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  • Man machetes wife over alleged affair with step daughter

    Man machetes wife over alleged affair with step daughter

    A 45-year old man is on the run after inflicting injuries on his wife with a machete.

    Kehinde Olanipekun launched the deadly attack on his wife, Damilola, at Idashen community, Owo Local Government Area, Ondo State after the latter confronted him with the allegation that he was having an affair with his stepdaughter.

    Sources said that trouble began when the 14-year-old stepdaughter called her mother, who was away on a journey, to report that her stepfather had been harassing her sexually.

    The sources said the girl did not disclose that they had an affair because she was scared of how her mother would react to the information.

    Narrating what happened, the mother said she rushed back home and confronted her husband after her daughter told her about the affair.

    Read Also: Man machetes wife over alleged affair with step-daughter

    She said her husband apologised and admitted that he was wrong.

    Damilola said three days later, her husband attacked her with a machete after sending their children on errand.

    She said: “I had asked him why he returned home early and he said they hindered him from going to work. He then dashed into the bedroom and returned with a cutlass.

    “He said that he wanted to go and clear his site, but he locked me inside the bedroom and attacked me with his fist. “He then used the cutlass to slash different parts of my body. He alos used a hammer to hit me on the head.

    “Neighbours could not rescue me because the door was locked. I was rushed to the hospital after I managed to open the door.”

    Some eyewitnesses said the woman was weak and lay helplessly like a dead body.

    They said doctors had thought that she was brought in dead but realised later that she was still breathing.

  • 4 steps to saving your marriage after an affair

    Your marriage doesn’t have to end if you or your spouse were caught cheating. But you will have to work hard. Even newlyweds have cheated, says Janis Abrahms Spring, a clinical psychologist in private practice in Westport, Conn. and author of ‘After the Affair: Healing the Pain and Rebuilding the Trust When a Partner Has Been Unfaithful’ . If one of you has cheated, you can still save your marriage. Here are tips for saving your marriage after an affair –

    •End the affair – The unfaithful spouse must have a funeral for the extramarital relationship, says Spring. Essentially, he or she must kill the affair by ending it in no uncertain terms. In other words, the cheating spouse must agree to never contact or accept contact from his or her lover again.

    •Understand why the affair happened -“The affair tells a story that must be understood,” says Spring. “Otherwise, why wouldn’t it happen again?” There are many reasons why people cheat. A few examples of the type who might cheat include someone who always followed the rules and never deviated from the pack, someone who felt his parent’s favored his siblings and seeks attention, and someone who is jealous of the time and affection his wife is now sharing with their children. The point is, however, that you have to get to the bottom of what led your spouse to cheat and try to address whatever needs addressing internally and in your relationship.

    •Turn to each other – After an affair, couples might have a lot of anger and resentment toward one another. They should not dwell on those emotions. Instead, they should look to the future. “Treat each other they way you would like to feel and not the way you actually feel at the moment,” says Spring. “Treat each other with respect, tenderness, and care.” Don’t take each other for granted either. “The after glow wears off, and people lose consciousness of how they treat each other,” says Spring.

    •Re-build trust – Those who have cheated must earn the trust of their spouses again. You’re starting from scratch, so it won’t be easy. Spring suggests you regularly check in, commit to therapy and working on the relationship, answer phone calls from your spouse, be where you say you are going to be, and tell the truth. If you lie or seem like you’re hiding something, your spouse will be brought back to the affair and your behavior during that time. Honesty could save your marriage.

    Those who heal after adversity focus on finding a solution to the problem instead of focusing on the problem. In other words, if you are someone who can’t let go of the idea that your spouse was unfaithful you will have a harder time healing.

    If you are someone who focuses on rebuilding the lost trust and stay open minded about finding solutions you are more likely to save your marriage and heal. The good news is, we can all be solution oriented folks. We can all develop the insight needed to work through marital infidelity and either save a marriage or move on to rebuild and be productive in life.

    The first place to start is with empathy for yourself and your spouse. I truly believe that the first step to healing from any kind of betrayal is an understanding of not only our own feelings but the feelings of the one who betrayed us.

    People who are empathetic are sensitive to their experiences and the experiences of others. You’ve heard the old saying, “walk a mile in my shoes?” This can’t be truer than when attempting to find solutions to marital problems that damage the trust we have in a partner.

    So, I urge you to not only be gentle with yourself but to put effort toward empathizing with the spouse who has hurt you. Doing so leaves little room for anger to take hold, anger that can keep you focused on the problem instead of solutions to the problem.

     

  • Not a love affair

    •Federal Government bemoans high rate of tax evasion but who really loves to pay tax?

    That payment of tax is a civic obligation of every adult citizen is a truism. But even truer is the fact that no one really enjoys paying tax for the simple reason that parting with hard-earned income must rank tops in the hierarchy of man’s list of discomforts. This explains why through the course of history, human beings have devised various means of evading the payment of taxes. Again, historically, tax collectors have remained among the most hated public officials.

    The modern man has created for himself tax havens and an intricate web of tax-dodging mechanisms. And there are tax consultants, professionals who are permitted by law to help people pay less tax or even no tax at all. They are at home with the arcana of taxation and the labyrinthine passageways of tax rules. Taxation is therefore not a tea party. It is indeed one of the trickiest tasks man ever devised.

    This is why we are in no guise nonplussed by the recent report about the Federal Government uncovering about 800,000 companies that never paid taxes.

    Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, in an article revealed that a little less than one million companies, including government contractors never paid any form of taxes. She said further that the entire country had only 14 million active taxpayers from an economically active base of about 70 million. And at that, a good chunk of the number, indeed, over 90 per cent were salary earners.

    This situation is no doubt pathetic and symptomatic of a distorted economic paradigm. And Mrs. Adeosun said so much. The nation’s tax backbone has remained rudimentary, she said, because Nigeria had lived under the illusion of an oil economy for too long. However, Nigeria is far from being an oil economy in the mould of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar that have very high daily crude production against small populations.

    She opined that these countries can actually do without tax income as revenues from oil sales were more than enough to run their economies. Nigeria, on the other hand, is dogged by a large population contending with a comparatively meagre daily oil production. The earlier the country comes to this realisation and upgrades her tax platforms, the better for her economy.

    According to the finance minister: “The historical government apathy towards revenue mobilisation is one of the effects of the mistaken identity that saw Nigeria perceive herself as an oil economy. This administration is determined to correct this identity crisis and all its concomitant effects.”

    Going forward, she said the Federal Ministry of Finance had commenced a database project that combines data from various arms of the government, including bank records, property and company ownership, and Customs records. Through this, accurate profiles of taxable individuals and companies would be created.

    The minister’s revelation is shocking and should indeed be troubling to any patriotic Nigerian. What she has brought to the fore is the fact that Nigeria’s current tax system is far from being robust, comprehensive and sustainable. The tax base is yet quite minuscule and requires an entire paradigm shift to bring it to its required size as the minister has suggested.

    From her narrative, less than one million private individuals, businesses and companies in Nigeria are captured. This is preposterous for a country of about 180 million people. Now that the Federal Government seems to have come alive to the reality of the country’s situation, we say better late than never.

    We suggest a more comprehensive reform of the tax system. The issue is not so much about evasion here as the captured sample. We need a regime that must first capture as many of the eligible as possible. Creating a deep database is the tough job. Making people pay has become a lot easier today, especially with improved technology.

    Citizens would also pay taxes free-willingly in a transparent and accountable environment devoid of corruption. Besides, if the citizenry are already saddled with providing there basic amenities, it would amount to multiple taxation to make them pay a penny more. No one wants to throw hard-earned money into a sink-hole.

  • A family affair

    When Nnamdi Kanu was granted bail by a Federal High Court on April 25, the joy of his supporters understandably knew no bounds. Boundless excitement may lead to boundless overexcitement, further leading to boundless irrationality. This sequence was observable following the conditional release of the controversial leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), an enthusiastic separatist group.

    A report said: “Speaking with reporters at his palace at Isiama Afaraukwu Ibeku in Umuahia, Kanu’s father, Eze Israel Kanu, flanked by his wife, Ugoeze Sally, called for the unconditional release of his son.” The traditional ruler of Afaraukwu Ineku Umuahia kingdom described his son as “a man who has done nothing to warrant being held in prison.” It would appear that father and son are on the same page concerning the separatist rebellion being championed by IPOB.

    What about Kanu’s mother? From the look of things, she supports her husband and her son on this issue. So, it may be described as a family affair, which makes it even more interesting. This report captures the family backing Kanu enjoys concerning his separatist ambition: “The IPOB leader’s mother said she had been having sleepless nights while her son was in detention and thanked God for answering her prayers. Mrs. Kanu thanked all those who stood firm for the Biafra cause and prayed for her son’s release, urging them to keep the faith. Asked if she would advise her son to discontinue his agitation, she cried: “No retreat, no surrender. Biafra is a divine project.”

    The report continued: “Kanu’s mother said the arrest of her son popularised the Biafra agitation and vowed to keep supporting the movement. “My son was raised by God to deliver Biafra and as God delivered Israel so he will deliver Biafra because my son is fighting for his right,” she said.”

    With such parental endorsement, Kanu is likely to believe he is doing the right thing in the right way. But is he doing the right thing in the right way? The reality is that the way he and his group have pursued their aim is unlawful, which is why he was arrested for alleged treason and detained.

    If Kanu’s parents don’t appreciate that their son’s separatist activities are subversive and against the law, they cannot appreciate the need to rein him in. This is a case where Kanu’s parents cannot restrain him because of their own unrestrained unrealism.

  • Scarf Affair

    Scarf Affair

    Scarf is a great way to stay warm and stylish at the same time. It adds a strong element of style especially when introduced on a bland outfit. It makes you unique and noticeable in a crowd. Scarf adds charm and personality to you look.

    Typically made from wool, cashmere, angora, cotton, linen, silk or synthetic materials. Scarf can fit many occasions and it is quite simple to wear. Drape your around your neck. This works well if you are wearing a suit or sports jacket with a deep v-shaped front. Another way is to take the scarf and wrap it once around your neck leaving the two ends dangling in front.

  • I NEVER HAD AN AFFAIR WITH ONYEKA ONWENU–KING SUNNY ADE

    I NEVER HAD AN AFFAIR WITH ONYEKA ONWENU–KING SUNNY ADE

    For over 40 years, he has plied his trade all over the world, thrilling lovers of his brand of music. Now clocking 70, there is no better time to crown him the King of Juju music than now. OVWE MEDEME reports that King Sunday Adeniyi, popularly known as KSA, has lived a fulfilled life, by his own admittance. 

    FIELDING questions from journalists recently on the preparations for the celebration of his 70th birthday, he touched on several things as they affect his long career. One of those is on the issue of whether he harbours any fear, having come this far in life.

    “The only fear I used to have is; I don’t know when God will say stop giving your fans what I have. But that has stopped because God does his things in his own way,” he revealed.

    One of the turning points of his career own the family planning campaign duet, Wait For Me, he did with fellow veteran, Onyeka Onwenu. The success the song garnered came with its downside. However, KSA took advantage of the opportunity to dispel the age long rumour that he had an affair with Onyeka Onwenu.

    Explaining, he said that any talk about having an affair with the songstress was to promote song. “Do I have a crush; she’s a good sister. She’s my colleague. Recently, we played together and before then, if you remember the day I played with Wizkid, she was also there. We are colleagues,” he said.

    Comparing the music of yesteryear with today’s music, he said. “Yesteryears have come to stay.”

    “For the new generation that is coming now the difference, I’m proud to say is that I’m playing indigenous music. What they are playing today is computer music. It doesn’t mean I cannot use computer, but I have to be very careful of what I use it for.  Any music that sells well, the world buys it and it is a glorious thing for Nigeria but let me be clear, anything you cannot dictate for your hand to do, you cannot control.”

    Unknown to many, his career as an entertainer started as with a travelling theatre troupe lead by Chief Moses Adejumo Olaiya, popularly known as Baba Sala. On Baba Sala insistence, he dropped the life of a minstrel and took up that of a singer.

    He extols the sage in so many words; “Baba Sala is my boss and he will continue to be my boss for life. I owe him that gratitude for life. I was playing percussion in his band and he was playing guitar and a couple of instruments. I was in charge of the music in the drama section, playing conga. He actually prompted me to go into music with a proviso that I should go and if after nine months, I found it tough, I should come back. He told me, go and try and that if does not work, come back.”

    However, entering the grand age of the septuagenarians, one would like to know whether he has reached the height of his achievements of whether he still has other plans.

    “Let me say it clearly to you, I am not God. I can only say what I think I can do but he alone can say what I will do,” said KSA.

    Being showcased alongside globally recognised artistes like The Beatle’s is no easy feat and the artiste says that it is like a crowning point of his career. This is evident in his guitar being put on display at the Music Instrument Museum, Phoenix, Arizona.

    “My guitar and costume were donated to the Musical Instruments Museum in Arizona about four years ago. I have never seen a museum as big as that with pictures of myself that I have never seen before. The Nigerian Corner is a beehive of visitors. I had the privilege of playing before a huge audience comprising musicologists and musicians. I had the audience to sing along with me.”

    Only recently KSA scored a victory in the N500million copyright suit filed against African Songs and its subsidiary, Take Your Choice Records (TYC). And for him, it was a victory well deserved.

    “The case was won by me and they were told to pay me N500million but they are yet to do that. The next thing I saw was an appeal to we are still waiting to know what will happen next. I also hope I get back my master tapes.”

    As one who belongs to another generation, KSA refuses to join the bandwagon to condemn today’s music because, as he puts it, Nigerian music is Nigerian music.

    “There are good musicians in this country today. Because you are part of them, you are part of the entertainment industry. I used to say to those I mentor, we have made some mistakes. Please check what we have done wrong, remove it. Replace it with good ones. Return it to us, then we will have better music. Our ancestors too made some mistakes which we corrected,” he said.

    On the quality of music being churned out today, he says; “Before you can say one particular music has quality, it depends on what you use to play it. I would say music is always there. It is for the producer to find that particular sound that would please the listeners. As for equipments; in Nigeria today, you can count how many studios we have. You can also count how many equipments they have. I’ve talked about the compositions. Those things influence them.”

    However, he says, he has no particular preference when it comes to present day artistes as they all come with their unique sounds.

    “I love all of them because they have different styles. You cannot compare them to each other. You can only group them under hip-hop. Even in juju music, we have different styles. As long as they are doing something unique, I’m ok with it,” he says.

    With his gait and presence of mind for a man his age, one would agree that the King is not too old to take a new wife but he says that is not in his agenda, for now. In his words, it would be out place to make such move at his age.

    “Are you praying for me or cursing me. If you see some of my grandchildren, you will think they are my wives. Taking a new wife now, I don’t know. It is not on my agenda at the moment. By the grace of God, during my 70th birthday concert, the world will see my children and grandchildren singing and dancing to my songs on stage.”

    Year after year, KSA’s birthday has been celebrated in grand style but this year’s celebration is unique in that, not only does he clock the golden age of 70, the celebration has been extended to run throughout the month. The activities which started on September 1 with a special prayer by the General Overseer of the Redeem Christian Church of God, EA Adeboye. Other activities slated include a gospel music night, special prayers, family celebration, a book launch and a host of others. The events will culminate in a grand finale where musicians from all over the world will gather to do him homage.

    Born September 22, 1946 KSA is a Nigerian musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and a pioneer of modern world music who has been classed as one of the most influential musicians of all time.

  • My encounter with woman who wanted an affair at all cost – Lagos high chief and top socialite turned preacher

    His life is a replica of the biblical Jonah. He got a divine call to serve God but ran to far away United States of America because he was not only a high flying socialite but a high chief in Lagos. But he faced the storm of life in the US and knew no peace until he returned to Nigeria to start a church.

    The eventual submission of Rev. Oluwafemi Emmanuel Iroh to God’s will has seen him prospering as a clergyman, but not until he has endured temptations that would stretch the patience and endurance of many beyond tolerable limits. These include having to leave apart with his wife for 12 years with temptations from women who were desperate for affair.

    Cash-strapped and penurious, all the effort he made to dispose his huge collection of properties just to raise enough money to rejoin his wife in the US failed. He struggled with life until his large collection of exotic cars drained into a rickety Peugeot 504 before fortune began to smile on him once again.

     

    The beginning

    Pastor Femi Iroh, as he is now widely known, is an indigene of Sagamu, Ogun State, where he was born before his parents moved to Lagos around 1962.

    “But things went sour when after I finished primary school, I couldn’t proceed to secondary school. I had a Lagos State scholarship but there was no one to push me through. I ended up staying at home, helping my father to take palm wine from Isheri to Surulere to sell. I did that for about three years,” he said.

    But that low beginning did not stop Iroh. He collected notebooks and reading books from friends to study at home most evenings.

    He said: “I was a school prefect when I left MTC School Mushin in those days. I started to self-educate myself at home. After sitting at home for four years, the Principal Cup (football competition) came up. I was skillful in football, so I went for test at Western College of Commerce, Yaba and luckily I was selected as a footballer.

    “I was given admission to start from class four. I never read classes 1 to 3. Luckily for me, I was brilliant. When I was in class four, my friends in class five used to come to me to put them through in academics.”

    Once in school, Iroh faced his academics and emerged out of secondary school with a Grade 3, which was just as good for one who wasn’t in school until he joined in Year 4.

     

    The road to becoming a banker

    A restless student, Iroh had unknowingly got an education in typing and shorthand and was capable of typing 50 words per minute. He could also write 120 words in shorthand within a minute even before he went to school.

    He did not know the value of what he had until he finished secondary school and went for an interview for a clerical job. There, the personnel manager who interviewed him saw his interest in a typewriter and asked if he could type.

    “I told him I could type 50 words per minute and that I could write 120 words of shorthand per minute. He was dazed. Another interview was immediately done, which I passed.

    “So, instead of a clerical job, I became a confidential secretary. And that was how God began to bless me further. From there, I did my AIB. I went to National Bank where I left years later as an Assistant Bank Manager. That was in 1987.

    “From there, I went to America, came back and started my business.”

     

    Life as a philanthropist and socialite

    “Oh yes, I was a giver,” said Femi Iroh. “I did help a lot of people. I used to go out with a convoy of between five and ten cars to social events. I was that loud. Though people knew my wife and I for the parties we attended, but they also knew us more for giving to people.”

    According to Iroh, it was his philanthropic disposition that won him a chieftaincy title from the Lagos royal palace. “That was just who I was, and that actually brought people to me.

    “An influential Lagosian called Alhaji Alli Balogun sent his son who is now Otunba Dapo Balogun to me. When he called for assistance, it was a little sum. But in those days in 1993, it was a big amount too.

    “I said, ‘Daddy, is that why you are calling me? Please send someone to come right away.’

    “He sent his son. When he received it, he called back and said, ‘So you are still doing these good deeds. I will reward you for this thing that you have done.’

    “He asked me, ‘How would you love being conferred with a chieftaincy title in Lagos?’ I was dazed.

    “He told me to send my curriculum vitae. I sent it to him. It passed through a process, with Chief Michael Otedola, the then governor, finally approving.

    “Few weeks later, the man called me to his house in Lagos. I went with my wife and there I was handed two envelopes, one for me and one for my wife.

    “This was a man I came in and prostrated to greet. But immediately I opened the envelope, saw the letter which read that I had been confirmed with the title of the Borokini of Lagos, and my wife, Yeye Borokini of Lagos, I made out to prostrate but I was held back. I was told I could never prostrate again because it had become a taboo.

    “After that, I was told all the taboos of the title. I shivered. That was how I got the chieftaincy title.

    “While it lasted, it was good. My wife and I were everywhere in the society.

     

    Life on the social plane

    “Like I told you, my wife and I used to move in a convoy. I was popular with the top musicians too. But when I finally heeded God’s call, the top musicians knew it was over and they left me alone. They knew that the past life I lived, was gone, especially Wasiu (K-One De Ultimate). The money I used to spend there was over.

    “When I used to attend parties, I would spend and spend and end up borrowing to spend more. Can you beat that? It was madness! I had someone who used to hold the bag or carton. I would spray money and keep spraying. There was always a money changer on hand. I would finish the money I came with and borrow from the money changer to continue spraying. The money had to finish before I would leave the party.

    “Now I just bless God, because I have never had cause to look back and I have no regrets. I am happy about this life that I am living and I know that there is no better life.”

     

    The call to ministry

    The life of glamour had to come to an abrupt end for Iroh after he got a divine call.

    He said: “At a point, the Lord told me to relinquish my (chieftaincy) title. He told me that I should come over to carry His cross and take His own title. It was a difficult thing to do. So I resisted. I moved to America with my family. Life in America was good until things started changing.”

    Iroh recalled that he had landed properties in Nigeria but buyers were not forthcoming. Business became bad. He therefore had to return to Nigeria.

    Upon his return to Nigeria, the call came to him again.

    He said: “In 1998 when I came back from America, the Lord told me to relinquish the title and go for His work. So I said where would I go? I struggle on and finally decided in 2000 to think about God’s calling.

    “In year 2000, I went to a bible college. But in 2003, I still tried to return to America but I couldn’t. I wanted to go and meet my family. I got to the airport, the road was closed even though I had a visa for five years, which eventually expired. I got another visa for five years, which also expired. Since then, I have not been able to leave the country.”

    While at the bible school, his friend, an influential Northerner who was close to the Emir of Kano with possible Arewa support, sought his participation in the governorship race in Edo State. That prompted Iroh to suddenly turn his mind to politics.

    He was told to provide just 20 per cent of the campaign funds while his influential friends would provide the 80 per cent. He was pleased.

    “I was to collect a letter from Oba Oyekan, which would be handed over to the Emir to facilitate my being accepted,” he said.

    But his pastor had a message for him. “I told my pastor about it. He told me that it was good to contest but that I would get my fingers soiled. He told me to ask for my purpose. I went and prayed and God told me ‘Christ unity,’ that I should build the body of Christ. I didn’t know what it meant then, but I later knew.”

    Iroh’s influential northerner suddenly took ill and was flown to London. He could not return before the elections were over. It was a sad moment in his life.

    Faced with dwindling fortunes and inability to return to America to be with his family, Iroh succumbed finally to God’s call and started the Christ Unity Ministry in 2004.

    The royal visitation

    As a traditional chief and a once influential individual, the palace was concerned. So an emissary was sent to meet him.

    He recalled: “The palace was concerned. In fact the present ruler, Oba Akiolu, is a friend. He was the one that advised me to return from America to Nigeria. When he became the Oba, I recall that I visited him at an earlier period. I went there to pray and thank God for his life. Since then, I have not seen him.

    “However, in 2007, he sent the Bajulaiye of Lagos to me with a few other traditional title holders, who brought the message that even if I have relinquished the title, at least I should still be coming around and still be making appearances in society circles.

    “But as it turned out, when they arrived, they met me in church. I led them to Christ and prayed for them. That was the last time they visited me and I have not gone to the palace too.”

    Asked if he was not worried that his financial condition could depreciate further with a decision to go into ministry work at that point, robust looking Iroh looked up and said: “At that point, I had no doubt or fear at all because God had shown me that everything belongs to Him. He took me on the hard way. He said riches and gold belongs to Him. He told me before I started that He would never forsake His own child and neither will I see a servant of God’s children beg for bread.

    “I had no regret. But I went through that wilderness, begging to feed, though I didn’t mind because I saw joy ahead of me. I was in plenty but I was hungry. But again, I was not poor. I saw my investments, but they refused to turn to cash! I had property in multiples of millions of naira, which did not turn to cash.

    “For instance, I had a property on this same road which now will soon be sold as much as N170 million. I wanted to sell it at N5m then but we couldn’t find a buyer. Someone who came to buy ran away because he couldn’t understand why we wanted to collect so little for such a vast investment; one acre of land with four flats on it. He refused to believe such desperation for money.

    “But even in such a situation, I never looked back. I didn’t abandon my calling.”

    The vow

    “There was one thing that I did before now. That was when I came back and my wife was still abroad. I vowed to God that if I went into a woman aside from my wife, God should kill me. And I continued that ‘Father, as long as I do not do that, don’t let my wife do it there too.”

    That vow became my strong weapon and that was what kept me all those years. Of course, the temptations were there, but I ignored all of them.

    Asked if he kept the vow, Iroh replied, ‘Yes, I had nothing to do with a woman for those 12 years that I did not see my wife. I was here in a wilderness experience. The strange aspect is that all through those years, despite not seeing each other, we didn’t quarrel. The calling was total.”

    The trials

    Iroh recalled that even while he was in the world, he was still always fasting and praying. He said that even for his juju while he was in the world, one of the don’ts was to stay away from women!

    He added: “The fasting and prayer helped me to stay away from women. That also helped me not to have a child outside my matrimonial home.

    “As for the women, they were there, plenty of them, but I knew as a rule, I was not to do anything with them. Big girls flocked around, women came from everywhere, but I did not do it. So when I agreed to start working for God, I held unto the vow.”

    But did the women leave him alone? He said as some did, new ones would come up. “By the time they found that I was for God, it became a new story. They started to stop coming. They saw the true calling.

    “But even when I started the church, they still kept coming. I had experiences. But let me share one with you: I had a friend who was a top official in the police force. He introduced me to a girl. We went to her house, ate and afterwards I was to go. But when we got outside, she grabbed me. She said she would not let me go; that I had to have her since I didn’t have anyone. She asked why a handsome man like me should remain alone for so long. I was shocked. I had to start begging her that we were in the public, but she said she did not mind, that I had to accept her.

    “I told her I could not do it. She said pastors do it, that all it takes is to pray for forgiveness after doing it. When I realised how serious she was, I pleaded with her and told her that we would talk about it. She held unto me and said, ‘kiss me.’ I told her that I was married. She replied that she knew but that my wife was not in Nigeria. I told her to come to my office so we could plan it properly. When I talked to her like that, she released me.

    “She said her father was an accountant in one of the foreign airlines in the country. She assured me of good business. But when she came, I called it off in a manner that she couldn’t come back. She left because once they see the spirit of God in you, they will not come near you. They will run away. But one also has to know the word and also flee from every appearances of evil.

    “I had challenges with money. When my wife eventually returned from America to join me here, I was down to only a Peugeot 504 car. That was in December 2006. That same week she returned, the car broke down in the middle of the road. That is one of the reasons that I love that woman till today.

    “A woman who had been in America for 16 years returned and the car broke down in the middle of the busy road. She came down and was pushing the car. I couldn’t believe it! She was pushing the Peugeot and I asked God, what kind of thing is this? What kind of embarrassment is this? Me, who used to be the Borokini of Lagos now pushing a Peugeot 504 with my wife? I wept.

    “But later I realised that without a story, there can never be a glory. Without a cross, there cannot be a crown. I’m most grateful today. I look back and thank God. I am filled with joy.”

    The revival

    Years later, Rev. Iroh, as he became, built God an edifice where he ministers and evangelises. Twelve years later, we asked him how the journey has been.

    “It has been awesome. God has been showing Himself mightily here. I remember in 2006, the Lord used me to deliver a lady who had paralysis. She is from a popular family in Lagos. She had been paralysed for over a year. I went to minister to her at a specialist medical hospital off Adeola Odeku. The family used to know me as Borokini of Lagos.

    “When I got there, the mother was shocked to see me with a giant sized bible. She couldn’t help herself. She had to ask outright, ‘Is this our chief carrying a big bible?’ The size of the bible was like four in one.

    “She asked another person there in the hospital, ‘I hope this man has not gone kolo o?’ When I got near her, she told me her daughter was paralysed. I told her not to worry. I went in to pray; her husband was there with his friends, and the Lord did wonder.

    “Someone who had been paralysed for one year, the Lord delivered her. After about 30 minutes battle with the devil, she recovered. A mad woman was delivered too. People who sought for the fruit of the womb were delivered of babies. So God has been doing wonders. I never doubted God’s power.”

    The new look

    Life for Iroh and his beautiful wife, Olufunmilayo, revolves around the ministry. Still looking much like a banker that he was in those days, the preacher, though 60, still looked yuppie and dandy.

    So what is the secret?

    “It seems like I keep rejuvenating (laughs). The truth is that I do nothing to keep healthy. The secret to my good features and physique is fasting and prayers. There is no week I do not fast three or four times. Last year I fasted from June and ended in December. And in between, I go seven days without food or water.

    “To look this way at 60 means glory to God. Our first child is now 34 years old. Some people say I’m 40, especially when I cut my hair low. I have never dyed my hair in my entire life. It is God at work.

     

    The fashion, the style

    Curious as to how his sense of fashion would have been in his heyday in high society and the probable disparity it would be now, we asked him and he laughed, “Of course, it’s different now. As a matter of fact, the moment you give your life to Christ, you are consumed totally. Your mode of dressing will change. Nobody will tell you. You will have that inner conviction that this is the way you will dress. No more flamboyancy.

    “The scripture says that we should be moderate. The traditional beads that go with chieftaincy titles and so on, all that had to go! Those were the first things to go (laughs again). I had to relinquish them. I didn’t need them anymore.

    As one who has been through life’s different situations, Rev. Iroh had a parting shot. Shaking his head in deep thought, he said: “You asked what life is. My kid brother asked me same after I fasted for days and transited to heaven.

    “I had this answer for him: life is vanity. All is vanity. Yes, we need money, car, and light and so on, but they are temporary issues. We should focus on eternity. If one lives so much, you can’t live outside 150 years. In short, you will regret life then. What preparations are we making here towards eternity? That should be our major focus.”

  • A Klassic affair

    A Klassic affair

    Members of the Lagos-based Klassic Club of Ikere-Ekiti celebrated their yearly Klassic Day at the Solab Hotel and Suites in Ikeja. It coincided with the 60th birthday of the club’s co-founder, and Chairman/Chief Executive of OAC Investments Ltd, Oyewole Adebero. IBRAHIM ADAM reports. 

    For members of the Klassic Club of Ikere-Ekiti, it was a day to remember. It was the  celebration the club’s yearly “Klassic Day” and birthday of its co -founder Oyewole Adebero, who turned 60.

    The Solab Hotel hall was tastefully decorated; chairs were set round tables covered in gold overlays.

    The event began with the arrival of the club’s President, Bunmi Ogundana. He was ushered in with music by Grace Praise Band. He danced for a while before heading to his seat.

    Mr Lanre Olalekan of Bond FM anchored for the event.

    He enjoined all to stand for the national and the club anthems. There was praise and worship session led by Lady Yinka Aluko.

    In a welcome address, Ogundana said the event was aimed at celebrate its members past and pioneer.

    He appealed to members to strive hard to move the club forward.

    “We are here to celebrate a very reliable pioneer member, who I personally call the ‘Otunba of Klassic Club’ and our past presidents for their contributions in sustaining the tempo of the club over the years.

    “Let us intensify more efforts to search for Ikere indigenes with impeccable characters that meet the club requirements,” He said.

    He was thankful to God for giving the club members peace despite the insecurity in the country.

    The ceremony continued with the presentation of gifts and awards to some members.

    Adeboro, who is Managing Partner Oyewole Adebero and Co (Chartered Accountants) was presented a large photograph of himself by Prince Lanke Adegboye. Members were honoured for their contribution towards the club.

    Adedapo Adebayo said: “Whatever I’ve done to qualify me for this, I promise to redouble my effort for the club,”

    Adebero described the day as special. He called on God to guide, teach and protect him:”It is a marvellous day, unprecedented, something I never expected, because, who am I? What have I done to deserve what am seeing today? God I thank you.

    “After God, my mother and then my wife because if not for my mother who sold her clothes, I might not be here or might be a local champion in my town. My wife is just a woman of substance, she made me,” he said.

    Rev.  Oyewole Ayeni urged the gathering to learn from the celebrator.

  • NFF crisis a serious affair — Danagogo

    NFF crisis a serious affair — Danagogo

    The Sports Minister/Chairman National Sports Commission, Dr. Tammy Danagogo yesterday affirmed that the current  crisis rocking the Nigeria Football Federation is a serious affair for all football stakeholders in the country.

    According to Dr. Danagogo, the NSC is still studying the situation and “at the appropriate time we will say something about it in order for our football to move forward.”

    He added that “Already I have started calling the parties involved in the dispute to know their grievances and find a way out of the crisis because it is not healthy for the development of our football.”

    Meanwhile the minister has called on all parties involved in the crisis to put the interest of the country and the game before their personal interests as efforts are being made to ensure that peace returns to the football house.

  • Mya denies Jay Z affair

    Mya denies Jay Z affair

    The ‘Case of the Ex’ singer chalked up reports that she has been secretly dating the ’99 Problems’ rapper to ‘illegitimate, thirsty sources with no facts.’

    ‘I play second to no one,’ Mya (left) wrote on Instagram Wednesday after a fan asked whether she is having an affair with Beyoncé’s husband, Jay Z.

    “Never did, never was, never will,” the pop star said about her rumored affair with the “99 Problems” rapper, after she was asked about the gossip on Instagram.

    “Heard you and Jay Z had an 11-year affair,” the fan wrote Thursday. “Are you his side chick or nah?”

    A recent blind item suggested Beyoncé’s husband has been secretly dating – and financially supporting – Mya for years. The “Case of the Ex” singer strongly refuted these claims.