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Tag: life

  • Our life stories, by Nigeria’s birthday mates

    ‘It is disheartening that I am still struggling at 56’

    FOR 56-year-old Jimi Christopher Pyne, the approach of his birthday every year is always a mixture of good and bad feelings.

    “The approach of my birthday brings both good and bad feelings to me,” Pyne said.

    Lafiaji, Lagos State-born Pyne, who sometime ago suffered a partial stroke, was born on October 1, 1960, same day that Nigeria obtained her independence.

    At 56, like his beloved country and birthday mate, Pyne, who claims to be a builder, confessed that he is still struggling.

    “It is disheartening that I am still struggling at 56. The truth about this is that I wish that I, and indeed Nigeria, are better off than we are today. The main problem that is besetting our nation is leadership.”

    However, despite his parlous state, Pyne is happy for life. “I am happy to be alive. Even though life is tough, I still give God the glory for keeping me alive,” he said with a sense of thanksgiving.

    Sharing birthday with Nigeria makes me special —Tonia Obiageri Ologwa

    Tonia Obiageri Ologwa looks forward to every October 1st like a young girl looking forward to her first date. For sharing birthday with her country, Tonia sees herself as special. “Yeah, I am special,” she said excitedly.

    However, Tonia wishes that Nigeria has done better than it is presently doing. She is sad that at 56, an age she said any human being would have qualified to be a grandfather, Nigeria remains a toddler.

    “As a man or woman, at 56 years old, you should be talking about your grandchildren. But, when you are like Nigeria who is still crawling at 56, how would you realise that dream?,” Tonia asked.

    Tonia, who is still single, believes that the situation of the country has made it almost impossible for prospective husbands to realise their dreams.

    “The men are no longer up and doing like they were in those days. Before now, a job is waiting for you immediately you leave the university. They give you a decent apartment, car and all those things that would make your life good.

    “But, the story is no longer the same. There is no job for the teeming youths who leave higher institutions every year. They continue to remain dependent on their parents, same way Nigeria remains dependent on foreign countries for survival.”

    Asked if her high taste and those of other young ladies is responsible for driving young men away, Tonia said she would rather blame the situation on the economy, which she said has incapacitated most young men, thereby discouraging them from settling down.

    “I am a home-grown lady. So, you cannot say that I am single because of my high taste. The truth is that the economy is not really friendly to young men. Most young men are incapacitated and cannot even dream of settling down, not to talk  of marrying for now.”

    Despite her reservation, Tonia is happy to share her birthday with Nigeria and has decided to celebrate the day the way she can.

    October 1st is the best thing to happen to me —Maureen Amaka Dike

    MAUREEN Amaka Dike is excited at the approach of her birthday and she is determined to mark the day with her baby and husband in a special way. For her, the talk about sharing her birthday with Nigeria is the best thing.

    “It is the best thing to happen to me,” she said excitedly.

    Her excitement, she confessed, is laced with the optimism that the future is bright for her and Nigeria.

    “Whenever I tell people that my birthday is October 1st, they look at me with some special interest. What that tells me is that I am special. For me, I am very sure that the future is very bright for my country and for me as well.”

    ‘My dad used to tell me how important I was because of my birthday’

    YETUNDE Joseph, born after independence, is always happy any time her birthday comes up. Right from the early age, she had been made to feel important because she shares the same birthday with Nigeria. “I feel elated to be sharing the same birthday with my country, Nigeria. As a child, my dad always told me I was very important and my birthday was recognised by the president, that was why we got a public holiday and everyone was at home to celebrate my birthday with me, although I never had a big birthday party. Aside the public holiday we all get, as a child although not vividly, I remember being crowned as Miss Independence Day when we went for a programme at the NTA 2 Channel 5 back then.”

    Joseph is hopeful that someday, things will definitely turn around for good for the country.  She posited that if Nigeria could attain the present feat at 56 when compared to the first world countries that are older in ages, then there is hope that things  will definitely get better. She is optimistic that “Things will turn around for good.”

    She also believes that for the country to achieve the desired greatness, all hands must be on deck, and has resolved to be part of those who would bring about the greatness. “As an individual, I aspire to contribute my quota to the country’s development, by giving voice to the marginalised in our society, so that everyone can maximise their potential, irrespective of whether you have a disability, an orphan, widow, abused and others.”

    Joseph wished for a corrupt-free Nigeria, where everybody has access to basic amenities, quality living, good leadership, and employment opportunities.

    Asked if she would have preferred to be born on independence, she said:  “No, because I would not have been born through my mum. She was a child at the time of independence. I cannot trade to have another woman as my biological mother,” she said.

    She is looking forward to Nigeria with humane leaders, constant power supply which is already gradually trending, quality education, improved employment rate and better standard of living for all.

    “We should all continue to love our country and ourselves during the good and bad times, irrespective of our tribe, religion or cultural differences, and let’s all work towards building our precious home Nigeria, since there is really nowhere like home,” she said.

    ‘Independence connotes freedom and it helps my mindset’

    I FEEL honoured sharing the same day with my country, a great country with blessed people.” These were the words of Leigh Tolulope, as she spoke excitedly to The Nation.

    She further said: “Well, the date actually makes me feel exceptional at times, but I can t recall any day I enjoyed any kind of special treatment, when I mentioned my date of birth.”

    Tolulope realised early that his birthday celebrations were always an holiday for the family and usually so exciting.

    His aspiration is to be an accomplished surveyor and to contribute his quota to national growth and mankind. “Missed opportunities avail you new methodology to accomplishments. So, I dwell less on that, but focus more on the next,” Tolulope said.

    As the nation celebrates her 56th birthday, Tolulope  is looking forward to a great nation , “where you have that conviction that you are where you see your dreams come to pass, a country we will all be proud of.”

    Unfortunately, he is not happy that the country is still far from where he had wished it was, despite the fact that it has what it takes to be great.

    If he comes another life, Tolulope would still want to share national day with his country because, “independence connotes freedom, it’s so symbolic, it helps my mindset, like I was born to be free, so when life comes with its challenges, I don’t flutter, , I know I l be free of such situation soon.”

    For this country to unite, he is of the view that we have an all inclusive government where everybody is adequately represented.  “It gives a natural sense of belonging and responsibility, that makes us know it belongs to all of us, but if there’s a subconscious sidelining of a particular region or group, it won’t foster the love cum unity we all crave for.”

    Looking forward to a better nation —Funmilayo Oyatayo

    FUNMILAYO Oyatayo sees herself as a privileged citizen because she shares the same birthday with her country.

    “It is a great privilege sharing the same day with our great country and I feel really excited about it,” she said, before adding: “Nigeria is the pride of Africa, a country with beautiful people and diverse cultures.”

    She recalled how the hospital gave her mother loads of goodies for being an Independence Day baby.

    “My aspirations include becoming a successful surveyor and I look forward to providing solutions to global issues that border on my area of expertise. I will rather learn from missed opportunities and make the most of the next opportunity that comes my way,” she said.

    While Oyatayo is happy to be born on October 1st, she would prefer nature take its course. “Yes, I love the Independence Day feeling and the circumstances surrounding the date, because it connotes a day when the nation received her freedom.  Although the breakthrough in medical science have made it possible for parents to decide exactly and plan when they want their children to be born, I’ll rather prefer nature take its course.”

    On the occasion of Nigeria’s 56th independence, she is looking forward to a country that will shift from being a consumer nation to a producer nation.

    “I hope to see a country where the green passport will be the most sought-after, a country where everything works because the giant of Africa is a land of endless possibilities, blessed with abundant natural resources that can translate to personal wealth for her citizens. We have a lot of untapped potentials and I can see individuals, private organisations and other corporate bodies working tirelessly to see this country attain that height once again. The process seems slow and steady, but I see us getting there. I’m really looking forward to it,” she said.

    It’s good fortune sharing birthday with Nigeria —Chief Dozie Kaidi Obiaku

    FOR Chief Dozie Kaidi Obiaku, being born on Nigeria’s Independence Day is a mark of good fortune. “I have the good fortune, yes, good fortune, of sharing birthday with my beloved country Nigeria.”

    Though many Nigerians seem to have lost faith in the country, Chief Obiaku remains resolute that the country has the potential to be great.

    “Many Nigerians seem to have lost faith in the country and have only negative sentiments towards the nation. But I really consider that sad for our great country. Nigeria is, at least, potentially great. Like Nigeria, I have also grown in age, only just two years younger.”

    Speaking with The Nation, Obiaku said: “I started out well enough in life, born to parents who one would really neither describe as rich nor poor. I was a brilliant boy who made distinction in both my primary and secondary school education.

    “I gained admission in 1980 to study mass communication at the famous Institute of Management and Technology, IMT, Enugu. I could be rightly described as a bourgeois student because, by the time I graduated in 1985, I had used two cars on campus.

    “I went to Ibadan for my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme between 1985 and 1986 and earned a Masters degree from the University of Ibadan in 1992. Three years after I got married. I also had a bit of my education overseas. Today, I live in Lagos where I am struggling with the prevailing economic recession in Nigeria.

    “Life was a whole lot easier for me as a young person growing up in Nigeria in the 1970’s/1980’s than it is now as a middle-aged parent. Now I can hardly provide for my own children the things I took for granted when I was their age. Life in Nigeria has indeed been increasingly difficult, and I blame it all largely on misrule or massive corruption if you like.”

    ‘I feel that my fate or my life is tied to that of Nigeria’

    SHARING his birthday with Nigeria is a refreshing experience for Yinka Oyegbile. For the veteran journalist and his household, October 1st of every year remains an unforgettable day on the calendar.

    “Well, it makes me feel that the day is a day that I will never forget, and a lot of my friends don’t forget. One, because I am not a man that is given so much to marking birthdays, but whether you like it or not, even before the advent of Facebook.

    “I remember in primary school, the very day I was registered, when my teacher heard that I was born on October 1, it became an annual thing, and every October 1, they will remind me, telling me ‘Happy birthday’.  So, because I share the same birthday with Nigeria, it makes me remember it is my birthday.

    Secondly, it gives you some sense of satisfaction and at the same time, a sense of burden.   You feel satisfied in the sense that you share the same birthday with your country and you know that almost everyone will remember.  A sense of burden because you look at Nigeria, you feel that the country should have moved forward more than were it is. On a personal note, I feel that my fate or my life is tied to that of Nigeria.”

    He believes that the fortune of the country has rubbed off on him, like it has done on every other Nigerian.

    “Personally, if there is any Nigerian who feels that the fortune of the country has not affected him in one way or the other, that person must be a Nigerian who either has been privileged to hold government office, or near someone who holds government office, or his or her parents hold government office.

    “Come to think it, in terms of achievement, many will feel that if your country has succeeded, you will also have succeeded, because the way I see it is that, the success of Nigeria is the success of its citizens. I have, within the resources available to me, struggled enough. I am happy and I thank God as I am. One would have expected that someone like me, born almost at the same time as the country, in terms of year and date, perhaps I would have enjoyed scholarship, enjoyed bursary, but I have never in life had any government scholarship or bursary.

    “So, if I did not have, with the way the economy is going now, is it my children that will have government bursary or scholarship? But at the time we were growing up, we knew people who were getting scholarship who were at the same pedestal with us, but because their parents wielded some influence, and that is very unfortunate. Nigeria has not been able to give every man a chance to prove himself,” he said regrettably.

    I rarely celebrate my birthday on October 1 —Lagos bizman Asiwaju Agwunobi

    CONTRARY to what many may expect from a man who shares the same birthday with his country, Lagos-based businessman, Asiwaju Martins Agwunobi, has never been enthusiastic about celebrating his birthday.

    “I rarely celebrate my birthday. That I was born on a date which marks Nigeria’s freedom from the British colonial authorities gladdens my heart, but it has turned out to be just like every other day to me for many years.’’

    The 46-year-old Chief Executive Officer of Utmost Global Resources Ltd attributed his disposition toward the birthday to his childhood days which he said were devoid of celebration of his birthday.

    ‘’I was born on October 1, 1970 in Isunjaba in Isu Local Government Area of Imo State, but I left my hometown for Lagos to live with one of my uncles, who is late now. I was brought to Lagos before the age of five and I did not have the privilege of being celebrated on my birthday.”

    Growing up, his birthday was never a special event to talk about around his uncle’s home.

    “ I did not enjoy any special treat, because my uncle hardly remembers his own birthday, talk less of mine. The situation was like that till I finished my primary and secondary education and subsequently travelled to Germany where I spent over 20 years.”

    Sharing his experiences, he said that providence played a part in his relocation abroad at a younger age, which also marked a turning point in his life.

    ”My stay in Germany marked the turning point in my life. I did not know anyone there when I travelled to the country. But I quickly adapted, studied their language and got married before too long because I lost my mother a few months after I left Nigeria.”

  • Life without our husbands—Widows of soldiers who died fighting Boko Haram

    Life without our husbands—Widows of soldiers who died fighting Boko Haram

    SHORTLY before he departed his home to join in the battle against the Boko Haram in the North East, Sergeant Adebayo called his wife, Modinat Adebayo, and handed over his bank accounts and other documents to her. He also asked his wife to take care of the children in his absence.

    It was a very emotional parting for husband and wife as the soldier left his family on that fateful day.

    “Before my late husband left  for the national assignment in which he died, he called me and asked me to take care of the children and handed over to me all his bank details,” Adesayo said as she struggled to hold back tears.

    Interestingly, Sergeant Adebayo was initially heading for Mali, but his troop was later diverted to Borno when the battle in that part of the country needed more soldiers.

    “His team was initially meant to go to Mali on a peace keeping mission. But on the way, they were suddenly asked to head for Maiduguri.

    “When they got to Sokoto, he called to inform me that they had been asked to move to Maiduguri instead of Mali. When he said that, I screamed and wondered why. He calmed me down and assured that all would be well. He asked me to simply put him in prayer. That was the end. I didn’t know he would leave me so soon,” Adebayo tearfully recalled her last moments with her late husband who paid the supreme price fighting the menace of Boko Haram.

    Asked how she received the news of her husband’s death, Modinat said: “His colleagues at the 9 Brigade came to the house to inform me about his demise. When I saw them coming, I didn’t suspect anything because I wasn’t expecting anything. I didn’t know anything about barrack life until I got married to my late husband.  Life has never been smooth for widows.”

    Remembering and talking about her late husband’s death is one task that Hajira Ibrahim always finds tough to handle. Making her talk was as tough as making a mother talk about the death of her child.

    And when she mustered the strength to speak, tears gathered around her eyes and she waited to gather composure. She had hardly started narrating the story when she started sobbing. “My late husband, a sergeant died in 2014 during an official assignment aimed at putting an end to insurgency in the North East.

    Shortly before he was declared missing in combat, Sergeant Ibrahim spoke with his wife and reassured her of his safety.

    “Till today, the military authorities are still saying that he is missing, but a friend of his called me after some time to inform me that he was dead. He was drafted into the mission in 2013.  I spoke with him in August 2014 before the information came that he is dead.  When we spoke, he told me that the situation over there wasn’t easy and that he wasn’t feeling okay.”

    Her husband also told her that he would soon be home. But that was not to be, as he died after that conversation with his wife. “He told me that he would soon be back home, but he never came back,” Hajiya said amidst another round of tears.

    However, despite her harrowing experience, Hajiya Ibrahim is determined to make the best of whatever opportunity comes her way. Though she works as a cleaner presently, her quest for higher education in life has never waned.

    “I am a cleaner in a school, but I am presently pursuing further studies to improve my life and that of my children.  I have two children and not finding it easy taking care of the family my husband left behind. Nobody cares to help. Nobody gives any support. It has only been by the grace of God that we have been carrying on.”

    Modinat Adebayo and Hajiya Ibrahim were just two of the numerous widows of soldiers who trooped to the Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai Sports Complex, at the Nigerian Army Cantonment, 9 Brigade, Ikeja, Lagos to be empowered by the Nigeria Legion.

    Expectedly, it was an emotion-laden occasion for the beneficiaries and indeed everybody who turned up to witness the event. For the widows, it was a mixture of joy and sorrow. It was joyful because their lives were touched by the gesture of the men of the Nigerian Legion. But it also reminded the women of the loss of their husbands.

    Modinat and Hajiya were part of the 15 widows who got a grinding machine each as part of the efforts by the Nigerian Legion, Lagos State, to ease the burden inflicted on the women by the death of their breadwinners.

    Elated by the empowerment, Modinat lauded the Nigerian Legion for their support. “I am joyous to be a beneficiary of this empowerment scheme. It goes a long way to confirm God’s love and kindness in my life.  Initially, I didn’t want to attend the programme. I was highly reluctant to come, but the Spirit of God just nudged me to attend and to the glory of His name, I have been blessed. I thank the organisers for remembering people like us who have nobody to look up to,” she said.

    It was the same feeling for Hajiya, who said: “I am extremely elated by the assistance rendered to me by the Nigerian Legion. I sincerely appreciate them for stretching their hands of assistance to a poor widow like me, especially in this period that the economy is in recession.”

    Harriet Fabian, 55, is another widow that will not forget the Boko Haram issue in a hurry.

    With the benefit of hindsight, she said: “My husband died in 2014 in the course of fighting against Boko Haram. He was a Staff Sergeant and he served for 33 years before his death. I had six children for him. Life has been tough since he left us. I used to sell cooked rice but I stopped doing that since the price became extremely high. I have been doing nothing for sometime because of that. The challenges we are going through are massive and not in any way funny.

    “They are not one can merely talk about. It is somebody who is going through the same challenge that can really understand the enormity of the physical, psychological and emotional burden. In all, we give glory to God for not abandoning us. Part of His loving kindness towards us is the help we have received today from the Nigerian Legion. God is indeed the husband to widows because it is when somebody is in this condition that she will realise that she is on her own.  I am highly grateful to the Nigerian Legion once again. May God reward their generousity.”

    However, not all the widows who befitted from the gesture lost their husbands to the Boko Haram insurgency. Some others who spoke with our men said their husbands either died in auto crashes in the course of their duties or after complaining of one sickness or the other.

    The Nation’s encounter with Cecelia Okechukwu, one of the beneficiaries, triggered a deeper emotion. She instantly betrayed emotion when we cornered her.  Shortly after the hubby, Sergeant Cletus Okechukwu, died, she developed strange pains in her two legs and was asked to pay N1.6 million to carry out surgery on each leg. In spite of her challenges, Cecelia never gave up. Today, she has single-handedly raised their children up to the university level.

    She said: “I developed sharp pains in my legs shortly after my husband died.  I went to traditional bone setters who did all they could but the pains didn’t go. After that, I went to Igbobi. There, the doctor told me that it would cost N1.6 million to carry out surgery on each leg. I don’t have such money. They gave me a crutch to be moving about. They also always give me pain reliever to suppress the pains each time they come.

    “I am very happy to receive this support today. It shows that God loves and cares for me. I call on Him all the time and He has never disappointed me.  My husband, Sergeant Cletus Okechukwu, died in an accident at Apapa.

    “Life has been extremely difficult for the family since he departed but with the help of God, we have been surviving. Things were particularly difficult because his demise was untimely. It was not that he went to the battle front and died there. No. he was only going about his official assignment when he was involved in an accident and died. I have two children and to the glory of God, they are both in the university and about to complete their studies.”

    She attributed her survival to the love of God, adding: “Like I said earlier, it is God that has been assisting me. I work as just a cleaner at St. Agnes Catholic Church. So, you will agree with me that training the children in their father’s absence has been solely by the grace of the Almighty.

    “I am most grateful to the Almighty God. I will use the grinding machine to earn additional income and improve the living standard of my family. My prayer is that the people that organised this programme and their family members will never suffer the kind of fate that befell my hubby.”

    Another widow, Bolanle Maria Oloyede, a native of Ogun State, spoke about how her husband died in an auto crash.  She said: “My husband, a Sergeant, died in an auto crash during an official assignment. He was travelling from Ogun State to Lagos State when the accident occurred. We have three children who are now in higher institution. I am a trader and I must say that the Nigerian Army has been very good to us. We have three children who are now in higher institutions. I am highly grateful to the organisers of this empowerment programme because this gesture will go a long way in alleviating the challenges facing many of us.”

    For Bidemi Adeyemi and Jimmy Utibe Abasi, losing their partners in their prime is a life time scar that can never be healed.

    While Bidemi’s hubby died after she had given birth to six children, Utibe’s husband died while she was still carrying the pregnancy of her last baby, now a few months old.

    Bidemi said: “My late husband was a Staff Sergeant. He didn’t die in the course of fighting insurgency. He died of food poisoning. We took him to hospital and did all the necessary tests and treatment but he didn’t survive it. I have six children and going through hell taking care of them. As I am talking to you, they I don’t know how and where I would get money to pay their school fees. It is tough my brother but with God, we have been surviving. I am thankful and appreciative of the unexpected empowerment by the Nigerian Legion. May God always enlarge their coasts and forever support them in all they do.”

    Clutching her baby to her chest, Utibe said: “My husband Jimmy Nastsu died a Sergeant. He died here in Lagos at Yaba after complaining of headache. He died when I was carrying the pregnancy of my baby. We were married for 13 years. I sell second-hand clothing but life has been very challenging. I will appreciate if the government could provide us with loan to do business and improve our living standard. I thank the organisers for remembering poor ones like us. May God bless them.”

    Esther Leko looked visibly disturbed as she spoke about her husband’s demise. The incident was obviously the last thing she imagined would happen to her at her youthful age.  “I am 30 years old and a native of Edo State.  My husband was a Sergeant and we married for 11 years. I am a trader but you can be sure that the income is grossly inadequate to take care of the family. It is God that has been helping me. I will be very happy if the government could come to our aid to make life bearable for us.”

    Dorcas Bassey, another beneficiary, said: “I am 28 years. I married my late husband a Staff Sergeant in 2003. I have five children. He died in an accident on his way to work. I am only a sales clerk and from what you know, the salary is nothing to write home about. It was initially meant to augment what my husband was bringing in but it has become the only income the family depends on to survive.”

    Lamenting the plight of the widows, the Magaji (overall women leader), Roseline Jonah Emmanuel, said:

    “Apart from the burden of taking care of the children single-handedly, many of them are bedevilled by several other problems. For example, there was one of them whose husband used his brother’s name as next of kin. When he died, the benefits were paid to the brother. When the woman approached the authorities, they said there was nothing they could do about it because the deceased already put the brother as his next of kin. That was how the woman left empty-handed to go and face the herculean task of training and feeding the children without any help.

    “There is also another one that the late husband’s family members have come to take everything the husband left for them. They left her with nothing without minding what becomes of the children the husband left behind. It is really pathetic. If you take out time to hear the stories of some of these women, you will weep no matter how hard your heart may be.”

    She lauded the organisers for their support, saying: “We sincerely appreciate the organisers of this event because the widows are in dire need of this kind of empowerment. A good number of these women are suffering grievously and there can never be a better time to help them than now. Before their husbands died serving the country, the family responsibilities were shared by the women and their husbands. Now that the husbands are gone, they have been left to carry the burden all alone.”

    A top military officer, who did not want his name in print, however, debunked the allegation that officers don’t use their wives as next of kin. He said: “The military has changed all that. It is only the unmarried officers that are allowed to use the names of their relations as next of kin. Once you are married, you will be asked to change your next of kin to your wife or your children to avoid this kind of problem you are talking about.”

    Addressing the beneficiaries and guests, the National Coordinating Commandant of the Nigerian Legion, Col. Akoteyon, said: “We are here to honour the memory and celebrate the Nigerian soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in serving our fatherland. But we also pay tributes to the surviving family members who have been left behind.   I will like to use this occasion to call on all good citizens of Nigeria to collaborate with us in this crusade.

    “Corporate bodies, government parastatals, various foundations and philanthropic organisations should join hands with us in putting smiles on the faces of these wonderful Nigerians to ensure that their works are never forgotten. It is our belief that we can do it to support and empower the families and children of Nigerian fallen heroes.  We can provide scholarship for the children of the fallen heroes.  We can honour the fallen heroes and to publicly acknowledge their last full measure of devotion and recognise the value of sacrifice they rendered to our nation by being helping hands to the families they left behind.”

  • MY LIFE- OKOROCHA

    MY LIFE- OKOROCHA

    SOME militants in Imo State recently surrendered their arms after an amnesty programme initiated by your administration. How easy was it to pull this through?

    Militancy has been a very big problem in Ohaji-Egbema and Oguta, the core oil producing local government areas in Imo State. This has led to many traditional rulers and highly placed individuals leaving their homes and villages to other parts of the country for safety. We have been battling this issue for a very long time. The most serious part of it was when they grouped themselves as Avengers and started destroying pipelines, destroying properties and killing innocent citizens. The attention of government was drawn and we held several Security Council meetings on how to aver the situation.

    I must at this point commend the Nigeria Police Force, the Army, the DSS and other security agencies, including our local security outfits which are called the Civil Guard, the Niger Delta Security Vanguard and the Community Watch. All these are efforts to solve the problem of militancy in the state, including the donation of 100 pickups to the security agencies. But then, we had so much difficulties and casualties. I took this matter to the Federal Executive Council on several occasions and reported the situation. So we decided to take the bull by the horns and applied the option of negotiation, lobbying and threat, all combined, and it worked out well. When we reached out to them with stick and carrot, including a show of force too from the police and the military, we were quite pleased that they accepted. That was what gave birth to the laying down of arms.

    But I must say that a good number of them are yet to lay down their arms. On Thursday, another group, which I consider the most notorious of all the gangs, will be coming to lay down their arms. The leader, I was told, has a lot of AK 47 and a lot of ammunition with over 500 boys in the creeks. Our understanding is that the same people operating here in Ohaji-Egbema also operate in Rivers State. So we are directly or indirectly solving the problems of both states by the strategy we have put together. But remember that mine is only to grant pardon. It is for the President to grant amnesty. But our pardon will lead to amnesty. We have assured them that we are going to guarantee them good living and better environment. But you know, I cannot do all that alone without the support of the Federal Government. That is where we are now. First is to get all of them to lay down their arms and then we commence the amnesty process.

    Apart from the militants, there are other criminal elements, like kidnappers and armed robbers who have been terrorising the riverine communities. Will they also benefit from this process?

    You may be surprised to find that the same people are doing all the harm to the society. They first of all come up as militants, as cultists, and when they no longer have resources to keep them moving in the creeks and forests, they resort to kidnapping and armed robbery. So, by solving this one problem, we are directly or indirectly solving the entire security problem of the state. You will recall that in the last nine months, we have not had any incident of kidnapping or armed robbery in the state. So I think this is the right movement in the right direction. As soon as this is done, Imo will become a safe haven.

    During the disarmament exercise, the major reason given by the restive youths for taking up arms was marginalisation occasioned by the indifferent attitudes of oil companies and the failure of government to address the challenges. How do you hope to tackle all this?

    Let me say that the agitations of the youths are germane but the approach is wrong. What they are agitating for is correct and worthy to be agitated for, but the approach is a conflicting lie. The youths have complained seriously about the activities of the oil companies, and 90 per cent of the problems we are having in the area is caused by the oil-producing companies. It is the oil companies who create these cult groups. First, they start as youth formations and they create the differences and fund them to fight each other to have easy way to extract their oil.

    We have continually asked the companies to liaise with the state government to address the issues of these communities but they prefer to deal with the communities as they claim that they have no business with the state; that they were empowered by the Federal Government to come for these projects. So when they come, they don’t even see the governor or any government official. They just go straight to drill their oil and desert the area and give the youths little money, sometimes N2 million, sometimes N5 million, and they start killing themselves. So oil companies must be warned in the Niger Delta Area to behave right, because they are the major cause of the problem.

    At a time in the life of your administration, the state government gave N500 million to youths from the oil producing communities as empowerment package. How far did it go in solving youth restiveness? Are you going to employ similar measure in the case of the repentant militants?

    No. Remember the first time when I came into office, through the office of the ISOPADEC, we were able to raise N500 million for the youths of Ohaji-Egbema and Oguta for empowerment, and that meant almost N10 million for every community, which was enough to start a small scale industry. But because of the restiveness of the youths at that particular time, and the urgent need to meet up with some of their challenges, we raised the money and empowered them individually to start barbing, farming and other kinds of businesses. Some of them actually succeeded, while most of them did not succeed.

    So, this time, we are not going to apply that same strategy. We are going to set up things under our project of one ward one factory, to set up things that will actually engage these youths to contribute their quota to the productive sector of our economy. This is what we intend to do. For instance, if I had used that N500 million to build factories, more of them would have been working now, rather than just empowering a few of them. So, that of our amnesty programme, after we have discussed with the Federal Government, is to see what we can set up in those areas to engage the youths positively.

    So what are the rural-based projects with which you have addressed unemployment in the state?

    Remember, we first set up what is called the Community Government Council (CGC), which was one of our first services to bring the government closer to the people and teach them to do things by themselves. Rather than everybody coming to Owerri, to the office of the governor, seeking succour, we decided to decentralise government and formed the fourth tier of government, which is called the Community Government Council, and this has helped a lot. It has helped us to kick-start a palm project where we got the youths into farming. We have started fish farming in Oguta and some other areas. These are some of the things we have done.

    It is mainly agriculture-based but we are trying to now anchor on this Federal Government’s borrowers’ programme to also get most of them committed. What is basically done is to establish a government where they can reach easily and where they can reach within a walking distance and get their own government and work out what is best suited for their lives and how they can use the resources of their land to empower themselves.

    Recently, you raised a serious concern about the deplorable conditions of Federal Government infrastructure particularly roads in the South East and how the people have waited in vain for the Federal Government. What are you and your colleagues in the South East doing to address this?

    Well, the infrastructure in the Southeast is really bad. I think it is the worst in the whole country, talking about the road from Enugu to Port Harcourt, Enugu to Onitsha, Owerri to Aba, Owerri to Umuahia, Aba to Ikot-Ekpene, Owerri to Bayelsa, all these roads are in sorry states. Unfortunately this was a creation of bad governance in the time past, and it is the challenge which is meant for this government to address. The government of President Muhammadu Buhari and I think we the Southeast Governors have spoken loud on this and we have agreed that there is need for urgent government’s intervention in these areas to assist the people of the South East who are currently suffering.

    You cannot even drive from Owerri to Enugu now. It is impossible. So we have all spoken with a loud voice, and this is where we should rather concentrate more—asking government for infrastructural support rather than talking of who gets what appointment and how. Because if it was appointment, the South East has held most of the lucrative appointments in the country in the last 16 years of the PDP administration. We produced the Minister of Finance. We produced the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. We produced several Senate presidents. We have produced the Deputy Senate President. We have produced the Governor of the CBN. We have produced the Chief of Army Staff. We have produced Inspector General of Police. We have produced all these under the PDP rule, but it didn’t reflect on any development in the land.

    So I think we should change our style, come together and inform President Buhari and the Federal Government to do something infrastructure wise. That is what we are asking for. Why we are asking people to represent us at the Federal Government level is because of these infrastructure. So if we can get the infrastructure, we are fine. So for me, I think we should emphasise more on infrastructure.

    Still on infrastructure, how are you coping with the numerous projects going on in your state, especially the urban renewal projects, in the face of the economic recession that has forced several states to abandon ongoing projects?

    It is a matter of passion. When you have passion for your country or your state, you will do what I am doing. I wish I can turn Imo State around in a couple of days to look like Dubai or America. This is my dream and I am restless about it. So I make sure I cut down cost drastically where necessary and put more in infrastructure. It is not easy, but I have been trying to do my best in this regard.

    Yes, agreed we have more projects than people think we can handle, but let me assure you that we will complete all of them. People were doubting that we would not complete the 27 general hospitals, 200-bed general hospital each in the 27 local government areas of the state. You will be surprised to know that some of these projects are 100 per cent complete and others are about 85 per cent complete. We have completed the 205 schools we are building. The roads we are constructing are all being completed. The Ikemba Ojukwu Centre, the Hero Square, the Government House, all the schools in the city are now brand new schools. The projects are just uncountable. It is about passion and determination to do so.

    But what really drives me is that I am building for the future. I see 100 years from now, not just 2019. I see beyond 2019 for Imo State. What we are embarking on now, which is making the headlines, is this urban renewal. We are trying to create eight lanes in all the roads in the city, and this is going to take about 100 kilometres of road within the city of Owerri when completed. Now, this is a huge project, but somebody has to do it, and we are happy we are getting the result. We will finish it before 2019. So it is about passion, cutting down cost and addressing priority projects rather than the sentiments and the euphoria that goes with the office. So you make sacrifice. I do not collect security vote. I have cut down the cost of governance to almost zero and interestingly too is for you to know that we have paid all our workers salaries up to date. We do not owe any worker a single salary in Imo State and we have commenced payment of pension.

    But in spite of these, the opposition against your government in the state seems not to be relenting…

    What do you expect? Do you want the opposition to sing my praise? Definitely not. They are not going to sing praises for the projects. When you are asking how I am doing, definitely not from my enemy, because he will tell you I am dead. That is the normal culture, especially in this part of the world where hate and hate campaign is the rule of the game. If you remember, the opposition said I was going to Islamise Imo State. It is not true. The opposition said that the church I built here is a mosque. You can see it. I am not against Islam, but I am a Christian. The opposition said that I was sick and that I was dead when I only went to see my grandchildren abroad. So, there is nothing literally that they have said that is correct or right. I think they are only overwhelmed by the number of projects. Things they could not do were done by somebody.

    The shocking thing is that what all of them in the past put together could not do, they now see somebody doing it. So it is expected that you have this kind of envy. But that is coming from a few but vocal people, and I liken it to a big forest that is very quiet until you have a falling tree and you hear a big noise and you think the whole forest is making noise. It is just the falling tree in the forest that is making the huge noise, so it is negligible. But with the social media and the type of our media practice, everybody has the right to say what he wants, but that does not reflect any practical reality.

    You made the headlines recently with the reduction of the working days for civil servants in the state from five to three. What are the perceived benefits of the new policy?

    I think that was really misconstrued and misrepresented in the public. What I said was that we should have three days of solid work in Imo State, likely from 7 o’clock to 5 o’clock every day, and we should try and finish all we have to do for the week in three days and leave the other two days for agriculture. Considering the economic predicament this nation is going through, at least we should be able to feed ourselves by so doing. Because of the high cost of living, the workers are able to save some money from washing their clothes, from transportation and having to feed outside their homes on working days. These are strategies to cut down cost, but most importantly, to go back to the land for agriculture, which is the best way to go.

    But having discussed properly with the workers, I think they now understand where I was coming from. The initial problem was that they were not properly informed, so they were scared that we were going to cut their salaries. We didn’t cut their salaries. We are still paying them what we are paying them and we are prepared to pay them. The initial issue of cutting their salaries was just noise from the opposition. So we are doing them a favour. We have packaged agric loans and we are also asking them to take advantage of the Anchor Borrower’s programme of the CBN. So, every worker in Imo State, we want them to have a second office because that single office of civil servants can no longer meet their needs and those of their families.

    Recently, the Federal Government announced that the economy had slid into recession, and the opposition is blaming your party, the APC, for lacking the capacity to manage the economy…

    Let me help you on this. I think there is a misunderstanding of the whole scenario. Mine will start with a question and really understanding what President Buhari is doing. Firstly, does President Buhari have the capacity to borrow $500 billion from the World Bank and all over the world? Yes, he has. And he has the credibility more than anyone else to borrow that money today, even in Africa. President Buhari can step out today and borrow money from Korea, China, Dubai, and he can bring this money and open the door for importation and rice will fly into this country from all corners of the earth. Water will be imported. Toothpick will be imported. And when there are more goods than the money available, the price will go down and rice will come back to N1,000 per bag. This is the scenario if we want to adopt that approach, which is what Nigerians are clamouring for without knowing how to put it.

    Now, given the fact again that Nigeria never made any savings when oil price was at its peak, we blew the money in corrupt practices, with people having billions of dollars in their accounts and buying properties abroad. So Nigeria had no reserve anywhere in the world. Now, our foreign reserve in which we used to have about $43 billion has come down to less than $19 million and we import everything. This is what the people do not understand and I don’t think anybody has been able to explain to Nigerians what this really means.

    But what President Buhari is saying is ‘I will not borrow. I will not allow importation. I have closed down all my borders so that Nigerians will bring down these cracked walls of economic inefficiency and build a sound one and create a new foundation.’ That is my understanding of the man’s language. And by so doing, Nigerians will now look inward. For the first time, Kebbi State is producing rice. And in Imo State, we are now embarking on rice production possibly to feed the entire Nigeria, because we have the water and we have the climate. Before now, we wouldn’t have thought of that. Now, many people have started producing tomatoes. People are looking inwards. Let me tell you, when one economic door closes, another one opens.

    That is what we are going through, and it is a matter of patience. It is either we decide to suffer it now and get it right for generations yet unborn or we go and open the boarders again and bring in the dollars and we crash and everybody will smile. But one day, either this President or one other President in the future generation will have to bear this brunt and fix this country once and for all. This is the Nigeria we are talking about, and I don’t think anybody has been able to communicate this to the people. And if we agree and all Nigerians will sign and let us push him to go and borrow $100 billion and allow them to import rice and make Nigeria a dumping ground, are we comfortable with this?

    Do we share in the pains of the poor? Yes we share in the pains of the poor. Are people dying, are people suffering? Yes, people are suffering. But what do we do? To suffer now and fix it or enjoy now and let our children suffer in the future? This is where I stand. So it is a 50-50 thing. What I advise now is that we should open some window for those basic and essential commodities that touch directly on the lives of the people, like health related matters. We should open up a little window for fresh air. The opposition is taking advantage of this because they think that Nigerians are not informed and it is difficult to deal with people who are not informed because they can sway them to anywhere for political gains.

    So, my worry even is that I don’t see how such a vision can be accomplished in such a short time, because it is a long-term project. I wish the previous leaders had built a state for the Nigerian state before we embarked on this democratic structure which allows us to work for only two years and use two years for campaign. It is a problem that should be addressed for me. I am not the President. I think the President of the country should highlight more on this.

    You were renowned for philanthropic gestures before you became governor. How much of that are you doing now?

    Philanthropy is my spirit and my spirit is charity. I have come to this world to help the needy and those who do not have. This is where I focus on and this has characterised my government. And that is why I am not in good terms with the big men of the society. But I have asked them to please bear with me. It is my nature, I care more about the people, the masses and the down-trodden. And for the Foundation, we are doing much. We are still expanding. In Imo State, we have built what we called the Imo Foundation with Cancer Palliative Centre and a full-fledged hospital. Now I am meeting the needs of the poor people. So charity is in my blood and my family. My wife has also built over 200 houses for indigent widows who live in shanties. So philanthropy is in my blood and I cannot change it.

    What were your growing up days like?

    I never had the privilege of being born into a rich family. If you know what is called a very poor family, that is the best way to describe my family, and that posed a lot of threat growing up. It affected my education, as I had to joggle with education in and outside the school premises. That I am able to have a master’s degree in Law is a miracle. It was really challenging. That saw me becoming a street trader, hawking different goods from garri to pineapples and oranges, graduating into the sale of used clothes, used cars, and later into new cars and real estate to become who I am today. But I love that history and I am proud of it. I cherish my poor background. In fact, it inspires me, rather than bring me down. It makes me to hate poverty and injustice.

    What gave you the insight to choose such a supportive woman as wife?

    I saw my wife and we got married in less than one week. There was nothing like courtship. There was nothing like chasing a woman. I saw her and I said, you are going to be my wife, and that was at the age of 22, 23, and I got married at that age. I think it was divine. It was more spiritual than physical. It is something both of us cannot explain, and that is why we have the happiest home in the universe. I am blessed with six children, three boys and three girls. I have four grandchildren and over 15,000 children of the Rochas Foundation.

    Have you ever thought about your political future beyond 2019?

    Don’t forget I have run for governor before. I have run for President of this country. I have run for Senate in the past. I have been a member of the PDP. I was also a member of the ANPP. I have been a member of APGA. All these in pursuit of my political ambition. But the stage that I found as a governor, am I satisfied? No, I am not satisfied, because I have not achieved all that I desire for this state and my country Nigeria. I will walk out of this state a great governor and I want to see a better Nigeria of tomorrow.

    But one thing I have said is that if I see somebody who can do that job which I think I can do, and my vision tallies with that of the person on how to make Nigeria great, I will subsume my ambition and support the person. That is my statement. But if at any time I do not see anybody who shares that vision and I do not believe that you can move Nigeria forward, then I will return to the trenches and dramatise that I am not satisfied

  • FOX LIFE COMES TO DSTV

    FOX LIFE COMES TO DSTV

    A new entertainment channel, Fox Life, will begin airing on the DStv and GOtv, with promises of fresh local content along a mix of US dramas, comedies, and unscripted programming.

    Considered one of the world’s leading destinations for scripted and unscripted entertainment, Fox Life which launches on the 3rd of October, will be tailored for Africa.

    As part of the new channel, an additional 954 hours of fresh new programming will be added to the schedule over the coming months, focused on localised storytelling, created specifically for African viewers, according to DStv’s managemet.

    Fox Life will have the best of Hollywood in the form of Pitch and Atlanta, Turkish and Brazilian Telenovelas, scripted and unscripted local content as well as dramas. Some of the lifestyle and drama shows will be coming from across the African continent like Maliposa, a Zambian drama and Wrath from Nigeria. There is also an exciting show on young Nigerian-born DJ Cuppy (Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola) who goes on an ambitious tour of eight countries across Africa. In a male dominated field – DJ Cuppy has made inroads and describes her sound as “Neo Afrobeats”!

    “Fox Life is core to our global entertainment portfolio and its entry into this market signals FNG’S continued investment in Africa,” says Gary Alfonso, GM, Fox Networks Group Africa. “From hit U.S. programming, to 954 hours of brand new, locally developed and produced content, our new channel portfolio reflects the best in entertainment, factual and sports,” a statement from the outfit reads.

    The channel will also sit alongside an extensive FNG portfolio of channels in Africa, which includes Fox, National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild.

  • Ex-bank executive Sola Adeoti dedicates life to humanity

    Ex-bank executive Sola Adeoti dedicates life to humanity

    FOR former Managing Director of the defunct City Express Bank, Sola Adeoti, necessity is the mother of not just invention but reinvention also. Since her ‘road to Damascus’ moment in 2005 when she was diagnosed with cancer, the elegant daughter of popular industrialist, Chief Samuel Adedoyin, has experienced a radical change in lifestyle. Her metamorphosis from socialite to a philanthropist has been spectacular.

    Like iron must pass through the furnace to become steel, the former CEO of defunct City Express Bank has passed through the torture of breast cancer and emerged richer and stronger for it. While she battled the dreaded disease with everything she had, including the alleged of four of her houses to pay for treatment, she never lost her faith and resilience.

    But just when she seemed to have conquered the deadly disease for good, her beloved son was diagnosed with brain cancer. Undaunted, the ordained pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God again grabbed her armour of faith and launched into another round of battle against cancer.

    Now she reaping the rewards of her uncommon courage. Battle-hardened Adeoti has dedicated her life to helping others to overcome the monster. Through her MariaSam foundation and the testimony of her own life as a survivor, she is helping to give hope to cancer patients in the society.

  • Life’s lessons for Omorede Osifo

    Life’s lessons for Omorede Osifo

    THE only way to go after reaching the top of the mountain is downwards, Edo-born Omorede Osifo has learnt the hard way. Ever since the elegant former commissioner for youth sports and social mobilisation in Edo was shown the door by the governor, Adams Oshiomhole, she has walked down and away from the heights of social and political stardom she hitherto enjoyed.

    In her day, she enjoyed immense power and much attention as one of the star names in the governor’s cabinet. That was before she was brought low by powerful machinations in the state.

    Older and wiser, Lady Omorede Osifo seems to have accepted the fact that life is a journey that cannot be entirely spent in the limelight. She is rarely seen in public gatherings now, to the consternation of many who recall her glory days at social functions.

    At least she has decided not to take life’s lessons alone. She quietly basks in the companionship of Edo businessman, Ken Marshall, to whom she got married a year ago.

  • My only regret in life -Mile 12 Market chair Haruna Mohhamed

    My only regret in life -Mile 12 Market chair Haruna Mohhamed

    Alhaji Haruna Mohhamed has been Chairman of the popular Mile 12 market since 2007. To many, attaining the leadership of such market may be a befitting lifetime achievement. But for the Katsina State-born trader, being chairman of the market would only have been a mere stepping stone to a higher office if he had been better educated.

    Speaking with The Nation inside his office, located in the middle of the market, Mohhamed described his parents as Talakawas and his childhood a tough one.

    “My father and mother were Talakawa. My father was a farmer, so also was my mother. My father, despite his poor economic status, wanted me to go to school. I was enrolled in school and I studied up to secondary school.”

    Though his father wanted him to get educated, Haruna said he opted to face farming and trading after he passed out of secondary school, a decision he regrets now.

    “After I finished my secondary education, I decided to face farming and trading. My father really wanted me to further my education, but my attention was focussed on other things. Back then, I thought I would make more money by farming than if I went to school.

    “But looking back now, I wished I had further my education, because if I did, I would probably be a senator or even a bigger person now. Let me tell you something, as far as politics is concerned, I am a very good mobiliser. Imagine if I were better educated, I would have been a big politician, even in Lagos. You know that Yoruba people don’t discriminate, as long as you have what it takes to hold that office, they will support you.”

    Mohhamed was appointed into the board of the Lagos State Arts and Culture by the former governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, during his time as governor.

    However, with his own experience and regrets, Mohhamed is determined to make sure that all his children are educated. And already, three of his children are graduates in different fields- Architecture, Business Administration and Agriculture.

    “I already have three of my children as graduates. Four of them are in the university, while the rest are in primary and secondary schools.”

    Mohhamed came to Lagos at the age of 20 about 35 years ago. He was apprenticed to an Irish Potato merchant to learn the nitty-gritty of the business.

    Mohhamed described his more than three decades sojourn in Lagos as wonderful and interesting. According to him, he arrived in Lagos in those days with a dream to make a living that would be enough to sustain him and his family, but has ended up with a bigger achievement.

    “My stay in Lagos has been wonderful. It has surpassed my expectations. I came to Lagos as a small boy to be trained by my master that sells Irish Potato.”

    Indeed, Haruna has truly been favoured in Lagos. As soon as he became his own master, his business grew to a point where he became a major supplier of Irish Potato to the United African Company (UAC) and other major manufacturers in the country.

    “I started my own business and I gradually grew to supply several big companies. I supplied UAC and other big companies in the country. That is the business that I do till today. “

    For him, the leadership of the Mile 12 market is a tough task that has been made easy by the traders, who he described as wonderful people.

    “You are right, the job is a tough one. But I must confess to you that I enjoy it because of the support I get from the people. While I agree that it is difficult to lead different people from different backgrounds, but the traders here have been very wonderful.”

    He also disproved the belief that the market belongs to the Hausa. The belief, he said, stems from the fact that the Hausa are in the majority among the traders in the market.

    “Some people believe that Mile 12 is Hausa market. But it is not true. It is just that the Hausa are the majority of traders here. It is the same as the Ladipo auto spare parts market. Some people also call it Igbo market simply the Igbo are in the majority.

    “But what is working for us here is the fact that there is a very cordial relationship among all the traders here. We don’t discriminate here, and that is the reason why we have achieved peace here. I love my people and they all  support me.”

    Perhaps, as a demonstration of the love the people have Haruna, he was recently honoured with the chieftaincy title of Seriki Adinni of Kosofe land by the Muslim community, most of who are Yoruba.

    He is also an executive member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kosofe Local Government Area of the state.

    As chairman, Haruna’s dream for the Mile 12 market is for it to attain the status of an international market.

    “My dream for Mile 12 is to make it an international market in about three years time. Our plan is to do it in stages. But the overall idea is to turn it around and make it very attractive to everybody. We want to make the floor interlocked, so that in the rainy season, the market will still be attractive to people. This is in addition to building modern stalls.”

    The chairman is, however, not unaware of the enormous task of rebuilding the market. He wants the state governor to use his good authorities to help the traders achieve their dream.

    “We want the government to support us. But let me send a special appeal to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to help reconsider the plan to relocate the market.

    “I tell you, all we need the government to do is to give us the go ahead, and you would be surprised that we can do the project by ourselves. All the people need, especially banks, is the assurance by the government and everybody would be willing to join hands with us in this project.

    “If you look at Tejuosho market, it is very beautiful now. But we can make Mile 12 even better. It has the capacity to be better and bigger. You know that we sell food items here, unlike Tejuosho, where they sell clothes. People trade every minute of the day to buy fresh foodstuffs. And that is why we are a begging the governor to temper justice with mercy and help us.”

    The government’s decision to relocate the market followed a violent fight that broke out in the Agiliti area of Ketu, a neighbouring community with the market,  in March.

    But the chairman explained that there was a misunderstanding about where the clash took place. According to him, the clash, which left some people dead and a number of buildings torched, had nothing to do with the market or its traders.

    According to him, the leadership of the market had observed the activities of cult-related groups in the area long before the clash, and took steps to inform the government about it.

    He said: “The fight had nothing to do with us at all. Among us here, we have Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and several other tribes. So, it is just not easy for anybody to foment trouble among us. But what happened was that some cult groups in the area were fighting among themselves. Long before the clash, we observed their activities and wrote letters to the authorities to do something about it.”

    But with the lessons learnt from the clash, the leadership of the market has put in a place a 100-man strong security team, which Haruna said is trained to prevent any crisis within the market.

    “You have many societies that always clash with okada riders in the area. That was what led to the crisis. But after the crisis, we came together to form a security team to secure the market.

    “The security team works inside the market for 24 hours. They are everywhere and monitor the activities of everybody. We want to make sure that the market is not turned into a haven for  criminals and other evil-minded people.

    “We also work with the police. Whenever our security team arrests anybody, we hand them over to the police, who in turn take care of the prosecution.”

    He also explained how the market leadership has maintained discipline among the different traders. “We have leaders at every level in the market. That has really helped us to maintain discipline among ourselves. Also, we hold regular meetings to make sure that we don’t allow any trouble to start.”

    He also called on the police authorities to increase the number of policemen around the Ketu neighbourhood. The number of policemen in the area, he said, is a far cry from the number needed to police the number of people that throng the community.

    Haruna married his first wife when he turned 18, shortly before he left his Katsina State base for Lagos. The reason he got married at such young age, he said, was the practice by parents in that part of the country to ensure that their children marry early in order to prevent them from being wayward.

    “I married my first wife when I was about 18 years old. That was because our parents didn’t want us to be wayward.”

    But Haruna has married a second wife. He said he decided to take a second wife after he became convinced that he can take care of the family. “I know that I can take care of two wives and my family. I want the best for them, and I can do that conveniently with what I am doing now.”

    Haruna does not drink or smoke, but he loves listening to music and watching television, especially news programmes. Among his favourites musicians, aside from some popular Hausa genre musicians, are two late popular Yoruba musicians- Haruna Ishola and Ayinla Omowura.

    But when he is not listening to music or watching television, Haruna takes time off his busy schedule at the market to rest at home.

    “My wives love to see me at home. This is because I spend too much time at the market. So, whenever I am not working at the market, I stay at home and rest.”

  • Mirror of Life

    Preamble

    Here is the month in which the revelation of the Qur’an began. The revelation of the sacred Book in this sacred month called Ramadan is quite symbolic as it confers the entire habitat of human existence. It is the Qur’an that enables humanity to know the significance of the month called Ramadan. Thus, the relationship between the Qur’an and Ramadan is as symbiotic as the one between the egg and the hen. It is difficult for the one to claim an origin that is different from that of the other. Ramadan brings the Qur’an into life just as the Qur’an gives Ramadan its divine identity.

    The word Qur’an means continuous recitation. It is so defined because of its inimitable origin which makes it a compelling daily recitation throughout the world, across nations and centuries. Qur’an contains the unsurpassable words of Allah not only in the grandeur of its diction and splendour of its rendition but also in the depth of its meaning, substance and profundity.

     

    Revelation

    The revelation of this sacred ‘Book’ to mankind through an unlettered desert Arab, Muhammad (SAW) the son of Abdullah and Aminah, began in 610 CE. It lasted 22 years and three months (12 years in Makkah and12 years plus three months in Madinah). The book contains 114 chapters and 6236 verses (not 6666 verses often erroneously quoted by most Nigerian Muslim clerics). Of these 114 chapters, 86 were revealed in Makkah and 28 in Madinah. But the 28 chapters revealed in Madinah constitute two thirds of the Book. And this is because the Makkah chapters are short and rhythmic while those of Madinah are long and prose-like.

    Although the Qur’an was revealed orally, its writing began as soon as its revelations commenced. The writing was however done on primitive materials like wood, animal hide, back of trees, tablets of rock and others of the like which were then readily available. It was only a year (633 C.E) after the demise of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), that those writings were rendered into a book form not in a foreign language as in the case of the Bible but in Arabic which was its original language of revelation. And one of the wonders in documenting the Qur’anic revelations is the classification of those revelations into chapters and verses by the Prophet himself despite his unlettered status.

     

    Manner of Presentation

    The manner of presenting the Qur’anic revelations is simple and direct. It employs neither artifice nor conventional poses. Its main appeal is to man’s intellect, feelings and imagination. It does not only touch the anecdotes of previous Prophets and nations in different ages and even the accounts of earlier revelations, it also covers the entire period of human existence from the beginning of creation to the very last Day of Judgment.

    Besides the above, the Qur’an also gives insight into some natural phenomena like spherical objects and revolution of the earth (Q. 39:5) the formation of rain (Q. 30:48); the fertilization of the wind (Q. 15:22); the revolution of the sun, the moon and the planets in their fixed orbits (Q. 36:29-38); the aquatic origin of all creatures (Q. 21:30); the duality of the sex of plants and other creatures (Q. 36:35); the collective life of animals (Q.6:38); the mode of life of the bees (Q. 16:69) and the successive phases of the child in the mother’s womb (Q. 22:5 & 23:14). It is only in the Qur’an, of all revealed Books that all these can be found. Or can anybody point out anything similar to these in any other revealed book?

    Yet, the purpose of this Qur’an is not to teach history, astronomy, philosophy or sciences. It is rather to guide mankind in their pursuit of knowledge towards achieving the benefits of each of these fields throughout human odyssey.

     

    Language of the Qur’an

    Most Muslim clerics recite the Qur’an in its original language (Arabic) without understanding what they are reciting because they do not speak that language.  Some read it as a means of solving their imaginary problems thus taking the Qur’an for a charm which must yield result if manipulated towards their whims. The Qur’an is not meant for that purpose. It is rather the manual of life for man by which he lives his daily life and conducts his daily affairs.

    The word Qur’an means continuous recitation and understanding. It is so called because of its inimitable origin which makes it a compelling daily reading throughout the world and across ages. It contains the unsurpassable words of Allah not only in the grandeur of its diction and the splendour of its rendition but also in the depth of its meaning, substance and profundity.

     

    Proof of Originality

    That the Qur’an is the only revealed ‘BOOK’ in the world today that has consistently retained the originality of both its language and contents for over 1400 years is enough a testimony to the proof of its divine origin. That also confirms not only the genuineness of the prophet-hood of Muhammad (SAW) as a Messenger of Allah but also the lucidity of Arabic as one of the oldest languages in the world today. Thus, just as there can be no proof of the identity of a messenger without the authenticity of the message so can there be  no proof of the genuineness of the prophetic mission of Muhammad (SAW) outside the proof of the originality of the Qur’an.

     

    Proof of Divine Origin

    It cannot be strange to see anybody who perceives the immortal God in the image of a mortal being to perceive Islam as a mere dogma like any other religion. It is such people who keep asking for the proof of Qur’anic revelation as if other revelations before the Qur’an do not need proof. In reason and logic, asking for the proof of the Qur’an after all the manifest evidences in its contents is like asking the sun to prove its rays. However, it is the nature and character of unbelievers to deny the truth and refute the obvious. But does it really bother the sun that a blind man denies its existence? Or can a brook be bothered in anyway if the herds boycott its water?

     

    Features of the Qur’an

    Qur’an leaves no aspect of life untouched just as it leaves no secret unrevealed. Problems and solutions; history and lessons; crimes and penalties; justice and righteousness; discipline and courage; friendship and trust; leadership and governance; education and methodology; marriage and divorce; widowhood and orphanage; childhood and inheritance; poverty and wealth; opinion and logic; facts and figures; life and death; darkness and light; war and peace; leadership and power; angel, jinn and man; heavens and earth; all these and many other  matters relating to man and his environment form the subjects of discussion and guidance in the ‘Divine Diary of Life called the Qur’an’.

     

    Profile of the Qur’an

    The revelation of this Book to mankind through an unlettered desert Arab, Muhammad (SAW) son of Abdullah and Aminah, began in the month of Ramadan in year 610 CE. It lasted about 23 years (10 years in Makkah and12 years plus a few months in Madinah). The book contains 114 chapters and 6246 verses (not 6666 verses often announced by most Imams and Alfas). Any individual can verify this by checking the number of verses in each chapter and adding them together. It does not take more than one hour to do this.

    Of the 114 chapters contained in the Qur’an, 86 were revealed in Makkah and 28 in Madinah. But the 28 chapters revealed in Madinah constitute two thirds of the entire Sacred Book. And this is because the Makkah chapters are short and rhythmic while those of Madinah are long and prose-like.

     

    Writing of the Qur’an

    Although the Qur’an was revealed orally, its writing began almost immediately the revelations started. The writing was however done on primitive materials like wood, animal hides, back of trees and others of the like which were then readily available. It was only much later, after the demise of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), that those writings were brought together and rendered into a book form.

    One of the wonders of recording the Qur’an in writing is the classification of those revelations into chapters and verses by the Prophet himself despite his Inability to read and write.

    The manner of presenting the Qur’anic revelations is simple and direct. It employs neither artifice nor conventional poses. Its main appeal is to man’s intellect, feelings and imagination. It does not only touch the anecdotes of the past Prophets in different ages and nations as well as the accounts of earlier revelations, it also covers the period from the beginning of creation to the very last Day of Judgment and beyond.

     

    Qur’anic References

    Not only that, Al-Qur’an also gives insight into some natural phenomena like sphericity and revolution of the earth (Q. 39:5) the formation of rain (Q. 30:48); the fertilization of the wind (Q. 15:22); the revolution of the sun, the moon and the planets in their fixed orbits (Q. 36:29-38); the aquatic origin of all creatures (Q. 21:30); the duality of the sex of plants and other creatures (Q. 36:35); the collective life of animals (Q.6:38); the mode of life of the bees (Q. 16:69) and the successive phases of the child in the mother’s womb (Q. 22:5 & 23:14). Yet, the purpose of this Book is not to teach history, astronomy, philosophy or sciences.

     

    Qur’anic Lessons

    In this glorious Book are practical lessons such as the great deluge, the cataclysm of Sodom and Gomorrah, the defeat of Jalut (Goliath) by Daud (David), the doom of the tyrannical Pharaoh, and similar catastrophes that had afflicted iniquitous people of the past. All these are taught to man through the Qur’an that he (man) might know how to re-assess himself continually and properly akin to the guidance of Allah.

    Apart from the facts mentioned above, many other devices were adopted from time to time, by Allah, to remind man of his mortality and to see him through a successful sojourn on earth. But unfortunately, man has always been blind to genuine divine guidance just as he has been deaf to warnings and deviant of reason as much as he has persistently been insensitive to rightful thoughts even as he remains unreceptive to positive ideas. In his choice to form freemasonry with Satan, man has ignorantly and continuously strayed into a quagmire of sorrow. Taking Satan for his best friend, he refuses to use the long spoon with which he is provided through the Qur’an by Allah to dine with the damned Lucifer.

     

    Testimony

    To Muslims who understand the teachings of Islam through the Qur’an, all the genuine Messengers including Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus) are from Allah and all the divinely revealed ‘BOOKS’ are series of the same Allah’s  ‘MESSAGE’ to mankind. They are like Ambassadors of a nation to another nation. Changing them from time to time does not change the constitution of nation from where they come or the foreign policy of that nation. This fact has been firmly established in the Qur’an itself thus:

    “The Messenger of Allah (Muhammad (SAW) believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord; and every true believer also believes in Allah, His Angels, His revealed Books and His Messengers. We do not discriminate against anyone of them (those Messengers) as they say we hear and obey (the contents of the revelation). Oh God! We seek your forgiveness. To You is our return” Q. 3:285-286

     

    Discipline

    It is evident that true Muslims are not known for maligning any Prophet or genuinely revealed ‘BOOKS’ that have not reflected any traces of human tampering. Right from its very first day of revelation, the Qur’an has come with undeniable proof. But it takes only a divinely cleansed heart to comprehend such proof and acknowledge its authenticity. Qur’an itself is the master proof of all other celestial messages that preceded it. It is the final divine revelation which has no human interference or tampering.

    Neither Prophet Muhammad (SAW), who brought this Sacred Book to mankind nor any of his companions (or disciples) had a say in it. The Book contains no chapters or verses according to anybody. And unlike some other books no one speaks in the Qur’an on behalf of Allah in the name of revelation. Even the personal expressions of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) about mundane life which are generally known as Hadith were not to be mingled with the verses of the Qur’an despite his endowed divine inspirations. And where such expressions seem to contradict any part of the Qur’an they automatically become superseded by the contents of the latter.

     

    The Qur’an as Mirror

    Qur’an is the extraordinary compendium in which the activities of man from the very beginning of human existence to the end of human life are chronicled. It is the eternally concrete ‘MIRROR’ through which the descendants of Adam and Hawau can see life in its past, its present and its near and far future. This ‘MIRROR’ is the spectacle that heals the blind, the natural manure that fertilizes the human brain and the greatest treasure in the possession of mankind.

    For the rightly guided mind, the Qur’an is the eye with which to see, the ear with which to hear and the sense with which to reason. It is the bridge across the valleys of life; the insurance against any damnation; the passport for salvation and the only reliable redeemer of mankind.

    For any divinely tamed mind therefore, life begins and ends with the Qur’an, Allah’s own tradition and the only authentic fountain from which man can draw and sip the living spring of wisdom. The sense that reasons with the Qur’an makes no mistake. Any mind that thinks with the Qur’an can never be devilled. Any eye that sees with the Qur’an can never incur sore. Any tongue that talks with the Qur’an can never stammer. Any power that genuinely rules with the Qur’an can never fall. Meanwhile, the Almighty Allah warns in this non-such Book (the Qur’an) thus: “But whosoever deviates from My guidance, verily for him is life of subjugation and We shall raise him up a blind person on the Day of resurrection” (Q. 20: 124).

     

    Controversy

    Meanwhile, there is a raging controversy among Muslim scholars over the first and last revelations in the Qur’an. Much as this controversy is unwarranted, it may be necessary to clear the coast here (without claiming authority) if only for the purpose of authenticating history.

    It is almost a consensus that the first revealed chapter in the Qur’an is Suratul ‘Alaq (Chapter of the Clot). But the very first revelation reaching   Prophet Muhammad (SAW) through Angel Jubril is ‘BASMALAH’ (In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful) which precedes every chapter in the Qur’an except one (Suratut-Tawbah) .

    As a Messenger of Allah to another Messenger of Allah, Angel Jubril couldn’t have commanded Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to read anything without doing so in the name of Allah who sent him with the message. Thus, Suratul ‘Alaq, as preceded by ‘BASMALAH’, could only have been the first revealed verse but not the first chapter.  And that is logical.

    As for the last revelation in the Qur’an majority of Nigerian Muslim scholars believe that it is chapter 5, verse 3 of the Qur’an which says: ‘’Today, I have perfected your religion for you and completed my favour on you. And, I am pleased with Islam for you as religion’’.

    That verse of the Qur’an that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) at ‘Arafah while performing his farewell Hajj couldn’t have been the last revelation because came 81 days before the demise of the Prophet (SAW). Another revelation came thereafter which about nine days before the Prophet fell sick and died. This can be found in Qur’an 2: 281 which says: “And fear the day when you shall all return to Allah; the day when every soul shall be requited according to its desert and none shall be wronged”.

     

    CLARIRFICATION

    The earlier verse was an accentuation of Hajj as the last pillar of Islam. And that was why it came on ‘Arafah Day. The latter is a reminder of man’s final destination and the account of his worldly activities. These and many more are what readers of the Qur’an should know inside out. But the big question is this: who will teach them when the supposed teachers have sold out to money and ignorance? To Muslims who are conscious of their spiritual affinity and retain their conscience for the day they will meet their Creator and account for their deeds on earth ‘The Message’ says RAMADAN KARIM!

     

  • Making life better for people

    For the army of the unemployed, the available white-collar jobs cannot go around. To bridge the gaps, some lawmakers have been empowering the jobless with working tools. BISI OLADELE reports that the lawmaker representing Ibadan South East/North East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Dapo Lam-Adesina, has provided empowerment facilities worth N30 million for members of his constituency.

    As the country tackles the menace of unemployment which resulted from lack of white-collar jobs, wealthy individuals and those in position of authority have been encouraging individuals, especially young school leavers, graduates and some others to redirect their attention from being job-seekers to job-creators and employers of labour.

    Lawmakers are not left out in the quest to empower members of their constituency through skill acquisition programmes and empowerment items.

    In the circumstances, the countrified town of Idi Ape sparkled as residents shirked all their commercial and other activities to converge on the Army Children’s School, Idi Ape, in Ibadan North-East Local Government Area.

    They gathered to join several distinguished guests who came from far and near to witness a unique moment when many members of the lawmaker’s constituency were empowered with various items to make them self-reliant and, possibly, employers of labour. For them, it was a rare opportunity to witness such an event.

    During the event, Dapo Lam-Adesina gave out empowerment items valued at N30 million to some of his constituents.

    Great crowd of members of his constituency witnessed the event which was described as unprecedented.

    Over 300 women, youths and unemployed graduates were empowered with start-up capital and tools by Hon. Lam-Adesina in Ibadan penultimate week.

    Lam-Adesina represents Ibadan South East/North East Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives.

    Some of the items he presented to some of the constituents included sewing machines, tricycles, motorcycles, grinding machines and start-up cash.

    Most of the beneficiaries received the gifts after undergoing a two-month vocational training under the Omo Oloore Empowerment Scheme.

    In addition to start-up cash, 146 sewing machines, 110 grinding machines, 17 tricycles and 40 motorcycles were given out to the beneficiaries.

    The lawmaker, who said that beneficiaries who received sewing machines and grinding machines were graduates of a skill acquisition scheme he set up two months earlier, explained that the empowerment programme was his way of giving back to the people and fulfilling some of the promises he made to them during his electioneering campaigns.

    Addressing the beneficiaries and other well-wishers at the programme held at the Army Children’s School, Idi Ape, in Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of Oyo State, the lawmaker revealed how the 256 beneficiaries had been trained by professionals from tailoring and pepper/cassava millers’ unions. He added that the trainers were also rewarded with cash gifts.

    He said: “We told them that we would be responsible and responsive representatives. Also because of the economic challenges facing our people lately, we believe that we in positions of authority should alleviate the sufferings of our people. It is part of our agenda to reach out to the grassroots, because it is not all of us that can occupy political offices and it is not all of us that will get white-collar jobs. We are trying to make people return to the good old days where people used their hands to make money.

    “We did a lot of training and it was time-intensive and we have put the trainees under registered associations.”

    The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to Lam-Adesina for the gesture.

    Describing him as a responsible and reliable politician, a beneficiary, Olutade Adigun, said the lawmaker has consistently remained a shining example to other youths in the country, adding that his integrity makes him dependable and reliable.

    “Hon. Lam-Adesina is very close to the voters. He bonds with the people. He does not just sit in Abuja and comes back only during elections. That is why you can see this crowd of supporters attending this empowerment programme. It is not all about giving money but about being a friend of his constituents,” he said.

    Aside the beneficiaries and well-wishers, the empowerment programme was attended by several leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the two local government areas as well as some members of the State Executive of the party.

    They included the Chairman of the party in Oyo South Senatorial District, Prince Adefisoye Adekanye; the Caretaker Chairman, Ibadan North East Local Government Area, Mr Lekan Afuye;  Chief Ayo Eniade; Alhaji Mufutau Adisa and Chief Bolade Akinyemi among others.

    Adekanye commended Lam-Adesina for the empowerment initiative.

    Akinyemi also praised him, saying the APC was poised to improve the quality of life of Nigerians.

  • In Bauchi, every life counts

    SIR: Barrister Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, Governor of Bauchi State, was a two-time Commissioner of Justice and a legal practitioner of note before his foray into politics. Looking at his resume, one would pray to be as lucky as he is.

    In line with the objective of his administration in having a healthy society free from communicable and non-communicable diseases, he launched the Five Point Health Agenda in September 2015 aimed at strengthening of the Primary Health Care services with particular emphasis on diseases affecting the maternal, new born and child population as well as routine immunization exercise.

    Since then, the Bauchi State helmsman has been doing his best in building a high performing health care system that will be the best in terms of accessibility and meeting the vast majority of peoples’ health needs. He has shown a rare commitment to addressing the gaps in health care system with a strong focus on primary health care which is the frontline of health care delivery.

    His current efforts reinforce his avowed commitment to citizens’ right to health, especially Basic Health Care Provision which explains why he is taking deliberate steps to pursue public health improvements and ensure rapid progress towards the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in line with the National Health Act enacted in 2014. The state is also confronting headlong, the problems of lack of accurate data and vital statistics that made proper planning difficult in the past.

    Some of the problems that were faced in the past include lack of accurate data and vital statistics which made planning very difficult. The Abubakar administration in Bauchi State has put in place robust health information system that will ensure effective resource allocation and utilisation.

    Nothing gives credence to the seriousness of the current administration than the fact that adequate provision has been made in the 2016 budget that would ensure better health outcomes, going forward.

    The move has motivated the health sector workforce in the state and has caused corresponding improvements to the health management system, thereby repositioning Bauchi State to deliver significantly improved health outcomes.

    An instant revelation is the Payment of N160 Million as part of the state government’s commitment in the MoU with Bill and Melinda Gates and Dangote Foundation respectively aimed at setting up emergency operation centres on polio; and the sponsorship of maternal, neo-natal and Child Health Week and rapid response to outbreak of diarrhoea in some parts of the State;

    Patient-feeding and fuelling of generators in general hospitals and other health facilities in the state have been resuscitated to ensure efficiency in the running of health facilities in the state.

    That’s not all. The Abubakar administration has facilitated the accreditation of courses offered at the State College of Nursing and Midwifery; as well as Dental Health Services training at the State College of Health Technology Ningi.

    The state has also benefitted from collaboration with Al-Basar International Foundation which has so far organised free eye treatment to about 10,000 eye patients.

    The modest achievements of the governor in the last 10 months in the health sector have already started attracting acclamation from key stakeholders in the sector. Only a few weeks ago, Governor Abubakar received an official commendation from Bill Gates, the proprietor of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in which he appreciated the effort of the state government in the routine immunization programme and the implementation of Primary Health Care under One Roof.

     

    • Ismaila Garba,

    Toro, Bauchi State.