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Tag: City

  • Barcelona, City win big in UCL games

    Barcelona, City win big in UCL games

    Barcelona trashed stern European rival Bayern Munich 4-1 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys stadium.

    The game, which began with Barcelona drawing first blood in the opening minute with a goal  by Raphinha, saw 31-year-old Harry Kane equalise in the 18th minute.

    The game ran out gripes for vincent kompany’s men as Lewandowski and Raphinha  scored in the 36th and 45th minute to regain the advantage going into halftime.

    Raphinha scored his third of the night in the 56th minute to seal the victory for the Catalonia giants for the first time since 2015. 

    It was a similar story in England as Man City annihilated Sparta Praha 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

    Read Also: Things to know about Barcelona vs Bayern Munich UCL game


    Sensational forward Erling Haaland etude dominance scoring in the 58th  and 68th minutes after Phil Foden had opened the score-sheet in the 3rd minute.

    John Stones and Matheus Nunes found the back of the net in the 64th and 88th minutes respectively to secure the three points.

    At the end of matchday 3, Man City and Barcelona are on third and tenth position respectively on the UCL table.

  • City win Manchester derby with dramatic comeback

    City win Manchester derby with dramatic comeback

    Phil Foden‘s second-half double ensured the Manchester derby spoils went to the blues as Manchester City came from behind to beat Manchester United at Etihad Stadium.

    In a game packed with international stars, it was two local boys who provided the key moments.

    The visitors had led through Marcus Rashford‘s sensational eighth-minute strike from 30 yards.

    However, in a contest City dominated, Foden took centre stage.

    There was an element of controversy over his second-half equaliser. United boss Erik ten Hag was booked for arguing his side should have had a free-kick in the City half when Rashford went down under Kyle Walker’s challenge.

    Read Also: Report any official demanding bribe, inducement to me directly – Tinubu tells Qatari investors

    Contact was minimal and within seconds Foden had curled a superb shot past Andre Onana.

    Foden then burst away from a static Casemiro to score City’s second from Julian Alvarez’s return pass before Erling Haaland rounded off the scoring in stoppage time, after the Norwegian earlier missed an open goal from barely three yards.

    It was City’s sixth win in seven meetings against United, who suffered their 11th Premier League defeat of the season.

    More importantly, the result means Pep Guardiola’s side move to within a point of leaders Liverpool before next week’s trip to Anfield.

    United remain in sixth in the table but are now 11 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa and six behind Tottenham, in what could turn out to be a fifth Champions League spot, having played a game more.

    BBC

  • Manchester City get chance for revenge at Wigan in FA Cup

    Manchester City get chance for revenge at Wigan in FA Cup

    Manchester City have a chance to get revenge over Wigan Athletic for their 2013 FA Cup final defeat after being drawn against the third-tier leaders in the fifth round of the competition.

    Wigan snatched the only goal in the final against City with Ben Watson’s late header to lift the famous old trophy, though they were relegated from the Premier League that season.

    Manchester United visit Huddersfield Town or second-tier Birmingham City while Chelsea, who lost to Arsenal in the 2017 final, host Championship side Hull City after Monday’s draw.

    Read Also: Manchester City to boost Nigerian fan-base with Premier Cool

    West Bromwich Albion and Southampton meet in an all-Premier League clash, second-tier Sheffield United are at Leicester City and Brighton & Hove Albion welcome 1987 winners Coventry City.

    If Tottenham Hotspur beat Newport County, the lowest-ranked team left in the competition, in a fourth-round replay they will travel to second-tier Millwall or Rochdale of League One.

    Spurs beat Millwall 6-0 in last season’s quarterfinals.

    Championship side Sheffield Wednesday will meet League Two Notts County or Premier League strugglers Swansea City.

    The ties will be played from Feb. 16-19.

    Reuters/NAN

  • Soul of the City

    Soul of the City

    Two things happened in Lagos recently that teach us the value of place. Alpha Governor Akinwunmi Ambode reiterated the need for the federal government to return its properties to the iconic city. In another development, a little controversy was put to death over uprooted monuments to Moshood Abiola and Gani Fawehinmi at the famous Ojota Park.

    What Governor Ambode sought was not merely the monetary value of the properties but the soul of the city. What makes the soul of a city is as much the people, the heroes, the workers in the routine glories of their days, when they work and play. So, when he fought to get the National Stadium the other day, it was not the stadium but the memory. Lagos was taking back its own, when Yakubu Mambo scored the first goal, when Haruna Ilerika made fancy work of the mid field, Segun Odegbami turned mathematical, when we won gold medal as a nation.

    If Lagos gets those properties back, the money only makes sense in the context of its culture. The city is nothing but its past and dreams. New York is the economic capital of the world, but it is nothing without how it grew from a lowly port settlement with its geniuses and workers. Like Lagos, London is nothing without Queen Elizabeth’s exploits, and the tower, Buckingham Palace, the German bombardment, Churchill and its heroics.

    So, Lagos swaggers with such names as Tinubu Square with its independence roots. Now the governor has restored its fountain pride. This brings memory to my childhood days. So also is the memory of Chief MKO Abiola, who roiled for democracy. Abiola risked money for public good to immortalise him. Gani Fawehinmi duelled with the law. He dared the gun, groaned in Gashua prison, defended the weak and poor. Eventually, he died. Writer George Crabbe said even monuments need memorials. Hence Governor Ambode wants to memorialise the monuments by making them bigger and grander. A few already are materialising in public like the headless ardour of Abami Eda, Fela Kuti.

    “Monuments, like men, submit to fate,” wrote poet Alexander Pope. Governor Ambode giving new fate to the monuments. In the same way, he is building new ones, like the flyovers in Abule Egba and Lekki. Monuments are messengers of the might within the land, to quote Joseph Conrad. So, if it is a high rise, a residential quarter, a bald piece of land, they are as important as a bust in Idumota. That is Ambode’s point.

  • City on a hill

    City on a hill

    A tussle is in the air in Ibadan, although much of the nation is not paying attention. Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has set up a committee to look into how the Olu of Ibadan is elected. Two members of the Olu’s council have risen in protest. They are joined by Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, the hoary upstart and serial loser.

    Ajimobi wants the committee to review the formula where only old men emerge as Olu, and look for modern ways to make younger people. A system where men in their 80’s or older want to be kings rids a society of the contribution of their vital years.

    Ajimobi is calling for merit to upend age. “When I was old,” said the Chinese proverb, “I did not have the strength.” The governor wants a throne where kings brim with energy and wisdom, whose orders do not sound like whimper, who do not walk as though they limp.

    The irony is that Ibadan is a product of talent, not entitlement. It was a repository of the best, fleeing other towns and kingdoms. The city, built on a hill, became the forte of military ardour and strategic elan. It became a progressive bastion, a tradition that we cantrace in Yorubaland from Ogunmola to Awolowo.

    That is what Ajimobi wants to recreate. A better and more vital past. Not the past of 1957 where gerontocrats reign. It is the same town where, as the governor noted, the big names could not raise enough money to build a befitting palace. It seems some of the town’s bigwigs hark back to a wrong Ibadan past. A past of dilapidated palace tenanting an old and expiring king. Ajimobi is attempting another paradox: a revolution in a palace, if not of a palace.  He wants Ibadan to return as the city on a hill.

  • 14 bridges ready in Eko Atlantic City

    14 bridges ready in Eko Atlantic City

    The multibillion dollar Eko Atlantic City, being developed in Lagos State, has made significant progress in its infrastructural development with the completion of 14 bridges, its developer has said.

    The bridges, built to international standard, in phases one and two, extend to over five million square metres, representing half of the planned city.

    Work on the bridge started in December 2014, when the first bridge deck was cast and the last one completed last December.  Phases one and two of the city are divided into eight districts – Harbour Lights, Business Districts, Eko Drive, Marina, Ocean Front, Down town, Eko Energy Estate and Avenues.

    They are planned for mixed-use with commercial, residential, entertainment and leisure  to make the city a 24/7 environment. With the new bridges, all the districts are now accessible by road.

    The bridgeworks have formed a major element of the works and it has also enabled all major avenues to overpass the canal system running through the spine of the project.

    The bridges are between two and eight lanes. For instance, Bridge seven comprises a six-lane carriageway and is located on Avenue 1, thus defining the western boundary of the Business District, the commercial heartland of the city.  Spanning 52 metres overall in three sections, Bridge seven is typical of the design utilised throughout all bridges and comprises a reinforced concrete cast  with concrete piers and abutments.

    Also, post-tensioning techniques were employed on the horizontal deck to achieve the span required. The last bridge was constructed to overpass the canal entrance to the Soutwest Marina, defining the marine access to the Atlantic Ocean.

    South Energy Nigeria Limited (SENL), a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group, Managing Director, Mr David Frame, said the firm is committed to ensuring that the project is completed on schedule.

    “With the successful completion of all the bridges, all the major avenues within Phase 1 and 2 of the City are now fully interconnected, with the comprehensive road network of the City defined and all zones accessible,” he said.

    Last November, the first Eko Pearl Towers, a residential building in its Marina District, was unveiled.  Its inauguration by the Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode came months after the city’s Eko Boulevard opening, the country’s first eight-lane city road.

     

  • Youth service: The big city bubble

    Youth service: The big city bubble

    Serving in major cities is not usually as rosy as National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members think,  reports TITILOPE FADARE, a Corps member with The Nation in Abuja.

    Graduating from a higher institution often comes with a sense of relief. Yet, it also marks the beginning of another phase in life’s journey. Those lucky to graduate at a young age see it as freedom from the restrictions in school.

    A university or polytechnic graduate is expected to undergo a mandatory one-year national service, which is to expose him/her to a different life outside his/her home setting. In most cases, the graduates are expected to serve outside their states of origin. It is assumed that this would afford them first-hand experience of the cultural, behavioural and ethnic orientations of their host communities, in addition to having access to work experience that would prepare them for their careers.

    The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), established in 1973 by former Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon, as part of reconciliatory efforts after the civil war, provides the platform for the one-year service.

    During the period, Corps members are regarded as Federal Government’s ‘property’.  But investigations have shown that this is not really the case.

    After graduation, the graduate waits eagerly for his posting for the service. Some lobby to be posted to Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt in Rivers State, which are among locations preferred by many graduates. They believe that serving in those states and Abuja would help them in getting jobs and making money during and after the service year. Those posted there are envied by their friends and regarded as lucky.

    However, being posted to Abuja, Lagos or Port Harcourt often comes with challenges that many corps members rarely bargain for – the biggest being rejection by employers, and lack of accommodation.

    While many are lucky to have their dreams fulfilled, others go through the service year managing to survive due to the high cost of living in the preferred states. They are forced to cope with high cost of transportation, feeding and accommodation, which is worse when they have no relatives to support them in such states.  Many often end up with no accommodation because of the large number of youths churned out annually, among other factors.  Many also hardly receive allowances from their places of primary assignment to augment the monthly N19,500 paid by the Federal Government.

    Getting a place of primary assignment is not also easy, as the rate of rejection by establishments is high. In some cases, Corps members lobby to be rejected by unattractive establishments, hoping to get lucky with blue chip companies. Unfortunately, most of them become stranded as only few Corps members are eventually engaged by the so-called well-paying firms. This further compounds their woes.

    A Corps member serving in oil-rich Rivers State, Ayodele Oyelese, told The Nation that it has not been easy surviving in the Garden City of Port Harcourt.

    He said: “In a place like Port-Harcourt, transportation is quite expensive because of the nature of the place as an oil-producing state. You go through a lot of difficulties and food is very expensive. The cost of living is very high. Judging from what I receive from the Federal Government as allowance and the fact that I don’t get anything from my place of primary assignment, I manage to survive there. The state government too is not helping matters as they are not supplementing the allowance for us. They have not even been able to pay their teachers for five months now.”

    Ayodele, who said he was accepted by the establishment he was posted to, stated that many of his colleagues were not so lucky.

    Adebimpe Keerah, serving in Abuja, is also full of lamentations. She has had to cope with high cost of living and rejection.

    She said: “When I was posted to Abuja, friends teased me saying I was going to ile-owo meaning Abuja is the home of  wealth.

    “I must confess that my parents and relatives were skeptical about how I would manage in Abuja. So, I came to Abuja  with the knowledge that it is a proverbial city filled with milk and honey and the cautious thoughts of my parents. Fortunately for me, I have an uncle in Abuja, and so the fears of accommodation were allayed.

    “While in camp, some of those things I heard started coming to bear. Things were ridiculously expensive. You have to take good note of how much you spend. One experience that hit me hard was when I was charged N1,500 to slim-fit my khaki pair of trousers and jacket. I was shocked because that was ridiculously expensive, compared to Lagos where where you could do that for N100. Paying N1,500 was way out of it.

    “Out of camp, I started realising that I was now in the real world. I was posted to a place where I was rejected. Back to NYSC, I was told to search for a place that would accept me. That was when the hustle really began. I was spending money on transport going from one place to the other in search of where to do my primary assignment. Since I was new in Abuja, the taxi drivers took advantage of the situation and exploited me.

    “It was not really easy for me. But, it was a worthy experience. I am still struggling with managing my resources because I have realised that everything in Abuja is quite expensive.”

    Ironically, while some corps members are going through tough times in major cities, some others claim to be happy where they were posted. Ayotola Ibitayo, a corps member serving in Kano State, described her experience as wonderful.  Apart from cultural challenges, she said it has been a pleasant surprise.

    “My experience in Kano State has been wonderful. Although I was not happy when I was posted there, but the living condition is better than I imagined,” she said.

    Ayotola explained that it was a relief that most establishments in the state, from government to private schools and companies, provided accommodation for Corps members, while those that don’t provide money to pay for rent.   She also said food and transportation were affordable.

    “Food is very cheap, especially for those posted to the village, (the villagers) give us food.  Transportation is also okay. The buses and cabs are actually cheap and transportation is easy in Kano State. The only thing that I would find uncomfortable for any Corps member that is not from Kano might be their culture, or their way of life. For example, the way they dress might be alien to some corps members, especially those who come from the south. But that is all part of the fun because that is the whole idea of NYSC– new culture and it is okay because it is just for a year.”

    Speaking in the same vein, Dolapo Fadahunsi, who serves in Oyo State, said: “Accommodation in some places in Oyo State like Eruwa, Shaki, Ogbomoso, Iseyin is very cheap, and relatively moderate in Ibadan compared to places like Abuja, Port-Harcourt, amongst others. The cost of living is relatively average, feeding is okay and I am enjoying my service year. Transportation is actually cheap because you can still get a cab of N30 or N50, depending on where you are going to.”

    Speaking on the hardship Corps members face in major cities, Chukwuemeka Kalu, an Abuja- based activist, said the government should take steps to solve their accommodation problem as well as reduce the rejection rate by employers.

    “NYSC and the government should look into putting up more structures in various zonal secretariats across the country to house corps members. NYSC should also invest more in carrying out a rigorous research of corporate entities that would require the service of the corps members and then post them accordingly,” Kalu said.

    He called on the government to look into the allowances of the corps members when the economy improves so that they can meet the challenges of fending for themselves without having to worry about dwindling resources or challenges they could come across in a strange state.

  • BENIN CITY IS LIKE NEW HOLLYWOOD–NOLLYWOOD ACTOR EUGENE OBADAN

    From a young age, Eugene Obadan wanted to be in the movies. And now, with the release of Pandora, a movie of political intrigues, Obadan, a graduate of Business Administration from the Lead City University, Ibadan is living his dreams. In this interview with JOE AGBRO JR., the Edo State based actor, scriptwriter and movie producer talks about his ambition and other issues

    YOU studied Business Administration. How did you get into producing movies?

    Well, the first thing is, movies to me is a talent. I wrote the script, Pandora. The idea of Pandora came to me as a result of the current political and economic situation in the country, especially in terms of security. Movie is natural to me. I can sit down and create stories from my mind. I create different kinds of stories and I write them easily. All I need is an editor, that’s all. If I decide to imagine a story, give me five days, I would come up with a story. So, movies to me, is like a talent. I cannot just side-line it.

    When did you know that you had this talent?

    Well, it was when I was I think, 14 or thereabouts. I actually told my parents I wanted to be an actor but of course, you know the Nigerian factor. My mother wanted me to be a medical doctor, my father said I would be good in business. Actually, my father said I was better in business, so I studied business administration. But movies, acting and scriptwriting has always been a part of me.

    Is Pandora your first work?

    Yes, Pandora is my first major work. But actually, I have written other scripts which are still in the pipeline. But I decided to do Pandora because of the love for the story and the present situation in the country. Pandora is about emotional blackmail. It’s a presidential movie in the sense that we have a president who actually wanted to do good for his people. He wanted to be a good president but forces around him which he never knew like the vice-president in the movie, was his best friend but the vice-president wanted that seat and never liked his policies.

    The vice-president wanted the old factor that caused deprivation, poverty, and depression amongst the people. So, the movie tells us of how the vice president was able to use emotional blackmail, that is, like kidnapping the president’s daughter and destabilising the presidency in other to obtain power. So, it tells us another side of politics which people don’t really see. How politicians can actually use emotional blackmail, assassination and even all sorts of means to get power aside the normal elections. So Pandora shows us these intrigues and also the quest for power and what it leads to – embezzlement, greed and so on and so forth. (It is about) how people in government can actually manipulate the affairs of state for their interests in order to topple government.

    When you talk about mixing emotional blackmail with politics, that is like the power play that goes on in politics all over the world. When you were writing the movie, did you have any country in mind?

    Now, you’re asking me a very technical question. Well, definitely Nigeria has always been a case study for many things. So, if we’re talking about a country, I didn’t need to look too far for my research. You can see it all around.

    For someone doing this for the first time, how did it all go?

    Well, the whole thing taught me a big lesson. Number one, to respect Nigerian movie producers more because it’s not easy. Especially the ones that are really involved in the production. I’m not talking of the ones that pay the money and say, ‘Oya, go and do what you like.’ I’m talking of the one that follows the sequence. It is a very Herculean task. You cannot override the fact that you will meet a lot of people. First of all, my first challenge was, in Benin City, I gathered a group of people for props.

    Now, this same group, because I did not get a particular lens for the camera. We used a Black Magic camera. It’s a cinematography camera. It’s one of the best in the industry. But because I was still coming in the business, I did not get the batteries on time, so in the quest of looking for them, I missed a day. And these people connived and said they were no longer going to be a part of the production. I had paid them. They took my money and they said they were not going to be involved. In my frustration, I called a lot of people to prevail on them.

    Even the Nigerian Police prevailed on them, to please, ‘they should work with me.’ They refused, thinking that the project was going to be frustrated without their involvement. The shocking part was that I was even willing to sacrifice more into their funds and they refused. So, in that frustration and in that sort of pain, I had to speak with my director who now got in touch with some of his other colleagues from different parts – Port Harcourt, Lagos and environs, to come and help out. That means, making me pay extra. What I have paid before, I didn’t get it because I couldn’t be fighting those people while I had a project that needs to be done.

    I had to pay external people again before we now started the project. And to God be the glory, we started and we finished. And today, I’m  glad because many people told me, especially those people, they told me it would not work. But I’m glad that the picture was successful. We had stars like Alex Osifo, Segun Arinze – they did a perfect job. They were with me all through the time. Even Alex Osifo helped by involving one or two people – the political clout – to assist us in terms of getting a vehicle and all that. At the end of the day, it was a success. Since it was my company, Eugene Entertainment Network, funding it alone, it was very Herculean.

    You funding this project, how much did it cost you?

    It’s a lot of money my brother. We thank God. Before I did the project, I’ve been involved in other things. I’m also into real estate. There was no help from anywhere, I’ll be frank with you. The only help I got was thanks to one of my neighbour in the house. Instead of an hotel, we used my neighbour’s house because he just moved. We used his house as a place for the actors and actresses and set people for all of them to lodge. So, that helped in a long way. The airport in Benin assisted us, even though we paid, the assistance was more than the money. Thanks to UBTH Golf Course where we also used the Golf Club without collecting a dime.

    Nollywood is very competitive. How do you feel about putting your movie there?

    Well, I had this dream of being an actor, I had the dream of doing movies. And thank God it’s coming to pass. And I believe since I did not compete with anybody to do this movie, it was my own thing. So, I believe if your product is good, people would buy. I had a story and I believe it’s a beautiful story. To the memory of my father, he was the first person. He’s late now – Augustus Obadan. He was the one who actually encouraged me. He was the first person who edited this script. And he has always told me to go for it. Before he died, he asked several times when I was going to do it. Unfortunately, he’s not here. I know, his spirit being with us, it’s going to sail forth.

    You’re based in Benin. How would you describe the movie industry in Benin?

    Good enough, I once worked in Kada Plaza where we have the biggest cinema in Benin. When I was there, what I saw was what even encouraged me the more because there is this new culture on Sunday that everybody in Benin would love to go to the cinema with their family to go and watch a movie.

    And you can ask from Desmond Elliot, Lancelot Imasuen, Benin has become the new haven for movies. I don’t know whether it was my movie that sparked that up. I don’t know whether it was there before me. but what I witnessed during my production was like about four movie companies were actually doing movies in Benin, which I know was not happening before. I want to believe it was part of my bringing in Segun Arinze and Alex Osifo to Benin that has cranked up this new awareness to Benin City.

    I know Iyore was shot in Benin and movies like Invasion was shot in Benin. So, Benin is now like the new Hollywood in Nigeria. But in terms of distribution and sales, you cannot rule out the giant, which is Lagos. That’s why I’m in Lagos and I’ve been speaking with FilmOne Distribution. I hope they read this paper so that they would work with me to ensure that this film is properly distributed in the cinemas. Because, like I said, we used Black Magic and Black Magic is a cinematographic camera that they use to do cinema movies.

    Did you also act in the movie?

    Yes, I did. I played the role of Nicholas. Nicholas was the one who rescued the president’s daughter. He’s a character that would put everybody in suspense because first of all, you’ll want to know, where did this guy come from? He was part of the Black Disciple Organisation that kidnapped the president’s daughter and as a member, he understood them.

    How long did it take to produce the movie?

    Right now, it’s still under editing. I’d scripted this movie about three years ago. First of all, I had to get all the equipment, the camera, lights and everything because I discovered through my director that there is no way we can pay every day for these things if we have to do it well, because it would cause almost the same thing purchasing them. So, we had to take our time to buy some of the best equipment.

    So you actually bought those equipment?

    Yes, I have them. And I’m putting them up for rent. I’ll still be using them. Definitely, this is not going to be my only movie. My prayer is for sponsors, good Nigerians, and those who are giving loans and grants, to look into our case and into my movie.

    What is the next thing for you now?

    I have a lot in stock and I’m writing more. But first of all, we must see the success of this one. I must be properly encouraged and properly motivated to bring out more stories.

  • In the Garden city

    I cannot remember my first contact with this picturesque city called Port Harcourt. But I am sure that long before our romance began, I had met this city of oil in books, in articles, on television, on radio and some other ways. It was for me a city of promise, a city flowing with milk and honey, a city where dreams came alive and a city where great minds found the room to flourish and flower.

    Like Lagos, it was some form of convergence for races. Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Kanuri, Ibibio and others saw in Port Harcourt a home away from home.

    Port Harcourt of yore was not a city where fear walked on all fours. It was a city where people loved their neigbours like themselves. It was a beautiful city. So beautiful they rechristened it Garden city because of the choreographed embrace between its well-laid road networks and flowers lining them.

    In it, oil giants made money and were not afraid. Their gates were not manned by stern-looking soldiers or riot policemen. Neither were their key figures escorted everywhere by gun-toting security men.

    The Nigerian civil war was the first blow on Port Harcourt. Igbo who saw the Rivers State capital as home put their all into it. They built houses, industries and so on there. Then came the war and their properties were confisticated all in the name of abandoned properties. Their attempts to reclaim their toils after the war were resisted. Though some got back their due with time, not a few lost their properties forever.

    After the war, Port Harcourt seemed to get its groove back. But the return to democracy in 1999 marked another twist. Politicians — out to show strength —  armed young and jobless youths with rifles and machine guns. Opponents were taken down with ease. Key political figures, such as Chief Marshal Harry, were killed and till now the culprits have not been found not to talk of being brought to justice.

    At a point when there were no political opponents to harass, the boys started turning their guns against innocent citizens. Kidnappings began and big boys in the city started acquiring bullet-proof vehicles. Many took their kids far away to school. And that also marked the era of oil giants watching their backs by going out always with security escorts. Expatriates became preys and the fear of being kidnapped became the beginning of wisdom.

    Although the violence did not totally disappear between 2007 and 2014, it was brought under great control. The 2015 general elections set back the city several thousands of miles. And things have not remained the same again.

    Rivers was hell before, during and after the polls. For months, men without spine, men of brawn—and please permit me to add— who lack humanity and conscience put Rivers State, the Lagos of the Southsouth, on the spot. It was either they were shooting guns or they were throwing bombs. And when they did it, they hid their faces. They acted most times under the cover of the dark and daylight.

    Aside guns and dynamites, they also used machetes and other dangerous weapons. Heads were broken. Necks were twisted. Arms had hot leads pumped into them. And there was a woman whose back was reshaped with bullets. It was simply a tale of blood.

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) observed in a report that politicians outsourced the punishment of their opponents through fatal deaths to cultists.

    Of all the killings, those of the Adubes caught the public’s attention more. Their killers showed no mercy. In one fell swoop, nine persons, including a father, his two sons and daughter were killed. The Adube family members are still in tears and are seeking justice.

    Those killed are: former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ogba/Egbema/ Ndoni Local government, the late Hon. Christopher Adube, his two sons Lucky and John Adube , his daughter Joy,  a family friend, Mr. Iyk Ogarabe and the family driver, Mr.  Samuel Chukwunonye.

    Because of the madness of the general elections, many are now homeless. Many are now fatherless; many are widows; and many are on wheel chairs, with pellets of bullets lodged in their bones.  Dreams have died and aspirations doomed.

    Paul and Ogechi Adube are two living examples of the evil that men did during the last general elections in Rivers. They would have died on April 3, last year when men without brains stormed their home in ONELGA and killed their father, Christopher Adube and three of their siblings. The bullets pumped into 15-year-old Paul’s leg have ensured he is wheel-chair bound. The hot lead released unto Ogechi’s legs have also seen rods inserted into her bones and because of this, she cannot fold her legs. You can imagine the pains of walking around with legs that feel like wood.

    The report of the Rivers Commission of Inquiry headed by the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, said a monthly average of 19 killings occurred in the state between November 2014 and April 2015.

    The Commission noted that of the 97 allegations of killings it received, 94 of them occurred between November 15, 2014, and April 11, last year.

    The violence did not stop with the general elections. It has continued since then and this has ensured the rerun elections are yet to be concluded. Shortly before the rerun, 25 people were killed in Omoku. Some of them were lucky to have their heads still intact; some were not that lucky. The heartless men who killed them severed their heads and went away with them.

    Okonta Samuel Dumebi, a youth corps member, was one of those whose blood was shed by politicians during the war called Rivers rerun election. Dumebi’s death is like using the blood of an outsider to appease the gods in Rivers. He was not a son of the soil neither was he a resident. Home was in Illah, Delta State.

    The attempt to conclude the rerun saw the electoral commission’s office in Bori being bombed. It is a crazy world out there. Really crazy world.

    And early this week, a Delta-born lawyer and human rights activist, Ken Atsuwete, was killed. Barbaric, nasty and heinous are some of the words that have been used to describe the assassination of Atsuwete, who was lawyer to Hon Ojukaye Flag Amachree, an All Progressives Congress (APC) leader held for murder charges by the Nyesom Wike administration.

    Atsuwete is no longer around, but many a victim of kidnapping is still here to tell their tales. The fear of being kidnapped is the beginning of wisdom.

    I must point out here that for Governor Wike, Rivers is safe for investments and all. Those who describe the state as Rivers of blood and violence have been challenged by the governor. He has the various meetings that have taken place in the garden city to back himself up.

    Roll calls: Lawyers have met in Port Harcourt. Editors have taken their turn. Movie stars have seen the safe haven that the garden city is. Many others have toured His Excellency’s projects and have come up with resoundingly positive verdicts. So, who the hell is saying Port Harcourt is not safe? Can they know more than the Guild of Editors? Can they know more than the Bar? Can they know more than the A-list movie stars?

    As far as His Excellency— who says he is the Chief Logistics Officer and not Chief Security Officer of the state— is concerned, many of the killings are between cultists who he has been fighting. The opposition is just playing to the gallery. I doubt if the families of Atsuwete, Adube and others who have fallen in the state share his view.

    My final take: The Garden city has lost not a few of its glow. No thanks to violence, kidnappings and all other crimes which the Chief Logistics Officer will have us believe are exaggerated. Port Harcourt has no business playing second fiddle to any city, not even Lagos. It has the advantage of being home to many multinational oil giants, which unfortunately now look before they leap.

  • Ambode pledges speedy completion of Eko Atlantic City project

    Ambode pledges speedy completion of Eko Atlantic City project

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday carried out an extensive tour of the Eko Atlantic City Project, pledging his government’s support to see the project to speedy completion.

    The governor was confident that the initiative would boost the state economy and increase its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), when the city takes off in the next 18 months.

    Ambode, who was accompanied on the tour by members of his cabinet, said: “I would like to express the total support of this government to this project because at the end of the day, we need to grow the economy of Lagos and this obviously is going to have multiplier effect on our IGR.

    “We promise that we are going to grow our IGR to N30 billion by 2017 and N50 billion by 2018 and this project is a sure outlet in achieving that goal,” he said.

    He expressed satisfaction on the infrastructure already put in place, saying that investors can now take advantage of the investment opportunities.

    Hailing the promoters of the EAC Project for their confidence in committing huge resources to the Nigerian economy, Ambode said their investment was a positive sign that Nigeria remains the investment hub in Africa.

    He said: “Notwithstanding the economic recession that has befallen the country right now, we have come to also show that outside the recession, there is a whole lot of progress going on in the investment climate in Lagos State.

    “We are very happy that the signs are looking very good for investment in Lagos. We are also very happy that we are doing everything possible to encourage investors to come into the state and I like to assure that we are committed to make this project a big success.”

    Ambode, who also inspected the 8.5-kilometre long shoreline wall, otherwise known as the “Great Wall of Lagos”, built to protect the EAC, said it was gratifying that the project would not only protect the new city, but also protect the whole of Victoria Island against any ocean surge, which was one of the primary reasons for the project.

    Chairman of Eko Atlantic City Mr. Ronald Chagoury said one of the first two residential buildings in the new city would be completed by the end of August.

    The second residential building, he said, will be ready before the end of the year, adding that the first office block will be ready between September and October.