The Nation Newspaper

Tag: controversies

  • Forget controversies I’m a good girl—HALIMA ABUBAKAR

    Forget controversies I’m a good girl—HALIMA ABUBAKAR

    Nollywood actress, Halima Abubakar, is one of Nigeria’s finest acting talents. Having spent over a decade in the industry, she has grown a large fan base over the years and has received national and international recognition for her work. The Kogi State-born actress shares her passion with Adetutu Audu

    YOU have really had your fair share of controversies; people would have expected you to go under, going by all the scandals.

    Some people would have built ten houses out of those controversies. Well, I don’t know if I am controversial. I am a very good girl. I don’t set out to bring controversy to myself. I just go about my life in a normal way. If you think that is controversial, I don’t have anything to say to that.

    You are also crazy about tattoos. Apart from your chest region, where else do you have the tattoo?

    A couple of places. I am sure you don’t want to find out.

    How impactful would you say you have been in the industry?

    Of course I am treasured; my contribution is highly felt. You can ask my president and my fans can tell. I have contributed in discovering a lot of stars, we don’t need to go into the details because we all know, and I don’t need to be the highest paid actress to know that you have touched lives but knowing that you have is a joy you have within, I can’t share it.

    You are passionate about charity. Why?

    Halima Abubakar Foundation for the poor. Actually, it focuses on people that don’t have food. My concern is that a lot of people are hungry, so aside from giving them money, we can buy a bag of rice and share it to them. Food and water generally is my interest because I was hungry once, so I know a lot of people are hungry too.

    Your family was affected by the Boko Haram insurgency recently. How do you feel?

    I do not support any crisis from any angle at all. They have business with the government, not the individuals, so I think they lost focus of what they are doing.  I am still pained; my business and family were affected. We are just going to pray to God to keep guiding and protecting everyone.

    What is your most expensive fashion item?

    My wristwatches. I love wristwatches. And rings; I love rings. It’s amazing when you hear the amount some of these rings cost. I love accessories a lot.

    What dictates your dressing?

    I like being different. I want people to look at me and say “yes, she has a style”, even if it’s weird. I don’t have to come out wearing a mini skirt like every other person. I can’t come out wearing something that won’t allow me breath well in order for people to look at me and say, “oh, she’s a fashion icon.” I’d wear 16 colours if I choose to, as long as I’m happy about it. I love colours. Look around, there are always colours. See, I painted my house purple. I was almost going to paint the gate red but then people stopped me.

    How lucky have you been with your relationships?

    I have had very few relationships; I had a boyfriend that died in 2003, and after that I think I have been in two solid relationships. People might say that it is a lie, but if anybody knows of any other one, he or she should come out and say it. I have had only two relationships, and I realise that these days people are getting headaches over when I will marry and all that, are they going to live with me when I get married? Are they going to put food on my table when I get married? Will they come and live with us? So, I won’t get married because of what people are saying. Some of them don’t even have a relationship. They just hate us because we are actresses; is it our fault? So, you don’t bring your frustrations into my own name. Most of the rumours on the internet are all lies. Some don’t even read the interviews before they comment; when they just see someone’s name, they just scroll down to the comment, and they don’t even know what you are saying on the internet.

    Do these things get to you?

    No, there are things that I do that I would appreciate a commendation, but people don’t do that. You find out that the good things you do, people don’t read about them; what they want to read about is an actress dating this and that, an actress smoking. When you say this person is doing charity, they don’t get to highlight that. They highlight the rumours they hear, and not what they see or know. If they don’t see pictures, they complain; when they see, they say you are advertising what you are doing. So I have given up on convincing people, I’ll keep on doing what I want to do and forget about what people think. I see a lot of people fighting over my age, and it is silly, because at this time people don’t lie about age. How old was I, when I came in, how old am I now? People say Halima should keep quiet; she is older than she is claiming.

    You hugged stardom with a picture baring your cleavages. How do you feel looking back now?

    It was just an advert; a picture I took for a laundering company advert. It was just an audition picture where I was wearing a bikini. Back then, it was big deal in our society, but nowadays, it’s a common thing, because ladies put pictures like that on their DP and nothing happens. I actually did not know the press was aware of the picture in Lagos because I spent most of my time in Kano then and those magazines hardly circulate in Kano. It was my father who saw the write-ups and you can guess what that would have meant for me. Funny enough, I ended up not getting the job for which I snapped the picture because of the controversy that surrounded it. It got to the level that people were using the opportunity to ask me to do nude scenes in the movies. Many producers were now writing scripts based on nudeness for me but I refused. I knew if I started that trend at that point in time, I won’t go back. I have seen one or two movies that people are becoming daring and all that. I just look back and laugh when I think about all the things I have gone through in life.

    Would you say it affected your career?

    Oh yes, it did. A lot of producers didn’t want to work with me. They used to see me as a very decent quiet girl. For them to see those pictures, it was very shocking to them. It took me some years to convince them that I can act very well. I am not all about snapping pictures and modelling. I am still trying to convince some of them. I refused to quit the industry, like I told you before. That consistency sort of helped me out. I have built relationships again.

    Where did you develop your passion for acting, knowing that most people from your religious background would not?

    I started acting when I was in my teens. The awareness then was not that much. People didn’t really know much about movies up north then. It was after the millennium that people started taking note of the movie industry. In short, when I started, I didn’t have a problem until people started making a big issue out of nothing; even things that should not elicit any reaction. But because of the way those things were blown out of proportion, people were forced to take note and that brought controversies and bad comments from people. Basically, I don’t think it is a problem. When you are given a job to do, I guess you are supposed to do it very well.

    So how has the journey been so far?

    It’s been rough but we thank God; at least I’m still here to tell the story. I’m very grateful for all the decisions I’ve taken, the struggles, the pain, the rejection, but I’m glad I went through all that because I appreciate it more.

    What lessons have you learnt over the years?

    That things are not as easy as people make you believe and to be good to people. Consistency, prayer and being focused. Focus is the main thing

    Which is your most memorable movie so far?

    I can’t choose because they all define me at the end of the day. Choosing one particular one won’t be fair to the other producers.

  • National Conference’s many controversies

    National Conference’s many controversies

    When this column tackled the proposed national conference idea on September 22, it was then just a rumour fuelled by the unexpected conversion of both President Goodluck Jonathan and Senate President David Mark to the idea of a dialogue between Nigeria’s interest groups. Since neither of the two leading politicians offered any corroborative explanation for their conversion to an idea they had long sneered at, suspicion was rife that both gentlemen, and perhaps their party, were up to some designs. The president’s first strong indication he had embraced the national conference idea was when he received The Patriots pressure group on August 29. Responding to his visitors, he had suggested he was reaching out to the National Assembly to persuade them of the need to convoke a conference. It was a little shocking to everyone, for the president was until then vehemently opposed to the idea.

    But nothing quite prepared the country for Senator Mark’s spectacular volte face. Three weeks or so before the September 17 resumption of the Senate from break, he had in August during the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) conference in Calabar harshly denounced those calling for a conference. When, like the president, he became a convert, perhaps because the presidency reached out to him, he offered nothing by way of scientific explanation to justify his turnabout. It was, therefore, based on the suddenness of the conversion of the two leading politicians that this column warned three weeks ago that Nigerians needed to be wary of their subterfuges.

    However, since that warning, a lot has happened, the most remarkable of which was that a president who only last month merely flirted with the idea of a national conference suddenly told the nation on October 1 that a national dialogue would be held. Nothing was stranger than the fact that the announcement almost immediately generated a nasty controversy between what can be loosely described as supporters of the conference and its opponents. It must be clarified that opponents merely take exception to the timing, not the idea itself. On one side are those who appeared contented with the mere mention of a national conference, an idea they had championed for decades. It required little push to make them jump heedlessly on the bandwagon. And on the other side are sceptics who by years of experience, and possessing a knack for political subtleties, have suggested that the country should not give Dr Jonathan the benefit of the doubt until he offers convincing proof that his conversion is genuine.

    With the inauguration of the advisory committee, with the president’s seductive and soothing platitudes on the virtues of dialoguing, and with the ingratiating manner some members of the committee became proponents of the idea, the controversy is bound to become accentuated in the coming weeks, even as the dividing lines harden. The reason is not far to seek. Though the plain outlines of the president’s schemes are not yet apparent, with some suggesting he plans to use the conference both as a pernicious distraction and as a ploy to buy time, he was at least cunning enough, if not outrightly cynical, to saddle the responsibility of designing the conference’s framework on not only a Yoruba politician, but one who had whooped for the idea with theological zeal for years.

    Fortunately for everyone, the dividing lines cut across political affiliations. Though the All Progressives Congress (APC) has not officially responded to the conference idea, a national leader of the party, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has daringly and unequivocally poured scorn on the decision to convoke a conference at this time. According to him, he sees nothing but subterfuge in the decision to hold a conference now, given its nearness to the next general election. In offering his radical and provocative view on the conference, Asiwaju Tinubu is not deterred by the fact the Southwest has for decades been at the forefront of championing the convocation of a national conference or that he could become the butt of fierce criticisms. More, he is even surprised that Nigerians could be so easily lured to support a project of indeterminate dimensions, one he described as a Greek gift.

    Predictably, he has been excoriated by proponents of the conference, many of them his bitter Southwest opponents, whom he knew would descend on him if he championed such incendiary views on the conference. For a politician of his stature, and given the nearness of the next general elections, not to talk of the huge ambition being nurtured by the APC to win the centre, it requires enormous amount of courage and risk-taking to contradict the majority and walk alone. Some leaders of the APC have, however, since embraced his scepticism, even if he still appears the most brazen of the conference’s opponents. The rump Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-political and cultural organisation, has impatiently dismissed any opposition to the conference in its condescending manner, and has fulsomely lent weight to it. Last week, the Awolowo Foundation also eagerly lent weight to the conference, suggesting it is both the right thing to do and also timely. Indeed, it is not even clear that many who support Asiwaju Tinubu are not doing so simply out of respect for him.

    As the advisory committee continues to sit, the scepticism, I am persuaded, is bound to grow, for many will begin to see the dangers and impracticality of holding such a momentous event close to an election year. Already, many commentators are beginning to wonder whether there is not in fact an agenda behind the sudden volte face of the president and the National Assembly leadership. For instance, during the inauguration of the conference advisory committee, the president himself cheerfully argued that the conference would reinforce the unity of the country. Is that a predetermined goal? Could the conference, which the president and the committee said would not have no-go areas, not call into question the unity of the country?

    More importantly, the opposition to the conference is hinged on two planks: the president’s suspicious motive, and his poor timing. Given Dr Jonathan’s fanatical desire to win a second term, and the mercenary zeal with which some of his aides are conjuring circumstances and ideas to favour that second run for office, it would be reckless to think the president is altruistic in championing the conference. And for a president who has waffled over what to call the conference, whether dialogue or conference, national or sovereign, or of ethnic nationalities or of class and social representatives it would be overly optimistic to suggest he is himself persuaded about what he plans to achieve with the exercise, or whether he would be willing to accommodate a radical restructuring of the country.

    On timing, only the most sanguine will suggest that a conference, which may not be held rancour-free, will lead facilely to a peaceful grafting of its decisions into the constitution before the next polls. There is no precedent, either pre- or post-independence, to demonstrate this grafting or implementation can be done surgically neat and easy. It is unlikely that the president does not know the dangers inherent in the process he is casually triggering. The suspicion is that he hopes to capitalise on the rumpus that may eventually accompany the exercise, with some suggesting that if it proves extremely difficult for him to fight for and win a second term, his plan may even be to extend his tenure as a fall-back option. At the least, it is also argued, he could use the conference to keep his opponents busy and distract them from his irresolute handling of the economic, social and security problems besetting the country.

    Dr Jonathan has a fondness for delegating the complex issues of governance to others, particularly committees, until the issues fall into abeyance. There is no proof he is not doing the same even now. If his speech during the inauguration of the conference advisory committee is anything to go by, as well as his October 1 Independence Day address, there is sadly nothing in them to suggest the president and his aides, and other experts drawn inexorably to his bureaucratic shenanigans, have had the time and intellectual resources to examine the steps he is taking on the conference. My suspicion is that very little time was spent on the idea, which in the first instance came either to him or to one of his aides impulsively. It seemed good, and it seemed it would lead to some desired outcomes, and so Dr Jonathan embraced it. There was probably no serious brainwork involved, no privately commissioned expert panels within the presidency, and no attempt to study what the pitfalls of a conference at this time could be, other than perhaps a historical basis for organising such a conference.

    If the presidency had reflected long and deep on the matter before going public with it, officials within the presidency and the National Assembly would have doubtless seen that courageous and deliberate legislative action to tackle the country’s structural imbalances would have made a national conference superfluous. And if in the hypothetical final analysis the conference report terminates at the National Assembly, the public will wonder why it was necessary in the first instance for ethnic nationalities to do the job of the legislature. There are many battles ahead. But until he encounters serious bottlenecks, the president will go ahead with the conference, for he will feel diminished to look back after putting his hand on the plough. Yet, it is hard to see how the exercise will not miscarry, for too many things are stacked against its success, not the least among which are poor timing, suspect motive woven into political ambition, lack of concise vision, and a disconcerting unwillingness to take strong and timeous steps to remedy the country’s diverse problems.

    The Southwest is the most enthusiastic supporter of the conference, and have been intemperate and credulous, in spite of all their learning and supposed democratic credentials, in dismissing opponents of the conference. But I am afraid they are being duped, as they have always been since the Second Republic when they reposed hope in a military overthrow of the Shagari government, and acquiesced to the imposition of Chief Obasanjo in 1999 as sop and conciliation to the Yoruba. Indeed, had fate not intervened, they would have had Mulikat Akande-Adeola as Speaker of the House of Representatives, thus completing the circle of servility and credulity begun when Chief Obasanjo, still energised by his fresh exit from government, foisted Patricia Etteh on the lower legislative chamber to the consternation of every judicious Nigerian.

  • Bayelsa’s Tower Hotel of controversies

    Bayelsa’s Tower Hotel of controversies

    The 18-storey five-star Tower Hotel project has remained a subject of controversy in Bayelsa State. Little was known about the project till President Goodluck Jonathan stirred the hornets’ nest in a build-up to the February 2012 governorship election that produced Governor Seriake Dickson.

    During the grand finale of the Peoples Democratic Party’s rally at the Samson Siasia’s Sports Complex, Yenagoa, the President revealed that issues surrounding the then abandoned facility fuelled the bad blood between him and Timipre Sylva, his successor as governor.

    He insisted that Sylva’s abandonment of the project was part of the reason he frustrated Sylva’s second term bid.

    He said: “Everybody knows that in our society, we need development. I was second in command to Alamieyeseigha. One thing I remember is the Tower Hotel. It was not my dream but it was conceptualised under the Alamieyeseigha administration.

    “He discussed with the contractors. It was supposed to be a five-star hotel and it would attract people from all over the world. But now, it is a monument of disgrace.”

    But, Sylvia fired back that he built the hotel to the 18th floor, where it has remained. He also took a swipe at Jonathan, who, he said, was benefiting from a building project financed by Gitto Construction Ltd. Jonathan, as Bayelsa governor, awarded the project to Gitto. It later turned out that the Italian firm built and donated the controversial church building to the president in his home town.

    The structure was designed to be the tallest building in the state and a hotel of aesthetic beauty and excellence that would promote the state’s tourism potential.

    It was conceived to be a facility of choice for international conferences and high-profile visitors. Jonathan in his ephemeral reign as the governor of the state began the construction of the edifice..

    Niger Delta Report gathered that the facility was initially designed as a 14-storey building with 120 rooms and 2,500 capacity auditorium.

    But Jonathan reportedly left the project on a second floor after he became the Vice-President for his successor, Sylva who redesigned it and made it 18 storeys. The former governor continued with the project until it got to the expected level. Surprisingly, the project was forsaken at the 18th floor.

    For over four years, contractors withdrew from the site. The gigantic structure centrally located between the Bayelsa Palm Road and the Melford Okilo Expressway became an eyesore. Vegetation took over the site. The abandoned building became a home for gangsters, a haven for notorious criminals, the marijuana smokers and a refuge for destitute.

    While some referred to it as a wasting asset, others said it was a white elephant project. There was no end in sight to the completion date. There was, however, an allegation that the project became a pipe to siphon public funds.

    For instance, Niger Delta Report found that it was one of the projects used by Sylva to secure a N50 billion loan from the capital market in December 2009. The report of the Financial Management Review Committee, which indicted Sylva for financial rascality, showed that the cost of the project was N13.9 billion.

    The report of the committee, which was chaired by the former Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Timi Alaibe, also showed that the project was rated 26 per cent completion when the bond was obtained. The report further said part of the bond (N3.6 billion) was earmarked to be used for the completion of the project in June 2011.

    But in June 2011, the project remained in its abandoned state. The committee in its report observed: “It is pertinent to state that most of the projects highlighted were long abandoned projects and they remain abandoned even after the refinancing.

    However, Sylva in one of his tirades with the President gave a reason why the project was abandoned. He blamed it on the contractors.

    A statement by his Media Adviser, Doifie Ola said: “Sylva wishes to clarify that the hotel was at the second floor when he took over from Dr. Jonathan as governor. It is now at its 18th floor, as the whole world can see.

    “Sylva agrees that the job has been delayed, but explains that the reason it has been delayed is because the contractor, whom Dr. Jonathan himself chose and awarded the contract to, asked for a variation of N5 billion.”

    But, it seems that the dust raised by the construction of the hotel has not settled. Critics have observed that one year after Dickson took over the administration of the state, the project remained the way he inherited it. Some have also started using the condition of the project to create disaffection between Dickson and Jonathan.

    Dickson has, however, insisted that he was committed to the project. In March 2013, the governor presented a cheque of N4 billion to a contracting firm, Sedogi Nigeria Limited to complete the hotel.

    The contract agreement indicated that the project would be completed within 18 months.

    The governor told the firm: “The N4 billion is to enable you re-mobilise to site. We have engaged world class consultants from South Africa, who have the experience and expertise in the development of tourism facilities.

    “They will work with you and with the support of the government, we believe that by the grace of God, the project will be successfully executed.”

    Also, the Managing Director, Bayelsa State Hotels and Tourism Development Company Ltd. Dr. Kelvin Bribena, said the delay in completing the project was to ensure best practice.

    He explained that the consultants engaged by the government were yet to arrive and hold meetings with the contractor.

    He added that the government was also shopping for a known hotel operator that would manage the facility after its completion. According to him, the consultant and the contractor must meet to agree on sensitive areas for sustainability of the project benefits.

    “There is no form of politics in the delay of the tower hotel. Government wants to make hotels in Bayelsa another main attraction to tourist so that we can project our potential to people outside the state.

    “The government’s focus is on wealth creation through the tourism sub-sector. We need to have a proper consultant and a known household hotel operator in Nigeria that will manage the facility.”

     

  • CONTROVERSIES? I don’t regret anything —Sammie Okposo

    CONTROVERSIES? I don’t regret anything —Sammie Okposo

    Over a decade after the revolutionary gospel singer took the industry by storm with his massive hit single Welu Welu, which was received as a breath of fresh air from the conventional gospel style, he’s still waxing strong in the game amid the good, the bad, and the ugly tales that have trailed him. In this interview with MERCY MICHAEL, Sammie Okposo who was spotted blazing the trail after the devastating flood that engulfed his countrymen in Delta State sometime in 2012, speaks on his deepest passion. He also shares his interesting fatherhood story, among other issues:

     

     

    A lot of celebrities have their foundations; you have Sammie Okposo Hope Initiative. What have been the achievements of the foundation?

    I always like to show that I care; to give back for everything God has done for me. We must give back. God has blessed me and that is why I want to give back. Recently, we did things for motherless babies’ homes. Like yesterday, it was the International White Cane Day, which is dedicated to the blind people all over the world. We did a walk… we walked all over Victoria Island in the rain for over two hours and we bought canes for blind people to present it to them.

    So, those are some of the things that we have been doing. And we are not going to stop here. Like every now and then when it is Christmas, I go to prisons, maximum prison, show them love. So the Sammie Okposo Hope Initiative has been involved in charity long before now.

    Walking in the rain for two hours for the blind…personally, how does it affect you directly or indirectly?

    It affects me because I just hate to see people suffer. It is not something that is delightful for me to watch. I don’t like to see people suffer unnecessarily. I don’t like people to be in hopeless situations when I can lend a helping hand. So first, it affects me as a person even before it affects me as an artiste. I’m a very compassionate person naturally, so it affects me personally as an artiste. It’s a time to give back.

    How did your background help to shape the person you’re today?

    I grew up in a family where I was taught that there is love in sharing. I was not less privileged at all. This is not a case of because I grew up in a foster home that’s why I’m compassionate. I grew up very privileged by God’s grace, but I was trained to understand that I am just privileged because of God’s grace and there are other people out there who are not as privileged as me and who whenever I find the opportunity, I should show them love.

    You have been in the industry for over a decade. What has been your staying power?

    Number one factor is God on my side. I do not attribute any of my success to my strength or my talent or to who I know. I do not. I always look up to heaven and say, God, I need you to help me every day because I’m in an industry that is very competitive and we have a lot of talented people everywhere you turn in Nigeria. So God has been able to keep me relevant. And two, I always strive for excellence. I always move with the trend. I always listen. I watch my environment. I look at what is happening around me, as it regards my work and I try to make sure that I’m on point. After I do my best, I leave the rest for God to do. I’ve just been blessed and favoured.

    Looking around, you’ve influenced quite a lot of people musically. How does that make you feel?

    If you are a man that is successful and nobody can look around you and say this is who and who and who you have influenced or touched their lives, you are a failure. So for me, success is not about acquiring everything to yourself, you must be able to say, at some point of your life, I have been able to touch this life. Not even you even saying it, people can look and say, wow! look at this person; look at that person, all these people are doing what they are doing today because they came in contact with Sammie Okposo.

    And every day they wake up they are like, if God did not use this person where would I have been, and they say, “God bless this person”. Do you know what it means? When people from all over the world are saying, God bless you. You don’t necessarily have to give me cash. I don’t even want it. That prayer, sometimes it just protects you from a lot of things that would have happened to your life.

    Agreed you are blessed among artistes, but it has not come without controversies…

    Yes, I’m glad it came because the Sammie Okposo you see today is a result of everything I’ve been through, everything, controversies and all. I don’t want to remove anything. Some people will tell you they regret. I don’t regret anything because firstly, I have learnt with everything I have gone through and if you remove anything or any situation, the Sammie Okposo you see today will not be complete because you have removed something from the equation.

    So it’s the good, the bad, the ugly, the controversies, the times I cry, the times I laugh, all put together, are what make me who I am. I am a product of everything I have been through. And for anybody who has not failed that person is not ready to succeed. You must go through that period of your life when you are tested, tried. And what makes you a better person is when you come out of it and you are still able to move on.

    Can we now say that say this is a ‘new’ Sammie Okposo?

    I don’t know what you are talking about. There is nobody that is clean, including you that are interviewing me. So I am never going to say that I will get to that place where I will be perfect. I will never be perfect but I will do my best to do the right thing and be at the right place at the right time. Sometimes, people are just victims of being at the wrong place.

    You didn’t do anything, you’re just hanging out with the wrong set of people, and they just look at those people, they look at you and they classify you and they say, Abeg, they are all the same! Sometimes it’s your own making, your own stubbornness, being too inquisitive. You just want to be stubborn and when you reap the fruit of your stubbornness, it teaches you. So that is why I said all of it, I am thankful, because if my father did not flog me for some things, I probably would not understand that what I did was wrong.

    People should be thankful to God for every time in their life that they have been in trouble because trouble teaches you. If you’ve never seen trouble, the day trouble will come upon you, I don’t know, you might just take your life. Sometimes I wish I could wake up my late dad and my late mum and thank them for every time they flogged me for something because I don’t know what I would have been today. In the midst of that thrashing I still did some things wrong; imagine if I was not trashed at all – it would have been worse. So each time I look at a situation, I try to see what I can learn from it even if it was the one I did with your korokoro eye. But when it’s all done, I’m always like, what I’m I going to learn from this so that it will not happen again? So people learn and I’m still learning. Some years ago, I was not associated with things like this (charity). I was just happy to be an artiste. But I got to a point when I had to understand that there is more than just you enjoying the glamour of being an artiste. We need to ask ourselves, what are we here for? You are here because there will always come a time when you are needed to give back to the society. I am nothing without the people. It’s the people who appreciate you, love you; you now have a fan base that makes you so popular. So when the people are in trouble you must come to their aid.

    What is fatherhood like for you?

    Fatherhood is interesting. Coincidently, my daughter is going to turn 18 this month. I have an 18-year-old daughter. Oh yes! I had my daughter very early, my first daughter. And you know what it means to have a daughter that’s going to be eighteen.

    Can you imagine what I’m dealing with? She’s a babe. If she walks into somewhere with me and you don’t know her to be my daughter you will think that hahaha, who is this chic Sammie is moving with it? She’s so clingy. You know how daughters get so attached to their daddies. She’s so clingy, always all over me. When I tell her “you are not a baby anymore,” she will reply and say, “I will always be your baby. You are my daddy.” It’s interesting. It is something everybody should be proud of at the right time.

    At the time when a lot of artistes are walking it out at the gym to have their six-packs, Sammie you have continued to bloat…

    For me, I am healthy. I am very healthy, trust me. I eat right. I do my exercises. Yeah, the stomach has come out a bit. It was even bigger than this. It has gone down so much and I’m still working on it but I’m really not crazy about the six-pack thing. There are a lot of six-packs guys who are not healthy. People fall down in the gym and die, so how healthy can you be? I try to be fit because of my work. I need the stamina to be on stage, perform and not collapse. But I’m still working on the stomach. It will go, trust me. But unfortunately for me, I’m not a slim person. I have a big frame. The stomach will go in but then all the body is still going to be big because I’m a big guy. I don’t like being lepa by the way.

  • More controversies for African First Ladies

    More controversies for African First Ladies

    Last year, a mendicant African Union (AU) needed the benevolence of China to get a new and befitting $200m office complex in Addis Ababa. On the other hand, ‘wealthy’ Nigeria is proudly and confidently proposing to shell out N4bn to build the headquarters of African First Ladies’ Peace Mission (AFLPM) in Abuja on a controversial land. Nigeria’s generous spirit is obviously unlimited and undiscriminating. The Senate, which is considering the Federal Capital City’s proposed budget for the project, has so far given the impression it is scandalised by the presidency’s absolute lack of reality check. The country’s economy is in such dire straits, the Senate said, that it is shocking the government could tend to that project at all, not to talk of voting such a huge sum for its execution.

    In his reaction to widespread outrage over the AFLPM office project, the FCT minister, Senator Bala Mohammad, knowingly begged the question. He tried to justify the allocation by arguing that according to the law the FCT was charged with the responsibility of building public offices. As he put it, “The Decree No.6 of 1976 that created Abuja also simultaneously created the FCTA with duty and responsibilities to plan, design, provide the infrastructure and construct public buildings as well as services to the entire 8,000 square kilometres of the FCT…As part of its remit to live up to its international obligation, the Federal Government accommodates certain international bodies – just like it is done across the globe; every year, the cost of rent or accommodation for such bodies tends to be above one billion naira…In Abuja, this obligation is transferred to the FCT Administration and as part of its efficiency measure, the FCT Administration saw in the proposed headquarters of the African First Ladies Peace Mission building an opportunity to save cost by using the AFLPM building to serve multiple roles in providing office accommodation as well as housing not just the African First Ladies Peace Mission but to other international bodies as well.” But who is disputing the functions of the FCT? It’s the project and the public money, stupid.

    Even if you ignore the obfuscation in the minister’s response, how could you also ignore the tendentious view that the AFLPM had become a part of our international obligations? And who can forget the messy controversy surrounding the land upon which the office complex is to be built? In February 2010, the land was allocated to the Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (WAYEF), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) run by the immediate past First Lady, Hajiya Turai Yar’Adua. In November 2011, however, the FCT minister revoked the allocation and transferred ownership of the land to AFLPM, thereby setting in motion a very nasty and embarrassing struggle between the two First Ladies. The minister of course later explained that the earlier allocation to Hajiya Turai was inappropriate in the first instance.

    No matter how much the Senate wants to cooperate with the presidency, it is unlikely it can be persuaded to approve the expenditure for AFLPM as part of the FCT budget. After all, the sponsors of the project had vehemently clarified in 2011 and in July last year, during a dispute over supply of cars for the AFLPM summit, that it was an NGO. Taken together with its recklessness on the centenary project and other financial imprudence such as the N12bn proposed expenditure for the construction of two city gates for Abuja and rehabilitation of commercial sex workers in the FCT, it is clear that the President Goodluck Jonathan presidency has lost all sense of restraint in spending money and prioritising projects. The legislature must recognise that in spite of being sometimes ineffective in carrying out its oversight responsibilities, the onus for saving this democracy is on its shoulders. It should do what is right on the AFLPM office project, and put a leash on a presidency that has lost virtually all sense of reality and proportion.

     

  • ‘Controversies over oil benchmark patriotic’

    ‘Controversies over oil benchmark patriotic’

    House of Representatives member Alhaji Zakari Mohammed has said that the controversy trailing the oil benchmark was in order. The chairman of the Media and Public Affairs Committee told reporters in Kosubosu, Kwara State that the House would act on the matter in national interest.

    Mohammed, who represents Baruten/Kaiama Constituency, spoke at the presentation of two buses and 25 motorcycles to the Peopoles Democratic Party (PDP) ward and local government executive committees in Baruten, Kaiama local government area of the state.

    He said: “We in the House said $80 per barrel, the federal government said $75. Let me tell you, in recent times, even in 2008 when we had meltdown, the barrel has never fallen below 100 dollars per barrel. So, we are now saying that why not let’s move on and make it 80 dollars per barrel so that the excess of five would be used to service domestic debt so that, rather than the public sector going to borrow money in the banks, it is the private sector that money should be made available so that employment opportunities would be improved upon. The only time that you can say our economy is doing well is when the private sector moves.

    “The Senate and House have agreed on a midway. Senate said 78, we said 80. But we have agreed at 79 eventually and the Federal Government adopted 79. That is exactly another way to tell people that we are very patriotic in our approach and that the house is not just the House of greenhorns; it is where we have experts to look at the economy. No individual has the monopoly of running economy because in some other parts too you know we have people who are worth their onions.”

    The legislator described the recent steps taken by some state Houses of Assembly to domesticate the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act in their states as steps in the right direction as it would assist greatly in strengthening democracy.

    He said: “It was in 2011 during the sixth Assembly that FoI Act was passed and, of course, the President assented to it. It is one of the steps to strengthen democracy. Because it would ensure there are no barriers to information especially for the media. That it came was quite encouraging.

    “If other states will domesticate it, why not? For us we believe that the media should have access to information and that of course will give us the strength and also strengthen our democracy in this part of the world. As much as possible we will try and see what happens, we will encourage that and for us as a nation we should begin to thread towards that path.”

    On 2013 budget, Mohammed said the National Assembly had played its constitutional roles by passing the bulk figure, adding that “the details of it, the nitty-gritty of it would then be worked out as soon as the house resumes from break”.

    He stressed: “We have passed a figure of about N4.987tr. for us we are expecting that when we come back, we would be able to look at the issues- the sectoral breakdown will be given by January. What we have is we have promised Nigerians that before Christmas we are going to pass the budget, we have done that, kept faith with it in spite of the fact that we have some reservations in it. But all those reservations will definitely be discussed in the plenary when we are discussing the sectoral analysis of the budget this year.”

    Mohammed also spoke on the deplorable condition of roads in Kaiama local government and gave hints of steps taken rectify them through the federal budget.

    He said: “As it is, we have Baruten/Kaiama road which is about 87kilometrers. Last year , we were able to get it into the budget, about N99m for the engineering design and drawing. This year, we are looking at the possibility of getting it back into the 2013 budget so that, at least, some parts of it will be awarded. I am sure, if that is done, we believe that the economic activities around there, we are agrarian, will at least be improved upon. Then, the Kishi/Kaiama road, the state government actually wanted to award the project but we are looking at the limitation, it is a federal road. It has limitation. But I am sure that the state government is actually thinking about doing it to get reimbursement much later.

    “Our own prayer is that, this year , we will try and see how some funds will at least get in there. Because it is a sorry state, that journey is not supposed to take us to at least an hour but we ended up spending more than two hours or three hours and it is seriously affecting economic activities in that area. So, we are calling on the federal government to look at it, give it a second look so that the people of Kaiama and Baruten to Ejiba extension will be happy”

     

  • ‘Boxing lived up to its thrills, controversies’

    ‘Boxing lived up to its thrills, controversies’

    Although the boxing event of the 18th National Sports Festival (NSF) ended on Dec. 7, the sport provided some memorable showdowns that will dominate national discourse for some time to come, as Nigerians appraise the just-concluded biennial Games.

    The event featured many colourful boxers from various states across the federation, particularly Apampa Muri from Borno and Gabriel Francis of Lagos. Apampa won most of his bouts via knock outs until the finals, where he lost his match to Ademola Najeem of Ogun in a tough encounter that lived up to its top rating.

    Francis, on the other hand, another tough fighter, who was quick with his deadly punches, never dropped his guard until he settled for the ultimate prize – the gold medal.

    In all, however, Lagos State boxers proved hard nuts to crack as they remained the team to beat as the team notched up eight gold medals in both the men and women’s categories, at the finals.

    Ogun was adjudged the second best to Lagos after winning seven gold and two silver medals, to stamp their strength and technical prowess in the competition.

    Above all, some of the bouts were, however, hit by brick bats of controversies as spectators and team officials expressed disappointment at some `controversial’ decisions of some judges in the course of the competition.

    Looking back at the competition, Hakeem Idris, a spectator, expressed displeasure at some of the final decisions, saying that some of the decisions could not have been the true reflection of what the outcomes of the bouts actually were.

    “It is sad that an event like this can be marred by questionable decisions. Some of the bouts were indeed thrilling, no doubt, but the balance of fair play was largely missing in some of the bouts,” he said.

    Obinna Eze, a fan of Team Abia, expressed disappointment with the judges following Abia’s Okebugwu Flora’s 1-2 loss to Olaniyi Bola of Ogun, in one of the most controversial women’s bouts.

    “This is a major event – a festival. We can’t keep on allowing such things happen haphazardly and claim we want to get it right at the Olympics. Flora clearly won and everyone knew it,” he said.

    However, Abiodun Obanla, Head Coach from Ondo State, described the officiating generally as fair, but noted that as humans, “errors are inevitable in Games of this magnitude, where passion can sometimes come into play”.

    The coach, who is also a referee, admitted that although some decisions were not right, they were mistakes that were bound to happen sometimes in boxing.

    “In my opinion, it is unfortunate that not everybody will want to accept such costly errors at such crucial stages, given what was at stake – a gold, a silver and a bronze, plus some cash rewards (in some states).

    “Sometimes it can be a lack of concentration of the part of judges. It can be a result of poor knowledge by the referees or even that of an athlete. But these mistakes can sometimes prove costly. Some decisions were not right but these are some of the errors that come with officiating; they’re not intentional,” he explained.

    Aside from the flaws and controversies that dogged the officiating, many of the men and women’s boxing bouts were without doubt thrilling, raising hopes about the future of the sport, particularly at the amateur level.

    The fierce and fearless displays, the gusts and thrills of boxers kissing the canvas, as well as the drama of throwing in the towel from corner men turned out to be the high points of some of the bouts.

    In the end, a total of 20 gold medals were won in both the men and women’s categories of boxing at the festival. It is only time that will tell if the efforts, time and money spent in staging the Games had been worth it.