The Nation Newspaper

Tag: House

  • The corner stone of the house

    The corner stone of the house

    It was a conglomerate of crème de la crème of Nigerian Society in Osogbo, Osun State Capital, last Sunday. The scene was that of a galaxy of royal fathers from all parts of the country, high caliber Muslim clerics, top serving and retired government functionaries, prominent Southwest spiritual and temporal chieftains, distinguished heads of Muslim organisation,  reputable professionals and Muslim women of timber and caliber.

    The occasion was that of a prayer for Nigeria’s peace, security and development as well as for President Muhammadu Buhari’s health recovery. It was at the instance of Osun State’s Muslim Community in honour of Alhaji (Dr.) S. O. Babalola, OON, the President of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) and President General of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA). The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of NSCIA, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar CFR, mni was present as the special guest of honour. He was accompanied by the Secretary-General, NSCIA, Professor Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede and a retinue of Emirs, Obas and Obis.

     

    How it went

    The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola  was the Chief Host. He was accompanied by his wife, Alhaja Sherifat Aregbesola, His Deputy, Mrs. Grace Titi-Laoye and a number of government functionaries. The Chairman of the Occasion was a onetime Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Musliu Smith while the Chief Missioner of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdur-Rahman Ahmad delivered the moving lecture of the day. The multipurpose Hall that served as the venue of the occasion (the first of its type in the South West of Nigeria) is an evidence of the dynamism of Osun State Muslim Community. The history of that Community will be presented in this column in the foreseeable future, in sha’Allah.

     

    Who is Dr. Babalola?

    The question on the lips of many people who attended the occasion was the one above: Who is Dr. Babalola? This one million naira question can be best answered by the citation of the great man written by yours sincerely and entitled ‘THE CORNER STONE’. It went thus:

    “This is a citation and not a summary of a biography. It is the citation of one of our iconic leaders who is eminently qualified to be cited from the pack. This citation is unconventional. Unlike other citations, its emphasis is neither on the date and place of birth nor on the schools attended and the certificates obtained. It is rather a citation from which most of us are supposed to learn how to keep the track of life without falling by the way side.

    If, on an occasion like this, we come up with a citation that talks about the date and birth of a personality we gather here to honour today, it will just be a repetition of what we had been hearing. If we talk about schools he attended or certificates he obtained, it will be a mere rhetoric as usual. If we talk about his marital status or business life, it will only remind us of others like him. If we call him a philanthropist and list his chains of philanthropic gestures we may only end up clapping with a standing ovation and pouring a flattering encomium on the cited personality. Any of the above can only lead us to losing sight on the real essence of this unique citation.

     

    The words of an elder

    In the introduction to his autobiography entitled ‘My Odyssey’ and published in 1970, the first President of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, had the following to say about human sojourn on earth:

    “Man comes into the world and while he lives, he embarks upon a series of activities absorbing experience which enables him to formulate a philosophy of life and to chart his courses of action. But then, he dies. Nevertheless, his biography remains a guide to those of the living who may need guidance either as a warning on the vanity of human wishes or as encouragement or both.” That philosophical assertion is not about an age group or a gender or an era. It is about all of these together. The elders’ words shall never cease to be words of wisdom.

     

    The rejected stone

    “While man’s desires and aspirations stir, he cannot choose but err; yet, in his erring journey through the night, instinctively, he travels toward the light”. By Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe.

    The above poem is the parable of a rejected stone that has turned out to be the cornerstone of the house. Those who can still remember the history of Prophet Ismail, (the first son of Prophet Ibrahim) should be able to recall that he was once rejected from his parents’ home and banished to a desert asylum.  Today, see the outcome of that episode in the everlasting uniqueness of Hajj as the fifth pillar of Islam. As it was in the primordial time, so it is in the contemporary time.

    We have a man in our midst here today, whose rising profile has enabled us to know that the purpose of human life is not just to live and be happy. Beneath many days of happy mood are some nights of tears. That is the secret of human experience which should serve as the first lesson for future leaders. That man is Dr. Babalola, OON, who combines humility with conscience to form an identity by which he is generally known. That is an identity that clearly distinguishes a man of honour from men of wealth. We should all know that humility based on conscience is the most active cursor of piety.

     

    His rising profile

    Perhaps, if Dr. Babalola had not been rejected as a local chieftain he would not have emerged as the President of the Muslim Ummah of the South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) which is the umbrella body for all Muslim organizations in the South West region of this country. And if he had not become the President of MUSWEN, he would probably not have risen to the post of Deputy President-General (South) of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA). What could have made this possible besides destiny through the guidance of Allah?

    Now, if, in the course of reading citation, we trace the background of this man to any school or any madrasah he attended at his early age of his life, what lesson are we to learn from that? If we describe him as one of the foremost but quiet philanthropists currently, and list the chains of his philanthropic gestures, what uniqueness can we derive from that for him? If we say here that he is married with children and he gave those children qualitative education how does that make his life different from the lives of his peers? All those are a common feature of common citations often presented publicly, sometimes, to the boredom of the audience.

     

    The difference he makes

    What actually makes conspicuous difference in this man’s life, which only a few people are able to focus, is his ability to identify, early in life, the factors of equanimity in human life. Those factors are contained in a poetic axiom succinctly coined by an American statesman and intellectual of renown, Williams Webster, who had the following to say in a stanza:

    “If we work marble it will perish; if we work upon brass, time will efface it; if we rear temples, they will crumble into dust; but if we work upon immortal minds, and instill in them just principles, we are then engraving that upon tablets which no time can efface but will brighten into all eternity”.

    That is the guiding principle adopted by Dr. Babalola who rose from the dungeon of obscurity to a high pedestal of limelight despite all odds. But he added an addendum of his own to that principle. That addendum is that to be happy in life, you must make others happy. And to live in peace, you must ventilate a peaceful environment for others. Happiness is based on peace and peace from man to man is reciprocal.

    Thus, Dr. Babalola, rising to become a towering leader was not by fortuity. He had painstakingly studied the qualities of a good leader and he has patiently imbibed those qualities through self-discipline and divinely guided inspiration.

     

    Qualities of  a good leader

    If you care to know, the qualities of good leadership which together form the ladder that this great man has mounted to this stage of his life, here they are: Meaningful focus, interminable patience, relentless confidence, untamable courage, inspired innovation, natural humility, irrepressible endurance, insubordinate assiduity, divinely-guided self-motivation, impeccable resilience, enviable transparency, unequaled generosity, plausible accountability, undeniable authenticity, intractable decisiveness, absolute contentment and of course, unpolluted conscience.

     

    Questions

    Now, which of these qualities cannot be found in this man? And which of them should not be emulated by young men and women who are aspiring to be leaders tomorrow? This reminds one of a stanza in the poem of an Arab poet thus:

    “He is not a man whoever relies on the achievements of his parents to exhibit pride; a man indeed is he who can stand out of the pack with his head raised, and say: here I am today, despite all odds of life”.

    Today, at the peak of his ladder of excellence Dr. Babalola has become a school for those who want to study the ladder of life and how to mount it to the peak. You can now see why this citation is said to be unconventional.  This is what a citation should be to enable future leaders to learn from it in preparation for the mantle of leadership.

     

    Conclusion

    Your Excellency, the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola; Your Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, CFR, mni; Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, distinguished guests here present, kindly permit me to round off this citation with a prayer that was once offered poetically by an American woman (J.Walch) who dedicated her entire life to the service of humanity and died on it. That prayer has since become a daily rhyme for Baba Babalola in words and in action. It goes thus:

    “God make my life a little staff, upon which the weak may rest, that what so health and wealth I have may serve my neighbours best”.

    We pray the Almighty Allah to preserve Baba’s life and imbue him with continued sound health, guidance and protection, that he may serve the Muslim Ummah for long. Amin.

  • A day at Abuja House, London

    A day at Abuja House, London

    It used to be just one of the beautiful houses in the quiet neighbourhood. Black, glittering iron-rod gates, red bricks, trees and a green-white-green flag fluttering in the breeze.

    Not anymore. Abuja House, the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom, is now famous – for housing a Very Important Personality (VIP), President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Located in the posh Campden Hill area of the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London, Abuja House is one of the most prominent buildings on the street. Across the road is the home of the High Commissioner of South Africa to the UK.

    This is where President Buhari has been spending his vacation. The President left the country after informing the National Assembly and transferring power to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as acting president on January 19.

    The announcement of the President’s vacation, which was initially for 10 days  before it was extended last week,  added that the President would take the advantage of his trip to do some medical checks.

    That sparked speculations, especially in the social media, that the President was gravely ill and in the hospital.

    The rumour won’t go away despite attempts to dispel it by presidential aides and the Federal Government. This, however, has turned out to be false.

    Last week, All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Interim Chairman of the party Chief Bisi Akande, visited the President at the Abuja House. The photograph of the visit, with the President beaming, was splashed on the front pages of many newspapers.

    Yesterday, our London Bureau Chief met with the President’s cousin, Alhaji Mamman Daura, who visited the president.

    At exactly 1.05 pm (London time), two young women believed to be President Buhari’s daughters were driven out of the Abuja House in a black Mercedes Benz car.The vehicle returned at 2.24 pm without its passengers.

    At 1.20 pm, Daura arrived in a London black cab. He was with two others. Daura, who left at about 2.50 pm, declined comments when asked about how the President was getting on. He said; “I came here with Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) the other day, didn’t you see it?”

    Shortly after, the serenity of the street was shattered (at about 3.30pm), when five officials – two contracted private security guards and three others, who appeared to be High Commission officials, and a personal aide to the president, came to ask why this reporter was “hanging around”.

    He was threatened and told to go away to avoid police invitation. “You have to go away with this car from here. You cannot take any photograph here,” a guard said.

    But this reporter declined because the United Kingdom law does not forbid parking on a public road and taking photographs of private properties from public view.

    Four policemen later arrived at about 3.40 pm, using two vans and two motor bikes. The policemen were armed. The engagement between this reporter and the policemen turned into a friendly banter – to the embarrassment of the officials who received a lecture from the police that there was no offence in taking photographs of private properties and also parking on a public road where there is no double yellow line.

    But the policemen told this reporter that high commissions get worried when unfamiliar people come around to take photographs and loiter.

    According to them, the Saudi Embassy is particularly not inclined to people coming around it. “We do get regular calls like that,” one of the policemen said.

  • Ondo’s House of crisis

    Ondo’s House of crisis

    The crisis rocking the Ondo State House of Assembly has escalated, with two Speakers laying claim to its leadership. Efforts to resolve the logjam by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which controls the majority in the House, have hit the rocks. Correspondent DAMISI OJO examines the implications of the crisis for parliamentary unity and decorum as the state eagerly awaits the inauguration of a new government.

    There is no end in sight to the crisis rocking the Ondo State House of Assembly. The two legislators parading themselves as speakers are flexing muscles. Efforts by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to halt the strife and rancor has failed.

    In the past, particularly during the era of former Olusegun Agagu, the House of Assembly along Igbatoro road, Akure, the state capital, was a beehive of activities.

    The legislators from the respective constituencies were pragmatic and vibrant. Chairmen and members of various House Committees took their oversight functions seriously. The former Parliamentary Liaison Officer (PLO), Hon Ola Oguntimehin, was up to the task.

    Lawmakers engaged in robust debates and arguments on the floor of the House, leading to the passage of useful bills and motions that had positive effects on the lives of the people. Everything was in order. The welfare of the lawmakers was paramount to the executive arm. Unfortunately, the reverse is the case now because of the dormant situation at the Assembly.

    The ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) has 21 members while the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has five members. However, unlike in the past, the Eighth House is in deep slumber. Its leadership has been accused of loyalty to Governor Olusegun Mimiko, which observers said was not good for the House.

    The house is not at peace with itself. Majority of the legislators, even in the ruling PDP, are not happy with way things are going. They have complained that their welfare was not well attended to by the executive; no funds, no official cars, no comfortable offices to enhance better performance of the members.

    The five opposition members are powerless. They could not resist the House’s leadership style. They only grumble in silence.  Their aides complain that their principals are suffering. Observers are of the view that the executive arm had successfully weakened the House and put it in a tight corner.

    Lawmakers could not invoke impeachment against the governor. When it was attempted in the past, the plot collapsed like a park of cards. They were stopped by Mimiko, who deployed his arsenal.

    However, less than a month to the inauguration of the administration of Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), 26 lawmakers met and removed the Speaker, Princess Jumoke Akindele.

    Akindele, a PDP member, is from Okitipupa Constituency, South District. Also, the House impeached the Deputy Speaker, Fatai Olotu from Akoko Division, North District and the Majority leader, Dayo Akinsoyinu, who is the most senior legislator in the House.

    The action was reportedly carried out in the evening of that day. It was learnt that after the swearing in of a new Speaker, Malachi Coker, by the Clerk, Bode Adeyelu, the lawmakers quickly adjourned sitting. They had the mace with them. Twenty of the 26 members allegedly signed the impeachment paper and 14 were present during the impeachment.

    The Assembly had been embroiled in crisis since March, last year when Akindele and Olotu were first impeached over alleged gross misconduct and financial impropriety.

    Some lawmakers alleged that the Speaker withdrew N15m from the House of Assembly’s coffers without the approval of the paymaster, Makanjuola Adesina.

    The aggrieved faction elected Coker from Ilaje Constituency One as Speaker. Ayo Arowele from Owo Constituency One was elected as the Deputy Speaker.

    Now, two factions are laying claim to the leadership of the House.

    The spokesman of the House, Siji Akindiose, dismissed the impeachment, describing it as an exercise in futility. According to him, the faction, led by Coker, needed no fewer than 18 to effect any lawful removal of the Speaker and other principal officers.

    He added: “To orchestrate such illegality, they blatantly took recourse to the travesty to the known rules and convention of the House.

    “Expecting it to stand shows clearly that some people are either power drunk or they are incapable of understanding or appreciating the fine ethos of the rules of the House and the rule of law. To even attempt to enforce their ill-advised will on the majority of the House in such a callous manner is a pointer to the kind of leadership style they plan to provide”.

    Akindiose said the fund being paraded by the aggrieved lawmakers as fraud was meant for the project execution, adding that they were properly appropriated for and approved by the leadership of the house.

    The spokesman for Coker faction, Ogundeji Iroju, said the impeachment was legitimate because of the gross misconduct of Princess Akindele. He alleged that N15m was found with the paymaster of the House, Makanju Adesina.

    He said an emergency plenary session was convened after the paymaster was arrested with the money, leading to the impeachment of Akindele and the swearing in of Coker by the Clerk.

    Iroju said there was no going back on the impeachment of Akindele and other principal officers.

    The impeachment was reminiscent of last year’s plot against the principal officers, an action that was reversed 24 hours after the intervention of Mimiko and other PDP leaders.

    The paymaster, Adesina, said he was issued a cheque of N15m by his boss, the Director of Accounts (DA), to cash the money at Stanbic Bank. He said after collecting the money from the bank, the DA instructed him to move the cash to the Assembly’s Complex as usual for further directive on how to disburse it through his office as slated in his official schedule of duty.

    However, Adesina said the moment he left the bank, he noticed a car trailing him while he made a frantic effort to get the House of Assembly to avoid being robbed. But, he said he later discovered that they were lawmakers.

    He said before I could move the cash into his office, about 13 members of the House bombarded his car and ordered him to carry the bag containing the cash from his car.

    Adesina said they took his pictures and treated him like a common criminal for doing his lawful duties.

    The paymaster urged the police, rights activists and other relevant bodies to rise up to condemn the act and assist in bringing restoring his dignity.

    Sources said the governor had intervened into the crisis, but no without success.

    The APC, which was accused of being the brain behind the crisis, debunked the claim through its spokesman, Abayomi Adesanya, saying the development was an attestation of the looting spree by the state government and its agencies.

  • House determined to fight corruption, says Dogara

    House determined to fight corruption, says Dogara

    The nation is determined to fight corruption, House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, said yesterday.
    He described the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the frontline agency fighting corruption.
    According to him, the December timeline set for the completion of the EFCC headquarters of would be met.
    Dogara spoke during an inspection visit to the EFCC headquarters under construction.
    He said: “The president in his inaugural address said he would kill corruption before corruption kills us in Nigeria.
    “The only frontline agency that is charged with the responsibility of combating corruption is the EFCC.
    ” It is only proper that when citizens of other countries and even Nigerians come to where EFCC operates, to see clearly that the environment under which they operate speak to the fact that as a nation, we are more than determined to confront this cancer called corruption.”.
    Dogara said the House would ensure that the timeline set for the completion of the Head office of the EFCC is met by December.
    He added: “Our conviction is that where the EFCC currently operates does not give the good impression to first time visitors in Nigeria or people who come to Nigeria to interface with the agency as it is said that first impression counts a lot.
    “I will be the happiest person to see that the EFCC resumes operation in the new building by December.
    “It is necessary to complete the project in order to provide conducive environment for the Commission and also to show that government was fully ready to eradicate corruption in Nigeria.
    “I am satisfied and motivated. As a parliamentarian it is my joy to see this project completed as soon as possible’’.
    The Managing Director, Julius Berger Construction Company, Wolfgang Goetsch, observed that the major challenge affecting the pace of work was funding.
    “If funds are consistently made available, the project will be completed by December,” he said.
    The Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, thanked the Speaker for the visit and promised to “leave no stone unturned in cleansing Nigeria of corruption.”
    With Dogara were Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Mustafa Bala Dawaki and Chairman, House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Mr. Kayode Oladele.

  • Kwara PDP: A divided house

    Kwara PDP: A divided house

    Kwara State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is battling with multiple crises. The leadership squabble between  National Caretaker Committee (NCC) Chairman Senator Ahmed Makarfi and factional Chairman Senator Modu Sheriff has polarised the troubled chapter. Two factions, led by Iyiola Oyedepo and Sunday Fagbemi, are struggling for the soul of the party. Correspondent ADEKUNLE JIMOH reports that the future of the divided platform is bleak.

    The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the national level is taking its toil on the Kwara State chapter. The party has been polarised into two seemingly irreconcilable groups-the Ahmed Makarfi and Senator Ali Modu Sheiff factions.

    The state congress held last year further polarised the party along Makarfi and Sheriff factions.

    The two factions, led by the former chairman of the party, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, and Prince Sunday Fagbemi, conducted parallel congresses at different venues in Ilorin, the state capital.

    During the exercise, some members of the party, particularly from Kwara central zone, cried foul, alleging the de-accreditation of their delegates.

    The factionalisation has dimmed the hope of a party that neither has any representative in the House of Assembly nor the National Assembly.

    Both Prince Fagbemi and Oyedepo are laying claims to the chairmanship. It appears they are not ready for reconciliation.

    Fagbemi, former Chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), claimed that the congress, which produced him as the chairman, was witnessed by five out of the seven-man national electoral panel from Abuja.

    He said the representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies also witnessed the congress, describing the congress of the other faction as mere affirmation.

    Fagbemi accused Oyedepo of imposition, intimidation and electoral malpractices, adding that some contestants were barred from the venue of the congress at Stella Obasanjo multipurpose hall, Ilorin.

    Fagbemi, who said the congresses at ward, local government and state government levels were manipulated, alleged that nomination forms and result sheets were made available to contestants favoured by Akogun Oyedepo.

    The PDP chieftain, who said the development led to a parallel state congress, described himself as the authentic chairman.

    He described the congress held by Akogun-led executive as pre-determined, pointing out that the delegates from eight local government areas  of Ilorin West, Ilorin South, Ilorin East, Asa, Moro, Offa, Isin and Ekiti were disallowed from participating in the congress.

    He said: “Efforts to correct the anomalies at different levels of the congress were rejected by the electoral panel. I had to force myself into the hall when about 29 contestants were prevented from entering the venue. The scenario led to riotous moment, sporadic gun shots by political thugs, tear gas and discovery of a vehicle laden with dangerous weapons, arms and ammunition at the Stella Obasanjo Hall.”

    Fagbemi lamented the turn of events in the Kwara PDP. He said the party was in agony because it has no legislator in the House of Assembly, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

    He also said efforts were not made to forge unity in the party by the  Oyedepo, adding that his supporters would not fold their arms and allow the party to be destroyed.

    Since the parallel congresses, the two factions have been trading tackles.  They have not sheathed their swords.

    Oyedepo has claimed that Fagbemi’s group was acting the script of some forces to destabilise the party.

    The crisis escalated when the Fagbemi group forced its way into the party’s secretariat along Asa Dam rRad in Ilorin metropolis.

    The group has since defied police directive to vacate the office, pending the resolution of the crisis brought to the state command’s attention by the Oyedepo group.

    Fagbemi, who lamented that the  Oyedepo faction had dragged him to the police command, following his faction’s take-over of the secretariat few weeks ago, said he would rather fear their wrath of his supporters than hed the police advice to leave the secretariat.

    The factional leader, who claimed that he has the support of about 85 percent of  party members, said, owing to the previous disappointment, it would be difficult to trust the police on issues affecting the other faction.

    His words: “Police are to defend us. During the last congress of the party held on May 5, 2016, a vehicle was impounded by the police. It was loaded with arms and ammunition. It was not an abandoned vehicle. People were arrested by the police over the discovery, but nothing has been heard about it.

    “How are we sure that, if we abide by the police request to vacate this secretariat, the other people won’t go through the back door and collect the key? I cannot be afraid of the police at the expense of our people.

    “When we came here, nobody broke any gate. There was no shooting of guns. The security guards opened the gate for us without let or hindrance because they knew we are members of the same party and if you want to enter your house, but you have lost the key, you must, of course, find other means of entering. This secretariat was secured through our collective efforts, but Oyedepo said the police must ask us to vacate while the peace talk is going on. Is that what we want?”

    Fagbemi also denied insinuations that his group was being sponsored to destabilise the PDP. He said party members should be wary of the Oyedepo faction whose leadership, he claimed, had their best political accomplishments through the instrumentality of Dr. Olusola Saraki.

    “The truth is that we have been tolerating these people because we believe we are members of the same party and we should find a way of resolving our differences. But, they are taking our docility for granted and we are not going to accept that again. Indeed, we are tired of them and by the next two weeks, let’s wait and see what the national leadership will do with them”.

    There appears to be no end in sight to the crisis rocking the chapter. The Oyedepo faction has accused Fagbemi’s group of acting the script of some unknown forces to destabilise the party.

    Oyedepo alleged that his faction had uncovered how Fagbemi’s group was hired to frustrate the vibrant and constructive opposition platform in the state.

    The Publicity Secretary of Oyedepo faction, Otunba Rex Olawoye, said it was shocking that the rival group, which claimed to be the authentic state leadership of the party, was in Ilorin causing chaos while Oyedepo was in Abuja attending the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party.

    He said: “In October last year, some miscreants, led by one Sunday Fagbemi, invaded and occupied the PDP Office at Asa-Dam Road, Ilorin.

    “It is very amusing that the said group, led by Sunday Fagbemi, is claiming to have taken over the office of the PDP in the state.

    “On the said day, the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of our great party was in progress in Abuja with Chief Iyiola Oyedepo in attendance as the Chairman of the Kwara PDP. One would then wonder how the self-acclaimed Chairman in person of Sunday Fagbemi would remain in Ilorin, Kwara State causing crisis and chaos at the party office when such an important meeting was going on, the membership of which he is claiming as the state chairman.

    “If he truly has a right to occupy the office, is there no legitimate means of doing so? Must a self styled chairman invade the PDP office with hoodlums, molesting the staff members and damaging party property?

    “The election to the party offices took place in April, 2016. Is Sunday Fagbemi just waking up from his dream to realise that he won an election? Just the way he did three days after the same election was concluded before he declared himself as the elected chairman. This he did when he had willingly, in the midst of hundreds of our party delegates, stepped down at the election venue when his failure was imminent.

    “We appeal to our loyal party members and supporters to remain calm as we have found out that Fagbemi and his group were engaged to frustrate the vibrant and constructive opposition being provided by our party through its viable organs.

    Olawoye added: “We plead to the general public to disregard all unwholesome activities of these disgruntled elements as we are undeterred by their actions. We have made formal complaints to all relevant authorities in order to avert breakdown of law and order. It is expected that they would act appropriately on this matter.

    “We members of the PDP under Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo remain resolute in our determination to provide very commendable, vibrant and constructive opposition to the ruling party without minding any form of detraction purposely packaged to frustrate and intimidate us through some disgruntled elements among us.”

    Analysts have posited that the PDP crisis  at the national and state levels have deprived the party PDP of offering credible, vibrant and critical opposition to the ruling APC in the state.

    The crisis,  if it is not nipped in the bud, will weaken the chance, hope and aspirations of the party in future elections in the state.

    The APC is waxing stronger in Kwara. This is soley due to the solid political structure of the late Olusola Saraki. The dynasty has been solidified by his son, Senate President Bukola Saraki. A united PDP cannot withstand its onslaught. But, now that the PDP has been weakened by its protracted crisis, it faces a bleak future in the Northcentral state.

  • Stars grace JJC, Funke Akindele’s house warming

    Stars grace JJC, Funke Akindele’s house warming

    Things are sure looking rosy for award-winning Nollywood actress Funke Akindele Bello and her husband, JJC Skillz as the couple threw a star-studded new year/house warming party on Monday. The couple hosted the crème de la crème of the entertainment circuit at their new house in AMEN Estate, Lagos, dishing them a five-star treatment of assorted foods, drinks, good music from J SPINALL and humorous moments from comedians such as Falz The Bahd Guy, Seyi Law and Arole Jesu.

    Amongst the celebrities at the party were Faithia Balogun, Toke Makinwa, Bimbo Thomas, Eniola Afeez, Iyabo Ojo, IK Ogbonna, Kate Henshaw, Chioma Akpotha, Funke Kuti, Ireti Bakare, Uche Jombo, Adekunle Gold, Bola Ali-Balogun, Chidinma, Dolapo Badmos,Timi Dakolo, Lilian Esoro, Dayo Amusa, Yul Edozhie, Pasuma, Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi, Kazeem Adeoti and so many others.

    At the party, Funke, the producer of the hugely successful comedy, Jenifa, had urged her colleagues to live the good life as they worked hard too.

    “Very soon like it happens in Hollywood, we will be shooting our reality shows here, have our studios here,” she said.

    Later in the day, she began posting pictures of attendees and thanking them on her social media handles.

    “We had so much fun,” she wrote on Twitter. “Thanks to you all. My friends family and colleagues rock!!!” and “Big shout out to you all for turning up!!! We love you.”

    Doing same on her Instagram page, she continued appreciating her guests throughout yesterday and early hours of today.

     

  • House may probe N100m healthcare under Obasanjo

    House may probe N100m healthcare under Obasanjo

    The House of Representatives may soon set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the project initiated by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration in 2007 for Primary Healthcare Centres in the 774 local governments.
    Chairman of the House Committee on Legislative Compliance Olasupo Abiodun gave this hint at a public presentation of the state of primary healthcare centres by the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC).
    He said in the dying days of the Obasanjo regime, he initiated an intervention programme, where N100 million was deducted from source from allocations to the 774 local government councils for the establishment of PHCs, purchase of ambulances and other consumables.
    He added that nothing has been heard about the project since then.
    According to him, the motion will soon be moved on the floor of the House for an ad hoc committee to be set up to investigate the project.
    He lamented the lack of synergy among the various tiers of government on who should carry out specific assignments, adding that functions meant for the primary healthcare centres were being undertaken by the tertiary hospitals.
    He said as a result of being overburdened by activities meant for other sectors, the tertiary hospitals have not been able to carry out their functions.

  • APC: This house must be one

    SIR:  I have no shred of doubt that the leadership of APC is getting it right at both the states and at the federal level even though many will think otherwise. I have implicit confidence in the leadership of President Buhari for doing what we voted him to do in order to bring back hope to Nigeria even though detractors will feel otherwise. I believe strongly in the leadership of APC at the federal level having seen the indices of solid foundation being laid for a better tomorrow even though many may not see it. I have no doubt if we keep faith, if we are able to allow ourselves to suffer a little and reap tomorrow, and if we sustain the tempo of what is going on now, Nigeria will triumph again and earn the respect and honour due to her.

    To build a strong and united Nigeria, APC must do the needful by working as a team. This administration came to fight corruption and restore the lost glory of Nigeria. Since May 29, 2015 we have seen the war on corruption and we have seen the struggle of corruption to fight back with every arsenal at its disposal. Yes President Buhari has been winning the war but he cannot do it alone. It has to be a collective responsibility and consequently the Party must be on the same page.

    I am aware how the legacy parties came together to form APC. I am aware that the ruling party then never thought it could ever be a reality but the rest is now history. APC won the election and 16 months after, this writer is noticing a dangerous trend within the family that may cause an implosion if we do not rise up to do the needful. I have noticed that there has been a calculated attempt to whittle the influence and well deserved honour of one of the national leaders, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This attempt was seen in Kogi guber elections and now in Ondo State. If a presidential rally could take place in Akure without Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola and Governor Ajimobi of Oyo State, then something is wrong somewhere.

    Anybody who ignores the capacity of the above leaders in the South-west and Nigeria does so at his own peril. You can ignore anything but do not ignore the capacity of Asiwaju and Lagos. President Buhari must look beyond the interlopers, hangers on, supporters of any government in power (SAGIP), scavengers, the mafia in the corridors of power, palace mongers, hustlers, rapacious greedy lots in the corridors of power, hungry gate keepers, carpet beggars etc to look for those who fought with him to defeat PDP.

    We know the story of a man who left 999 sheep to go in search of one missing sheep. If a great national leader like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu raised issues about the outcome of Ondo governorship primaries, political watchers expected that President Buhari will look into the matter and have it resolved. We did not see this. President Buhari could not have gone to Ondo State without Asiwaju Tinubu. If Asiwaju had gone there you would have seen Ambode, Aregbesola and Ajimobi. Whoever is telling President Buhari that he can do without those great men is missing the point. Those who are asking the President to ignore these strong men are doing the greatest disservice to APC and the president. Take it or leave it, South-west drives the politics of Nigeria and it dates back to history. With Lagos and Ibadan axis in its kitty they get everything they desire. I have been in the politics of South-west politics since 1985 and I know what am talking about. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a political phenomenon. He has built huge and formidable network of friends across Nigeria and this is not a day’s job. Now my advice to the President: Get Asiwaju back to the fold now! The President is the number leader of APC in Nigeria given his position as the President of Nigeria. He should carry the big stick when necessary and console the aggrieved when the need be.

    The battle to reclaim the soul of Nigeria will get messier and tougher as we go on and President Buhari needs every APC member behind him. Who would have thought that President Buhari will take on the Generals, top politicians, the untouchable judges and others? The next war should be on the universities including teaching hospitals, Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigeria Airways etc. we have to go the whole hug to reclaim Nigeria.

    Some shameless and totally confused politicians are exploiting the internal squabbles in APC to reposition themselves thinking that there is vacancy in Aso Rock. No sirs, we have not finished with President Buhari despite the challenges facing us as a county. The President has not disappointed those of us that believe in him. All we want him to do is to use his exalted office to unite the party leaders for the great task ahead.

     

    • Joe Igbokwe,

    Lagos.

  • My encounter with Obama after a call from White House —Ex-Miss Wheelchair Nigeria

    My encounter with Obama after a call from White House —Ex-Miss Wheelchair Nigeria

    HOW best could one describe you; a musician, an advocate for the physically challenged or an ex-beauty queen?

    What makes Grace Jerry’s life very interesting is that you can’t pin her to one thing. She is just an encapsulation of a lot of things. She is a recording artiste. What makes her an interesting recording artiste is that she uses music as a tool to create a lot of social good.  So, what I do basically is a blend of music and advocacy. That is why I say Grace is an embodiment of a lot of things put together.

    You mentioned music and social advocacy. Let’s talk about the social advocacy first…

    Grace is a disability rights advocate. I basically work to bring the issue of disability to the forefront. I do that through workshops, music and, as I mentioned earlier, through advocacy and campaigns. Interestingly, I co-founded an organisation called Inclusive Friends.  It is an organisation for and by persons with disability. We give faces and voices to people with disability and try to combat stigmatisation, marginalisation of persons with disability, and basically promote inclusion and equity for all.

    These are things you took on in your adult life. How was life with you before all this?

    Of course, you grow up with a lot of ambition. You want to be this and you want to be that. While growing up, I always said I wanted to be a journalist. There was this late broadcaster, Tokunbo Ajayi. I remember that whenever I watched her, I would say to myself one day, I would want to stay in front of the camera  and read the news. Of course growing up, all of that got to change.  I grew up in a family of singers. My mum happened to be a very strong chorister then in the Methodist Church. My auntie too. It was more of a singing family, I would say. So, singing kind of grew in me, and that is what I am doing till date.

    But then, going to school, I picked up other ambitions. I remember my first time in the university, I started with a diploma in Law. I wanted psychology, but eventually I found myself doing a diploma in Law. After that, I went back to start my degree programme in English Language.

    Interestingly, I am not doing anything pertaining to Law today. I am a singer and an advocate.  So, along the line, I think we just pick up things; we build capacity in a lot of things. I just found myself developing my knowledge in so many areas in line with development works, talking about the rights of people , especially the constituency that I represent.

    At what point did you decide that this is what you want you do?

    While in the university, I sustained the car accident that affected my spine. I sustained spinal cord injury. That happened on January 7, 2002. I was already in the university. Before then, I had never known the life of someone on a wheelchair. I had never been in close contact with anyone with disability. It was all strange to me. I had to learn to leave my life all over again.

    Were you a very active person before the accident?

    I was very active. I was very active in the church choir and very active in school. I was very sociable too. I would be the first on the dance floor in any party. I was really bubbling with life, and suddenly there was a change. I sustained the spinal cord injury and the doctor said I would have to be on the wheelchair for the rest of my life except there was a miracle. I remember it was a terrible phase for me at that period because, first of all, nobody knew I was going to survive. When I eventually survived it, adapting to my home first and foremost became an issue, because there was a staircase and here I was on a wheelchair. You know wheelchairs and steps don’t go together.

    There were also the bathrooms and so on. My environment was not just fit for the wheelchair. I remember there were lots of modifications that my parents had to carry out–knock off the steps so that my wheel chair could move freely. I had to start using one of the bathrooms in the house that was bigger, so that my chair could go through. I had to learn to put myself on and off the bed. It was not funny.

    After that, I was faced with the challenge of going back to school. Here was I in a school environment that there were staircases everywhere. My lecture hall particularly was even upstairs. Also, I couldn’t go back to church, because I used to be very active in church. In fact, the day the accident happened, I was on my way back home from a choir rehearsal. So, I could not even fit into my environment so to say. My home was modified, but my environment became my greatest challenge.

    I think that woke up something in me. I realised that if I didn’t draw the attention of people to accessibility challenge for persons with disability, they would never know or understand. This is because before it happened to me, I never knew, I never understood and I never bothered. So any opportunity I had… I remember my pastor had to make the church a little bit accessible for me to go in. After about a year plus, I was ready to be reintegrated back to my environment-to school, church and so on.

    Before you were physically reintegrated into the society, you must have fought some psychological battles. How was it?

    When the accident happened, at first when I was on admission at the hospital, I kept telling myself that in the next few days, I would be back on my feet. Three months on admission, nothing was happening. I was still lying down completely. They had to teach me to sit down. When I could sit down, they asked my parents to come with a wheelchair and my dad brought one. I started learning to sit on the wheelchair, to use the wheel chair and to move around the hospital environment. After three months, I was discharged to go home.

    I kept telling myself in the next one, two or three months, I would be back on my feet. One month turned into three months, one year, I just could not understand. The period of me being home, having to recover, a lot of my friends stopped visiting. I had a lot of friends in school. All of a sudden, they stopped visiting. I found that I was all alone most of the time. Friends from church too didn’t have time. So, I would always be home alone with my mum and dad.

    I remember it was so depressing, because I thought I had friends who cared. But all of a sudden, they were nowhere to be found. From morning till afternoon, I was all alone. I remember it was so depressing that I was venting it out on everyone around me. I became very violent and very rude. I would cry at the slightest provocation. I was so depressed to the point that I lost so much weight and my hair started falling off. It was terrible. However, I remember, I call it a reality talk that I had with my elder brother. He said to me, ‘Grace, if you are going to survive this, you need to make up your mind and survive. Nobody else will make up your mind for you. And if you want to rest, maybe you should make up your mind and die peacefully.’

    Because what I was doing was affecting everyone around me. People around me were not happy because I was not happy. Because for the first time after a long while, I had to think and I told myself that I was either going to allow disability define me or I define disability for what it is. That was a turning point in my life, because I made up my mind that I was going to be happy regardless of what had happened. I was going to get over this as quickly as possible, and I was going to use this a s a platform to talk about the challenges affecting people with disability.

    Immediately I did that, I went back to church. Any opportunity I had to hold the microphone, I would tell people that if they had houses that had staircases or public places that had steps, they should tell those in charge to create rams so that people that are physically challenged should fit into the society. So I started using the platform of the church to advocate for people with disability until I had the opportunity of a bigger platform; that was the first ever Miss Wheelchair beauty pageant that was to take place here in Nigeria.

    What they were looking for was a spokeswoman who would advocate for the rights of persons with disability. That was for about 22.2 million Nigerians as at 2010. They wanted a woman that would go round, influence policies, structures until the rights of persons with disability are captured. So, when this platform came, I knew that this would even give the opportunity to advocate on a bigger level for my voice to be heard. And that was it. I seized the opportunity.

    Was it just because you needed a bigger platform or you wanted to also keep yourself occupied?

    For me, it was an opportunity, because the only stage I had was the church. Then here was a national event that would give me a national platform to talk about these issues and it would reach faster. Because I had the boldness to speak, I was like, why not speak out for that woman or for that man, or for this group of people who are not as bold as I am? So, I seized that stage to become the voice for the millions of people with disabilities.

    Tell me about the experience.

    So, we came over to Lagos for the pageant. We had women with disabilities from parts of the country, including the FCT.  We were about 40 women with disabilities who came to contest the position of Miss Wheelchair Nigeria. I remember we were put in a hostel and here I was with 39 other women with disabilities from all over the country, who were very intelligent. It was interesting for me because every one of them had big, articulated dreams to change the cause of people with disabilities. These were women that were professionals, and just listening to each of their stories made me even forget why I was there.

    The main pageant then came. We went through the various stages and we were asked questions on what we would do to change the cause of people with disabilities. To cut the long story short, I emerged the winner and became the first ever Miss Wheelchair Queen here in Nigeria.

    You were picked as one of the YALI young African leaders for a training in the United States where you met President Barack Obama. How was that?

    The United States Department of States gives opportunity to young African leaders who are already change makers in their communities through mentoring, volunteering, and generally created one form of social good or the other. The opportunity is provided every year. It is an initiative of President Obama, and we were placed in top institutes in the United States. We had an intense programme at the University of Virginia. The experience was amazing. I saw firsthand what access means to a person with disability. I stayed in the United States for eight weeks and I did not see the need to ask anyone to assist me to do anything. My room, my environment were all accessible. Nobody was staring at me; I was one with everybody. I couldn’t wait to get back home to begin to talk about it, say it the way it is and push for it. This does not cost much to modify.

    One of the high points of the trip was your meeting with President Obama…

    The music side of me actually gave me that opportunity, which I didn’t even expect.

    How did it come about that out of about 500 young Africans, you were given the honour?

    When I got the call from the White House…

    You were called from the White House?

    We had an opportunity for community engagement and we were going to perform either in songs or in poetry. We were to showcase whatever talent that God gave us. Before I went to the Unites States, I did a song celebrating Nigeria. When I went to the US and there was an opportunity to sing, I decided that I was going to change the Nigeria in the song to Africa since we went there to represent Africa.  I did the song on stage for a small community. It blew the minds of everyone that was there. The song was recorded in video, put on Youtube and in less than 24 hours it had over 100,000 hits. We came together with the people from the presidency on how we could make that even bigger and it would become the official YALI tribute. So, we came together, shot the video in the home of one America’s past presidents, Madison, and it went on Youtube again. That was what attracted the attention of the White House.

    Seven weeks into the programme, we were going to hold the town hall meeting with President Obama, then I got the call. That was at the end of our six weeks programme. The seventh week was for the town hall. That was the week I got the call. The first thing they said was that we’ve heard your song. That was how I knew that it was the song that first caught their attention.

    How did you know it was really the White House?

    I knew it was the White House because the school knew the call was coming and they got me ready. But at that moment, it still came as a surprise. But they already knew. I was the only one that was not in the picture of what was about to happen. That was it. When they called, we were about to move from Virginia to Washington DC and they were ready to take it up from there.

    As soon as we got to Washington DC, one of the ladies that was attached to President Obama from theWhite House and people from the US Department of States rallied round me and made sure I put my speech together. They looked at it and made sure it was okay.

    Did you need any special preparation?

    Of course I was going to introduce the President of the World, so to say. It needed to be good. There were lots of preparations around it. What made it interesting was that they made sure I wrote my speech myself. I would read it to them and they would say okay, this place should be this, what if you put it like this? They would play some of his videos, the things he said, but they made sure they put together my speech and made sure I was very comfortable to deliver my speech and say it naturally.

    On the day of the town hall meeting, before the main event started, I had the opportunity to meet him (Obama) backstage. We had our own little interaction before the main event. He was fun to be with. He was like oh, Gracie!

    He already knew your name?

    He already knew my my name and knew what I was doing back here in Nigeria. He was in the picture of almost everything.

    He had done the back ground check?

    Yes, I was meeting him for the first time and he had already known everything Grace Jerry was doing. He was very nice. He told me, I heard you are the one introducing me today. I can’t wait to hear you do that. He was basically commending my work here in Nigeria. The interaction was centred around my work for persons with disabilities. He wished me well and I left and went up stage to introduce him. That moment for me was difficult to describe but it was just wonderful.  When I think about it, it is like a dream. I was wonderful. I shone on that stage.  I did my introduction and for the first time, the community of persons with disability all over the world felt so much pride. A friend of mine said now inclusion is on the global map, for a person with disability to be on that stage and introduce the strongest man in our world and in our time, it was so much joy for the community.

    Looking back to when you had the accident that changed your life, did you ever think it was a twist of fate that could propel you to this height?

    I am a believer and I hold on to this scripture that says ‘All things work together for good to them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.’ That scripture makes sense to me every day that I encounter something in my life. What the enemy meant for evil, God has turned it around for good.

    Sometimes when things happen, and people would say this is bad, this is terrible, I would tell them you just watch it, God is about to use that experience to give something that you have never ever imagined.

    When I had the accident, I thought God had actually left me. I asked, ‘God, what did I do wrong? I have always served you and I have been a believer all my life. Why did you allow this to happen?’ I did not know that what was meant to crush me was what was going to be a stepping stone to bring visibility to the work of disability and to make Grace Jerry a big brand. I use my story to encourage people. I tell them whatever happens and you don’t understand, just trust God. He will take that thing that looks seemingly evil and make something beautiful out of it.

  • Ikpeazu’s wife builds house No 17 for the needy

    Ikpeazu’s wife builds house No 17 for the needy

    The wife of the Abia State Governor Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu has built yet another three-bedroom bungalow for Mr and Mrs Okezie Ejike at Okaiuga Nkwoegwu in Umuahia North Local Government Area, thereby bringing the total number of houses so far built for indigent people to 17.

    The house is in fulfillment of a promise she made to the family two months ago when she visited them when one of their children had an unpalatable encounter with some hoodlums.

    Mrs Ikpeazu who paid the family a visit to commensurate with them during the ugly incident saw the situation of their house which was almost collapsing on their heads decided to build a befitting house for them.

    Speaking during the commissioning of the building Mrs Ikpeazu said that the house was built through her NGO the Vicar Hope Foundation to help alleviate the suffering of the family.

    Mrs Ikpeazu also revealed that the mother of the house Mrs. Ejike will be empowered to start a small business so that she can contribute to the upkeep of the family.

    The governor’s wife also said that one of their daughters will be put through school up to university level in fulfillment of the scholarship which Governor Okezie Ikpeazu promised them when their daughter met with an unforeseen circumstance.

    Mrs. Ikpeazu used the opportunity to disclose that the present government believes in justice and equity, adding that the present administration under her husband was determined to touch the lives of the downtrodden in the society.

    In his reaction, Mr Ejike said that words failed him to express himself and the feeling of the wife of the governor and her husband towards his family and prayed God to bless them always.

    He said, “It is only God that knows how we feel over this unmerited favor from the first family of the state, am sorry that I am finding it hard to express my feeling and that of my family. I pray God to bless you and your family always”.

    In her speech the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Lady Chinedu Brown thanked the wife of the Governor, Mrs. Ikpeazu on behalf of Abia women for effective representation of womenfolk and touching people’s lives through her programs.

    In his remarks, the chairman Umuahia North council Chief Okezie Ezeigbo thanked the wife of the governor for coming to the aid of one of his people and prayed God to reward her and her husband abundantly.

    In his reaction a former member of the State House of Assembly Chief Emeka Ejiogu commended the humanitarian service of the governor’s wife to the public and assured that they will not fail to give them hundred percentý supports now and in 2019.

    Speaking also the paramount ruler of the area Eze Nzenwata Mbakwe thanked the wife of the governor for her kind gesture and declared that such action was a true demonstration of a public oriented government and prayed that God will continue to uphold them in bringing succor to the needy.