. Rufus Ositelu as President of World council of Churches for Africa.

  • Delta community ravaged by oil spill battles diseases, hunger

    Delta community ravaged by oil spill battles diseases, hunger

    AMOUKPOKPO-ELUME community, a predominantly fishing community in Sapele Local Government Area, Delta State, is facing an uncertain future. The sudden loss of means of livelihood poses an existential threat to a community that “lives of the land”.

    In the past seven months, life has been hellish for this riverside community, no thanks to a February 11 oil spill from a facility operated by independent oil exploration and development company, Conoil Plc. The oil spill irretrievably devastated the community’s environment and its local economy.

    Now a shadow of itself, Amuokpokpo-Elume was once a thriving economic hub, attracting traders from Sapele and neighbouring villages who made daily visits to buy fish, periwinkles, snails and sawn planks for building and construction.

    River Amoukpokpo plays a central role in the lives of the inhabitants of this rustic community. A tributary of Ethiope River, with its deep bottle-green freshwater fed from vast pristine mangrove creeks, it provides plentiful fish, periwinkle, snails and drinking water for residents. Infact, it is a veritable means of livelihood for more than 3,000 inhabitants.

    But all that is no more. The bountiful harvest of fish, periwinkle, snails, crabs and freshwater for drinking have all disappeared.

    Aside Amuokpokpo-Elume community, the seven other riverside communities affected by the spill include Ologho, Elume, Okwelabra, in Sapele LGA, and Ekoko, Eroghor, Idjekporo, Mereje and Opuraja in Okpe LGA.

    Although the thick oil sludge that covered the river seven months earlier is now less evident, its deleterious impact  on the people and their environment is as clear as crystal.

    As dusk sets in Amuokpokpo-Elume, a few courageous fishermen and families return in wooden canoes from another fruitless expedition.

    In small groups, they gather on the beach to discuss the day’s poor catch before heading into the village.

    The prevailing mood in the village is one of despondence and hopelessness as they have to eke out a precarious living.

    But many have learned new skills to survive the harsh times. Some have taken to farming crops like cassava from which they process garri, tapioca, etc, while others have taken to tapping rubber trees for latex. Yet another group sell unprocessed palm bunches (banga) to survive.

    Amuokpokpo-Elume Community Chairman Christopher Obule, who in an interview lamented the plight of residents, alleged that the oil spill emanated from a Conoil Plc facility on the river.

    He added that the spill has led to an outbreak of skin diseases and cholera in the various communities.

    Obule carpeted Conoil Plc and government for abandoning them to their fate, adding that their rivers have become poisoned by the oil spill which is their only source of livelihood,

    According to him, the pollution has contaminated all the fishing settlements on the river bank. Hence he appealed for palliative from federal and state governments.

    He said: “Our only source of water remains this river, and all aquatic life have been killed by the pollution.

    “What has happened here is pure wickedness for the operators of this well to have left us to suffer for what we know nothing about.

    “They refused to clean our water for our consumption. We have to be contributing and buying sachet water for drinking and cooking.”

    Still recounting their plight, Obule said some children were hospitalised after drinking the polluted water, while others suffered strange skin diseases.

    “As we speak, some of our children that drank this water only survived just because of God’s love towards us. After drinking it, they were rushed to the nearby community health centres where they were treated for cholera and skin infections,” he said.

    He expressed disappointment with the Delta State Government and Conoil Plc for not responding to their cries for humanitarian assistance, and appealed for palliatives to cushion the effect of the spill.

    Obule lamented the humiliation suffered at the hands of the oil company during repair works on the offending wellhead, stressing that Conoil workers backed by a heavy military contingent effected repairs without interacting with them.

    He said bewildered residents watched operations in wooden canoes from a respectable distance.

    The councillor representing Ward 18 Sapele Council, Sam Azu, urged government at all levels as well as other well meaning individuals and organisations to prevail on Conoil to do the needful regarding the oil spills.

    He bemoaned the effect of oil spill on economic activities in the area.

    Azu said the oil spill remained the biggest spill disaster in the history of the community since the three wellheads were built more than 40 years ago.

    He lamented that government has abandoned his beleaguered kinsmen, adding that only nine slots were allocated to Amoukpokpo and some neighbouring communities as beneficiaries of the state youth empowerment scheme.

    For Esther Youngman, a 38-year-old mother of seven who has fished on the river for 10 years, life has been unbearably cruel to her family. Gone are the days when she made good returns from huge harvest of freshwater fish on the Amoukpokpo River.

    According to her, fishing was lucrative before the oil spill of February 11 which has  had a devastating impact on her source of livelihood and the local economy.

    She said: “My occupation is fishing. Every day, I go in my canoe to fish. After selling my catch, I make between N15,000 and N20,000. That income is no more.

    “My children have been battling hunger since the spill and l don’t know what to do. My children are starving and I am unable to feed them or send them to school.

    “I have resorted to farming cassava. I have had to learn to wait patiently for 12 months because cassava can only be harvested after 12 months.

    “Farming is new to me. It is fishing that I know well. I want Governor Okowa to come to our aid. We are suffering.

    “We can no longer catch fish, periwinkle, snails and crabs in the creeks because of pollution.”

    Another fisherman, Samuel Ogheneovo, 54, said due to the pollution, he abandoned fishing and now earns a living tapping rubber trees at nearby rubber plantations.

    He said because he lacks the requisite skill to efficiently tap rubber trees, his earnings are very low.  Ogheneovo said he now earns N6000 weekly for his efforts as against N20,000 he made from one fishing trip.

    He said a major cause of low earnings is heavy rains, especially during rainy season, which disrupts the flow of latex and loss of income.

    Speaking in pidgin English, he said: “Since water spoil, I noh dey fit feed my family. I go join people wey dey work for rubber plantation when Western region government establish.

    “But the job dey hard me because nah fishing work I learn as a small boy. I no sabi to tap well well, and if you no mark the rubber well, latex no go flow.

    “To mark the tree dey hard me. The work hard. And if rain fall well well like for rainy season, we no dey go work.”

    The lawmaker representing Sapele Constituency, Hon. Anirah, blamed the community for not submitting a petition to the House of Assembly, saying that only petitions formally submitted to his office by impacted communities can trigger legislative action.

    He accused the federal government of shirking its responsibility to conduct a clean-up of the environment and provide compensation to the impacted communities.

    His words: “The communities are not willing to send a formal petition to the state legislature that will ensure their situation is escalated to the relevant authorities.

    “The federal government has neglected and unfairly treated my constituents. This has emboldened the oil company.

    “If they send a petition, I, as chairman of the House Committee, Oil and Gas, will move the entire committee including the relevant state and federal agencies to assess their plight and it will become a national issue.”

    Conoil Plc official, Richard Edegbai, declined comment on the matter when our correspondent contacted him on the telephone.

  • ‘We have suffered’

    ‘We have suffered’

    These are obviously trying days for business owners and staff in government-owned universities across the nation, as the deadlock between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal Government seems to have taken another dimension, following breakdown of talks between the two parties. Gboyega Alaka, who recently interacted with stakeholders across the universities, reports.

    The news of the declaration of indefinite strike by president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, earlier in the week must have come like a death knell to business owners within the university system and those reliant on the university system for survival.

    This group of business owners must have had their hopes dashed with that pronouncement, especially as they had thought the two parties – the Federal Government and ASUU, were beginning to make headway in their talk and the strike was about to be called off.

    The strike, which is now in its seventh month, is in protest against government’s failure to release revitalisation funds for universities, failure to release the white paper report of the visitation panel to universities and the failure to deploy the University Transparency Accountability System for the payment of salaries and allowances of lecturers.

    Osodeke’s declaration prompted The Nation to go round some campuses across the country to feel the pulse of business owners. Just how have they survived and how have they managed without their primary target market – the students?

    Survival has been extremely difficult

    According to 36-year-old Dayo Akindosunni, who runs a cybercafé/ business centre inside Kaduna state University, survival has been extremely difficult.

    “Honestly business has not been easy. Feeding, paying house rents and school fees have been almost impossible to meet. I literally can’t pay any of my bills because nothing is coming in. I depend solely on this business to cater for my family. Aside that I am married with four kids, I am also the first born of my family and my siblings look up to me, whereas I have nobody to look up to.”

    To make matters worse, Akindosunni said he has had to take a loan from a microfinance bank recently to enhance his business, which has now put him in deeper trouble.

    “They actually came to my house to embarrass me for not meeting my commitment to them recently. They even took away my freezer. Not even my explanation that the strike has been hampering my business pacified them,” he said.

    Asked if he thought the strike would drag for so long, Akindosunni said, “Of course not. The strike started in February, and because Kaduna State University is a state university, we expected that they would just join in solidarity as usual and then pull out soon after. That had been the trend, and we didn’t expect they would go the whole hug with the federal universities. So now, we are just helpless and praying to God that they call off the strike and allow students return to school, because they are our market; without them, we have no business.”

    Asked to quantify his loss, Akindosunni said he raked in about N15,000 every week through contribution, after all expenses, including feeding and transportation have been met. But now, he said things have been totally grounded, leaving him destitute and having to call on friends and family sometimes for assistance.

    Asked if it has been total blank out, the father of four said, “Yesterday, when I came to open my shop, a few students who were writing their examinations came around and I got lucky. I made N500. That’s how bad things have become.”

    More painful, he said, is the fact that the inactivity of the equipments means they may also become faulty and requiring replacement, because as he put it, “We usually buy them fairly used.”

    One of Akindosunni’s biggest worries as the month of September approached, he said, was the challenge of paying school fees and the attending opening session expenses.

    “Honestly, I don’t know how I am going to manage with the school fees challenge. I am just hoping on miracle from God.”

    He therefore made a passionate appeal to the two warring parties. “ASUU and the government should always consider other people when they are doing things like these. ASUU should understand that there are several other businesses whose survival is tied to the existence of the university system. I mean, there are restaurants, there are book sellers, stationery stores, transport businesses; there are keke (tricycle) and okada (motorcycle) riders who are all grounded as a result of the strike. They are all crying because their families are suffering. Some of these keke people collected it on hire purchase; so now, they can’t pay and the pressure is on them. Whether we like it or not, this whole thing is affecting the economy.”

    Does he think ASUU is overdoing it?

    “Well I really can’t say, but according to what I read in the paper, the government has yielded to their demand about 80 percent, so why not they come back to work and then continue the negotiations. I believe if your employer is yielding ground, it also behoves on ASUU to also shift ground,” he replied.

    Tough time in Akoka

    At the University of Lagos and the entire Akoka environs, where the university is situated, it’s all unpleasant stories. At the Main Shopping Complex, the spectacle that confronted this reporter was of boredom and apathy, as shops were either closed or half opened. The staff at a business centre first visited told this reporter outright that they were tired of talking about ASUU strike and would rather be left alone.

    However, Chinyere, who works as a salesgirl at a nearby grocery store who caught glimpse of that little drama absolved the staff of any blame, saying after waiting endlessly for school to reopen for up to six months, everyone is on edge and only few have the patience for such interviews.

    She said, “The strike has affected businesses terribly. Sales have dropped drastically and you hardly see people come in to ask for anything. This is unlike on normal days, when students, even lecturers and visitors troop in and you hardly have time to sit. On a normal day, we used to sell up to 20packs of drinks, but now, we hardly sell one pack. That is a clear picture of what we have been going through.”

    Chinyere, who said the strike has been so total, said their only sales come from people who visit to ‘do one or two things’.

    Effectively, she said “sales have dropped by ninety per cent.”

    Asked if this has affected her salary, Chinyere answered in the affirmative, but said the shop owner draws from other sources to pay and retain her service.

    At Yem Kem Pharmacy and its sister outlet, Yem Kem Supermarket, the story is the same. For the nearly half an hour this reporter spent waiting to speak with an official of the two ventures, only a handful of customers entered the supermarket, while it was worse with the pharmacy.

    Omolara Anofi, who spoke on behalf of the management, said the strike has seriously affected business, as the students are their major customers. To make things worse, she said majority of the lecturers live outside the campus, which leaves them with near zero market prospects.

    Consequently, she said sales have dropped by as much as 70 percent.

    Asked how the company has been able to meet with staff salaries, Anofi said, “It’s been God. And of course Yem Kem has other branches. If not for that, how would we have survived with our staff strength?”

    Anofi’s last question turns out to be the direct predicament of Lekbun View Foods, a cosy restaurant near the University Sports Centre, where one of the staff, Akanni Omolola Deborah told The Nation that the management had to temporarily relieve four of its staff of their jobs, pending when the strike will be called off.

    Said a visibly bored Akanni, it has been so bad that sales have dropped by as much as 90 percent and the restaurant now only prepares just a bit of rice and some swallows, unlike in the past, when they had array of delicacies for customers to pick from.

    Consequently, she said staff salaries are now delayed.

    She appealed to the striking lecturers to reconsider their stance on the indefinite strike it recently declared, saying that businesses and vendors are suffering and staff living off those businesses are suffering even more.

    Dark, hollow chamber

    At De Café at the Main Shopping Complex, the various vending machines and show glasses were empty. A peep inside the restaurant also showed a dark hollow chamber.

    Not surprising, the two staff on duty were not willing to talk to this reporter.

    One of them, a male, however volunteered that things have been very dry since the strike commenced. Pointing at the empty seats, he said, “Before 6pm, everywhere would be vacant, like a ghost town. Meanwhile evening time is supposed to be our prime selling time because that is when students come out to unwind. And as you can see, afternoon is even worse; not a single customer. Even the diploma students are done with their exams and gone.”

    However, by some dint of luck, a couple of teenagers walked up to the stand while this discussion was ongoing and ordered two wraps of sharwama. That may well be all the sales for that hour, the young man said.

    On interrogation, the girls told this reporter they were on the campus to pursue their admission.

    FG, ASUU toying with our lives

    ASUU

    At the University of Ibadan, business owners and their staff are crying in desperation.  Kunle Ajayi, a shopkeeper, said the strike is affecting businesses and traders on the campuses.

    “As you can see, I am just sitting alone here; no customers to attend to unlike before when large turnout of clients would not give us chance to have this conversation. Our businesses have been crippled because majority of our customers are students.

    “I also have a daughter in a federal university; her house rent has expired which she would need to renew once they resume. Where am I going to get the money for her rent when there is no business? Meanwhile this is a business that ordinarily thrived very well on this campus.”

    Mrs Dayo Abiodun, who runs a business centre on the campus, said it has been double tragedy for her, because her main patrons are students.

    “The strike is affecting parents and students just as it is affecting business people. The presence of students in this area was an advantage to our businesses. My children are already talking about schools resumption; they will require books, uniform and also make some payment immediately they resume. Yet business is in comatose as we speak. We are suffering a lot; government should do the needful,” she said.

    “These days, I open my shop and from morning till night, I may not make any money at all; but if students were around, I make as much as N10,000 and above daily.

    “Therefore, my prayer is that ASUU and the government resolve their issues and allow the students come back to campus.”

    A food vendor, Mrs Sola Adekile said, “This is the only business I do and the only place I have. And as students are not here, I can no longer prepare food like I used to. It is a really discouraging situation. In fact there was a time I had to close down the shop when the money I was spending on feeding and transportation to shop was more than I was making.”

     

    Everybody needs salary increase

    At the Federal University of Technology, Guidan Kwano, Minna, Niger State, Adenike, who runs a provisions and snacks shop, said she and fellow business owners have been literally out of business.

    “Because most of the products I sell are perishable and stuff that can expire, I have had to take them to friends outside the campus to help me sell to beat the expiry dates. So basically, I have been out of business for six whole months.”

    Asked if she had other businesses, Adenike revealed that she is also a fashion designer but said even that is not thriving because of the poor economy. Besides, she said most of her clients are students, as the community where the university is located is a ghost town once school was not on.

    Interestingly, it’s a double edged sword for Adenike, as she revealed that her husband, a lecturer in the university, is caught up in the strike as well.

    “Funnily enough, my husband is a member of ASUU, so what that means is that he has not earned a salary for six months. And to think that this is September and children will soon be going back to school with the attending expenses. So it is really very disheartening.

    When reminded that many people are now fed up and are blaming ASUU, Adenike said, “Personally, I don’t think ASUU is overdoing it. The first fight has to do with increase in salary; and you would agree with me that everybody needs an increment in salary at this point in time. Everything in the market has gone double. Even school fees have gone double because teachers are complaining that their take-homes do not take them home anymore. Of course there is also transport fair and every other thing. This same strike happened in 2020, don’t forget. It was even ten months then, if you add the Corona lockdown; but I honestly didn’t feel the impact because the little money I had could buy a lot. One mudu of rice was N500 compared to the N1,200 it now goes for. So how do you expect us to live on the same income? It just does not make sense. So the whole six months strike was because of increment in salary; only for government to come back and say they are increasing the salary of professors to N460,000 from N400,000. What impact do they expect N60,000 increment to have in an economy where even a litre of fuel is now N195?

    “And as if that is not enough, the government is now saying they’re not going to pay the backlog of salaries. Do they know how much debt is on ground that we have to pay up? So really it doesn’t make sense.”

    Additional report by Olusegun Sowunmi in Ibadana

  • ‘Why Lizzy Anjorin Warriors are after my school’

    ‘Why Lizzy Anjorin Warriors are after my school’

    At the moment, Difas Schools based in Odogunyan, Ikorodu, Lagos, is the target of a negative campaign, blackmail and attack from a faceless group known as Lizzy Anjorin Warriors Fans.

    According to the founder and Director of the school, Taiwo Dimeji Jojolola, the school’s only sin was advertising on Alujo Fm, an online radio station.

    Most painful, Jojolola said is the fact that this whole negative campaign is coming at a time the school is finally settling down to reap the fruits of its years of hardwork, patience and dedication.

    She began: “Recently, it came to our notice after we placed an advert on an online radio station known as Alujo Fm that an attempt was being made to defame the character and integrity of Difas Schools on social media. Getting to the roots of the matter, we realised that the threat was coming from a group called Lizzy Anjorin Warriors”.

    Lizzy Anjorin is a popular Nollywood actress; could this group have any link with her, and has she had any brush with the actress?

    “Yes, I know her as a Nollywood actress. I have never met her but only watch her on movies. She doesn’t have anything to do with this school. Recently, I read that she is having issues with some bloggers online and I watched her make threats directly to all the bloggers. I even have the video where she was warning people from putting advert in the medium of those bloggers”.

    So her school ran afoul of the group because she advertised on the blog? We asked.

    “We realised that the attack against Difas School is not directly as a result of any issues they have with the school; rather, it is more of a revenge plan on Alujo Fm, which Lizzy Anjorin Warriors had vowed to ruin. However, this is a personal issue between the two parties, which Difas School knows nothing about”.

    Consequently, Jojolola noticed that the school website was hacked by unknown persons; she also noticed that she was being stalked during her usual morning exercise in the neighbourhood and began receiving strange calls.

    “The group known as the Lizzy Anjoorin Warriors told Difas School to remove her advert from Alujo Fm because they were coming after anyone that tried to do business with Mr. Sikiru Adekola, the owner of Alujo Fm. When Difas School refused, they increased their threats and blackmail”.

    Expatiating further on the episode, which she said started about two weeks ago, Jojolola said: “Among the members of the group that threatened us with posts tag on social media, threat videos and threat calls are: Shadywarriors blog, Yoruba celebrity corner on Facebook, Shady Poshy and Bisi Wellington popularly known as MumHannahmayowa on Facebook, who claims to be the vice president of Lizzy Anjorin Warriors Fans group”.

    The most painful part, she said, are the libelous and defamatory contents these people are putting out there aimed at putting her school in bad light.

    “The false allegations they laid against Difas School is that Difas School is a ritualist school, that teachers in Difas School are pedophiles and that the school is kidnapper school. In addition, they did videos online saying that Difas School supports bullying and should be penalised by Lagos State.”