Queen Busola Oke of the Eleyele fame tells Adetutu Audu her favourite things
Favourite fashion designer
Sadias Micheal
Favourite shoe
Next
Favourite food
Ewa agonyin (beans) and dodo (fried plantain)
Favourite handbag
Moschino
Favourite wristwatch
DKNY
Favourite perfume
Guilty by Gucci
Favourite make-up
Victoria’s secret
Favourite holiday spot
Dubai
Favourite designer sunglasses
DKNY
Favourite car
Ferrari
SOCIETY woman and politician, Chief Mrs. Remi Adiukwu Bakare, loves to dance. But what many do not know is that the wife of top businessman, Chief Stephen Bakare of the famed Oluwalogbon Motors, is using it as a form of exercise to keep fit.
You hardly see the stylish woman in her 50s go to the gym, but a source close to her squealed that she dances a lot, which is another form of exercise. Many of her co-members at the Church of Assumption, Falomo, where she worships, also attest to her dancing skills. So when next you catch the Lika-Aje of Owu dancing, be sure she is exercising.
IT is amazing and baffling, the rate at which people, women in particular, adapt to changes in fashion. If you have any doubt about this, then consider what has been happening to tops and blouses in recent time. Blouses, tuxedo ruffles and just plain frill shirts; they are everywhere at the moment. You are not dressed this season unless you’ve got a frill here, a touch of lace there with killer heels. Fabulous blouses or tops we know you will love, clothes in beautiful styles and size long blouses are now used as tops on jeans and trousers. There are over a hundred tops in town but the trend now is the long top which is worn for the most part on trousers, and at times alone as a mini dress, beautifully designed with frills and fabric belt. Are you thinking of what to wear for a dinner party? The classic blouses, both the gown and top types, are what you should go for this season. Blouse with great looks and colour are there for you to mix and match for a different look everyday
The thanksgiving service for the former First Vice President, NBA Akuro R. George (5th from left), his wife , Nancy, wife of the Bishop of Okrika(l), Bishop of Okrika Diocese, Bishop Tubo Abere, former Governor Rivers State, Chief Rufus Ada George, Senator Cyrus Nunieh and others after the installation of George as the Chief and Head of Dokube War Canoe House of Okrika, Rivers State recently.
In the build-up to the 2014 Ekiti State Governorship Election on June 21, the state governor who is seeking reelection for another four-year term, Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress ( APC), fielded questions from Steve Osuji and Femi Macaulay, The Nation Editorial Board members, on poll-related issues, at his country house in Isan-Ekiti.
ON a general note, what are the critical lessons you have learnt since you took up this job?
There are lots of lessons. Firstly, I have discovered that every politician comes to terms with the obvious realisation that political timetable does not always synergise with government timetable; and what I mean by that is that you have a great vision and have programmes that stem out from that vision and implementation of the vision could spill beyond a particular term of office, so you cannot necessarily restrict yourself to a political timetable when you are initiating a project.
Secondly, one the lessons that comes with politics is clearly performance, which is an extremely important factor in assessing politicians; but performance, however dignifying in itself, is not enough to measure success in politics.
Another thing is if you have focus, sincerity of purpose, determination and a clear vision, lack of resources is not necessarily an impediment to achieving your overall objective. If somebody asks me that you are number 35 (out of 36 states) on the revenue ladder of Nigeria, how have you been able to do things in spite of the fact that resources available would not normally qualify you for any tangible development stride? And the basis of comparison is that your average income is N3bn monthly and you have 2.5 million people. Bayelsa has N24bn and there are 1.2 million people. For me, I do not see finance as an impediment if you have a clearly designed plan and sincerity of purpose, and focus on changing the lives of your people, you will still get a great deal of stride to your credit. Leadership is about patience, perseverance, restraint; and these are not necessarily political lessons, but lessons of leadership in any sphere not just in politics. You cannot lead people if you don’t have a great deal of patience, restraint and the capacity to accommodate both the sublime and the ridiculous.
Any surprises so far?
I cannot honestly say I haven’t had any experience that shocked me since I assumed office. But I do have an advantage as I always say to people. Don’t forget, I stem from having an agenda and coming to the race with a wide spectrum of people. I had three and a half years of fine-tuning that agenda and discussing with people and ensuring that I respond to things coming from the other side. For example, the three and a half years that I was in court, every time the government in Ekiti State at that time produced a budget, most times in November- December, we always had an alternative budget based on our eight-point agenda. We used to produce a budget but because the House of Assembly as at then was a hung parliament, we had enough members to incorporate some of the issues we had in our programme into the state agenda. We were 13 and the other side was 13; we were able to insist on either delay of the passage of appropriation or getting in some of our views. When I came into office, I had a 100-day plan and a one-year plan. We were the first state to raise revenue from the capital market. We have a distinct advantage of tapping into my own old network in the development world and I was able to bring back major development players into the state that had left the state when the government in Ekiti State was nothing to write home about.
World Bank and European Union have been very active in the state and we got major funds that were able to cushion our desire for development of the people. We give funds for the elderly, a form of social security, and laptop per child programme, how are we able to do these? It was the product of prudence, focus, which has helped us in managing the affairs of the state.
With the benefit of hindsight, are there things you would have done differently?
The things I do are out of my passion to make a difference, and probably in terms of timing some people might think they can be handled when have stabilised government or get into second term as it happens in other places. I did education reforms, for example, and merged schools, secondary and university; there are two universities in this state that we merged into one. And, of course, the various tests for teachers and principals, so we do quite a number of things. These are things that are not exactly the most attractive for politicians to do in a place where you have those that are not easily well disposed to what I might consider to be tough nut to crack. Not that I regret taking those steps because it’s paying off for us now; if we had not done some of the things we did in the education sector, we would not have gotten the kind of support we got. We have $15m from the World Bank, not many states can talk about that but we needed to take certain steps. We did not take it for that money, but when we took those steps, World Bank noticed and then said thank goodness, if you have a state that has managed unprompted to do these things, maybe we should look in this direction.
Politically speaking, we know how it is as politicians do not want to run into problems with civil servants, most especially in a basically civil service state, but interestingly, the effect of that is that they now become the beneficiary. When we pay teachers’ allowances that are not paid in any state, it is because we decided to take steps that could give us support to accomplish that. We pay core-subject allowance to teachers in Mathematics, English and Science.
We have seven teachers leaving this state shortly for the United States. This has never happened to them before. We pay salary, I mean standard salary. Teachers in this state earn almost double their normal salary. If you are a teacher in the rural area, you get 20% allowance of your annual standard salary for teaching in the rural area, for instance in my village, if you are a teacher, you earn 20% in addition to your normal salary.
Something like inconvenience allowance?
Yes, this is because we have discovered that people do not want to teach in rural areas and they want to remain in the city centre like Ado Ekiti; thus, we had to do something in order to ensure that our children out there are not disadvantaged. The bulk of this state is rural, invariably, more than half of our teachers earn rural teachers allowances. If you teach core subjects, Mathematics, Computer Sciences, English and other science subjects, you earn another 20% and what that then means is that you have almost half of your salary as allowance in addition to your salary, and also have field capacity training programme that you benefit from. There is no state you can point to giving these benefits to the average teachers.
Your administration seems to place a high premium on education.
I value education and I believe that it is the antidote to poverty; and so if you have a grand vision to make poverty history in a state, one of the ways is to increase the literacy level of your population, to increase the access of your people to opportunities, and you cannot have access to opportunities if you don’t have basic education. Don’t also forget that this is Ekiti, it has a reputation in terms of education. The other thing is that I am a product of this environment. My school is Christ School and when I was in school it was one of the best schools; that is the reputation. When in 2012, only 9% of the students who wrote WAEC Exam had passes in Maths and English, I was very upset because when I was in Christ School there were 50 Grade One in my set.
Including you?
Yes, I made Grade One. But that is not the point. But the fact is that you could imagine how scandalised I was when I saw the results. I was very upset, agitated and the step we took was to organise a unified promotion examination in SS2, and if you don’t pass that exam we will not present you for WAEC. In 2013, the results vastly improved. Those who saw the move as unpopular then are now happy with the steps we took.
What is the next level? What are you looking at?
For us here the challenge we are still dealing with is that we have lots of people who are educated, but we have a lot of people who do not have enough skills for employment generation. There must be connection between academic knowledge and skill. Creating and sustaining a knowledge economy is key for us; we have a hub of knowledge economy in this state now. Basically the knowledge zone is like an industrial zone but knowledge creation and economy is imperative. One of the things we are doing, (and no other state is doing) like the cable network scheme, for instance. We don’t have the kind of opportunities you have in River, Bayelsa and Lagos which is a commercial centre, but we feel that there are things that we can do to make Ekiti State an investment destination for investors and we are playing on our education advantage and agricultural production.
If you know you run an internet based company, and it is easy to run because labour is cheap; we have a lot of graduates and you empower them for six months; we train them and get them into this business; it will be cheaper. The main idea is information management structure that will now propel the state. We will commission the first phase of the broadband initiative in Ado Ekiti, right here in Ekiti State. We are also looking at CCTV in the state, particularly in the capital not in other areas. A lot of things are connected to the cable network being installed across the state. For me, continuity is key. What is critical is how do we get out of this crap and create an economy that is sustainable; and to find a way to create new value to traditional value. Even our children, when they read they find their way out of Ekiti, and we must find a way to make them stay by providing a profession.
Are you likely to review your eight-point agenda?
There are some things that we have established over time. Our commitment to education is not negotiable. We are focused on technical education and knowledge economy. We are more linked to a wider investment strategy. It is not what it used to be. If it continues in this way, it is clearly going to diversify into things that could generate alternative sources of income.
When I lost my deputy, one of the things we committed to doing was to establish a cancer prevention centre which was equipped to treat people and establish a culture which we are doing not just by our own self but through Public-Private Partnership. We will continue to focus on primary health care for pregnant women and the children, elderly and the physically challenged. We do not discriminate in our healthcare services. The service here is free and it goes round and whether you are 40 or 70, you can come and you will be attended to. If you have that going, in order to sustain our effort in the health care sector over a long time, we now have health insurance in the state. We just started health insurance in the state, it is kind of integrated but I can state clearly that we can already see the impact on maternal and child mortality, life expectancy; we have lower HIV prevalence in the entire country and life expectancy has improved. It is something we do in the primary healthcare that is making us to achieve this feat. Elderly people who would have been dying from neglect benefit from our monthly N5, 000 stipends which have prolonged their lives.
Poverty eradication is a major focal point of your administration. How well have you succeeded in your defined mission to banish poverty from Ekiti State?
We are not very good at statistics in Nigeria, and I will not be brandishing numbers around. If you look at the ideological framework of what we do in Ekiti State, you will see clearly a social democratic agenda that is focusing on the weak and the vulnerable in virtually everything we do. People who ordinarily would not go to school are now going to school through our free education programme. People deliver babies free, who probably would have gone to some traditional birth attendant because they could not afford money to go to the hospital. My wife and I run a multiple birth trust fund because we have a high level of twins and triplets birth here; automatically the real objective is to reduce the risk involved in child birth for both the parents and the children. Everything we do is informed largely by that framework. People are better off. You can also see the economic incentive, when we provide infrastructure like water, road, they also increase level of access unlike what used to be the case. We have rural development, in every part of the state there is hardly any community I go in all the 132 communities where the community will not roll out 4 to 5 things we have done for them. Some of these things, we give them the money to do and we work with the town union and they deliver the project on cost and on time much better than what government would have done if we had done it ourselves. I get to these communities and they will tell how grateful they are for the power, roads, schools, healthcare centres. What we are trying to do now is to lay the framework, get the infrastructure so that the investors can come. In the space of three and a half years in this government, we have had about 10 standard firms come to Ekiti. When we put light in Ado Ekiti, we used to sleep 7:00pm. At 7: 00pm, you will not see anybody before I became governor. Today, we have people walking on the streets at 9:00pm. We have people selling recharge card at 12: 00am. A new economy has emerged around the street lights installed in major towns. Infrastructure is not just the few good things; it has a very important role to play in investment creation. What we are doing also is to establish linkages with facilities managers, new hotel consortiums to take over where we have reached in places like Ikogosi so that they can now establish a new Ikogosi, put a new hotel and run the place well. It is not the job of the government to be running hotels. We have done what we could and others can now take it up from there.
You made an interesting distinction between success in governance and success in politics. How well have you been able to strike a balance between politics and governance?
The people were very much involved in my campaign to become Governor, very much they felt I was cheated and there was a lot of tension in the air. There was also an exaggerated expectation and some people felt that I would just come and turn around everything in this place. I had that challenge when I became Governor. People just believe that he has come, our problem has to stop. In my first year, I had challenges in the sense that we had worked out all the plans and sorted out all our issues but the funds were not immediately there to execute all our plans and you know human beings are very short in their orientation. Then they said that the guy is not as we thought and when the work started happening the tune changed, but then I had called some bluff and I had acquired new enemies from those who should have been commissioners who are not, those who think they should be on board and are not there. Even internally, they think I am a professor and I’m not like Fayose. I don’t dance on campaign train, I don’t blow horn (eat corn) on the street like him. But I have done a lot of things in three and a half years. I concentrate on my work. If you see me on the street, I am concentrating on my work, monitoring ongoing projects.
Shortly after your inauguration as Governor, you said publicly that there are always debts to be paid in politics. How well have you paid such debts?
Interesting question, there will always be debts to pay. There will be some realigning sooner than later and these things will not be done on a platter of gold as they will be negotiated. An enemy yesterday could be an ally today and they may be instrumental to the realignment.
I will never pay them back in their own coin. All I would say is that I will not do anything that is against my conscience. I believe I came into politics with heavy dose of integrity and for me character is imperative. Whatever I go into, I owe it to myself to explain it to an ordinary person as to why I have done what I have done. I think we will have a two-horse race in the coming election.
Three
No, I don’t think it will be three. The two-horse race will be very sharp that you will have to make up your mind about the place you want to be. Do you want to go with PDP or APC? The party will pale into some level of insignificance and the candidate will become the issue and the way the candidates are seen. The only way the party may be an issue is the structure on ground to project their candidate. Let’s say that the election is about good governance and what Ekiti wants for their future. It is much easier to determine election but there are externalities that we must factor into it ultimately. Character will define this election.
Uti Nwachukwu is one of Nigeria’s most popular entertainers. He hugged stardom in 2007, with his successful appearance in ‘The Next Movie Star’ Reality TV show where he finished as first runner up and ‘Big Brother Africa’ (BBA) 3 in 2008. However, his return to the house for BBA All Stars 5 in 2010 and winning the competition was the turning point of his career. The Delta State-born entertainer tells ADETUTU AUDU he misses his late dad for every of his accomplishment.
HOW will you describe your experience on the wave-making Jara? It is wonderful, because there is nothing better when you are with someone that two of you just click. Before I finish my sentence, Helen has already known my next line; she can complete my sentence before I finish saying it, I can also do the same thing for her – every time on set is just like when you are in secondary school and during the break you want to go and play with your friends in the field. Helen is like a friend I would never have, if you understand, because we met at the audition hotel. When we recorded Jara, we record it in our own way, it is just like going to relieve yourself of your stress and at the end of the day you are being paid for it. The response was incredible. People were calling me on the BBA Uti, Uti JARA. It’s amazing how quickly people accepted the show and we are very grateful.
It has been four years that your father died, do you still miss him?
I miss my dad everyday because every experience that happens, I am kind of relating it with my father. Because when I was young, I didn’t really understand my father; when anything happened, I think my father used to stress small things and then I didn’t really know why he was so passionate about certain things, the reason why he couldn’t tolerate some certain things. But now I understand the reasons for his actions because everything that happens now that I can’t just put on with, I will just like say wow! This was what dad used to see and all that. So, every time I see his pictures, any time I am alone in my car, for every accomplishment, of course I miss him, but before he died, all he wanted from me was to be a graduate and I graduated with 3.9gpa from the Benson Idahosa University, Benin. I was the best graduating student that year; I can never forget the smile on his face at that moment and he started hailing me in our local language, but I wanted him to see the picture of this. Thank God, before he died, he already got the picture of what I could become in the entertainment industry because he watched the next movie star, he watched some of the series I did and at a point he was proud of me. Of course, I miss him every day, in everything that happens to me I miss him.
You are one of the most successful TV reality stars, why did you decide to enter for these shows?
Originally, money was never part of the reason why I joined. I just felt like going there to showcase my talent, even though I went to school and I studied science, I just needed to tell my people, ‘look here, I want to go into entertainment,’ because I grew up watching a lot of TV shows, movies, awards ceremonies and a lot and then I was only thinking about being like them because it is one of the platforms that you can use in showcasing your talents to Africans. It is by being on the most-watched reality show, for me it was just like marketing my talent just a way for people to see me and my talent. It is just me breaking into the entertainment industry; in that way, people will be able to feel what I could do.
You are a model, TV presenter, actor and a singer, which one is more fulfilling?
Financially, it is TV presenting than anything because that is the best-paid profession that I have. Monthly you will earn next to nothing, except you are an ambassador to the product, so my best gift so far was an ambassadorial gift but the original money doesn’t really pay that well in Nigeria and that has to be addressed very soon. For now, it is still a challenge because we are not as well paid as Nollywood actors. For now, financially, TV presenting and anything of event are well paying but when it comes to my person, when I did my singles, I was very happy to hear myself sing. I will be recording about two more songs this year. I think I love doing all. I am an all-round entertainer. I am not going to change it to anything, I can’t pick one; you can’t be successful in this world by continuing doing one thing. This is the field that God has called me into and I will continue doing it. Music was my first love, so, it is important to me and therefore I will not run on it. I take my time for me to get the best. I’m eclectic.
Your single, ‘Once in my life’, is a very emotional song, what inspired it?
When my dad was deceased, my best friend of nine years neglected me and my other very good friends betrayed me because of a job and people started saying all sort of things. In the past, I used to have dependent friends; they were my friends because of what they gained at the end of the day, and that was what motivated that song; I really poured out my emotions into it.
After winning the BBA, you become every lady’s sweet heart; how many calls did you get per day?
I have been getting a lot of attention right from when I was a kid. Even in school, I was a very cute kid and I had women all around me, so it’s nothing special. The attention doesn’t make me out of character. I got a lot of calls, sometimes they would just call to say they loved what I do and I do appreciate when they call me and they tell me how they love me on TV because they are my ogas and because of them I get paid. I appreciate every gesture and calls from them, but some people might want to get more than that; I am not in for such, I cannot go back to it again, it is part of what God has delivered me from. I just wanted to keep myself clean and with God on my side, God has been restraining me but both my female and male fans. I appreciate all of them.
How much of your millions have you invested in charity?
I am not going to disclose that. Are you the one that will reward me? That is not even what I am after. The only reason why I allow cameras into my charity event is because I want to inspire people because if don’t give money to charity, they would rather spend the money on partying, travelling, and all that; it is fine to do that, but it is better to remember first these people that really need you. It is between me and God and not because I want some people to give me some accolades.
How does it feel to be Uti, especially now when it seems like a lot of great things are coming your way?
I’m short of words; I’m actually in awe of my own self. It feels like I’m living a life that’s written in a book or some TV series. I thank God everyday for my blessings because I didn’t do anything to deserve any of these things I have gotten. It’s just the favour of God. Many are called but few are chosen. I don’t know why God has chosen me, which is why I always say, God should always use me to touch the lives of people so that I don’t waste this opportunity he has given me or these blessings. He has done it for me and he’s been awesome, he’s been great, he’s been kind. I’m just extremely thankful and grateful to the higher power that has made me who I am today, which is the God of Israel.
Let’s say Big Brother Africa did not happen, what would you be doing?
I don’t know, honestly. I guess I would still be where I am today but I would have had to work a lot harder to prove myself. BBA was a divine intervention and I am forever grateful for that. I am a spiritual person and I always trust in the Lord to make it happen for me.
People have argued that reality shows are a lazy way of becoming a celebrity. What is your take?
Lazy? Let them go and be locked up for 90 days with a camera tracing your every move. There is so much to prove. If they focus a camera on you for just two days, people will probably hate you forever. It is hard work, your whole life on television for 90 days? Non-stop.
HE came to power in a blaze of glory. When Rev. Prof. Paul Emeka was presented as the General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Nigeria, everyone agreed he was more than eminently qualified. This was at the 34th General Council of the church in November 2010. Members of the Executive Council (EC) exchanged banters, pleased they had chosen the best man for the church.
There were plausible reasons to be optimistic. Emeka’s election was the most unanimous in the 80-year-old church. He is the first Ph.D holder to occupy the post. He did not only exude confidence but also has a charismatic aura that the church was sure would stand it in good stead among other churches. He was the quintessential face of the Assemblies of God that the world cannot but respect.
Less than four years into his ascension, the honeymoon is over. The romance between Emeka and the church has gone sour, causing stakeholders serious concerns over the future of the church. The same General Superintendent, who was adored and respected by the rank and file, has become an object of irritation for many of the church’s leaders. On March 6, tried of his many misdeeds and alleged breaches, the General Committee, the highest decision-making organ of the church, slammed an indefinite suspension order on Emeka.
Over 200 delegates of the church, who gathered at Enugu, said they have had enough of the ex-General Superintendent. According to them, Emeka had not only dragged the name of the church in the mud, he had also become the exact opposite of what Assemblies of God (AG) represents. It was gathered that Emeka elected not to be part of the meeting where some of the allegations against him were meant to be presented and discussed. His absence, it was learnt, infuriated delegates, who felt it confirmed all the allegations of arrogance and high-handedness levelled against him.
Beginning of the end
Investigations revealed that when he was elected, everybody in the church was willing to cooperate with Emeka, believing he had everything to take the church to the next level. A very competent source said only two of the 16-member Executive Committee (EC), the church’s decision-making organ, had reservations against him. The source said: “Everyone believed he was going to do well and move the church forward. The church’s EC believed in him. Of the 16 members, only two had one reservation or the other against him.
“But even with that, they thought it was just personal bias that would go away when he starts performing and moving the church in the right direction. But, today, all of them have moved from his side. They have been insulted, abused and made to know that Rev. Emeka was a bad choice.”
His troubles began in September 2013 when the highest body of the laity in the church, The Ambassadors, wrote a petition against some of his practices. The five-page petition, dated September 2013, was signed by 12 members and body. It was addressed to all district presbyteries of the Assemblies of God Church, Nigeria. It accused Emeka of high handedness, financial mismanagement and abuse of office. The former GS, they claimed, had arrogated too much power to himself and operated like a General Overseer/Founder.
They accused him of spending over N250million on the purchase of a building in Germany without the approval of the EC as well as misappropriation of another N200 million from the Pension Fund without due process.
He was also accused of introducing alien cultures to the church. One of them is wearing “big rings on some fingers of both hands”. This practice, the Ambassadors said, was in variance with what the church stands for and has been adopted by many upcoming ministers in the church dubbed the “GS boys”.
Parts of the petition read: “We are constrained to come to you with the following evidence of some of his acts and we hope you would understand the reason we have brought these matters to your attention, so that you would not become neutral in these difficult times.
“The tendency and the impression created by him (Rev. Dr. Paul Emeka) that he as the General Superintendent (GS) is also the General Overseer (GO) and physical personification of Assemblies of God, Nigeria.
“Rather than maintain the clear provisions of the constitution and bye laws of the church which provide for collective leadership by a group of elected men, the GS has arrogated to himself the position that is superior and above the General Council and the General Executive Committee combined.
“Brazen introduction of worldliness and rabid materialism into the church at the highest leadership level and its trickledown effect on Districts, Sections and Local Churches, such as the irresponsibility of behaving like politicians at public functions and on public highway.”
The petition added: “The GS spent the sum of N250m in the acquisition of a property in Germany without the approval of the EC and nobody including the legal adviser to the General Council has sighted the title documents till date. This is a clear violation of the constitution and Bye Law of AG, Nigeria.
“The insistence of the GS on his wife being the sole caterer in Evangel University, in total disregard of the appointment of two caterers earlier made by the governing council.
“In view of the above observations and findings, we, members of the Body of Ambassadors of the Kingdom and members of the National Consultative Assembly as stakeholders and bona fide members of Assemblies of God Nigeria, hereby express our very strong displeasure and condemnation of the method of leadership we have observed in Rev. (Dr.) Paul Emeka and we hereby pass a vote of no confidence in him and in his administration.”
The vote of no confidence shocked the suspended GS who quickly rallied his men for counter-measures, it was gathered. His think-tank comprises key church officers and upcoming ministers who his critics labelled the “GS boys”. The group, it emerged, was Emeka’s attack dogs, hitting EC members for daring to oppose any move proposed by their leader.
A former member of the ‘GS boys’, who spoke under strict anonymity with our correspondent, said: “We believed the GS was under attack and he should be protected. We wanted to elevate the office of GS and let some leaders know that he was untouchable. I admit we went overboard many times in doing these, but the GS never opposed us. He tactically supported everything we did.”
Salt to injuries
Emeka succeeded in dousing tensions generated by the vote of no confidence. But not for long. When he unilaterally sacked principal officers of the church-owned Evangel University without approval from the EC, all hell was let loose.
Our correspondent gathered that the sack of the Vice Chancellor, Registrar and Bursar of the university surprised the EC members. “They only knew about it when they read newspapers advert of vacancies for the posts in the newspaper,” the National Coordinator of Inter Church Relationship, Dr John Amah, said last week.
“He did such a massive reorganisation without consulting the Board of Trustees of Evangel and even the Governing Council was wrong. When they approached him, he claimed he had the right since he was the proprietor and visitor to the institution,” Amah added.
When contacted, Emeka said his action was to save the institution from needless expenditures and position it for better impact. According to him, “I am not the Chancellor in vain; I have the powers to act when things are going wrong. The university was not generating money and we kept spending. So, I needed to sack the principal staff and bring order in place.”
On why he did not consult the BOT and Council before such a radical reorganisation, Emeka said he needed to act fast to save the institution. “It takes time to get everyone together and as a leader when you see decadence, you step in and redress it. You don’t necessarily have to wait for people to show up before saving the day,” he explained.
Sources said Emeka was used to taking such unilateral decisions. One of them said: “He just thought he owned the church. He wanted latitude to act without checks and wielded executive powers without consultations. That was his biggest undoing and it is quite unfortunate.”
Sensing that he was not going to get the required approval for the sack, Emeka went ahead to dissolve the Governing Council of Evangel University, insisting it had become a clog in the wheel of progress. This action created not a little dust, with members vowing the action was illegal and arbitrary. But he maintained he meant well for the institution. Some of the sacked principal officers, he alleged, were loyal to certain negative forces in the church. These forces, he went on, needed to be checkmated for the institution to move forward.
Amah alleged that Emeka lived in opulence and wasted church’s resources for personal aggrandisement. He recalled the suspended GS spending $6,000 to buy a luxury wrist watch in London during a shopping spree. Also, he accused Emeka of building another “befitting personal office edifice” in Enugu despite the existence of a palatial office complex for him. All these acts, he alleged, angered many leaders and members in the church.
Inside details of a stormy Committee
It was learnt that all of these alleged misgivings prompted some leaders in the church to demand for the convocation of the General Committee (GC) where issues can be thrashed out. This was after Emeka had fallen out with 11 members of the EC. The development created a stalemate, forcing deliberations on church matters to become impossible.
According to a copy of the Church’s constitution obtained by our correspondent, such stalemate would require the convocation of the GC. But then, 33 percent signatures of district officers must be obtained for the meeting to hold. The anti-Emeka elements succeeded in getting over 40 percent signatures, which were reportedly shown to him.
Our correspondent learnt that Emeka became jittery at this point. On the eve of the meeting, he allegedly begged EC members for a quick resolution of the crisis. But by then, many of the district delegates were already on their way to Enugu. An EC member, who spoke with our correspondent, said: “We were shocked the suspended GS was apologetic. We had been trying to beg him for six months to have a change of mind. Some of us felt we should give him the benefit of the doubt while others stated we should go ahead.“At the end, it was agreed that the GC would go on since members were on their way but we would save the day for Dr. Emeka provided he could beg the assembly. Our plan was to show up and say ‘since our leader has apologised, please let’s move on.’ But he suddenly became aggressive and said he won’t beg; that it would be demeaning for his office to beg the people of God.”
That finally drove in the nail in his relations with the EC members. Sensing that he was in for a long battle, Emeka reportedly told his camp he was not going to show up. Asked why he failed to attend the meeting, he said: “I am convinced that the plot to remove me was the unholiest plot of the century. It was anything but holy. It was driven by hate, a long-held desire to revenge a perceived personal wrong.”
He claimed he was the only authority mandated to summon and chair such meetings, adding that a quorum was not formed but “hired delegates were in attendance.” According to the church’s constitution, when the GS is unavailable to chair a GC, the Assistant General Superintendent steps in. Emeka’s assistant, Rev. Chidi Okoroafor, had been at loggerheads with his boss. He (Okoroafor) had been attacked and accused of being behind Emeka’s ordeals. To chair such a meeting would be inappropriate. He turned down the offer to chair the meeting. The delegates, realising the stalemate, decided to vote and elect someone to chair the meeting. Amazingly, the delegates elected Rev. Charles Osueke, the immediate past GS of the church, who had retired to chair the deliberations.
But before then, renowned preacher, Evangelist Uma Ukpai, had preached on the theme of servant-leadership. Delegates at the meeting said his message was inspiring and touching. This was despite the tensed atmosphere under which the meeting held. It was gathered that Emeka had allegedly sent out threat messages to district superintendents and officers to stay away or be damned. He reportedly approached the police to stop the assembly, a request that was turned down because it was a “private church meeting.”
Desperate to stop the meeting, Emeka approached an Enugu High Court for an exparte order to stop the proceeding. The suit, according to Emeka, was not against the church but certain individuals. He said the suit was discontinued before March 6.
According to him: “It was not to be a court order against the Assemblies of God but against certain individuals I perceived were responsible for the General Committee. But along the line, I called the lawyer and said I would want to terminate the suit, that I would be misunderstood and I asked him to leave it.
“But on that very day of the meeting, somebody from among the Ambassadors and the 11 Executive Committee members standing against me was sent to go to court and look for the abandoned suit and he brought it to the General Committee.”
Amah, who is also the District Superintendent of Sango, Ogun State, disagreed. He said: “As nominees were being presented, the General Council legal team came with a true certified copy of a suit filed against the church by The Rev. (Prof.) Paul Emeka.
“At that instant, the house was angry and a motion to suspend him was moved according to the provision of AG Constitution. He was, therefore, suspended on a three-count charge: First, for taking the church to court. Two, for refusing to appear before the General Committee to defend himself which was seen as contempt to the General Committee and then, for breaking several provisions of AG Constitution.”
The battle over suspension
But Emeka dismissed his suspension as “the unholiest act of the century.” According to him, “The purported suspension pronounced on me was the meanest exercise of discipline. It was motivated by hatred, god-fatherism, envy and opportunism. It fell short of a legal General Committee.”
He said the delegates were hired and he did not preside over the meeting. Besides, he said it was wrong to use votes to determine his fate. According to him, “In Assemblies of God, we do not use votes to decide the suspension of a person. You cannot decide the punishment of an adulterer, a thief, etc. with votes. Therefore, if I really had sinned and they knew it, there wouldn’t have been any need to vote to decide which discipline to mete out on me.”
He added: “That meeting was a nullity and an embodiment of illegality and not the holy church of Christ. That was not the church of Assemblies of God. It is like a gathering of a mixed multitude playing in the church premises but suddenly turn around to pronounce suspension on the pastor of the church because he advises them to stop making noise. That is not the legitimate body to suspend that pastor.”
The embattled leader rejected his suspension, saying it cannot stand. Checks revealed that he has been holding meetings with certain elements in the church aside from showing up at districts uninvited. He reportedly appeared at the national office in Enugu sometime in April and ordered all church staff to shake hands with him in defiance of the suspension order on him.
Last Sunday, he was at a district in Enugu where he forced the pastor to recognise and give him the pulpit to address the congregation as their GS.
The other camp, on their part, had appointed Rev. Chidi Okoroafor as the Acting Superintendent, a move Emeka said is unacceptable and faulty. He accused Osueke of imposing Okoroafor on the church, stating that the retired GS had no business dabbling into the church’s affair again.
For now, the over three million members of the church are hoping for a peaceful resolution of the crisis. But, according to Amah, the development is most welcome. He stated that it is a necessary pruning to rid the church of “undesirable elements.” He remained confident that the church cannot break or secede; saying the structure in place will never allow such development to take place.
“I can assure you that this is for good. The church is marching on. The gates of hell cannot prevail. What happened to Emeka has emboldened people to move against his likes in our midst. There is revival and accountability now. The church will not break because it does not belong to anybody. Those who want to break our unity cannot succeed because we are here to stay,” he assured.
Emeka, on his part, said he remains the GS of the church, vowing that nothing will stop him from operating. For now, it is hard to see how the church will wriggle out of this crisis.
In his palace, many things are untouchable especially a mysterious chain, which if touched could lead to paralysis. Another is reputed to have the power to make a woman barren. The monarch who is a staunch Christian says these things are real and true. Taiwo Abiodun was there
ON the wall of one of the courtyards in the palace is a chain nailed on it, coiled round a small iron. It is called ‘eghan’, that is a strange or mysterious chain. Near the chain is a window leading into a secret room because there is no door leading into it while the window has never been opened, though it is made of wood. This window, however, is unbreakable!
According to Oba Julius Okikiola Folagbade Adetifa III, the Alale of Idashen, Ondo State, “It is forbidden to touch the chain, whoever touches it will become paralysed. Such calamities had happened in the past, and it is well known all over the place. So, no one touches it! The chain has been there for over 400 years and it is what Alale brought from Ile Ife. People come from all places to do research on it and they found out that it is true.”
A special drum, Oluseepe, is also positioned there. The leather drum must not beaten by just anybody; it is beaten during a burial only.
A beautiful staff wrapped with white cloth is also placed in a conspicuous place where one of the monarchs was buried; this staff can only be handled by the Oloris (Queens).Though it looks attractive, it is forbidden to be touched by any living man. According to a legend, if any man touches it, he becomes impotent immediately. It has no antidote. No wonder every male runs away from it to avoid touching it and face the calamity.
Also in the compound are five trees, called the five strange trees – all the trees are touched only when it is time for yam festival. According to the monarch, “They are known in local parlance as atori, ogbagbayobo, akoko, and so forth.” There is a padlocked sacred room with an iron-gate, although painted and attractive, but no woman must enter the room. Any woman who disregards it becomes barren for life!
Not only this, there is also a strange window without a door. Nobody can open the window.
Welcome to Alale palace at Idashen Quarters in Owo, the palace that houses antiquities. The palace is full of mystery and rich in culture and stories. Alale means owner of land. “We are the only ones that have the authority over this land. We own the land and nobody or neighbour quarrels with us over the land. There is no argument or dispute over the land here,” the 80-year-old monarch, Julius Folagbade Adetifa III, the Alale of Idashen told The Nation.
The monarch doubles as the head of the community and Spiritual Head of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church. The Alale, who is the 35th Alale of Ulale, said the “Agwe festival is held every five years and it is the only popular and important one. It was held three years ago and we shall soon celebrate another one. When it is the time for the festival the mysterious chain unwinds itself gradually, especially in the month of June till July when it finishes unwinding, then the festival is ready to be observed, while those in charge of the festival would know and request for all what it requires and will then inform the community of the festival. After the festival, the chain would go back or recoil back to its former position until after five years for another festival,” the monarch proudly announced.
According to him, the festival is held every five years while necessary rites are performed, some of rules to be observed and strictly adhered to are: no eating of leftover food or wearing any clothes worn the previous day. In a nut shell, new clothes are worn every day. There is also a stream where water is fetched for bathing daily and those fetching the water must not be met along the road to avoid calamity befalling those who meet them. According to the monarch, the festival, Agwe, brings peace, love and progress to the community.
What if not observed? The Oba was asked. “Then we are doomed; pestilence, war and bareness will occur,” he replied. “River Aisewen is popular in the community and it is worshipped every year.” According to the monarch, the river cannot flow and must not flow to the other side. “It has been dredged several times but does not flow to the other side. If it flows, a calamity will occur,” Alale added.
Forbidden to see a monarch’s head
Alale said no royal father must leave his head without a cover in the public; that’s why on the head of Alale is to be found a skull cap tightly fitted. “I am a monarch and my head must not be seen without being covered, it is forbidden, that is why I don’t leave my head open and again I am also a Baba Ijo whose head has been anointed with anointing oil. Whoever sees the skull of my head will be stricken by poverty.”
Roles as a traditional ruler and Baba Aladura
“As a man of God and also a traditional ruler, I am doing both successfully. The NTA crew comes here always to have interview with me. Oba is a different thing from the work of God. You place God’s work on your shoulder and handle or hold tradition in your hand. I have no juju but I believe fervently in God; I know what to say, I know a little invocation, but don’t know more than that. I believe fervently in God. When it is also time for tradition, I also do, but most of them are handled by the town’s chief priest.
“The sacred room has never been opened, and nobody dare try it. We believe there is a special ritual performed in the room to guard against destroying the town; so many things must have been done to guard against enemies in the town, it is a sacred room and a no-go area to everybody. I have never been tempted to break into the place to see what is there. There is a river here called Aisenwen, it does not flow, we call it the river that never flows. It is also good for healing; many have got healed. The water or river is worshipped, she was a goddess from another town, she got married to Alale, her taboos were broken and she ran into a clay pot and hid herself.”
Power of vision
The royal father said, “I was born in June 1934, it was predicted that I would become an Oba and also a Church leader in 1954 but I never believed it because the two were believed to be opposite. I was once a tailor, a plumber, and a musician. I was told in my dream that I would work for God or else I would always be sick. About three or four people said they saw a crown and feathers on my head but I never believed it since I am an Aladura until years after, when it came to pass.
“When my father died in 1977, I was assisting for six years after the death of my father. We don’t have an Adele or Regent but whoever is assisting becomes Adele until I became the king. I became Baba Aladura in 2002.They installed me as Oba in 1992.”a
PRETTY Jasmine, one of the 12 daughters of the frontline politician, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is gradually hugging stardom. Her calmness and beauty draw so much attention to her. She was one of the guests at the recent launch of Polo Luxury- ‘Polo Avenue’. During the wedding of Ahmed, the last of the seven sons of former Peoples Democratic Party Chairman last month, Jasmine also played a prominent role.
Just like her sisters, she had all her education in Nigeria before she proceeded abroad to further her studies. She shuttles between Ashburn, Virginia where she lives and Nigeria.
DAYO Benjamin-Laniyi is one of the master comperes that is causing in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.The English graduate from the University of Ibadan, has become a world-class brand in the events management industry, hospitality, tourism and entertainment industry. Fondly called Doxa, sources said she has tested and proven in coordination and event management for prestigious occasions and ceremonials of various governments, social, diplomatic and corporate.
Dayo, a powerful dresser is of dual origin Nigerian-Trinidadian.She has had a stint at the Abuja Sheraton Hotel and the (then) Nicon Hilton Hotel, Abuja where she served both in the Sales and Marketing hotels Department and the Public Relations Department of both.